Turning-Chapter 930

"......"

The man blinked a few times — then suddenly let out a hollow laugh.

"...Save me?"

"Yes."

"I feel like that could mean a lot of different things."

"......"

"Anyway, I understand. I’m extremely curious now, so once we finish today’s business properly, I’ll have to hear all about it."

"Your Grace."

Nathan Zuckerman called out to Kishiar again from beyond the door.

It was an unspoken signal that they truly could not delay any longer.

It seemed today really was the day when something would begin.

The faint sensation of the white glove brushing against him as the crack widened in the dream floated up in Yuder’s mind.

'Until now, we only ever went after a major anomaly had already broken out... but this time, we’re getting there just before it happens.'

If asked which was better, it was of course better this way.

Thanks to the early warning, they had at least been able to prepare their minds for what was coming.

"Alright. Let’s go see whether all our preparations were enough."

Kishiar’s gaze sharpened.

He wore a relaxed smile as he opened the door.

Yuder lifted his head and followed half a step behind him.

Waiting outside the door stood Nathan Zuckerman — clad in full dress uniform and armor he normally didn’t wear.

"Since we expect many people to gather today, I judged it would be better to use a larger space downstairs rather than the cramped office. I’ll guide you right away."

Nathan’s expression showed no change as he spoke.

But just before leaving the office, Yuder caught sight of the sofa in one corner.

It wasn’t broken, but one cushion was half-collapsed — hardly a fitting backdrop for an important meeting.

It was indeed better to move elsewhere.

'...Next time, maybe it’s best not to use the office so casually.'

It was the first time Yuder had such a thought before facing a serious situation.

Kishiar, who seemed to notice where Yuder’s gaze had gone, smiled faintly, the corners of his eyes curving just slightly.

It wasn’t a mistake to feel — for just a fleeting instant — that he had returned to being the man who could only think of embracing Yuder.

Maybe that's why, before a serious moment, people sometimes cracked jokes or forced smiles — because even a meaningless exchange of glances like this could bring warmth.

The office door closed quietly, sealing that small secret between the two of them.

***

"Good morning, Commander."

Inside the room designated as the meeting hall, many had already gathered.

The three Deputy Commanders of the Cavalry — assembled together for the first time since leaving the capital.

The key members responsible for the Southern, Western, and Northern branches.

A few individual members Yuder had personally tasked with missions.

And several who had returned from being dispatched to places like Makla.

Naturally, others besides the Cavalry were present too.

Suns and Emon from the Imperial Special Task Force.

Deputy Commander Meghna Curlieva, the closest aide to General Gino Bodelli.

And the First Princess of House Hern, Mayra El Hern, clad in mourning attire and accompanied by a few knights.

Yuder quietly examined each person’s face, exchanging slight nods.

'Honestly, this is practically the entire southern command gathered in one place.'

Normally, it would have been impossible to assemble this many so easily.

Different affiliations, different duties — and yet, at the first sign of something wrong, they had trusted only the Cavalry and rushed here.

Even if they had been briefed in advance, it still required mutual trust and a healthy respect for the seriousness of the situation.

It was a miraculous sight — something that had never once occurred in his previous life.

All of this was thanks to Kishiar la Orr — and the Cavalry he led — trusting Yuder’s words and not brushing aside the early signs of trouble.

Had they ignored those small anomalies and omens under the excuse that they were nothing, today’s situation would have been impossible to manage.

While Yuder swallowed down the emotions rising in his throat, the first to speak was Mayra.

"As you may have heard, just moments ago — at dawn — suspicious waves and tremors were detected off the coast of Sharloin.

Since the day of hail, the Sharloin security forces and House Hern’s private soldiers have been taking shifts monitoring the area, so the report was immediate."

Mayra had personally replaced the former Lord of Sharloin, who had been dismissed for negligence and embezzlement.

She worked closely with the acting manager and the head of the security knights.

Though young, she had already earned enough respect that no one dared dismiss her.

"The moment we received the report, we remembered what the Commander had warned us about — so, following the plan, we immediately began evacuating the villages near the harbor.

The evacuation is still underway but will soon be complete.

Currently, knights and soldiers are stationed by the breakwater, observing the situation."

The report had come in the middle of the night, but that hadn’t mattered.

Mayra had always demanded that she be informed immediately, no matter if she was sleeping or eating.

Thanks to that, she had been able to act swiftly today too.

Yuder observed Mayra’s face, half-hidden beneath a black veil.

It wasn’t easy to see clearly, but she seemed thinner than before — her once healthy frame now gaunter.

Her voice, too, had lost some of its original clarity, roughened by accumulated fatigue.

Still, Yuder judged her overall condition wasn’t as bad as he had feared.

'Her gaze is deeper than before.

Understandable, given what she’s endured.'

She had lost almost her entire family on the day of hail — and yet she didn’t wallow in grief, but focused on her duties.

It was impressive.

"Your prompt response and judgment deserve thanks.

The Cavalry will dispatch additional personnel to the coastal areas immediately."

At Kishiar’s nod, Kanna sent a short signal to the Cavalry members waiting behind her.

It was a signal for the prepared teams to move toward Sharloin’s coast.

Following that, Ever Beck spoke.

"Reports have also arrived from Makla, Tuban, Sluban, and Alsara — four regions where suspicious anomalies were observed early this morning.

As you know, these are areas where the Cavalry, Sharloin security forces, and Imperial Army have been providing joint support."

Since the day of hail, those four regions had seen frequent minor anomalies that appeared and vanished quickly.

But this morning — anomalies had occurred simultaneously across all four regions — and this time, they hadn’t disappeared.

Fortunately, those dispatched for security had remained calm, evacuating residents swiftly.

For now, just like in Sharloin, no casualties had occurred.

"Assuming the possibility of monsters appearing as they did before, the stationed units are holding position and preparing accordingly."

"Good. Next."

Kishiar turned his gaze to the Imperial Army’s side, where Meghna Curlieva stepped forward.

"Last night, General Gino succeeded in capturing suspicious individuals who had been impersonating Southern soldiers for some time.

They were caught attempting to head toward southern cities along the coast.

Some managed to escape — but we’re tracking them now and came here to share information."

Yuder remembered the conversation he had had with General Gino.

The old general had set out determined to uncover the hidden rot inside the Southern Army.

'He caught them faster than I expected.'

Yuder also noticed faint scars on Meghna’s neck — traces of the assassination attempt she had survived.

But Meghna was alive — standing here now.

Most of those gathered here were people who hadn't been there in his previous life.

Once the reports concluded, Kishiar rose from his seat, his expression calm.

Standing proudly with his back to the window, he spoke.

"All of you here — you heard some rather unbelievable words from me after the day of hail.

That it wasn’t over — that a second, bigger, stronger day of hail could come.

And you didn’t laugh at me.

You stayed."

"......"

After tossing out those words almost jokingly, Kishiar wiped away the soft smile he had worn.

"Honestly — no one hoped more than I that I would be wrong.

But it seems that day has come."

Rumble.

As his words ended, a low, ominous sound rolled through the sky.

Even so, Yuder did not feel the room darken.

Because before him stood a man crowned in such bright light that it outshone any gloom.

"From this moment on, we’ll divide into teams as planned and head for Sharloin and the four coastal regions. Even the smallest anomaly must not be ignored."

"......"

"Our previous enemy came from ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) the sky. But this time — they’ll come from the sea."