“Young Master, this is just too thick…”
“I’m a little scared!”
“Where is it thick? It’s always been this one…”
“Young Master, please be gentler. I’m really afraid of pain…”
“…”
In a guest wing of Claremont Manor, within a certain room.
Lin Nuo, who had been working for most of the day, faced yet another—he didn’t even know which number this was—elemental messenger who had proactively lied on the bed.
She had unfastened half of her magic robe and was already crying out in pain.
He had no choice but to abandon the idea of slacking off.
Using Healing Magic once again, he numbed the pain around her wound.
Then, he extracted a stalk of St. John’s Wort that was already saturated with tainted blood before inserting a second, fresh magical herb to fill the gap in the wound, waiting for the inflammation to subside and the healing to begin.
“Thank you for your hard work, Young Master Lin Nuo!”
He stepped out of the room, which was serving as a temporary infirmary.
The knights resting in the hallway, all of whom had suffered more or less during the recent battle with the magical creatures and had been bandaged by him, gathered around.
“Young Master Lin Nuo, if I may ask, when did you learn the Healing Arts?”
“This magic that promotes blood circulation and removes stasis… if we were to seek out an elderly healer outside, I don’t even know how many gold coins it would cost…”
One knight marveled as he moved his arm, which no longer felt any swelling or pain after being treated by Lin Nuo.
“Actually, before I came out, my wife told me that a certain pair of parts of hers were also a bit blocked. They’re so blocked that the child has nothing to eat!”
“Although it’s not exactly a blood clot… the effect should be similar. Could you teach me this craft, Young Master?”
“Exactly! Young Master Lin Nuo should definitely teach you. Many of those old apothecaries outside are just big names with no skill!”
“My wife’s back used to always hurt. I took her to see a famous herbalist priest, and that old man told us to have less sex! But I’m always out on the field; I only see my wife once every two months. Even if I wanted to, we haven’t done it many times! I knew that old man was a fraud back then. He was talking nonsense…”
“Uh, brother, is it possible… the old priest was telling the truth, but your wife just wasn’t doing it with you?”
“?”
Amidst the idle chatter of the knights, Lin Nuo, having completed his tasks, walked out of the corridor.
His consciousness delved into his body, and he inspected the changes within the Natural Magic Book.
Thanks to this recent period, he finally had wounded subjects to practice the various effects of his healing spells on.
[Level 2: Healing Spell]
This ability, which used to be nearly stagnant when manually cast, could now release a certain amount of warm, white light with strange healing properties whenever Lin Nuo wished.
What Lin Nuo cared about was its passive state.
Besides being able to help him speed up his mana recovery and the recently discovered ability to help him memorize healing-type magical knowledge faster…
There were even other new derivative abilities.
Seeing that no one was around, Lin Nuo used his foot to hook a knight’s longsword that had been left in the corridor.
Gripping the hilt, he channeled mana into his arm.
With the scabbard still attached, he gathered strength and performed a horizontal slash into the empty air.
It looked no different from an ordinary slash, but even through the scabbard, the explosive boom triggered as it sliced through the air manifested the difference of this strike.
Because this was a War Technique: [Level 0: Heavy Slash]
[Note: Back in the day, I used this skill to hack my way from the Goddess’s Temple all the way down to the twenty-third floor of the dungeon. For five years and six months, back and forth, I never even blinked.]
‘Heavy Slash. Uncle Dax said this is a basic War Technique that every Holy Knight must master.’
‘But I haven’t learned it, yet I know how to use it…’ Lin Nuo squeezed his hand, a look of enlightened surprise crossing his face.
‘Is it because, in the process of using my mana to heal those Holy Knights, I can to some extent obtain the other party’s experience points for a certain skill?’
‘Whatever. I’ll have to test it again when I have more time.’
Seeing that there were no other techniques for him to try besides this basic slash, Lin Nuo put the sword back in its original place.
“Good day, Young Master!”
“Good day, Young Master!”
“…”
The maids of Claremont Manor bowed respectfully, giving Lin Nuo a unique sense of familiarity.
He thought that perhaps back in Xī’s territory, the respect of those Ling Yao came from the heart, but their overly serious admiration made him feel like a statue.
He was indeed more used to being at home.
He opened the door to his bedroom.
