Turning Chapter 758 (Patreon)

Chapter 758

"Th...Thank you."

Three figures bowed their heads in a daze, offering their thanks.

Even after Kurga and Sunz, along with Emon, had left, Yuder remained silent for a while. Kishiar, who had also been quiet, turned his head and spoke first.

"It's truly fortunate that everyone returned safely."

"Yes."

"We were lucky this time, but we must ensure such incidents don't recur. I almost lost General Gino's valuable new subordinates by my own hand, so we must be extra vigilant."

Yuder understood that, despite the seemingly light tone, the underlying message was serious.

He didn't prioritize discussing the outcomes of the mission Kurga's group had found or the enemies they had missed. Even though yesterday's events turned out to be a boon for the Cavalry, he did not overtly rejoice, leaving the praises to the individuals involved while clearly taking responsibility himself.

Was it due to the dream he had the previous night? Knowing already the kind of person Kishiar was, Yuder nevertheless felt a complex surge of emotions towards him.

Suppressing these feelings, he spoke calmly.

"Commander, I don't think you need to be overly vigilant."

"Hmm?"

"Yesterday's decisions were the best under the circumstances. Kurga's injury was due to his insufficient training, not any other reason. If he becomes stronger, even more challenging situations than yesterday's won't repeat, so please don't worry."

At this, Kishiar's eyebrows softened, and he smiled.

"Is that so...?"

"Yes. Even looking at the injuries, it's evident that Kurga has been slacking off in his training since coming to the south. He knows this better than anyone, so once he recovers, I plan to introduce a new training regimen."

There was no need for lengthy explanations about how they had braved life-threatening situations without fear, believing in their Commander and the Cavalry, or how Kishiar had faithfully answered their trust. Yuder decided to share the responsibility with him in his own way.

Kishiar's expression softened, whether he understood Yuder's thoughts or not.

"Very well. Let's proceed with that plan."

"Yes."

"Speaking of which, I realized upon hearing the report earlier, all three of them have grown remarkably. Especially Sunz and Emon - they've changed so much since I first saw them that it's hard to imagine their current selves. Did you anticipate from the beginning that they would turn out like this?"

Yuder looked towards the door through which they had left and shook his head.

"...No. I hadn't thought of it at all."

"Really? I thought you reached out to them first because of a connection from a previous game."

At this, Yuder's eyebrows twitched slightly.

The first time he met Sunz and Emon was when he went to retrieve the Red Stone. Because he encountered them there, he was able to advise Kishiar about the Awakener soldiers stationed in the mountains.

It was typical of Kishiar to deduce a past life connection from such brief interactions, but he was unaware of the untold aspects.

In a previous life, Sunz and the Empire's Special Forces Awakener Brigade did exist, but their relationship with Yuder was not as it was now.

After a brief silence, Yuder spoke.

"There was no direct connection at that time. However, now we have established a good bond, and I think it would be beneficial for the Cavalry to continue a long-term cooperation with them."

“By saying so, that would mean that there had been similar units within the Imperial Army in the past, but they were not suitable for collaboration with the Cavalry.”

Kishiar effortlessly deduced ample information from just a few indirect words.

"Yes, that's correct. To be honest, the Special Forces of the Empire at that time were latecomers compared to the Cavalry, more like competitors. I underestimated their strength and growth, but ultimately, it was the 'ruling faction' at that time who chose them over the Cavalry, so I guess we lost."

At that time, Yuder thought there was no need to be overly wary of a secret unit that was much smaller than the Cavalry and did not engage in any significant activities.

However, in the end, it was not the famous powerhouses who pierced his defenses and neutralized him, but the soldiers of the small Special Forces he had been so indifferent to.

Emperor Katchian chose the special forces, a unit he could manipulate perfectly to his liking, over the excessively enlarged Cavalry and Yuder, and ruthlessly eliminated Yuder from the equation. Although Yuder's actions were undoubtedly grave, his prolonged torture was likely a result of the intent to extract additional information to further his punishment and to utterly degrade the Cavalry's stature.

All these events became feasible only when it was deemed that there existed a weapon capable of replacing Yuder and the Cavalry.

Thinking back, the taste was still bitter.

Kishiar's gaze lingered on Yuder's darkening eyes. His red eyes also sank silently, but Yuder, engrossed in his memories, failed to notice.

"So, was Sunz in charge of that unit back then as well? And what role did General Gino play?"

"As far as I know, Sunz was the leader even then. I haven't seen it directly, but their backgrounds and the reasons for their selection were likely similar. And General Gino... had left the Southern Army long before the creation of the Special Forces."

Kishiar tilted his head, questioning.

"He exited the game? It's hard to believe that a Swordmaster would perish so easily."

"After losing both of our ruling faction leaders, he retired shortly thereafter. His whereabouts since then are unknown to me. But this time, he hasn't retired yet and has even formed the special forces, so there's no need for such worries."

"I see. Impressive."

Kishiar, lost in thought, rubbed his lips and suddenly let out a bitter smile.

"Truly remarkable."

"Yes?"

"I was just thinking, I couldn't have so readily brought back those who were obstacles in the previous game into this round. Especially as collaborators who require solid mutual trust."

After saying that, Kishiar asked Yuder.

"Is everything alright?"

Many meanings were embedded in that question. However, Yuder, in his current state, could respond calmly without hesitation.

"Yes. Everything is fine."

—

Turning an enemy in the previous life into a friend and ally in this life would be considered insane by most. However, Yuder had no regrets about elevating Sunz, Emon, and their Awakener soldier colleagues to their current positions.

"Of course, I didn't initially think this would turn out so well. But now, I'm glad I did. Sunz and Emon are good people. All they and I needed was an opportunity to understand and help each other, just like now."

From the moment he realized it, the slight vengefulness and hostile feelings he had harbored from the repercussions of his past life vanished. He knew all too well that, in their previous life, they had acted not out of enmity towards Yuder but in obedience to orders from above for the sake of success.

Yudrain Aile, who had followed Emperor Katchian to prove himself and protect the Cavalry he belonged to, and had killed anyone on the emperor's command, was no different from them. The end he met was simply paying the price for his sins.

Yuder did not share this thought with Kishiar, but he added one last remark.

"So, it's not that great of a deal. It's enough that this time, I have no regrets."

Upon hearing Yuder's words, Kishiar remained silent for a while. Then, after a moment, he stood up with a smile.

"...Yes. But I still think it's remarkable that you can say such a thing."

—

The following schedule proceeded as planned, bustlingly. Yuder went outside to check on the prisoners who had been diligently detained overnight by the members, along with Kishiar, and inspected the situation at the Cavalry branch.

Everyone was greatly encouraged by the fact that the Awakener fighters from the underground arena, whom they had rescued since arriving in the South, had been much more helpful in this matter than the members.

Among them, two individuals, Reneve and Cyregina, who were unanimously acknowledged as particularly helpful, approached Kishiar with tired and embarrassed faces.