Chapter 21
Chapter 21
"Did everyone have a good rest after the celebrations yesterday?"
"Yes."
The next day, Kishiar summoned all the members, who were visibly suffering from hangovers. Yuder was fine, but both Kanna and Gakane on either side of him looked terrible.
"Yuder, you seemed to have drunk quite a bit too, but you look fine. Why?"
"Could that be your ability?"
"…Maybe it can be considered as such."
Yuder, who could manipulate all elements of nature at will, was immune to the effects of alcohol made from water and grains.
Only things that were artificially created, not naturally occurring in this world, could harm his body.
'I could get drunk on alcohol made by mixing monster's blood.'
However, that alcohol was originally made to poison someone. The fact that Yuder could not only survive but also get drunk on it was something only he could manage.
'I remember being surprised to learn I could get drunk when someone apparently tried to kill me with it.'
"I'm really envious. I wish I had such an ability."
As Kanna muttered, Kishiar, from afar, raised his voice and gently began to speak.
"I apologize to those who are still not feeling well from yesterday's revelry, but our first task has been assigned to the Cavalry. Five of you gathered here will pack up and leave with me today."
"A task? What could it be?"
"Five of us?"
At Kishiar's words, whispers immediately spread among the members. Everyone, forgetting their hangovers, was excited. How could they not be?
This would be the first time since the formation of the Cavalry that they would officially reveal their presence. Regardless of the task, everyone wanted to be among the five chosen.
And today, Yuder was one of them.
'Could it be that the Red Stone retrieval operation was announced today? This soon?'
He vaguely remembered that they had retrieved the Red Stone after receiving the last name before, but he didn't remember it happening this quickly. Yuder hadn't been interested in such things back then.
'The ones selected before were two from Shin, two from Sul, and one from Jung.'
He painstakingly recalled the vague memories of the past. At that time, Kishiar had chosen those with somewhat unique abilities rather than those known for powerful ones.
Those chosen had all signed a contract stating they wouldn't discuss what happened during the operation until they died. There had been a minor accident during the operation, but they had successfully retrieved the Red Stone and returned.
'The accident that occurred back then made it known to the world that Kishiar was chosen by the Divine Sword.'
Yuder was secretly disappointed that he wasn't selected at the time, and afterward, he focused more on his training. When it was revealed that Kishiar was the owner of the Divine Sword, it was merely someone else's business to Yuder.
Later, he was constantly busy after being chosen again as the deputy commander of the Sul Division. Suddenly, he had to take over the leadership and saw Kishiar retire and return to the Duchy of Peletta.
He had been so caught up in the whirlwind of events that he had no time to pay attention to the World Sphere he thought was safely dormant in the sanctuary.
However, following many subsequent events and the realization of impending disasters, Yuder felt the need to investigate the affairs related to the World Sphere again, especially when he realized that he was the only one who knew about the heavy aura of destruction pressing upon the world.
The reason was simple. To protect the world, power was required, and Yuder believed that there was nothing in this world as powerful as the World Sphere, which was refined from the Red Stone.
The problem was that the original power of the World Sphere had been severely damaged and nearly sealed due to the rough refining process in the Pearl Tower.
The mages of the Pearl Tower had claimed they had merely carved impurities from the Red Stone, but the result was quite the opposite.
Even if he wanted to demand they restore it, the Pearl Tower had long since fallen. Yuder thought he needed to investigate the situation when the World Sphere was simply a Red Stone and restore its original power himself.
'So, I had belatedly investigated the situation from the discovery of the Red Stone to its recovery…'
But so much time had passed that it was impossible to know exactly what had happened.
The only certainty was that all the Cavalry who had been chosen by Kishiar at the time had either retired and disappeared or died during their missions.
He needed power, but he could find neither the means to obtain it nor those who had had it. To make matters worse, Yuder, who began to dig into the past to find the source of that power, was exposed to many suspicions and vigilance.
