Turning Chapter 771

Chapter 771

"It would be best if nothing happens, but if it does repeat, this time it will go as planned. I'll help ensure that."

His words felt like unfounded confidence, yet they were overwhelmingly positive and warm.

Since nothing had yet happened, it was uncertain whether his words would come true or not.

However, Yuder had no doubt that Kishiar La Orr would keep his word. Even if his words seemed light and absurd, Yuder knew the sincerity behind them wasn't light at all.

This deep assurance came from knowing that someone was there to trust and rely on, even if something happened to Yuder himself. It was fortunate that this person, who believed in Yuder's words and memories without condition, had the capability and will to achieve goals on his behalf.

Thus, Yuder felt a bit pathetic for still holding back things he couldn't easily tell this man, who so firmly believed and supported him.

Yuder then left Kishiar's embrace, gauged the direction to head next, and used his power. As he leaped upon the winds, he immediately felt a presence following him.

Yuder crossed a distance of dozens of houses in an instant, much faster than before. He leaped over Charloin's night guards, who were diligently guarding the gate without noticing someone flying overhead, and passed the wall dividing the city from the outside without trouble.

As he flew across the desolate plains, unseen in the lantern light, relying on the moonlight and stars, Yuder felt the faint breath of the man following him. It was a presence so slight that it was imperceptible unless focused on, but for Yuder, that was enough.

Soon, a new town appeared, smaller in scale and more like a countryside settlement than Charloin, yet with a considerable population.

Yuder paused his movement atop the highest tree in the area, watching Kishiar stop following him. Kishiar’s golden hair was slightly disheveled, yet he didn't seem too exhausted, almost sparking a sense of rivalry in Yuder.

"Is this Mclara?"

"Yes."

"It's not near the harbor. What should we know about this place?"

"This is where the poor, driven from Charloin, usually settle. The area is cramped with old and dangerous buildings and is more populated than it seems."

"So, even the appearance of a monster before the disaster could complicate things greatly."

"Yes. The biggest issue here is that only a few Imperial soldiers maintain order, so preparing for that is crucial. The local lord is somewhat greedy, but he's easy to talk to, so sending someone should quickly resolve things."

"Is this from the previous game?"

"Yes. But obviously, we're not acquainted now. Back then, the Southern branch of the Cavalry was here."

"I see."

Yuder didn't explain why the branch couldn't move to Charloin at the time. Kishiar would probably guess the reason.

"If he's the type to accept bribes to allow a Cavalry branch without objection, he shouldn't be too difficult to handle."

See? Without saying anything, he already understands everything.

Yuder nodded and pointed towards the lord's mansion, not far from there.

"Yes, the place where the lord resides is over there. Next to it is where the Imperial Army stays, and frankly, there are no other decent facilities beyond these two."

"I understand."

Yuder then lifted off towards the next place to inspect. As he headed towards the next area, the distant sea gradually faded from view, and the grass and trees started to become sparse. It meant they were nearing the desert.

"I never thought I'd personally assess the desert terrain of the south. Quite fascinating."

The man who had been following behind quickened his pace and moved alongside Yuder, whispering.

"Have you never seen it before?"

"No. The villa where I stayed in my childhood was near the sea, and no one was brave enough to show a troublesome child the dangerous desert. I asked a few times and then tried to escape on my own, but my mother had foreseen this and had people ready to stop me. It's a rather regrettable memory."

Kishiar, referring to his younger self as a troublesome child, smiled.

'Considering the reactions of the servants I met when I visited the palace where he stayed during his princely days, and the fact that he wasn't taken to the desert despite his requests, he must have been quite a handful.'

Even now, Kishiar often behaved in unexpectedly bizarre ways.

The foresight of the former Empress, who had anticipated and prevented Kishiar's escape attempt, also seemed remarkable.

'But Kishiar isn’t one to give up on his intentions after just one failure. Perhaps things were different in his childhood.'

"Didn't you try to escape again after that failure?"

"Hmm... If I tried to escape again, the kind and gentle child who helped me would have been in big trouble. So, I gave up. I couldn't hurt others just for my own amusement, right?"

The young child who had helped the young prince in the southern villa.

Although the term was unfamiliar, the story seemed somewhat familiar. A face suddenly flashed through Yuder's mind. After a moment of silence, he asked.

