Chapter 263 – Homecoming

Chapter 263

Homecoming

Date : Day 18 of Firstthaw 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

The laughter around them slowly subsided.

Along the battlements, the mages and archers settled back against the stone, still murmuring "Hero of Akela" to one another with tired grins. A few had already drifted back into exhausted sleep, their staves and bows still clutched in their hands.

Hyoren turned away from them and looked out over the plain.

From the top of the wall, the full scale of it lay spread out before him—and it was worse than he had realized from the ground.

Green corpses blanketed the battlefield as far as he could see. They were heaped along the line where the second wall had stood. They lay in wide rings around the two craters of the Rods of God and in drifts along the jagged stone road. Others floated in the flooded shallows of the riverbank, or lay charred and blackened across the stretches where Hellfire had burned.

About a thousand of them ran away…

He tapped his chin, running the numbers in his head.

Which means there are still almost ten thousand bodies lying out there.

Ten thousand corpses, under the open sky, in the warming days of Firstthaw.

He could already smell it, faintly, beneath the smoke and the copper tang of blood. The first sweet, sickly hint of rot. In a few days, it would be unbearable. And with rot came flies, vermin and sickness—all of it right on the doorstep of a city full of exhausted, wounded people.

Above the battlefield, dark shapes had begun to circle.

Vent Crows.

Dozens of them, maybe more, wheeling in slow spirals high above the plain. Each one was as big as a Horned Rabbit, its wings stretching almost two meters across. Whenever one banked, the blue streaks beneath its black feathers flashed in the light. Their cries carried all the way to the wall.

"Kaak! Kaak!"

A few had already landed at the far edges of the battlefield, where the corpses lay farthest from the living. They were tearing chunks from the goblins with their big, curved yellow beaks.

They know the fighting's over…

Hyoren's eyes narrowed.

They've just been waiting for the humans to leave…

He turned to Baron Guts.

"Baron. What's the plan for all those corpses?"

He swept his hand out over the plain.

"There must be almost ten thousand out there. If we leave them, they'll rot. And with this many, disease will spread."

Baron Guts followed his gaze. For a moment, he said nothing.

Then, to Hyoren's surprise, a tired but knowing smile crept onto the Baron's face.

"Don't worry about that. We'll leave them to the slimes."

Hyoren blinked.

"Slimes?"

Baron Guts lifted his red-orb staff and pointed toward the edge of the scorched ground.

"Look there."

Hyoren followed the gesture and narrowed his eyes.

At first, he didn't notice anything unusual. Then he saw it—a thin wisp of steam rising from one of the goblin corpses at the edge of the burned earth. Then another, a little farther along. And another.

He looked closer.

Translucent, gelatinous shapes had crept out of the grass at the border of the battlefield. They wobbled slowly from corpse to corpse. One of them had completely engulfed a goblin's body. Through its clear, quivering surface, Hyoren could see the corpse inside slowly softening and dissolving, thin trails of steam rising from the slime's skin as it digested its meal.

Slimes.

They had already begun to arrive, drawn by the sudden feast.

Hyoren let out a soft breath.

"Ah… That's right."

He scratched his cheek with a wry smile.

"I'd almost forgotten about them."

Slimes were the decomposers of Kresneger. They fed on organic matter: dead plants, fallen leaves, carcasses, waste. They broke all of it down and returned it to the earth. And unlike most monsters, they rarely attacked anything living.

For the past few months, Hyoren had spent almost all his time in Akela Dungeon. Dungeon monsters dissolved into Aethell when they died—there were never any carcasses to clean up. He hadn't seen a single slime in all that time.

But back when he had first arrived in this world, alone in the Forest of No Return, he had relied on them constantly. Whenever he hunted something and took what he could use, he would drag the leftover carcass to the nearest slime and let it handle the rest. 

The memory surfaced so vividly that he almost chuckled inwardly.

Back then, slimes were practically my cleanup crew…

Baron Guts glanced at him and chuckled under his breath.

"Most people forget about slimes. Right up until they need them."

He leaned heavily on his staff and looked out over the plain.

"They're one of the most useful monsters in all of Kresneger. Without them, the forests would choke on their own fallen leaves, and every city would drown in its own waste."

He tilted his head toward the south of the city.

"Our wastewater treatment facility in the Administrative District runs on them too. We keep a whole population there, processing the city's organic waste day and night."

Hyoren nodded slowly. He had heard about the facility before, but he'd never given it much thought.

"And the ones out there now?"

Baron Guts shrugged, his black-red robe shifting on his shoulders.

"Wild ones. From the grassland and the edge of the forest. They'll keep coming as long as there's food, and ten thousand goblins is a feast they won't see again for a long time."

His gaze swept across the battlefield with a practical, measuring eye. Then his brow furrowed slightly.

"But even so, there are too many corpses for the wild slimes around here. It would take them far too long."

He tapped the butt of his staff against the stone.

"If they aren't enough, I'll release some of ours from the treatment facility to help."

