Chapter 41: Waiting…

As peaceful as the adventurer's manor is getting, the village's hospital is having a gloomy atmosphere. It is opposite as to what outside of the walls are feeling; celebrating the return of the missing ones.

When the sun showed up along with the soldiers and their sleeping kids, followed by the heroes who found them and defeated the culprit, although they were relieved with the good news. It is immediately followed by an exploding one, something that had dropped all hopes within these families.

The sun's blazing heat hugged the village at noon, and without enough sleep, some of them went ahead with their day to continue their work. Now that their kids have arrived, they can finally relax. And all of a sudden they got this energy to go through the day, dreaming of the time they can finally have their kids with them, in their arms, smiling and playing. Babbling about anything, not to worry about a single nightmare ever again.

Working hard within the mine, the bell rang indicating lunch time, they all halted.

"It's time for lunch! Leave the area and go to the cafeteria now." The speakers broke the silence the workers had and left their work as they talked, and grabbed each other's shoulders to grab their lunch, filling the room with their voices.

"Have you visited the hospital?" Mila asked Jerr when she saw him entering the cafeteria. The two are siblings and are neighbours. She also is very close with her brother's wife, Gina. Mila is also the one who would volunteer to babysit Jerr's son when the spouses are too busy with work and needed the two of them to attend to it.

She likes it.

"Oh, Mila," he greeted her with a wide grin, "no, they said they have to run some tests with the children before we're allowed."

"Is that so?" she frowned, "I can wait to babysit that little rascal again."

"You can always visit us, you know."

Mila shrugged, "it's different if it's just me looking after him. I get to teach him lots of stuff."

"I just hope you're not teaching him strange things, Mila." He looked at her suspiciously.

"You do know I am that aunt who gives in with the kids' wants and not their needs," she stuck her tongue out.

"Yeah, you're still that kid."

"I'm not a kid!"

"You sure still are to me."

The two are laughing as they keep teasing each other while they pick out their food, causing a few glances on them from others. The siblings have not spoken with each other since the incident and are always in deep thought, now, they finally saw the closeness of the two again. It gives a warm feeling inside those who are close to them to witness their smiles again.

"It's nice to see them like this again, right?" the cafeteria's server told the one she's serving and he agreed, nodding his head while smiling.

During the abnormality of the children's abduction within the village, it has created quite a ruckus; none of the parents would utter a single word, and when asked, they always answer in a low tone. Uninterested in what's going on, thinking of their own blood, worrying if they're alive and well, and when they would come back to them. Worse of all they can't help but think if it would be only the decaying body coming back to them? But now, they can now act like how normally would.

The friendly atmosphere around the workplace has finally come back. No more walking on eggshells within the place, no more carefully thinking if their words could trigger their colleagues. And soon, the same smile and laughter would soon echo inside the mine.

Everything will return to normal.

Or so they thought.

The constant running with carts filled with medicines, countless tubes of blood, and the endless changing of bed sheets and pillow cases. The nurses and doctors cannot stop to rest, not even for a single second.

Two kids would be catered by one priestess and to constantly have their pulses and vitals checked, they tried everything they could to determine what's going on with the children. Unfortunately, the priestesses, and medical workers they have are not skillful enough to approach more advanced tests.

And a divine could take at least a week to arrive at the village. With the divines located at the southwestern part of the kingdom, if the region's abnormal storm would strike, it could take them two weeks to come. They must have a decision.

It was a moment for dusk to take over when Leon visited the hospital to personally take a look at the children's condition, hoping they are getting well and that the hospital had figured out how to help them. Unfortunately, the state of what he left that dawn has worsened.

The children's lips had gone dry, their eyes and cheeks sunken, their eyelids weakened, their skin clinging on their bones. If he could, he would gag at the sight. They all look like dead people.

"What is happening here?"

Everyone was surprised, he was not being stealthy at all. But because it is them versus the time, racing with the time has completely blocked some of their senses, only thinking of saving the poor children.

The hospital's head doctor stopped reading all of the recent findings and faced him, clutching his memo pad tightly. He can't squeeze his sleepless brains with a better report, but he must not lie.

"My lord," he swallowed the lump in his throat, "I am afraid the children are not getting well."

"As I can see," Leon's eyes never left the children, it pains him inside how he cannot help them personally.

