Turning Chapter 741

Chapter 741

In the midst of tension, an unexpected event occurred to Ever as she watched over Pruelle. It was just before Baron Renbow began showing unusual phenomena.

"Huh? Nipollen? What's wrong?"

Nipollen, who had been quietly nestled in Ever's arms, suddenly perked up his ears and lifted his head. He repeatedly narrowed and then dilated his pupils as he stared intently at something, his small nose pointing upwards. Finally, he opened his mouth and let out a soft cry.

It was unusual for Nipollen to speak unless prompted by his brother. Concerned he might be in pain, Ever was genuinely startled.

"Nipollen? Oh no...!"

Just as Ever was about to comfort the little cat, Nipollen fluidly slipped out of her embrace and leaped away, evading Ever's grasp with unexpected speed.

'Oh dear!'

This was an emergency. With Pruelle unable to come to their aid, Ever hadn't expected such a situation. She heard a whooshing sound and felt a gust of wind as she chased after the fleeing cat.

"Ever! What's going on?"

Appearing with the wind was Hinn Eldore. Utilizing the ability of the siblings to teleport others when at least one of them was present, Finn had sent Hinn.

Ever quickly surveyed her surroundings. The few people around were all distracted by the exciting chaos caused by Kiolle Da Diarca, paying no attention to anything else. No one noticed Hinn's sudden appearance beside Ever, given his small stature.

Ever hastily explained the situation.

"Nipollen suddenly ran away! We must find him."

"Nipollen? Did he flee out of fear, or was it something else?"

Hinn asked, keeping pace with Ever without losing her breath.

"It didn't seem like fear! He just suddenly took off after looking somewhere."

"How odd. Did he spot someone familiar, perhaps?"

"I wish that were the case... Ah, he seemed to go that way, but where did he go?"

It was difficult to track the small kitten, especially as he blended into the underbrush. Just when Ever was about to pause in confusion, a tree's shadow among them suddenly undulated and morphed into a human shape.

The shadow, without rising, pointed in a direction. Hinn exclaimed with joy.

"It's Gakane's shadow clone!"

"Over there, let's go!"

Grateful for Gakane's timely assistance, Ever hurried in the direction the shadow indicated. Nipollen was not far, near a secluded, shadowy spot by the lake.

"Nipollen!"

Ever was about to embrace the cat in relief but then hesitated.

Nipollen sat in front of a large tree, as if facing an impassable door, looking at something. What could he be staring at in the seemingly empty space?

Nipollen turned to Ever, flicking his tail. Ever watched, feeling a strange sense of foreboding.

‘This... feels...’

"We've come a bit off track, but we're not far from where we were, right? Look, there's Diarca acting foolish over there. Anyway, now that we've found Nipollen, we should head back!"

"Just a moment, Hinn."

"Yes?"

"Do you remember Nipollen's second power?"

"The one besides transforming? Of course, I remember."

Nipollen, who could transform into a cat from his childhood, had more abilities than just this transformation. This young boy also possessed another ability: he could discern Awakener from non-Awakener with uncanny accuracy.

This second ability usually didn't stand out much in the Cavalry, where most were Awakeners. However, it became quite noticeable when non-Awakener guests or mages visited.

Like all Awakeners, Nipollen's abilities had evolved slightly during his time with the Cavalry. Ever recalled a conversation with Pruelle, who had recently spoken of his younger sibling with great delight.

"Nippy's abilities seem to extend beyond just distinguishing between the Awakeners and non-Awakeners and feeling comfortable around the Awakeners. Lately, it appears he can even detect invisible powers. Isn't that remarkable?"

Ever had heard that Nipollen had once suddenly disappeared, only to be found observing Kanna, who was using her powers in a room.

The extent of Nipollen's perception wasn't fully understood, as communicating with him was difficult, but Pruelle saw this as a positive development.

‘He's always been sensitive since he was young. If he becomes more attuned to sensory perception, maybe he could be more comfortable even when not in his cat form…’

Ever gazed thoughtfully at Nipollen and asked,

"Nipollen. Is there something there?"

"...Ever. Do you think Nipollen came here because of his second power?"

"I'm not sure. But I heard something from Elle recently."

"Hmm…"

At this, Hinn's expression subtly changed.

After a moment, Nipollen, who had been slowly moving his tail, turned to Ever and opened his mouth, emitting a squeak more than a meow.

As Nipollen suddenly stood up on his hind legs and scraped at the ground, Ever reached out, and Hinn's fist, which had swiftly grown, surged toward the large tree in front of the cat.

Had there been nothing there, it would have been a simple strike shattering a tree.

But just before the attack landed, Ever felt a strange sensation, as if the area around the tree was trembling.

Thud…!

"Damn it. How could this…!"

From the air that felt solid as a thick wall breaking, someone who had been invisible until that moment appeared, looking astonished.

Three people stood protectively, with a middle-aged man in a pilgrim's robe standing behind them.

'…Found it. This was the place.'

Pruelle's words were proven true. What they had failed to find all this time, the small Nipollen had easily discovered. Communication might be difficult, but his place as a member of the Cavalry was undeniable.

Seeing Nipollen, who had just evaded the attack and fled to a nearby tree, Ever smiled, feeling a thrilling and wild sensation surge within.

"You must be the Sage and his companions, right? We've been looking for you. I'm pleased to finally meet you."

"Could it be… the Cavalry?"

"Yes. Last time you managed to elude our members, but not today. We're aware of your crimes and the circumstances. Please come with us peacefully."

"Sage! We must escape!"

Of course, Ever didn't expect them to come along quietly. After a rough shout, a member of the Star of Nagran swung a dagger at her with great force. An unknown power emanated from the dagger, swiftly enveloping both the man and Ever, forming a semicircular space.

Ever dodged the man's attack and tried to break through the semicircular space, but it felt as if she were trapped behind a solid wall. Like the invisible shield that had been around the tree, it seemed that this man's ability was to create a space that could trap and conceal something.

'This is a bit troublesome.'

"Just trapped one, now escape while you can! I'll handle this woman! There's only a little kid left anyway…!"

The man, who was shouting fervently, suddenly stopped mid-sentence as he saw something growing rapidly not far away.

"Uh-huh~ Just a little kid, right. But I'm not just any kid, what now?"

Hinn, with everything but his face grotesquely swollen, laughed gleefully. His eyes, like those of a predator, looked down upon the Awakeners of the Star of Nagran.

Stunned by this bizarre and unbelievable sight, they blinked dumbly, then screamed in terror.

Seizing the moment, Ever commanded Hinn.

"Hinn! Take care of them while I break out of here!"

"Okay!"

Ever focused her energy into her fingertips, assuming a ready stance. The power that enveloped her gloves, like a thin shield, was ideal for piercing, as hard as solid metal.

Anyone who underestimated her as just a woman would be swiftly subdued by the fearsome power at her fingertips, unable to mount a proper defense.

'I wasn't appointed Deputy Commander for nothing.'

Even among the Awakeners, one shouldn't judge by appearances alone, a fact they should have well known. Encountering such a fool who still made such judgments ignited her fighting spirit.

With a cold smile, Ever took a heavy step forward and then extended her hand. The man, reflexively swinging his dagger to block, watched his blade crack soundlessly upon impact and then saw Ever's slender finger approaching his face.

"What the...!"

Before he could finish his sentence, a tremendous explosion rang out. The sound, created by the collision of their bodies, was unbelievably loud for such an encounter.

It took Ever just a few minutes to break through the wall and emerge.