Turning Chapter 1032

Chapter 1032

"May the meal be plentiful and lacking nothing for the heroes of today," the Emperor and Empress wished.

The meal they prepared that day was bountiful and comfortable. There were no excessively lavish or stimulating dishes, nor was it a formal banquet requiring solemn etiquette while eating.

Except for the fact that the platters placed before Yuder seemed to contain about twice as much food as those of everyone else, there were no issues whatsoever. He managed to eat everything, which pleased the Empress, although she also felt somewhat apologetic, wondering what meaning he had attributed to it.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the meal, but I worry if the portions were insufficient for Yuder."

"...No, it was enough. Truly."

Despite clearly stating it was sufficient, when dessert arrived, an ice cream tower about three times taller than Kishiar's appeared beside Yuder. Topped with nuts and fruit jam, accompanied by plain crackers, the ice cream tower was so magnificent that it took one's breath away.

However, Yuder was the only one swallowing his bewilderment; the others seemed unfazed. Setting aside Emperor Keilusa and the Empress, who remained composed even when a mere assistant to his younger brother, consumed more food than the Emperor himself, it was understandable that Kishiar was delighted whenever he saw Yuder eating well, as if receiving a gift himself. But Nathan Zuckerman quietly eating his portion without showing any wariness felt odd.

'...It does seem like there's some misunderstanding.'

Yuder thought he might have been mistaken for having a large appetite after eating everything given to him, but with the others acting so nonchalant, he had nothing to say. In his mind, the ability to eat a lot and gluttony were separate matters.

'I should clarify this later.'

Yuder watched Kishiar converse with the others while eating the dessert placed before him.

Most of the conversations revolved around what had happened after Kishiar and the others left the capital. Although the events in the South took up a significant portion, there were just as many incidents they encountered in the East and West. The Emperor and Empress seemed to enjoy hearing the trivial stories that couldn't be fully conveyed through reports and letters.

'Even in this aspect, he's the complete opposite of Emperor Katchian. Similar to Kishiar...'

Katchian disliked lengthy reports. Yet, he was also displeased when there was information he wasn't aware of, making it quite a headache whenever reporting after completing a mission.

Kishiar, on the other hand, delighted in new information, even the most trivial, and was curious about the feelings and thoughts of those who carried out the missions, a stark contrast to Katchian.

Emperor Keilusa might not have been as interested in the minutiae as Kishiar, but he, too, did not show displeasure at acquiring new knowledge, much like his brother. He was particularly intrigued by Yuder's assessment of the new Cavalry recruits and asked questions several times when the story of the duel with Meghna Kurlieva just before leaving the South came up. After a series of questions directed not only at Yuder but also Kishiar and Nathan Zuckerman, the Emperor finally sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"It's a pity I couldn't witness that duel in person. It would have been a prime opportunity to see the abilities of those gathered here in one place."

After saying that, the Emperor gave a displeased look to his younger brother, who was grinning.

"Two is too many, let alone one. How about sending one of those talented individuals this way?"

The moment he said 'two, let alone one,' Yuder saw the red eyes behind the glasses simultaneously directed at him and Nathan Zuckerman.

"Your Majesty, both my assistant and adjutant are precious to me, irreplaceable by anything. No matter how envious you are, I don't think it's appropriate to say such things during a meal celebrating my birthday."

The Emperor clicked his tongue at Kishiar's brazen response. Once again, it was the Empress who mediated between the brothers.

"Your Majesty. If they are the Duke's people, then they all ultimately share the same goals and move in the same direction, do they not? As the Duke said, today is a joyous day, so please refrain from ill-natured remarks. Isn't he someone we're grateful for, waiting long and returning safely?"

With a single gentle word from the Empress, the brothers' demeanor changed instantly, as if it had never happened, seeming familiar as if it wasn't a one-time occurrence.

A series of light-hearted, even childish conversations. Yet, the underlying affection and familiarity they held for each other were softly present throughout.

Those seated in this room didn't seem like mysterious royalty but rather a genuine family or comrades-in-arms. What better words could describe these individuals who had reached this point together, experiencing a past unknown to Yuder?

What was strange, however, was the fact that he didn't particularly feel out of place while observing this scene.

