One of the main reasons Yuder had initially paid little mind to the news that a Special Forces Unit was being formed was because he knew the military's morale significantly deteriorated.
The soldiers in front of him lacked confidence in their strength and couldn't imagine a future better than their current circumstances.
How could such people have possibly come together to form a special unit? Could it have been that someone with power secretly helped them establish it by offering a sweet reward? Perhaps someone like the Emperor who had promised glory to the Special Forces while driving Yuder towards death.
Yuder opened his mouth, looking into their eyes.
"This power can certainly be an enormous opportunity. Be sure to understand its value properly so you can grasp the opportunity when it comes. And if you need help with this matter, feel free to seek me out at any time."
"You seem to know more about this power than we do... but how are we to know who to look for?"
Emon asked with a hesitant expression. Instead of replying, Yuder picked up a metal fork that was lying on the table.
A moment later, a thin stream of water swirled above the fork, forming a beautiful spiral. Upon witnessing this, Emon and Sunz's eyes widened in astonishment.
"I am Yuder of the Cavalry."
Yuder purposely didn't mention his rank. It was likely to win him more favor from them.
"I've only been in the Cavalry for a few months myself. I'm not much different from you all. However, I believe in the future that this power can bring about. I hope that you too will come to understand its true value."
That was all. There were no ulterior motives. By stating this upfront, he preemptively eliminated any potential for misinterpretation.
Yuder stood up, looking at Sunz and Emon, who had stunned expressions. He had seen all he needed to see. It was time to leave.
"Thank you for showing me around the village, Sunz. I'll be on my way now."
"Ah..."
Yuder turned his back before Sunz could speak. Young soldiers were laughing raucously, completely oblivious to what had transpired at the corner table.
Even after he had left, the two men behind him sat in silence for a long time, unable to utter a word.
.
.
.
The next day, the Cavalry, together with the Knights of Peletta, all left their lodgings at dawn. Kishiar was waiting for them in front of the base they had seen last night, alongside General Gino.
"I'm not sure if you all managed to get a good rest last night."
Despite the fact that he had said he was going to drink with General Gino, Kishiar looked completely unweary.
"As I mentioned yesterday, we will start retrieving the Red Stone from today. For today, we will identify the location of the stone and assess the extent to which we can approach it, and gather information."
Yesterday, General Gino had said that a strange energy was emanating from the Red Stone, making it difficult for ordinary people to even approach it.
However, people who were skilled enough to use Aura, particularly General Gino, could approach it quite closely. The Cavalry could not predict how they would perceive this.
"If during the journey, anyone feels it's too difficult to approach due to the strange phenomena caused by the stone, they should stop walking and report to me before starting their descent. There is no shame in descending. That, too, will be helpful in gathering information."
