After Hosanna finished speaking, he seemed to become immersed in old memories, sealing his lips in silence. Yuder did not ask another question, making the room instantly wrapped in a sudden quiet.
Then, a gentle knocking sound broke the silence, causing the previously dazed Hosanna to startle back to awareness.
"Yuder, do you think we need more time? I feel it might be time for us to leave."
Recognizing the knocker as Kanna, Hosanna quickly relaxed, the anxiety in his eyes dissipating. This revealed that he still didn't fully understand Kanna's abilities, yet he trusted her greatly, acknowledging her competence in handling matters.
Yuder stood up, dusting off his seat.
"No, we're done here. We'll be leaving soon."
"Uh..."
Hosanna hastily grabbed at Yuder's garment.
"My request to you..."
Filled with fear and guilt, he couldn't meet Yuder's eyes. His grip was so tight that his knuckles whitened. Yuder, after a brief silence, finally spoke.
"My thoughts remain unchanged. However, I'm unsure of the Commander's opinion and need to investigate further based on your story. We'll discuss this later."
Honestly, Yuder expected everyone to share his view, but saw no need to provoke Hosanna unnecessarily with his blunt words.
"Understood."
Yuder contemplated, looking at the crestfallen Hosanna, who let go of his garment.
Nahan, who had personally verified the survival of Gayle and Doyle in the Cavalry, must have realized that the Cavalry's policy wasn't to easily take lives. Thus, he must have surmised Hosanna's survival, yet he had made no effort to find him.
Even when encountering Cavalry members in the capital, Nahan didn't inquire about Hosanna's wellbeing. Given the relationship they had, Nahan's lack of concern was extraordinary.
Hosanna, having been with Nahan long before becoming an Awakener and even saving his life in critical moments, should have been like a real brother to him. Yet, Nahan didn't seem to place much importance on Hosanna.
'I thought they had been together since before Hosanna entered the Star of Nagran, assuming it was merely a long-term master-servant relationship.'
Such unbalanced emotions and relationships – were they all a result of the sage's brainwashing? Or something else...
Lost in thought, Yuder mused aloud.
"But which prestigious family despised the southern bastard child so much? I don't recall hearing about that."
Hosanna hesitated for the first time upon hearing this question.
"It's..."
"Why?"
"..."
"Is there a problem?"
"...That has nothing to do with my request to you."
It was the first real resistance he had shown.
'He refuses to answer just this part?'
Observing Hosanna's face closely, Yuder pressed again.
"What if it is related? Can't you answer then?"
Hosanna's face tightened, beads of sweat forming. He seemed to waver, suppressing pain. His fingers trembled slightly, and his muscles twitched involuntarily.
In a barely perceptible manner, yet growing ever more significant like a bubble about to burst, Hosanna hesitated.
"If that's the case, I must tell you... I..."
"Wait. I understand. You don't have to answer," Yuder interrupted, raising his hand to stop him just as Hosanna struggled to speak. At this, all the subtle reactions stirring within Hosanna ceased abruptly.
Seeing this, Yuder was certain.
"So, you're unable to answer, aren't you?"
"..."
"An oath, perhaps?"
"I can't answer that."
"Do you know if Nahan is under the same restrictions?"
"I don't know."
The responses to both questions differed. Yuder gleaned enough from this alone.
"I see. I'll not question further on this matter."
Yuder then left the room. Kanna, who had been waiting outside, glanced quickly inside the room before approaching him.
"Is it over?"
"Yes."
"What was Hosanna trying to tell you?"
"You probably have guessed it already."
"Ah. From your tone, it's about Nahan, isn't it?"
Kanna easily deduced the correct answer.
"Did he try to persuade you to surrender? Or just ask for mercy?"
"Seems like he hoped for mercy, if possible."
"That's asking too much. If we spare Nahan, would he even expect it on his end?"
Kanna smirked, wrinkling her nose. She didn't wait for Yuder's response, answering her own question.
"A person like Nahan would rather die than surrender, I bet."
"My thoughts exactly," Yuder agreed briefly, eliciting a laugh from Kanna.
"So, what did you tell him?"
Yuder relayed the entire conversation with Hosanna to Kanna. She seemed slightly thrilled to finally learn the past stories they couldn't uncover during their investigations.
"I've learned as much as I can for today. What do you think?"
"Hmm... Sometimes, letting someone speak on their own is better than trying a hundred times with my power," Kanna noted, slightly frustrated.
"I read information, not thoughts, so it's hard to be certain about such distant past events... But the information you provided today should make future readings easier."
After saying this, Kanna lowered her voice and began listing their next steps.
"I'll try to find out the name of the family Hosanna couldn't speak of due to his oath. It'll be my first attempt to break through an oath, so I'm not sure how it'll go. Probing more into the relationship with Nahan might also reveal answers about the parts you're suspicious of. And..."
Her counting fingers paused briefly.
"The brainwashing commands applied to Nahan."
Her gaze sharpened.
"It's likely the command to 'do his utmost for the Star of Nagran.' That explains why he didn't follow the sage blindly but was still dedicated to the Star of Nagran's purpose, unlike others."
Yuder shared her view. The sage must have used such indirect brainwashing because he hadn't established a proper trust relationship with Nahan at the time.
Back then, the sage would have seen Hosanna as more useful than Nahan. However, Hosanna was Nahan's servant.
If Nahan had decided to leave the sage's side, Hosanna would have followed him without question, regardless of the circumstances. This was a certainty, an unbreakable truth, even if Hosanna was in a state of complete brainwashing, fully trusting the sage.
Thus, to prevent the valuable Hosanna from leaving, it was necessary to ensure Nahan couldn't depart. However, Nahan wasn't easily swayed by the sage like others. The sage at that time must have been quite impatient.
'Especially after realizing Nahan's abilities were better than expected.'
"Even if it was an indirect method, it must have seemed like a good idea at the time, right? I think making Nahan name the 'Star of Nagran' was the beginning of the brainwashing."
Kanna shared her speculation with the thoughtful Yuder.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. There's no better way to instill a sense of responsibility than by naming something, right? I know from my experience with pets. The ones I named myself were always more dear and lovable than those I didn't."
"…Responsibility."
Yuder had never considered the link between naming and responsibility.
Chewing over Kanna's words, Yuder found himself drawn to the notion of naming. He suddenly remembered a man who had given him a name.
'…'