"By any chance, is that child... someone I know?"

"Of course. He grew up to be my excellent adjutant."

"..."

It was indeed Nathan Zuckerman.

The disparity between the image of the large, stern knight and the kind, gentle child was significant, but Yuder chose not to comment. He was thankful he had seen the mage Hellem treat Nathan Zuckerman with affection, like a small child, beforehand.

As Yuder remained silent, Kishiar chuckled softly and changed the subject.

"The south is still known for its abundance of ancient mysteries. It's said because of the many ruins, but the landforms contribute to that reputation as well. Here, the sea is close, yet one can see a vast desert. It’s neither low on water nor does it rain much. The coexistence of such opposites, both dry and wet, is surely a mystery, isn't it?"

"Now that you mention it... Yes, it is."

It was so common that Yuder hadn’t thought of it as strange, but the south indeed had both the sea and the desert.

"People in the south believe that this is a remnant of the great catastrophe that struck a thousand years ago."

"I didn't know that."

"It's too obvious to us. But if you ask someone from the south, you’ll get a different perspective. It seems there are quite a few legends around here."

Yuder, using his power to fly, gazed at the distant, faintly visible horizon. As it was the direction of the desert, there was nothing to obscure the horizon – no mountains, trees, or buildings.

'The place where things that shouldn't coexist, coexist...'

The more he thought about it, the more this phrase circled in his mind. In the midst of a nagging feeling that he was on the verge of a revelation, Yuder, just as he entered the third area, suddenly remembered someone's voice and unwittingly spoke out.

"Ah..."

"What's the matter?"

"Because of what you just said, I think I understand why Aton and the Southern merchants chose the south as the place to commit their deeds."

"You think you know why they chose the south?"

Overwhelmed by his realization, Yuder stopped in a place where he wouldn't be noticed and faced Kishiar.

"Aton once told me that this land contains all the conditions for becoming immeasurably imbalanced. What they did was merely add to the effects of an imbalance that would have occurred eventually. They said that all conditions were complete on that day. Do you remember?"

"He did say that."

"Where else is there a land as imbalanced as this, where desert and sea coexist? If a land already imbalanced is prone to cracks, monsters, and even disasters, then what they did was really just..."

Before Yuder could finish, the man who always seemed to understand him better than anyone, his eyes widened in realization.

"So, It’s not that they brought about a disaster and cracks from scratch with human power, but they used magic, life, or something to stir up an already existing 'imbalance'. It might seem similar, but there’s a significant difference. That’s what you’re getting at, right?"

"Yes."

Until now, Yuder had thought that Aton and the Southerners merely fulfilled some conditions like offering sacrifices in a magic circle to summon cracks and monsters.

But this explanation didn’t fully clarify why they specifically chose the South. However, if one considers that a disaster might have occurred here eventually and the Southerners merely ignited it, the story changes.

"It's easier to go from 5 to 10 than from 0 to 10, if you already know where the 5 is."

"That’s right. If Aton and his backers knew that 'the aftermath of an imbalance that could have occurred someday' would come in such a way, then that means..."

"In the previous game, all the places where similar problems occurred were already known to them, and there existed the possibility that they could commit the same acts at any time, as long as they could shake the imbalance."

That was exactly what Yuder wanted to say.

"...If that's true, then the events of the previous game could happen much faster and more frequently this time, depending on the situation."

Yuder clenched his teeth tightly.

After quickly covering the remaining areas, they returned to Charloin. During their return, the dark night had lightened, and the sun began to rise in the east.

When they finally leaped over the gates of Charloin and landed on the roof of the Southern branch of the Cavalry, the sun was fully risen.

"It took us about half a day exactly."

Kishiar whispered.

"Are you tired?"

"I'm fine. What about you, Commander...?"

"I'm perfectly fine too."

Yuder had expected Kishiar to suggest going in to rest or to have a meal, but Kishiar remained unusually silent. He just looked at Yuder for a long while.

"...Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Just now, our conversation sparked a certain thought."

A faint smile appeared on Kishiar's lips.

"Old people believed nightmares were like the touch of mist flowing from where the Black Moon, chased away by the Sun God, hides. Similar to monsters."

"..."

"It just occurred to me that the day you had a bad dream was also the day when 'the aftermath of the imbalance' caused a crack to open and monsters to appear. It might be an overthought, but still."