Chapter 53

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It has been 8 days since the onset of the illness.

I brought Annette to the forest.

This forest, said to be inhabited by spirits since ancient times, is filled with a sacred aura, and Annette seems to be feeling better.

For the first time in a long while, we spent a peaceful time.

I'll bring her here again.

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***

When I returned to the capital, to my surprise, it was Arnold who greeted me. I had written the date of my return to the capital in the letter I sent from Eme's village, but the moment I saw him standing in front of the castle gates, I was taken aback.

I hurriedly ran to Arnold and opened my mouth to greet him.

"Mr. Arnold—"

"It's about the letter."

I'm back. Without even letting me finish my greeting, Arnold immediately got to the point.

Taken aback by his abruptness, I nodded to show my response.

The matter in the letter was likely about the request to accompany me to the city of Flaria to obtain the "spirit's drink" and the request regarding the barrier magic of my hometown, Eme's village.

"First, about the spirit's drink, I would like to accompany you to Flaria as soon as possible. However..."

Arnold hesitated, his gaze dropping. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and his expression and attitude were all too clear.

Arnold cannot accompany me to Flaria. He is probably very busy.

Before he could say more, I nodded and said, "I understand." He frowned and looked at me directly. I noticed dark circles under his eyes and a paler complexion than usual. He must be swamped with work.

After a brief pause, Arnold changed the subject.

"I've already talked to the Schvaria Knights about your hometown. It will be more convenient for them to handle it."

His words were unexpected. I had indeed mentioned the barrier magic of Eme's village in the letter and hinted at a request for assistance, but I never thought Arnold would personally arrange it with the Schvaria Knights.

Stunned, I quickly regained my composure and thanked him. Just as I was about to bow, another unexpected statement reached my ears.

"I wanted to accompany you to Flaria, but..."

"Are you that busy?"

His reluctance about accompanying me to Flaria—uncharacteristic of Arnold, who usually cuts things short—prompted my question. Instantly, he bit his lower lip, and I hastily tried to smooth things over.

"No, no, I'm not blaming you, it's just a simple question..."

"The city was attacked. Two of them."

I couldn't believe my ears.

—Two cities were attacked?

I looked up at Arnold, who seemed even more fatigued than before.

He might not have slept well for the past few days. His usually lustrous black hair looked damaged at the ends.

"Not ours, but another country's. The damage was significant, and they requested our aid."

I was speechless. The cities attacked were not in our country—Ostria, the eastern great nation with Schvaria as its capital. I felt a moment of relief, but then felt guilty for feeling that way.

A city in another country was attacked by monsters. The fact that Ostria, one of the world's greatest nations, received a request for aid meant that the situation was beyond their control. Ostria, with its vast resources and advanced technology, was indeed the best choice for assistance.

I recalled the devastated streets of Platoven and the piercing screams.

How many people were injured or lost their precious lives? How many people lost their loved ones, their homes, their places?

I clenched my fists and looked up at Arnold firmly.

"What can I do..."

"I need you to help with the concoction. The arrangements for the alchemists are already made."

I nodded firmly. From Arnold's tone, I inferred that some alchemists were already on their way to the affected cities.

May nothing happen to them. May the damage not worsen.

Unconsciously, I clasped my hands in front of my stomach, as if in prayer.

—In the silence, I suddenly remembered something I had intended to give Arnold.

I took a burlap bag from the shoulder bag and handed it to him.

"Mr. Arnold, this... it's a journal documenting the progress of patients with the self-destructive disease. I found it in the master's study."

Arnold inhaled sharply at my words.

After a few seconds of silence, he took the burlap bag and extracted the journal. He stared at the cover for a few seconds before flipping through the pages with his long fingers.

Arnold read the journal intently, but after only a few seconds, he closed the cover and asked in a voice lower than usual.

"Can I keep it?"

"Yes, I've already read it."

Arnold's face slightly contorted at my words. In those few seconds, he must have grasped the tragic content. His expression seemed to show concern for me.

