Chapter 25
“What on earth is going on?”
Lucy frowned as she looked at the massive wall in front of her.
“It seems to be a monster. It looks like we were standing on top of a Stone Whale,” Neumann analyzed. He believed the Stone Whale had burst up through the ground they were walking on.
“It’s a second-grade monster, but with the Duke and Sir Nathan, it should only be troublesome—not a serious problem.”
According to her master, who always praised the Duke, the Duke of Berenice was not someone who would fail to protect himself anywhere.
And Sir Nathan Raphelia, who looked fierce on the outside but gentle inside, was the same.
Even so, Lucy couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that kept pricking at her chest.
She remembered how Nathan kept glancing at her during the subjugation, checking if she was keeping up.
It didn’t look like the worried gaze of someone protecting the weak…
‘It was a look that needed me.’
Lucy raised her eyebrows and brushed the dirt off her clothes.
“Let’s find them quickly and regroup.”
“I’d like to, but it seems impossible right now.”
Following Neumann’s gaze, she saw the path blocked by piles of dirt and fallen trees. It was debris caused by the Stone Whale rising from the ground.
With no choice, the two decided to go around. They walked while estimating the direction where Valentin and Nathan might be.
“Are you close with Sir Nathan?”
Neumann had played a large role in helping Nathan adjust to the knight order. He was naturally friendly and good at conversation.
He could even hold a smooth conversation with a talking beast. So he easily found a topic to speak about with the famous mage before him.
But the conversation didn’t go as he hoped.
“No. I met him for the first time today.”
“……”
Neumann frowned at the unexpected answer.
Lucy’s reaction was understandable—but Nathan’s behavior was strange. For someone meeting her for the first time, he gave her far too many glances.
Nathan probably thought no one noticed, but Neumann had clearly seen those shining golden eyes turn toward Lucy several times.
‘Is it because she’s pretty?’
Her water-colored hair was rare and mysterious, like a water spirit. Her delicate features and clear eyes, shining like a lake, were full of life.
But her beauty wasn’t her only charm.
Lucy was the disciple of the Mage Tower Lord and had graduated top of her class from Letimia Academy.
Still, there was no way Nathan, who seemed so naive, knew about her impressive background.
So there could only be one reason—
‘Did he fall in love at first sight?’
Since Neumann didn’t know Nathan was actually a woman, it seemed like a reasonable suspicion.
‘If I think of it that way, everything makes sense.’
Nathan had looked back and forth between Lucy and Valentin with anxious, shining eyes. Whenever the distance between them grew closer, he seemed restless, almost like a jealous puppy.
Despite his intimidating appearance, he didn’t boldly separate them. That shy side made Neumann feel sorry for him.
‘If his rival is the Duke… even I would struggle.’
Neumann decided he would at least help Nathan with his love.
“It’s raining.”
Lucy held out her palm and felt the raindrops. Neumann looked up at the dark sky.
Heavy clouds had already gathered above them.
They quickened their pace. Shielding themselves from the rain, they hurried until they saw a large temporary tent in the distance.
“We got separated from our group.”
As soon as she entered the tent, Lucy wrung out her rain-soaked cloak and explained the situation.
The knights replied that there were no dangerous monsters nearby, and skilled fighters should be fine—but Lucy refused to leave it at that.
“Isn’t a Stone Whale a monster that shouldn’t even appear here?”
To begin with, the idea that humans could fully control a forest was absurd.
Lucy stared at them silently. Unable to endure her clear gaze, one knight reluctantly took out a red flare.
Even then, he didn’t think the situation was serious.
‘Since it’s raining, maybe someone will need shelter.’
He casually lit the flare.
Soon, red fireworks burst loudly into the sky.
People who saw the signal began arriving at the tent to avoid the rain.
But the ones Lucy was waiting for didn’t appear.
After pacing under the tent for a long time, Lucy went back inside. As she warmed herself by the fire and dried her hair and clothes, she convinced herself the Duke and Nathan would return safely.
‘It’s probably nothing.’
Not long after, murmurs rose from outside.
At first, the voices were dull, like the sound of rain. Then they became clearer.
“It’s a monster!”
“I-I’ll handle it.”
“Is it holding someone hostage?”
The tent door burst open.
“Lady Lucy!”
Neumann rushed in, his face pale.
His hazelnut-colored eyes, calm until now, trembled.
Lucy stood up at once and rolled up her sleeves.