Then he grimaced.

"Though if it comes to that, the slime caretakers are going to have their hands full."

Hyoren tilted his head.

"The caretakers?"

Baron Guts let out a long, weary sigh.

"The people who look after the facility's slimes. Feeding them, keeping them healthy, culling them when they grow too big. Every slime we release out here has to be rounded up again once the work is done. And the ones that gorge themselves on goblins will swell up fat and need culling too."

He shook his head, a faint, rueful smile on his lips.

"They'll be cursing my name for weeks."

Hyoren couldn't help chuckling.

"Then I'll make sure to thank them on your behalf, Baron."

Baron Guts smiled.

"Please do. They'll need it."

Hyoren looked back out over the plain.

More slimes were emerging now—dozens of them, creeping out of the tall grass beyond the battlefield and from the edges of the distant grassland, slow and patient, drawn toward the dead. Steam drifted up from them in thin, wavering threads. Overhead, the Vent Crows screeched in protest as the slimes slid over the corpses they had claimed.

Little by little, the plain was being reclaimed.

Hyoren watched in silence for a while.

Monsters…

When he first arrived in this world, he had thought of monsters as nothing but threats. Things that wanted to kill him. Things to avoid, to flee from, or to fight.

But that had never been the whole truth.

Slime gel conducted Aethell and was used in countless magic tools. Magic Stones powered the lamps in every street and the stoves in every kitchen. Monster hides became armor. Monster bones became weapons. Monster meat filled the city's markets. And the slimes quietly cleaned up after everyone else.

Dangerous, yes. But understood and used properly…

He looked down at the city behind him. At the rooftops, the streets, the people he had fought all day to protect.

They can help civilization thrive.

Beside him, Baron Guts let out another long, tired breath.

"Well. That's one less thing to worry about."

He glanced over at Hyoren, and a faint, wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Only about a hundred more to go."

Hyoren smiled wryly and shook his head.

"Good luck, Baron."

***

Baron Guts turned back toward Hyoren.

For a moment, he simply looked at him. The crimson streaks still burned across Hyoren's skin, and steam still curled from his swollen muscles—signs of an exhaustion that even Berserker couldn't fully hide. Then the Baron straightened as much as his own tired body allowed and bowed his head.

"Thank you, Hyoren. Once again."

Hyoren shook his head quickly.

"Please, Baron. You've already thanked me more than enough."

A tired chuckle escaped Baron Guts. He tapped the butt of his red-orb staff against the stone.

"And I'll keep thanking you until I'm satisfied. Don't argue with a Baron."

Then he jerked his chin toward the gatehouse stairs.

"Now go. You and your party need rest more than anyone on this wall. And you still haven't released that skill of yours."

Hyoren smiled wryly and scratched his cheek.

"Is it that obvious?"

Baron Guts raised an eyebrow at the steam rising from Hyoren's shoulders.

"You're steaming like a kettle, Hyoren."

His gaze drifted past Hyoren, toward the two unconscious figures lying side by side against the battlements. His expression softened, and the commander faded from his face—leaving only a tired father behind.

"And Hyoren… once again, I'll ask this of you."

His grip tightened around his staff.

"Please take care of Arianna. Take her to your party's manor for now. I can't leave the wall until phase five is over, and Fiona will be out on the plain for hours yet."

He let out a slow breath.

"She'll be safer with you than in a crowded infirmary."

Hyoren met his eyes and nodded firmly.

"I will. You have my word."

The tension eased from the Baron's shoulders. He gave a short nod.

"Good. Then go."

Hyoren bowed slightly.

"Take care of yourself too, Baron. Don't collapse before the Guild Master returns."

Baron Guts snorted, though the corner of his mouth lifted.

"Hah. I'll try."

Hyoren turned and walked back along the battlements to where Oria still knelt between Elise and Arianna. The small elf was tucking the cloak around Elise's shoulders with careful, practiced hands, her Azure Wand dangling from her wrist by its cord.

He crouched beside her.

"Oria. Baron Guts asked me to bring Arianna back to our manor on Wyvern Street. And I want to bring back Elise too."

He glanced down at the two of them.

"How should we carry them? I can manage one, but…"

Oria tapped her chin, thinking.

"Hoo… That's simple. You take Elise. I'll carry Arianna."

Hyoren blinked.

He looked at Oria. Then at Arianna. Then back at Oria.

The elf was small. The top of her head barely reached his chest, and her frame was slender and delicate. Arianna, on the other hand, was tall, taller than most women, all long limbs and crimson hair.

Hyoren hesitated.

"Oria… are you sure? Arianna is quite…"

Oria held up one hand and waved it at him dismissively.

"Shoo, shoo! Don't look at me like that."

She puffed out her cheeks.

"I'm high-leveled, you know. I may be a mage, but I've lived long enough and fought enough monsters that my body is far stronger than it looks. Carrying one sleeping noble girl is nothing."