The content of the journal was indeed not pleasant, but it was essential knowledge for Elvira.

I suddenly wondered where Elvira was. Was she still in the capital, or...

"By the way, where is Elvira?"

"She's with the master. ...The concoction is at a standstill."

His voice lacked energy. While I was away, Arnold had tried to concoct the potion from the monster's horn but had not succeeded.

However, after reading the master's journal, I understood that it was to be expected. A renowned alchemist had spent decades trying to achieve this, and even he had failed. It was unrealistic to expect Arnold, no matter how talented, to succeed in just a few days.

The content of the journal was filled with deep despair. But we don't have the luxury of time to wallow in despair.

"I'll start the concoction right away. Do you have a list or something?"

"Ah, before that..."

I tilted my head at Arnold's trailing words. The next moment, a man appeared behind Arnold.

"V, Veyk!"

The man who grinned at me, showing his teeth, was Veyk Backer, with an eye patch over his right eye.

Surprised, I let out a loud voice, and Veyk laughed.

The sudden and unexpected reunion left my brain in a state of confusion.

"Hey, kid. You seemed pretty worried, and I'm sorry for that."

"Um, no...! Um, are you feeling better...?"

"I'm not fully recovered, but I'm back on duty."

Despite knowing it was impolite, I couldn't help but scrutinize Veyk from head to toe.

He seemed to have lost some muscle, and his cheeks looked slightly sunken. However, he stood firmly on both feet, and there was no sign of pain on his face.

—He's safe. Except for the eye patch on his right eye.

I looked up at his green eye. The grin on his face was the same as it was a few months ago. The eye patch, which he didn't wear at "Last Brave," was probably for treatment.

Thinking about the right eye under the eye patch made my chest hurt. I couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different if I had had the courage to speak up at that time.

"When I was attacked by the monster, this guy took care of me, so I said I'd do something to thank him... and then he asked me to lend a hand."

I looked at Arnold at Veyk's words. He turned away, his tone more gruff than usual.

"Both the matter of your hometown and the Flaria matter, he says he'll lend us a knight."

"I can go. After all, I'm the most idle knight right now."

I was so surprised by Veyk's offer that I couldn't respond.

The situation was progressing so smoothly that it felt almost eerie.

"Um, I'm sorry to be so selfish, but there are two things I need help with..."

"Setting up a strong barrier magic for your hometown and providing protection, right?"

He's quick. Arnold must have explained everything in detail.

Veyk folded his arms, his smile fading. He pulled his chin up and looked down at me with a serious expression.

"I can arrange a mage for you right away. He's young, but I vouch for his abilities."

I couldn't believe that one of my worries would be resolved so quickly.

I could only nod, feeling as if my soul had left my body. Veyk glanced at me and continued.

"Regarding the protection, I'll take care of it. I'll send someone skilled to accompany you according to your schedule."

"Thank you so much!"

My voice finally returned.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, I repeatedly thanked him and bowed. Veyk patted my shoulder, saying, "Don't worry about it," and repeated it gently.

A warm feeling welled up in my eyes, a sign of relief. I realized how fortunate I was to have such supportive people around me.

As I savored the moment, Arnold suddenly turned his back on me, as if to signal that the conversation was over.

He must be very busy, but I hurriedly called out to him.

"Mr. Arnold, thank you so much!"

Even though he was helping with Elvira's case, I felt more grateful than anything else. I resolved to work hard on developing the cure for the self-destructive disease.

Arnold raised his right hand in response but looked tired. I thought about giving him a fatigue recovery potion soon.

Left with Veyk, I turned to him again. I looked directly at his eye patch and spoke.

"Mr. Veyk, I'm really glad you're safe. I'll be in your care for a while."

As I bowed, I felt a warm touch on my head. It was Veyk's palm, gently patting my head.

"I'm the one who should apologize for causing you worry. It must be tough for you, but let me know if there's anything I can help with. I'll do my best."

I looked up, and our eyes met. His grin, the eye patch, and the tight feeling in my chest made me want to cry.