0117 Exploration and Discovery

The pale face of Huan Luo appeared once again before someone. At this moment, Huan Luo’s eyes were tightly shut, and two pieces of medical tape were stuck to her cheeks. The thick quilt couldn’t mask the strong medicinal scent emanating from her body, making the entire room feel like a pharmacy.

After the maid had escorted someone inside, she tactfully withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the room. With trembling steps, the person approached Huan Luo, carefully studying her face. The fierce killing intent that once shone brightly in her peaceful sleeping visage had vanished. Her slightly exposed shoulder was firmly wrapped in bandages, and the culprit behind it all—the Dragon Fang—had been thoroughly cleaned and neatly placed by Huan Luo’s bedside.

The person looked at the Dragon Fang with a mixture of helplessness and frustration. It was hard to say what to make of this thing. On one hand, it was an ominous beast; on the other, it had guided Huan Luo’s berserk rages on several occasions and helped secure victories in battle. Yet, it was also the very cause of those uncontrollable bursts of killing intent that severed ties with family and friends. Sighing, the person reached out and gently stroked the Dragon Fang. “If only you didn’t have side effects!”

The Dragon Fang seemed to sense the person’s mood. Its sleek, jet-black scabbard glinted arrogantly, as if disdainfully mocking the words.

Just as the person was about to retort, the door to Huan Luo’s room slowly opened. Andy, seated in a wheelchair, was gently pushed inside by the maid. His handsome face no longer bore the heaviness and despair of before. In the direst moments for Eikasia, Andy had swiftly grown into a responsible and capable commander. Only the faint redness around his eyes betrayed his sorrow, though the person said nothing.

“Are you communicating with the Dragon Fang?” Andy asked as he was wheeled closer.

“Yeah,” the person replied boredly, “I was asking if it could cancel the side effects.”

“Looks like the process isn’t going well?” Andy was pushed beside the person, who instinctively took over the wheelchair, guiding Andy to stand where they had just been. Andy waved the maids away, and they obediently bowed and exited the room one by one.

“I heard you have questions about the injuries to Huan Luo and Lance,” Andy said softly, seemingly casual as he glanced around the room, “Could you explain in detail?”

“What do you want to hear?” The person felt a bit put off by Andy’s interrogative tone and the thoroughness of his inquiry and hesitated to explain.

“Sorry, I might’ve come on too strong,” Andy quickly realized and turned to face the person directly, composing himself. “I just want to understand what happened on the battlefield that day. It was pitch dark outside the city at night, so it was hard to see what was going on. We’ve been gathering information about the battle recently, so…”

Only then did the person notice Andy’s pale complexion rivaled Huan Luo’s. His once robust frame had grown thin, no doubt from all the recent burdens for Eikasia. The person lowered their head helplessly. “Just ask directly. Is there any point in riddling around here?”

Seeing the person’s expression, Andy stopped beating around the bush. Pressing a hand to his forehead, he finally spoke, “Alright, then. The soldiers who retreated said that on the battlefield, Lance was pierced through the chest by a beast’s claw while trying to save you. Huan Luo was severely injured after a moment of distraction. You, however, suddenly unleashed a magical energy that no one had ever seen before and rushed to Lance’s side to save him but were ultimately surrounded by beasts. Your fate was unknown, right?”

Those words dragged the person’s mind back to the helplessness of being surrounded. They instinctively shrank their arm, covering where it had been bitten.

Andy gave a reassuring look but continued without pause. “Yet, after the soldiers had fully retreated, Huan Luo suddenly entered a berserk state and engaged the beasts head-on. You, who should have been gravely wounded, also suddenly revived and explosively released that strange magical energy, joining the fight. Afterward, when we cleaned the battlefield, we found Lance where you and Huan Luo had fallen. Lance and you only bore minor external injuries, but Huan Luo was the most severely wounded among you. That really puzzles me.”

“Do you want the truth or a lie?” The person shrugged helplessly.

“That depends on what you want to say.” Andy smiled steadily.

Unable to meet Andy’s gaze, the person kept their head down. “Honestly, I can’t explain Huan Luo’s and Lance’s wounds. As for myself... I really have no explanation!” The person was conflicted; they wished they could explain but didn’t even understand what had happened. Could they say it was the manifestation of their protagonist’s aura?

“Really no explanation?” Andy’s smile carried a hint of bitterness. “If the soldiers hear about your strange powers and your self-healing, rumors will spread wild and uncontrolled. If anyone from Kairenia comes investigating, what am I supposed to say?”

After all this, the person realized that was the real concern. Recalling the magical elements that had flowed into their body to repair their organs and the wind mage image they had painstakingly cultivated in Eikasia, only to use earth magic on the crucial battlefield, they stared determinedly at Andy. “If you already have your suspicions, why bother asking me? Testing me? Do you want me to run naked through the city carrying a banner that says ‘I’m a four-element mage, come kill me!’ and tour the whole continent?”

True enough, Andy didn’t react much to the mention of “four-element mage.” Instead, he tried to soothe the person gently. “It’s nothing. Don’t get worked up. I just wanted to confirm if that’s really the case.”

“Now that you’ve confirmed?” The person snapped, “What next? Kill me? Parade me through the streets? Or just burn me to prevent any future trouble?”

“No,” Andy relaxed, shrugged, and smiled simply, “If you really are a four-element mage, then you’re fine.”