Before Hyoren could reply, she slid her arms beneath Arianna, adjusted her grip and stood.

Just like that.

Arianna's long legs dangled well past Oria's knees. Her crimson hair spilled over the elf's shoulder, and her wide-brimmed hat slipped off and landed squarely on top of Oria's head, covering half her face. But Oria didn't stagger even a little. She shifted Arianna into a more comfortable position and nudged the hat back up with her chin.

"See? Easy."

Hyoren stared at her.

It was an almost comical sight—a tiny elf carrying a woman nearly a head and a half taller than herself, a lopsided hat perched on her head, wearing an expression that said she did this every day.

A smile crept onto his face despite everything.

"I stand corrected."

Oria sniffed and lifted her chin.

"Good grief. You should know better than to judge an elf by her size by now."

Hyoren chuckled softly. Then he picked up Moonveil Bow and Quadraflux Weaver from beside the two of them. He opened the storage bag at his belt, and the bow and the staff vanished into it one after another.

Afterwards, he turned to Elise.

He slipped one arm beneath her back and the other under her knees, lifted her as gently as he could and shifted her onto his back. With Berserker still coursing through him, she felt almost weightless. Her arms draped over his shoulders. Her cheek came to rest against the side of his neck, and her breath was soft and slow against his skin.

Hyoren turned back toward Baron Guts one last time.

The Baron stood at the parapet again, his gaze fixed on the distant plain where the defenders were still chasing the last of the goblins east. He would stay there until phase five was fully over. Hyoren didn't need to ask to know that.

Baron Guts glanced back over his shoulder and gave a single, slow nod.

Hyoren nodded back.

Then he and Oria turned toward the gatehouse stairs and began their descent—each of them carrying a member of Freedom Party home.

***

Hyoren and Oria made their way down the gatehouse stairs.

Each step echoed against the stone. Elise's weight rested lightly against his back, her breath soft and slow on his neck. Behind him, Oria's small footsteps followed with a steady rhythm, Arianna's long legs swaying gently with every step she took.

The crimson haze still tinted everything Hyoren saw. The edges of his vision pulsed faintly red with each heartbeat.

I've been using Berserker for over two hours now…

He did the math as he descended.

Maybe even two and a half… The backlash is going to be worse than Riverville…

The thought should have filled him with dread. He knew exactly what was waiting for him. Days of bones breaking and healing, muscles tearing and mending, over and over again.

But instead, he chuckled inwardly.

It was worth it…

The city was still standing. And the people on his back and in Oria's arms were still breathing.

They stepped out of the gatehouse and into the square behind Gate of Guts.

The staging ground was still full of motion. Stretchers passed them in both directions—the wounded being carried in, the empty ones hurrying back out for more. Priests in white robes moved between the rows of injured, their hands glowing softly with Light Magic. Runners darted past with crates of potions and armfuls of fresh bandages. The air smelled of blood, herbs and smoke.

Hyoren and Oria wove their way through it all toward the large white tent that had been raised near the eastern side of the square.

Two acolytes in white robes stood at the entrance. When they saw Hyoren approaching, steaming and crimson-streaked, with Elise on his back and a tiny elf carrying Arianna behind him, their eyes widened. Then one of them stepped forward quickly and bowed.

"Field Commander! Please, come in. This way."

The other held the flap of the tent open for them.

Hyoren nodded his thanks and ducked inside.

The medic tent was chaotic, yet strangely calm.

Rows of makeshift beds lined both sides, almost all of them occupied. The wounded lay beneath rough blankets—some groaning softly, some sleeping, some staring silently at the canvas ceiling. Priests and healers moved between them in a steady, unhurried rhythm. Hands glowed. Bandages were wrapped. Potions were tipped carefully against cracked lips.

The healers looked exhausted. Their faces were pale and drawn, their shoulders slumped, their robes stained with blood. Some of them swayed on their feet as they worked.

But there was something else in their faces too. Something Hyoren hadn't seen out on the plain.

Hope.

The battle was over. The city had survived. And every person they managed to save now was one more life that would see tomorrow.

Then Hyoren saw them.

Near the back of the tent, a small cluster of familiar faces had gathered around one of the beds.

Jackey lay on it, still unconscious beneath a thin blanket. Every so often, a small twitch ran through his body. His tabby cat ears lay flat against the pillow, and his tail hung limp over the edge of the bed.

Beside the bed, Jigor stood talking quietly with a woman in a healer's robe. Vani. His wife. The dwarf's voice was lower and gentler than Hyoren had ever heard it. Vani's face was drawn and pale, faint shadows beneath her eyes. She leaned against her husband's arm as if she were too tired to stand on her own. She had clearly poured almost everything she had into healing the wounded.

And a few steps away sat Ina and Killa.

The two of them were seated side by side on a low bench beside Jackey's bed. Ina's brown hair was a mess, and her tabby cat tail swayed slowly behind her. Killa sat hunched over, her scythe propped against the bench, her hands resting limply in her lap.

