WNC 371

The capital of Yulan smelled of salt.

The people of Yulan, a nation that relied entirely on the sea, were said to wear layers of fabric as light as dragonfly wings, but today it was nothing like that. Everyone was wrapped in several thick shawls, making it easy to look around.

Indeed, no matter how warm the coastal climate, it was the dead of winter. Though it was only as cool as late autumn compared to the capital, the air that touched their cheeks was definitely cold.

As more people passed by and their gazes became noticeable, I set Ruben down. The child briefly considered the direction before stepping forward without a hint of hesitation. Pulled along by Ruben’s hand, we entered a certain inn.

It was a building that clearly looked like it only had a ground floor.

However, Ruben grabbed the clerk and started saying strange things like he wanted to stay on the fourth basement floor and needed apricot jam. The clerk, with a bewildered look, insisted that such things didn’t exist and that he was speaking nonsense, but soon he guided us down a side path.

After passing through three forks, we reached a long, straight corridor.

Walking with a soft rustle, I felt as if I were possessed by a ghost. It reminded me of the day I first stepped into the Nobility Almanac Management and Inspection Department with Wilton Roberts.

The clerk walked four steps ahead, and Ruben walked half a step ahead of me. I walked beside him, entrusting my wrist to the child’s hand.

Hesitating, unsure if I should speak, Ruben noticed and spoke to me first.

“It’s okay. You can talk.”

I carefully opened my mouth, conscious of the clerk ahead.

“…Are the codes usually consistent?”

“They change every few months, but codes within two years are allowed depending on the circumstances.”

“Hmm.”

“It’s also possible because my face is well-known. I’ll tell you later, too.”

“Me too?”

“Yes. Mika needs to know now.”

Now?

But whatever it was, it was better to know than not to know. I nodded in understanding.

The passage led to a detached building of a certain mansion. No one explained why we had to find a secret passage, but recalling how the information group in Owen was similarly disguised, I just accepted it.

The informants in the detached building performed a few perfunctory identity verification procedures and then handed four Ranunculuses to Ruben. After checking the soundproofing of the room with an open terrace, Ruben took out one Ranunculus from each cage.

The first Ranunculus was sent to the capital.

“My dearest Father, your son, Rubel Anti Searon, is currently in Palmire, the capital of Yulan. As previously conveyed in Duke Widro’s name, I went to Indus Canyon to eliminate a group of black magicians, but they escaped through some mysterious magic, and I was unable to achieve my objective. I will detail the form and traces of this magic later, so please discuss it with the people of the Magic Tower and inform me of the results. Also…”

The second Ranunculus was sent to the Duke Widro Family.

“…Since things have turned out this way, I would appreciate it if you could inform me in detail about the current situation in the Duchy of Grimesbane and the numbers and status of the troops that were to be sent to Felix’s West. I believe it would be best to proceed after asking the Sun God for the next course of action…”

The third Ranunculus was sent to the Sanctuary of the Sun.

“…Therefore, if any of the party, or someone who needs help, is in that place, please send this Ranunculus to Palmire, the capital of Yulan, with details about their injuries, any necessary relief supplies, and their current situation. I, Rubel Anti Searon, Second Prince, guarantee this message.”

The last, fourth Ranunculus was sent to a small village in Felix’s West.

“…For that reason, the entire army is to wait until further orders. If you need anything, first deliver it to Duke Widro, but if you need additional help, feel free to seek me out and request it at any time. I, Rubel Anti Searon, will visit you soon.”

The four Ranunculuses kicked off the table and flew away, disappearing from sight.

All four Ranunculuses that departed were blue.

It was partly because Ruben’s mana was insufficient and I supplemented it, but it was more because Ruben’s mana had bloomed blue. Ruben’s mana, which had been a hazy, clear sky blue, had fully turned a clear blue like mine only after our trip to the Shatun Desert.

A Mage’s Circle color is determined from birth, but a knight’s aura is determined by the color they prefer as they train their sword. Since Ruben learned Azure Sky out of his affection for me, his mana or aura gradually turning blue was no different than a sign of his affection.

Whenever I read the child’s inner feelings in this way, I would carefully hide my fluttering heart.

As soon as Ruben sent off all the Ranunculuses, he immediately summoned a servant and called for a doctor.

Startled, I grabbed Ruben’s wrist and checked his pulse. Even when falling in the Indus Canyon, I had held Ruben safely in my arms so he wouldn’t get a single scratch, so I worried if he had been enduring pain all along.

Seeing my concern, Ruben laughed hollowly and pushed me onto the sofa in the inner room.

“Not me, Mika. You.”

“…Why me?”

“You were injured. Now that we can’t move immediately until the Ranunculuses return, and there’s nothing to do, you should check your physical condition at a time like this.”

“Aren’t I healed? My bones have already all mended…”

“There might be aftereffects, Mika. I know how you’ve lived… But still, I wish you would cherish your body a little more.”

