Chapter 524

"That’s right. That’s my name," said Ian with a smile on his lips.

Charlotte, who had been staring at him in disbelief, finally showed a ripple in her amber eyes.

"How are you here?" asked Charlotte.

"Let’s just say someone was desperately worried about you."

"Worried about me? No, it can’t be." Charlotte, who had been muttering blankly, suddenly froze.

As if on cue, Ian shifted to the side, stepping away from the doorway. Charlotte’s gaze naturally followed, landing on the entrance of the hut. There, framed in the entrance, stood a figure—silver hair spilling from beneath a hood, and deep green eyes frozen as if time itself had stopped.

"Pointy… Ears?" Charlotte choked out, her voice cracking.

Thesaya finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

As Charlotte struggled to lift her upper body, she said, "Why are you just standing there? Don’t tell me you need an invitation to come in?"

"Kitty!" Thesaya’s face crumpled, and then she flung herself forward.

The hem of her cloak brushed past Ian’s nose as he leaned back slightly. Thesaya flew straight to the bedside and threw her arms around Charlotte, almost tackling her.

"I was so worried, you idiot!"

As the flies buzzing around scattered in all directions, Charlotte, pressed back into the bed, winced in pain. Of course, Thesaya, her face buried in Charlotte’s embrace, paid it no mind and only hugged her tighter.

"I really thought something terrible had happened to you…" Thesaya suddenly trailed off. She froze, still holding Charlotte.

"Hey, what’s wrong with your body?" she whispered, lifting her tear-streaked face.

As Charlotte grimaced and opened her eyes, Thesaya scrambled off the bed and tore away the blanket covering her.

"What… What is this? No, Kitty…" Thesaya’s eyes widened.

Charlotte was wrapped in bandages as filthy as the bed itself. Beyond the grime, they were still damp with blood and pus. It was clear from a glance that the wounds were not healing well.

"Why is your right arm… only half there?" Thesaya stammered, her hollow eyes darting frantically over Charlotte.

Charlotte had only a stump remaining above her elbow, the cloth binding it stained dark red.

As a fly crawled out from between the bandages and took flight, Charlotte answered, "It is merely the result of a fair duel."

"What? Fair, my ass! You said you'd handle it! This is what you call handling it? Idiot! Why didn't you call ‌me? You should've asked for my help!" Thesaya’s face twisted.

"Because your involvement would have ignited a war between the fairies and the beastfolks," Charlotte said, looking down at Thesaya’s crumpled, tear-filled face. "There are those on both sides eager for such a conflict… and a great deal of blood would have been shed."

"What does any of that matter? You were about to die. Let me see. I need to see for myself how bad it is." She reached toward Charlotte’s torso but froze when a trembling left hand clutched her wrist.

Charlotte’s forearm bore a mark where flesh had been gouged away, a wound too deep for any bandage to hide.

As Thesaya’s gaze shifted to the gaunt, black hand with patches of missing fur, Charlotte whispered, "Don’t shame me any further. Pointy-Ears."

Thesaya met Charlotte’s eyes again.

"Why is your hand so weak?" she murmured, fresh tears streaming down her face. Without waiting for an answer, she collapsed into Charlotte’s arms and began to wail.

While looking on with a dumbfounded expression, Charlotte placed her left hand on Thesaya’s shoulder and finally turned to Ian, who was standing beside them.

"At least you came back safely, Ian," said Charlotte.

"A lot has happened. To you as well, it seems," Ian replied with a nod, then subtly tilted his chin. "Your wounds look badly infected."

"They are. I thought I would be able to recover. It seems I was wrong. It’s rotting, little by little." Charlotte answered calmly, gently patting the sobbing Thesaya’s shoulder.

"Was it a curse? Or tainted magic?" Ian murmured.

Of course, it could just as easily be tetanus or a simple infection. This was an environment where one could get sick just by breathing. It was a miracle she had survived this long; had she not been a beastfolk with their tenacious life force, she would have died long ago.

"Still, I’m glad. That I could see you like this before it was too late. You, Ian… and you, Pointy-Ears," Charlotte added softly.

