Nahir asked Azikh and Gidan to take care of the rest while he invited Kyran for a private talk in the receiving room.
When Cyneah heard this, she got worried and was about to warn Kyran, but Nahir assured her there was nothing to worry about. She could also come with them if she did not believe him.
Kyran did not say much and only followed Nahir to the receiving room.
Cyneah went with them, wondering, while Nahir seemed to be acting strangely.
A few minutes later, the three were transported inside the receiving room. Nahir conjured chairs for himself and Kyran before leading Cynean to sit on the high chair. His action surprised her. It seemed he was treating her more respectfully, just as Kyran asked him if he had won.
Nahir's action did not go unnoticed by Kyran.
Did this mean he acknowledged his defeat earlier? If so, Kyran had to change his view of Nahir. Maybe this guy was not all that bad.
"You don't have to worry too much," Nahir told Cyneah as he held her hand. "I will only talk to your friend."
"H-He's my benefactor..." Cyneah corrected him, lowering her head a little. She changed the subject and asked, "H-How's your wound?"
"It is already healed."
"Is that so," she replied in a small voice.
"Yes, there is nothing you need to worry about," Nahir assured her and straightened his back before looking at Kyran. "We've started off on the wrong foot from my behavior earlier. Let me apologize."
Kyran raised his brows but did not say anything. He only looked at Nahir and let him continue.
Nahir pointed at his face and said, "Your punch earlier. I admit it cleared my mind a little."
"You did not invite me here just to tell me that, right?"
"No," Nahir admitted, letting go of Cyneah's hand before taking his seat.
Kyran leaned on his chair and waited for Nahir to continue.
Nahir looked at Kyran. He leaned forward while resting his elbows on his knees and crossing his hands together. He did not speak for a moment and only looked at Kyran silently.
Finally, after a moment, he said, "My judgment has been clouded earlier, but now I look at you properly, you... don't have a Divine Armament."
Kyran's expression remained indifferent, making Nahir unable to read what was on his mind.
"Nahir..." Cyneah started. She had wanted to talk to Kyran these past few days to tell him about Divine Armaments. Although the ability to see through other's Divine Armament was rare among the complete beings, she knew two people among the Eidums who had this. One was Nahir, and the other was the Abbot.
The Abbot's ability was far stronger than Nahir's. After all, the Abbot could easily discern a complete being's Divine Armament at first glance, while Nahir required to observe the other person for a while to confirm if he or she possessed a Divine Armament.
"I do have one," Kyran replied with a slight smile. "Except, he tends to sleep for a long period of time."
What he said was not exactly a lie. Based on what the old man and Gael had told him and the information he read in the archive, a Divine Armament was equivalent to a magic weapon. The only difference was that a magic weapon in the Human plane was a separate item from a human, while a Divine Armament served as both a magic core and a magic weapon to complete beings.
Cyneah absorbed the Macabre Glacier, and because she did not possess a magic core, others who had the ability to see through a complete being's Divine Armament would think the mirror was hers.
But Kyran was different. He had several magic cores, which were shaped like a huge orb. He did not know if the old man or the Nahir could see them, but if they did, they did not consider those orbs his Divine Armament.
"You are an outsider," Nahir continued, keenly observing a change in Kyran's expression to discern his thoughts.
Hearing Nahir's words made Cyneah's heart leap nervously. She hid her emotion well, though. Not wanting her reaction be the cause of others knowing about Kyran's identity. Nevertheless, she tried to observe Nahir's silhouette to see if he planned to do anything to Kyran.
In the end, none of her worries happened.
Nahir only looked at Kyran in silence. As if waiting for him to admit or confirm his guess.
When Kyran did not respond after a few minutes, Nahir heaved a sigh and leaned on his chair.
"You know, not saying anything can also be considered a silent acknowledgment," he told the younger man. "Whether you admit it or not, I believe you are one."
Kyran tilted his head and said, "I did not say anything because I don't plan on hiding it."
Cyneah was surprised. She turned to where Kyran was seated, wanting to glean his thoughts by observing his silhouette. Unfortunately, she failed to notice anything because she could barely see his silhouette.
"Yet, you said you have a Divine Armament."
"Where I came from, a Divine Armament is considered a magic weapon," Kyran replied with a shrug.
"Magic weapon," Nahir repeated, finding the words foreign yet familiar.
It was not a surprise because Kyran spoke those words in his native tongue, not in Somulian.
"I have one, except he's still sleeping," Kyran explained.
"I had heard those terms before," Nahir admitted, looking at the younger man before him strangely. "During one excursion I attended when I was still a student in the Abbey, I met a few complete beings who lived in Howling Pass."
Nahir briefly narrated his encounter with those complete beings and told them he heard one of them speak those terms. At that time, Nahir did not understand what it meant. He only remembered it because it left a big impression on him. Hearing those terms again made him wonder if the complete being he met then was also an outsider.
'Howling Pass,' Kyran thought.
He already guessed that some of the complete beings living in that place were actually humans who entered a rift accidentally and were transported to Somuli. But having Nahir confirm something only humans would know further piqued Kyran's interest in that place.
"If you've heard that term before, why did you not consider that I am someone from Howling Pass rather than an outsider?"
"I frequent in Howling Pass these past couple of months. I would have heard about you if you were truly from there."
"Frequent in Howling Pass?" Cyneah repeated and looked toward Nahir. "I thought you were on a visiting trip on behalf of the Abbot these past few months."
Nahir looked at her with a slight smile, "I was. But in between my travels, I would go there."
"Why?"
"Because I was considering employing their services once the Kingdom of Cretea pulled out their people here," Nahir replied. Then he sighed and shook his head, "Unfortunately, before I could find a decent mercenary group there, the nobles already pulled out, and Father had no choice but to send our own people here."
ραndαsnοvεl.cοm Upon hearing this, Kyran was tempted to talk to the old man. He felt a little exasperated because the old man had left this information.
The old man already knew he was interested in Howling Pass, yet he did not mention his son was trying to establish a relationship with one of the mercenary groups there so he could hire them to protect the border.
Seemingly knowing what Kyran was thinking, Nahir explained, "Of course, the idea of employing them was only my idea. When I proposed it, my father was not keen on it. I asked him why, but he did not want to tell me."
Kyran guessed the old man's reason was to prevent Nahir from being exposed to humans in Howling Pass and realized something was amiss with Cyneah.
"Setting your information straight," Kyran started. "I did not come from that place."
"I already guessed that much," Nahir replied wryly. "Which is why I said that you are an outsider."
"Good," Kyran nodded. "Then I assume you already have an idea how I am connected with Neah."
Nahir's brow twitched slightly, recalling how blatant Cyneah and Kyran had been about their connection. They spoke to each other in a different language and did not care one bit even though they were in front of so many people.
With a slight nod, Nahir confirmed it by saying, "I do have an idea. But let us not talk about that."
"I'm fine with that. Let's get to the point then."
"I now understand why my father asked your help, even though he is proud." Nahir continued. "As a matter of fact, I know my father well. So I have an inkling about the truth of his abduction.
"I know someone tried to infiltrate the town where he was abducted and that those people were not part of the Nobles. That leaves me with two suspects. The Armakeans, or mercenaries from Howling Pass."
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