Today was just like yesterday. Arundel, who woke up early in the morning, went to the stable, feeling the cold dawn air.
“Good morning.”
Lucas greeted in a calm voice. The two priests next to him also greeted the morning with bright expressions.
“Did you sleep well?”
Hills approached and asked. After riding the horse together with her like yesterday, he seemed to be completely relaxed.
Since she had left her horse at the barracks yesterday, she had no choice but to rely on Hills when going out.
Hills helped Arundel by holding her hand to get on the horse. Before leaving, Hills stroked his chin and muttered.
“Will it be okay…that guy.”
“Are you talking about Zion?”
“Huh…? Yeah.”
Hills, who was startled by Arundel’s question, hesitated and answered. Then he lowered his head and said nervously.
“I’m not his nanny! He’ll adjust on his own!”
He’s making a fuss on his own…
Arundel, who was watching this, was also worried about Zion.
It was true that Zion had been acting strangely lately, and it was unsettling how Hills was so extreme.
He’s a guy who doesn’t care much about others…
Worried for a moment, Arundel soon shook off her thoughts.
Right now, she had to focus on the patients in the barracks rather than Zion. It seemed that the pain and symptoms were relieved when she used divine power yesterday, but she had to watch the situation until today.
Today will be another busy day.
How long had they been running,
“We’ve arrived.”
At Hills’ announcement, Arundel jumped off the horse. Hills muttered in a grumbling voice, ‘I was going to help you down…’
But Hills, who had become quite docile, disappeared into the forest with a bucket, unlike yesterday.
Arundel asked Lucas.
“Should I go to the barracks where I went yesterday?”
“Yes, you can go to the barracks where you went yesterday.”
As she said this, she looked at the priests who had worked with her yesterday, but they didn’t seem to be moving.
Then Lucas approached Arundel.
“I’m going with you today.”
He said with a grin. Why did his bright smile feel so ominous?
But Arundel could only nod.
Lucas seemed to be in a good mood today. He said he would talk to the administrator for a moment and then go.
Arundel nodded and moved to the barracks first. The smell was much less because it was cleaned yesterday.
‘Can’t it be clean with magic? If it can, Hills can clean it in no time.’
Magic was expressed in various ways depending on the application, so it was much more practical to make potions and magic tools.
On the other hand, the range of use of divine power was very limited.
‘It’s a shame…’
“Priest!”
Arundel, who was lost in thought, raised her head at the sound of a young voice calling her.
In front of her stood a young boy with black spots scattered here and there.
The boy smiled brightly.
“Thank you! My body got much better after the priest treated me yesterday. The spots on my body have also disappeared a lot.”
When she looked closely at the boy’s face, she remembered.
Just yesterday, most of the boy’s face was covered with black spots. Not only that, but his wheezing seemed like his life was about to end.
But seeing him smile so healthily now, she felt both happy and flustered.
“That’s a relief. How’s your fever?”
“It’s still there a little, but the doctor said it’s gone down a lot.”
She put her hand on the boy’s forehead. It was true. The fever that had been boiling was much lower.
“Not only this child, but the people in this barracks have generally improved a lot.”
When Lucas’s voice came from the side, Arundel turned her head. Lucas, who had returned from talking to the administrator, was standing there.
“The administrator said that this is the only barracks where the patients have improved to this extent.”
Despite Lucas’s calm tone, Arundel felt unnecessarily anxious.
It was a really happy thing that the patients had improved. That’s why she used divine power recklessly yesterday.
The priests occasionally showed admiring eyes, but she didn’t care much.
But if it’s Lucas, it’s a different story.
His gentle impression and neat attitude made him a person who fits the word priest more than anyone else, but sometimes she saw Zion’s figure overlapping strangely.
It was the eyes that observed people. Pretending not to know while knowing. She felt that way when she looked at Lucas.
It was an instinctive sense of crisis. Maybe Lucas would find out her identity.
At first, she thought the Pope was the only one to be wary of, but not now. It was right to be wary of this man who seemed to know but didn’t know.
“It was worth treating hard yesterday.”
Arundel said, hiding her worried heart, as if she was happy.
“That’s right. Then let’s work hard today.”
Fortunately, Lucas didn’t say anything and moved to another place to take care of the patients.
Arundel approached the patients, watching his cues.
****
Fortunately, the day passed quickly without any particular incidents.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Lucas said as they left the barracks.
Even on a cold day, sweat was beading on her forehead. It seemed to show that she had a hard day.
Arundel wiped the sweat off with her sleeve and replied.
“You’ve worked hard too, Lucas.”
As she replied to Lucas, she noticed him staring at her.
“How long do you plan to help with the treatment?”
When Lucas opened his mouth, white breath scattered in the air.
“Well, that’s up to His Majesty the Emperor.”
If Zion solves the plague quickly, she will return quickly, otherwise it will be delayed. She couldn’t predict how much delay was possible because she couldn’t leave the palace for a long time.