“…”

Buried in the plush sofa, I quietly looked up at Ruben. The child had a pained expression that didn’t suit his pale face. He murmured in a voice that seemed to have lost its strength, then placed his hand over the back of my left hand and gently stroked it, and involuntarily, my throat tightened.

…I couldn’t say anything. I just nodded.

The doctor who arrived was a man in his forties, with large, round, timid-looking eyes.

After hearing a few explanations from Ruben, the man immediately cast Clean Magic over my head. Then, he swept my arm with a long, rod-shaped Artifact. His already large eyes widened further as he swept my shoulder and then my head with the Artifact once more.

The sight did not look like it would lead to good news. Glancing at Ruben’s face darkening with seriousness, I neatly folded my knees and sat up straighter.

I obediently endured as the physician pried open my eyes to shine a light on my pupils and made me open my mouth wide to examine the inside of my tongue. The physician, who examined me for a long time and meticulously, as if I had contracted some unknown disease, finally opened his mouth.

“…Patient, how on earth… are you alive?”

“Huh?”

“At this point, you should have died of shock… No, the bone regeneration rate in your forearm is 45%. Half the bone from here to here was pulverized and discarded, does that make any sense? Open fractures have degrees, but what on earth did you do to tear human skin like this?”

“…If you are to become a knight, how can you not endure pain…”

“No, are Sword Masters not human? Using aura means you can move faster and stronger, it doesn’t mean your body automatically splits and regenerates. You’re not some Troll… Ugh, looking at it now, your bones practically exploded. Did you grab an Ogre by the scruff of its neck or something?”

Ruben’s expression gradually hardened.

I felt a pang of guilt. Not wanting to burden the child with unnecessary worry, I had waved my hand, telling him not to fuss, but the quack grabbed my head and rummaged around the back of my skull, examining something.

“Here too. What did you hit it with? There’s a crack mark remaining.”

Annoyed and bothered by the meddlesome fellow, I pushed away the hand that was holding me. Ruben answered the quack’s fussing. With a pale face, the child stared intently at my head, at the spot the doctor had just touched, and opened his mouth.

“…A rock.”

“A rock? Just how big was this rock for it to do this to a body reinforced with aura… Ugh, it’s fortunate your neck bone didn’t break. It’s lucky you used the Medical Artifact, a Type 5 Joint Recovery Device; if it had been a Type 3 or 4, you wouldn’t be here. Injuries this severe require at least three months, or up to three years, of recovery.”

What kind of fuss is this? Ruben, listening beside me, looked worried, so I quickly spoke up.

“What? No, it’s been weeks since I was treated. It doesn’t hurt at all now.”

“No phantom pain? That’s impossible.”

“No, I didn’t even know I was injured. After using the Healing Artifact, I could move my fingertips well.”

“Like suddenly laughing, feeling extremely excited, and happy… Didn’t you feel that way?”

“…What?”

…Did I?

Well, no, but isn’t it natural to feel happy? I succeeded in protecting Ruben amidst that chaos.

Even now, when I recall that moment, I feel immensely proud. Especially kicking the falling rock to change direction in mid-air, and then instantly embedding my left arm into the cliff to save Ruben and the right arm that was shielding him, was a very wise choice.

Inwardly, I harbored the thought of boasting to Maelo Sanson, should I ever meet him, that I survived thanks to his advice.

However, this quack didn’t read my inner thoughts at all and just babbled nonsense.

“When a person runs until their breath reaches their head, they feel good. They don’t know they’re in pain, they don’t know they’re struggling. When you reach the limit, your head tricks your body. It’s the same thing. You were half out of your mind from the pain.”

“…”

“Still, it’s fortunate that you don’t seem that way now. Your pupils are normal, and apart from being a little low on blood, the color of your tongue is good…”

“No, really… I’m really fine.”

Ruben’s gaze, which glared at me without a word, hurt fifty times more than my healed left arm.

Glancing at the child, I hastily tried to dissuade the doctor, but he didn’t listen to a word I said. He simply waved the rod-shaped Artifact he was holding like a wizard’s staff and declared.

“I’ve been a doctor for over twenty years. If you ignore my words and try to hold a shield with your left arm and swing it, you’ll be in serious trouble. If you’re not careful, your existing body might block the blood flow to the regenerated area, causing necrosis. Amputation can be treated with magic, but you know that rotting is not allowed. You’ll have to cut it all off and treat it from scratch.”

“…”

“Make sure to eat well. Especially meat, milk, and… something substantial to help regenerate bones and muscles. In any case, eat whatever you can without being picky. Understood?”

“Are there any other prescriptions?”

As Ruben intervened with a serious look, the doctor flinched and replied sternly.

“Of course, you need to take medicine. I’ll give you regeneration potions and pills, so take them diligently three times a day after meals for a week. It’s best to take them within thirty minutes after meals. After that, I’ll prescribe more medicine based on your progress.”

“Yes, please… take good care of her.”

“…”