“…If I… If I help the Cavalry more… then will the Cavalry be able to save Lord Nahan?”

So that’s what this is about.

It wasn’t surprising. Hosanna had aided the Cavalry, and in return, he had been given the truth. What other request could naturally follow than this? But Yuder didn’t let his thoughts show on his face as he quietly responded.

“I don’t understand the intention behind that question. Do you believe Nahan’s life is in danger?”

Hosanna’s shoulders trembled, but he forced himself to continue speaking.

“…The Sage is merciful… or rather, I used to think he was merciful. But the people around him are different. Those who despise Lord Nahan won’t miss this chance now that he has openly opposed the Sage and suffered injuries. And if the Cavalry is added to the equation…”

Hosanna trailed off, unable to finish his sentence, covering his face as his head drooped. His breathing was unsteady, filled with fear.

“How unexpected. I didn’t know you were aware of the deep divide within The Star of Nagran—between those who followed the Sage and those who supported Nahan.”

Even people like the Gael-Duell brothers, who were staunch supporters of the Sage and despised Nahan, had gotten along well with Hosanna. Most who knew him described him as kind and good-natured. That’s why it was surprising that he was aware of such factional tensions.

“How could I not know? I was the one closest to Lord Nahan…”

Hosanna slowly lowered his trembling hands from his face, revealing eyes filled with deep fear and sorrow.

“There were many in The Star of Nagran who sympathized with and followed Lord Nahan’s ideals. But there were far more who didn’t. Until now, I was able to handle those people, but not anymore. And if the Sage has truly turned against him… who could possibly mediate between them?”

The word mediate carried significant implications.

It meant that Hosanna hadn’t just lived his life as a naive, good-hearted person. Rather, he had deliberately played that role to smooth over tensions around Nahan, to maintain peace where possible.

People like that were the most dangerous to underestimate. As individuals, they might seem gentle, weak, and kind, but assuming that kindness equated to harmlessness was ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) a grave mistake. Hosanna was the type to use his goodness to its full extent, seeking every possible way to benefit Nahan.

If I judge him by his fragile appearance, I’d be a fool…

Help didn’t always come in the form of sheer strength. Sometimes, a few well-placed words could sway people’s hearts, leading them to make mistakes.

Yuder understood this perfectly, yet his posture and expression remained unchanged as he responded.

“So, in your own words, you believe that if Nahan and the Sage clash, Nahan will inevitably lose. Am I right?”

“……”

“If that’s the case, then tell me—why should the Cavalry intervene in a mess that’s bound to end in self-destruction? Why should we go out of our way to save him? Do you know how many innocent Imperial citizens he has killed? How many buildings he has destroyed? What about the lives that have been shattered because of him?”

“That’s…”

In reality, it was obvious that The Star of Nagran wouldn’t simply self-destruct. They were bound to resist, and with the looming disaster in the South, it was in the Cavalry’s best interest to subdue them quickly. Especially someone as unpredictable and dangerous as Nahan.

But Hosanna, who was unaware of these larger circumstances, visibly paled.

“He insists that Awakeners should always be protected and that non-Awakeners can be killed without reason. But Awakening isn’t something people are born with. In this world, a non-Awakener today could suddenly become an Awakener tomorrow, without any reason or warning.”

Because Awakeners were still so rare, and the phenomenon itself had only recently emerged, many people still misunderstood the nature of their existence. There was no predetermined list of who would Awaken, just as any Awakener could lose their abilities at any moment due to injury or instability.

“-So tell me, exactly who does he think he’s protecting, and who does he think he’s killing?”

“……”

Hosanna bit his lower lip so hard that blood welled up.

“And let’s not forget—despite claiming he protects his ‘siblings,’ he abandoned them in the end. He ran while the others were caught. Even you were left behind. And yet you’re willing to bargain your life just to save him? You value Nahan more than yourself? How absurd.”

Hosanna had no rebuttal. His shoulders trembled violently, and after a long silence, his voice broke with a tearful whisper.

“I know… I know that the sins Lord Nahan has committed… are heavy. But… he wasn’t always like this. He saved many suffering Awakeners. He gave everything—his body, his life—to protect The Star of Nagran. He only wanted to lead them to a safe place… That was all he ever asked from the Sage…”

Buried within his incoherent sobs was a phrase that caught Yuder’s attention—the promise he made with the Sage.

According to Kanna’s previous analysis, the Sage’s mind control ability works by subtly planting simple commands through speech. And the effect is likely limited to one attempt per person.

The common assumption was that most Awakeners in The Star of Nagran had been conditioned with the belief: The Sage can be trusted. Judging from Hosanna’s past behavior, it was likely he had been influenced in the same way.

But Nahan… Nahan had always subtly opposed the Sage. At one point, Yuder even considered whether that, too, had been a part of the Sage’s plan, but based on how things were unfolding now, that wasn’t the case.

If the Sage truly had complete control, there would’ve been no need for him to allow Nahan to openly oppose him and cause friction within the group. He could’ve simply commanded everyone’s trust and loyalty without complication.

At first, Yuder had suspected that Nahan had been deliberately placed in opposition to create a controlled rivalry that strengthened the Sage’s hold over The Star of Nagran. But now, knowing how the Sage’s power actually worked, that theory no longer held up.

If Nahan had been fully brainwashed like the others, then when the Sage saw the opportunity to seize complete control, he would have commanded Nahan to stop resisting.

But that wasn’t what happened. Instead, Nahan’s opposition to the Sage had only grown stronger.

This meant one thing: Nahan did not fully believe in the Sage like the others did. His conditioning had been different.

And the key to understanding that difference might lie in that promise.

“A promise with the Sage? What exactly was it?”

“It was just… a promise. Something Lord Nahan and the Sage exchanged when they first met… Before all of this even started, back in the desert…”

Hosanna’s words were a mess, his tears still unshed, his voice trembling.

But Yuder caught on to the most important part—it was something they discussed when they first met.

According to the information we have, the Sage’s conditioning takes place after a person joins The Star of Nagran. But Nahan met the Sage before the group had even formed.

That promise—there was no doubt now—it was the key.

Yuder felt a rare certainty settle in his mind.

“I want to hear more about that story.”

Hosanna lifted his tear-streaked eyes, blinking in confusion at Yuder’s serious expression.

“…Is this story really that important?”

“It might be. It might not be. Don’t overthink it—just tell me the story. I’ll decide what matters.”

“……”

Hosanna, who had briefly looked hopeful, let his head fall again, hesitating before he exhaled shakily.

“To talk about that promise… I’d have to break my own with Lord Nahan. I swore to him that I’d never speak of the past to anyone.”

“So? Are you refusing?”

“…No. I’ll tell you. But… please, don’t tell anyone else. It might be meaningless to others, but to me, to Lord Nahan…”

Yuder let out a quiet breath before raising a hand in a simple oath gesture.

“Alright. I swear I won’t tell anyone—except the Commander. Does that satisfy you?”

“…Yes. I’ll trust you.”

Hosanna took a deep breath and lowered his gaze.

“Lord Nahan… He was of noble blood.”