“Although the patients are showing improvement with the use of divine power, the situation is not improving overall because the rate of infection is much faster than the rate of treatment.”
Lucas’s beautiful face was worried, unlike usual, when he finished speaking.
Arundel knew it too. The number of people who lined up to receive treatment in the barracks was much higher than the number of patients who improved with her divine power.
Just looking around, there are more people than yesterday.
“I’m worried.”
A subdued voice flowed from Arundel. Lucas looked at the stars twinkling faintly between the night sky and said.
“In such a desperate situation, people usually find God.”
Lucas’s expression looked somewhat sad.
“I look for Archangel Arundel at times like this.”
Arundel had to do her best to hide her surprised expression at his sudden story.
“I wonder what she’s doing now, maybe she’s secretly coming down to the human world to help us. I’m hoping so.”
Then Lucas’s brown eyes were exactly fixed on Arundel’s eyes.
“But that’s unlikely.”
Before she could even answer, Lucas said with a grin.
“I’ve talked too much. It’s going to be cold, so let’s go back soon.”
Arundel nodded blankly and followed him.
‘…It isn’t, right?’
She said, soothing her anxious heart.
****
She has been treating patients for a week, but the patients have swelled like fish in a pond.
Arundel was getting more and more anxious.
‘This is going to be a big problem.’
As Zion said, if it spreads like this, it’s only a matter of time before it spreads throughout the empire.
‘What is Zion doing?’
Arundel hadn’t had a proper conversation with Zion for several days. It was late in the evening when she returned from the barracks, and Zion often left his seat.
Zion was believed to resolve this situation, but it was also true that it was taking longer than expected.
‘And…’
On the other hand, she missed Zion so much. After seeing him every day, she felt like she would forget his face after not seeing him for a few days.
“Have you arrived?”
Lucas’s calm voice came.
‘Here it is. Another source of my worries.’
The anxiety was not just about the spreading plague. It was Lucas, who was with her all day long.
She was almost teamed up with Lucas, working together. As a result, she was so nervous every time she used divine power that she couldn’t concentrate on the treatment.
Arundel entered the stable with a sense of unease. And there was Zion, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Zion!”
Without realizing that there was someone else, she called out his name happily.
Zion hugged Arundel with a smile.
“Have you been well?”
Zion’s affectionate voice asking the question wrapped around her ears. Arundel felt shy for some reason and just nodded slowly.
And Zion, who turned his body, asked Lucas.
“Was there anything else?”
There was a clear temperature difference from when he was talking with Arundel. The tone of his voice was completely different. It even sounded cold.
“Yes, other than the fact that the number of patients is increasing.”
As expected, Lucas explained in the same tone as usual, as if he didn’t care at all.
“I will go with you today.”
Saying so, Zion got on the horse. Everyone seemed to be surprised at Zion’s sudden decision, but what could they do if the emperor said he would go.
“Understood.”
Lucas, who got on the horse accordingly, answered.
When Zion arrived at the barracks, he left to look around. He didn’t forget to kiss Arundel’s forehead.
Hills, who saw this, was running wild.
‘……’
Arundel, who was staring at Hills running wild, suddenly felt worried.
Anyone could see that Hills’s attitude was far from the attitude of a knight captain towards the empress.
Not only that, but his attitude towards Zion was outrageous. Only Hills would dare to beg so rudely to the emperor.
Surely the priests would think it strange, but Arundel didn’t want to explain in detail.
There was no end to explaining Hills. First of all, it was questionable that he became a knight captain although he uses magic.
“Shall we go?”
Arundel asked Lucas.
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to care much about Hills. Maybe he’s ignoring it like Zion.
Anyway, it was a day no different than the fact that Zion followed today.
Arundel approached the patient who was groaning. As she infused divine power, his expression gradually relaxed.
At first, she was happy to see this, but it was also true that she was getting tired. As soon as he was cured, another patient took his place.
However, there were a few positive aspects,
First, most of the people who received treatment from her improved. Second, because Hills took care of the cleaning, she didn’t have to struggle.
As Arundel thought, it was possible to clean with magic. As soon as she gave him a little space, Hills said, ‘Huh, that’s as easy as eating bread lying down.’ and happily cleaned the surroundings.
She regretted a little that she should have used him earlier.
Arundel thought so and ventilated her depressed mind.
And just as she was about to focus on the patient again,
“Priests, I think you need to come over for a moment!”
A desperate-looking administrator appeared at the entrance of the barracks.
Arundel looked at Lucas with a puzzled expression. Lucas also seemed to have no idea what the situation was.
When they went outside, quite a lot of people were gathered. There were Hills and two priests from the Elbis Temple, and Zion, who had not yet left.
‘What’s going on…? Zion too…?’
Arundel pushed through the crowd to see what was going on.
