“Airic? You mean the place near the Ric Mountains?”
Gakane couldn’t tell what Yuder was thinking and seemed surprised hearing Yuder’s hometown name.
“You know of it?”
“How could I not know? The Red Stone fell in the Ric Mountains!”
‘That’s right.’ Yuder smirked. The place where the Red Stone fell was quite aways from where Yuder lived, so he couldn’t see the scene in person. However, the whole sky had turned red and he could hear a loud roar enough to shake the heavens and earth.
At that time, he was surprised and thought that the world had suddenly collapsed. It resulted in severe damage to a small village where Yuder often sold trees.
“Then did you happen to… see the Red Stone?”
Since Gakane only heard rumors, he asked with curiosity. Yuder fumbled about what had happened in the past and nodded casually.
“Really? You saw it?”
Gakane jumped and shouted. His face turned red with excitement.
Only then did Yuder realize that he should have answered that he hadn’t seen it eleven years ago, but he had already nodded his head.
“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor’s knights made guarding camps so that no one could enter. How did you see the stone? Did it fall near where you live? Did you see the stone? What size?”
“Wait, I…”
Yuder hesitated for a moment about what to say. Did he see the Red Stone? Of course he did. But it was in the future at this point after he joined the Cavalry.
The stone had been collected by the first commander of the Cavalry. And after that, the archmages of the Pearl Tower had cut and refined the impurities over a year.
Since then, the stone has been called the ‘World Sphere’. The name was given to mean that it had the power to support the world.
The fact that the stone gave Yuder a decisive reason for his death actually calmed him down.
“I didn’t see it in detail. As you said… the knights are guarding it.”
“But didn’t you say you saw it?”
Gakane was persistent. He was so adamant to listen to it somehow.
“If I have to keep it a secret, I will never tell it to anyone else. I swear on my sword, on the Temple, and on my mother. I will do anything you ask me to.”
Was Gakane Bolunwald always this kind of guy? Yuder felt his faint impression of him was collapsing considerably.
No matter how distant he looked, he was a young man who couldn’t hold back his curiosity. Yuder sighed quietly and opened his mouth.
“It’s not so great that you should make such an oath.”
“If it’s not something great, you can just tell me.”
‘If you don’t listen to me now, you’ll find out about it after you get accepted to the Cavalry. You’re so persistent.’
After thinking so, Yuder recalled that Gakane was already dead by the time the Red Stone was acquired and returned to the world.
Then suddenly, the young man in front of him seemed a bit pitiful, making him feel a bit of sympathy. Yuder hesitated and began to speak.
“It’s a normal stone. It looks just like any other stone, and it’s about the size of a fist.”
He wouldn’t mind telling him this much. Gakane opened his eyes wide at Yuder’s words.
“Is it that small? Then how do you know it’s the Red Stone? I thought its color would be red because the name is ‘Red Stone’.”
Yuder raised the corners of his mouth faintly so that it wouldn’t be noticed. Everyone had the same imagination. Yuder also thought so eleven years ago.
The reason why the name was ‘Red Stone’ was because the whole sky was colored red when it fell. When someone faced the stone, they would only need a glance to feel that there was unusual energy coming from it. That was why anyone could immediately tell its identity.
For average people, the stone was so overwhelming with energy that they couldn’t even approach it.
“I don’t know that.”
“So you don’t know. Well, I’m curious. We will know when we join the Cavalry, right?”
“…”
Yuder ate the stew without saying anything. Gakane also closed his mouth as if he didn’t want an answer to that question.
“Oh, right. Did you finish registration? You have to register for the test to join the Cavalry. Do you know how?”
By the end of the meal, Gakane suddenly looked up. Yuder nodded.
“I know.”
He hadn’t known before. There was no one who was willing to tell the poor country bumpkin with a grim impression like himself in detail. Therefore, it was not until the day before the registration was completed that the application for the test was received separately.