"Their life kept depleting, my lord," the doctor's eyes had dried up, "we cannot seem to find what causes these children to keep draining their life force."

Leon moved his head to look at the doctor, his eyes coated with fire, "have you sent a letter to request for a divine to come down here?"

"We had just sent the letter to the mayor, my lord."

Leon's ears rang, "what?"

"I–" the doctor did not know what to do, he knew he had upset the council's second.

Leon could not control his emotions and punched the wall as he growled, "this is a matter of life and death!"

People within the building had their knees shaking, this is the first time they have seen him bursting with emotions, "and yet you chose to seek approval instead of directly sending it to one of the temples?!"

"My lord!" his knees had gone weak and he fell on the ground, eyes letting out a single tear, "it was my mistake, my mistake."

"Have it sent to one of the temples now! Whichever is the nearest, the better!"

Leon's cape flopped as he turned to leave.

"I will be back."

Everyone who witnessed the second's rage were unconsciously holding their breath feeling the heavy tension enveloping the room. And when he finally left, they tried catching their breaths.

"Have the messenger send it to the nearest temple instead, code x," the head doctor was coughing as he gave the order. It does not matter who heard him and who would carry it out, it must be done. Not for the humiliation he received but for the patients.

Leon could not believe he lost his cool, and in front of many people.

He stormed towards the council's hall and headed straight to his own practice room. This was the very practice room he used when Lady Edrei took him in. She gave him his very own practice room to focus more, she's afraid if he was to join an academy, they might poison his mind with their vices and insecurities. And knowing how Leon grew up in a poor environment, it is not impossible for him to return to his former deeds: stealing, bullying, and killing just for the sake of surviving.

Leon clenched his teeth as his hand tightened on the grip of his sword; he must let out the anger stirring inside him. If he would let it be and bottle it inside him, he might get blinded by his past's darkness.

Lady Edrei was behind her white and golden desk, watching Leon's every move inside the floating mirror that was glowing with white light.

She sighed seeing the little kid she once picked up is still there, she smiled subtly.

"AAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!" Leon screamed as soon as he opened the door of his personal training room and unsheathed his sword, slashing here and there.

He continued swinging his sword everywhere, completely disregarding the training he once did and only focusing on letting out the anger boiling in him.

"WHY CAN'T THEY DO ONE SIMPLE TASK?!"

Leon's eyes widened as his pupils shrank, he unconsciously summoned a huge amount of mana to his sword, and when he swung it, one of the columns in the room split in half. And as it was falling, he ran and jumped, directly slicing it to even smaller pieces.

Lady Edrei sighed, pressing her fingers on her forehead.

When he landed on the ground, he saw the huge circle at the end of the room which he used as a target to practice his bows and arrows when he was younger. Now, the red paint fueled his anger even more, like a bull provoked by people who wanted to bet on it.

Leon raised his sword and concentrated on coating it with more and more mana. Lady Edrei had had enough with his actions and stood, deciding to fetch him herself.

"FUCK ALL OF YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING NUISANCE!!" his spit was getting all over as he yelled those words, emptying the rage he had at once, he lowered his sword and released all of his compacted mana and hit the red paint on the wall.

His power was so powerful, as it penetrated more and more on the wall, he was also pushed towards the room's door. He had both of his hands at the grip to push it back, he wanted to see the whole wall crumble. He wants to destroy the place.

When all of the mana he summoned ran out, his legs gave in and used his sword to support his weight.

He was in a pitiful state when Lady Edrei found him, his hair disheveled, his clothes were covered in dust, and his exposed flesh was covered with small cuts from the impact.

Leon noticed her calm footsteps and lowered his head even more, not wanting to show this humiliation to her.

"It was not your fault, son," she snapped her fingers and everything was back to how they used to be. The room was good as new, everything he destroyed was fixed immediately.

"Then whose fault was it?"

Lady Edrei lowered herself to level Leon, "it was mine."

"No," he whispered, "it was never your fault, mother. You did not do anything, it was me. I failed to do my duties."

Lady Edrei cupped one of his cheeks and he held her hand, "I failed, mother."

She brought Leon into her arms and as soon as he felt her warm embrace, he cried like a child losing his favourite toy.

"I failed those children," he bit his lower lip, "had I solved the investigation at once, they won't have to go through this."