Ina leaned toward her, amber eyes searching the smaller girl's face.

"So you're not hurt, right, Killa?"

The Ox-clan Beastkin shook her head slowly. Her drooping ears swayed with the motion.

"No… Just some scratches and bruises. I already healed them with potions."

She let out a long, heavy breath. Her shoulders sagged even further.

"I'm just… so tired."

Ina's expression softened. She reached over and gently patted the top of Killa's head, right between her small horns. A soft smile spread across her face.

"Good girl… You've worked so hard today. You deserve a good long rest after this."

Killa closed her eyes. For a moment, the exhaustion on her face eased, and she leaned ever so slightly into Ina's hand.

"Un… Thank you, Sister Ina."

From the entrance of the tent, Hyoren watched them with warm eyes.

Even after everything… Ina still treats her like her own little sister.

Killa had made mistakes. Terrible ones. She had hurt Jackey more deeply than almost anyone. But in Ina's eyes, none of that changed who Killa was underneath. And Hyoren knew Ina was quietly hoping, without ever saying it aloud, that her stupid little brother would one day start to forgive Killa too.

He stepped further into the tent. Oria followed close behind.

There were a few empty beds beside Jackey's. Hyoren crouched carefully and lowered Elise onto one of them, easing her head down onto the pillow. Oria laid Arianna on the other, then took the wide-brimmed hat off her own head and set it gently on the edge of the bed.

The movement caught Ina's eye.

She looked up. Her amber eyes widened.

"Hyoren!"

She shot up from the bench so quickly it nearly tipped over. In three quick steps, she crossed the space between them and threw her arms around him. She didn't care about the steam rising from his skin, or the crimson streaks, or the blood and grime caked across his armor.

She held him tightly and rubbed her cheek against his, the way she always did. Her tabby cat ears pressed flat against her head. Her tail wrapped around his leg.

"I was so worried… You're okay, right? Tell me you're okay."

Hyoren smiled softly and scratched his cheek with one hand. With the other, he held her close.

"I'm back, Ina. Just like I promised."

He drew a breath.

"And I made sure our whole family came back alive."

Even as he said it, something heavy settled in his chest.

Not everyone came back alive…

He thought of the three cloaks laid over the Wood-rank party near the gate. The boy rocking his dead friend in his arms. The stretchers that would never come back from the medic tent.

So many sacrifices… Even Ronald…

But he didn't say it.

This wasn't the time. Right now, his own family had come home. They deserved to feel that, even if only for a little while. The grief could wait. It would still be there tomorrow.

He let out a slow breath and kept his voice gentle.

"Jackey and Arianna are paying the price for their new skills. Elise used up every last drop of her Aethell. But all three of them will wake up."

He gave her a small, reassuring smile.

"And I'm fine. I'm right here."

Ina's arms tightened around him. She rubbed his back slowly. Tears welled up in her amber eyes and spilled over, soaking warmly into his shoulder.

"I'm glad… I'm so glad…"

Her voice cracked.

"I'm so glad, Hyoren…"

For a while, no one said anything.

Everyone simply let the two of them have their moment.

Beside Jackey's bed, Jigor and Vani watched quietly with warm eyes. Jigor's arm slipped around his wife's shoulders, and Vani rested her head against him, a tired, gentle smile on her lips.

Oria stood by Arianna's bed, smoothing the blanket over the young mage's legs. Every now and then, she glanced at Hyoren and Ina. But she said nothing.

And Killa sat on the bench, very still.

Her black eyes moved to Jackey, lying unconscious on the bed beside her. Then to Arianna, pale and silent on the next bed over. Then back to Jackey.

Her face was impossible to read.

***

After a while, Ina finally let go of him.

She stepped back, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled. Her tabby cat ears were still drooping, but a small, relieved smile had found its way onto her face.

Hyoren looked at her and tilted his head.

"Why are you here, Ina? I thought you'd be swamped at the Guild, managing everything while Guild Master Fiona is out on the field."

Ina's cat ears twitched.

"Because Sherly kicked me out."

Hyoren blinked.

"She… what?"

Ina puffed her cheeks a little.

"The moment the report came in that the battle was over, I couldn't concentrate on anything. I kept reading the same line over and over. So Sherly marched up to my desk, took the papers right out of my hands and said, 'Senior Ina, you can't work like this. Go to your family. Leave everything to me.'"

She let out a sigh, but her tail swished behind her.

"And she's right. Now that the battle's over, most of the Guild's coordination work is done. All the paperwork for the aftermath can wait until tomorrow."

A wry smile tugged at her lips.

"After all these months running the Dungeon Town branch, that girl has gotten frighteningly good at paperwork. She still has her outbursts sometimes, but… she's grown up so fast."

Hyoren chuckled, and Ina laughed along with him. It was a small, tired laugh, but a real one.

"Nyahaha…"

Hyoren reached out and patted her head. His fingers ruffled her messy brown hair, and her ears flattened happily beneath his hand.

