My awakening from unconsciousness caused the manor to be in an uproar.
As a result, I had to welcome numerous guests.
In particular, the reunions with the women were especially dramatic.
First of all, there was Elsi, who was determined not to leave my side, and upon seeing me, the Lady Virgin Saint broke down in tears, completely overwhelmed.
She had always been proud and aloof.
But seeing her react so vulnerably made me feel bewildered.
Celin and Ceria also expressed intense reactions.
Celin staggered over to me, placing her palm on my chest.
Then she burrowed into my arms, letting out silent sobs.
I had to gently pat Celin’s back for a while.
Just like I did for Elsi.
Ceria couldn’t even approach me.
She collapsed right there, her legs giving way under her.
Upon seeing me, Ceria immediately covered her mouth with both hands, tears streaming down as she fell to the ground.
This was an unexpectedly bewildering reunion for me.
I had suffered serious injuries several times before.
In fact, it seemed more miraculous that I was still alive.
The Hunting Festival, the Orphanage, and the Return Festival — none of them were simple trials.
I had to gamble with my life, barely grasping victory from the brink of death in those battles.
Naturally, I often found myself bedridden in the process.
It was an expected result, considering I had just survived a near-death experience.
Every time, my acquaintances would show intense reactions, but the way the women reacted today seemed a bit different.
It wasn’t the attitude one would expect when meeting someone who had been seriously injured.
It felt more like encountering someone who had returned from the dead.
And my intuition was soon proven correct.
“How did you survive?”
It was Reto’s greeting.
For a friend who had just opened his eyes after a month, it was quite a sight.
Of course, I wasn’t angry.
After all, Reto had always been like that.
In fact, I felt a bit reassured.
I was busy wiping the tears of the women. It was a hardship to comfort someone crying without even knowing the reason.
Reto’s indifferent response was far easier to deal with.
I propped my chin up for a moment, lost in thought, and then asked out of curiosity.
“…Did I almost die?”
“Did you think you would survive?”
His blunt retort came.
At the same time, it was a jab that left me with nothing to say in return.
In the end, I had to sigh softly.
Now I was truly realizing how foolish I had been.
A voice, almost like a sigh, escaped my lips.
“Wow, I really almost died.”
“Thanks to that, the past month was hell.”
Saying that, Reto leaned back in his chair.
His face looked as if he had lost his spirit. It was a glimpse into how much Reto had suffered over the past month.
His body slid down the chair.
“You wouldn’t understand how frightening a woman can become just before losing something precious… I tasted a part of that abyss.”
“…Was it really that bad?”
“Don’t even mention it.”
Reto’s body trembled as he spoke.
Even upon reflection, it seemed like an experience akin to a nightmare.
Reto continued, spitting the words out.
“The state you were in when we finally rescued you was not good at all. We gathered everything that could be used as offerings, from divine substances to whatever else, but you still kept saying you didn’t know when you’d die.”
“…Isn’t it easy to just bring more divine substances?”
To my shameless response, Reto gave me a look of disbelief, smirking slightly.
He seemed like he wanted to scold me, but then sighed and shook his head.
It was understandable.
Even though my words sounded insolent, there was some truth to them.
I wasn’t recklessly throwing my body around without any precautions.
After all, I was the owner of the Bloodline Mark, and there was a precedent of having saved the imperial princess, who bore the blood of the royal family.
Moreover, my injuries were sustained while facing the fiends’ retinue.
Although it’s embarrassing to say, that battle belonged to an act of heroic struggle. Naturally, the Empire and the Holy Kingdom had to compensate for it.
In other words, I deserved at least a divine substance or two.
My assigned priest wasn’t just some random person.
The Lady Virgin Saint was the best medical professional with specialized knowledge and skills, an individual capable of treating any injured person if given divine substances.
As the saying goes, as long as life is attached, I could keep fighting.
It was with that conviction that I had fought.
However, the faith of an amateur sometimes leads to horrific outcomes.
“There’s a time for healing… If your injury was the first, it might be different, but you pushed yourself too hard. Before we could even get divine substances, your condition worsened.”
How could that be?
The benchmark for serious injuries that remained in my mind was Emma.
Back then, Emma had suffered massive injuries yet lived for a long time. I heard that as long as there was a skilled priest, one could hold onto life indefinitely.
So I had carelessly thought the same.
It’s all fine and well if I had offerings.
Due to the Lady Virgin Saint’s overly competent healing abilities, I had also developed some misunderstandings. Despite her constant warnings that rang in my ears, I had always woken up afterward.
But it appeared that was nothing more than my one-sided notion.
