Chapter 372: A Moment of Peace

"N-No..." Soren replied, his gaze landing on the hotel. "There’s no need..."

But then he paused. His legs were still shaking, his body barely holding together. If he went to Ethea like this, she would worry and feel guilty again.

"...Actually," he corrected himself, "maybe a little help wouldn’t hurt."

Aya nodded and stepped closer, letting him lean on her shoulder for support. With his free hand, Soren reached into his inventory and pulled out a small artifact, activating it. The next moment, his face shifted into his usual disguise.

Aya noticed it but didn’t say anything. However, as they started walking toward the hotel, she finally broke the silence.

"I must apologize to you, Mr. Everly. Our negligence put both you and Mrs. Everly in grave danger."

Soren kept his pace slow, letting her support most of his weight as she continued.

"We managed to capture the traitor inside our ranks, but it was already too late," she explained, her voice tinged with regret and guilt. "He had passed your location to the Outcasts after learning it from the Hollow Pair. As soon as Her Highness learned of it, she sent us here to guard you. Yet... we still arrived too late and put you in such a desperate situation. I am truly sorry."

"...It’s ok," Soren replied after a moment. "You came in time to save my wife at least."

He then paused and looked at the pitch-black sky. "...How’s the situation?"

"Commander Ervin is currently aiding your summoned beast in their fight against the enemy’s Emperor," Aya began explaining. "We also intercepted the individual attempting to abduct Mrs. Everly. They were relatively weak in direct combat, though her abilities made her somewhat troublesome to secure."

"I see..."

"Furthermore, a full-scale purge is underway across the empire," Aya continued. "Many Sovereigns and high-ranking powerhouses are actively participating in the hunt for the Outcasts’ leader and any remaining members. By morning, the entire operation should be brought to an end."

"That’s reassuring," Soren murmured, focusing his remaining energy on keeping his stride even.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. As they approached the hotel entrance, the armored figures posted around the perimeter came into view. They snapped to attention and saluted Aya without a word.

Aya nodded, ordered them to keep their guard up, led him into a makeshift tent not far away, and immediately motioned to a high-tier healer stationed inside.

The healer didn’t hesitate, stepping forward and gathering bright green mana into his hands before laying them over Soren’s torn back.

As the healing magic washed through his flesh, sealing the outer gashes, Soren took advantage of the proximity. He subtly opened the status windows of the healer and every knight in his line of sight. He checked each profile methodically, ensuring none were hidden threats.

A few minutes passed, and Soren finished receiving treatment. With a gesture from Aya, the healer took their leave and left them alone.

"If it’s not too much trouble, can you tell me what happened and how you ended up in such a state?" Aya asked in a polite tone. "How many of them did you fight with?"

’...Did they not ask the captive, or did the captive refuse to answer?’ Soren thought as he lay on the patient bed. ’Or is she trying to verify it through my story?’

Regardless of her motive, lying offered no advantage. He gave a straightforward account of the encounter, describing the enemy’s count and abilities till how he ended up in this state.

Aya listened quietly, and by the end, her expression darkened with a mixture of guilt and grim respect. Gulping dryly, she opened her mouth. "So... are they all dead?"

"The spatial user and the other are dead, but I can’t guarantee the woman’s fate," Soren replied. "She got out of the pocket dimension for more than a minute earlier; didn’t you sense her? And although I timed my attack the moment she was entering the pocket dimension, she might have slipped away before the explosion reached her."

Aya nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Thank you for sharing such valuable info, Mr. Everly. Since you need time to regain your strength, I will leave you to rest for a moment."

With a polite gesture, she excused herself and left the tent. Then she immediately ordered her subordinates to conduct a grid search of the city for enemies.

Soren sighed, closed his eyes, and focused on his bonds.

’...’

’Dear...’

’Can you hear me?’

His lips curled up, and his expression became serene at the sound of a familiar voice.

’Mmm. I can, dear. Sorry for making you worry.’

’T-Thank goodness!’ Ethea’s voice trembled in his mind. ’Are you okay? Where are you? When I woke up and found you gone, I could barely sense your presence at all. I thought... I thought you were...’

’It’s alright now,’ Soren interjected softly. ’I’ll explain everything soon.’

’Dear... I felt that you were in grave danger just a moment ago,’ she insisted, her emotions tangled in fear, worry, and restlessness. ’What exactly happened? How are you holding up now?’

Her words filled his heart with affection and guilt. Just imagining how terrified she must have been upon waking up to find him missing and his presence dangerously faint, as if dying, made his chest tighten.

He took a slow breath and briefly explained the situation, keeping the worst of the gore to himself as he recounted the spatial ambush, the domain trap, how he had broken free, and his current situation. ’...I will come up soon, don’t worry.’ He finished and opened his eyes. Knight Aya was standing above him, as if she had been guarding him the entire time.

Naturally, Soren had sensed her arrival and was monitoring the situation while talking with Ethea, so he didn’t look surprised. He sat up slowly and asked, "How’s it going?"

"They’re still searching," she replied, also knowing he must have heard her earlier. "But there’s good news, too: the fight above is about to end."

"That’s indeed good news."