Turning Chapter 798

Chapter 798

Even after their intimacy subsided, the heat did not fade. And thanks to that warmth, Yuder finally managed to smoothly articulate the thoughts that had been brewing inside him.

"I met Hosanna earlier, as he wished to see me. He requested Nahan's salvation. I thought it wise to use this opportunity to learn about their past from him, and finally uncovered the brainwashing Nahan had been subjected to by the sage."

"What kind of brainwashing was it?"

"To dedicate oneself completely to the Star of Nagran."

Kishiar did not seem surprised.

"The loyalty to a group and to a person might seem similar, but are ultimately different stories. It appears the sage of that time either failed to understand this distinction, or was so desperate that he thought it was the best course of action, even knowing the difference."

"Yes. The sage had Nahan name the group before making this request, with Kanna suggesting that the act of naming played a key role in the effectiveness of the brainwashing," Yuder said, pausing briefly.

"Actually, the idea that merely naming something could engender enough trust to believe the words of someone you don’t fully trust felt quite foreign to me. I’ve never given it much thought before."

"That's possible. Have you never named anything?"

"No."

Kanna had said that the name carries the hopes and intentions of the one who bestows it. That a simple name could embody more than just responsibility, but deeper emotions.

Perhaps it was this revelation that had so profoundly shaken Yuder, to the point of haunting him through nightmares.

Yuder, feeling Kishiar's breath tickle his neck, slowly began to speak again.

"When I heard that, I thought of the name I was given."

Now, he remembered not his birth name, Yuder, but rather the second name, Yudrain, that first came to mind.

"I wondered if there were also hopes placed in that name. It's strange. I've never been curious about it before."

He had never even sought to understand the full meaning of his name, let alone the intention behind it, until the moment of his death.

This seemingly trivial and unanswerable thought had quietly yet profoundly shaken Yuder. He couldn't explain why he had reacted so strongly, but it was the truth.

"I think that thought might have been the reason I suddenly felt so exhausted and had that nightmare. But I don't think it will happen again."

The one who had named him Yudrain in a previous life was Kishiar in the previous life. Ordinarily, Yuder would have chosen not to speak of this matter to Kishiar.

However, Yuder now understood how much concern Kishiar felt when he was acting strangely, having learned from past experiences. Yuder knew that Kishiar's desperation to connect with his dreams was indicative of a much greater concern than what was apparent. Therefore, he wanted to share this much for the one who had rescued him from that dream.

Indeed, Kishiar's caressing touch ceased momentarily, and a slightly different silence ensued.

Then, the man spoke softly.

"I see."

"Yes."

"And now that you're awake, do you still not wish to know the answer? Are you still not curious?"

Yuder, gazing at the burning fireplace, replied.

"That's something whose answer will always remain unknown. I think it's pointless to dwell on it further."

"So, you still wish to know," he deduced, picking up on the subtle meaning hidden in Yuder's silence. The man chuckled as he kissed Yuder's shoulder, his laughter subsiding into a low voice.

"Believing that mere thought will prevent anything from happening is more a hope than a realistic solution. Sometimes, it's better to seek even an unclear answer than to suppress and ignore a nagging issue."

"An unclear answer, you say..."

"Like my thoughts, for example."

Yuder's intended response halted abruptly at the man's unobstructed flow of words.

The man continued, gently stroking Yuder's stiffened body, "I haven't named many things in my life, but I always put a lot of thought into it. I agree that naming involves responsibility, various emotions, and wishes."

Yuder remained speechless. The man who had named him Yudrain was not him, but he was, in essence, Kishiar.

"When I named Nathan, I hoped his future would literally be a blessing. I chose the name from a southern proverb, wishing him to love his roots. And the surname Zuckerman was selected from an extinct knightly family known for producing the bravest knight."

Kishiar went on with an unasked explanation, citing legends of a knight from that family who single-handedly slew over a hundred monsters.

Then he spoke of the Cavalry.

"Naming the Cavalry was quite a struggle. We had to borrow from existing terms as there was no single word that could instantly describe our powers. I named it to imply a power that was sometimes magical and sometimes like a weapon. Did you know that?"

"I think I've heard it every time I introduced the Cavalry to outsiders."

Kishiar, being the first Commander and founder, obviously named them, but this was the first time Yuder heard him personally mention it.

"But if I were to share a deeper thought, I initially wanted it to mean that the Awakeners are no less than mages or swordmasters and possess a power as great as the combination of both."

Kishiar revealed that this second meaning was his original intention when naming the Cavalry. However, fearing it would easily provoke opposition due to its audacious spirit, the Emperor suggested softening it to the first meaning. It was an unexpected backstory.

"That seems... more in line with His Majesty the Emperor's wisdom."

"Oh, I thought you would understand this spirit," Kishiar murmured playfully, fiddling with Yuder's hand. Yuder, letting him fiddle as he pleased, replied, "I agree that the Awakeners possess unmatched power, but if we had promoted the second meaning, we would have been subject to the existing powers' opposition for decades before accomplishing anything substantial."

Kishiar's hand paused for a moment.

"That's... from experience."

"Yes."

Indeed, in his previous life, the Cavalry, while reigning as the continent's supreme force, constantly faced opposition from swordmasters and mages. Had they known the name's original intent, the opposition would have been tenfold.

'Of course, things have changed a lot now. It wouldn't be the same as before.'

Back then, the attitudes of the mage organizations, which had been at odds like archenemies, had transformed remarkably after a series of events in the west. It was hard to believe they were the same groups when observing their current behavior towards the Cavalry. With Kishiar's revelation as a swordmaster, the response of the existing swordmasters was bound to change significantly and much more rapidly than before.

Realizing this, Yuder was surprised to find that he had regained his usual composure enough to contemplate such matters.

Kishiar's words, indeed an 'unclear answer' as he had put it, seemed to have been quite helpful to Yuder in many ways.

The intent behind the name Yudrain, given by the man in the past, remained a mystery. Even during the times when Yuder was trapped in a dream of eternal death, he had thought he would never want to know if such things were eternal.

However, the depth of thought, effort, and affection that Kishiar showed while talking about the names he had given were unmistakably sincere.

What, then, could the word 'eternity' mean to such a man?

Yuder took a deep breath and ventured to ask a question he had thought impossible just moments before.

"Previously, you mentioned that the name Yudrain could be interpreted as 'eternity.' Do you remember?"

"Of course."

Kishiar's response was slightly delayed, but Yuder did not notice.

"To me, 'eternity' feels like a word too far removed to be comprehensible. What are your thoughts on this word, Commander?"