Lady Edrei rubbed his back to soothe him, "it was not yours. It was no one's fault."

"I'm sorry I failed you," he sniffed.

As the region's council, an important person that helps watch over the kingdom and make decisions for the lot, she cannot show anyone her vulnerable side. Especially with Leon.

If they know her weakness, they could use him over her, and manipulate him to blackmail her. This is also one of the reasons why Lady Edrei built this indestructible training room, to watch him grow up without any hint of darkness taking over his mind. But due to the trauma from the past, Leon can't help it but get taken over by it at times.

He uses his training room to let out all of his anger and to calm himself. Some days, when it's too much, Edrei would come to calm him herself.

"Never," she broke the hug and looked at his eyes, "you never did once disappoint me, Leon. Remember that."

Leon's tears kept streaming looking into his adopted mother's gentle one.

"Always remember that."

The night has come and Lithea is still fast asleep; the group is starting to get anxious, she has been unconscious since dawn and they were told that even though the gem sat on her forehead, it does not guarantee its effectiveness. She still has to wake up.

The whole team did not leave Lithea's room, and when they do, they return immediately, not wanting to miss out on the news that she's woken up. And they have been waiting all day.

All of the sudden, Viv was sniffing the air, his eyes twinkled.

"Viv?" Thenea looked at him all confused.

After a moment, a small sound escaped Viv's mouth as he drooled.

Thenea blinked, "are you perhaps?"

The room's door opened and revealed one of the manor's maids, "The supper is ready."

Viv jumped and dashed downstairs when he heard that food was served.

"Yeah, I knew it." Thenea giggled, "it shouldn't be a surprise."

"Do we all have to leave the room?" Verin looked over at Lithea. Fortunately, she has not been groaning and sweating for a while now. Although there are still moments her brows would draw closer, for the most of it, she looks relaxed.

"It will be fine," Lance said, "Lady Edrei had already doubled the protection seal."

Hugo was the one who closed the doors, before he did it, he took a quick glance at Lithea. Staying by her side and looking over her, making sure she's safe is one of the reasons he joined the academy. But because Lady Edrei made sure to make her room indestructible and easy to detect intruders with ill intentions, he has no choice but to join the others for dinner.

He's afraid the council might take offense to his actions.

Viv was already seated when the rest reached the area of the house, happily taking all kinds of food on his plate; using both of his hands to munch on everything. From chicken, to mashed potatoes, to grilled meat, and various desserts.

Thenea's face fell when her eyes landed on Viv, she cleared her throat and it made him stop what he was doing to look at her.

"Have you washed your hands?"

The others who are carefully trying to settle in their seats watched Thenea, they thought if they misbehaved they would get scolded as well.

Viv looked at his hands dirtied by all sorts of food and shook his head.

She raised an eyebrow on him, "must I remind you on what to do before digging in?"

Viv once again shook his head.

"Must I drag you to do it?"

Viv shook his head vigorously as he got up and ran towards the nearest sink to wash his hands properly.

Thenea smiled and took a seat as well after making sure Viv did what she asked him to.

"Seriously," Verin unfolded the table napkin and set it on his lap, "are you sure you're not his mother?"

"It is essential I look after him," she copied Verin, "you don't want to see him being controlled by his madness, right?"

Serene, who's already cutting her steak can't help but ask, "Have you witnessed him being devoured by it?"

Thenea nodded as she recalled, "it was hard at first, but it gradually became easy for me to handle him."

"You're really something else," Lance shook his head, refusing to believe there's something, or someone that could tame the one and only Ruby's bloodthirsty maniac.

"I would take that as a compliment," she raised her fork before slicing her meat to bite size.

Just then, Viv arrived raising his hands, waiving them.

"Tia!"

His high happy pitch voice stopped everyone and got his attention, "done done!"

Verin stares at Viv and starts leaning a little bit towards Lance, "no, he really is a kid."

"He's older than us."

Verin tilts his head a little, thinking, "He's still a kid."

Thenea gestured to Viv to sit down, "continue eating your dinner."

Viv jumped on his seat and happily resumed what he was doing before.

"Hehe~" his eyes sparkled as he got chicken legs in each hand.

