Turning Chapter 1307

Could it be that the sedative Tais Yulman gave him had an unexpected side effect? Alik had said it was fine, but seeing Melvern doing something so out of character made it hard to believe.

Sensing the silence in Yuder’s thoughts, Melvern scratched his head.

“Usually, I collapse and fall asleep as soon as I return to my room, but tonight I still had energy left. So I thought I’d train just a bit more on my own... and, well, it turned into this.”

“For something like that, your movements were rather aggressive.”

“Really? You noticed?”

“Anyone with eyes would have.”

“Damn... I’ve really lost it. I’m not supposed to let my emotions show through my body.”

Melvern sighed as if the ground would swallow him whole.

“So... why did you come looking for me, Baron?”

“I came to give you this, but you weren’t in your room, so I wondered if something had happened.”

Yuder pulled out the remaining bottle of tea powder. Melvern took it reflexively and examined it from all angles before bowing his head.

“Hmm. I’m sorry, but... with my limited knowledge, I can’t guess what this is. May I ask what it’s used for...?”

“It’s tea powder. You mix it with water and drink it.”

“Ah!”

Melvern’s reaction was a bit different from the others’. Normally, even commoners were unfamiliar with or curious about this kind of mountain-region item. But Melvern looked genuinely surprised—and delighted.

“So the Empire has mobl too?”

“Mobl?”

“The name might differ, but in Nellarun, we call all tea powders like this mobl.”

Apparently, in Nellarun, tea powders made from ground tea leaves, flower petals, or grains were as common as whole-leaf teas. Yuder found it interesting that the names varied based on the ingredients and aging period.

“This one was made in the style of my hometown, where we didn’t give it any particular name. Most other regions didn’t seem to know about it... but hearing that it’s common in Nellarun is surprising.”

“Haha. Well, it’s not exactly mainstream in Nellarun either. Mobl is considered a drink for rural commoners, so noble families don’t drink it. But the Crown Prince loves it. Maybe because he grew up rolling around with soldiers in the borderlands. Even after becoming Crown Prince, he still asks for it often, so I’ve become quite good at making mobl myself.”

So that was it. Yuder recalled his past visit to Nellarun. Back then, Ezein had never once brought anything like tea powder drinks to the royal table.

‘He must have eliminated anything that might show personal preferences to outsiders.’

The monarch from his past life who’d hidden even his favorite drinks lived differently from the current Ezein. And that difference felt even more real through Melvern now.

“If I ever go to Nellarun... I’d like to try this mobl myself.”

Hearing Yuder’s mutter, Melvern lit up.

“Truly? You’re always welcome! Ah, and thank you for this mobl as well, Baron. By the way, is this... something you brought from your hometown?”

Melvern had suddenly grown much more talkative. The dark and anxious air around him was gone, and he was back to his usual self.

“No. I made it myself.”

“What?!”

Melvern’s jaw dropped.

“You made it... yourself?”

“Yes. Is that a problem...?”

“N-no, not at all. I just... I never imagined that the hero of the Cavalry would make something like this himself... It feels too precious to drink alone...”

“It’s not that special. Just drink it.”

“If His Highness finds out I drank something like this alone, he might actually kill me this time...”

“...What?”

“Just kidding. Hahahaha.”

Perhaps because the tea reminded him of Nellarun, Melvern had softened considerably. Yuder took the opportunity to ask what he hadn’t gotten an answer to earlier.

“So—why were you training so roughly that your arms and legs were bleeding?”

He’d said it was because he had energy left, but that couldn’t be all. The vibe Melvern gave off earlier wasn’t exactly calm or controlled.

“You’re not one to let things slide, are you...”

Melvern smiled with a resigned expression and relaxed his posture slightly before sighing.

“I received several reports from Nellarun yesterday. There was another assassination attempt on the Crown Prince. He’s safe thanks to his divine protection, but it seems the escorts with him were injured again.”

“......”

