Turning Chapter 829 (Patreon)

Chapter 829

In the brief moment he watched Yuder Aile in battle, the man once known by various names—Sage, Wise One, Ajihen Toom—reminisced about his old name for the first time in ages. Once, he had been known by the plain and unsophisticated name of Karl Enfile. His occupation was equally unremarkable: a low-ranking official.

Such positions often attracted destitute nobles. The job involved nothing impressive and frequently required dealing with commoners, making it both tedious and demeaning.

However, for those without an inherited estate or sold titles, without the means or physical ability to become a knight, and with only the remnants of past glory, being a low-ranking official was their only line to success.

If one played their cards right, they could rise to a high-ranking official, perhaps even to the fourth rank, living enviably in a grand house in the capital.

Karl Enfile too had dreamed of this as he became a low-ranking official.

He possessed enviable self-interest and the eloquence to mask it well. He was an unmatched talent in softly deceiving those in misfortune, understanding their hearts.

Yet, even with his abilities, true success eluded him. He realized this when he first met the current High Minister Hebreyina Reiflang, understanding that with his level of skill, he could never win against a 'real' contender.

Hebreyina entered the administration later than Karl, but she was from a notable noble family and popular in social circles for her decent looks.

It wasn't rare for noblewomen, unwilling to marry, to become officials. However, Hebreyina had even married.

Yet, upon her arrival, she effortlessly snatched the promotion Karl had long coveted—a bolt from the blue for him.

Karl fiercely contested her promotion, even proposing a public debate to prove who was more deserving, but the outcome was disastrous.

Until then, Karl had dismissed Hebreyina Reiflang as just a well-connected woman, incapable in her work. Rumor had it, she wanted to reform the corrupt practices of the administration, which seemed far-fetched.

A pampered noblewoman besting him seemed impossible.

But he was wrong.

On the day of the debate, she was like an overwhelming monster beyond human capability, with her commanding eloquence and encyclopedic knowledge, even on matters outside her responsibility.

Karl Enfile, who had prided himself on his manipulation of people, was thoroughly outmatched, unable to muster any significant rebuttal. Even those who disliked Hebreyina couldn't object to her promotion after witnessing the debate.

Karl's downfall was met with ridicule and pity. Hebreyina, after her promotion, thoroughly audited the work Karl had done, demoting him to a position like Blue Crown’s archivist.

The fallout severed his ties with a family he was discussing marriage with, and as Hebreyina ascended unprecedentedly to High Minister, everyone began to shun Karl Enfile.

And now.

Long having discarded the name Karl Enfile after gaining new powers, the sight of Yuder Aile, who literally obliterated everything, momentarily brought back memories of that public debate to the sage's mind.

The sage had speculated that the greatest reason the Cavalry appeared to have an upper hand against them was likely due to Nahan's betrayal. Of course, this didn't mean their skills were utterly hopeless, but in a game of collusion, real skill seemed irrelevant.

Thus, he had undervalued Yuder Aile's abilities, assuming them to be nothing extraordinary.

He had heard rumors about Yuder being an Awakener who could wield multiple attributes. However, the sage, having encountered numerous Awakeners, knew well that mastery of multiple attributes didn't necessarily imply greatness.

He also believed that Yuder's rise to fame as the hero of the West, particularly in the monster subjugation event, would have been impossible without the aid of the Star of Nagran's prominent Awakeners in the West. Yet, no one seemed to acknowledge the existence of the Star of Nagran.

Wealth and fame had accrued solely to Yuder Aile and the Cavalry.

A cunning whelp.

A young Awakener in his twenties who had snatched away the opportunity for success the sage had been preparing for so long.

He had become a commoner who received a noble title from the Emperor after decades, and was awarded many honors. Though the barony he received was a single-generation title, that didn't matter.

Once a noble, even minor achievements could pave the way to higher ranks, a fact well understood by anyone with some sense.

'That's what I had thought...'

But upon finally facing him, Yuder's gaze completely defied the sage's expectations.

He was merciless, yet not swayed by emotions, possessing a fearsome and overwhelming aura.

This wasn't the look of a youth inflated by early success.

There was no trace of the typical excessiveness of young, powerful but inexperienced individuals.

The Awakeners sent by the sage crumbled helplessly under a few gestures from Yuder Aile.

If there ever was a human embodiment of a grim reaper, it would probably look like him.

His relentless demeanor, the way he eyed the sage during the fight as if marking his next prey, his overwhelming ability leaving no room for response, all reminded him of the debate with Hebreyina Reiflang.

Even the sage, so adept at feigning goodness and righteousness, couldn't maintain his composure recalling the event that had turned his life upside down.

His carefully established bases had crumbled, whereabouts of many of the sufficiently brainwashed Awakeners unknown.

Even after achieving the incredible feat of infiltrating the Sun Palace, the attitude of Duke Diarca hadn't changed significantly. Kiolle da Diarca, the Duke's son, showed a strange contempt and aversion towards the Sage, seemingly ignorant of everything yet.

The sage had considered brainwashing Kiolle out of frustration, kept hidden, but seizing the opportunity was difficult as Kiolle openly despised the sage's side.

The sage concluded it was better to quickly brainwash Duke Diarca and silently kill Kiolle, rather than expend effort on the arrogant young noble.

Capturing the young Crown Prince had been a stroke of luck, but even in his brainwashed state, his mental stability was as precarious as a hastily stacked tower of stones.

The Crown Prince's capricious nature, his self-love, and self-prioritization made him too risky for a long-term alliance. The fact that Duke Diarca held the real power further diminished the Crown Prince's value as an asset.

If things had gone as originally planned, the sage should have built his influence through the Crown Prince and successfully completed the tasks assigned by Duke Diarca, summoning the power of Star of Nagran to the capital. Utilizing their strength, he would have already broken more than half of the Cavalry's momentum and suppressed the Emperor's forces. Even the cunning old fox, Duke Diarca, would have eventually felt trust in him.

'I could have brainwashed him quickly then...'

Where did it all go wrong? He had carefully considered and neutralized each potential obstacle, proceeding cautiously.

Watching Yuder's rampage for that brief moment, the sage bit his lip, feeling a mix of unfairness and regret.

His brainwashing ability was immensely useful, but it had many limitations. He could force his way through these restrictions, but such forced exertion of power was short-lived and harmful to both his mind and body.

The sage had already used his power several times forcibly on those around him to counter Nahan. Though he didn't show it, his body was now half-paralyzed, and the rapid use of his mental abilities made it difficult to maintain coherent thoughts as usual.

Simple, fleeting thoughts, intense emotions, desires, and instincts began to slowly consume him.

He trembled in pain, overwhelmed by the desire to give up and flee.

But as his mind simplified and momentarily forgot his rage towards Nahan, a new possibility he hadn't considered before dawned on him.

'It won't be easy to flee from such a foe, even if I risk everything. But Yuder Aile choosing to confront me alone might actually be an opportunity.'

As Yuder Aile exerted his power to take down the last Awakener the Sage had sent, he noticed Duke Peletta seemingly conversing with Nahan's side in the quickly shifting view. Other members of the Cavalry were busy attending to their fallen comrades, moving them to safety.

'Even in this state, I still have some power left. A power that, in this situation, could be more useful than anything else...'