“The Duke— Sir Nathan— no…”
Neumann stammered, clearly shaken.
Deciding it would be better to see for herself, Lucy brushed past him and stepped outside.
She smelled wet earth in the air and looked around.
People were surrounding something from a distance.
At the tips of their swords stood a beast near the edge of the tent.
A creature with black fur and bright golden eyes shining between the strands. It looked terrifying.
Covered in dark red blood, it was easy to mistake for a monster.
But those glowing golden eyes in the darkness clearly belonged to Nathan.
‘Then the person in his arms…’
He was holding someone tightly. Only wet blond hair and long legs were visible.
Lucy’s face darkened instantly when she recognized the man.
‘The Duke of Berenice.’
This was troublesome. Her master had specifically told her to preserve that face.
‘Forget his face—there are problems everywhere.’
Thinking of how upset Baron would be, Lucy walked straight toward Nathan.
“Bring a stretcher, emergency kit, clean water, and a heating magic stone. Quickly.”
The knights’ eyes wavered when they saw the health department badge she took from her pocket.
A knight tried to stop her, saying the monster was holding someone hostage—but Neumann, who had followed her out, intervened.
“He is a knight of Berenice. Bring the supplies now. Hurry!”
At the noise, Nathan’s golden eyes turned toward Lucy.
They had been burning fiercely, as if ready to cut down anything in reach—but now they trembled.
“…Lucy.”
His tail, which had been raised high, drooped weakly. His large body collapsed to the ground.
He carefully lowered Valentin in front of Lucy, finally loosening the arms that had held him tightly.
“Please save our Duke. He was splashed with some strange liquid on top of a magic circle, and he started coughing up blood immediately. Every time he tried to hold his sword, blood rushed up again. He’s not going to die, right? Right? If it’s you, Lucy, you can fix everything. You can, can’t you?”
His voice broke into rough sobs. His trembling words were hard to understand, but Lucy didn’t stop him.
She examined the tall man lying there like a corpse.
Just recently, they had been walking together. Now he didn’t move at all.
She felt bitter.
First, she checked his breathing. There was faint air at his nose—he was alive. He had passed the worst moment.
“How is he? Our Duke is okay, right?”
Instead of answering, Lucy looked up at Nathan—and began examining him instead.
“Lucy…?”
The once innocent-looking face was now torn with burns. His left shoulder was dislocated. Deep stab wounds marked his right shoulder and neck.
Judging by the torn flesh on his chest, his internal organs were likely damaged. His right thigh had been bitten so badly that bone was visible.
‘He’s in pieces.’
His back was probably no better.
Lucy frowned as she quickly assessed his condition.
Right now, adrenaline was likely blocking his pain. The situation was not good.
‘I need to treat the worst injuries first.’
But when she tried to treat Nathan first, he firmly stepped back.
“No.”
His golden eyes held strong determination.
“Treat the Duke first.”
The larger the wound, the more magic power it required to heal. Even Lucy had limits to her magic.
Nathan insisted Valentin should be treated first, in case something went wrong.
With trembling hands, he took Lucy’s small hand and awkwardly placed it on Valentin.
Lucy bit the inside of her cheek.
“Fine. Fine… but at least receive first aid.”
She signaled Neumann, who finally rushed to Nathan with medical supplies.
“What exactly happened?”
Neumann poured potions and healing liquids into Nathan’s mouth.
Meanwhile, Lucy placed her hand over Valentin’s eyes and examined his condition.
“He’s just as bad.”
Something was blocking the flow of energy in his lower core. Even Lucy had never seen this before.
“Why? What is it?”
Nathan leaned closer despite his injuries.
After a moment of thought, Lucy spoke.
“Something is blocking the path where his aura flows out. So every time he tried to use his power, the energy couldn’t escape and exploded inside his body.”
Using his aura had become poison to him.
If he was as smart as she thought, he must have realized what was happening the moment he swung his sword.
“The power and amount of energy he possesses are far beyond normal. So the backlash was much stronger. Unlike ordinary people, his aura is mixed with magic.”
As she prepared to restore his damaged organs, she added,
“Even in that urgent moment, he protected the most important thing—his heart. I should call that impressive.”
It seemed he had divided his energy and built a barrier around his heart.
Otherwise, it would not be the only organ left unharmed.
Lucy nodded at Nathan, silently telling him that Valentin’s life was not in danger.
No matter how damaged he was, she could fix the rest.
Blue light began to shine from Lucy’s hands.
