Turning Chapter 976

The day after the wall of blue despair had crumbled.

Though the land still lay submerged, traces of destruction remained, and the carcasses of monsters piled high awaiting disposal, the mood of the people was not as dark as one might expect.

"Did you hear? All those carts are filled with monster corpses that the new Swordmaster selected and collected himself."

"The new Swordmaster? You mean His Grace, the Duke of Peleta?"

"No, I mean his aide, Sir Nathan Zuckerman!"

In some corners, people marveled at the feats of the new Swordmaster, whose name now echoed as strongly as that of the Duke of Peleta.

"I heard a Cavalry member who can fly slipped out of the shelter and rescued a child who’d lost their way and nearly died. Their name was... what was it? El... Pokins?"

"You mean Marin, the Awakener who created those forests all across the South? I heard those forests played a crucial role in holding back the wave this time. So he didn’t just make them for no reason!"

"The Lord of Makla said he plans to build a monument to Ever Beck, who defended the village. For a man that stingy to go that far, it must’ve truly been a great feat."

"In Antakia, they say there’ll be a three-day festival to honor Kurga Singh, who rescued Tuvan and Suluvan. Turns out he’s something like the son of my cousin’s wife’s sixth cousin!"

"That’s nothing. Haven’t you heard? The noble lords have been flooding the Bollenvalt household in Ulan with letters and gifts! Can you believe Gakein Bollenvalt, descendant of General Jurelli Bollenvalt, was part of the Cavalry? It’s amazing!"

Elsewhere, the people spoke proudly of the names of Cavalry members.

Though the Cavalry was mentioned most, the fame of others—Imperial soldiers, mages, even clerics—was not far behind.

The name of General Gino, once the Southern region's pride, was surprisingly absent this time, unlike during the day of the hailstorm. Instead, it was his direct disciple and deputy, Meghna Curlieva, who had distinguished herself. People rejoiced just the same. After all, a student’s accomplishments are a reflection of their master’s. Meghna, previously obscure, was now thrust into the spotlight as a worthy successor to the old general, and the common folk began to take notice.

But above all, two names ignited the hearts of the people more than any other.

"That ‘Hero of the West,’ Yuder Aile, went under the Southern sea and didn’t emerge for over a day while holding off the disaster with nothing but his body. I thought things like that only happened in legends, but it’s true? I still can’t believe it."

"Hero of the West? We should start calling him the Hero of the South now."

"And what about His Grace, the Duke of Peleta? Everyone who saw him split the sea with a single divine sword said they were reminded of the first Emperor himself."

"I’ve heard he’s so beautiful people call him the incarnation of the Sun God. Hard to believe someone like that was surrounded by nothing but bad rumors until now!"

"I only just found out, but apparently all that gossip was spread by nobles who don’t properly support His Majesty the Emperor."

The names of Yuder Aile and Kishiar la Orr rippled through the South with overwhelming force. Even the commoners, who’d previously had no time or interest to care who stood at the top, now buzzed about their legendary feats, growing more curious about the tensions between the Imperial family and the nobility.

Under normal circumstances, the southern nobility would have found such murmuring from the commoners unpleasant. But today, not a single one showed such a reaction. After all, they too had huddled together in fear during the two-day evacuation, and the miraculous news of the Cavalry’s success was still fresh in their minds.

No matter how much some of them had disliked the Emperor or sympathized with noble faction ideologies, they couldn’t ignore the memory of the overwhelming disaster they’d witnessed with their own eyes. They began to realize, viscerally, that their power base lay here in the South—and that only if the South was safe could they remain safe themselves. Their thoughts began to shift, little by little.

"Yesterday, I really thought we were going to die. Those enormous waves were visible even from the evacuated villa... I couldn’t think, couldn’t see where to run."

"Word from someone inside House Hern says the First Princess managed to coordinate everything around here these last two days thanks to constant cooperation with the Cavalry."

"Now that the crisis is over, I suppose the First Princess will become the new Duchess soon. Looks like the next ruler of the South will align with the Emperor’s faction."

"Frankly, if it were me, I’d do the same. From the hailstorm to the waves, the only ones who helped the South in every way were the Cavalry. The ones who acted like they’d unite the noble faction didn’t take a single step out of the capital—and didn’t even say anything useful. And what about House Diarca, who completely vanished from the South after the hailstorm?"

