CHAPTER 23: SCARS – THE MARK OF VIGILANCE

Lireesa approached with concern when she saw Charleman's condition. "What happened? Where are the trolls? How did you get injured, Charleman?"

The group greeted Lireesa respectfully as she arrived. Charleman seemed distracted, and Sylvanas appeared lost in thought. It was up to Aran to explain the situation from an objective standpoint. He narrated the events leading up to the rescue mission and the subsequent battle.

"I see," Lireesa sighed. After hearing the whole story, she cast a disappointed glance at her daughter Sylvanas. She then attended to Charleman's injuries.

"Charleman, how bad is your wound? Your eyes are fine, I hope?"

As Aran was not fully aware of the battle's details, he gathered information from Sylvanas's self-blaming words and relayed the events to Ranger-General Lireesa.

Feeling compelled by her mentor's words, Sylvanas couldn't help but express remorse. "It's my fault... If I hadn't frozen during the battle, you wouldn't have risked yourself to save me, Charleman."

Charleman shook his head with a wry smile, "No! It's not your fault, Sylvanas. Ultimately, it was my lapse of judgment that led to a wrong step, and I found myself within reach of Harlaz."

As the group debated and discussed the situation, they came to understand the events that transpired in those critical moments.

"That's enough! You both need not blame yourselves," Lireesa interjected. "Both sides made mistakes. First, Charleman, as you said, making a careless move during combat was unwarranted. Furthermore, losing your composure and entering Harlaz's attack range at the end was a significant error."

Lireesa then turned her stern gaze toward her own daughter. "And you, Sylvanas! Freezing in the face of an adversary – have you forgotten everything I taught you? What happened to your reflexes?"

She continued, "More importantly, you disregarded Aran, Charleman, and Skalan's advice, choosing to act recklessly. If Charleman hadn't led the rescue mission, do you realize how many lives you would have jeopardized, including your fellow elves?"

In the face of her mother's questioning, Sylvanas was left speechless and filled with self-blame.

As Charleman, who had been friends with the Selin family for thousands of years, knew well the strict standards that their mentor expected from her children. Sylvanas's recent reckless actions had clearly angered and disappointed her mentor, and Charleman had to step in to calm the situation.

"Alright, alright, Mentor, you don't have to be so angry. The outcome was acceptable. At the very least, the trolls' main force has been forced to retreat, and we've achieved our primary strategic goal."

"But... your injury..." Lireesa said, her eyes filled with regret. She remembered her best friend's last words, reminding her to take care of Charleman. She didn't expect that he would sustain a severe injury on his first battlefield experience while trying to save her reckless daughter.

With a confident smile, Charleman removed the bandage from his face. "Thanks to the Light healing of Lyedrin, the bleeding stopped long ago. The bandage was just to prevent infection during this time."

As he removed the bandage, everyone saw a long, crimson scar running from Charleman's right temple, vertically over his eyelid, down to his jaw. The fresh, dark red scar looked menacing.

At this moment, Sylvanas couldn't bear to look at it and turned her head, her shoulders slightly trembling.

Witnessing this somber moment, Aran understood the situation. It was a moment of reflection on a decision that Charleman had made, and not one of joy.

"You... well..." Lireesa said, "Actually, I've heard of a way that might be able to remove this scar."

Sylvanas, with her eyes still slightly swollen, quickly turned to look at her mother, eager for a solution. "What method is it?"

After a brief pause, Lireesa hesitated to share the information she had. "I've heard of a highly gifted Archbishop in the Kingdom of Lordaeron, named Alonsus Faol. His Holy Light abilities far surpass those of regular individuals. If we could persuade him to help, maybe..."

"Mother..." Sylvanas looked at her mother with anticipation, but Charleman firmly interrupted her.

"No, there's no need."

"Putting aside that we have no connection to this human Archbishop, the cost of removing such a trivial scar is too great. I've decided to keep it as a constant reminder of my folly, to remain vigilant and not repeat the same foolish mistakes."

Lireesa recognized Charleman's resolute tone. Though he was usually easygoing and approachable, once he made a decision, he couldn't be swayed by anyone.

She patted Charleman's shoulder heavily to show her support, then changed the topic to discuss their next move.

"All right, let's discuss our strategy for pursuing the trolls."

Before proceeding, Lireesa issued a strict order to her daughter as a form of punishment. "Due to Sylvanas's poor leadership, she will be relieved of all duties immediately and will serve as a regular ranger. Her entire division will temporarily fall under my command."