Revlin Shan Apeto. Once dismissed within House Apeto as a sickly and useless child—now a proud member of the Cavalry. Yet, unlike Fruelle who had come from one of the Four Great Houses and discarded his surname entirely, Revlin had never completely abandoned the name Apeto.

Keeping that surname meant one thing: he still retained the rights granted to a direct bloodline descendant. In other words, Revlin had the authority to visit and issue commands within House Apeto’s territories at any time.

‘Of course, he’s never exercised that right before. And he probably won’t in the future either.’

Still, what mattered was that the people of House Apeto didn’t know that. And that was the critical point.

House Apeto’s seat of power, Afeim, was far from friendly toward either Peleta or Kishiar. Normally, they wouldn’t have allowed Peleta knights or Cavalry members to set foot on their land—and if anyone were caught sneaking in, they would’ve responded with fury and blame.

But what if there was proof that a direct descendant of the house had granted permission to enter Afeim? And what if it came not from the ailing First Prince Eishes, who was on death’s door, but from Revlin—the only healthy, surviving direct heir?

‘House Apeto likely sees Revlin as their most probable future Duke. No matter how much they hate Peleta, they can’t ignore that.’

Yuder was well aware of how many means House Apeto had used to try to bring Revlin back into the fold. Revlin had always acted as if he wouldn’t mind a branch family taking over once Eishes passed away—but those within House Apeto clearly had no such intention. They were the kind who obsessed over bloodlines more than anyone.

And Kishiar targeted that very instinct. He sent a letter to Revlin—short and precise. It outlined the abnormal rift incident in the North, the suspicious merchants, and noted that they would be entering Afeim using Revlin’s name—so he should be aware.

‘We’ll handle it without involving your house, so don’t worry. All we need is a little time from Afeim. Even if House Apeto finds out later, they won’t think you had anything to do with it.’

The response came swiftly via an expensive magical device and carrier bird.

‘To the esteemed Commander of the Cavalry, my savior, Kishiar la Orr—’

The letter was brief, much like Kishiar’s, but its contents were unexpected.

‘I understand your intent. Thank you for your consideration. However, I no longer intend to avoid all matters concerning my family. I’ve wanted to say this ever since I returned from the South, but the opportunity never came until now. Enclosed is a letter of delegation with my seal, confirming that I am a direct heir of House Apeto and possess the authority granted to such. Please use it however you see fit. I will take responsibility for it.’

Behind the letter was a luxurious document bearing Revlin’s seal. It read: “To the bearer of this letter, I grant a portion of the rights afforded to my station as a direct descendant.” That portion included the right to freely enter Apeto’s northern territories—without prior notice.

Kishiar laughed aloud upon reading it.

“Feels like it was just yesterday we first met. I don’t know when he grew up so much.”

And it was true. As Yuder looked at the postscript—“If it would be more helpful for me to come in person, just say so and I will”—he thought back to the very first time he met Revlin.

A boy who had no one in his family to turn to, clutching at the Cavalry in desperation, trying to speak through his powers like a porcelain doll. Fragile in appearance, yet brimming with quiet courage. How much stronger had he become since then?

Now the one who once needed help was prepared to bear responsibility in order to help others. The thought left Yuder quietly moved.

‘Saying that “ever since he returned from the South” makes me think... maybe meeting Mayra was what changed his outlook.’

Kishiar’s brave knights departed with the sealed letter bearing Revlin’s name. Nathan Zuckerman went with them—so even if the merchants tried to hide their identities, they wouldn’t escape detection.

While waiting for their return, Yuder had the chance to speak privately with the members of the Northern branch.

“Yuder! I couldn’t believe it when I heard you’d stayed with the Commander even during your vacation! We were all shocked!”

“Glad to see you looking well. I heard you recovered, but seeing you in person is better.”

“I didn’t greet you properly when we first met. But... that was the right choice, wasn’t it?”

They all started talking at once—Yuder couldn’t catch everything they were saying, but it was clear they were genuinely happy to see him. He nodded a few times to acknowledge them, then asked:

“How’s life in the Northern branch?”

“Other than the cold, it couldn’t be better! Since we’re stationed near Peleta, we’ve never been treated poorly—everyone here welcomed us.”

“Same here. As long as we do our jobs, it’s smooth sailing. I miss the others sometimes, but otherwise? It’s all good.”

“But Yuder... this whole situation blew up while you were supposed to be on vacation. Are you okay?”

One of the members, who’d been excitedly praising the Northern branch, suddenly asked with a worried expression.

“You weren’t here as the Commander’s aide this time, right? I heard you were invited as an honored # Nоvеlight # guest... and that’s not something that happens often. Maybe you should ask the Commander for a bit more time off? Surely both he and the Emperor would grant it...”

Judging by their hesitation, it seemed they didn’t fully understand what that “honored guest” status actually meant—or what Yuder had been doing here. It reminded Yuder just how fiercely the Peleta retainers protected Kishiar’s words and private matters.

‘I don’t intend to keep it secret anymore, but... they really are amazing. Even the Cavalry, our allies, haven’t heard a word.’

Come to think of it, that’s probably why in his past life, he’d been able to disappear so quietly as well.

To serve one’s lord absolutely, to guard his secrets, and to live one’s whole life that way—

There were truly countless people in Peleta who did so with ease. Feeling that reality hit him deeply, Yuder answered quietly.

“I don’t plan on it. I’m just doing what I need to. No regrets. I’ve already rested enough.”

“......”

Handling something that might grow into a major disaster was far more important than leisure. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t had any rest—he’d already enjoyed some truly meaningful time.

Yuder genuinely meant what he said, but the Northern branch members all softened their brows and looked at him with pained expressions.

“Yuder, you really...”

“Sigh... that guy...”

‘What are they imagining now...?’

He was puzzled, but the topic shifted before he could ask further.

“Oh right, Yuder—didn’t you observe all the new recruit evaluations from other branches? Ours was the only one you didn’t see, right? Don’t you have any questions?”

“You’ll be back in the capital once your leave ends, right? Want us to tell you in advance?”

That reminded Yuder of someone he had almost forgotten.

‘Right... Fay already joined in this playthrough.’

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

“You’re right. I don’t know much about the Northern recruits. I only read a brief summary from Pieni’s letter. So could I get an overall evaluation first—starting from the exam, if possible?”

“Sure!”

The Northern branch members eagerly began to chatter again.

“We couldn’t run the evaluation alone, so we brought in the people with the best eye for talent in Peleta! That was Chef Shuseiner and Captain Weliven.”

“...Really?”

So the Peleta retainers had helped select the Northern recruits. That was unexpected. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“At first we weren’t sure if it’d work, but they really knew how to spot people. Especially Shuseiner! She was amazing. Out of the ones she pointed out just by looking into their eyes, several turned out to be hiding suspicious things.”

Apparently, Shuseiner and Weliven hadn’t judged based on ability, but rather on attitude and character. That suddenly explained to Yuder why there were so many names among the Northern recruits that he didn’t recognize.

‘I didn’t pay much attention to names other than Fay’s, but... compared to other branches, there were a lot of unfamiliar ones. And the ones I did know weren’t the kind to cause trouble. So it wasn’t luck—the quality was thanks to Shuseiner and Weliven.’

Yuder’s trust in Shuseiner and Weliven quietly rose another notch.

As the conversation continued, the topic finally shifted to the new recruits themselves—and at last, Fay’s name came up.