Turning Chapter 808

Chapter 808

"Considering the last sighting, the sage might already be in Charloin."

"Yes. Thinking so, we returned here first. From now on, we plan to continue tracking in and around Charloin, but I think everyone should be cautious. We never know when or how he might appear."

The sage had spent nearly two years in this southern region. Although he had hidden himself away at the base, but there might have been more accomplices extending their reach everywhere.

Yuder agreed with Ever's judgment. Kishiar also nodded lightly before folding the map.

The next question he asked was not about the sage.

"Nahan, too, I presume, must have come here around the same time. Did you not gather any information about him?"

"We did chase him as well while tracking the sage. However, he moves alone and, due to his abilities, it has not been easy to catch him."

Prefacing with excuses is not a good method when reporting. However, based on experience, when Ever spoke like this, there was always a statement that overturned it following, so Yuder listened without worry.

"However, my colleagues thoroughly investigated and analyzed even the floating rumors near their base and were able to discover something."

"What is that?"

"Around the time we suspect the sage arrived at the base, people in several villages near the desert heard explosions. They thought it was the sound of monsters fighting. There had been similar incidents before."

A smile formed on Kishiar's lips.

"But it was baseless noise, wasn’t it?"

"Yes, we couldn't find anyone who had seen it directly. So, as we investigated further..."

Beneath the desert sands lie dangerous monsters with hard shells. They sometimes fight and devour each other, and the sound can resemble explosions, as explained by the villagers who heard them.

However, such incidents had become particularly frequent about a year ago, according to Ever's investigation.

"So, I thought that the monster sounds the villagers spoke of might be a misconception. There are few villages in that area, but no one talks about such monsters in the slightly distant regions."

"So, you're suggesting that either the sage or Nahan's abilities could have been enough to create noises that mislead a few nearby villages?"

"Exactly. And according to the people there, the explosions they heard this time were more intense and longer than ever before. Considering that the sage's movements were traced outside the desert only after that, perhaps..."

Ever spoke more cautiously than ever, but with certainty.

"I suspect Nahan arrived at the base before the sage and later had a conflict with the returning sage. The people only mistook the noise for monsters."

Afterward, the sage left the base. That meant, despite the disturbance, the sage at least had not died.

But had Nahan lost?

Yuder thought not. Nahan was not the kind of person to just fall, no matter how severe his injuries or how many capable companions he lost.

'If the sage has left there, then Nahan would have followed him. Then Nahan too must have come to Charloin by now. Maybe he, like the sage, is already lurking somewhere here.’

As Yuder pondered, Ever continued to speak.

"If we could have confirmed the location of their base more certainly, we would have been able to assert with greater confidence based on the traces. However, I thought it better to return here as soon as possible to report, rather than searching for it."

Her mission was not to find out the base of the Star of Nagran, but to follow the sage and redeem herself from the last encounter. Knowing this, Ever left Devran behind and returned first.

Kishiar sent words of praise to Ever for her decision and the information she brought.

"It's excellent how you delved into every suspicious aspect without overlooking it. But I believe you know better than anyone that to give full meaning to this, we cannot stop here."

"Yes. I will certainly catch that cunning one with my own hands, to ensure he never escapes the Cavalry again."

Ever clenched her fist tightly.

"Good. Then let's leave the search for the exact location of the base to Devran, plus Pruelle, Revlin, and a few successful candidates willing to help us. It's not immediately necessary, but it's still something that needs to be done."

"I'll get them prepared."

"Additionally, call in some members from the capital and from the eastern and western regions to search for the Star of Nagran’s central base. It'll be a headache to handle all these tasks simultaneously, but it'll be easier next time if we finish it this time."

This was a declaration of intent to ensure that neither the sage nor Nahan could escape to a base in case of another conflict.

Everyone, including Yuder, nodded in agreement to Kishiar's words.

"Yes, understood!"

After Ever and the Eldore siblings left, Kishiar spoke to Yuder.

"It's quite the timing that the sage and Nahan have come here, just when people like Duke Herne and Kiolle da Diarca have arrived. In the midst of all this, we also have to be wary of unpredictable cracks and natural disasters."

"It turned out to be quite a situation."

"One slip and it'll be troublesome."

