Chapter 140 - 138: Still Unconscious
After finishing to eat with the mother-daughter pair, Gracier excused herself and went upstairs to check Alex's condition.
Just as she entered their room, she was startled because sitting on a chair near Alex was a Silver-haired beauty, the one she saw when she woke up at that time before sleeping again, the one, she and Lea have just been talking about.
Vigilantly looking at the silver-haired girl, Gracier asked ready to attack at any moment.
''It was you I saw yesterday evening. Who are you?"
Having noticed the hostility in Gracier's voice, Silveria chuckled and spoke.
''Calm down little Alexandra. I'm Silveria, master's weapon.'' Silveria calmly stated her identity.
''What?" Gracier exclaimed before creating five fire arrows around herself, her vigilance increased to the highest level when she heard the silver-haired girl calling her given name, a name her brother bestowed upon her after their contract. Something the girl normally shouldn't have known as she was not present that day when Gracier introduced herself in the meeting room.
Because she was too focused on the first part of Silveria's words, she didn't hear the last part.
Looking at the fire arrows pointed in her direction, Silveria sighed and said while massaging her temple.
''Little Alexandra, one should carefully listen when someone is talking to you not to miss important information. Got it?"
At the end of her words, Silveria flicked her fingers and, Gracier's fire arrows vanished.
This turn of events left Gracier speechless, she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly unable to say anything until Silveria reintroduced herself.
''I'm Silveria, master's weapon.''
Finally registering Silveria's words in its entirety, Gracier had a sense of déjà vu, no mostly a feeling of déjà heard. She had once heard Alex utter that name, if she was not wrong it was the name of the silver unusual weapon.
''No way, you're Silveria, Big brother silver weapon,'' Gracier said face full of surprises as realization hit her.
''Indeed,'' Silveria confirmed.
''Eh?" Gracier exclaimed and quickly thought about a certain possibility.
''Does it means Ignia can also materialize like you?"
To Gracier's question, Silveria rolled her eyes and did not offer any answer as she knew Ignia would answer in her stead.
[Do not compare us. Silveria and her sister are in a different realm than us, so what applies to them will not necessarily work for us. So, do not get your hope too high.] Ignia said.
''I see,'' Gracier said not continuing to ask because judging by Ignia's answer, Silveria and her Big sister (probably big brother second gun she heard about but never seen it) are exceptionals, however, there was still hope that Ignia could also materialize even it's slim.
Approaching the bed where Alex was sleeping, Gracier sat down and checked his condition. His breathing was even, there was no visible problem, not that she would know if there was because she was not a cleric. Alex seemed to be only sleeping after an exhausting work however Gracier felt that there was more than that.
Not finding the answer on her own because she doesn't know the whole story, she turned to face the only person present who might have the answer to why her brother was still sleeping.
''Silveria, what is happening to Big brother? Why he is still sleeping?"
''Call me Big sister Silveria,'' Silveria asked.
The only answer she got was Gracier rolling her eyes at her. Silveria could only sigh thinking Gracier was cute.
Unknown to her the moment Gracier saw her she had the feeling that she and Silveria would not get along well. Ask her why she felt like that, even she doesn't know why however it was how she felt.
Smiling bitterly Silveria told Gracier was happened, naturally, she didn't explain everything like how she begged her sister, or how Alex already lost consciousness and it was her sister who killed that monster using Alex's body.
''Waouh! Big brother is exceptional. As expected of him. It's a good thing. He must have suffered a lot to slay that monster. And after killing it, he falls unconscious because of the injuries and exhaustion. We just need to wait for a while. I think he will wake up soon.''
Looking at Gracier whose eyes were shining and were filled with admiration as she spoke, Silveria smiled bitterly finding her cute.
The two continued to wait for Alex to wake up, sometimes they would exchange few words, and sometimes not as silence would descend.
Like that evening arrived yet Alex showed no signs of waking up, Gracier was becoming more worried as more time passed.
''Calm down. He will eventually wake up. He just needs more rest.'' Silveria said, calming the about to start panicking girl.
