To reward those who had worked hard during the holiday period, Kishiar issued them open vacation passes that could be used whenever they wished. He had initially intended to grant them immediate additional leave, but since the vice-commanders all declined, this was the compromise he proposed.

“If you want to keep working, then proper rest is essential too. Even if it feels useless right now, there will come a time when you’ll be grateful to have it. Use it when that time comes. That should be fair, right?”

“Hmm... Yes. Thank you.”

After the discussion about House Diarca, they held a short meeting regarding upcoming changes within the Cavalry.

“Up until now, we’ve focused on training and adaptation, and whenever needed, we gathered select members for temporary external dispatches. But from now on, everyone will begin taking on external missions in accordance with the new standard regulations.”

“Yes, you briefly mentioned that before the holiday.”

In just one year since its founding, the Cavalry had achieved remarkable results. They had established internal stability faster than expected and even set up regional branches. It was time to move past the daily routine of training and studying, and step into the next phase.

“Going forward, the main headquarters and each branch will officially receive external dispatch requests, and assess whether they are legitimate. If we judge the request valid, we’ll assign a rank based on the risk level of the mission, then form a team suited to that rank’s standards and dispatch them accordingly.”

In his previous life, this had been the Cavalry’s primary operational structure. Of course, as the Commander, Yuder had rarely gone on external missions unless directly ordered by the Emperor, but ordinary members were often dispatched or deployed according to their specialties.

Sometimes, multiple branches had to cooperate on a single task, and the headquarters had to manage and supervise the branches, so until everyone built up enough experience, things would be tough. The responsibilities of vice-commanders and branch managers were now more critical than ever.

‘In my previous life, it wasn’t until two or three years after I became Commander that I felt things were finally running smoothly...’

But this time felt different. Seeing the growth the members had achieved so far, Yuder felt confident they were ready for this level of operation. The atmosphere within the Cavalry was incomparably better than before.

Unlike his past self, who never let his guard down even when things seemed stable, Yuder now held a calm conviction rather than a grim worry.

Everyone would do well.

‘Now that the Cavalry can monitor and handle anomalies across the nation—or even the entire continent—everything will become much easier than before.’

Once the Cavalry officially announced that they would take full charge of anomaly handling, they’d be able to work without interference.

Anomalies would no longer be something to deal with “by chance.”

“We’ll also be establishing medical units at each branch, and expanding the headquarters’ medical department as well. The same goes for administration, training, and education.”

“Yes.”

“Your workload will increase, but I trust you’ll continue cooperating and doing your best as always. If anything becomes too much to handle alone, talk to your colleagues—or to me and the aides—at any time.”

“Understood.”

A firm resolve briefly crossed the faces of the three vice-commanders. But Yuder noticed there was no sign of burden or anxiety in their expressions, and he recognized that as proof of their growth.

‘They may not be entirely free of pressure, but they’ve developed enough confidence and sense of responsibility not to show it outwardly anymore.’

To understand the weight of one's duties without losing composure—

That was something Commander Kishiar excelled at more than anyone.

Knowing whom they had learned that demeanor from, Yuder stood behind Kishiar with a faint smile on his lips.

“Oh, and during the holiday, it was Steber who compiled the training reports on the second group of new recruits, right?”

“Yes, Commander.”

“How was it?”

Kishiar’s question was brief. He didn’t specify what he meant by “how,” but no one present was confused by such vague phrasing anymore.

Steber replied with a warm smile.

“They’re all very enthusiastic. They’ve handled the training well, and we’ve had no deserters so far. There’s a bit of competition among the branches, but the Southern recruits have shown especially good cohesion, so it feels more like healthy rivalry than actual conflict.”

Faces flashed through Yuder’s mind—Elpokin and the Awakeners from the Star of Nagran who had joined the Southern branch. The idea of them being considered the “friendly” ones among the new recruits was both surprising and heartening.

‘The old Elpokin would’ve never earned that kind of praise.’

“What about the Northern branch? Unlike the others, their recruits hadn’t met any of the others beforehand, so I’m curious.”

“The North, huh.”

Steber let out a thoughtful hum.

“There’s one recruit with a rather unique ability. I was personally worried he might get ostracized because of it. So far there haven’t been any problems, but I’m keeping an eye on things, just in case.”

Fay. Yuder was sure of it. Judging by Kishiar’s glance, he clearly shared the same conclusion.

“Ostracized because of his ability? Why?”

“It’s a duplication ability—but not like Gakein’s. He doesn’t just make shadow clones of himself. He can use someone else’s hair to create an exact copy of that person.”

So it was Fay, just as expected.

“The copies only last a few seconds at most, but the very fact that he can take someone else’s form understandably makes people uncomfortable.”

“I see. From your explanation, it sounds like a mix between Gakein Bollenvalt’s ability and Fruelle van Ta-in’s.”

“Hmm. Yes. Now that you mention it.”

Gakein could create shadow clones, but only of himself—and they were noticeably different from real people. As he grew stronger, so did his clones.

Fruelle could transform into people he had met, but only the outward appearance. If he didn’t know the person well, the transformation didn’t last long, and he couldn’t copy their special powers. So he typically disguised himself as ordinary civilians to blend into crowds.

Fay, however, couldn’t change his own strength—but he could create clones of others. The stronger the original, the harder the clone was to form and control. But if he succeeded, the result was powerful. He could make the copy speak like the original, use their powers, and appear in multiple places at once.

While all three abilities had surface similarities, Fay’s was clearly the one most likely to make others feel uneasy.

That was probably why Steber had been concerned—but he didn’t look especially grim.

“He’s a quiet one, but he seems like a good person overall. I think with proper guidance and companionship, he’ll be fine.”

“Thank you for the insight.”

After a short pause, Kishiar spoke again.

“Actually, I already received some reports on the Northern recruits while I was there. By coincidence, I also learned that one of them might be connected to something currently unfolding in the Peleta Duchy. And I believe that individual is the same one you just mentioned, Steber.”

Kishiar briefly explained the case of the imposters who had infiltrated the North disguised as members of the Shuden trading group, along with what they had uncovered about Fay’s origin.

Upon hearing the full details, the vice-commanders’ expressions turned serious.

“If what you’re saying is true, then... that recruit may or may not already have ties to some of the more questionable Southern factions.”

“That’s the gist of it. But since you didn’t notice anything particularly odd, Steber, I’d say the chances of a deep connection are slim.”

“Still, better safe than sorry. I’ll keep a close watch.”

“I’ll assist as well.”

Kanna raised her hand and declared firmly.

“A week at most should be enough to get a clear picture.”

“You’re both reassuring.”

After saying that, Kishiar briefly glanced at Yuder. His gaze passed with something unreadable in it, and then he quietly spoke again.

“Steber made a good point earlier. Abilities can grow and evolve. With the right mindset and training direction, any power ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ can take a new path. So for now, keep what I’ve told you in mind—but don’t let it color your view. Keep observing with an open perspective.”

“Understood.”