The moment House Diarca was mentioned, a wave of quiet, simmering rage spread among the gathered Southern nobles.

"Even after the previous Duke of Hern passed away, House Diarca only paid surface-level condolences. They never stepped up to offer help of their own accord."

"The little they did was just because the Crown Prince's scandal ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) was spreading. They only acted because the Imperial family ordered them to."

"Ah, I heard about that. Didn't he just run away from the palace without doing any of his duties?"

"They acted like they’d already ascended the throne just because they had the Crown Prince in their pocket, and now they’ve exposed that he’s just a helpless fool who can’t even handle the basics."

The harsh words directed at House Diarca began to snowball, becoming a more tangible form of resentment.

"They only ever say they’re fellow nobles and one of the Four Dukedoms when it’s time to check the Imperial family’s power. But everyone knows how Diarca and the other two Houses treated Hern like dirt."

"Still, House Ta-in sent the First Princess as part of the Cavalry, and she’s been generous with aid to the South since the hailstorm. That’s a stark contrast, isn’t it? House Apeto may have been quiet because their First Prince is bedridden, but even they sent their Third Prince to fight directly in the South. You can’t even compare them to Diarca."

The South had always been inward and tight-knit. This incident had clearly triggered an explosive reaction on many levels. The fact that so many stubborn, rigid Southern nobles were now saying things like this proved it beyond doubt.

"I don’t exactly like the current Hern either, but treating Hern like dirt is no different than treating the entire South like dirt. We must show them that. Hern carries the noble bloodline that’s protected the Empire from the desert on the frontlines."

"After seeing the hidden power of the Emperor and the Duke of Peleta, I now realize how shrewdly the First Princess acted. We can’t let Diarca gain power so easily! They’ll never step forward for Hern or for the South!"

Historically, the Four Ducal Houses had always been busy keeping each other in check—except when standing together to oppose the Imperial family.

Now that they’d seen firsthand the strength of the Imperial family and the Cavalry they had dismissed for so long, their hostility toward House Diarca surged to a new peak. And at this volatile moment, when manpower was short and Sharloin was struggling with the aftermath, unfamiliar figures arrived at its gates.

“...To enter the gates of Sharloin, to whom must we report for inspection?”

“I’m sorry, but due to the ongoing recovery efforts after yesterday’s disaster, we’re unable to carry out external checks properly at the moment. Please state your name and affiliation and wait outside. Once we confirm your identity, we’ll open the gate for you.”

The strangers before Sharloin’s gates were all mounted, and even at a glance, it was clear they came from noble families. After listening to the gatekeeper’s explanation, they exchanged glances and then solemnly nodded before one of them stepped forward and spoke.

“We come under the orders of Commander Theorado van Ta-in, of the Imperial Guard. Our purpose is to aid Hern and the South in the name of the Imperial Guard. Please relay that.”

This unexpected visit and its purpose were swiftly passed through Sharloin’s lord to Hern’s First Princess, Mayra el Hern.

“The Imperial Guard has come to aid us? Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Even Mayra, whose face had only just begun to ease with relief after the nightmare of the past two days, was no different. Though exhausted, her eyes were bright with thought as she spoke.

“If only they had come two days earlier. But I doubt they expected this. Still, we handled the disaster well and have it under control, so it doesn’t matter. We do need all the help we can get right now. If they’re willing to assist with the aftermath, let them in.”

“Understood.”

The Imperial Guard rarely left the capital. The very fact that they had come to help Hern and the South was astonishing.

‘The current commander is from House Ta-in. With the heir of Ta-in showing support for His Majesty and being friendly toward us as well, it’s likely that influence brought them here.’

Well, help is welcome from anyone. Right now, Sharloin was chaotic, with most available hands—Cavalry, Imperial soldiers, clerics, even city guards—spread thin due to recovery efforts. They needed someone to fill in the gaps to prevent a potential crime wave.

The faster everything settled, the sooner she could inherit the title and handle the remaining matters.

That was what Mayra thought as she quietly felt grateful to the Emperor and House Ta-in.

She had no idea that the true reason behind the Imperial Guard’s movements came from someone she hadn’t even considered.