Chapter 72

Yuder's gaze drifted towards the small birdcage hanging next to his horse. It seemed he might need to send a courier to Kishiar sooner than he had initially planned upon arriving at the village.

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"Your Grace, a courier has just arrived from the East," a voice informed him.

"Is it from the Lord of Hartan?"

"No, it's a report from one of our spies in a nearby village."

Seated at his desk, buried in paperwork filled with complex laws, Kishiar finally shifted his gaze to his adjutant, Nathan.

"A report?"

"Do you remember when you ordered me to recruit several spies in the East to monitor long-term movements there? One of them responded quickly to my inquiry about the situation."

Kishiar hadn't taken lightly the fact that a Cavalry member, originally from the East and on leave, had not yet returned. The East, where the Ducal faction was gaining ground, had subtly been pushing back against the Awakeners ever since Kishiar expressed his intent to form the Cavalry.

Though the incident might be minor, there was a chance some foolish noble had insulted the Cavalry member, and by extension, Kishiar and the Emperor.

For that reason, Kishiar had instructed Nathan to investigate all potential leads, in addition to sending a direct letter to the Lord of Hartan. The reply from the Lord was still pending, but the spy's report had arrived unexpectedly quickly, which made Kishiar uneasy.

He broke the seal on the letter Nathan handed him and quickly scanned its contents. His red eyes grew colder as he read.

"So, there's been a fire."

"…In Hartan?"

"Yes, and it's rumored that the Lord's castle has burned down completely. The timing coincides with Devran Hartude's stay in Hartan. It might be a coincidence, but we can't dismiss it."

"But there was no report from the Black Pigeon about this."

For a fire severe enough to destroy the entire Lord's castle, an immediate report should have reached the capital through official channels. Disasters of such magnitude were critical and required urgent communication. Yet, their spies in nearby villages didn't seem to know the full extent of the casualties. Something was clearly amiss.

One could argue that the delay in handling the incident caused the report to be late. Still, Kishiar couldn't ignore the fact that Devran Hartude possessed the ability to conjure fire.

"Oh, another courier has arrived."

At that moment, Nathan, standing by the window, caught a small bird that had flown in.

"Is it from Hartan?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Grace. It's another report from one of our spies in the East."

"What does it say?"

Kishiar gestured for his adjutant to read the new message aloud. As Nathan untied the small pouch from the bird's leg and unfolded the letter, his expression shifted slightly.

"It's an irregular report, unrelated to the current incident. It mentions that ten Imperial Knights have gone to train at Mount Clayman."

"Isn't Mount Clayman near Hartan?" Kishiar asked, his flawless memory of the continental map kicking in.

"Indeed it is. And among the knights is Kiolle da Diarca."

Kishiar's lips curled into a subtle smirk.

"Hah. That scoundrel? I thought he'd learned his lesson after getting put in his place by my assistant, but it seems that wasn't enough."

Kiolle da Diarca, the youngest son of Duke Diarca, was notorious for his arrogance. Spoiled beyond measure, he never listened to anyone. The Duke had secured a position for his son within the Imperial Knights, hoping to give him a comfortable life. But that dream was shattered by the recent formation of the Cavalry.

Humiliated by a common-born Cavalry member, Yuder Aile, during a training session, Kiolle had been furious. He'd contacted Kishiar multiple times, nearly threatening him, demanding the expulsion of Yuder and his delivery to the Diarca family.

Naturally, Kishiar ignored all of it. Just when the matter seemed to have blown over, Yuder had encountered Kiolle again, and this time, humiliated him even more.

Kishiar had expected another round of complaints but had heard nothing. Kishiar thought Kiolle had finally learned some humility. But it appears that the Duke had intervened by sending his son away for training.

"Predictable. The old man must've sent him away to cool his head, given all the trouble he's been causing."

"Do you think the Duke knew something when he sent him?"

