Chapter 616
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Chapter 616
Nathan Zuckerman did not take long to reach his intended destination, burdened as he was with a parcel of medicine. The earnest exertion of a swordmaster's body was indeed swift and powerful, incomparable to that of an ordinary person.
Upon arrival at the site still reeking of a peculiar scent mixed with the scent of blood, he surveyed the surroundings. A faint sound of labored breathing came from behind the spot where Yuder's sword lay discarded, the very sword that had been plunged into the mercenary Nathan had buried.
This was the place Kishiar had leaped into without hesitation, a site whose scent could be detected even by one who was not an Awakener like Nathan Zuckerman. The southern knight quietly approached, clutching the parcel and making no effort to conceal the sound of his footsteps.
Despite the short distance, each step sharpened the tension, pricking at his nerves. With one hand ready on his sword sheath to strike should an enemy appear, he stood at the brink of the hill, gazing downward.
As tension peaked, every muscle in his body trembled subtly.
It was then that he heard it.
"You've come at quite the opportune time, Nathan."
A voice, weary and suppressed as though holding something back, emanated from the darkness below.
Recognizing the voice of his liege, Nathan swiftly removed his hand from his sword sheath.
"Where are you, Your Grace?"
"Here."
The voice came from just beneath his feet, from a space tangled amongst the trees. Nathan hurriedly retrieved a magic orb from his parcel that could emit light and cautiously descended toward the voice. Like a hollowed-out space beneath an eroded cliff, there was a cunningly crafted hollow there.
Revealed in the faint light, Kishiar sat leaning against something, holding Yuder Aile.
The man's breath was heavy and his expression was chillingly impassive. Although he was not as disoriented as the second-gender Awakener they had encountered in Tainu, it was clear he was struggling to suppress something.
"It would be best not to come any closer. Yuder is... not quite himself."
At the end of his words, the black-haired man, panting like a wounded beast, lifted his savage eyes as if recognizing a new intruder. His dark, fevered eyes seemed not to recognize Nathan, glaring fiercely. The scent was so overpowering that standing before him was like standing beneath a ripe fruit tree, heady and disorienting.
Seeing the intense aversion in the man's eyes, Nathan realized that it was not safe to approach carelessly.
He bent slowly, careful not to aggravate either of them, and spoke.
"Should I take Sir Aile as you commanded, or would you prefer to administer the medicine here?"
It was a question to gauge Kishiar's condition, to see if he would follow the command or not.
After a moment of silence, Kishiar let out a faint laugh.
"It would be better to administer it first. Bring it here."
As Nathan reached for the medicine, it slipped from his grasp as if pulled by an invisible thread and fell straight to Kishiar.
Kishiar unwrapped the medicine while calling to the one in his arms.
"Yuder."
Yuder Aile's gaze shifted, his breaths sharp and more alert than usual, as he murmured something inaudible.
Time and again, he had endured, and now, he would do so once more.
The growling, almost submerged in a half-sleep, carried a heat that spoke of barely contained ferocity. Kishiar, unfazed by the clear signs of his companion's distressed state, gently froze him in place.
"Yes, I understand. I'll do as you wish, but first, try this. We must at least attempt, mustn't we? That is simply who I am."
Silence.
"Try this, and if it doesn't work, then I will truly follow your lead... Okay?"
Seizing the brief moment of Yuder's hesitation, Kishiar pressed the medicine to his lips as if pouring it in. Soon after, without a hint of reluctance, Yuder nodded, his grumbles swallowed up by the act. Nathan Zuckerman, instead of observing his lord's most intimate moments, cast his gaze down deeply.
"Umm... uh... hmpf..."
It was unclear whether the pale hand that flailed was resisting the medicine or responding to a kiss. Kishiar took that hand in his own and repeated the process over and over, swallowing every breath that escaped.
The sight of a Duke of imperial lineage personally administering medicine to an adult man was unimaginable to anyone not present.
After a while, Kishiar finally exhaled deeply, the moisture on his lips glistening in the light, lending an otherworldly aura to the scene.
"Are you alright?"
"One can only hope to be."
The response to the concern for his well-being was ambiguous, yet the man chuckled suddenly.
