Deep in the dense forest, the gloomy sky was pitch black.
Leaving the Elf Slaves to guard Amidina, Parkes, nervously scratching at Vitz’s body, fumbled through the thick, low-hanging canopy in the dark, searching for something.
Until he heard Ruding’s weak voice not far off:
“Old man, hurry…”
“Help me out!”
Pushing aside layer after layer of shrubs, he saw a disheveled figure, covered from head to toe in horrifying wounds, bleeding profusely.
The right arm that had just thrown the dagger was completely shattered, the broken stump emitting a chilling cold air as the battered man curled up, weakly gasping for breath.
Not only his hand—both of Ruding’s legs were broken at the knees as well.
From his eyelids down to his chin, wounds cracked open and bleeding from the pressure of magical energy.
He could only crawl pitifully forward, dragging himself through the dirt with one hand that was still somewhat intact.
“How many times have I told you—don’t lay a hand on Lin Nuo, don’t lay a hand on Lin Nuo!” Parkes said coldly.
” Do you have no sense of lawlessness left? Do you think the title of First Duke of Clemence is just for show?!”
“They say ever since he got that Dark Injury, his strength is barely one-tenth of what it used to be. I saw you draw your sword—you actually thought you could… Luckily, the angel I worship governs healing magic, or else you’d have finished me off right here…” Ruding’s voice trembled with fear.
“Which eye of yours saw me dare to attack? Didn’t you see I didn’t even dare unsheathe my sword? Because I know that sword, if even half-exposed in a place like that, the first to die would be me!”
Parkes squatted down and roughly poured Healing Potion over Ruding’s legs.
“Vitz’s hand could get through only because Kuxiu’s Dark Injury flared, weakening his aura for a moment. He got lucky this time—you think there’ll be a second chance?”
“Someone like him won’t hesitate to kill you just to keep his hands clean of your blood. Even if your dagger’s target wasn’t Lin Nuo, daring to move a knife in a place like that would be enough to kill you a thousand times over!”
Parkes’s nearly humiliating words made Ruding’s face darken, but he was too weak to argue.
Who could have expected that the man, supposedly reduced to a fraction of his strength by Dark Injury, could still exert such overwhelming magical force with just a hint leaking out…
Crushing him would be easier than crushing an ant…
“Hehe, young master, take Vitz’s arm for your use. Vitz is willing to sacrifice his entire body for you…”
“Get lost! You stink all over—stay away from me!”
Before Ruding could curse further, Parkes pressed his shoe against Vitz’s broken arm wound, forcing the man—still grinning with that nervous, deranged look—down to the ground.
“We’ve been preparing the Silver Tears Lake mission for over seven years. Amidina is part of the Angekesai family, and with that person above and so many dukes watching, it’s absolutely impossible for anyone else to interfere, not even him…”
“But his son’s performance really surprised me. He’s smart.”
“You mean… that person?” Ruding’s face showed some surprise.
He knew very well how unheard-of it was for his proud father Parkes to praise others, especially young outsiders.
But once again, Ruding couldn’t refute, and his heart chilled recalling the scene from earlier.
‘What kind of reflexes did Lin Nuo have—to leap forward like that? Did he see through me… or was he truly resolved to die?’
‘If Yulilian had met the dagger first, that attack wouldn’t have left a single wound on him—in fact, it might have been me who was first overwhelmed by that man’s magic…’
“Let’s go. Suffering a little loss at the hands of someone who can’t use magic is part of your training for this trip,” Parkes said, wrapping Ruding in his coat as he carried him.
“I already see it—you’re no match for him, magic or otherwise. You’re far behind.”
Ruding wanted to say more but ended up just grinding his teeth and huffing in frustration.
***
“Chirp chirp!”
In the brightly lit room, Fatty Bird, fluttering his wings, pushed the wide-open window shut with his head.
Lin Nuo pulled the blanket to cover the torn spot, finally stopping the cold wind from blowing inside.
Fatty Bird then flew to perch on Yulilian’s shoulder, warming the hollow at her neck with the heat from his head.
“Uh~ My eyes are a bit blurry… Why did you only eat vegetables for dinner?”
“This dish wasn’t for me—it’s for the pig.”
Seeing that Yulilian was already dazed, Lin Nuo lifted the jar full of medicinal herbs for recovery and said, “Open your mouth, I’ll feed you, hurry up.”
“I’m not a pig… ahm…”
“Ptooey, bitter and disgusting! So… so hard to eat!”
Yulilian stuck out her tongue, scrunching her face like a steamed bun, but at least she swallowed the medicine.
Thankfully, the potions and herbs for healing were ready-made, though it was uncertain how effective they would be…
Lin Nuo set the jar down and unbuttoned the front of Yulilian’s clothes to check the wound on her abdomen where the dagger had struck.
“Big sister still went to Silver Tears Lake with them… When she comes back, she’ll definitely be old and ugly…”
Yulilian, teary-eyed, tugged at his sleeve.
“Lin Nuo, can you promise me that if sister gets old, you’ll still like her?”
“I can’t promise that. Don’t say anything else.”
“But I’m like this, and you still won’t promise me—wahh…” Yulilian’s voice had a hint of grievance, and her little face was even wetter with tears.
“Then you really dislike my sister. If you don’t dislike her, then after you two get married, I… I can stand in for her and…”
“But I really haven’t come of age yet!”
“…”
“If sister gets old, I have to help her give my brother-in-law children, wahhh… Such an easy-to-bully dragon!”
“…”
‘Are you hurt in the stomach or did a donkey kick your brain?’
“Think whatever you want, but don’t fall asleep. If you do, I’ll end up disliking both you and your sister.”
Lin Nuo warmed his hands by the candlelight and gently pulled up her clothes from the bottom.
But when he saw the spot where the dagger had struck just now, it hadn’t left a single wound on her pale belly—just a bruise like one from a blunt strike, the injury surprisingly mild.
He looked on with some surprise.
‘The dagger’s strike was obviously calculated, aiming to kill Yulilian by going through me…’
Unsure if it was normal to take such a devastating magical attack head-on without suffering fatal wounds, Lin Nuo didn’t dare slack off.
Just as he was about to urge a Healing Mage to come quickly, a small hand grabbed his.
Yulilian whispered, “I can heal myself. No need to bring anyone to treat me. Sister said she doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone, and neither do I.”
“So many have helped us here already, including you… Sister hates the cold the most. Every time she comes back from Silver Tears Lake, she shivers the entire night. When I saw the firelight in the fireplace in this room, I thought, the duke, the duchess, you—they’re all good people…”
“…”
At a time like this, why pull the ‘good person’ card?!
“Lin Nuo, do you know why I always eat so much…”
He checked again and found that besides the bruise on Yulilian’s lower abdomen, there was truly no wound.
Though her energy was much weaker than usual, her heartbeat and pulse were normal, which finally allowed him to relax a bit.
“Do you want to know why I always eat so much?”
Yulilian sniffled and asked again.
“I actually know a kind of magic. The food I eat can temporarily transform into magic stored inside my body from the Red Dragon. I’ve been storing it for many years…” Yulilian said.
“I know those people want to release the Whale in Silver Tears Lake by paying with their lifespan and magic. Though I’m not sure if my lifespan and magic are enough, but I feel like, no matter what, a Red Dragon’s lifespan is at least a little longer than an Elf’s.”
“Unfortunately, the magic I stored is now all used to heal my wounds. I can’t help her anymore. There’s no one left who can help her.”
“I’m so tired, but I don’t want to sleep yet. I want to wait for her…” Yulilian lifted her little face, voice faint.
“Lin Nuo, you think sister will come back safely, right?”
“…”