''Okay, I understand. Let's wait some more.'' Gracier calmed down and said.
''Just go take some air. I will look after master.'' Silveria advised but Gracier shook her head to indicate that she'd stay.
Suddenly, there were knocking sounds on their door followed by Lea's voice.
''Gracier, there some people here that want to say Hi to you, siblings. I know you are in, can they come in?"
Gracier didn't immediately answer Lea's question, she exchanged look with Silveria, the latter shrugged her shoulders to indicate that she should do as she sees fit before vanishing. She chose not to stay because it will be troublesome to start explaining things and more importantly she didn't want to stay as she had something to do.
Sighing Gracier decided to invite the group in. It went without saying that it was Sebastian and others who came to check on them.
Standing up, Gracier went to the door and unlocked it.
''Come in.'' and invited them in.
''Evening Miss Gracier.''
''Good Evening leader's sister.''
''Evening Miss Gracier.''
''Good evening Gracier. It's good that you are fine, where is Alex?''
As she expected, it was Sebastian, Lucien Golfak, and Meera who greeted her as they entered the room, Meera asked about Alex, however, she quickly got the answer to her question as she saw him sleeping.
''How is he?"
Sebastian was the one who asked.
''Fine but too tired after that battle,'' Gracier said while offering them to sit. Sebastian and Golfak sat on the two chairs available in the room while, Meera, Lucien in addition to Lea, who decided to stay sat on Gracier's bed.
''I see. I hope he will wake up soon. He's our Hero and a good leader.'' Golfak said, eyes filled with admiration.
''Indeed. If not for his action, we would have died. Even if some may have survived, at most it would be one or two.'' Lucien nodded his head, the others also seemed to share the same feeling.
Lea who had heard about how Alex handled things during their expedition started to see Alex in a new light.
Gracier was smiling when she saw how everybody was talking about her brother, eyes filled with respect. They even called him, Hero.
The truth is, it was not Golfak and others who came up with that title, it was how everybody started to call him after they learned about the whole story.
If Alex was awake he would have scratched his head not knowing whether he should laugh or cry if he heard this. He didn't want to be the Hero, the others mistakenly thought that, as the two-headed mutated ogre didn't chase the others and went after them. The monster did this because his real target was not the others but Alex and Gracier, and not knowing this fact it was normal to think that Alex had drawn the monster away from others to give them the chance to flee as he was stronger and was sure to flee from the monster's pursuit, how wrong this assumption was.
''It's good that we have all survived thank to Alex but Gracier did you know what happened to that monster?" Meera asked a question to which everyone (Sebastian, Lucien, and Golfak) wanted the answer.
Due to their injuries and exhaustions, they directly came here after waking up and taking care of some of their matters, hence they don't know anything just what Conrad had told them after he rescued them, he said ''You are alive because you temporary leader choose to sacrifice himself for you to be able to live.
Don't look at me like that, he is still alive and kicks in, both him and his sister, even Eleonora. I said sacrificed because he draws the monster's attention on himself, by doing this you lots managed to safely escape.''
~Back to the present.
''The monster has been killed by Leena who was passing by.'' Gracier lied through her teeth. There is no way she would tell them that it was killed by Alex. They would not believe her anyway, thinking that maybe she was playing some kind of prank on them because of how absurd it's for Rank 5 to contend against Rank 9 and worst say that he/she killed it.
''Leena, the Elf receptionist? I know that she's strong but not to this extent. Ah! I finally understood why she seemed so special, her status in the Guild. Everybody respects her.''
Meera said as realization dawned upon her why Leena's status inside the Guild seemed somehow exceptional, some say she's the Guild branch master's right hand. It seems it's true.
Golfak and others were also surprised hearing that it was Leena who killed the Rank 9 monster. After chatting with Gracier and Lea for a while, the four left promising to visit again.
Lea also left just after the four left, however, she came back with food. After eating, she slept with Gracier on the latter bed.
Alex did not show any signs of waking up, Silveria in her world was sending strands of silver energy into his body, treating any hidden injuries.
The first day after their rank-up test passed just like that.