NOVEL NEXT Chapter 212
It was a moment to gather the dead and move the severely injured—just like that. The once grand altar had long been reduced to ruins. There was no need to linger in such a desolate place, now devoid of any worth after completing our tasks.
We hurried to change our location. The distance was quite far from where the battle had occurred. Having moved discreetly, leaving no trace behind, most of the elves were tidying up the place they would rest for a while, making sure to conceal their presence as best they could.
Meanwhile, a small group of elves was devoted to tending to and healing the injured.
“Oh dear…”
Friel Arielte lay unconscious, her breaths shallow, prompting the elves to furrow their brows in concern at her critical state.
“…Her condition is worse than I anticipated.”
As they unfastened her tattered armor, the wounds revealed were deeper and larger than expected.
Airine observed the scene silently for a moment, her indifferent crimson eyes reflecting the sight of the unconscious Friel.
“Can the wounds be healed?”
“Regrettably… it is impossible to recover from such injuries here.”
“…”
“Look here. The stab wounds have darkened the flesh and skin with magic. The magic prevents the wounds from healing easily… If we do not return and seek the World Tree’s grace to dispel the magic, the situation will steadily worsen.”
Continuing to speak, the elf carefully picked up another potion.
“With the situation as it is, all we can do now is provide first aid to prevent further deterioration…”
The expression of anguish filled her face.
“The remaining potions are running low. I believe the personal potions should be adequate, but the general supplies won’t last long.”
It had been some time since entering the Eastern Forest.
The slowly dwindling supplies were beginning to tighten around the unit’s neck.
It was unavoidable. By day, monsters attacked, and at night, creatures of unknown identities rushed in at all times. Especially with potions, many had been forced to drink them to regain vitality and prevent greater harm.
Airine slowly pushed her crimson hair back and declared, “I will give my own potions.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Most of what I had went to Arielte, and the remaining few—”
Airine’s gaze turned.
The human who had killed the half-demon alone. Whether it was due to his rashness, he lay unconscious, showing no signs of waking. And there was the woman known to be his mistress, Shianella.
“Use it on that fallen human. He was brave enough to take down a half-demon, so we shouldn’t neglect him.”
“Understood.”
“By the way.”
Airine’s eyes narrowed.
“It seems no other elves are around him. Do you know the reason?”
Certainly, she had ordered that both Friel and that Ray be taken care of properly.
Yet, the only ones beside him were the Count’s daughter and her two knights.
It was impossible to ignore.
‘Humans are ultimately just humans.’
As the World Tree and Grand Elder had indicated, he was meant to be a hero. He held something special within him.
But humans are still just humans.
They live shorter lives than elves and possess physically frail bodies with lesser talents. Even if Friel’s heart, weak as it is, beats on with a massive gash, she desperately resists death.
His skills might have transcended the limits of his kind. But it seemed that his body could not do the same.
Having already lost a significant amount of blood from the holes in his legs, and being utterly drained after expending all his mana, if he collapsed in such a state—
His heart, unlike the strong elves, would find it hard to resist when death approached.
‘Clumsy guardians cannot be of any help.’
No, they might even exacerbate the situation more than help it.
When she inquired about it, the elf cautiously replied.
“That’s… because the Young Lady asked to take care of him herself by sending the others away—”
“…”
Airine glared at the elf for a moment.
She dismissed the other healers just so she could nurse him? What would happen if his state worsened?
Rather than scolding the elf, she slowly approached Shione.
As she quietly walked up behind her, who had been standing motionless next to the man’s leg, she realized what the Young Lady had been doing all this time.
“Princess Shione, you should rest a little—”
“Lady Diolia.”
“…”
“I’m sorry to ask again, but… could you fetch me another mana potion?”
The Young Lady was sweating profusely. There was no way she would be sweating this much just standing still.
Because her head was bent low, Airine’s gaze was drawn to where Shione’s hand rested.
She was placing her hand over the leg of the man who had been struck by a sword. Yet, no one there had more novice mana than hers; she was strikingly focused as she desperately tried to channel it into his wound.
‘This is…’
She was fueling the magic.
Harnessing the diminishing power, which had thinned across centuries, she was unrelentingly pouring it into his wound until it healed and the potion’s breach was mended. She worked tireless, squeezing out every last bit of mana she had.
As she quietly observed from a distance, her knight brought a mana potion.
“This is the last potion we have. You really need to rest now.”
“Uh, okay—”
The Young Lady reached for the potion, but the knight did not loosen his grip.
“Princess Shione.”
Only then did the Young Lady look up at her knight.
Startled.
What expression did she see?
“…I got it, you know.”
The knight, briefly surprised, ended up handing the potion to her.
Shione uncorked the potion and downed it in one go, setting the empty bottle down. There were already four or five empty bottles piled beside her.
Seemed she had been like this since she started coordinating the chaotic unit in place of Friel.
The mana wouldn’t spring back immediately upon drinking the potion. Once more, she began squeezing out whatever mana she had to pour into the man’s leg.
How much time had passed?
“Fhew…”
After a long sigh escaped the Young Lady’s lips, as she finally finished the intense focus and raised her head.
Airine finally reached Shione’s side. She needed to know the result of the Young Lady’s desperate efforts to heal and what made her knight so apprehensive.
As Airine approached Shione’s left, just when Shione turned her body toward where Airine was, reaching out her hand.
“Oh—”
She withdrew her outstretched hand and met Airine’s gaze.
“…So it’s you, Airine.”
“…”
“I heard the story. They said if you had brought Ray just a bit later, they might have had to amputate his leg.”
The Young Lady smiled at Airine. It was a muted smile.
“Thanks to you, Airine, we were able to avoid the worst. Thank you.”
Until now, the cheerful atmosphere surrounding Ray was nowhere to be found in the Young Lady who now appeared.
Whether it was fatigue showing or the blood vessels in her azure eyes, she looked more fragile than ever.
Yet, despite her frail appearance, the aura she exuded was sharper than ever before. It was as if she would never tolerate any interference with her determination to care for him, allowing nothing or no one near him except herself.
She radiated a fierce energy, just like a sword.
The problem was—
‘…?’
Rather than the man lying unconscious, she appeared more vulnerable than anyone else here.
The energy she displayed felt so fierce that it pierced the skin, as if warning of danger.
“Airine.”
The current Young Lady was different.
It was likely that the elf who just moments ago had taken a step back to allow Shione to care for Ray did so because of this Shione.
“Airine—”
The moment Shione’s eyes met Airine’s, time felt frozen. Shione’s mouth moved. She seemed to be saying something, yet it was inaudible.
However.
Thump.
“But the wound on his leg still hasn’t healed, and it’s a bit urgent…”
As she grasped Airine’s arm, her body stiffened at the wave of emotions flowing through.
Shione’s voice, layered with feigned gentleness that concealed deep frustration, carried a tension thicker than any storm brewing over her cerulean eyes.
It seemed she would never forgive anyone who tried to interfere with her nursing duties.