al_squad
patreon
Turning Chapter 827
🕑 Added 2024-01-20 05:15:02 +0000 UTCChapter 827
"I asked the question first. Shouldn't you have left immediately upon finding the Crown Prince? Why are you still here? Are you injured? Or perhaps too scared?"
Yuder Aile asked with an emotionless face. Despite the lack of any visible emotional trace, Kiolle inexplicably sensed that Yuder was regarding him as a complete fool at that moment.
"How can I just go out when it's so dangerous outside? I was simply waiting for the right moment!"
"So, you're not injured then. It must be the latter, but why append such pointless excuses?"
"Ah... No...!"
Kiolle, his pride deeply wounded, trembled violently before abruptly turning his head away.
'That insolent brat, doesn't he know the saying that a true knight, one who holds back from drawing his sword too quickly, is both wise and strong!?β
"If I hadn't felt your presence and found you while passing by, you could have actually died. It's dangerous here, and not a place for the non-Awakeners. You better leave quickly."
"..."
"Gakane!"
When Yuder turned and called out, a man with red hair suddenly poked his head out. Only then did Kiolle realize that there were two more people nearby β one, an Awakener with red hair, and the other, naturally, was Duke Peletta.
The moment Kiolle's eyes widened upon seeing the bright aura emanating from the sword in Kishiar's hand, Yuder didn't give him a chance to examine it further and forcefully pulled him up.
"Show him the way out. He seems too scared to leave on his own."
"Ah... Okay. Fine."
"Who's scared? Stop saying that! I am a proud member of the Imperial Knights, moving only for His Highness the Crown Prince!"
Bang!
Suddenly, a fragment of power flew in exquisitely from outside, rebounding off the wind force emitted from Yuder's hand and embedding itself in the wall above Kiolle's head.
"Ahh!"
While Kiolle screamed and quickly crouched down, covering his head, the other three, including Yuder, remained motionless.
Looking down at Kiolle with an expressionless face, Yuder let out a faint sigh and spoke.
"Gakane."
"Yes."
"Forget what I just said. We might need an extra hand until reinforcements arrive. Let's go."
"Sure, but what about them?"
Gakane looked back at Kiolle and the Crown Prince with a concerned expression.
"Just keep them protected somehow."
"You're going to do it yourself, Yuder? Well, that might be safer in some ways. Though, they might think differently."
"It's none of my concern."
Kiolle couldn't understand what they meant. However, moments later, as one of Yuder's eyes flashed a golden hue, Kiolle was shocked into near paralysis at the sight of a dome of water and wind forming around him.
"What is this? Let me out!"
"Stop your nonsense. Step out of there, and you're dead. Wait for the Cavalry or Imperial Army reinforcements."
"What... What?!"
"You should have left as soon as you found the Crown Prince."
And with that, Yuder truly, really, without a single backward glance, left. Left behind, Kiolle stood with his mouth agape, unable to believe the reality he was facing.
'Is this... What is this.. Did he really go? No, right? He'll come back, won't he?'
However, no matter how long he waited, Kiolle heard no sound of Yuder returning. Was that all? Even trapped within the wall of water and wind, the outside scenery was clearly visible and the sounds distinctly audible, making the situation feel even more surreal and frightening. If he leaned slightly, he could even catch glimpses of people fighting outside the barrier.
The barrier looked weak enough to break through with a touch, but in reality, it was not. Kiolle realized Yuder was serious when he saw a blind attack from somewhere dissipate with a pop upon touching the flowing water wall in front of him.
'He just locks people up because he's too busy to help? This mad demon! Monster! Damned fiend!'
Kiolle cursed Yuder and then began to berate the other two who had indifferently watched Yuder's absurd behavior as if it were normal.
The redhead at least pretended to be concerned. But what about Duke Peletta? He just stood there smiling, as if everything Yuder did was perfectly fine, even as his nephew, the Crown Prince, lay sprawled on the ground!
It was doubtful he even recognized the person lying there was Katchian. Both he and Yuder Aile must be mad.
'Of course, His Highness Prince Katchian is from the Diarca family, so there's no need for them to worry. But still, still!'
"Aaah! Let me out! I'll leave on my own, just let me out!"
Kiolle's screams echoed through the walls of water and wind, sounding faint and tragically distant.