She had clearly already accepted her fate. It wasn't surprising. Charlotte did not fear death.

"You’re right. It’s a good thing we weren’t too late."

Of course, Ian had no intention of letting her die like this.

After glancing at the back of the sobbing Thesaya’s head, he unfastened the clasps of his left steel gauntlet and said, "Don’t worry. I’ll get revenge for your right arm."

"No, don’t do that. Ian," said Charlotte, her eyes twitching.

While removing the gauntlet, now separated from its vambrace, Ian curled one corner of his lip. "I understand wanting to do it yourself. But it’s impossible in your condition. Leave it to me."

"It’s not that. There’s no reason for you to get revenge. Ian. This was the result of a fair duel."

"I don’t think a fight where only one side received power from a god is very fair."

Ian was certain that Nehat had fought using the chaos of Kruxica. Otherwise, there was no way Charlotte would have been this mangled.

"I, too, used the dragon’s armament you gave me. I even took an elixir and challenged Nehat again. And still, I lost. That’s all," said Charlotte.

As Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly, she added, "If you kill the Great Chieftain, the warriors of the clan won’t stand by. Countless beastfolks would die by your hand, Ian. I don’t want that to happen. This is my last wish. Seeing you all again is enough for me. Now that I know you’re safe, I can close my eyes with no regrets."

"Who says you have no regrets?" Thesaya cut in. Lifting her face, a mess of tears and snot, she glared at Charlotte. "I do! I have plenty! So cut the crap about a last wish. Kitty, you are not going to die."

The side of her cloak bulged as her hand fumbled at her waist. Ian’s brow rose slightly as realization dawned.

"I’m going to make sure of it," Thesaya.

"I don’t know what you’re thinking. Pointy-Ears, but it’s too late for me. The poison is in my bones…" Charlotte trailed off as Thesaya held up a fist-sized bottle. Even in its snug leather pouch, the bottle's shape was unmistakable.

"No." Charlotte's eyes snapped open, and she looked at Thesaya. "That was a gift to you from the Platinum Dragon. I already used mine for myself. That is for you and you alone—"

"Shut up, Charlotte," Thesaya cut her off, leaping onto the bed.

As Charlotte faltered, Thesaya, now straddling her, added, "Like you said, this is mine. I'll decide how it's used. Besides, have you forgotten? You and I are practically one. We share a destiny."

Leaning closer to Charlotte’s face, Thesaya’s lips curled into a smirk. "So I’m going to shove this down that cute little throat of yours. Try and stop me, if you can. I doubt you have the strength."

"N-No… Wait, Pointy-Ears! Don’t do something stupid! This is too great a debt—I can’t repay you!" said Charlotte as Thesaya loomed closer, smiling wider through her tears.

Thesaya's face, a mess of tears and snot, broke into a bigger smile. "Now that’s an expression I quite like. Go on, beg me some more. Kitty."

"How much further are you going to shame me, Pointy-Ears? No, wait, Thesa?" Charlotte flailed, stretching out her left arm. Of course, she didn’t even have the strength to push Thesaya away.

Giggling as if she had never been crying, Thesaya leaned in even more slowly.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t hoping for this, but to think she’d offer up something so precious without a second thought…

The scene was enough to make him let out a laugh

Thesaya’s Elixir of Life was, naturally, the first solution that had crossed his mind, but he hadn’t mentioned it. He knew how priceless it was—even he couldn’t demand someone give up a spare life. Besides, he, of all people, knew the pain of such a decision. But of course, there was no reason to stop Thesaya from offering it voluntarily.

"Ian?" Thesaya looked back.

"What?"

"Open Kitty’s mouth for me? If I do it, she’ll probably bite me."

Charlotte, who had her lips clamped shut, whipped her head toward him. Looking down at her as she shook her head from side to side, Ian smiled brightly. "Not a problem."

"Ian!" Charlotte cried out, her eyes wide.

She’s making a fuss when we’re trying to save her.

He reached out with his ungloved hand and grasped Charlotte’s cheeks. Unable to bring herself to bite him, her mouth fell open helplessly.