"Until just before you found me, I thought my heart would stop... The blessing from the West did have its effect. When we return, I must bring that Awakener to the capital, no matter what."
Silence.
"But tell me... can you guess what one who has shaken many a heart said the moment he regained consciousness?"
Kishiar didn't wait for an answer, as if to shake off something restraining him, he continued.
"He scolded me, told me not to hold on. If I hadn't remembered you were coming... it would have been truly dangerous."
His words carried a tone of disbelief, but Kishiar's gaze was infinitely tender, a stark contrast to the tension that seemed ready to burst.
"What are your plans now?"
"We shall wait and see if the medicine takes effect before deciding. However... thinking back to the time of the manifestation, I wonder."
Kishiar had never spoken in detail to Nathan Zuckerman about the time Yuder Aile had experienced his second gender manifestation. He had only explained that due to poor health, Yuder had been isolated from the ball and stayed in a small palace until the aftereffects had subsided.
Yet, from Kishiar's words, it appeared that Yuder Aile had faced a similar struggle back then, where the medicine had not been effective.
Nathan Zuckerman ruefully recalled the mage's medicine Yuder Aile had likely passed on to someone else. Had it been available now, perhaps they wouldn't be in such a predicament.
However, he suspected that even if the man had the chance to go back, he would have given the medicine to someone more in need. It seemed Kishiar might share this thought, as the corners of his lips lifted in a cool smile.
"If it proves ineffective... then, Nathan. I will amend the command I have for you."
"What is it?"
A sigh. The breath of his lord, carrying a warmth akin to Yuder's, filled the space. The keen feeling of being in front of a wild beast shaking the shackles that would soon be released penetrated Nathan Zuckerman's whole body.
"I will carry Yuder, so you just guide us to the cabin, but... never look back. Once we arrive, leave the luggage..."
His voice, which had been on the verge of breaking, paused momentarily. Then, with a breath filled with uncontainable ferocity and depth, the final words continued.
"Sort out the surroundings and then head to the destination first. I will follow later."
Nathan Zuckerman understood the command's implications in silence.
It was a foregone conclusion that Yuder Aile's heat period was imminent before they departed. Kishiar had planned accordingly, intending to separate from Yuder as soon as he entered heat period, to ensure his rest.
However, Yuder's heat period erupted at the most unexpected moment, and Kishiar deviated from his plan. For the first time, he decided to entrust his back to a subordinate and embrace the unforeseen events that had unfolded.
Alone, without anyone's help or protection.
To respond only to the will of the one in his embrace and to dedicate time solely for him, no matter what happened.
An adjutant leaving his lord behind was an unthinkable act.
Their intended destination was a small mountain village to gather information about the Crown Prince. It was a difficult task to enter the village unnoticed with Yuder Aile, who had just entered heat period.
Excluding the fact that Nathan Zuckerman could not personally verify the safety of Kishiar and Yuder with his own eyes, this might have been the better option.
Yet, Nathan Zuckerman recalled his lord's voice muttering, 'I want to change.' The words 'I hope you change too' also echoed in his mind.
Nathan Zuckerman remained silent for a long time.
After a while, the loyal knight bowed formally, as he always did.
"I will do as you command."
Kishiar's prediction soon became a reality. Yuder Aile, momentarily quieted by a sedative, regained consciousness within minutes and began to growl again. Kishiar groaned in agony as his breath, hotter than before, intensified.
Yet, a faint smile spread across his face.
"So the conclusion is reached."
Nathan Zuckerman saw his lord for the first time giving up on endurance and doing what he desired.
Kishiar, cradling the languid Yuder, stood up. Nathan Zuckerman moved to support him as he shook his head as if dizzy, but Kishiar declined the help with a glance.
Nathan Zuckerman, a non-Awakener, could not fathom the immense pain and endurance Kishiar was maintaining while he managed to climb up the hill without letting Yuder out of his embrace.
"Lead the way."
Nathan Zuckerman moved swiftly ahead without hesitation. He felt the presence and murmurs of his lord carrying Yuder behind him but kept his promise not to look back.
He set down the luggage in front of the small cabin and passed through to enter the woods. Moments later, the faint sound of a door opening and closing was heard.
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