In the evening, a carriage came to the duke's residence to pick up a guest.
This was a strange guest, utterly mismatched with the luxurious carriage; even the carriage driver was more elegantly dressed than he was. He wore a very old and dirty robe, almost as if he were trying to hide himself, with his face obscured by the robe.
The servants of the duke's residence were of high quality. So even when they saw the duke personally coming to welcome this guest with a broad smile, they showed no signs of surprise and continued doing what they were supposed to do. They remembered that even Duke Ernie, the father of duke's future son-in-law, had never received such treatment.
"I've told the bishop about my coming here," Asa said as he entered the parlor with the duke and sat down.
The duke smiled, waved his hand, and a servant brought Asa's knife over. The duke took the knife, handed it to Asa, and then ordered all the servants to leave, leaving just the two of them in the parlor.
He could tell that this young man had no hostility or fear when he said that. He wasn't threatening his opponent or intimidating him, "You'd better not touch me," but rather showing that he was prepared.
Despite the enthusiastic hospitality, he spoke so straightforwardly; this was a person who was clever yet did not like to resort to tricks.
The duke liked this kind of person. Although few could match his scheming, he still appreciated those who were straightforward. Even as enemies, they were honest opponents.
Now he had a pretty good understanding of the young man's character. He had come to the opulent duke's residence dressed in shabby robes, and although he displayed clumsiness in many ways, his demeanor was neither servile nor arrogant. He was a person with considerable self-awareness, who didn't care much for power and authority.
This was a very rare type of person. The money, power, and fame that generally win people's hearts seemed to have no effect on him; typical power manipulators only ever had one way to deal with such tough nuts—kill them.
But the duke liked this kind of person. In fact, the most basic and simplest way to deal with them was to reason with them and appeal to their emotions. If he felt that you were right, he would unconsciously side with you, which was more reliable than any form of bribery. However, those who were used to buying people often had narrow minds, projecting their own thoughts onto others, believing that people would only work for them if they benefited.
So even small talk could be skipped. The duke got straight to the point: "Rest assured, now that the bishop has spoken, who in the capital would dare to touch you? I'll even protect your safety. If anything happens to you, the responsibility will fall on me." His expression was gentle, his tone casual, with no signs of trying to please or flatter, as if he were just chatting with a friend.
Asa nodded. Taking back the knife felt as if he had reestablished a connection with an old friend after many years, and a sense of stability returned to his heart. Even though he knew nothing about politics and power, he understood what the bishop's status represented. The duke's straightforward manner eased much of his wariness.
The duke then became even more direct: "Actually, I have always wanted to kill you to silence you." With someone so direct, it was necessary to be equally straightforward.
Asa frowned and asked, "Silence what?" He was surprised by this reason but also felt somewhat expected.
"That your unit was completely annihilated by the orcs in the west, and this must not be known to others," the duke stated candidly. "That is highly confidential military information, absolutely prohibited from leaking out."
Asa nodded. This was why the duke had ordered that he be "executed on the spot." This was the source of all the troubles over the past two months. Now he finally understood.
Contrary to his original expectations, the duke openly and directly revealed his malice and its reasons. But he also felt that the duke was not deceiving him. This made him believe that the duke genuinely invited him here.
"This news is very valuable. The members of your unit did not die in vain. But if this information falls into the hands of some ill-intentioned people in the court, the consequences would be unthinkable," the duke explained sternly. "Have you mentioned this to anyone else?"
"No." Old Sandru would have no interest in such stories, and Asa had no opportunity to tell anyone else.
The duke sincerely laughed, nodded, and said, "That's good. I have never liked this annoying method of keeping secrets, but it's the rule."
"What? All major secrets are kept through silencing?" Asa was surprised.
The duke nodded: "Of course. As long as the number of people who know isn't too large, this is the method used. Just think, what are a few lives compared to the safety of thousands or the interests of the state? If you were a national manager, how would you choose?" The duke smiled. "This is how national affairs are handled."
Asa furrowed his brow, carefully considering this irrefutable logic, and nodded. He believed that what the duke was doing was indeed justifiable. As a result, his wariness and hostility towards the duke completely dissipated.
The duke seemed to casually mention, "I suppose the bishop doesn't know about your situation, right?"
Asa shook his head. A heavy stone fell from the duke's heart; this most important question was no longer a problem. But he only gently nodded and said, "Bishop Ronis is a very compassionate person, but he has never been interested in military affairs. His involvement this time is probably a coincidence or for personal reasons."
Asa nodded. When he saw that the old man who often came to find Sandru at night was actually the bishop, his surprise was truly beyond words. Sandru had only briefly told him the general situation, and the bishop had immediately ordered the carriage to be brought into the main house to wait for the duke's return.
From beginning to end, the bishop never asked him why the duke wanted to get rid of him, nor did Sandru. They helped Asa resolve the situation but didn't inquire about the underlying reasons, not even expressing the slightest curiosity; it was as casual as helping a child who had fallen down in the street.
Although Asa didn't understand, he also didn't ask. The bishop was in no position to ask, and Sandru's questions would be futile. He could only interpret their indifference as a lack of concern. Besides, they indeed dealt with the matter that almost cost him his head rather casually.
The duke also wasn't quite sure why the bishop and Sandru intervened. But that didn't matter, as he already understood what he needed to, and this matter was about to be resolved skillfully. He said, "Fortunately, only I and Clovis have seen you. Tomorrow, we'll just declare that the fugitive has been captured and executed, and you'll be fine." He looked at Asa as if valuing him and added, "As for the future, for the stability of the empire and the safety of the people, you'll have to keep this secret."