Thenea could only watch the guy eat, it is the only thing that makes him happy. She knew he never got to eat much as a child, with this, he wasn't able to grow much. He may be much shorter than guys his age, he still is much stronger than the average.

As they were downstairs in the dining area, having their supper, the priestess who was left alone opened her eyes and sat up.

"Who are you?" she said, talking to no one but the empty room. But with how her gaze fixated on something, there must be some invisible entity entering the room.

But it is strange, the seal detected no one. And it didn't seem to detect Lithea's movement as well. Aside from that, her body seemed to glow and it has become less opaque.

The others finished their filling dinner, and quickly returned to Lithea's room.

Faint sounds of footsteps and their non-stop talks slowly approached her doorstep, and before they could open the door to Lithea sitting up straight, she collapsed and the glow around her disappeared, her body's opaqueness returned to normal as well.

Thenea who opened the door did not find any abnormalities, "hmm, she hasn't woken up."

But both Lance and Hugo noticed the big change with Lithea's position from when they left her, Viv also noticed it but did not say anything. He thought she only changed position like a normal sleeping person, he did not really understand anything that was happening. All he knew is they were waiting for Lithea to wake up.

"When do you think she will wake up?" Serene asked, tired of waiting. She's becoming more and more anxious and she doesn't like it, not for one bit.

Serene has never been the type to care for anything, she has decided to lock up that side of her and never let it overtake her since she was a kid. But with them, she had unconsciously let her emotions in again.

"It is still unsure, Lady Edrei already tasked someone to look for Priestess Aelia's scrolls." Lance leaned on the wall and crossed his arms, closing his eyes to rest for a bit.

"I just wish we'd be here when she regains consciousness," Serene bit the side of her lower lip before taking a seat just across her bed.

With the little time they spent together, in just four days, Lithea has been a crucial part of the rank. With her quick thinking, and simply putting herself in between all of them. Her mysterious life had them glued to her like baby ducks following their mother duck.

The door opened, revealing the maid who fetched them for dinner, she had a tray of silver at hand. On top of it was a scroll with the guild's seal.

"Pardon me for intrusion, the scroll has arrived."

Thenea whipped her head to Viv who's beside her and squished his face, "you and I will be doing a separate mission."

Viv only blinked his eyes.

Hugo stepped forward and took the scroll, being the commander of the other team, he should be the one delivering the message to the others.

'A mission for the highest rank of the Meadow Guild, Ruby,

We have received unfortunate news from the land of the seas, the Land of Siren, in regards to the menace captured by the Siren guards. The report on this matter was received a week ago, he has harmed a total of ten people: three dead, four seriously injured, and three has acquired minor injuries.

The alarmed officials and citizens of the land desperately sought help as the investigators cannot identify the cause of this rampant killings. And the samples of his blood taken to the laboratories have similar components found in the crystal seized by your team from the Land of Scorpions.

This needs immediate action and will hereby declare this as a double A-rank mission.

Free the man from his unknown miseries, and give the Siren citizens a peace of mind as soon as possible.

Best of luck,

Headmistress'

"Seized by our team?" Lance raised an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't it take them at least two days without rest?" Serene squinted her eyes, trying to think of other possible means of transportation that could help them arrive at the capital that fast.

"I shall inform you about the Northern Forest mission as well, our esteemed adventurers," the maid all of a sudden had become polite, "Lady Edrei tasked me to relay the message to you."

They all looked at each other.

Thenea grabbed Viv's arm and held on to it tightly.

"You shall depart before the sun rises tomorrow," she curtsied and took her leave; closing the door as she did so.

"We won't be able to witness Lithea waking up!" the light mage kicked her feet.

"I know," Lance looked at the sleeping priestess, "but mission first."

Thenea groaned and slouched, disappointed at the unfortunate events that were piling up. Viv joined her and groaned as well.

"I guess we should head to our quarters now," Lance said, as much to their dismay, they have to, to save energy for the mission as they still have to travel to the north.

Thenea drags Viv with her, if he joins the others, he might not sleep.

"Good night, guys," Serene said and left the room. Thenea and Viv followed behind her.

"Good night!" Thenea waved her free hand.

Viv did what she did as well and started waving.

"We'll head in first," Lance took one last look at Lithea and smiled when she looked peaceful.

With that, only Hugo and Verin were left inside the room to watch over her.