Ch.212212. Probation (2)

Gathering up the body of the deceased and moving the severely injured took only a moment. The once grandly decorated altar had long since become ruins. There was no need to linger in such a desolate place now that their business was done.

They hastily relocated to a spot far from where the battle had occurred. Moving secretly and leaving no trace, most of the elves were now preparing their temporary shelter and concealing their presence by arranging the environment.

Meanwhile, a small number of other elves were devoted to caring for and treating the severely wounded.

“Oh my…”

An elf frowned upon seeing Friel Arielt’s dire condition as she lay with her eyes tightly closed, breathing shallowly.

“…Her condition is worse than I thought.”

The wound revealed after removing her torn armor was deeper and larger than expected.

Airine silently looked down at Friel for a moment. The unconscious Friel’s image reflected in her dark red eyes, which held a certain coldness.

“Can you heal her wounds?”

“Regrettably… it’s impossible to recover from such wounds here.”

“…”

“Look here. The stab wound has been infiltrated by Magia to the point where the surrounding flesh and skin have turned black. Because of the Magia, the wound won’t heal easily… if we don’t return and seek the World Tree’s grace to dispel the Magia, her condition will slowly worsen.”

As she continued speaking, the elf carefully picked up another potion.

“Given the situation, all we can do now is emergency treatment to prevent further deterioration, but…”

A troubled expression filled her face.

“We don’t have many potions left. It seems individuals still have some personal supplies, but our communal provisions won’t last much longer.”

Having been in the Eastern Forest for quite some time now, their dwindling supplies were beginning to strangle the unit.

It couldn’t be helped. With monsters attacking during the day and unknown creatures assaulting them at night, they had consumed many potions to prevent greater damage or to forcibly regain vitality.

Airine slowly brushed her crimson hair back and said:

“I’ll provide potions that I’ve kept separately.”

“You mean…”

“Most of what I give should go to Arielt, and the remaining few—”

Airine turned her head.

She began to see the human who had single-handedly killed the half-demon half-human. Perhaps from overexertion, he had collapsed unconscious, showing no signs of waking. And beside him was the woman known as his master, the daughter of Sianella.

“Use them for that collapsed human over there. He defeated a half-demon alone, so we certainly can’t neglect him.”

“I’ll do as you say.”

“By the way.”

Airine’s eyes narrowed.

“It seems there are no other elves attending to them over there. May I know why?”

She had clearly instructed that not only Friel but also that human called Ray should be properly cared for.

Yet only the Count’s daughter and her two knights were by his side.

She couldn’t help but be concerned.

‘Humans are still just humans.’

Though he possessed something special, as indicated by the World Tree and the Grand Elder who had designated him as a future hero.

Humans are ultimately just humans.

They live shorter lives than elves, have much weaker bodies, and possess inferior talents. Even with a massive stab wound to her chest, Friel was desperately resisting death as long as her heart continued to beat, however faintly.

Though his skills and abilities might have transcended the limitations of his species, his physical body apparently had not.

With a hole in his leg causing significant blood loss, and having collapsed after depleting all his mana to the point of exhaustion…

Unlike the mighty elves, his heart would likely yield to death without much resistance when it approached.

‘With such inexperienced nursing, he’ll receive no help at all.’

No, it might even make things worse.

When she asked for the reason, the elf carefully answered:

“Well… the young lady requested that others withdraw so she could nurse him herself—”

“…”

Airine glared at the elf for a moment.

To simply grant her request to nurse him herself and dismiss others—what if his condition worsened?

Instead of scolding the elf, she slowly approached Sione.

As she approached from behind the young lady, who had been standing motionless by the man’s leg, she could finally see what the noble daughter had been doing all this time.

“Lady Sione, perhaps you should rest a bit—”

“Lady Diolia.”

“…”

“I’m sorry to ask again, but… could you get me one more mana potion?”

The young lady was continuously sweating. She wouldn’t be sweating this much just from standing still.

Shifting her gaze from Sione’s profile, which was hidden by her bowed head, Airine looked at where the young lady had placed her hands.

She had her hands over the man’s leg where he had been wounded by the sword. Despite having the most unskilled mana control of anyone gathered here, she was desperately channeling it with more concentration than anyone else, pushing it toward his wound.

‘This is…’

She was burning away the Magia.

Using that power inherited in her blood, a power that had become diluted over centuries, she was employing it to its extreme. Until the wound healed and the potion could repair the punctured hole, she continued to squeeze out and pour in her mana as soon as it replenished.

As Airine watched from a distance behind her, the young lady’s knight brought a mana potion.

“This is the last potion. You really must rest now.”

“Oh, alright—”

The young lady reached out to take the potion, but the knight didn’t release his grip.

“Lady Sione.”

Only then did the young lady raise her head to look at the knight.

A start.

What expression did he see?

“…I said I understand.”

The knight hesitated momentarily before finally handing the potion to the young lady.

She uncorked the potion, drained it in one go, and set the empty bottle down. There were already four or five empty bottles accumulated.

It seemed she had been doing this continuously since Airine had stepped outside to coordinate the scattered troops in Friel’s place.

Even though drinking the potion wouldn’t immediately replenish her mana, she began again to squeeze out whatever mana she had and pour it into his leg.

How much time passed like this?

“Haaah…”

After hearing the young lady sigh, her long concentration finally ended, and she raised her head.

Airine finally approached the young lady’s side. She wanted to see the results of the young lady’s desperate healing efforts, and what expression she had shown that had momentarily startled the knight.

As Airine moved to Sione’s left side, Sione happened to turn in her direction, reaching out her hand.

“Ah—”

She withdrew her outstretched hand and met Airine’s eyes.

“…Lady Airine.”

“…”

“I’ve heard what happened. I was told that if you had brought Ray even a little later, his leg might have needed amputation.”

The young lady smiled at Airine. It was a clouded smile.

“Thanks to you, we avoided the worst. Thank you.”

The round, pleasant aura that the young lady had been emanating around Ray until now was nowhere to be found.

Whether from deep fatigue or something else, blood vessels surrounded her blue eyes, and her haggard appearance made her look even more precarious.

However, contrary to her sickly appearance, the spirit she was emitting was sharper than ever before. As if she would never forgive any attempt to interfere with her, as if she wouldn’t allow anyone but herself to approach him.

She was exuding an aura as sharp as a spear.

The problem was—

‘…?’

She should have been showing less strength than the man lying down, or indeed anyone else here.

Yet her emanating energy was pricking Airine’s skin, warning of danger.

“Lady Airine.”

The young lady now seemed alien.

Perhaps that elf earlier had also stepped back from this aspect of the young lady, allowing her to nurse Ray.

“Lady Airine—”

In the moment their eyes met.

Somehow time seemed to freeze. The young lady’s lips were moving. She seemed to be saying something, but it couldn’t be heard.

However.

Thump.

“It’s just that his leg wound hasn’t healed yet, so I’m a bit urgent…”

When she grabbed Airine’s arm, Airine’s body stiffened at the fragments of emotion flowing through the young lady’s hand.

Beneath Sione’s voice, disguised as kindness while suppressing her emotions, lay thick irritation.

They say the eyes are the mirror of the soul.

Airine, meeting Sione’s gaze, swallowed dryly.

“…”

Her eyes were blue, yet pitch black.

“I’m sorry, but would you please step aside for a moment… or quickly hand over your potions?”

A thunderstorm was subtly revealing itself over the blue sky of her eyes.

As if she would never forgive anyone who tried to interfere with her nursing the man.