The spar between the female knight and Baduki was one-sided, hardly qualifying as a real fight.
It was akin to an adult playing with a child.
From Rena’s perspective, Baduki was significantly holding back against the female knight.
He would dodge her weak swings and, when she stumbled, gently push her to regain her balance.
“Urllong…!”
The female knight blushed and bit her lip in embarrassment.
Her expression conveyed her humiliation.
Oh… Her usually stern expression now made her look eerie…
Rena snapped out of her observation and regained her focus.
The female knight’s body was still far from recovered.
Every movement reopened her healing wounds, causing blood to spill.
If left like this, her efforts to survive would be wasted as she would destroy herself.
“Stop the violence!”
Rena extended her palm forward, stepping in.
The fight ceased immediately.
Baduki had no intention to fight in the first place, and the female knight was startled by Rena’s sudden appearance.
“I understand you want to move because your body feels stiff, but what if something serious happens? You need to rest.”
Rena wasn’t unaware of the female knight’s early-morning exercise routine.
Her father had been similar – claiming exhaustion after work but always heading out for morning exercise on his days off, refusing to sleep in.
He said staying idle made him feel worse.
Though Rena didn’t quite relate, she accepted that people are different.
Now, after trying intense exercise herself, she had a slight understanding.
However, the patient pushing herself like this was counterproductive.
Absolute rest was needed, not sword swinging when not even stretching was recommended.
It seemed she wanted to fall ill again on purpose.
And yet, if she didn’t recover soon, she’d surely complain to the doctor, despite doing what she was told not to.
As if she had no conscience.
Rena had no patience for such tantrums.
“No nonsense.”
“I thought I was going to be eaten… how… I was sure I wasn’t in a state to be fine in a day…”
The female knight muttered.
Her fever probably hadn’t fully subsided yet.
With her injuries, her vision must have been blurry, unable to fully comprehend her situation or words.
Sigh, what could she do when she was sick?
Rena sighed inwardly and helped support her.
“Stop moving around and stay still. Oh, look, you’re bleeding again. I’ll clean it for you, so try not to itch.”
Rena carefully patted the wound to clean it.
Since it was in the healing process, the bleeding was minimal, which was very fortunate.
Though awkward, she wiped her while she was asleep instead of conscious.
“Slowly lie down on the bed. Yes, like that. I’ll reapply the medicine. And this time, no peeling it off because it feels tight.”
Perhaps she should tie her down?
Restriction isn’t about denying one’s urges but about managing them properly.
As her caregiver, Rena intended to thoroughly manage the female knight’s needs.
Therefore, she might even find it comfortable.
Not bad, huh?
Though she momentarily considered using handcuffs or similar tools, there were none available to try.
“I’ll make some soup. You can nap until it’s ready. Even if you’re not sleepy, closing your eyes will make you fall asleep quickly.”
“No…”
“Would you like me to put you to sleep?”
A single tap on the forehead would suffice.
She was confident she could clean the thoughts in her head.
Though controlling her strength was the challenge.
Rather than hitting weakly and having to hit twice, a single strong blow was more appropriate.
Hitting hard was fine.
It would let her sleep longer, which was good.
A patient only needs to eat and sleep to recover quickly.
“…Put me to sleep… mhn.”
When asked directly, the female knight blushed and showed a strange mix of embarrassment.
What should she make of that expression?
Her body shivered slightly as Rena approached her forehead.
Was that a yes or no?
Before Rena could decide, the female knight acted.
She tightly closed her eyes.
With that, she quickly fell asleep with steady breathing.
Look at that – still trying to overexert herself while ill.
Clinking her tongue, Rena pulled the blankets tightly around her.
It took exactly ten days for the female knight to recover enough to move without overexertion.
Throughout this time, Rena served as both doctor and caregiver to the fullest extent.
She meticulously prepared all three meals, planning the diet carefully.
Soup for the first three days, gradually adding dried meat, always cautious to avoid adverse reactions.
Her snacks were always sour fruits.
Despite being untrained, Rena was knowledgeable.
She knew vitamins were crucial when sick.
Except for meal times, she kept her distance.
Though eager to converse, she resisted overtaxing the patient.
Even if the patient initiated conversation, she remained steadfast.
There were no exceptions to her principles.
