“Did everyone have enough time to celebrate and rest yesterday?”
“Yes.”
The next day, Kishiar gathered all the hungover members. Yuder was fine, but Kanna and Gakane, both standing on each side, were faceless.
“Yuder, I think you’ve had quite a lot of drink, but why are you still fine?”
“Is that an ability, too?”
“… Something like that.”
His ability to freely handle all nature’s attributes made him not influenced by water and grain alcohol.
The only thing that could harm his body was something not naturally created in this world.
‘I could get drunk from monster’s blood, though.’
That kind of ‘alcohol’ was commonly used with the intention to poison someone. But for Yuder, he’d get drunk after consuming it instead of getting killed.
‘I remember being surprised after learning that someone sent it to kill me but I ended up getting drunk instead.’
“I’m so jealous. It would’ve been better if I had that ability, too.”
At the same time as Kanna whined, Kishiar raised his voice from afar and began to speak.
“I’m sorry for those not feeling well after yesterday’s activity, but the first mission has come down to the Cavalry. Five of these people will be packing up and leaving with me today.”
“A mission already? What on earth?”
“Five people?”
Kishiar’s words immediately spread buzzing around. All the members forgot their hangovers and got all worked up. How could they not?
Finally, it was the first time since the creation of the Cavalry to appear under its official name. Anyone on any mission wanted their names to be called within those five.
And today Yuder was one of them.
‘Is it today that he announced the Red Stone Retrieval Operation? This fast?’
In the past, he thought they retrieved the Red Stone after receiving surnames, but Yuder couldn’t remember how fast it was. Because Yuder wasn’t interested in such things at that time.
‘Back then, there were 2 people from Sul, 2 from Shin, and 1 from Jung division.’
He looked back hard at the blurry memories of the past. At that time, Kishiar chose those with somewhat unusual abilities rather than those considered to have strong abilities.
All of the selected people signed a pledge not to talk about what happened during the mission until they died, and despite a minor accident on the way, they succeeded in retrieving the Red Stone safely and returning.
‘After that, the world knew that Kishiar la Orr was chosen by the divine sword because of the accident that happened.’
Yuder back then was disappointed that he wasn’t selected, and afterward, he stopped paying attention and focused more on training. When Kishiar was found to be the master of the divine sword, Yuder just treated it as another person’s business.
After that, he was busy after being elected as the deputy commander of Sul division, and then suddenly took over the commander position, forcing Kishiar to retire and return to Peletta Duchy.
As time went by, the stone was safely asleep in the sanctuary. But Yuder couldn’t care less about the World Sphere.
However, when many things happened afterward and disasters came, and the moment he felt that only he knew the great disaster was weighing on the world, Yuder felt the need to investigate the events related to the world once again.
The reason was simple. Because he needed power to protect the world, and he judged that there was no object in the world that had as much power as the World Sphere made by refining the Red Stones.
The problem was the original power of the World Sphere was largely damaged and crushed by rough refining work in the Pearl Tower, almost sealed.
The mages of the Pearl Tower said that they’d only carved impurities from the Red Stone, but it turned out to be the opposite.
Even if Yuder wanted to tell them to take it back, the Pearl Tower had long collapsed. Yuder thought he should investigate the situation when the World Sphere was still just the Red Stone and restore its original power.
So, since the Red Stone was discovered, I’ve belatedly investigated the situation after the retrieval…
It was hard to know what happened at the time because so many years had passed already.
What was certain, however, was that all the Cavalry members selected by Kishiar who went on the mission together ended up retiring, disappearing, or dying in the middle of a mission.
Yuder needed strength, but he couldn’t find a way to get it or anyone who had it. To make matters worse, Yuder, who began to investigate past events for the source of the power, was exposed to many doubts and limitations.
Perhaps from then on. The world that Yuder built began to crumble down.
‘I don’t know based on what criteria Kishiar chose at the time, but if it’s the same, it’s highly likely that it won’t be me.’
