Turning
Chapter 98
第九章

‘It's a shame that I couldn't capture him and discern his identity, but it won't be the last chance.’
可惜我未能抓住他，辨认出他的身份，但这不会是最后一次机会。

Nahan. As Yuder whispered this name, he recalled the man who exuded such a dangerously overwhelming aura. It was rare to remember a stranger one had met only once, but that man was vividly etched in his mind.
那汉。尤德低声说出这个名字时，想起了那个散发着危险而压倒性气场的男人。很少有人能记住只见过一次的陌生人，但那个人却深深地印在他的脑海里。

‘But… considering that I am trembling all the way up to my shoulders… I'm worried about how Kishiar will react.’
但是……考虑到我浑身颤抖……我担心基希亚会怎么反应。

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but it seemed as if he could hear his name being called from a distance. Yuder gradually extinguished the column of fire that had blazed hot enough to scorch his entire body.
他不太确定是不是幻觉，但似乎听到有人从远处叫他的名字。尤德逐渐熄灭了那团火柱，火热得足以灼伤他全身。

The forest, surprisingly pristine for a place where a massive fire had raged for quite a while, revealed itself. Kiolle, who had been crouching with his head down, slowly lifted his head and looked perplexed at the deserted scenery.
那片森林，对于一场大火肆虐了相当一段时间的地方来说，出奇地保持着原始状态，显露出来。基奥尔，他一直弓着身子，低着头，慢慢地抬起头，困惑地望着这荒凉的景色。

"Where did they go, those guys…?"
他们去哪儿了，那些家伙……？

Unlike Kiolle who was simply scanning the area, Yuder looked down at the few strange traces left on the ground. Seeing the ground seemingly forced open then covered again, he had an idea of the method Nahan and the boy might have used to escape.
与基奥尔只是扫描该区域不同，尤德低头看着地面上留下的几处奇怪痕迹。看到地面似乎被强行打开然后再次覆盖，他大概明白了纳汉和男孩可能用来逃脱的方法。

'A kid who can make friends, huh? I guess his friends aren't human.'
一个能交朋友的孩子，嗯？我想他的朋友不是人类。

Among the countless monsters that suddenly appeared on the continent, some had been accepted as unique native creatures, living almost harmlessly and hidden for a long time. The Rumvet, a monster that could always be found by digging deeply into any mountain, was one of them.
大陆上突然出现的无数怪物中，有些已被接受为独特的本土生物，长期隐居，几乎无害。鲁姆维特，一种只要深入挖掘任何山脉就能找到的怪物，就是其中之一。

The Rumvet, shaped like a giant worm, was harmless to humans as it only burrowed and lived underground. Yuder, through his long experience of monster extermination missions, knew several habits of the Rumvet.
巨型蠕虫状的鲁姆维特对人类无害，因为它只在地下挖掘和生活。尤德凭借其丰富的怪兽清除任务经验，了解了鲁姆维特的几种习性。

One of them was that it would block the entrance from the inside after burrowing into a tunnel, secreting a fluid that hardened the soil. Seeing the moist ground around him emitting a faint stinging smell, he was certain that a Rumvet had indeed burrowed out of the ground and returned not long ago.
它们中的一种是，它会在挖通隧道后从里面堵住入口，分泌一种凝固土壤的液体。看到他周围潮湿的土地散发着淡淡的刺鼻气味，他确信一只鲁姆维特不久前确实从地下钻了出来。

The ability to summon and control a monster hidden deep underground as if it were a friend was definitely a power worth risking danger to rescue for someone like Nahan.
像纳汉这样的人，能够召唤和控制隐藏在地下深处的怪物，就像朋友一样，这绝对是一项值得冒风险去拯救的力量。

The earth's intense shaking after the creation of the fire pillar must have been due to that.
火柱形成后，地球剧烈震动一定是因此造成的。

'A monster-controlling Awakener... While it wasn't unheard of in my previous life, I've heard it's quite difficult to control a large monster like a Rumvet.'
一个控制怪兽的觉醒者……虽然在我上辈子并不罕见，但我听说控制像鲁姆维特这样的巨型怪兽相当困难。

