Turning Chapter 1003

Chapter 1003

"Did you have a good time with your friends?" Kishiar asked playfully as soon as Yuder entered the Commander's office, causing him to halt his steps.

"How did you know?" Yuder inquired.

"Well, I noticed that the one who stayed behind, worried about his friends being interrogated about the forged invitations, returned after an unexpectedly long time outside. If there had been serious matters, his footsteps upon returning would have been heavy. Instead, they were light, weren't they? So, I merely guessed that he must have had a pleasant conversation about something other than the matter at hand."

Kishiar's eyes sparkled with confidence as he looked at Yuder, as if asking for his opinion on the deduction. Glancing down at his feet, Yuder spoke, "This is the first time I've realized that my mood can be guessed just by the sound of my footsteps, to the extent that I'm an easy person to read. I think I should be more cautious."

"It's not like I can tell everyone's mood just by their footsteps. It's only possible because it's you, the one I'm devoting all my attention to," Kishiar stated naturally, as if it was a given fact that Yuder was the subject of his full attention.

"So, what did you talk about for so long?" Kishiar asked.

"First... may I share the information we obtained from the person who brought the forged invitation?" Yuder deliberately brought up the work-related discussion first, even though chronologically, it was the conversation he had with Gakane and Kanna later. Kishiar, who had been looking at Yuder with a slight smile on his lips, nodded.

"Sure. Did you find out anything unusual?"

"No. The information the two of them gathered wasn't significantly different from what we expected when we sent Kanna."

Gakane had gone down to interrogate Megdolgen Mijelskan just before the party ended. Entrusting his family to his colleagues, he quietly headed downstairs with the knights of the Herne family, and Kanna was dispatched to follow after receiving a request for assistance.

It was, of course, Kishiar who decided to send Kanna, and Yuder also believed his decision was correct. In fact, the moment it was revealed that the invitation found in Megdolgen's pocket was a forgery, they had already anticipated the current situation.

"Megdolgen couldn't properly remember who he received the forged invitation from until the end. Kanna seemed convinced that there were more people who entered with the same invitation. And among them, surely......"

"There must have been the real uninvited guests who wanted to observe this succession ceremony and party while deceiving the eyes of others," Kishiar finished Yuder's sentence.

"Yes."

"That's enough. Fortunately, thanks to Megdolgen causing trouble before the party ended, we bought time to set a trap for the new Duchess of Herne to catch the culprits. How fortunate is that? Perhaps he should be called a true patriot."

"Those words..."

Yuder's gaze subtly changed. Kishiar loosened the ceremonial robe draped over his arm and flashed a joyful yet chilling smile.

"Yes. Just before you arrived, a report came in that one of the tails we attached to the guests who attended today had reacted."

Yuder's decision to meet Kanna and Gakane was not simply made arbitrarily. After realizing that there could be something more connected behind the forged invitation incident, Kishiar and Yuder devised and executed a plan to secretly attach tails to all the guests attending the succession ceremony. Of course, this was done with the permission and cooperation of the new Duchess of Herne, Myra.

Outwardly, they pretended to focus the investigation on the dirty criminal act of Megdolgen Mijelskan alone, while secretly attaching tails to the guests under the pretext of consoling them for the harm they might have suffered. It wasn't an easy task to attach tracking to all the guests, as there were so many in attendance, but among those who attended the ceremony were many capable Awakeners who had distinguished themselves in the recent battle.

Kishiar gathered the Cavalry members with abilities that could aid in secret tracking and ordered them to directly investigate any guests who were deemed even slightly suspicious. While he handled the external affairs, Yuder guarded the surroundings to prevent any unfortunate incidents where those interrogating Megdolgen might be attacked by enemies who noticed something unusual. He was also in charge of safely escorting Kanna and Gakane to this place. Although he simply told Kanna and Gakane that he "waited because he was worried," it was actually closer to keeping watch and providing escort.