What should he do if he didn’t get picked again this time? Should he visit Kishiar in person and warn him of something? While he was thinking about it, Kishiar slowly began to call out the names of those who would leave with him.
“Finn Eldore, Hinn Eldore, of Sul division.”
“Wow!”
While everyone was enthusiastic, only Yuder was shocked.
‘No, those are not the names called in the past. I’m sure it used to be…’
Was it Isis and Edin? He remembered that perhaps those people were chosen. It was never as conspicuous as Finn and Hinn.
Yuder turned to Finn and Hinn the twins who shared surprise not far away. The blue-haired siblings, who have an interstellar face like a fairy, chose Sul division, not Shin, even though they had the ability to strengthen their bodies.
Actually, the reason why they chose Sul was simple. It was to develop another ability to move, which could only be used when the two were together.
Even though it was revealed, many people thought their talents should have blossomed more in Shin division.
Yuder also felt the same way for he had put them primarily on tasks that require physical ability.
‘Mobility is useful, but it’s not necessary. It hasn’t been long since that man knew their abilities and the prerequisites are tricky. He knew that, but why did he choose them? He didn’t back then, so why?’
“Next. Kanna Wand of Jung division.”
“Me? Really?”
Kanna looked around with a puzzled face. She was also, of course, an unidentified person before.
‘There’s already a third person not selected in the past. If so…’
The next people to be called might not be the same as before. Yuder looked only at Kishiar on the podium, ignoring members who secretly made a scene around Kanna.
Kishiar’s lips opened slowly.
“Next. Gakane Bolunwald, and Yuder Aile of Shin division. The five of you will pack simply and come to my quarter as soon as you’re done.”
Yuder Aile. The voice stuck deep in Yuder’s ear.
“No way… We both got picked, Yuder. Is this for real?”
Even the sound of Gakane talking next to him sounded far away. Yuder looked at him briefly and thought blankly about the disappeared face of Kishiar, realizing that the future he knew was changing.
‘All five selected names are different from the past, so I didn’t expect to be selected.’
It was fortunate that he didn’t have to visit Kishiar personally and apply to join.
After Kishiar disappeared, the vacant field where the members gathered was mixed with those who couldn’t hide their excitement and those who disappeared with disappointment.
In an instant, Yuder was trapped between those rushing to talk to him, as well as Gakane and Kanna.
“What the hell is the standard? Congratulations. Make sure you succeed in your mission and return safely!”
“You have to come back and tell me what you did!”
They’d probably have to sign a confidentiality pledge so they wouldn’t be able to tell the others what happened. But Kanna and Gakane, who didn’t know it, were puzzled and said yes.
‘… What the hell are you thinking, Kishiar la Orr.’
Yuder was lost in thought as he watched the scene. It wasn’t difficult to guess that Kishiar’s mind had changed from the past.
***
It didn’t take long to pack because he had little luggage in the first place. And the only clothes he could wear were the Cavalry uniforms.
As Yuder went up to the floor where Kishiar’s accommodation was, he saw the rest of the group arriving in advance. The luggage everyone had was very simple.
As soon as Kanna greeted him with a nervous face and Gakane smiled brightly as if he had met the light in the dark, the two short people jumped out of the side and talked to him first.
“Hi, you’re Yuder?”
“The one that others said facing the Imperial Knights alone?”
Hinn Eldore, Finn Eldore. For the first time since Yuder regressed, he personally saw the two siblings again. Their tone of speaking was still straightforward enough to feel a bit rude.
They were a handful of comrades who used to talk casually to Yuder, who had never approached anyone before. A faint smile came out at the attitude of meeting them again, which was nothing short of memory.
“Yeah.”
When Yuder nodded down at them, the sister, Hinn, came forward and introduced herself.
“I’m Finn. This is my brother Finn.”
“If you think we look too alike that you can’t tell who is who, just call us Eldore.”