Turning Chapter 780

Chapter 780

He observed his colleagues, visibly tense yet confident, and then turned his gaze to Kishiar, who continued his explanations and instructions without any hesitation.

Even after hearing about Yuder's dream, Kishiar hadn't changed much. It wasn't so much about hiding his feelings or deliberately not speaking. Rather, it felt like he was waiting for the time to pass, following the decision he had made, until he could be more certain.

And, in fact, Yuder felt the same way.

‘It can't be helped. For now, there's just too little information about the nature of that dream. It’s not something that can be understood with mere effort, so waiting is the best we can do right now.’

Knowing that they were both concerned about each other, they tried not to repeat the mistakes of the past. All that remained was to wait for more information to gather without hiding their feelings and attitudes.

It was a wait without promise, but strangely, this fact no longer felt overly stifling or anxious. Yuder thought it might be because he had shared the dream story with Kishiar.

Talking about it didn't solve anything. But sometimes, the mere act of doing something gives it meaning.

Kishiar's unchanging calmness after learning about the dream, and the way he looked at him with sometimes deeper eyes, or touched him gently without avoiding his gaze, gave such meaning to Yuder.

‘The last expression I saw in the backlight bothers me, but... If there's something he wants to tell me, he'll do it eventually, just like I did.’

Yuder could decide not to step back and speak his mind because Kishiar had always been by his side, not rushing him and giving him trust. So, he planned to do the same.

It was a new sensation to realize that it was okay not to force himself to endure even though it was certainly painful.

Embracing the unavoidable wait as just that, a wait, and not as an escape, Yuder quietly observed the man who might be feeling emotions not so different from his own.

"Yuder!"

After the meeting, Yuder was immediately surrounded by his close colleagues. With Kanna, Gakane, Ever, Devran, the Eldore siblings, and even Pruelle and Revlin gathered, it almost felt like they were not in the south but in the capital.

Kishiar had included all the personnel who had been on the mission in the capital last time in this support list. Like Ever, it was to give them another chance to redeem themselves for their lingering regrets and resentments.

Knowing this, even the usually playful Eldore siblings were quiet and serious throughout the meeting today. Just seeing that was enough to understand how much they valued this support mission.

"You look a bit thinner than before. Have you been eating well?"

Ever asked that as soon as she saw him, though her face looked much thinner than before. Yuder suspected it was due to the heartache from the incident with the sage.

"I'm fine. But what about you, Ever... You've taken on quite a few significant missions this time. Are you sure you're okay?"

"You're not asking that because you think I'll say I'm not confident, are you?"

Ever wrinkled his nose and laughed playfully.

"The Commander gave us a chance to redeem ourselves. Whether it’s the sage or anyone else, we won't let them slip away this time."

"We feel the same."

Hinn interjected with a stubborn face. Beside her, Finn nodded, clenching his small but terrifyingly powerful fist.

Yuder turned his gaze away from their fiery eyes. Devran, feeling shy, scratched his head and began to speak.

"Uh-hum, there was a mountain of work piled up here. I might not know much else, but I'm quite good at discreetly observing my surroundings. Leave that to me."

However, that shy expression of his shattered completely under Finn's innocently devilish questioning.

"Devran, what are you planning to disguise as this time? Since we're in the South, maybe a fisherman?"

"No, Finn. It's going to be a tavern this time. They pay well, you know."

"...You little rascals. I'm not doing this just for the money, okay? Don't talk about someone's special information gathering techniques like that! Huh?!"

"Who was it again that said making extra money on the side was quite profitable?"

"And who was the one excitedly talking about skipping training in front of Yuder to do a side job?"

"Hey you brats!"

As Devran began to shout in anger, the Eldore siblings scampered away like squirrels. As Devran chased after them, the others expressed their concern in voices mixed with worry and laughter.

Seizing the moment, this time Revlin and Pruelle approached Yuder.

"Yuder! Did you hear that I finally passed as an official member?"

"Me too."

Thanks to their time as temporary members, their demeanor had become much more relaxed compared to before. But above all, it was their expressions that had changed the most.

"I heard. Congratulations to both of you."

At Yuder's congratulatory words, their expressions became even more deeply reflective.

"Um... Haha. When I heard the news, I immediately remembered the day I first met Yuder, and suddenly that memory came to mind. That's why I wanted to tell you in person."

"Ah, I felt the same way!"

A blushing Revlin hesitated, fidgeting with his hands before asking.

"So, about that... Yuder... Can you talk to us more casually? Just like you do with the other members!"

"..."

"Uh, I heard that if you ask Yuder directly, he'll do it... but if it's uncomfortable..."

Revlin's face turned red, thinking the silence was a negative response. However, Yuder's silence was simply because what they asked was so unexpectedly straightforward.

"No, it's fine. If that's what you want, I'll do it."

"Ah! That's a relief! I've always envied the other members who could talk like this, I'm so happy right now... I mean, happy!"

The encounters with the two had been quite intense, but Yuder hadn't expected them to feel this strongly.

'Somehow... this feels reminiscent of the time with Sunz and Emon.'

However, not wanting to dampen the spirits of the new members, Yuder simply nodded silently. Pruelle smiled at this.

"It's amazing. I never thought such a day would come back then, but it really did happen."

Pruelle and Revlin exchanged glances, smiling with fresh emotion. But then, Pruelle's expression turned slightly somber.

"Although I didn't perfectly complete the first mission I was assigned after becoming an official member."

"That's..."

"There's no need to console me. I'm aware of how much I lacked. But... I'm a bit worried about Deputy Commander Beck..."

Pruelle's eyes cautiously drifted towards Ever, who was busy mediating the commotion between the Eldore siblings and Devran and seemed too preoccupied to notice.

Pruelle chuckled softly at the sight, then suddenly became startled and tensed up when his gaze met Yuder's silent one.

"...Ah! Of course, I know someone like a newcomer shouldn't worry about someone like her! It's just, after the last incident, she seemed to be pushing herself too hard, and that's a bit... Ah, what am I saying. Can you just forget it? I think I spoke too presumptuously."

"I understand your concern for Ever's condition."

"Ah, do you, really?"

Pruelle was once again surprised by the simple expression of concern. He blinked at Yuder as if seeing him anew, and then suddenly slapped his own cheek.

"...What was I thinking, saying such things while the Commander is here?"

"You look quite tired. Perhaps it would be best to rest."

While the suggestion was made out of concern for Pruelle's apparent fatigue, Pruelle vehemently shook his head. Looking at his flushed face, one would be hard-pressed to believe he was a man of intelligence.

"No, it's not that. I actually wanted to ask you something. Based on the information discussed in the meeting, the First Princess of Herne is collaborating with the Cavalry. I wonder, could she be someone like us?"

"Hm... Have you ever met or heard about her before?"

"No, never. We've never really been in the forefront of social circles. I've heard rumors, but nothing more than she's the esteemed only daughter of the Herne family."

"Me too. My parents and brothers were not fond of the Herne family... Of course, they weren't particularly fond of other families either."

Though he added this with a nonchalant laugh, it was a reminder that apart from dealings with the imperial family, the relationships among the four great ducal families were not exactly amicable.

"However, if there's someone like us there, I would definitely want to help."

Revlin spoke with a bright face, suggesting that their own experiences could be helpful to another. Excluding the fact that Princess Myra of Herne was not an Awakener, it was a commendable attitude to have.