Chapter 38: Little Hero

“Aurelia Sister!”

The tender voice called her name.

Aurelia was taken aback, and before she could react, the voice shouted loudly again: “『Αναστήσει ο άνεμος!』(Wind Arise!)”

“Boom!”

A powerful gust of wind surged from behind her, striking directly at the incoming Vampire Beast’s face and knocking it flat to the ground.

Aurelia quickly turned to look behind her and saw two figures running toward them—not far away.

One was an unknown elf, and the other…

“Bai?!”

She exclaimed in disbelief, rubbing her eyes as if she were hallucinating.

Bai ran up beside her but noticed Aurelia slumped on the ground, drenched in blood.

Her once high ponytail of golden hair had fallen loose, messily draped over her back.

Her fitted silver armor bore three terrifying scratch marks, her flesh mangled and gruesome.

“Bai… no! How are you here? This isn’t a place for you! Get away!”

Aurelia shouted sharply.

But Bai seemed not to hear.

She immediately knelt beside her and began continuously casting Healing Magic on the wounds across Aurelia’s chest.

“Heal, heal, heal, heal!”

After a moment of treatment, the three wounds rapidly improved.

Bai didn’t even bother with the bloodstains on her own body and directly scooped Aurelia up in her arms.

Her trembling voice cracked with tears.

“Thank goodness… thank goodness… Bai made it, Bai really made it.”

Aurelia forced herself to sit up, looking helplessly at Bai, who clung to her tightly.

She then turned to the elf girl beside Bai and asked, “How did you get through? There are so many Vampire Beasts in the Forest. This isn’t a place to play around!”

Unexpectedly, Vera immediately straightened her back and gave a deep bow, her voice trembling with nervous stammering.

“L-Lady Aurelia! M-My name is Vera. I came to support you! P-Please take care of me!”

Aurelia stared at her, utterly confused.

At that moment, Skarn and the other Knights noticed the arrival of the two and exchanged looks of shock and bewilderment.

They had expected reinforcements from the kingdom but hadn’t imagined it would be a little girl and an elf.

What kind of formation was this?

“Aurelia! Save the introductions for later. Let’s go support the front!”

Skarn was the first to react, shouting to Aurelia.

“Yes!”

Aurelia carefully peeled Bai off her body and handed her to Vera, instructing, “I don’t know how you got through, but watch Bai closely.”

Then she drew her sword again.

The blade shimmered with silver light, and with no wounds to hold her back, she unleashed a cross-shaped slash at full strength, cleaving the fallen Vampire Beast in two.

Seeing this, the other Knights rallied their spirits and fought fiercely to eliminate the Vampire Beasts before them.

Vera admired Aurelia’s figure with shining eyes, transformed into a little fangirl.

If not for Aurelia’s order to watch Bai, she would have drawn her sword to fight alongside immediately.

Before long, with the last Vampire Beast severed in half by Skarn, the battle finally came to an end.

Seeing the fallen Knights around them, Bai silently slipped away from Vera’s side and rushed to assist Goda.

“You’re Bai?! No, how did you get here!”

Goda looked at the familiar little girl in disbelief.

“I wanted to help the Knights,” Bai replied, not stopping her Healing Magic.

“You…”

Goda was momentarily speechless.

He looked around at the Knights desperately needing healing, but his own mana was nearly depleted.

Now was the time for Healing Magic.

He rubbed his head and reluctantly said, “You take care of the six Knights on the left. I’ll handle this side.”

“Okay.”

After the battle, the other Knights began cleaning up the battlefield while Aurelia and Skarn approached Vera, questioning her.

“We need an explanation, Miss Vera. What exactly happened? Why did you come all the way here?”

Vera straightened up again.

The captain of the Broken Blood Knight Order and the vice captain—both were stars in her eyes—were now standing right in front of her.

How could she not be excited?

“W-Well, I originally came here to join the Broken Blood recruitment. But because we were ambushed, it got delayed. So, I thought I’d run over to support you, and maybe get accepted early, hehe,” Vera said, scratching her head sheepishly.

Aurelia and Skarn exchanged glances.

Risking their lives to come to the Forest just to join the Order?

And bringing along a little girl?

The courage was commendable, but the plan was rather foolish.

“Where’s Bai? How do you know her? And why bring her here? She’s so small! Bringing her into the Forest is basically sending her to her death!”

Aurelia asked urgently.

“Bai and I just met today because of… a, uh, unpleasant matter. I didn’t intend to bring her along. She snuck into the Forest herself, saying she wanted to help.”

Aurelia was touched inwardly.

Though they had only just met, Bai had already thought to come running into the Forest to find them alone.

It was hard to imagine such bravery coming from a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl.

“No matter what, that child’s spirit can rival a Knight,” Skarn said with a smile, blood spattered across his face making him look a bit eerie.

Then his expression suddenly turned serious.

“But this is too reckless. The Forest is crawling with Vampire Beasts. It’s absolutely no place for a little girl. This will only waste her life! No matter how admirable her spirit, such recklessness must not be allowed!”

“And you, Aurelia. A qualified Knight can never give up the belief in victory. If Bai hadn’t arrived in time just now, you wouldn’t be alive.”

Skarn’s stern reprimand made Vera shrink her neck.

Just as rumored, he was strict indeed.

“Yes… Captain,” Aurelia replied.

The healing was complete.

Bai had healed five Knights by herself.

There was one more she hadn’t reached in time.

“Aurelia Sister, did Bai… help you? Did Bai… hold you back…”

Bai’s voice was soft and weak, like a flickering candle.

After running so far and using so much magic to heal, her frail body simply couldn’t take it.

“Aurelia…”

Aurelia opened her mouth, wanting to scold her for her recklessness and recklessly risking her life.

But seeing Bai’s downcast expression and tear-streaked eyes, she was at a loss for words.

After a long pause, she could only comfort her gently.

“You’ve already tried your best, our Little Hero.”