Looking down at her frowning face, Ian whispered, "When Pointy-Ears is trying to do something so admirable, we can’t rain on her parade, can we?"

"That’s right. I think I’m pretty admirable myself. So, you’d better be grateful, Kitty," Thesaya added, holding out her right hand. The now-uncorked elixir bottle approached Charlotte’s mouth.

"Swallow it. Don’t spit it out. You’ve had it before, so you know what happens."

The golden liquid flowed into Charlotte’s mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut as if in resignation, but only for a moment.

Sshaaaa…

A golden light blossomed from her neck, spreading in an instant to illuminate the veins beneath her skin.

"Whoa…" As Ian released his grip, Thesaya let out a low gasp. Almost simultaneously, Charlotte’s eyes flew open, her irises shimmering as if sprinkled with gold dust. The next moment, her pupils sharpened to a point.

"Gah—khhh!"

Charlotte’s head snapped back, and black blood gushed from her mouth. Her chest began to heave as she convulsed.

"Kitty?" Thesaya’s smile froze.

"Stay back," said Ian.

He lifted her into the air and moved her aside as Charlotte convulsed again, spewing black blood. Golden cracks spider-webbed across her skin.

"Ian, is something wrong?" Thesaya asked, floating beside him.

Pulling her to his side, Ian shook his head. "Don’t worry. She’s healing."

He, too, kept his eyes fixed on Charlotte. Her pain was proof of just how bad her condition had been.

This is a little different than Diana's situation, but if she were awake, this could've been her pain.

However, in any case, Charlotte was clearly recovering. Her upper body, wrapped in filthy bandages, squirmed, and her left arm and thigh, from which chunks of flesh seemed to have been torn, did the same.

Swoosh—

The most dramatic change was in her right arm.

The dark red bandage covering it was pushed away, revealing the mangled wound that looked as if something had ripped it apart. And from that cross-section, thread-like golden magic was spreading out.

The dragon’s magic drew the form of a virtual bone, nerves, and blood vessels.

As Thesaya watched the scene as if entranced, Ian casually added, "Thankfully, it looks like she won’t have to live with one arm."

And it doesn't seem like the effect is reduced just because she’s had it twice.

Ian set Thesaya down on the ground.

Without taking her eyes off Charlotte’s right arm, which was stretching toward the ceiling, Thesaya asked, "Is her severed arm really growing back?"

"From my experience, probably."

At Ian’s answer, Thesaya finally relaxed and plopped down onto the floor. "Thank goodness…"

She didn’t seem to care that the floor was dirty. Then again, she probably already had dirt and filth all over it.

"You should be proud. This time, you really saved her life," said Ian.

He lifted his hand, Saint Damiel’s Ring gleaming. He had planned to use it, but even Lu Solar’s power couldn’t restore a severed arm.

"That’s true, isn’t it? Still, it’s a bit of a waste. Thinking about it again, it seems like it was too impulsive a decision." Thesaya said with a bashful smile, then leisurely got to her feet and added, "Is there any way to make her spit about half of it back out, Ian?"

"You’re being serious, aren’t you?"

"Half-serious."

Honestly.

Ian let out a chuckle and turned back to the now-limp Charlotte. She had clearly lost consciousness.

Swoosh…

A golden light still pulsed through her veins, and the bandaged parts of her body were returning to their original forms. Her right arm was now being covered in dense golden threads, filling out with new flesh.

As he took in the sight, Ian’s eyes twitched, and his left hand brushed against his breastplate.

"Can’t be helped. I’ll just have to get it back from Kitty. Over and over." Thesaya muttered, lightly tossing the empty elixir bottle. A devious smile played on her lips.

"You two can sort that out between yourselves later…" Ian replied nonchalantly and looked toward the hut’s entrance.

Idris was now standing where Thesaya had been. The boy was staring at the scene with his mouth slightly agape.

"For now, let’s fill our stomachs," said Ian.

Their eyes met, and Idris blinked in surprise.

Clank.

Ian put his gauntlet back on and added, "It seems our guests will be arriving soon."