Chapter 929

Turning

Chapter 929

"...I met the white gloves again."

The hand that was embracing Yuder tightened ever so slightly and then relaxed. Kishiar, upon waking up, might have anticipated Yuder's unusual reaction to a certain extent. But expectations and reality are always different. Had Yuder not just keenly felt this?

Yuder continued speaking amidst his silence.

"Living twice, there were many things I did not know... Especially about you, Commander. Most of these things, I only came to understand after my return."

"..."

Kishiar's past. The dreams he cherished. The many secrets he kept hidden from the public.

And even his inner self, concealed behind countless walls and deceptive masks.

The Kishiar that Yuder thought he knew and the man before him now were entirely different. Had all these things not returned from the past, they would have remained forever unknown.

And thanks to this, Yuder had finally come to realize a truth he might have forever overlooked.

"...Did you come to know something you wished you hadn't?"

Kishiar asked quietly, his voice so serene it was hard to discern any emotion. Yuder, still leaning on his hand covering his face, slowly but surely shook his head.

"No."

Yudrain Aile would have answered yes affirmatively. The same question posed to the Yuder who had just returned and was wary of Kishiar would likely not have differed much.

Because, back then, even if Yuder had known the truth sooner, he would not have believed it.

To one without belief, no amount of logical and clear evidence makes a difference. After all, none of it would be properly seen or heard.

But now was different.

Because he loved Kishiar La Orr and was certain of his love in return, Yuder, at the moment he removed his gloves, came to realize and believe everything.

Even if it was a painful and hard-to-believe truth.

He had now clearly learned how an intangible belief could mean so much to someone.

"It's just that I've come to know now what I inevitably had to know someday."

"..."

"There's more that needs to be done now, I realize."

Even as he spoke, the hand covering his face remained wet. His voice showed no sign of faltering, nor did his expression, yet it was strange.

Perhaps it was because the man before Yuder wore a much more pained expression as he witnessed this scene. Yuder slowly felt his tears, like remnants of a dream, diminish.

The remnants of pain from the dream disappeared, replaced by a determination much greater and firmer than all those emotions.

It's not difficult anymore to explain everything that happened. But to do so, a story untold yesterday must precede. Kishiar was not yet ready to 'prepare to listen', so time was needed just the same.

Yuder took a deep breath. His body shivered reflexively for a moment, then the tears stopped completely. He emerged from the man's embrace, vigorously rubbing and wiping his face.

"I'm fine now. But more importantly..."

The most bizarre things he saw in the dream. The hands in the white gloves trying to convey 'something more important'. As he tried to organize his thoughts, suddenly, a loud thud was heard in the distance.

Then, once again, thud, thud.

The moment Yuder realized it was the sound of someone forcefully knocking on the door, his nerves instantly tensed. In the profound darkness of his mind, the lingering shadows began to intertwine chaotically.

'Could it be?'

Just as a premonition surged within him, the distinctive voice of Nathan Zuckerman came from beyond the closed door.

"Duke, Your Highness, I apologize for the intrusion, but there's urgent news. Are you awake?"

Kishiar glanced at Yuder's sharply tensed face and responded with a calm voice.

"Yes, what is it?"

"We've just received a message through the Herne family's communication network. There's been an unusual incident near the sea, accompanied by a request for assistance. Additionally, several urgent letters have arrived from the dispatchers of the Cavalry stationed in various regions. Including Deputy Commander Meghna Kurlieva, the southern army of the Empire will soon arrive here."

The knight, speaking rapidly, finished his last sentence with a grave voice that conveyed the urgency of the situation.

"It seems you'll need to meet them right away."

Before Kishiar could speak, it appeared that the incident Yuder had foreseen had occurred sooner than expected.

"...It's a disaster."

Kishiar turned his gaze towards Yuder's muttering.

"I was just about to tell you something related to that. I was going to say that what we've been preparing for might finally be happening..."

"Is it also among the things you learned through the hands in the white gloves?"

Kishiar quickly grasped the hidden meaning and asked.

"Yes."

"Understood. If there's no more immediate information needed, we can discuss the rest later. You may elaborate when necessary."

Kishiar rose from his seat. Yuder quickly donned his clothes and prepared to leave, observing the man's movements. There was not a hint of hesitation in his actions. The soft and pained look in his eyes towards Yuder, and the tender scent, had now been neatly put away as if nothing had ever happened.

A typical behavior of his, cleanly separating personal from official matters.

But sometimes, there are things that even perfection cannot hide. Yuder felt a faint surge of emotion flood within him. More than an emotion, it resembled a tingling pain, a feeling transmitted from Kishiar.

Knowing that he was not truly unaffected, how could Yuder just leave because the situation was urgent?

Perhaps he could have done so in the past, but not now.

Yuder hesitated for a moment, then called out to him.

"Commander."

Kishiar turned his head. Tilted slightly, he looked like someone completely unrelated to the pain he had just felt.

Instead of revealing that he had just felt Kishiar's emotions, Yuder took another deep breath and spoke again.

"...Kishiar."

The man who had been looking at Yuder with a steady gaze, now blinked in surprise for a moment. His red eyes wavered, and the emotions he had kept at bay began to flow out.

"...This is rather sudden. What is it?"

For the first time, perhaps, Yuder called him by his name with a clear mind and spirit, looking directly into his eyes. But now, he did not entertain the self-mocking thought that this might be rude or insulting. It was just the two of them here, and whatever Yuder called him, no one would object.

And in Yuder's judgment, only by calling him by his name could he fully convey the feelings he was experiencing.

"As you said, the immediate priority is to address the matter at hand, but before that, there's something I must say."

"What is it?"

"I'm glad you're here today."

"..."

Seemingly taken aback by the unexpected remark, Kishiar momentarily parted his lips in surprise. Yuder continued speaking clearly and directly into his eyes.

"The reason I shed tears earlier, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself. However, I believe the truths I've come to understand today will help rather than hinder today's tasks. I hope you can see it that way too."

Kishiar, who had been slightly moving his lips as if to speak, eventually looked down and murmured Yuder's name like a sigh.

"Yuder..."

"I'll be frank. In the previous game, I failed to prevent an event like what happened today. It remained one of my deepest regrets, but this time, I intend to change that outcome."

"Yes, I know. That's why we've been preparing together."

However, Kishiar is still unaware of what Yuder has seen. Who could imagine the grotesque things lurking in that deep, profound darkness, frantically trying to squeeze through the smallest gaps? Even Yuder, who had faced all sorts of challenges and believed himself prepared, was momentarily rendered thoughtless upon seeing them.

Only now did it occur to him that those unknowable things, which he couldn't properly discern in the dream, might fundamentally be the same as the monsters he's faced. The instinctive fear and powerlessness he felt upon witnessing their lair closely resembled the sensations he experienced when confronting monsters beyond his power.

Perhaps the hands in the white gloves were trying to show Yuder what he must confront from now on.

The moment he recalled those entities, a chill ran through his stomach, and nausea surged up. The feeling, which made even his firm belief seem distant and faint, brought back memories of the numerous despairs and frustrations he had felt in his previous life.

But Yuder refused to be consumed by those emotions.

He had come to realize that Kishiar La Orr, present here, and those in 'that place,' were determined to support Yuder's cause in whatever way they could.

"Yes, exactly. We will certainly prevent it. And after that..."

Yuder looked into his face and placed the final words in his mouth.

"I plan to come and save you."