Turning Chapter 814

Chapter 814

“Where are you going?”

“Ahh!”

As Kiolle turned the corner in the quiet corridor, a hand grasped his shoulder like a ghost, eliciting a scream from him. However, before he could fully open his mouth, a swiftly extended hand clamped over his face, muffling the sound to a mere 'Hmm!'

"Why are you so startled all of a sudden? Didn't you expect this?"

"Um, um, um! Hmm, hmm, hmm!!"

"I can't understand a word you're saying."

"Hmm, hmm! Hmmm~~!"

'Let go of me! How dare you do this to me! Are you trying to kill me?'

Kiolle desperately tried to shout, but his voice went unheard, and he couldn't even pry the hand from his mouth. Surprisingly, Yuder appeared smaller and thinner than Kiolle, yet his strength was inexplicably formidable.

Of course, this was due to Yuder's slight application of his abilities, but Kiolle trembled, thinking Yuder a monster.

"Be quiet. We need to talk somewhere more secluded."

"..."

At least this request aligned with Kiolle's wishes. Yuder, with a now silent Kiolle, headed to a place devoid of anyone's presence. It was a small confessional not far from the chapel.

Normally, there would be at least one priest guarding the place, but today was the funeral of the Herne Duke's family. Naturally, all other temple activities were halted, and the priests were busy with the funeral preparations.

"This should be a good spot."

"Puhah! Cough, cough!"

Finally freed from Yuder's grasp, Kiolle coughed and rolled on the floor, looking quite pitiful. After calming down, he glared with tearful eyes.

"You ruthless scoundrel...! Were you trying to kill me?"

"Couldn't you breathe with only your mouth covered? The reputation of the Imperial Knights is at stake."

Of course, Kiolle's pitiful state had no effect on Yuder.

"You've been wanting to say something since earlier. Stop gasping like a fish and speak properly. Tell me everything that's happened."

"What, what, a fish?! How can you demand that so boldly! I'm not your servant! Can't you speak with more courtesy?"

"Courtesy?"

Yuder asked as if the word were utterly foreign to him, his expression blank.

"Do you still expect me to show courtesy?"

"..."

It was terrifying.

There was no direct threat, just a simple question, yet it was spine-chillingly frightening.

Kiolle calmed down rapidly. He was bitterly disappointed that he couldn't hurl more direct and severe insults at Yuder, but he knew all too well that confronting this monster would be futile.

…And, though he hated to admit it, in this maddening situation where he couldn't ask anyone for help, he kept thinking of Yuder Aile.

"...I did have something to tell you once I arrived in the South."

"What is it?"

"During my journey here, a terrible... unforeseen incident occurred, something no one could have predicted."

"So what is it?"

It was agonizing. Should he really be telling this to Yuder?

In the throes of torment, Kiolle painfully opened his mouth.

"......H...he."

"...What?"

Yuder's brow furrowed, revealing his normally hair-concealed forehead, making his frown all the more intimidating. Yet, Kiolle had to speak. He covered his forehead and eyes with both hands and bowed his head.

Unaware that his posture was almost identical to that used in confessional, Kiolle spoke.

"...He followed me here."

"Who followed you?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince...! He followed me, me!"

His voice burst out, filled with indignation. Kiolle glanced around nervously, worried his voice had been too loud, even though he saw no one nearby.

"Don't worry, I've dampened the surrounding sounds. If anyone comes, we'll know."

Yuder spoke as if he had read Kiolle's mind, which made Kiolle feel both impressed and self-resentful.

'I can't believe I thought of him as dependable, even for a moment!'

"So, you're saying that Crown Prince Katchian has followed you to the South."

"Yes! Exactly. He's even outside right now!"

"Why would he follow you? Does Duke Diarca know?"

"How would I know?! His Highness said he had to help those charlatan healers! That's why he came to this funeral! I managed to convince him not to come inside, but if this gets out, I could lose my father's trust and be banished forever!"

The mere thought was terrifying.

As Kiolle agonized, Yuder murmured with an expressionless face.

"He certainly doesn't seem to be in his normal state."

"Yes, that's true."

Normally, Kiolle would have been outraged at speaking so disrespectfully about the Crown Prince, but this time, he couldn't refute it.

"His Highness... he's changed. It seems like he's been brainwashed by those charlatans without me knowing. It's unbelievable. How could something like this happen to him!"

Kiolle was in despair, yet Yuder remained calm, as if he had anticipated hearing such news.

"What about Duke Diarca's side? Is something odd there too?"

"You really say whatever comes to mind! My father is perfectly healthy and normal! I've ensured it, so of course he would be!"

"Are you sure you're not just missing something?"

Kiolle reacted passionately to Yuder's cold question. After several minutes of heated discussion, he caught his breath and calmed down.

"No! It's definitely not that!"

"Alright. If you insist so strongly, I'll take it as that."

"It's not just insistence; it's the truth!"

Kiolle then elaborated on the events that had happened to him. Most of the information was already known to Yuder or had been speculated with Kishiar.

The circumstances under which Kiolle met Duke Herne on his way to the South were ridiculously simple.

"I tried to send away a carriage that was blocking the way! But they recognized me and forced me into the carriage! At first, I didn't know he was Duke Herne and got quite angry. He said he was curious about my father's intentions for sending someone like me... and took me to his house against my will!"

Although his words were tinged with anger, they were clear enough. It seemed Duke Herne was curious if someone as brash and clueless as Kiolle was really sent by Duke Diarca on purpose.

After all, anyone would wonder if Duke Diarca had some ulterior motive in sending such a foolish person to such an important event.

Duke Diarca, well-known as a shrewd and old fox among the four great dukes, had always been in competition with the Herne family. It was possible that he had even more reasons to be suspicious.

'Duke Diarca must have sent Kiolle to observe and disrupt us closely, but it all backfired. Does he really not realize this fool is still as clueless as ever?'

Duke Diarca was clever, arrogant, and cruel.

But even he, in front of his son's positive transformation, seemed more inclined to rejoice than to doubt the cause. And this was the result.

To Yuder, this was more astonishing than the sage's brainwashing.

'Well... this works out for us. With Kiolle like this, we can easily predict Duke Diarca's reactions in the South. It simplifies things. And as for Crown Prince Katchian…’

It was evident he had been brainwashed, but to an excessive degree.

It was surprising that he had hidden in Kiolle's carriage to come this far. The old Katchian would never have done such a thing, suggesting his judgment and self-preservation were almost entirely gone. He was truly not in his right mind.

'And to think, he used to be the Emperor. It's unbelievable that he could be more foolish than Kiolle.'

The sight of someone self-destructing without any external interference was indeed strange.

"How can we send him back to the Bright Palace without a hitch? Without my father knowing. You could do it, right?"

Kiolle, still in agony, babbled nonsensically beside him.

'What does he think my abilities are?'

He still seemed clueless, or perhaps his memory was just that bad.

Well, it wouldn’t be surprising for Kiolle of the Diarca family.

Yuder casually replied.

"People who've been brainwashed can't be reasoned with. Don't bother with this approach. As soon as you return today, leave your current location and confine him, preventing him from going outside."

"Wha... What?! Are you telling me to confine someone...?"

"If you want to undo the brainwashing, you need to instill doubt about it. But since you're unlikely to manage that, consider this advice."

The sage's brainwashing abilities were, frankly, formidable based on what he had seen so far. Far more potent than the false sage he had encountered in his previous life.

Of course, it wasn't permanent, but how could Kiolle possibly break it?