β
Not far away, Yuder observed the figures engaged in battle.
Nahan, Awakeners who appeared to be Nahan's companions, the sage, and those fighting in place of the sage.
And amidst them, cunningly intermingled, were Kurga, Sunz, and Emon, trying their best to minimize the situation.
The first to catch his eye was indeed Nahan, looking utterly beaten. The man, appearing to be in his middle years, was lightly holding someone's nape, leaning back and observing the situation.
'He's completely ruined since I last saw him.'
His clothes were worn out, his hair a mess for a long time.
One arm, wrapped in something barely qualifying as bandages, hung limply from the shoulder like a heavy load. Though better than the arm, the legs and back bore traces of untreated wounds, and his face, marred by burns, only added to the horror.
Yet, he stood upright, gazing at the sage. His grey eyes, so calm that they sent chills to the onlooker,
One eye, damaged by burns, had turned white and lost focus, but the other eye, still intact, didn't seem the same. Perhaps it felt more intense and relentless because it was the only one left.
Yuder thought it probably wasn't just that.
'That arm must be from the time he clashed with Kishiar in the West. Instead of healing, it's gotten worse, probably due to overuse of his abilities.'
Anyone with severe injuries naturally needs rest for recovery. But Nahan, hiding himself and egging his companions on for 'revenge', and clashing with the Cavalry in the process, continued to overuse his powers. And likely, he must have used them tremendously on his way to find the sage here.
Considering his disdain for the non-Awakeners, it was unlikely he would choose to visit a temple or a physician for proper treatment, making this situation an inevitable outcome.
Repeatedly using one's abilities in an unrecovered state is a shortcut to draining one's vitality. The aftereffects of such vitality depletion manifest differently in each individual. A common symptom, as in Nahan's case, was wounds not healing but rather festering.
To Yuder's eyes, Nahan seemed to be in a state where an outburst at any moment wouldn't be surprising.
'Gakane mentioned that Nahan hadn't directly used his abilities against the sage. Observing him calmly watching up until now, it seems likely...'
There was naturally a desire for revenge, driving the sage to the brink, but it appeared more likely that Nahan was aware of his own deteriorating condition.
Despite the immense pain, Nahan didn't let out a single groan but stood focusing intensely. This even made Yuder, typically indifferent to others' emotions, feel a tinge of revulsion.
'But that's a separate matter.'
Yuder noticed a suspicious middle-aged man trembling beside Nahan, serving as a human support. Earlier, Gakane had mentioned an odd person, seemingly familiar, accompanying Nahan. Indeed, it was true.
However, unlike Gakane, Yuder immediately recognized the man's identity upon seeing him.
'...The fake sage, Diemon.'
His appearance had drastically aged and shrunk since Yuder last saw him, yet paradoxically, he looked a bit younger than the face Yuder remembered. The man, of an indeterminate age, was shaking and trembling, wrapped in bandages similar to Nahan's.
'I heard he fled with the sage... Why is he in such a state beside Nahan?'
The details were unclear, but it seemed certain that he was currently being held by Nahan. How Nahan managed to find the sage and come here was now becoming clear.
'Anyway...'
It was Yuder's job to capture these madmen before they self-destructed as they had in their past lives.
"Commander."
"Hm."
Yuder glanced back at Kishiar, nodded, and then stepped forward without hesitation. Simultaneously, Kishiar moved to cover Yuder's back, advancing in the opposite direction.
"Oh...!"
Those who hadn't anticipated the presence of stealthily observing figures were startled, but the unleashed attacks knew no pause.
Yuder effortlessly slipped into the midst of a maelstrom of dangerously intertwining abilities, to the disbelief of onlookers.
In one hand, a black sword. In the other, a swirling force of elemental power.
The sound of an explosion, more intense than ever, resounded through the air.
Comments
Aleksandra Sikora
I'd like to see that photo at the end of the post that people are talking about in the comments. I can't see that ππ
SchaheraZade
I know this image is from a different chapter but first thing comes to mind is Yuder miraculously disliking anything sweet and the Imperial couple looked at each other to wonder why... So they decided to try and feed them sweets and Yuder firmly doesn't want anything sweet for some... odd reason... β¨π And Kishiar just sitting like a proud Alpha realizing he did a good job impregnating his mate. π ok, I will stop day dreaming. π³