"If Duke Diarca knew anything, he'd never have sent Kiolle there," Kishiar replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "The old lion may have lost a few teeth, but he's still a lion. No one understands his youngest son's abilities, or lack thereof, better than the Duke himself."

"Still, if they happen to meet again in that place… it might not end well this time."

The thought of Yuder and Kiolle crossing paths again in the East, where the Duke's influence was strong, made Nathan uneasy. It seemed like a recipe for disaster.

Sensing his adjutant's concern, Kishiar shook his head.

"No need to worry about my assistant. He can handle himself, even if something does happen... What's more concerning is the report about the fire."

"I'll investigate further."

"Good. And Nathan, be ready to head there at a moment's notice, if needed."

"You want me to deliver the message personally?" Nathan asked, his eyes narrowing slightly at the unexpected command.

"Yes. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but we need to be prepared."

"Understood."

The loyal adjutant asked no further questions.

"Now, let's call upon the mages who've been on their feet all day," Kishiar said, his tone casual yet deliberate.

He knew that the fact Thais Yulman and his disciple had been able to come here was largely due to information leaked by Duke Diarca. The decision to provide such information to the mages of the Pearl Tower—who had little connection with the Duke's family—suggested that the Duke wasn't particularly interested in the power of the Red Stone.

'Fortunate, indeed,'

Everyone in the Empire was aware that the Emperor's health was deteriorating by the day. If the nobles had known that Kishiar and the Emperor were hoping to harness the mysterious power within the Red Stone, they would have moved to eliminate it. Or worse, they could have sent a perfect spy, ready to die, to report back to their faction.

In this sense, the presence of Thais Yulman, a true mage, was a stroke of luck for Kishiar. Thais was a leading expert in such research and had a stubborn, uncompromising nature. He had even vowed to keep silent about everything he learned, solely for the chance to further his research.

Perhaps Duke Diarca had leaked the information, thinking Thais would investigate the Red Stone and pass along whatever he uncovered to the Pearl Tower. But did he really expect that Thais would pledge his silence so easily, and worse, harbor a grudge against the Duke's youngest son?

Kishiar smirked, imagining the Duke's reaction when he found out.

The face of Yuder Aile, the one who had suggested involving Thais, came to mind. His assistant seemed to have a talent for disrupting the greedy plans of the Dukes. It was a skill Kishiar greatly admired.

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"Once we pass through those guards, we'll be in Hartan," the scarred man said, gesturing toward the sentries stationed a short distance away. Beyond the stone wall and watchtower, the village came into view, just as he had described.

Yuder stepped forward, leading the group towards the guards.

"Who are you?" one of the guards demanded.

"We're Cavalry members, dispatched by Duke Kishiar La Orr Peletta, Commander of the Cavalry,"

"The Cavalry?"

For a moment, Yuder noticed a flicker of wariness cross the guards' faces.

"…Show us proof of your identity."

"Here it is."

Yuder handed over the identity certificate Kishiar had given him. The guard scrutinized the document several times before handing it back, his voice still heavy with caution.

"It seems correct. Four people, right?"

The guard's gaze swept over Yuder and the others. Yuder expected the scarred man's appearance to draw some startled looks, but the guards' reactions were surprisingly calm.

Finding this odd, Yuder turned to look at the man behind Gakane and Jimmy—and was taken aback. The man's face had changed. While he still bore a scar, his previously handsome features had been replaced with the plain face of one of the bandits they'd encountered in the mountains. Even more unsettling, he was now dressed in a Cavalry uniform identical to Yuder's.

The illusion was flawless, perfectly mimicking the real thing.

'So, he's using illusion abilities like this,' Yuder thought, his eyes narrowing as the man smiled slightly when their gazes met.

It seemed that there was no need to worry about the scar on his face thanks to the ability to show illusions, The scarred man's illusionary skills were remarkable. If Yuder hadn't been informed of his abilities beforehand, he might have suspected the man to be a shape-shifter.

"…Yes. Four people," the guard confirmed. "That's correct."

"And your purpose?"

"We wish to meet with the Lord."