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Turning Chapter 697
🕑 Added 2023-12-07 06:00:26 +0000 UTCChapter 697
"Commander. I have returned."
"Ah, good timing. The investigation results on Cyregina just came in."
Kishiar, who had been perusing documents, looked up and smiled. Whatever had transpired during Yuder's absence, it seemed to have put him in a remarkably good mood.
Yuder's gaze briefly lingered on the radiant Kishiar, who seemed capable of brightening even the dullest weather, before shifting to Nathan Zuckerman standing silently beside him. A wordless exchange of looks passed between the two, each renowned within their respective groups for their composure.
'What happened?'
'...'
Nathan Zuckerman offered no response. This implied that while something had occurred to brighten Kishiar's mood, it was not immediately pressing enough to inquire about.
'Well, no matter. If it's necessary, Kishiar will discuss it later.'
Yuder calmly approached Kishiar and took the documents he offered, reading them. They contained a summarized report penned by a Cavalry member tasked with investigating Cyregina.
"As you will see, as she herself admitted, she knows a lot about the corruption that Nukijo has committed. This includes a list of all the VIPs who visited the Awakener Combat Arena since its inception, buried crimes within, external forces bribed by Nukijo, and even the location of his hidden slush funds."
"...That's quite extensive."
Despite being a summary, the document was voluminous enough to require binding. Even in small print, it spanned well over ten pages.
"Yes. With this much, she might receive a significant reduction in her sentence. The most intriguing part, though, is on page three."
Yuder flipped directly to the third page. His scanning eyes suddenly stopped on a particular section.
Although they didn't frequently visit the arena, there were merchants from the Southern countries who occasionally contacted Nukijo. Their distinctive appearance, usually concealed but revealed in Nukijo's presence, made them memorable. According to Nukijo, it was their influence that led him to establish the Awakener Combat Arena. Recently, some of them visited Nukijo, engaging in a lengthy discussion. Nukijo mentioned striking a deal with them for importing 'salt' that had quality issues...
It was clear this was the section that had piqued Kishiar's interest. The report continued with more detailed descriptions of these Southern merchants and the euphemistic 'salt.'
"In the back alleys of Charloin, the term for a powdered substance usually refers to drugs. Among them, 'salt' is synonymous with high-quality drugs, particularly revered in the South, near the sea, as a vital ingredient."
In other words, the 'salt' with quality issues meant high-grade drugs that, for some reason, had become difficult to sell at their true value.
Yuder lifted his eyes from the document, a cold yet pleased smile on his face.
"...I was about to start looking for them, and now they've come to us."
Yuder was confident these were the same Southern merchants they had missed in the West. His instincts as a former Cavalry Commander were certain. Kishiar's expression echoed the sentiment.
"It seems they've only just realized that the powder we tampered with was spoiled. It would've been quite difficult if they hadn't noticed by now. Lucky for us, isn't it?"
"Disposing of the problematic goods would be wasteful, yet proceeding with the original plan to sell them would be difficult. Such items would surely raise suspicions wherever they're sold."
"We'll just have to follow the trail of suspicion then," Kishiar replied in rhythm.
"Nukijo had planned to meet them in three days to receive the drugs. But with his death, they must be in quite a predicament."
"I see where we can assist the First Princess of Herne."
Nathan Zuckerman silently observed the perfectly in-sync Commander and his assistant as he served tea. Kishiar, sipping the fragrant brew, smiled enigmatically.
"Let's wrap up this and the Star of Nagran issue within a week and then depart. How does that sound?"
"A week seems too long."
"Really? What do you anticipate?"
"Their urgency could make it possible for us to finish even in three days, if we play our cards right."
"Hmm. Excellent. That's the most thrilling line I've heard today. Let's see how it unfolds."
As Kishiar stirred his tea and winked, a soft tapping sound emerged from somewhere. A messenger bird, with a small cylinder tied to its leg, was pecking at the windowpane.
Nathan Zuckerman, with long strides, opened the window to retrieve the cylinder. Unraveling the small note inside, the knight's expression grew serious.
"An urgent message from Dawn Palace."
"From Dawn Palace?"
Kishiar promptly opened it. He quickly grasped the contents, his eyes lowered and let out a soft hum.
"An expected event has occurred."
"What's happened?"
"It seems the sage and his group and Nahan and his brothers have finally met in the capital. Of course, the conversation wasn't exactly peaceful."
Yuder's expression instantly returned to its usual sharpness.
"...Was there an incident?"
"If this report is accurate, a building has been half-destroyed. Fortunately, the Cavalry was already monitoring the area, so they responded quickly. His Majesty believes the damage won't be significant."
The conflict between the sage and Nahan was not new; it had existed in Yuder's previous life. He had anticipated such an event the moment he heard that the sage had aligned with the Crown Prince and Duke Diarca, and Nahan had come to the capital.
The only difference was that in his previous life, their conflict had escalated in the South, not the capital.
'In my previous life, the real sage wasn't active in the capital. Nahan's presence was also unknown to the Cavalry.'
Back then, before they could fully pursue their true goals, they likely annihilated each other in internal conflicts, confined to their southern stronghold. However, this time was different, leading to this change in events.
It was a relief that the Cavalry had prepared and handled the situation well, but Yuder couldn't help worrying about potential casualties.
"Did His Majesty mention anything else about the Cavalry's situation?"
"It seems the message was sent right after receiving the report of the incident. There's no additional information. We might receive more soon."
"..."
Yuder wasn't used to just waiting for news about troublemakers. He had always been at the center of important events or had quickly thrown himself into action. Being a mere spectator was a novel, somewhat uncomfortable experience for him.
Yuder briefly wondered if he should have stayed in the capital, but he quickly shook his head, dismissing the unnecessary worry.
Neither he nor Kishiar had nurtured the Cavalry to be weak. They had deemed it strong enough to entrust their backs to, which is why they had ventured this far.
"Are you worried?" Kishiar asked, seemingly reading his thoughts. Yuder pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
"It would have been better if I were there... but I prepared for my absence, so it's fine."
"Right. Command inevitably requires patience."
"Still, it bothers me a bit, not being able to do anything."
Kishiar gently tapped Yuder's hand.
"When you observe from the farthest and highest point, only then can you truly discern the entire layout of the board. Waiting for the pieces to move and yield results might feel like doing nothing, but to do otherwise would leave a leader unable to read the board and plan the next move."
After saying this, Kishiar fell silent, giving Yuder time to ponder his words.
"So, it's not that we're doing nothing; we're actually fighting together for what comes next. Thinking of it this way should ease any unnecessary worry and impatience."
It wasn't a state of inaction; it was a time of fighting together for the next step.
Yuder found this analogy to strategy games profoundly enlightening, dissolving any lingering restlessness like melting residue.
He looked down at Kishiar's fingers on his hand and nodded.
"You're right. I understand."
"Good. Then let's make use of our time to assess the situation and prepare for the next move until the next news arrives from the capital."
At that moment, a knock on the door was followed by the announcement of a visitor seeking the Cavalry Commander. It was a timely re-visit from the First Princess of Herne.