"I see… That's good. I'm glad you're here."

Beside Jackey's bed, Jigor let out a low chuckle.

"Gyahaha… Can't blame the girl for that. If my wife were out there, I'd have been useless at a desk too."

Vani smiled faintly and nudged him with her elbow.

"You'd have been useless at a desk regardless, dear."

Jigor flinched.

"…That's fair."

Oria snorted softly from beside Arianna's bed.

"Hoo… At least someone at the Guild has sense."

Then footsteps approached from deeper inside the tent.

A tall woman in white and gold robes made her way between the rows of beds toward them. Faint shadows lay beneath her sapphire eyes. She had clearly been healing without rest since the first stretcher came through the gate.

And yet, even exhausted, she carried herself with a serene grace. The warm, motherly smile on her lips didn't waver for a moment.

Archbishop Sherine Conti.

The priests and healers they passed paused to bow their heads as she went by.

She stopped in front of Hyoren and smiled.

"Welcome back, Hyoren. I'm so glad you returned safely."

Hyoren bowed slightly.

"Sherine. Thank you for taking care of everyone."

His gaze moved immediately to the bed beside them.

"How is Jackey?"

Sherine followed his gaze. Her smile softened.

"I've already healed him. All of his injuries."

Hyoren focused on the unconscious Cat-clan Beastkin.

Magic Eyes : Diagnostic Sight flickered across his crimson-tinted vision.

State: Overexertion from skill use.

That was all. The damage to his organs, the ruptured eardrums, the broken capillaries—every last injury was gone. Only the price of the skill remained. That was why he still twitched. That was why he still hadn't woken up.

Hyoren let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"She's right… Every wound is gone. He's just paying for his skill now."

On the bench, Killa's shoulders loosened slightly. She didn't say a word. But her fingers, which had been clenched tightly in her lap, slowly uncurled.

Hyoren turned back to Sherine and bowed again, more deeply this time.

"Thank you, Sherine. Truly."

He straightened and glanced around at his party: Jackey, Elise, Arianna.

"If Jackey's already healed, then we'll head home now. I'll take care of them at the manor."

Sherine's smile stayed exactly where it was. But her sapphire eyes went sharp.

"Going home? I forbid it."

The air around the bed went still.

Ina blinked. Jigor's eyebrows shot up. Oria paused with her hand on Arianna's blanket. Even Vani lifted her head from her husband's shoulder.

Hyoren stared at her.

"…Pardon?"

Sherine's smile remained gentle. Her voice was soft. But there was iron underneath it.

"You're going to lie down in a bed, Hyoren. Right now."

Hyoren tilted his head, completely lost.

"But I'm…"

Sherine's eyes narrowed.

"Lie down. Now."

Hyoren closed his mouth.

Sherine let out a long, weary sigh and pressed her fingertips briefly to her temple.

"You truly don't realize how badly hurt you are, do you?"

The words landed like a stone dropped into still water.

Ina's head whipped toward him. Her amber eyes went wide.

"Hyoren!? You said you were fine!"

Hyoren raised both hands.

"I am fine! I really do feel fine!"

Sherine shook her head slowly.

"You feel fine because your Unique Skill is masking all of your pain. The only reasons you can still walk are that skill and your own stubbornness."

She tapped one finger lightly beneath her own eye.

"You can't hide it from my Clinical Appraisal, Hyoren. I saw it the moment you walked in."

Her expression grew grave.

"If you release your Unique Skill in your current condition, you might die. At the very least, you'd be bedridden for weeks."

Silence.

Ina's face went white. Jigor's mouth fell open beneath his beard. Vani pressed a hand to her lips. Oria's fingers tightened around the edge of Arianna's blanket.

And on the bench, Killa's black eyes went wide.

Hyoren swallowed.

Slowly, he turned his Magic Eyes inward, toward his own body. For the first time all day, he looked at himself.

The information unfolded across his crimson-tinted vision.

State: Fractured ribs (left 3rd and 4th; right 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th). Minor liver laceration. Minor abdominal bleeding. Minor brain bleeding. Minor fracture of the left humerus. Multiple deep lacerations.

Hyoren stared at it.

His mind, the part of it that had studied medicine in another world, processed each line automatically. Six broken ribs. A torn liver. Internal bleeding in his abdomen. Bleeding in his brain, small but there. A cracked arm. And deep cuts across his body, more than he could count.

This is…

He hadn't felt any of it. Not the ribs grinding with every breath. Not the arm that had carried his shield and spear all day. Not the cuts. Berserker had swallowed all of it, burying every injury beneath its roaring strength and leaving him to believe he was whole.

He thought back over the battle.

Every axe that had slammed into his shoulder. Every spear that had struck his ribs. Every blade that had raked across his back while he pushed the wedge forward or ground Lumen Severance against the barriers. Mist Dispersion had stripped a fifth of the force from every blow. His Mithril-alloy Chainmail had stopped most of what remained.