'Is it because they keep engaging me in conversation?'

Despite that, even Nathan Zuckerman, who spoke the least in this gathering, and the chief attendant, who was constantly busy serving, felt like they belonged within the small circle created by these individuals.

The feeling of entering a place where one belonged without any awkwardness. For Yuder, all of this unfolding without tension was an unfamiliar experience. As he savored that emotion, the Empress suddenly spoke again.

"Yuder, there was actually a story I wanted to ask about when you returned. Would it be alright to inquire now?"

"Yes, anything is fine."

"I heard that you had some kind of relationship with Kiolle da Diarca, who is said to have changed recently. I was curious if that was true."

'He's changed recently? Who said that?'

For a moment, Yuder was about to ask that, but he closed his mouth.

In fact, he had anticipated this question would come up at some point. Before coming here, Kishiar had told him, "His Majesty the Emperor is concerned about Kiolle da Diarca. May I convey that there's no need to worry?"

'I didn't expect it to come up now, though...'

"Yes, to call it a relationship... would be an overstatement, but I can assure you that there will be no cause for concern in the future."

"How intriguing. To have such confidence... What exactly did you do to him?"

The Empress's eyes sparkled. She seemed unable to contain her curiosity.

'Rather than doing something, I simply made him swear an oath in exchange for saving his life, so he wouldn't suddenly die and disappear like in my previous life.'

The content of the oath was nothing special. It was merely a restraint to prevent Kiolle from doing anything foolish. Even after making the oath, Kiolle still seemed stupid, was stupid, and would forever remain stupid.

'But at least... this time, he didn't turn a blind eye to what was happening in the South. That could be considered a real change.'

In Yuder's mind, the slightly different demeanor of Kiolle, whom he had last encountered in the South, surfaced.

Honestly, Yuder had thought that even if Kiolle returned to the capital, he wouldn't be able to do anything. However, when all the troops in the South became vacant, and help was desperately needed, Kiolle surprisingly succeeded in sending the Imperial Knights, belatedly evoking an unexpected emotion.

'At first, I thought it was incorrect information, but when I confirmed with the dispatched Imperial Knights, they said there was indeed an exchange of opinions between the Knight Commander and Kiolle during the dispatch process.'

Although he couldn't secure the help of the Diarca family as he had boasted, it turned out to be much better that the Imperial Knights came. That fool Kiolle had actually accomplished something.

It was an incident that made Yuder think, 'So even saving the life of that idiot Kiolle, who treated others as less than human and had a head full of dung, could lead to such things.'

After mulling over these thoughts, Yuder glanced at Kishiar, seeking permission with his eyes to share the story. The man nodded and smiled in agreement.

"Previously, one of our Cavalry members went missing while visiting his hometown, and I went to search for him."

Yuder began by mentioning the unfortunate incident Devran Hartude had experienced. The Emperor and Empress nodded in quick understanding with just a few words, as if they had heard about the incident before.

"I quickly found the colleague who had been kidnapped by the Apeto family, but in the process... I also found Kiolle da Diarca, who was temporarily in the East. Although he wasn't an Awakener, he had fought against the kidnappers and lost, resulting in his capture."

"He would have died if not for you."

"Indeed, if I hadn't been there. After resolving the matter, I rescued him and had him swear an oath to prevent the incident from reaching the Diarca family and to keep his mouth shut."

"What kind of oath was it?"

Emperor Keilusa was curious. Even Nathan Zuckerman, evidently intrigued by this, turned his gaze and stared intently at Yuder. While Yuder hesitated to divulge the details, after a moment of silence, he eventually opened his mouth and shared the details.

"First, Kiolle da Diarca must not inform anyone about the incident that occurred that day. Second, Kiolle da Diarca cannot issue unilateral orders, challenge to duels, or engage in insulting behavior towards Yuder Aile or any other person in the future. Third, Kiolle da Diarca shall assist Yuder Aile to the best of his abilities from now on. If Kiolle da Diarca violates any of the above terms, the seal of the contract will signal and alert, and upon breach of the contract, he will fall into an eternal slumber... That was roughly the content."

"..."

Silence filled the room for a moment before it was suddenly broken by an explosive burst of laughter.