Turning Chapter 720

Chapter 720

Speaking the truth was always a challenging task, especially when many were involved, and any misstep could endlessly spread the blame. This made silence seem like the better option.

Nevertheless, the Awakeners of the Star of Nagran, showing courage, broke their silence.

"We've been together since we came to support this cause, a fact well-known to many. Earlier, out of fear, we couldn't disclose where we came from, but in truth, we are... escapees from a group where only the Awakeners lived."

"A group of only Awakeners? Does such a thing exist?"

While the Cavalry members intertwined with the Star of Nagran in the west fell silent, sensing something familiar, the imperial special forces, unaware of this, looked puzzled. When one of them asked with a perplexed expression, Dagon, the young man named as their leader and who had brought them here, nodded.

"Yes. It's a place formed in secret by those who, after awakening, fled persecution in their hometowns. There are a few stronghold villages with their own rules. At first, we thought it a safe haven, but over time, it didn't feel entirely secure."

And so, those with shared convictions secretly gathered and journeyed here, spurred by news that the Cavalry was recruiting new members.

After explaining how they arrived, Dagon continued with a somber expression.

"Not all at our former home wanted a quiet life away from the outside world. Some believed we should use our powers to gain nobility's recognition and ensure complete safety. Others, and it's hard to say, thought that having become powerful, we should... stand above the non-Awakener, or rather, the nobility."

His risky statement shifted the mood drastically. Dagon, understanding their reaction, nodded. The beads of sweat on his forehead indicated the difficulty with which he spoke these words.

"The reason we were startled by the people the children saw is that they would never leave that group, especially being spotted near a Cavalry branch... It's unbelievable. They must have a sinister agenda. Especially Sera... She was a temporary leader of a stronghold. Why would she come here?"

The decisive reason for the southern stronghold escapees, including Dagon, to leave was Sera's overly close dealings with southern merchants during the sage's absence.

Sera, naturally anxious, grew worried when communication from the sage's side in the capital ceased, fearing she'd have no way to defend the southern stronghold in an emergency.

Although it was a tense time, with Nahan, who seemed like a disruptive element within the group, leaving with his followers, the atmosphere was incredibly tense between those sympathetic to his ideas and the sage's followers. Sera, who blindly believed and revered anything the sage said, couldn't properly mediate the internal conflict, and the situation worsened by the day.

Then the southern merchants arrived in the village. Initially, they seemed to be looking for Nahan, but even after learning he had left, they strangely remained at the stronghold.

Although the intentions were unclear, it was customary in the Star of Nagran to accept any Awakener, so their actions were tolerated. Frankly, as the atmosphere worsened day by day, it was difficult to pay much attention to them.

As the internal strife continued, injuries inevitably began to occur. Those Awakeners who desired only to live peacefully felt greatly threatened by this development. It was around this time that people began leaving the village quietly.

Up until then, Dagon had not considered leaving the village. But then...

"A monster suddenly appeared, putting the village in peril. It was a problem that could have been easily resolved if we had united our strengths, as usual... But Sera, distrusting each other, started seeking external help," he explained.

Sera, a follower of the sage, judged it too dangerous to unite with those following Nahan amidst the monster threat. She feared they might not fight properly, betray them, or stab them in the back.

Therefore, she chose to ally with the southern merchants instead of Nahan's followers and successfully repelled the monster.

This incident shocked both the sage's and Nahan's factions. The sage's followers realized they could protect the village without Nahan's people, while Nahan's faction was enraged at being excluded.

The southern merchants rapidly became closer with Sera, even inviting their colleagues to the village. People expressed discontent over this sudden development without explanation, but those who did were branded as Nahan's followers and faced cold stares. Some were even confined to their homes for breaking the stronghold's rules.

While the original southern stronghold residents might have been oblivious, those from the western stronghold, including Dagon, found the situation incomprehensible. They didn't want to take sides and also found the southern merchants suspicious.

At this time, a letter from a former comrade, Robel, about the Cavalry's recruitment, came as a much-needed oasis. Robel, unlike the vague external rumors, provided practical information as someone involved with the Cavalry.

Eventually, they left the village, leading them to their current situation.

Dagon didn't mention names like Nahan or the sage directly in his story, but otherwise, he spoke quite candidly.

"I believe you can now roughly guess why we were startled and suspicious. Sera always spoke ill of the Cavalry, accusing them of persecuting us. If she's not here to capture us, her purpose is hard to fathom. It's unlikely to be anything favorable to the Cavalry."

"That makes sense. Is it the same with the central stronghold?" asked one of the Cavalry members seriously.

Dagon shook his head slightly. "I'm not sure. There might be some from there who, like us, secretly escaped to join the Cavalry. But if so, why travel all this way? It would be much quicker to head to the capital. I certainly wouldn't have done that."

Indeed, for those living in the central location, heading to the capital would have been much faster. There seemed to be no reason for anyone eager to escape and join the Cavalry to come south instead.

After pointing this out, Dagon hesitated for a moment before concluding his thoughts.

"Perhaps our young ones misjudged the people they saw. But in a situation where the entire Cavalry could be suspected and endangered, I felt I couldn't stay silent, knowing that such incidents were happening one after another. It might be helpful to find them and ascertain their purpose," Dagon said.

Though his experience with polite speech was limited, making his manner of speaking quite awkward, the sincerity in his words was unmistakable. The other members of his party, nodding earnestly beside him, also conveyed this sincerity.

The Cavalry members looked at each other seriously. With the Cavalry Commander, Yuder, and Kurga, who had led in their absence, all missing, it was now up to them to make a decision.

Should they believe this story? Or should they doubt their identity and intentions?

Should they wait for the Commander to return? Or should they verify it right away?

"It must have been a tough decision. But in the end, everyone decided not to overlook the story and went to see the applicants," Kishiar, who had relayed the events so far to Yuder, said with a faint smile.

"Isn't it admirable? In a situation where the Cavalry was deemed in danger, they didn't just wait but actively sought what they could do, showing how much they've grown."

"Commander..."

The faces of the surrounding members flushed with embarrassment at Kishiar's praise, resembling dogs that expected to be scolded but were instead commended.

‘Well... Certainly, such initiative would have been unimaginable before.’

It's not wise to just wait for the higher-ups to return. The Cavalry, comprised of a few elite soldiers, had a completely different set of expected behaviors compared to regular soldiers, whose existence and best course of action typically involved following the commands of their superiors.

Yuder glanced at his colleagues and then spoke with a softened demeanor.

"So, what happened then?"

"It turned out that there were more Awakeners from the Star of Nagran's central stronghold among the applicants than initially thought. They pretended to be from different regions and used aliases to apply. At first, they denied it, but when the members and successful applicants acted in unison, they were deceived and revealed their purpose."

They managed to do all that? Yuder looked at the members again. The previously Awakeners of the Star of Nagran, who had been peeking out, suddenly became extremely bashful when their eyes met Yuder's.

"...To set such a perfect trap, you guys have done something remarkable."

"Right?"

Kishiar's smile deepened.

"Their purpose was to infiltrate the Cavalry under someone's orders. Who exactly gave the orders is still unclear, but we'll find out soon enough."

Who else would give orders to infiltrate the Cavalry from the Star of Nagran?

Yuder, thinking of the sage, responded.

"...I see."