When the patient seemed sleepless and uncomfortable, she helped them rest (using physical methods)—truly her utmost dedication.
Finally, when the female knight recovered significantly, Rena appeared before her.
“You…”
“My name’s Rena.”
“…Rena?”
“Yes, my name.”
People start conversations by exchanging names.
Even if they exchange business cards first, remembering names was basic courtesy.
Yet, the female knight looked perplexed.
No response came despite Rena’s patient wait.
What was that? She couldn’t teach her own name? She had no name to offer?
Though Rena already knew the knight’s name due to her status window…
This was basic courtesy…
Rena stopped her negative thoughts.
After saving her, Rena was sure she wasn’t impolite.
Even animals acknowledge the favor of being saved.
Let alone a person.
She must have some other reason.
Perhaps they didn’t realize it was a formal introduction.
“Let’s consider it my name, though I don’t know much about it. Was it strange?”
“There’s nothing strange about the name, but it just sounded like you’re referring to someone else.”
It was accurate.
The status window merely displayed the name.
From Rena’s perspective, it was strange.
But wasn’t that how names worked?
One was usually named by their parents or loved ones unless a name change was pursued.
Thus, Rena accepted being named “Rena.”
“First, I must express my gratitude.”
The female knight rose from her bed and bowed deeply at a sharp 90-degree angle.
“I’m not sure of the exact details, but I can guess that you saved me. Thanks to you, I survived. Thank you profoundly.”
“Hm.”
Rena lifted her head at the formal gratitude.
There was no false humility.
She had genuinely saved a life; she deserved the gratitude.
It filled her with pride.
She had ulterior motives, surely.
Still, compared to saving a life, they weren’t so malicious.
“As a knight’s honor, I will appropriately repay you.”
“Repayment?”
“Money, quests—anything suits. Since I now own you my life, it’s only fair to repay accordingly.”
“That’s unnecessary.”
She already had the dragon’s hoard of gold, making money meaningless.
Quests? Did she trust her abilities after dealing with lizardmen?
Baduki handled odd jobs well enough to render her services unnecessary.
“Rather, shouldn’t we just have a conversation?”
“Conversation..?”
“Yes, I always wanted to share my thoughts with people I meet.”
It wasn’t just about questions.
Even casual chitchat would suffice.
Rena had lived resolutely and tenaciously.
But even such a determined Rena had her vulnerabilities.
In a world without online communities, loneliness gnawed like an unquenchable thirst.
Honestly, the female knight’s naivety wouldn’t matter.
Even if she was naive, just the act of talking would be gratifying.
“That is acceptable. I too have many questions.”
As if recognizing it was what she desired, the female knight heartily agreed.
The wild girl’s first encounter with civilization.
“Damn it.”
The knight who’d led the rookies through initiation pulled his hand through his hair in frustration.
His tousled mane symbolized his complicated thoughts.
“Two weeks today.”
The initiation ceremony, spanning three days, had concluded.
All who passed or dropped out had returned.
Not all were unscathed.
The grueling ceremony always saw casualties.
However, only one remained unaccounted for.
The brightest hope of this year’s recruits.
Why her of all people?
“I guessed this might happen.”
He’d already gathered all accounts from her fellow initiates.
She had gone too far into the Great Forest, alone and without a partner.
Be it ambition or pride, this outcome didn’t surprise him.
It wasn’t unprecedented.
It happened often during the Red Rose Knights Order’s heyday.
Promising young knights overestimated their abilities, confusing bravery with recklessness.
A common mistake of fiery youth.
“We can’t afford to lose a talent now.”
Back then, it was fine.
Talents naturally came flocking.
Now it was different.
She was the first promising recruit in a long while.
Losing her like this stung.
“Nor can I launch a private rescue.”
The order’s assistance would have been ideal.
If it were possible, he wouldn’t be in such anguish.
But mobilizing valuable resources for a single rookie was wasteful.
Thus, he could only wait.
Futilely it seemed.
“Survival chances drop to almost nil after two weeks.”
There was more than enough time to confirm her passing.
The Great Forest was unforgiving.
The order had repeatedly urged his return.
He couldn’t justify the prolonged delay.
“Rest in peace.”
Leaving behind his lingering doubts, the knight turned around.
What if she returned alive?
That would be a miracle.
A miracle he didn’t believe in.
After being rejected so many times, how could he?