If he had the power to summon and control a giant monster so silently, why didn't he escape immediately while he was imprisoned? Was there a problem with using his ability?
如果他能如此无声地召唤和控制巨型怪物，那为什么他在被囚禁的时候没有立刻逃跑？他的能力使用上有什么问题吗？

Remembering the silent boy, Yuder decided to also keep the boy's face in mind along with Nahan.
想起那个沉默的男孩，尤德决定也记住男孩的脸，以及纳汉。

“Yuder, Yuder!...” At that moment, the urgent voices calling out Yuder's name were indeed real this time. They were the voices of Gakane, Jimmy, and Devran.
尤德，尤德！……就在那一刻，呼喊尤德名字的急促声音是真的。是加佳内、吉米和德夫兰的声音。

He had anticipated someone would rush over upon seeing the fire pillar, but he was a little surprised that they hadn't left this place yet.
他预料到有人看到火柱会冲过来，但他有点惊讶他们还没离开这里。

'Did something else happen?'
发生其他事情了吗？

But the first thing he felt upon hearing his comrades' voices was a strange and clear sense of relief.
但听到战友的声音，他首先感到的是一种奇异而清晰的轻松感。

"Yuder!"  尤德！

Gakane was the first to appear. His face turned pale as soon as he saw Yuder standing with his left hand cut by a knife and bleeding. Gakane, who had run at full speed, carefully lifted Yuder's hand.
嘎内第一个出现。他一看到尤德左手被刀砍伤流血，脸色就苍白了。嘎内全速跑来，小心翼翼地扶起了尤德的手。

"My goodness, was it you who conjured that column of fire earlier? But what in the world... who inflicted such a wound on you?”
我的天哪，是你刚才召唤的火焰柱吗？但到底……是谁给你造成的这么重的伤？

"I did.”  我做了。

"What?”  “什么？”

"Both the fire and the wound, I caused them myself."
火和伤口，都是我造成的。

"Yuder!”  尤德！

As Yuder calmly responded, Gakane, doubting his own ears, stood in silence. Meanwhile, Jimmy, the second to emerge from the thicket, ran towards them with a worried look on his face but abruptly stopped upon noticing Kiolle, who was awkwardly standing in the rear.
尤德平静地回应后，加卡内怀疑自己耳朵，沉默地站着。与此同时，吉米，第二个从灌木丛中走出来的人，带着担忧的表情跑向他们，但一看到站在后面的基奥尔，就突然停了下来。

"Uh...? That man... isn't he the knight from the Imperial Palace Knights? Why is he here? And in such a state...”
呃……那个人……难道不是皇宫骑士团的骑士吗？他怎么在这里？而且还是这种状态……

Hearing the cautious words of the boy, Gakane turned and finally noticed Kiolle, wearing an astonished expression.
听到男孩谨慎的话语，加佳奈转过身，终于注意到表情惊讶的基奥尔。

"You are...”  你...

"Uh, hem! Hem!”  呃，咳咳！

Unable to discuss the events due to the vow he'd taken, Kiolle glanced at Yuder, coughing as if to prompt an explanation. The sight of him moments ago, terrified and prostrate on the ground, screaming, had long since vanished.
由于他发下的誓言，基奥勒无法讨论这些事件，他瞥了尤德一眼，咳嗽着，仿佛要促使对方解释。刚才看到他那副样子，吓得瘫倒在地，大声尖叫，早已消失不见了。

Even though he was covered in dirt, far from his usual noble appearance, Yuder chose not to comment.
虽然他浑身是土，与往常的贵族形象相去甚远，尤德还是选择不发表评论。

"I rescued him from the ones who had taken Devran."
我从抓走德夫兰的人手中救了他。

"What? So, did you get hurt trying to save this man?”
什么？所以，你为了救这个人受伤了吗？

"...Somehow, yes."  ……不知怎么，是的。

"What? Yuder, you just said that you inflicted the wound on yourself. So, you hurt yourself to protect him? Why on earth?"
什么？尤德，你刚才说你把自己伤了。所以，你为了保护他而伤害自己？到底为什么？