Perhaps it had started then. The world Yuder had built began to crumble.
'I'm not sure what criteria Kishiar used to pick the members back then, but if it's the same this time, there's a high chance it won't be me.'
If he wasn't chosen this time either, what should he do? Should he find Kishiar and give him some sort of warning? While he was thinking about this, Kishiar slowly began to call the names of those who would depart with him.
"Finn Eldore and Hinn Eldore from Sul Division."
"Wow!"
Everyone was enthralled, but Yuder was in shock.
'No, the names weren't those back then. It was definitely...'
Was it Isis and Edin? He seemed to remember those two being selected. They were nothing like the noticeable Finn and Hinn siblings.
Yuder turned his gaze to Finn and Hinn, who were sharing their surprise not far away. The blue-haired siblings, with their elf-like faces, had chosen Sul instead of Shin Division, even though they had the ability to strengthen their bodies, which puzzled everyone.
In fact, the reason they chose Sul Division was simple. It was to develop another ability to move, which they could only use when together.
Despite this revelation, many people thought their talent should have bloomed in Shin Division.
Yuder had thought the same, often assigning them to missions that required physical abilities.
'The mobility ability is useful but not necessary. They haven't had their abilities awakened for very long, and the preconditions are tricky. Did he choose them knowing that? He didn't choose them before, so why now?'
"Next, Kanna Wand of Jung Division."
"Me? Really?"
Kanna looked around with a stunned expression. She was also someone who hadn't been singled out before.
'That's three people now who weren't selected in the past. If that's the case...'
The people to be called next might be completely different from before. Yuder ignored the members causing a stir around Kanna, focusing solely on Kishiar on the stage.
His lips slowly opened.
"Next, from the Shin Division, Gakane Bolunwald, and Yuder Aile. The five of you, pack light and come to me as soon as this ends."
Yuder Aile. His voice reverberated deep within Yuder's ears.
"It can't be.... We both got picked, Yuder. Is this real?"
Gakane's voice sounded distant. Yuder glanced at him briefly, then blankly envisioned Kishiar's face that had disappeared, feeling the reality that the future he knew was changing.
'All five of us chosen are different from before, even me.'
It was fortunate that he no longer needed to seek a private meeting with Kishiar.
After Kishiar's announcement and disappearance, the square where the members had gathered became a mix of those unable to hide their excitement and those disappearing with disappointment.
Yuder found himself caught among those rushing over to speak to him, Gakane, and Kanna.
"What's the standard? Congratulations, really. Make sure you complete the mission and return!"
"You have to tell us what happened when you come back!"
They probably couldn't reveal what had happened due to a confidentiality agreement. But Kanna and Gakane, who wouldn't know that, talked nervously yet excitedly.
'...What are you thinking, Kishiar La Orr.'
Yuder watched them, lost in thought. It wasn't easy to guess at Kishiarr's changed intentions.
------
It didn't take long to pack. He didn't have much to begin with, and the only clothes he had were the Cavalry uniform.
When Yuder arrived on the floor where Kishiarr's quarters were located with just one small bag, he saw the rest of his companions who had arrived earlier. The luggage they carried was strikingly simple.
Kanna greeted him with a tense look, and just as Gakane was about to say something with a radiant smile, as if he had found light in the darkness, two small figures popped out from beside him and spoke first.
"Hello. You're Yuder?"
"You're the Yuder who stood alone in front of the Imperial Knights?"
Hinn Eldore and Finn Eldore. Yuder saw the siblings again for the first time since his return. Their manner of speaking was as straightforward as ever, almost to the point of rudeness.
In the past, they were among the few comrades who would talk to Yuder, whom no one else approached. Seeing their attitude unchanged from his memories brought a faint smile to his face.
"Yeah."
As Yuder looked down at them and nodded, the sister, Hinn stepped forward and introduced herself.
"I'm Hinn. This one here is my brother Finn."
"If it's hard to distinguish because we look alike, just call us Eldore."
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