But not all of it.

Hundreds of blows over hours of fighting. Even a fraction of each one had added up.

I really didn't notice at all…

A cold sweat broke out across the back of his neck.

Ina's voice cut through his thoughts, shaking with fury.

"Hyoren!"

He flinched.

She had both hands planted on her hips, her tail fluffed out to twice its size, her ears pinned flat against her head. Tears were still drying on her cheeks, but her amber eyes were blazing.

"You said you were fine! You stood right there and told me you were fine! And you're walking around with broken ribs and bleeding inside your head!?"

Hyoren waved his hand.

"Ina, I really didn't know…"

Ina pointed her finger.

"That's even worse!"

Beside the bed, Jigor let out a long, low whistle.

"By Gravok's beard, lad… You carried the lass all the way down those stairs like that?"

Vani looked at Hyoren with a healer's critical eye, her brow furrowing.

"With injuries like those, you shouldn't even be able to stand, let alone walk across the square…"

Oria let out a long, exasperated breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Good grief. I told you, didn't I? I told you that thing of yours gets worse the longer you keep it running. My brain is delicate, Hyoren. I can't take this much stress in one day."

Hyoren looked from one face to another. Ina was furious, Jigor stunned, Vani grim, Oria exasperated. And Sherine stood patiently in front of him, still smiling, her eyes still sharp.

He let out a long breath, his shoulders sagging.

"…Understood."

He walked over to the empty bed beside Elise's and lowered himself down onto it. Even with Berserker, he moved more carefully, now that he knew what was beneath his skin.

He lay back against the pillow.

Ina stood at his bedside, still glaring at him, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. But her tail had wrapped around the bedpost, as if she didn't trust him not to get up again.

Sherine stepped up beside the bed and laid one hand lightly on his chest. Her sapphire eyes softened. She closed them.

"Luminara's Grace."

Her hand began to glow.

It was a soft, golden light, warm as morning sunlight through a window. It spread outward from her palm, flowing across Hyoren's chest, down his arms, over his legs, until it enveloped his entire body in a gentle radiance. The crimson streaks beneath it seemed to dim slightly in its glow.

And even through Berserker, even through the roaring strength that had swallowed every sensation all day, Hyoren felt it.

Warmth.

Quiet, gentle warmth. It sank into his ribs, his arm, his torn flesh, filling every place that should have been screaming in pain.

***

After a while, Sherine raised her hand from Hyoren's chest.

The golden light faded slowly, the warmth lingering a moment longer before it, too, sank away. Sherine let out a long breath and lowered her hand. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on her brow. But when she looked down at Hyoren, her warm, motherly smile was back.

"Good… Now you're fine."

She tilted her head, her golden hair spilling over one shoulder.

"All your wounds are more or less healed. Of course, you'll still have to pay the price of your skill once you release it. But at least you won't be bedridden for weeks."

Hyoren looked down at his own body and let his Magic Eyes settle over himself once more.

State: Healthy.

The broken ribs, the torn liver, the bleeding, the cuts—every line had vanished. Only that single word remained.

He let out a slow breath of relief and pushed himself upright. Ina was at his side in an instant, one hand on his back, the other gripping his arm to steady him as he got to his feet.

Hyoren turned to Sherine and bowed his head.

"Thank you, Archbishop."

Sherine's smile froze. Then she puffed out her cheeks and raised one finger, wagging it at him like a scolding mother.

"Mou… I told you not to call me by my title."

She tapped her finger against the air with each syllable.

"She. Ri. Ne."

Hyoren smiled wryly and scratched his cheek.

"Fine… Thank you, Sherine."

The pout vanished at once. Sherine's face lit up, and she beamed at him as if he'd just given her a gift.

"That's better."

Beside Jackey's bed, Jigor's eyebrows had climbed so high they nearly vanished. Vani pressed her lips together, trying very hard not to laugh. Oria simply shook her head with a long-suffering sigh.

Hyoren turned to the two dwarves.

"Jigor. Vani. Thank you both for today. For everything."

Jigor thumped his chest with his fist.

"Gyahaha! Don't mention it, lad. Just get some rest. You've earned a week of it."

Vani smiled tiredly and inclined her head.

"Take care of yourself, Hyoren. And take good care of your companions."

Hyoren smiled.

"I will."

Then Killa stood up from the bench.

She picked up her scythe and held it against her shoulder. Her eyes went to Jackey for a long moment. Then she looked at Ina, and finally at Hyoren.

"I'll… say goodbye here."

Her voice was small and quiet.

"I won't come to your manor. I don't want to intrude."

She didn't explain why. She didn't need to. Everyone there knew who would be waking up in that manor in a few days, and how that person felt about her.

Ina stepped toward her and laid a hand gently on top of her head, right between her small horns. She patted it, slow and soft.

"Thank you for bringing my stupid little brother back, Killa. Truly."

Killa's ears drooped even lower.