“I’m training in safety under His Highness’s care, yet I haven’t shown any results worth mentioning. I guess I’ve been getting impatient.”

To hide the exact nature of Melvern’s ability, Ezein had been deliberately pretending not to recognize it—except for specific, pre-agreed times to communicate with Kishiar. That way, Melvern could expend energy without triggering the “connection.”

Doing nothing might seem easy, but for Ezein, who juggled endless daily tasks, it was a significant burden. It was possible that this distraction had weakened their response when the assassination attempt occurred.

Looking at Melvern’s guilt-ridden face, Yuder asked:

“Why do you think your ability hasn’t developed as quickly as you’d like?”

“Pardon? Hmm... I suppose because I’m just lacking?”

“No. You adapted very quickly to using your ability while dodging my attacks. The slowdown only came afterward.”

Melvern had done well up to the point of attempting to use his ability under harsh conditions. The problem came next.

‘Sustainability of the ability.’

Even after successfully summoning the light of connection, Melvern would suddenly lose power after a certain time. No matter how many times he tried, it always ended the same way.

To fix that, they’d been adjusting environmental conditions, making things tougher to see if it helped. But Yuder knew that wouldn’t be a real solution.

The key was the mind of the Awakener. He couldn’t teach that—Melvern had to realize the real issue on his own.

‘And now’s the right time to help him realize it.’

Melvern avoided Yuder’s gaze and lowered his head. Yuder spoke carefully, so his tone wouldn’t come off cold or harsh.

“Honestly, I think you already know what the real issue is, Sir Melvern. Am I wrong?”

Melvern clenched his jaw slightly.

“...So you already knew why I’ve been like this.”

“......”

“Haa... Of course. His Highness always said there’s no point hiding anything from the Cavalry’s hero... He was right.”

Melvern ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

“Baron Aile... I—I’m doing everything I can. I’m ready to give my life for the Crown Prince. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes. No one would doubt that.”

Melvern had been truly throwing himself into his training without holding back.

But even someone as loyal and disciplined as him could have moments where the body wouldn’t follow the heart.

Melvern muttered painfully:

“...This damn ability. After using it, I... transform into something grotesque. I hate the thought of showing that form in front of mages I barely know. No—fear is probably the right word.”

“......”

“I know it’s not a big deal. I know there are many Awakeners whose transformations are far more horrific than mine... Mine is only temporary. And those mages don’t care about me at all. I understand that logically...! But even so, the moment I feel my body changing, I start watching their reactions like a coward. And then... the power just shuts off.”

“......”

“I swore I’d endure anything for the Crown Prince. And yet, here I am, so ashamed and humiliated. I couldn’t bring myself to admit this to anyone...”

Yes. That was Melvern’s true problem.

He feared exposing his transformed body in front of strangers.

‘He could bear it in front of Ezein or comrades who made him feel safe. Or even me or Kishiar, who he deeply trusted. But not with mages—outsiders to him. That’s what makes it unbearable.’

It was a natural hurdle to overcome for his ability to grow. Without crossing it, no real progress could be made.

The frustrating part was that Melvern knew this better than anyone. But when the mind and body were out of sync, it only deepened the suffering.

‘Still, now that he’s spoken it aloud, half the battle is already won.’

Yuder looked down at Melvern, who had buried his head in his knees, clearly crushed.

“Would you consider joining the new Cavalry recruits’ basic physical training tomorrow?”

“...Excuse me?”

“As I said, it’s basic training. You won’t need to use your ability. I’ll make sure the others get a convincing explanation for who you are, so don’t worry. It’ll be a good change of pace.”

Melvern looked surprised by the sudden suggestion, but nodded weakly.

“...If you say so, Baron... I’ll go.”

Currently, there’s one recruit who has been ranking first place in those training sessions every time.

His name is Elpokin.

Someone who, after Awakening, was more reluctant than anyone to face his changed body—surely, Melvern will come to understand something.