Shuseiner hadn’t brought Yuder here to warn him or say anything negative. He had simply wanted to share a cherished memory—and a sense of pride—about the person he served.

Yuder looked at him quietly before speaking.

“I already like this place. So words like that aren’t necessary.”

“Haha. Is that so?”

“But thank you for showing me your special spot for watching the sea. Of all the oceans I’ve seen so far, this was the best. I mean that.”

Yuder had no idea whether his sincerity would be conveyed, given his usual expressionless demeanor often led to misunderstandings—but he meant it. Shuseiner’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Yuder and let out a different sort of laugh than before.

“So it really is true—rumors aren’t worth believing.”

“......”

“Not sure if you knew, but many of the people working in the Cavalry’s kitchen were trained by me. Not just them—those handling cleaning and administrative tasks too.”

The ordinary staff at the Cavalry were exceptionally competent. Considering how famous the Cavalry had become, there were certainly people out there trying to bribe or manipulate their way in to gather intel. And yet, there had never been a single serious incident—proof in itself of their quality. Yuder had suspected they were connected to Peleta, having been handpicked by Kishiar, but it still surprised him to hear they were Shuseiner’s students.

Come to think of it, he’d once mentioned being in charge of staff training in addition to cooking.

Cooking and education—both required immense trust. It was fair to say Shuseiner oversaw personnel management for everything related to Kishiar’s work. It was no wonder Kishiar trusted him so deeply.

And yet... in my past life, by the time I became the Commander, all of those people had been replaced by order of Emperor Kachian...

At the time, Kachian hadn’t liked the idea of leaving any traces of Kishiar behind in the Cavalry. That included even the non-combat staff. So, just before stepping down, Kishiar had agreed to the emperor’s orders and dismissed those he had personally selected.

Naturally, in the long years that followed under Commander Yuder, there were frequent incidents—staff attempting assassination, leaking information. While betrayal from fellow Awakeners could at least be punished later, most of those staff weren’t Awakeners. They were harder to confront directly.

Even the fearsome name of Yudrain Aile couldn’t prevent all betrayals. Looking back on all that trouble, Shuseiner’s ability to train and manage people was truly impressive.

While Yuder was remembering those days, Shuseiner continued.

“They told me—the aides I trained—that the young man appointed as the Cavalry Commander’s assistant left quite an impression. Your name, Yuder Aile, showed up in nearly every report. Some thought your age was suspicious, others worried His Grace was paying too much attention to you. But all of them shared the same concerns: that you were far too competent, and frighteningly unyielding.”

“......”

“Just from the rumors alone, you see. The hero of the Cavalry, but also a demon-like drillmaster. Outsiders say you seduced the Duke of Peleta to seize power, while insiders say no one is more loyal to His Grace than you. Helrem said there was nothing to worry about, but honestly, I didn’t know what to make of you.”

Helrem said that about me? Yuder blinked in surprise.

“But after meeting you in Peleta, I understand now. This old man should never have doubted the Duke’s eye for people.”

“......”

“I’m not an Awakener, and I’m too old to understand the difference between First and Second Awakening. But I think, even if you had none of that, I’d still think you were a good person.”

Yuder hadn’t expected to hear such words. All he’d done was enjoy a short vacation with Kishiar and have one personal conversation with Shuseiner. At a loss for words, he remained silent for a long time before bowing his head deeply.

“...Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Aren’t you at all offended or uncomfortable that this old man was essentially judging His Grace’s honored guest?”

“You did it for the Commander’s sake, didn’t you? If you hadn’t been cautious, I’d have thought that was stranger.”

Then, after a brief hesitation, Yuder added one more thing.

“To be honest... I think it would have been better if you’d been more cautious.”

Shuseiner blinked rapidly, mouth falling open—then bent at the waist in a fit of laughter, shaking as he laughed so hard his body nearly doubled over.

“Bwahahaha!”

“......”

“Nathan once reported that you seemed like ‘a strange one—maybe dangerous to him, but never to His Grace.’ I didn’t quite understand what he meant before... but now I do. Of course he’d say something like that!”

Wiping tears from his eyes, he finally managed to compose himself.

“Well then, should I be more cautious after all? I’ve got so many questions—maybe I’ll serve you some tea I brewed myself and dig for a few answers about what you think of our Duke. Let’s head back down, shall we?”

Who else but one of Kishiar’s closest aides could say “let’s have tea” and make it sound like an interrogation?

Yuder had no reason to refuse, so he nodded.

“Sounds good.”

—

“Do you know how surprised I was when I heard you’d disappeared and were having tea with Shuseiner?”

That night, Yuder walked along the coast with Kishiar. They’d descended the hill and followed a hidden trail below it that led to a small cape. Full of jagged rocks and difficult to access, it wasn’t a place ships or people passed through—but that was what made it the best spot for viewing the sea up close.

“He’s a good man.”

“He is. He cares so much about me he left everything behind to come to Peleta.”

They neared the shoreline. Unlike the soft, shimmering beaches of the south, Peleta’s coast was mostly made up of black stones. Difficult to walk on barefoot, but Yuder liked it that way.

They stepped across the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} pebbles and sat on a rock at the tip of the cape. The wind had calmed by nightfall, so it wasn’t as cold as expected.

“In weather like this, I think I’ll soak my feet a bit.”

Kishiar took off his shoes and slipped his bare feet into the water with practiced ease.

“You’ve done this often, haven’t you?”

“Whenever it wasn’t winter, yes. It’s freezing cold—but it feels good. Like everything’s being washed clean out of your chest.”

Yuder watched him, then slowly took off his shoes and rolled up his pants. As soon as his feet entered the water, a piercing chill shot through his body.

“I don’t know about being washed clean... but it’s definitely a new experience.”

Kishiar laughed. He swished his foot underwater, then suddenly gave Yuder’s foot a playful nudge. The feeling reminded Yuder of when Kishiar had secretly held his hand underwater in the southern seas—but different, somehow. Yuder nudged him back, toes lightly pressing against toes. It was a good thing no one else could see them acting like children, interlocking their toes and grazing each other’s soft ankles.

Feeling Kishiar’s warmth through their contact, Yuder spoke.

“Earlier, Shuseiner took me to what he called a secret sea-viewing spot.”

“A secret spot? What would that be?”

“The western tower.”

Kishiar’s foot, which had been idly moving, froze for a moment. Yuder lightly bumped it again and continued.

“He said it was where the sacred sword had been stored. It reminded me of something you once told me.”

“......”

“It was a good spot. You could see all of Peleta and the sea at once. I understand now why you told me about it.”

Yuder looked toward the silent man beside him and asked,

“Have you ever watched the sea from that tower too?”

The gaze that met his was impossibly deep and clear. In the shadows, Kishiar’s dark red eyes slowly closed and opened. He nodded.

“I have. Though not exactly to enjoy the view.”

“Then shall we watch it together from there tomorrow?”

Kishiar’s foot finally stirred. He lowered his head with a sigh-like chuckle, then pressed a kiss beside Yuder’s forehead. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Of course. It’ll be a perfect day.”

Yuder stood. As he felt the waves lap against his calves, he walked a little further. Hearing Kishiar’s footsteps behind him, he stopped at a certain spot.

In front of them loomed the sheer cliff where Peleta Castle was perched high above.

There seemed to be no way up but climbing the cliff face itself. Facing it, Yuder turned to Kishiar and spoke.

“There’s an entrance up there, isn’t there? One that leads to the castle’s underground secret passage.”