Turning Chapter 830

Chapter 830

From the moment he awakened his power, the sage had viewed all humans as mere materials to be enslaved.

Yuder Aile, undeniably strong, was still human and thus bound to have vulnerabilities. If it were possible to exploit these weaknesses and brainwash Yuder Aile, even for a brief moment, what could be the outcome?

Successful brainwashing would turn his formidable abilities into the perfect means of escape from this predicament.

Even if not Yuder, targeting other more vulnerable members of the Cavalry wasn't a bad option. Of course, it would exact a toll on his body, but capturing anyone and using them as a hostage could provide a way out.

Ordinarily, he would never consider such an act, out of concern for his own well-being.

Yet the dire circumstances had driven him to contemplate this as the only viable option.

‘Yes, it's better to brainwash just once, rather than maintain control over many.’

Just one time, brainwashing a single individual would suffice.

If he could catch Yuder Aile off guard, and establish contact just once to forcibly wield that power...!

That was the moment.

Suddenly, someone briefly appeared in the sage's field of vision.

Emerging from nowhere, it was someone the sage recognized.

"Lord Nahan!"

Hosanna.

How had this devoted young man from the Southern lands, who had dedicated everything to Nahan, appeared here at this moment?

The sage was as surprised as Nahan must have been. The commotion on the other side had inadvertently drawn Yuder Aile's gaze.

Seizing the opportunity, the sage shouted.

"Go! You don't need to protect me! Hurry and get that man!"

His voice was desperate, and those who had been his last line of defense, encircling him, began to move.

Most of them were non-Awakener knights and nobles, used as human shields against the Awakeners. They were a mess from their repeated roles as human shields, but the sage's command was absolute.

"Ah... Ahhh!"

The non-Awakeners stumbled as they charged towards Yuder Aile.

The sage, anticipating Yuder would easily dispatch them, pondered his next move to distract him.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Yuder Aile, who had effortlessly wielded power and weapons against the Awakeners, hesitated for the first time when facing these non-Awakener nobles.

There was a noticeable change in his demeanor.

The sage realized it wasn't an illusion when he saw Yuder handle the non-Awakener nobles far more carefully than before, knocking them unconscious.

‘So, even someone as arrogant and powerful as he ultimately has a hard time against nobles, being of commoner origins himself.’

Why hadn't he thought of this sooner?

A smile crept through the sage's tangled beard.

It was a typical human assumption, to view everyone from one's own level, but the conclusion wasn't far off. At the same moment, Yuder Aile, with an impassive face, was irritatedly thinking the same.

‘What a nuisance.’

He was relieved that the sage seemed less formidable than expected. Although he had to be more cautious with the remaining non-Awakener nobles compared to the Awakeners, it was manageable.

It would take more time, but he didn't expect any significant deviation from his anticipated outcome.

But who could have foreseen this sudden turn of events?

‘Hosanna... How did he get here?’

The appearance of Hosanna here meant that he had escaped. Yuder wondered what had happened, as Kanna and the other members were surely guarding the underground securely.

While this was a pressing concern, what troubled him most was the change in the situation due to Hosanna's arrival. Hosanna's mobility, while not threatening on its own, became a different matter when combined with Nahan. Yuder couldn't afford to let Nahan, who was almost within grasp, slip away now. To prevent them from joining forces and escaping, Yuder himself had to quickly intervene.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Kishiar. Naturally, two were better than one, and to pair up, dealing with the sage quickly was essential. However, the current situation demanded more time.

‘If only the remaining ones weren't non-Awakener nobles…’

The sage thought Yuder hesitated simply because of their status, but that was both right and wrong. More precisely, Yuder was contemplating the aftermath of this situation.

The incident that had earned Yuder Aile the most enemies in his previous life was when he killed the fake sage, Diemon. He had many enemies even before that, but the repercussions of this event were on a different scale.

From the Emperor to the nobility, renowned figures from all walks of society, and even within the Cavalry, where Yuder had the most influence, countless individuals turned against him because of that incident.

Yuder realized then that humans, especially proud nobles, do not want to accept being deceived. Though many knew logically that Yuder had done the right thing, accepting that someone they revered was a fraud was a different matter.

Their belief in the sage had morphed into a belief in themselves, so they chose to resent Yuder instead. It was easier and spared their pride.

After that incident, the Cavalry's reputation plummeted. Even those who received help from them resented the presence of a Commander who had killed the sage.

Of course, the real sage's current influence wasn't as great as before, and those obstructing Yuder now were temporarily brainwashed non-Awakener individuals.

Dealing with them should have been easier than breathing compared to the Awakeners he had faced earlier.

It was unlikely that the same situation as in his previous life would recur, but Yuder believed the lessons learned from that event were still applicable.

After being brainwashed by the sage and then subdued by Yuder, whom would these non-Awakener nobles resent more once everything was over?

The sage? Or Yuder Aile and the Cavalry?

In a normal situation, they would have been grateful to Yuder for saving them, but nothing was certain in the aftermath of mental manipulation. Moreover, these nobles were likely close to the Herne family, attendees of the Second Prince of Herne's funeral.

If, after waking from the brainwashing, they used even a minor injury as an excuse to demand reparations from Yuder and the Cavalry and protested ostentatiously in front of the Imperial Palace, Yuder wouldn't be surprised.

That's why he found this situation bothersome. Dealing with brainwashed opponents whom he could not subdue by inflicting even minor injuries was an unwelcome task, even for Yuder Aile.

‘Damn it.’

Yuder grappled with the urge to swiftly bury all opposition and the rational realization that such reckless action could deplete his strength unnecessarily, making the confrontation with Nahan more troublesome.

‘Besides... the person who will have to bear the consequences of my actions is no longer me.’

The one who would have to endure the storm that would befall the Cavalry, similar to what happened in his past life, was no longer Yuder.

It was Commander Kishiar La Orr.

This fact was of utmost importance.

All other impulses paled in the face of his name.

It was at that very moment, as the golden light blazing within Yuder's eyes began to dim, revealing his discomfort, that a warning was shouted.

"Yuder! Watch out!"

At the sound of his name, Yuder instinctively tilted his head, following his innate senses.

Something whisked past his hair from behind and shot forward.

Simultaneously, a figure, seemingly faster than the first, pierced through the air, moving rapidly in the same direction.