Turning Chapter 1072

Chapter 1072

The place Shusainer took Yuder to was a staircase leading to the top of the outer castle. He climbed the stairs with a movement so unrestrained that it was hard to believe he had an artificial leg, and opened his mouth.

"Do you know what's at the end of this path, Sir Yuder?"

"I heard there are watchtowers and a tower."

On the first day of arriving in Peletta, Enk had explained it that way.

"Among them, you've already been to the watchtower, right?"

"Yes."

It was on the second day of visiting Peletta. After having dinner, he went to the outer castle with Kishiar and watched the sunset from the watchtower. The watchtower, which hadn't been used for a long time, was very narrow and empty, but the scene of the vermilion light pouring in through the small window the size of a palm and filling it was quite impressive.

When Yuder said it was his first time seeing such a scenery, Kishiar laughingly said that the pitch-black sea visible through that small window looked like a painting in a frame. If it were a painting, it would be a place that even Enk, who had great pride in Peletta, could confidently recommend as it would be priceless.

While Yuder was vaguely recalling the memory of that time, Shusainer asked.

"But you haven't been to the tower yet, right?"

"Is the place we're going to now the tower?"

"Yes."

As Shusainer said, Yuder hadn't been to the tower yet. The tower was located in the most secluded corner of the outer castle of Peletta. Perhaps because maintenance work hadn't been done well, the stone walls and stairs were broken in places, and a chilly wind seeped through the cracks.

"Since people rarely come and go, the path is a bit rough. Hoho."

At the end of what seemed like endless stairs, they finally reached the top of the tower. The door leading there was made of thick iron that looked heavy, exuding an eerie atmosphere. At a glance, it seemed like a place one shouldn't enter carelessly, but Shusainer pushed the door without hesitation.

The door, which seemed to be tightly locked, opened inward more easily than expected. As a dusty black room was revealed, Shusainer coughed.

"Oh my. The dust. I'll have to come and clean it up later."

"Please step back for a moment."

Was there really a need to come and clean it up later? With a single raise of Yuder's hand and the use of his wind ability, all the dust was instantly swept away. Shusainer applauded much louder than before.

"My goodness. It's the first time I've seen such an amazing ability! I almost asked you to stay here forever!"

"Everyone says that when they see me cleaning."

Even if one could use the wind ability, not everything like this was possible. How easy would it be to sweep away only the dust as desired without affecting other objects or the place itself? Even in the Cavalry, which had become stronger through all kinds of hellish training, no one could clean as easily as Yuder, so the members envied him.

Shusainer laughed out loud.

"I guess I'm a step... no, about three steps behind. Anyway, thanks to you, I've been spared the trouble of cleaning. Now, let's appreciate the sea from the most special place in Peletta."

The only room located at the top of the tower was dark and small, similar to the watchtower. The difference was that from here, one could see not only the sea but also Peletta and the coastline all at once.

'It's in a position where you can see everything perfectly.'

Yuder gazed at the tranquil scenery of the town that seemed to embrace the black, rippling sea. Peletta, seen small from here, felt completely different from when he was inside it.

A place that looked as peaceful and cozy as another world.

It was a sight that Kishiar and those who followed him had protected and created.

As Shusainer said, it could certainly be called a special place.

Yuder turned his gaze from the scenery outside the window. In the room where the dust had been washed away, a few very old objects caught his eye. Old empty boxes. Pieces of wooden boards.

And a worn-out sword stand.

The sword that should have been on it was not visible, but it seemed to have been quite expensive when it was new. The moment he thought about why such an object was here, suddenly someone's voice he had heard before faintly brushed his mind.

'-I climbed to the top of the highest western tower in the castle. I knew what was there...'

Ah. His mouth opened slightly in surprise.

That was the voice of the man who had found him hiding in a corner of the Imperial Palace and took him out on the day his second gender manifestation suddenly began during a mission. Those words that strangely penetrated his heart even in a state consumed by heat and pain.

At that time, Kishiar had told the story of what happened on the day he awakened in a playful and honest manner to comfort the self-blaming Yuder. It was information he didn't know even in his previous life, and he was so surprised that he would reveal such personal stories to him in that situation.

'I was lying in the bedroom of Peletta Castle. It's a bit big for one person to use, but it's not a bad place. Anyway, that's when suddenly, following the awakening, the manifestation began, right? Startled by the pain and heat I was experiencing for the first time in my life, I finally thought the day of my death had come.'

'So what did I do... I called Nathan and made a fuss, telling him to take everyone out of the castle immediately, and after driving them out, I climbed to the top of the highest western tower in the castle. I knew what was there.'

'I tried to kill myself with the divine sword Orr, which had been used by the previous owner and was in the midst of being stored under the name of preservation. The divine sword would give a great punishment if someone it didn't choose touched it...'