He had vivid memories of the silly days when he had lost his way in the wide Capital while trying to find a place to receive the applications.
“You have to get to the Blue Crown. When I went there, it was actually quite far to walk from here. It would be much easier if you’re guided by me than getting lost. So how about it?
Perhaps because Yuder told him about the Red Stone, Gakane’s expression was full of goodwill. How long had it been since he received such a pure favor without any conditions? It was very awkward, but as he tried not to show it, Yuder looked at him quietly.
“…Okay.”
“Good.”
Gakane smiled widely. The handsome man also smiled. Yuder thought the world was unfair after a long time.
***
The Blue Crown was not far from the palace. It was a workplace for officials mainly in charge of administration.
Actually, there were quite a number of theories as to why it changed to a rather strange nickname, “Blue Crown”, even though it had a long formal name, Paklamannuteia. The theory was because part of the roof was blue, and some blue rose patterns were painted on the road leading to the largest entrance.
However, the most received theory was because the paint ink that the administrators used to sign documents was a special blue color.
Standing in front of the huge building built in an antique style, Yuder felt a mixture of emotions. His life had changed for the first time in that door.
“Fortunately, the line isn’t that long today. Let’s get right in.”
Gakane was looking at the people queuing in front of the entrance, nodded his head and took the lead.
Those who had come to the test had to stand in line to apply. It was because there were only a few receptionists compared to the many who wanted to apply.
In the past, Yuder was lucky to jump in and register just before the registration time ended, but not this time. As they approached the end of the queue, the woman right in front of them turned her head.
“Hello. Are you guys applicants?”
She looked angry and her speech was stiff as if she was arguing. Yuder had no memory of this woman. She was probably one of those who came here because she had the ability that couldn’t be used in real life, or because she thought she had awakened her ability.
This was the first recruitment of Cavalry, so there were countless of such people. It was a question that would’ve been ignored, but Gakane kindly answered.
“Yes, I’ve already registered, though.”
“Really? You’re here to help the man next to you?”
“Something like that.”
The woman glanced back at Yuder who was standing next to Gakane.
“Then you know what to answer when you apply. By any chance, can you tell me? I was so nervous about it that I couldn’t eat anything since this morning.”
Only then did Gakane’s eyes soften even more because he realized that her stiff expression was actually from being nervous.
“It’s nothing much. Name, age, origin, whether you have a second gender, then you can explain your second gender, and the most important is your ability.”
Second gender was literally one’s second gender, aside from the visible gender of women and men.
It was also a new feature that began to emerge after the Red Stone fell. Initially, it was seen as God’s curse because it was expressed arbitrarily regardless of the first gender. However, people’s response then changed after it was revealed that most of the changes were only made to those who awakened their abilities.
The Orr Emperor and Pope officially announced the decision to set it as “A second gender gifted by God”. And the general public who had been terrified knowing their bodies would change was greatly relieved.
Whatever the first gender was, the second gender named “Alpha” could impregnate another second gender named “Omega”. They were able to pair up with others to make their offspring, but most of those with a second gender felt sexual attraction to each other only.
At first glance, it didn’t seem like much other than this concise matter. But as time went by, more and more things were revealed, and new discrimination grew between them.
Those identified as “Alpha” were usually admired by everyone because they had exceptionally good physiques and strong Awakening abilities, but those identified as “Omega” were weaker than ordinary Awakeners who didn’t have a second gender.
Both Alpha and Omega’s rut and heat passed relatively quietly. However, compared to Alpha’s rut, Omega’s heat released a strong scent that even non-awakeners could smell. They were criticized as an animal who couldn’t resist sexual desire and were secretly despised.
Because of their scents, many Omega had been used as sex toys for nobles. They had been kidnapped and treated like precious and unusual things because of their inability to work properly as capable people.
By the time Yuder died, most of those identified as Omega couldn’t enter the Cavalry. It was because of the discriminatory perception that they would be useless thieves even after passing the entrance test.