On the table sat a cup of black tea that a certain young lady had already set out for him.
“Chirp, chirp…”
Taking a sip of the refreshing tea, Lin Nuo heard a bird’s cry and leaned in to look at the desk nearby.
He saw the little white Fatty Bird clutching a piece of cloth with its talons, standing at the bottom of a medicine furnace, scrubbing the porcelain inner wall back and forth.
Seeing Lin Nuo looking at it, Fatty Bird immediately lay down inside the furnace, looking like a little bird that had collapsed from exhaustion.
‘Are you… stewing yourself in a pot?’
“The fire isn’t lit, of course.” A familiar, faint fragrance drifted by.
A fair, slender hand picked up the bird from the furnace and fed it a green grape.
“My Young Master’s bird knows how to clean. I’ve truly learned something new.”
Wearing her sacred priestess habit and carrying a proper smile, Xī calmed the little Fatty Bird and walked gracefully behind Lin Nuo.
Her soft hands were placed on his shoulders, massaging them back and forth.
“Young Master has been quite lazy for several days now.”
“Being lazy is very normal! As long as we don’t mock other people’s dreams, we should respect every lazy dog.”
Glancing at the book (The Record of the Fallen Goddess) on the table, Lin Nuo added, “Of course, those who write lewd books should be diligent.”
“Chirp chirp?”
Fatty Bird, having taken two pecks at the grape, seemed to be asking him why.
“I’m not the one writing lewd books, so what does it have to do with me? Besides, if people don’t write them, what am I supposed to read?”
“Chirp chirp…”
“Mhm, that makes sense.” Xī’s eyes curved slightly with a smile as she nodded.
Her soft fingertips suddenly moved to Lin Nuo’s collarbone, pulling it open to check the scars inside.
“I’ve seen it so many times already, so why are you still blocking me? Take it off; I’ll help you apply some medicine.”
She gave his hand a painless slap and went to the desk to search for a moment.
Soon, she brought out a bottle of potion.
As the stopper was pulled, the fresh scent of herbs and wood wafted out.
Skin-Weaving Dew.
It was made by mixing sunlight crystal powder with honey, calendula oil, and magical ingredients.
Xī said she had searched for the recipe for a long time and hand-crafted it herself.
It was said to be worth fifty gold coins.
This…
‘Don’t hand-craft it anymore. Even if you crafted it with your feet, it wouldn’t be worth fifty gold coins.’
Lin Nuo glanced under the hem of her fresh priestess habit at Xī’s pair of bare, pinkish-white feet stepping on the soft carpet of his room.
‘Well… if it were crafted with her feet, it might actually be worth it.’
Although fifty gold coins were nothing to the Clemence family, Lin Nuo still felt he had to mention it.
This was where Xī was a bit irrational.
She didn’t want to leave even a single scar on him.
“Eh? Don’t take off my clothes… You’re touching me all over… Hiss…” Lin Nuo asked tentatively, “How about… I do it myself?”
“Doesn’t the Young Master know? The Duchess sent a letter the day before yesterday saying that to prevent you from causing trouble again, all your allowance is under my control until they return.”
Xī withdrew her delicate hand that he had been pressing down on, her movements to pull up his clothes never stopping.
She even raised her snowy leg to press against Lin Nuo’s knee.
Her ample chest, which prevented her from seeing her toes if she looked down, leaned close to him as she said earnestly:
“The physical condition of my own man affects my mood. Neither of those is a small matter. If the Young Master wants to be willful and make me unhappy, it’s quite reasonable to reduce his expenses.”
“Young Master… you wouldn’t want to be without any spending money, would you?”
“?”
“You could have just lied to me and said this was a task my father and mother gave you. I would have likely listened to you regardless.”
“Since you’re going to listen either way, wouldn’t it be better if the Young Master was just a little more obedient?”
“…”
‘That… also seems to make sense?’
‘But letting you touch me voluntarily versus being pinned down and touched… can that be the same thing?’
‘A man’s dignity!’
‘Though dignity isn’t worth much pocket money, anyway.’
Seeing that Xī was the same as before, first applying a layer of potion and then dabbing ointment on her fingertips, she rubbed the cooling cream into his wound.
She tucked her hair behind her ear and gently blew on the wound with a soft “hoo-hoo” sound.