Ina leaned down a little, her voice gentle.

"Once he wakes up, I'll talk with him again. About you. Okay?"

Killa's breath caught. For a moment, her lips trembled. Then she gave a small, quick nod.

"Thank you, Sister Ina."

She bowed to the others, then turned and slipped away between the rows of beds without another word.

Ina watched her go. Then she turned back to Jackey's bed, crouched beside it and slid her arms beneath her unconscious brother. With a controlled breath, she lifted him off the mattress as easily as if he weighed nothing at all.

Jigor stared.

"By Gravok's beard… Does every woman in this party carry grown men around like sacks of flour?"

Ina shifted Jackey over her shoulder and flashed Jigor a grin.

"I have sixteen Strength, remember? Nyahaha!"

Oria scooped Arianna back up into her arms, the wide-brimmed hat once again perched lopsided on top of her head. Hyoren slid Elise onto his back, her arms draped over his shoulders, her cheek against his neck.

Then the three of them left the medic tent—each carrying a member of their family home.

***

The walk back through the city was slow.

The streets of Akela were full. Townsfolk had come out of their homes the moment word spread that the battle was over. They filled the roads and leaned out of windows, crying and laughing and embracing one another. Children ran between the crowds. An old man sat on his doorstep, weeping openly into his hands. A baker had thrown open her shop and was pressing bread into the arms of every adventurer who passed.

And when they saw the three figures walking down the street, the crowd recognized him.

"It's the Field Commander!"

"Hero of Akela! Hero of Akela!"

"Thank you! Thank you for saving us!"

"Long live the Hero!"

Adventurers raised their weapons as they passed. Townsfolk bowed their heads. A little girl ran up and pressed a crumpled wildflower into Hyoren's free hand before darting back to her mother, giggling.

Hyoren smiled and raised the flower in thanks. His face was warm beneath the crimson streaks.

Ina nudged him with her elbow, grinning.

"Hero of Akela, huh? Nyahaha… You're going to be insufferable."

Hyoren sighed.

"Please, not you too."

Oria snorted under the brim of Arianna's hat.

"Good grief. He'll never hear the end of it now."

Little by little, the cheering crowds thinned as they turned onto quieter streets.

And finally, they turned onto Wyvern Street.

It was quiet here. The taverns and the entertainment buildings were dark and still.

They walked all the way to the end of the street, where a familiar manor stood behind its iron gate—the Wyvern Street Manor, Freedom Party's home.

The front door flew open before they even reached it.

Lena and Vina stood in the doorway. Their eyes were red-rimmed, their faces pale with worry, and they had clearly been waiting by the window for hours. Lena's drooping fox ears shot upright the moment she saw them.

"Master Hyoren! Mistress Ina!"

Her voice trembled.

Then her eyes fell on Elise draped across Hyoren's back, on Jackey slung over Ina's shoulder, on Arianna cradled in Oria's arms. All three of them unconscious.

Lena's hands flew to her mouth.

"Oh… Oh, Goddess…"

Beside her, Vina had gone completely still, her eyes wide.

Hyoren quickly shook his head.

"They're all alive. All of them. They're just exhausted. They'll wake up."

Lena let out a shaky breath, and her shoulders slumped with relief. She bowed deeply, her ears swaying.

"Thank Luminara… Welcome home, everyone. Truly, welcome home."

Vina bowed beside her, her voice thick.

"Welcome home…"

They stepped aside to let them in. As Hyoren passed, Lena hurried after him.

"Master Hyoren, shall I prepare something to eat? You must all be starving after such a long day."

Hyoren shook his head gently.

"Thank you, Lena. But we're too tired to eat right now. We just need to rest."

Lena looked at the three unconscious figures, at the steam still rising from Hyoren's skin, at the exhaustion etched across all their faces. She nodded at once.

"Of course. Please, rest. If you need anything at all, anything, just call for us."

Hyoren smiled at the caretaker.

"Thank you. Both of you."

***

Hyoren, Ina and Oria climbed the stairs to the second floor.

They went to Arianna's room first. Oria laid the crimson-haired mage carefully onto her bed, then set her wide-brimmed hat on the bedside table. Ina lowered Jackey down beside her. The two lovers lay side by side, pale and still, and Ina drew the blanket up over both of them, tucking it around their shoulders.

For a moment, she simply stood there, looking down at them.

"Rest well, you two…"

Then Hyoren carried Elise across the hall to her own room. He laid her gently on her bed, eased her head onto the pillow and brushed a few strands of silver hair away from her face. He pulled the blanket up to her chin.

"Rest well, Elise."

When he stepped back into the hall, Oria was waiting with her arms crossed.

"Hyoren… I'll stay here for a while. Someone needs to help look after all of you. Three unconscious and one about to join them. You two can't do it alone."

Hyoren and Ina exchanged a glance. Relief washed over both their faces.

Ina pressed her hands together.

"Oria… Thank you. Really."