"What? Gakane, what do you mean?"
什么？加佳内，你是什么意思？

"Yuder said it himself."  尤德自己说的。

"Does that mean…"  那是否意味着…

Before Yuder could even respond, both Gakane and Jimmy, who'd quickly exchanged a conversation, fixed their fierce gaze on Kiolle. Yuder opened his mouth, watching as Kiolle visibly stiffened in surprise.
尤德还没来得及回应，加卡内和吉米两人迅速交谈后，都将凶狠的目光投向了基奥尔。尤德张开了嘴，看着基奥尔明显吃了一惊，身体僵硬起来。

"That’s not it…"  那不是…

"What's going on, Gakane, Jimmy? Don't leave me behind. I still find it hard to run."
怎么了，加佳内，吉米？别丢下我。我仍然觉得跑步很难。

Fortunately, Devran appeared at that moment, attracting everyone's attention.
幸运的是，德夫兰就在那时出现，吸引了所有人的注意。

"I saw a huge fire and thought something incredibly serious must have happened here, but it seems relatively peaceful. What happened?"
我看到一场大火，心想这里一定发生了非常严重的事情，但现在看起来却很平静。发生了什么事？

Meeting Devran for the first time in a few hours, Yuder noticed that his friend appeared much better, having changed into clean clothes and tended to his wounds.
几小时后，尤德第一次见到德夫兰，注意到他的朋友看起来好多了，换上了干净的衣服，伤口也处理好了。

"Yuder, where's that scarred guy who was with you? And who is this new person? What happened to those people in the cave you said you’d deal with?"
尤德，和你一起的那个伤疤男在哪里？这位新来的人是谁？你说要处理的洞穴里的人怎么样了？

"It's a bit of a long story."
这是一个有点长的故事。

Thinking of Nahan, Yuder felt his relaxing nerves sharpen once again. He sighed softly, turning his head towards the direction of the cave. Considering the events that had transpired, he needed to return as soon as possible.
想到那汉，尤德再次感到放松的神经变得紧张起来。他轻轻叹了口气，把头转向洞穴的方向。考虑到发生的事情，他需要尽快返回。

"Things got a bit complicated."
事情变得有点复杂。

"...Complicated? You didn’t let them escape, did you?"
...复杂吗？你没让他们逃走，对吧？

Devran, who bore a grudge against the people of the Apeto family, asked with a grim expression.
德兰，对阿佩托家族的人怀恨在心，带着阴沉的表情问道。

"No. They're all dead."  不。他们都死了。

"Dead? Did you kill them?"
死了吗？你杀了他们吗？

"No."  不。

"Then who…"  那么谁…

As Devran paused mid-sentence, both Gakane and Jimmy also wore strange expressions.
德兰停顿在半句话，加卡内和吉米也都露出了奇怪的表情。

Looking at Yuder's unusually cold gaze, they inferred that the man who had vanished from here was likely the cause of the complication. Although they didn't know the specifics, it was clear that something significant had happened.
看着尤德异常冰冷的目光，他们推断出从这里消失的那个人很可能是造成这场复杂局面的原因。虽然他们不知道具体细节，但很明显，发生了什么重要的事情。

Gakane, sensing the sudden change in atmosphere, donned a smile and looked around before speaking.
加奈，感觉到气氛突变，便露出了笑容，环顾四周后才开口说话。

"Alright, now that we've found Yuder, let's head down for some healing first. We can chat about the details on the way."
好了，现在我们找到了尤德，先下去治疗一下。我们可以路上再聊细节。

"But before that."  但在此之前。

"Hmm?"  嗯？

Gakane turned his head towards Yuder, who had raised his hand to interrupt.
加卡内转向尤德，后者举手示意打断。

"Why are you still here? I thought I clearly told you to evacuate and not return to the village."
你为什么还在这里？我以为我已经明确地告诉过你撤离，不要返回村庄。

