Rudes woke from his long sleep that morning. His body still felt sore and stiff from the fierce battle against Zenya. Wounds all over his body had been well cared for, but the pain still reminded him how brutal the fight had been.
Beside him, Han sat in a simple wooden chair, looking like he had been watching for a long time. Han's usually calm eyes this time showed slight relief seeing Rudes conscious.
"Rudes, you're awake," Han said with a gentle voice. "Don't move too much yet. Your body hasn't fully recovered from yesterday's Divine Mark."
Before Rudes could answer, Alice came carrying a cup containing herbal drink still steaming warmly. Its aroma was calming and slightly bitter.
"Rudes, please drink this," Alice said while placing the cup beside the bed. "This herbal remedy can warm the body and speed up recovery and your energy."
Rudes tried to sit up slowly, grimacing slightly from the pain. "Thank you, Alice. Where's Tsubasa? He's not badly hurt, is he?"
"He woke up earlier this morning," Han answered. "Now he's sitting outside, accompanied by Rina. His wounds aren't too serious, just needs rest."
Rudes sighed in relief. "Thank goodness then. I was worried he'd push himself."
Rudes lifted the cup and slowly drank the herbal remedy. The warm liquid indeed made his body feel slightly better.
"What actually happened yesterday?" Rudes asked while putting down his cup. "I only briefly saw someone standing in front of me before losing consciousness."
---
Suddenly Ensei entered the room with a serious expression. He seemed eager to tell something immediately.
"That was Raksha," Ensei said directly. "I saw him clearly yesterday. That masked man suddenly appeared and fought against Zenya."
Rudes's eyes widened in shock. "Raksha? He was there yesterday? Then what happened next?"
Ensei sat on the edge of the bed, his face still showing amazement at what he witnessed.
"He saved you just as Zenya was about to execute you," Ensei explained. "Then they fought with extraordinary intensity. Zenya even used her Divine Mark fully, but Raksha..." Ensei shook his head in awe. "I can't imagine how great his power is. He managed to defeat Zenya even in Divine Mark condition."
"Saved me?" Rudes furrowed his brow in confusion. "What's his real purpose? Isn't he a killer?"
"That's what makes me curious too," Ensei added. "Zenya was able to escape from that battle, but with very severe wounds. I'm sure she won't be able to fight for a long time, unless Miss Elina heals her."
---
Alice, who was listening to their conversation, suddenly looked confused and wanted to say something.
"There's something strange," Alice said while thinking about yesterday's events. "Raksha also saved us inside the house when monsters attacked. And what puzzles me..." She looked at Han. "Rina who was very afraid of the general in the forest and Zenya yesterday, but she seemed not afraid at all of Raksha. Instead like... Calm?"
Han seemed slightly surprised hearing Alice's observation, but tried to stay calm.
"Maybe Rina was so scared she couldn't react at all," Han answered. "Or maybe she was shocked seeing monsters that could enter the house yesterday."
Alice wasn't fully convinced by that explanation. "Is that so? Then I'd better ask Rina directly later."
When Alice was about to step out to meet Rina, Han gently held her hand.
"Wait a moment," Han said. "Let her calm down first. Yesterday was quite traumatic for her. You can ask her later when she's more stable."
Alice fell silent feeling Han's hand touch. Her face suddenly heated up, and her heart beat faster. She quickly averted her gaze so she wouldn't look nervous.
"Ah... y-yes, you're right," Alice said stammering. "Then... I'll go to the kitchen first, help Rudes's mother cook."
Ensei, who had been watching their interaction all along, couldn't hold back a mischievous smile.
"Alice," Ensei said in a teasing tone, "do you realize... your face is very red?"
"Eh?! N-no it's not!" Alice panicked and blushed even more. "I'm just... well then, I'm leaving!"
Alice ran quickly to the kitchen while trying to cover her face that looked like a boiled crab.
---
After the situation became slightly calmer, Han rose from his chair.
"Rudes, Ensei," Han said while tidying his clothes, "I'll go out for a bit to buy cooking ingredients needed."
"Want me to come with you?" Ensei offered.
Han shook his head. "No need. I also want to stop by the small river to clear my mind for a bit."
"Alright then," Ensei said. "But be careful on the road."
"And don't take too long," Rudes added. "We don't know if there are still other threats around here."
Han nodded and left the room. Outside, he took time to speak with Tsubasa and Rina who were sitting on the porch.
"I'll go out for a bit to the market and river," Han told them both.
Rina looked at her brother with worried eyes. "Be careful, Brother. Don't be too long."
Han stroked Rina's hair gently. "Yes, don't worry. If anything happens, call the others."
---
Meanwhile, far away in the kingdom, in a magnificent room filled with marble pillars, Parli sat on his throne while listening to a report from one of his spies.
The soldier in dark clothing knelt respectfully before Parli.
"How are developments in that village?" Parli asked with a flat but demanding voice.
"Sir," the spy answered, "Rudes's wounds appear to heal very quickly. Much faster than we expected. There are two excellent healers there - a young woman and a little girl."
Parli leaned his body back, his facial expression changing to interested.
"Heh," Parli murmured with a thin smile. "Very interesting. A healer who can restore wounds from Divine Mark battles in a short time... they might be almost equal to Elina."
Parli's eyes glinted with plans beginning to form. "Keep monitoring them. I want to know more about this healing ability. And..." He paused for a moment. "Note down everyone who's there. Maybe there's someone we can use."
The spy nodded deeply. "Yes, Sir. Is there anything else that needs to be reported?"
"Not yet," Parli waved his hand. "Go and do your job well. And remember - don't get caught."
After the spy left, Parli sat alone in silence, thinking about the next steps. In his mind, various plans began forming to exploit this situation for his benefit.
Without Rudes and his friends' knowledge, a new danger was lurking from the shadows, and this time the threat came in a more cunning and calculated form.
TO BE CONTINUED...