Turning

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Chapter 803

"From what I've deduced, there's a very high possibility that Meghna Kurlieva and Galexentre Balfors shared a deeper, more personal relationship in the past than they do now."

Yuder's hand, which was habitually moving to cut the next piece, suddenly froze.

"...Are you saying that the rumor Sunz mentioned is true?"

"Yes. But their relationship isn’t the same now. And Balfors, that man..."

Kishiar placed his hand over Yuder's halted one, overlapping them, and chuckled softly.

"He's definitely a spy. I’m absolutely certain."

"A spy? How can you be so sure about that..."

Kishiar winked, pausing mid-sentence. His long fingers gracefully maneuvered Yuder's hand. After precisely cutting the cake into a bite-sized piece and bringing it to his lips, Kishiar finally removed his hand.

"Now, there's no need to be impatient. I'll continue explaining, don't worry."

Yuder began to chew the cake somewhat blandly, and Kishiar continued his explanation.

"Do you remember the mercenaries who died trying to steal the Red Stone during the previous retrieval operation?"

"Yes, I remember. I don't know who hired them, but they seemed very well-prepared."

"The client who orchestrated that mission had hired mercenaries who were somewhat fearless due to their Awakener powers, recruited from outside the country. He had enough inside information to easily breach the Southern Army's blockade around the mountains and send them to where the Red Stone was. Moreover, he took the precaution of making the mercenaries take oaths and even double oaths, showing meticulousness in case they were caught.”

"Yes, even though the discipline of the rank-and-file of the Southern Army was quite lax at that time, the fact that they were able to wait in the mountains for days without being detected is remarkable. At that time, the Emperor and I suspected that the person who commanded them must be someone inside the military, certainly a high-ranking individual."

"Does that mean... even General Gino was under suspicion?"

At Yuder's cautious question, Kishiar nodded without hesitation.

"Exactly. Why would General Gino be an exception? At that time, he failed to notice the breach in the Southern Army's blockade for days, nor could he accurately identify the mercenaries' traces and the evidence of who was behind them. From the standpoint of trust, it was difficult to be certain whether it was a mere mistake or a betrayal disguised as an error."

Yuder seemed to perceive a glimpse of the many challenges that Emperor Keilusa and Kishiar must have faced throughout their journey in that statement.

Although the situation warranted suspicion, the name Gino Bodelli was not to be taken lightly. He wasn't just any Southern Army general; he was a swordmaster respected across the Empire and the entire continent.

It would be risky to show suspicion towards someone who, without seeking any personal gain, had served the Emperor with utter loyalty and been an exemplary figure to his soldiers. Such a move could potentially alienate one of the few allies the Emperor had.

If a globally revered swordmaster and living legend like General Gino were to express his grievances and turn his back on the imperial family, it would be a welcome opportunity for the four major ducal families and the noble faction, who were hostile to the imperial family.

"So... what happened then?"

Yuder's eyes sharpened with the question. However, unlike the sharpness in his gaze, the lower part of his face, mechanically continuing to take bites of the cake, lacked his usual coldness.

Kishiar couldn't help but smile fondly at the scene before him.

"Well, as you can see from the fact that Gino is still fine, our own investigation concluded that Gino Bodelli himself is innocent. However, there's a strong possibility that someone under him might have betrayed us," he said.

Kishiar and Emperor Keilusa had surmised that this someone must have been close enough to General Gino to have known about the sudden Red Stone retrieval operation.

Yet, even after informing General Gino of this suspicion and thoroughly searching within the Southern Army, they couldn't find the traitor.

"Gino took it very hard. He probably even considered retiring because of it."

"If the traitor was one of the general's close aides, his retirement would have been the best way to shake them up," Yuder commented.

"Yes. Anyway, there were two implications for us. First, the traitor who passed information to the mercenaries was skilled enough to deceive even Gino's eyes. Second, it was too risky to keep such a person within our ranks. So, we..."

Kishiar winked playfully as he continued.

"We began a fundamental restructuring of the Southern Army's power hierarchy. You know what that means, right?"

Yuder's mind was suddenly struck by the faces of Sunz and Emon.

"That's right. That's why the Special Forces unit was formed."

If the traitor was indeed among the existing forces, it was better to replace them with a completely new and strong force that was above suspicion.

The previously unknown, lower-ranked soldiers who were talented Awakener soldiers with immense potential were perfect for the role.

"Yes. Your discovery of Awakener soldiers like Sunz and Emon back then was a brilliant move."

Without that, Kishiar might not have been able to use the Awakener soldiers to overhaul the Southern Army and would have had to seriously consider General Gino's retirement.

It was an unintended yet effective outcome of revealing the existence of the Awakener soldiers.

"Anyway, I've been curious about who could walk among us unnoticed, even evading the eyes of Gino and us... After learning the intricacies of the military's internal relationships, which are hidden from those at the top, it feels like we're finally getting a sense of who the culprit might be."

"Certainly... Being General Gino's disciple and a Special Officer, Galexentre Balfors would have had easy access to information and freedom of movement. His continuous participation in seemingly unnecessary reconnaissance missions also suggests this."

"Yes. I suspect his uncanny ability to detect enemy intrusions wasn't a coincidence. He must have played his cards to remain in that position by earning Gino's recognition for his abilities, despite not really deserving it."

"Hmm... His messy personal life but competent work performance could have also diverted General Gino and others' attention."