Even this was a very surprising story, but in fact, what he said after that left the deepest impression on Yuder.

'But... as you can see, I didn't die. Moreover, I even became the Commander of the Cavalry like this. Life is really unpredictable. Don't you think? The bad things that happen today can suddenly make you happy tomorrow.'

The soft voice that had calmly settled down without revealing any of the pain he must have felt the same from the scent and heat flowing out of Yuder.

Those words at that time awakened an indescribable curiosity about the human named Kishiar La Orr and emotions he thought had disappeared long ago in Yuder's heart.

'Could it be that the tower he talked about then was here?'

Kishiar, who had climbed the tower alone after sending everyone out, mistaking the pain of awakening and manifestation for the approach of death. The place he had sought to die without causing even the slightest harm, the place where the divine sword Orr had been stored, was it here?

Seeing Yuder's gaze on the sword stand instead of the window, Shusainer opened his mouth.

"Originally, this place was a forbidden place where no one was allowed to enter until a few years ago. It was a measure taken out of concern that someone might accidentally touch the object stored here and die."

His voice was calm as if he already knew what Yuder was thinking while looking at it. Yuder turned his gaze and met his eyes, asking.

"Is that object the divine sword Orr?"

"Yes. That's right."

He began to think that the reason he brought him here wasn't really just to show him a unique place to see the sea.

Shusainer smiled at Yuder, who was quietly gazing at him, and continued.

"The 11th owner of the divine sword was once a promising swordmaster, but he committed a crime tantamount to treason and was driven out. After he ended his life here, no one could take the divine sword out of here. The knights who came to touch it out of curiosity all died in a terrible state, as if all the blood in their bodies had been drained."

"..."

"Since the disappearance of the Pelletiam Count family, Peletta was often used as the last place of stay for exiled nobles in such a way. So the people of Peletta had no expectations for the nobles who came here. Until our Duke... the one who was once called the Second Prince, came here."

In Shusainer's wrinkled eyes, a light flickered as if recalling old times.

He changed the subject.

"In my youth, I did menial work of trimming the vast paths of the Imperial Palace. It was a job of picking out stones and pulling weeds every day so that horses could run well. I disliked that job, so I sometimes slacked off. I didn't think the work I was doing was important."

Then one day, an incident occurred, he said.

"The Second Prince's horse got caught in a hole I hadn't finished trimming and had an accident. It was terrible."

The Second Prince's beloved horse broke its leg and died. What was even more unfortunate was the fact that due to 'something' that happened at that time, the Second Prince was also seriously injured enough to be isolated in the palace. Shusainer, who was in charge of cleaning that path, was immediately imprisoned. He thought he would die, but surprisingly, he was released without punishment thanks to the Second Prince's mercy.

After being released from prison, the Second Prince said to Shusainer.

"The accident that day was the fault of the prince, not the lack of cleaning. It's not true that the horse's leg got caught in an untrimmed hole and died, so don't blame yourself, he said. If we conclude all matters like this, the prince won't be able to hold his head up with dignity for the rest of his life... It was the first time I heard such strange words in my life. The fact that I had been slacking off was true, and regardless of the truth, it wasn't unusual for a lowly person to take all the responsibility and die."

"..."

"I found out later. The Second Prince had a certain illness, and that illness had manifested that day. The death of the horse must have been related to that illness as well."

It was obvious what that 'illness' was.

It must have been the day when Kishiar's vessel began to have problems.

Who would have thought he would hear the old story of his beloved horse's leg breaking and dying due to the energy that leaked out when his vessel cracked again like this here?

"After that, I moved my workplace to the kitchen of the Second Prince's palace. There, I was able to properly learn cooking, and when the prince was going to Peletta, I volunteered to follow him. And when permission wasn't granted, I just quit my job out of anger. Then I secretly lay in wait on the path the prince was taking and came all the way here, begging to let me follow him."

This was another unexpected backstory. Since he had worked in the Imperial Palace, he thought he was a subordinate who had been by Kishiar's side from the beginning, like Hellem or Nathan, but that wasn't the case?

"...That's impressive."

"Everyone said I was crazy. I think so too, a little."

Shusainer laughed as if proud.

"But who else could take care of his meals if not me? There's no job in the Imperial Palace that requires more trust than cooking. It's really hard to eat while being wary of whether there's poison or not every time. That's why I thought he would need me."

"..."

"I lost a leg on the way here, but for me, it's a symbol of my proud loyalty. And this place is the same. Because he became the owner of the divine sword and opened this place that no one could enter for hundreds of years like this. Other guys still don't come here often, saying it's ominous, but I like it here."

Shusainer grinned at Yuder.

"So I hope that you, his precious guest, will also like this place."

Yuder finally thought he understood why he had called him here.