Turning Chapter 1303

“I do like it. I prefer coffee, but that’s more of a habit from drinking it constantly for research.”

Helrem answered cheerfully.

“But I’ve never heard of powdered tea before—how curious. Can you explain what it is exactly?”

“...It’s something commonly made and drunk in my hometown. It’s really just about mixing whatever ingredients are readily available into powder and storing it... nothing fancy.”

By now, it was fairly well known that Yuder came from the Airik Mountains. But someone like Helrem, close to Kishiar, likely knew that even before it became common knowledge.

Yuder discreetly observed her expression. As always, the old mage’s face appeared calm and unchanged.

“I see. I look forward to the day I get to see it for myself. And if you ever find the time, drop by and meet our long-tailed black-purple Penpen at my house. You’re welcome anytime.”

“Yes. I will.”

Helrem smiled warmly.

“Well, I should go back to picking out the reagent bottles I came for. It was lovely seeing you. Send my regards to your commander.”

With that, Helrem bid farewell and walked off. Yuder quietly watched her retreating figure before heading back downstairs.

“Yuder!”

Kanna and Gakein had finished browsing and returned. Yuder tilted his head at the bags they were each holding.

“...What’s that?”

“Ahaha. We came to help you pick something, but while looking around, I kind of felt like buying something myself... and before I knew it, I did.”

“Me too... Sorry.”

Gakein had bought a Southern-style cup, and Kanna had picked up a carrot-shaped ceramic spoon rest. Neither was anything Yuder would ever choose.

“It’s fine. I’ve already made my choice.”

The two of them spotted the bottle in his hand and their eyes widened in surprise.

“Huh? Already?”

“Let me see... Whoa. It’s beautiful!”

Kanna exclaimed as she examined it.

“You chose really well. Maybe you didn’t need any help after all?”

“I didn’t pick it myself.”

Yuder confessed quickly.

“Then who?”

After he said he got help from Helrem, both Kanna and Gakein looked astonished.

“She was here too? This really is a place popular with mages, huh.”

The bottle Yuder chose was quite expensive. Buying so many in different sizes meant the total cost was massive, but since he’d barely spent any money until now, it didn’t feel like much of a burden.

He paid with gold coins from a pouch he’d brought. Kanna and Gakein joked as they watched him.

“Oooh... Baron Aile.”

“The way you handed that over without a flicker of hesitation! You really do look like a noble, Yuder.”

The shop owner, thrilled by the sudden appearance of a big spender, offered to deliver all the bottles within a few hours so Yuder wouldn’t have to carry them. When told the destination was the Cavalry, he looked surprised but showed no hesitation or fear.

“We’ll make sure they arrive in perfect condition! Thank you very much!”

After that, Yuder bought all the remaining ingredients he needed from the market. Though it was a bit much to carry, with his powers he could manage it alone—yet Kanna and Gakein wouldn’t allow that. The three of them each slung a sack over their shoulders and began walking back toward the Cavalry headquarters.

On the way, they casually mixed talk of work and daily life.

“Yuder. Fay finally locked in a date to meet his ‘hometown friends.’”

“When?”

“On his next day off. So, three days from now.”

“Alright. I’ll make preparations so we can follow him.”

“You’re not going alone, right?”

“I’ll report to the Commander and select a suitable team.”

“Please pick me! Unlike Kanna, I’m not a vice commander or anything. I’ve got so much free time!”

“You, Gakein? You disappear after training and no one sees you anywhere. Did you know sometimes you’re harder to find than Yuder?”

“Ah... Well, that’s, um... I’ve got so much free time that I’ve been doing more individual training...”

The only one who knew that Gakein’s “individual training” meant sword practice with Nathan Zuckerman was Yuder. Their sessions were still a secret to others.

'Zuckerman himself didn’t want it known, so there’s no helping it.'

Kanna might’ve already suspected something. But knowing her friend wanted it kept private, she wouldn’t pry. Yuder also stayed silent, and thanks to that, the secret sword training had remained just that.

'Though... it might not stay just the two of them much longer.'

That, however, wasn’t confirmed yet—and it was Zuckerman’s place to tell others—so Yuder let the thought end there.

Besides, there was something else he needed to say to °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Gakein. Watching the red-faced boy fumble for excuses, Yuder waited for the right moment when they’d be alone.

That moment came as soon as they entered the Cavalry headquarters with their supplies.

“Kanna!”

Steber and Ever, who’d been waiting for Kanna to return, waved her over. From the looks of it, there was something official the vice commanders needed to discuss. Kanna glanced back at them apologetically.

“I wanted to help carry everything to the kitchen, but I guess I’ll have to go right away.”

“It’s fine. Go.”

“Sorry! See you later. Yuder—good luck with ‘that thing’!”

Thoughtfully, Kanna refrained from naming the item he’d be making. She gave him a thumbs-up and turned to run off. Yuder and Gakein picked up the bags she left behind.