"Ah... that's the thing. Zakail's brother came back and the situation changed. Do you remember? That guy who was said to be in a relationship with Devran's sister…"
啊……事情就是这样。扎凯尔兄弟回来了，情况就变了。你还记得吗？据说和德夫兰的妹妹谈恋爱的那个家伙……

"...He came back?"  他回来了吗？

"Yes. It seems Zakail tried to delay his return, but it actually sped up the man's arrival... Anyway, Zakail is locked up well. Considering we have injured, including Devran, it seemed better to rest and heal before leaving the village immediately..."
是的。看来扎凯尔试图延迟他的归程，但实际上却加快了那人的到来……无论如何，扎凯尔被牢牢关押起来了。考虑到我们有受伤的人，包括德夫兰，似乎最好在离开村庄之前先休息和治疗……

‘So that's what happened.’ Yuder, hearing Gakane's brief explanation, quickly inferred the unfolding situation. He nodded in response to the story that wasn't too far from his own assumptions.
“原来是这样。”尤德听着加佳奈的简短解释，迅速推断出正在发生的情况。他点头回应这个与他自己的猜测相差无几的故事。

"Got it. And, Devran."  明白了。德夫兰。

"Hmm?"  嗯？

"Did you see the two people who were tied up there while escaping?"
你看到那两个在逃跑时被绑起来的人了吗？

Devran nodded nonchalantly upon spotting the dropped gag and cord Yuder pointed to.
德兰不经意地点了点头，看到尤德尔指出的掉落的道具和电线。

"Those guys? I saw them. When I came out, they were visible so I showed them some action and drove them out. Why do you ask?"
那些家伙？我看见他们了。当我出来的时候，他们很明显，所以我做了一些动作把他们赶走了。你为什么问？

"No. It's fine. As long as they escaped alive, it's good."
不。没关系。只要他们活着逃出来就好。

It was fortunate amidst the misfortune that there were still people who could testify about what the Apeto family did here. They just needed to be found and apprehended.
祸不单行，幸运的是，这里仍然有人可以作证阿佩托家族在这里所做的事情。他们只需要找到并逮捕。

Yuder finally let go of the tension in his trembling arm. As he turned his head, Kiolle, who had been nervously waiting behind him, stepped back with a start.
尤德终于松开了他颤抖的胳膊。他转过头，基奥尔，紧张地在他身后等着，吃了一惊，向后退了一步。

"Kiolle."  Kiolle.

"W-What. You, earlier, you were in a state of emergency so I didn't point it out, but if you keep casually calling my name..."
呃，你。刚才，你处于紧急状态，所以我没指出，但是如果你继续随意喊我的名字……

Even while failing to hide his fear, he attempted to reassert his authority in front of the others, which almost appeared pitiful. Yuder ignored his words and continued.
即使他掩饰不住恐惧，却试图在其他人面前重新树立权威，这几乎显得可怜。尤德尔无视他的话，继续进行。

"You use informal language with me too."
你对我说话也挺随意的。

"I do! Our statuses are different, and I'm older, so where do you get the nerve...!"
我当然！我们的状态不同，我年纪也更大，你哪里来的胆子……！

Just then, a tingling sensation pulsed from the mark of contract inscribed on Yuder's wrist. It seemed Kiolle felt the same as he abruptly closed his mouth and clenched his teeth.
就在那时，一种刺痛感从刻在尤德手腕上的契约标记处传来。基奥尔似乎也感受到了同样的感觉，他突然闭上了嘴，紧咬着牙关。

"...Do as you please!"  随你便！

In the end, he spat out those words with a face full of humiliation before sharply turning his head away. Of course, it wasn't Yuder's business to know.
最后，他满脸羞愧地吐出那些话，然后猛地扭过头去。当然，这与尤德无关。

"I intend to. Anyway, those who wanted to kill you are gone now, and it seems you won't forget our agreement. So for now, you should just head back as you are."
我打算。无论如何，想杀你的人现在都走了，看来你不会忘记我们的协议。所以现在，你应该直接回去。