Seeing her so attentive made the awkward Lin Nuo feel a bit embarrassed.
“Ahem…” He rubbed his nose and asked, “How about I take you to pick out a new room?”
Ever since they boarded the Migurdia patrol ship to return, Lin Nuo had asked Xī if she wanted to change to a room with a larger bathroom.
Xī had also mentioned that she wanted to move from the chapel to the main building of the manor.
He wasn’t sure if she was worried about facing danger again and thought that living in the chapel would make it harder to support each other.
There seemed to be no precedent for a priestess living in the main building before, but she was his own priestess after all.
Not to mention she had taken care of him for so long, and they had shared two life-and-death experiences between the Illusory Realm and the crisis at Shilang Bay.
Recalling Xī’s serious expression as she applied the ointment, Lin Nuo felt that even without those reasons, it was perfectly fine to give Xī special treatment.
***
“This one has the best lighting. Look, those are the pink roses the gardener bred last year. When they bloom, I like to sit by the window here and read, though it gets a bit hot if the sun is too strong.”
“Mhm.”
“This one was converted from my former study. After the wisteria blooms, the leaves get very thick. Occasionally, they block the afternoon sun, so it gets a bit dark, but it’s very secluded.”
“Mhm.”
“And this one faces north. It has the best view and the large bath you wanted. I think it suits you quite well. If you like painting, this is the most suitable choice.”
“Mhm.”
“Actually, the chapel was already quite good.” Seeing that Xī had only given soft “mhm” responses all the way, Lin Nuo said, “Tell me, which kind do you want to live in? Or do you have any hobbies? I can help you decide.”
“Hobbies? Well, I want a balcony, the kind where I can grow some wild daisies.”
Returning to their original position, the girl stopped her footsteps.
She glanced at the balcony in Lin Nuo’s room, a sweet, crafty smile flashing through her eyes.
“In that case, on the day my chrysanthemums bloom, the Young Master must come over to admire and play with them.”
“Of course.”
Xī’s chrysanthemums.
‘…Well, I imagine they’ll be very beautiful.’
“Young Master, Count Dax requests your presence. He has some matters to discuss with you.”
The maid’s announcement reached them.
The young lady beside him took hold of his arm and said considerately, “The Young Master’s recommendations are all very good. Since you still have things to finish, go ahead. I’ll pick for myself from here…”
“Chirp chirp.”
The little white Fatty Bird, hearing the commotion, flew out of the room.
It carried a green grape in its beak and landed on Xī’s hand, using its wing to signal for her to help peel it.
“I can let the Young Master’s little bird help me pick a room,” Xī said with a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze.
“Is the Young Master certain that I can stay in any room in this wing?”
“Of course, it’s just a small matter… would I lie to you?”
Thinking that Dax probably had something important to say, and since Lin Nuo also had some things he hadn’t figured out, he patted Fatty Bird’s head.
He let his picky yet spiritual scout chicken accompany Xī on her walk.
“Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat.”
Watching Lin Nuo’s footsteps gradually fade into the distance, the smile on Xī’s sweet, first-love-like face deepened.
Fatty Bird, having finished the grape, naturally had to work.
It chirped and flew around for a while, helping Xī look for a room that a little bird would prefer to live in.
“Chirp chirp?”
“No.”
“Chirp chirp?”
“No.”
The little bird held by Xī pointed to several rooms with its wings, but Xī slowly shook her head.
“Still not right.”
She tapped the skin of the grape in her hand and then tapped the fruit plate in Lin Nuo’s bedroom.
“Chirp chirp!”
Fatty Bird nodded and suddenly flapped its wings, flying into Lin Nuo’s room.
It even stood on the doorknob and waved its wing at her.
It was telling the big sister who could feed it fruit to come in quickly.
“Mhm, where else could be as comfortable as living with him? Then this is it. You picked it for me, after all.”
“Chirp chirp…”
Smiling, she stepped into the bedroom that carried his scent.
She picked up his soft quilt.
Glancing at the closed door out of the corner of her eye, she leaned in to sniff it with relief.
“Sniff—sniff—”
Xī peeled a second green grape with a satisfied smile, broke it into small pieces, and fed it into Fatty Bird’s mouth.
“You really are the Young Master’s good little bird.”
“Chirp! Chirp!”