Their destination was the giant kitchen used for preparing meals for the entire Cavalry. Since making a large batch of powdered tea required space, Yuder had arranged to borrow the kitchen during the afternoon break when the staff was off-duty.

Yuder turned to the cheerful Gakein walking beside him, humming with a relaxed expression.

“Gakein.”

“Yeah?”

“Sir Zuckerman said you’re doing well. He praised you.”

Thud. The bag Gakein was carrying slipped and dropped to the ground.

“Careful.”

Yuder used wind to scoop it up and lift it back into his hands.

“S-Sorry! But... what did you just say?”

“He praised you.”

“H-He did? Are you sure he wasn’t talking about someone else? Did you maybe mishear—”

“My hearing is perfectly fine.”

“N-No, I didn’t mean I don’t trust you! It’s just that... honestly, I’ve been struggling lately. I’ve been making slower progress, and I can’t follow explanations as well as before, so most of my training time has been filled with questions... He’s taking time out of his day to teach me, so I thought maybe I was annoying him. But if he actually praised me...”

At that moment, Yuder suddenly stopped walking.

“Yuder?”

Then, without warning, he swung his heavy sack hard at Gakein.

“Wha—?”

Startled, Gakein reflexively stepped back to dodge, moving just as he’d practiced in training. But Yuder pressed forward without missing a beat, swinging the sack again. With the materials inside, it had enough weight to serve as a proper blunt weapon.

Not knowing why he was being attacked, Gakein barely avoided the swooshing blows.

“Wh-What the heck?! Am I supposed to dodge? Or take it?!”

Yuder abruptly stopped just as suddenly as he’d started.

“Ten.”

“Huh?”

“I attacked ten times. You dodged them all.”

“So what?!”

“I went easy, but the old you would’ve taken at least seven hits. You’ve clearly improved.”

Gakein stared at him, eyes wide and mouth agape.

“The more your skills improve, the harder it gets to reach the next level. That’s how it works. So the fact that you’re no longer just blindly training and are using that time to ask meaningful questions... that’s normal. It’s part of the growth process—not stagnation.”

“So... you’re saying I’m not stuck because I’m not good enough, but because I am getting better...?”

“Exactly. Sir Zuckerman said he admired your dedication. If he thought your questions were annoying or unnecessary, he wouldn’t have said anything.”

Gakein blinked rapidly, as if he couldn’t believe it. His cheeks turned bright red.

“Ah...”

People like Gakein never quite grasp how far they’ve come. They work harder than anyone else but only see what they lack. For someone like that, sometimes it was necessary to jolt them like this—to let them feel their own growth in their body.

'Though... in other cases, that leads to some folks getting cocky...'

But with Gakein Bollenvalt, under-confidence was the bigger issue.

Fortunately, Gakein understood what Yuder was trying to say. After transferring the ingredients to a large prep table in the empty kitchen, he gave Yuder a dazzling, beaming smile.

“Thanks, Yuder. I’ll work even harder! I want to be able to handle swordsmanship and my Awakener powers just like you.”

Even as Gakein walked away, joy radiated off his back like light.

The kitchen door closed. Yuder was now alone in the massive space usually used to prepare meals for hundreds.

He glanced over the ingredients spread out before him, then at the large pots, knives, and other tools hanging nearby. With a deep breath, he pulled something from his robes: the last remaining bottle of the original powdered tea, saved just for today.

'I’ll place this here for reference.'

He set it in front of him where he could see it clearly, then rolled up his sleeves and mentally calculated the time.

'I’ll finish everything within two hours using my ability. Once the bottles are delivered, I’ll divide it up and be done.'

Within the Cavalry kitchen, a tremendous force began to stir.

***

“Something good happen? You look awfully cheerful.”

Gakein turned his head at the voice.

“Ah... Commander?”

Kishiar was leaning against a tree outside the mess hall, waving.

“It’s not mealtime yet, so what are you doing here—oh. You came to see Yuder, didn’t you?”

Kishiar usually ate in his office, but on days when he trained with the troops, he sometimes joined them in the mess hall. He didn’t receive fancier meals in his office, so it always seemed like he just ate wherever was most convenient—a behavior hard to believe from someone of royal blood.

But this was too early for any meal. And with the staff out on break, the only one inside the kitchen was Yuder.

And Yuder Aile, as everyone knew... had a very special relationship with the man in front of him.

“He just went into the kitchen, so if you go now, you’ll catch him!”

“No. As much as I’d love to watch, I won’t go in. He’d hate that.”

“R-Right. Then...”

“Just waiting. And, since I saw you passing by...”

Kishiar smiled brilliantly. It was the kind of smile that made people suspect his intentions even when he didn’t mean anything by it—a classic Kishiar move.

“Gakein. This might be sudden, but may I ask you something?”

“Ah, yes! Anything, sir!”

“Can you smell a scent on me?”