"Yes. Gino is an excellent General and swordsman, but he has a cold side where he shows little interest in those who don't meet his standards."

"Do you think he staged the enemy intrusions?"

"After having a casual chat with Sunz and hearing more about what he saw, I think so."

Kishiar answered with a tone of conviction.

"Sunz might not have realized it, but the actions of Galexentre he witnessed, along with several traces, matched remarkably with some suspicious occurrences I had discovered during my previous investigation around the military base's location," Kishiar mused.

It seemed that what was initially thought to be a casual end to the story turned out to be far more significant.

"Now, I plan to delve deeper into Balfors's service records and the events that occurred around that time. Examining how his service record changed around the days we visited there might reveal some interesting results."

"Adding the Cavalry's investigation to that could secure irrefutable evidence," Yuder added.

"Yes, of course, that will be necessary," Kishiar agreed with a smile.

"By the way, you've already finished your piece. Would you like another?"

"I’m fine..."

Before Yuder could even complete his response, he noticed a plate smoothly floating and gliding towards him from behind, as if carried by an unseen force.

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Read up to the latest chapter (1240) and more than 1000 chapters of BL novels here

[BL] Cloudless Sky

Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.

"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."

In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.

"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."

And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.

"For now, until then, let's sleep..."

As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.

'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'

[BL] Bermuda

Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.

Three years later, his name has been forgotten by the world. The Council has been persistently pursuing him, but he has proven difficult to capture. Frustrated by this, Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, decides to personally apprehend him.

"Since when have you been watching me?"

Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.

"From the very beginning."

[BL] The Mist (Same author as Turning)

In the autumn of his 18th year, after winning the high school kendo championship finals, an unexpected accident occurred.

Due to that incident, Kang Mu-heon lost one of his legs, his closest friend, and his promising future. He closed off his heart and shut himself away alone.

A few years later, the world's first real virtual reality game <THE MIST> was announced, where even those with physical disabilities could play in healthy bodies.

By chance, Kang Mu-heon encountered it and began a new life as the mage Kapros, facing unexpected meetings, reunions, and days of change....

***

"Why was someone like you born into this world to make me so miserable? Do you understand when I say it like this?! You were born with talent for the sword, a bright personality, everything - you must have been laughing at me always lagging behind! Did you even know how pathetic I felt because of your stupid hypocrisy? A genius? What does any of that matter!"

Seung-jo's cries stabbed at his heart, wailing as if he were crying even though he wasn't, but there was no time to think further. He quickly clutched my stomach, got up, and ran towards him.

He looked surprised for a moment, but he was desperate.

Just as the car was about to reach us, he shoved Seung-jo hard. Right after Seung-jo fell and rolled away with wide, startled eyes—

Screech!

Bang! With an impact that felt like his whole body was being shattered, he flew through the air.

And in that brief yet long moment of floating in space, he remembered his reflection in Seung-jo's eyes for the last time.......

***

[ Then in THE MIST, may you become the master of infinite possibilities. ]

Whoosh!

When his vision returned after everything went white, he was standing in the middle of a bustling town. Amidst the clamor, countless people were busily going about their business here and there.

He looked down at himself, standing dazed and wearing clothes of unknown origin. When he touched the sleeve, he felt the texture of fabric as real as reality. His hair felt the same, and even when he touched the wall of a nearby house, he could clearly feel the solid, cold surface.

Is this... VT?

It seemed like a joke. It truly felt as if he had come to another world and was touching everything.

As he stood there unable to think due to the shock, he suddenly remembered the biggest reason he had decided to play this game, and snapped back to attention. His two legs were still as they had been when he first stood.

'Can I really walk?'

He first stepped out with his left foot, then very slowly put strength into his heavy right foot. It felt like cold sweat was running down his spine.

And then,

He lifted it,

Moved it,

And took another step to touch the ground again.

So easily. As if there had never been any problem with this leg from the beginning.

"Ah..."

At that moment, something that was neither joy nor emotion shot up his spine. Suddenly feeling a lump in his throat, he lowered his head and leaned against the wall. His right foot, bearing his weight, was doing its job perfectly.

"..."

Holding back the tightness in his throat, he took another step.

It didn't hurt. It wasn't heavy. His leg was no longer a useless piece of wood that ached.

Damn it, to be able to walk so easily like this.

To be able to run so easily like this.

He had wished even in his dreams for the day to come when he could walk and run like this again.

And so he walked again, kept walking, slowly getting faster, until finally he started running like a madman through the entire town.

***

"Kap. ...There seems to be a misunderstanding. That's not what I meant."

Just as he was thinking he should throw a punch, Yu-wan sighed with a troubled look and said.

A misunderstanding? How could it be a misunderstanding when he said with his own mouth that he didn't think of me as a friend?

"I didn't expect to receive such a question suddenly, so my explanation was probably too brief. Let me rephrase."

Yu-wan reached out his hand, his face completely changed from before - intense yet resolute - as he stared at him. As he didn't reject the hand suddenly approaching his face and kept his gaze fixed, his cool large hand touched his cheek completely.

A shiver ran down his spine at that moment.

"I'm sorry to say this to you, but I don't see you only as a friend. ...This is the complete answer."

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[BL] Cloudless Sky

Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.

"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."

In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.

"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."

And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.

"For now, until then, let's sleep..."

As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.

'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'