Hyoren bowed his head.

"Thank you, Oria."

Oria waved one hand dismissively.

"Shoo, shoo. Don't get sentimental on me."

Then she turned, marched straight into Elise's room without knocking and climbed into the bed beside the sleeping elf, pulling half the blanket over herself.

"I'm sleeping here. Don't wake me unless someone's dying."

Hyoren and Ina stared after her for a moment.

Then they both burst into quiet laughter.

"Nyahaha… She really just barged in…"

Hyoren chuckled, shaking his head.

"That's Oria for you."

Hyoren and Ina closed the door to Elise’s room. They then stepped into Hyoren's room and closed the door behind them.

The room was quiet. Everything was exactly as they had left it before dawn. The bed was neatly made.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

Ina let out a long, slow sigh. Her shoulders slumped, and her tail sank toward the floor.

"It's finally over…"

She looked toward the door, toward the rooms where the others were sleeping.

"Our family is safe…"

Hyoren nodded.

"Yeah. We're all home."

Ina was quiet for a moment.

Then she turned around, and her amber eyes narrowed.

"But."

She jabbed a finger into his chest.

"You are never lying to me about your wounds again. Ever. Do you understand me?"

Hyoren raised his hands.

"I really didn't know, Ina…"

Ina shook her head.

"That's exactly the problem!"

She crossed her arms, her tail fluffing out.

"From now on, you check yourself. With those Magic Eyes of yours. Every single time. Don't forget!"

She let out a long breath, and some of the anger drained from her shoulders.

"Berserker is truly a double-edged sword…"

Her gaze drifted over the crimson streaks still burning across his skin.

"Masking the pain might seem like a good thing in battle. But it makes you forget the state of your own body. You could have walked around until you just dropped dead and never even known why."

She raised her finger again and pointed it straight at his nose.

"I know you'll never stop using it. Not if our family is in danger. I know you."

Her voice softened.

"So just promise me. Check yourself from time to time, and heal your wounds. Promise me, Hyoren."

Hyoren looked into her amber eyes. He could see the fear behind them. The fear that had kept her pacing in the medic tent. The fear that one day, he wouldn't come back.

He nodded firmly.

"I promise, Ina."

Ina studied his face for a long moment. Then, finally, she nodded too, satisfied.

"Un… Promise."

Hyoren smiled softly. Then he looked down at his own hands, at the crimson streaks still glowing faintly beneath his skin.

"Then I'll release this skill now."

He let out a breath.

"I've been using it for more than two and a half hours. Maybe close to three. So I'll probably be unconscious for three days."

He smiled wryly.

"Please take care of me afterward."

Ina's face shifted. Worry, fear, sadness and reluctance all crossed her expression at once. For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to argue.

But then she nodded.

And she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"I've already done this once. Back in the Still Forest. Holding you while you paid the price of this Unique Skill of yours."

Her arms tightened.

"Elise fights beside you. She always has. And today, she gave everything she had again, just like at Riverville."

Her gaze drifted toward the door, toward the room where the silver-haired elf lay sleeping.

"So what comes after… that's mine. That's my part."

Hyoren's chest tightened.

Ina's tail curled around his leg.

"And I'll keep doing it. As many times as it takes."

She pressed her cheek against his chest. Her voice dropped, barely above a whisper.

"I still remember your screams. That pure agony, echoing through the forest. I don't think I'll ever forget it."

She took a deep, shaky breath.

"But I'm ready. I'll always be here for you, Hyoren. Always."

Hyoren closed his eyes and held her close.

"Thank you, Ina…"

Then he opened them again.

"Wait, Ina. Before that, please use the Discourse Sphere."

Ina looked up at him.

Hyoren smiled wryly.

"I don't want to worry Lena or Vina. Or wake up Elise, Arianna and Jackey with my screaming."

Ina exhaled slowly. Then she nodded.

"That's right…"

She let go of him and walked over to the table by the window. On it sat a small, palm-sized orb. The Discourse Sphere. They had bought it for privacy, so that their nights together wouldn't disturb the others in the manor.

Ina rested her hand on it and poured in a trickle of Aethell.

The runes etched across its surface lit up. A soft hum filled the room, and the faint sounds from outside—distant cheering, a bird in the garden, footsteps somewhere downstairs—faded into nothing. A barrier of silence settled around the walls.

Ina turned back to him.

"Then let me be the only one who hears it."

She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him once more. She held him tightly and planted her feet, bracing herself, just as she had in the Still Forest.

"Ready."

Hyoren nodded.

He closed his eyes—and he released Berserker.

Today, Akela City still stood.

Its walls were battered, its plain was scarred, and its people were mourning. The battle had cost it dearly. Ronald. The fledglings. Dozens of others whose names would be read aloud in the days to come.

But it stood.

And inside the Wyvern Street Manor, in a room sealed in silence, held tightly in the arms of one of the anchors who had always supported him, Hyoren finally began to pay the price of his Unique Skill.