I still couldn’t forget the image of the Lady Virgin Saint seeing me regain consciousness.
That confident woman crumbled at once, clasping her hands together while sobbing.
“Lord, Lord, thank you. Ugh, thank you for saving our I-an… Huh, huh…”
I swore I had never seen the Lady Virgin Saint cry like that.
She had only ever complained to me with watery eyes.
It was only then that I finally felt a sense of guilt.
I felt like I had caused too much trouble for so many people.
In the end, I had to scratch my cheeks awkwardly, wearing an embarrassed expression.
“Uh, I’m sorry. For causing unnecessary worry…”
“If you do that again, you’ll die at my hands.”
Of course, Reto simply laughed and appended his jab.
“Next time, apologize to each and every one of them… It’d be best to spend some cozy time with the women.”
“…Why?”
“Just do it, you brat.”
He didn’t even bother answering my question.
Even though I was internally grumbling like that, I thought that I should follow Reto’s advice.
Reto never offered me advice that would be detrimental to me.
Besides, I was concerned about the Lady Virgin Saint and Elsi.
Celin and Ceria had always felt like younger sisters to me, so I wasn’t too flustered when they broke down into tears. I was merely filled with pity.
However, the Lady Virgin Saint and Elsi were different.
The two were like reliable pillars for me.
Of course, the Lady Virgin Saint needed no mention, and Elsi was, after all, a “senior.”
Seeing their tears made my insides churn.
It would take a long time to soothe them.
Even if not, the two would inevitably come to approach me first.
Especially Elsi, who was absolutely unwilling to leave my embrace, to the extent that the Lady Virgin Saint had to subdue her with the Holy Kingdom’s magical arts.
After sorting out one question, another flowed from my mouth.
“Reto, what happened right after I collapsed…?”
“What, you want to know what happened?”
As if he knew that would be my question, Reto quickly interjected.
He began to share the story he had prepared for me.
To summarize what he said, the disposition regarding the Percus family had been postponed. This issue required discussions between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, as the fact that they had been unfairly deceived was taken into consideration.
Additionally, I was told the identity of the swordsman I saw just before losing consciousness.
The Empire’s swordsman.
The great elder of the royal family and the Empire’s only Master had personally intervened.
After all, someone of that caliber would be necessary to recreate the miracle of that day.
I heard he provided significant assistance to the Percus family in securing leniency. The “reward” he had mentioned at the end might have been related to this.
He had wanted to have a conversation with me but had to leave first due to his busy schedule.
However, he said there was a story that needed to be shared with me.
He promised to return if I regained consciousness, meaning I might soon be able to face that legendary swordsman again.
There was no need to send a signal.
The eyes of the Imperial Court were everywhere, and Neoris was still in the manor, after all.
He would’ve also learned about my safety immediately after I regained consciousness.
Lord Raymond also seemed to have been deeply impressed by me.
Before leaving, he had several discussions with my parents.
“If my lord gives his permission, I would like to move forward with the engagement immediately.”
I heard that my father had been greatly perplexed by that overt proposal.
The Yuridina Clan’s retainers also left me with their thanks.
“Please convey my regards to the ‘crazy young master.’ It was an honor to fight alongside in that legendary battle, and if you wish to settle in the North, you will be welcomed.”
It was what Lord Alex, the elder knight who led a thousand retainers, had said.
It was the highest praise that those fussy Northerners could bestow.
It meant, “You are a warrior suited for the North.”
Many more conversations occurred afterward.
Yet among them, there remained one unresolved question.
“…Then what about that masked stranger?”
Reto let out a soft exclamation in response to my question.
It was clear he had forgotten about the issue.
He sighed deeply, shaking his head.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“Yeah, there’s no trace. They haven’t revealed themselves since then.”
I couldn’t hide my feeling of unease.
It felt like leaving a potential threat behind in the manor.
However, it wasn’t something I could resolve right now.
I decided to look into it later and instead asked what I was most curious about.
“What happened to Liya?”
With a light tap.
Reto’s eloquence halted.
His lips sealed shut quietly.
An ominous silence settled between Reto and me.
Suddenly, I felt a surge of anxiety.
“…Reto? What happened to Liya?”
“Li, Liya… Right, about Liya…”
He looked away, showing a troubled expression.
It was the first time I had ever seen Reto, usually so cunning, hesitate like this.
I grew increasingly impatient.
Just as I was about to speak again in urgency, he said:
“What should I say…”
Reto made a sound as if he was choosing his words carefully.
Then, his response came out with a sense of despair.
“She’s broken.”
In my understanding, that wasn’t an expression suitable for a person.
