Waletidina ran over unsteadily… She remembered everything that had happened during the Magic Rampage.
“Hey… are you okay?!”
Waletidina anxiously supported Iyue’s upper body. The color was draining from her entire body… It was a rather severe case of Magic Depletion.
“…I’m not dead yet.”
Iyue weakly lifted her head and glanced at her, then closed her eyes as if unable to bear the weight of her eyelids.
“If this condition isn’t treated quickly, it might get worse…”
The best way to alleviate the symptoms of Magic Depletion was to channel some magic power into the afflicted person’s body.
Just as Waletidina was about to gather magic power in her palm and send it into Iyue’s body, a memory that flashed through her mind abruptly stopped her.
She had been talking to that thing, that bullet from the [Relic]. And that bullet had said her magic power had already been contaminated—
Just as she hesitated because of this, Iyue’s frail comforting voice reached her.
“Don’t worry. This kind of thing… aren’t we already used to it? You don’t need to do anything. Let me rest like this for a while, and I’ll recover soon.”
So Waletidina had no choice but to stay silent. She let Iyue lean against her chest… That was the only thing she could do for Iyue right now.
She felt somewhat anxious. Not only because of Iyue’s condition, but also because she feared that certain people in the Royal Villa might notice the commotion here and come looking this way.
If that happened, she would have to explain everything that had happened here… and she was not ready. Perhaps she would never be ready.
“…Your armor is digging into my head.”
Fortunately, none of the things she feared came to pass. After a while, Iyue finally opened her eyes.
“Then stop leaning on me.”
Although she said this coldly, Waletidina still did not move and let her lean against her.
Iyue smiled nostalgically… because this was an interaction the two had once shared.
In those days when they were run ragged by the Magical Beasts in the Divine Forest, she had rested against this senior, who was much older than her, like this more than once.
Even though her armor and expression were both cold, she had never rejected this behavior, which was almost like a younger sister acting spoiled with her older sister.
Sometimes, she would even gently comb her hair with her fingers like this.
“I don’t remember what the person who turned me into this looked like.”
After this peaceful time had lasted a while, Waletidina slowly spoke.
“Waletidina, you don’t have to force yourself to remember—”
“It’s all right. I can control myself.” Waletidina gently pushed Iyue, who was about to sit up, back down. “I only remember that the voice was very far away… but I heard its content very clearly.”
“That voice, just as you said, proposed a [Resurrection Contract] to me… and I accepted.”
“…”
Iyue listened quietly.
“So I became like this. At first I couldn’t control the swelling magic power in this body, so I temporarily couldn’t repair my body’s disabilities and my disfigured face. When I heard from the residents of the nearby Forest Land that the Previous King had passed away, I had already fallen into despair… but when I learned that Her Majesty had been rescued by the Hero and returned to Fenglin City, I immediately hurried there.”
“And the Demon Spirit Duke’s army soon surrounded Fenglin City. I disguised myself, fighting the Demon Army in the city while adapting to this body. And after I finally helped the Hero and the others defeat the Demon Spirit Duke, I thought my mission was complete.”
“So I suppressed this body’s regeneration and prepared to find a place to quietly pass away… That night I thought I would die just like that, but when I woke the next day, my limbs had all returned to normal, and my appearance had become no different from before.”
“I was afraid that the Hero and the others who had fought alongside me would notice something, so I only went to see Her Majesty after they left. And Her Majesty joyfully accepted me and even held a grand banquet to welcome my return.”
“…”
“…So you never told her?”
Iyue thought her expression at this moment was very happy, but there were still some questions she needed to ask… even if those questions would temporarily shatter her happiness.
“How could I tell her?”
Just as Iyue had expected, the female knight’s expression darkened, and her questioning voice was steeped in pain.
“Tell her that I’m actually already a dead person? Tell her that the knight standing beside her is actually a monster revived by some eerie power, one that even if torn to pieces will grotesquely gather back into a mass of flesh and blood?”
“Waletidina—”
“Don’t tell Her Majesty!”
Waletidina suddenly raised her voice… Iyue felt water droplets wet her face.
“Please… I beg you, no matter what, don’t tell Her Majesty.”
“…”
Iyue stared at her in shock… The female knight was crying again.
In her tear-blurred eyes there was no trace of her former pride, only fear of losing something most precious to her.
“Waletidina, you are not a monster. You are my companion, my comrade-in-arms—”
“Her Majesty would say the same thing as you. Even if she knew I was this kind of thing, she would accept me… but the others around her would not.”
She heavily interrupted Iyue’s words.
“The Elder Council, the nobles, the courtiers of the Royal Court… they would never allow something like me to continue serving as Captain of the Imperial Guard. Even if Her Majesty insisted, they would force her to make a choice.”
“I want to stay by Her Majesty’s side… but I cannot let Her Majesty bear that pressure for me.”
“…”
Iyue wanted to persuade her… this kind of concealment would not end well.
But looking at this crying knight, who had devoted everything to her liege, she could not bring herself to say the words of advice.
Because Iyue empathized with her pain and her fear.
“…I won’t tell her now.”
Iyue finally said.
“But Waletidina, this cannot be hidden forever. If my [Relic] was right… then there is still a problem with the magic power inside you.”
“…I understand.”
“I would very much like to take you to the Great Sage for an examination right away… but I suppose you wouldn’t be willing.”
“I must stay by Her Majesty’s side—”
“That’s why I’m going to take you to find the one who turned you into this. The Family Head of the Nereve Family, Irevelian Nelf.”
“You want me to go see her…?”
Waletidina was stunned for a moment.
“Yes. Judging from the voice in your memory, the changes in your body, and what that Relic said… all of this is inextricably linked to that woman and one of her Relics.”
Iyue slowly got up from her embrace, supporting herself on a nearby tree trunk to stand.
Her body swayed once, but in the end she steadied herself.
“And my younger sister is the same. I must seek justice for you all… and also find the connection between this attack and the family. This is also for the Queen’s safety.”
Waletidina was silent for a moment, then slowly stood up as well.
“Yeah… then I’ll go with you. If she really is the one who turned me into this… then I must ask her about it in person and get a clear answer.”
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