His tone was light, but the light tapping of his fingers on his temple and the dark red of his eyes said otherwise. Yuder could only guess at the whirlwind of complex thoughts swirling in Kishiar's mind from these small signals.

'Yet, he won't show it outwardly. That's the kind of person he is.'

That didn't mean there was nothing to be said.

Yuder took a deep breath and then blurted out.

"I actually see it as a good thing."

"Hmm?"

"The matter of the cracks is one thing, but the rest is just tasks that we had to do anyway, coming to us a bit sooner and at the same time. It would be more logical to swing our hand once and catch multiple prey at the same time."

Yuder raised his hand and lightly clenched his fist.

"Please give the order whenever. I'm ready."

Kishiar stared intently at Yuder's expressionless face for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter like a blooming flower.

"Hmm... Did I ever tell you that every time you make such bold, impressive, and reassuring statements, I find myself falling for you all over again?"

"What?"

"Didn't I? Then what about wanting to hug you and kiss you?"

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

"I want to do that right now."

Expecting otherwise was always meaningless when it came to Kishiar.

He always really did what he said.

—

"Ugh.. damn it... damn it, it hurts... it hurts too much."

Dieman sat huddled in a corner of an empty warehouse, crying. His hand, wrapped in tattered cloth and riddled with terrible wounds, oozed with blood and pus incessantly.

"I will kill him... I truly will kill him...!" he seethed.

Only a short time ago, his hands had been whole.

Precisely speaking, this was true until he had safely escaped the capital with the sage, returning to the South.

Until then, Diemon had been preening in self-satisfaction, having single-handedly escorted the sage out of that nightmarish place.

Those who had pompously served the sage closely and scorned Diemon had all vanished. Only the 'copycat' Diemon, whom they had so disdainfully regarded, remained.

Diemon believed this was because of his own strength. He was brimming with pride and happiness, dreaming of boasting about this fact to others upon his return.

However, upon entering their base village, they were greeted by an unprecedented silence.

Silence. Yes, complete silence.

The familiar villagers who should have welcomed them were nearly absent. Sera, who should have taken charge of public order in the sage's absence, and other familiar faces were nowhere to be seen. Only a handful of feeble people remained.

The village, appearing abandoned for months, shocked not only Diemon but also the sage, who seemed not to have anticipated such a situation.

And then, as if waiting for them, Nahan appeared.

‘Damn him... cursed wretch... Even tearing him limb from limb to feed the beasts would not be enough...!’

Diemon muttered curses, recalling the face of Nahan he had encountered then.

Nahan had been smiling. A smile so incongruous on his horrific, burn-scarred face. So dreadful was the sight that Diemon, recalling the nightmare of fighting him in the capital, almost turned to flee on the spot.

He would have done so, had he not remembered that he was the only one left to protect the sage.

Ignoring the trembling Diemon, Nahan spoke to the sage.

"Didn't expect me to be here first, did you?"

"What have you done, Nahan? Don't tell me you've harmed those who should be here?"

"Harm them? My brothers and sisters? Never."

Nahan chuckled ominously, then gestured, calling out hidden people.

The expressions on the faces of those who should have been overjoyed to see the sage were strangely ambiguous. One of them asked, with a confused and sour expression,

"Sage, didn't you say you were going to meet the high officials to protect us? Why didn't you return even once while the other brothers and sisters were away? We kept waiting."

Following this, others began to speak.

"Sage, Sera said she was following your instructions and left with the Southerners. She never returned. Where did she go?"

"Sage, is it true that the Star of Nagran is collaborating with the Cavalry?"

"Sage, did you really go for our sake? Why don't we see the others, only Diemon?"

"Sage, Nahan said you wouldn't keep your promise. Is that true? Can't we move to a safer place?"

"Sage."

"Sage..."

It was a scene nightmarishly fearful. Diemon was aghast, but the sage was not startled. He stood firmly and asked Nahan, "What have you done to them, Nahan?"

"I have awakened them to the truth. Just like me."

"That's impossible."

"Why do you think that way? It's all for the sake of the Star of Nagran."

At these words, the sage's face turned deathly pale.

Then, Nahan, with a smile, raised his hand.

"Let's have the conversation we couldn't have back then, shall we? A very honest conversation."