'If the enemies were bold enough to infiltrate the succession ceremony, they might have attempted to assassinate Megdolgen to cover their tracks as soon as they saw him get caught.'

Even if Megdolgen himself knew nothing, it didn't matter. If there was even the slightest involvement, it was more than enough reason to cut off the connection by killing.

Fortunately, nothing happened while interrogating Megdolgen, but Yuder didn't think their concern was excessive.

"So... which tail was caught?" Yuder asked.

"Among those suspected of entering with suspicious invitations, there was one who wasn't a nobleman, the only one. He claimed to be affiliated with a trading company, but the only trading company invited to the succession ceremony, apart from those who helped us, was one closely tied to the Herne Duchy."

That person had infiltrated, pretending to be from a trading company closely associated with the Herne Duchy. The Awakener with tracking ability who was attached to him reported that the person moved separately from the trading company and suddenly disappeared.

The last place where the tracker had seen this person was a particularly deserted alley.

"We tried to ascertain his appearance, but even those who saw him struggled to remember clearly."

"It must be an ability user who can blur recognition or someone who used a magic tool. There must have been at least one accomplice waiting, with the ability to detect and immediately shake off the tracking attached to him," Yuder deduced.

"Yes."

"So, you couldn't find any reliable witnesses?"

"No. Just one."

Kishiar casually crossed his hands over his bent knees.

"Someone noticed that this person was paying close attention to the Cavalry and the Imperial Army at the party. They even got a good look at his face."

Few among the many Awakeners who attended today were capable of exhibiting such ability. After a brief silence, a face came to Yuder's mind.

"...Is it Sunz, by any chance?"

Kishiar smiled and said, "Correct."

"As you know, he's currently living with only one eye, so he was continuously using his see-through ability for convenience. Thanks to that, the method used to blur recognition didn't seem to have much effect on him."

And this is what Sunz told the Cavalry members who requested his account:

"Sunz thought the person might be a merchant from the South. Although he dyed his hair and wore glasses to cover his eyes, Sunz noticed that he kept fiddling with a Southern travel permit in his pocket, which caught his attention."

Sunz, now promoted to the Captain of the Awakener Brigade, was originally a common soldier in the Southern Army. One of the most common tasks for such individuals was inspecting merchants arriving in the southern part of the empire via desert and sea routes, so he was very familiar with the appearance of Southern merchants.

He could even discern the form of Southern travel permits, which ordinary people couldn't easily recognize, with just a glance.

Yuder sincerely thought it was fortunate that Sunz attended the succession ceremony today.

"Then, the probability of the enemy's backing being from the South increases," Yuder remarked.

"Yes. Although we lost track of him for a moment, I don't think he could have gone far unless he had a mobility user like Hosanna with him."

"Spies rarely leave the area unless ordered by their superiors. We'll definitely be able to find him within Charloin."

"We're also searching for all those who received forged invitations like Megdolgen, so we'll be able to catch the tail soon."

Yuder nodded. The sharp look in his eyes when discussing work gradually softened. Kishiar, who had been watching him with delight, opened his mouth and asked, "So, the forged invitation tracking matter is over for now... Is it time to hear about the pleasant conversation between friends next?"

"You may not find it so pleasant after hearing it," Yuder replied.

"That can't be. I'm confident that I can listen to my assistant reciting the Sun God's Scripture, Chapter 1, Verse 1, and still find it the most interesting thing in the world."

It didn't seem absurd to think that Kishiar would really do that. Yuder gazed at the man's sparkling face, still dressed in his formal attire, and let out a small sigh.

"...I told Gakane and Kanna about our relationship. They both had already noticed something for their own reasons, so I thought it would be better to tell them directly rather than leaving them confused."

"..."

"Fortunately, they both reacted well. When they said they would keep it a secret, I told them there was no need for that."

That was the last conversation he had with Gakane and Kanna after being surrounded by them and receiving an unfamiliar yet warm embrace.