This was a grand responsibility, one that no young man would dislike. Once donned, it would surely be something to take pride in and protect at all costs.
This was somewhat unexpected for the duke. Asa shook his head, but his attitude was in line with what the duke anticipated: "I will certainly keep the secret, but not for the sake of the nation or the people. I have no interest in national affairs. I just don't want you and the bishop to be in a difficult position, and I also don't want to die."
Although slightly surprised, the outcome was satisfactory. The duke smiled happily, raised his wine cup, and said, "Then this matter is concluded. I sincerely apologize for the troubles I've caused you these past two months; please forgive me." He smiled even more joyfully. "And I want to thank you for keeping this secret."
Asa also raised his cup, smiled faintly, and said, "You are only doing what you ought to do, and I am doing what I ought to do as well."
They clinked glasses and drank it all.
"From my personal perspective, I have always been very grateful to you," after discussing some confidentiality details and other matters, the duke patted Asa's shoulder and looked him in the eye, saying, "I truly appreciate you saving my daughter." His tone conveyed a father's gratitude perfectly, without any hint of exaggeration.
Asa felt a twinge of guilt and asked, "Is Elaine's injury healed now? Where is she?" These two questions had weighed on his mind for two months.
The duke's expression darkened, and he shook his head slightly: "After injuring her cervical spine and enduring a bumpy journey... her life is not in danger, but her hands and feet will forever be..."
"Can I see her?" Asa asked eagerly.
In the bedroom, when Elaine saw Asa, Duke Murak realized that he had not seen his daughter's smile for a long time. This realization made him feel somewhat melancholy.
"Why did you take so long to see me? Didn't you say you would wait for me here?" Elaine's originally pale face flushed with excitement. However, she could only express her feelings this way; even moving her fingers was impossible for her now.
Asa walked to the bedside and squatted down, looking at Elaine. "I'm sorry; I suddenly had urgent matters to attend to. But now I'm here, right?" In the hallway, he had already communicated with the duke, knowing they had to keep their stories consistent.
Elaine laughed self-deprecatingly, her smile filled with sorrow. "It's a pity I can't move right now. If I could, I would definitely cook my best dessert for you." She had lost a lot of weight, and her face was very pale. The prolonged pain and, more importantly, the reality of facing a future where she could only lie motionless in bed were burdens too heavy for anyone to bear, especially since she was still young, beautiful, and had many dreams and aspirations ahead.
Her body lay quietly under the blanket, motionless, much like those covered corpses on Sandru's desk—lifeless. Only her neck could still move slightly, revealing a trace of life.
"It's all my fault..." Asa felt a prickling in his eyes, as if he were yawning. It was he who had caused her to become this way; Asa recalled his crude and malicious lie. For the first time in his life, he felt what it was to have a broken heart. It was a mixture of helplessness and regret, a torment born from the realization that it was a mistake he could have avoided.
"How can you say that? If it weren't for you, I would have died long ago, never returning home or seeing my father and sister again." Elaine said calmly, appearing even stronger. Perhaps she had already endured so much pain during this time that she had accepted this reality. "It's just a pity that my notebook with all the medicinal records I collected over the past two years was left in the swamp. Also, I haven't found the two herbs you mentioned..."
"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been harmed at all. If it weren't for my trap, you wouldn't have been injured like this." He couldn't say these words, which only made him feel worse. Asa had read in Sandru's books and knew that healing magic was practically ineffective for brain injuries. After spending so long with Sandru, he understood that the spinal cord was essentially an extension of the brain.
"There must be a way. There has to be a way to heal you, so don't worry." Asa looked at Elaine and said. He remembered the book that taught him meditation; he had seen many incredible stories and strange things related to magic in the table of contents, even coming across the term 'revival magic'—something astonishing. If he could go back and study the book carefully, translating the strange texts, he was sure he would find clues and hope to discover a way to heal her.
"Thank you for comforting me. Actually, as long as you come to see me often and chat with me, I would be very happy," Elaine said with a weak smile.
"I'm not just comforting you." Asa said with unusual determination, each word heavy and resolute, "I will definitely find a way to heal you, no matter what it takes or how long it takes."
Elaine looked at him in surprise, then slowly turned her head away, facing the wall. Asa couldn't see her face, only heard her voice choking. "You mustn't say that. I've decided not to cry anymore."
Until he left the duke's residence, walking in the drizzle-filled streets, he remained immersed in this immense sense of responsibility.
The duke was also moved and thanked him, telling him not to worry about it; he had already appreciated his good intentions. After all, this matter was not his fault.
But this kind of thing truly was my fault. Asa couldn't bring himself to say it. He resolved to make up for this mistake. Whenever he recalled how his momentary cowardice and weakness had caused a beautiful, gentle, vibrant young woman to become a cripple, lying on the bed like a corpse awaiting death, his heart felt like it was filled with boiling molten lead.
He could not let this guilt haunt him, nor allow himself to see that motionless, corpse-like figure again in a half-dreaming state.
Moreover, seeing Elaine's tear-filled eyes in the end further unsettled him.
When she finally managed to adjust her voice and breathing and turned back to face him, Asa saw a face marked with tear stains. That face, which had become overly gaunt, revealed a kind of radiance that was utterly mismatched with it. It was a kind of haggard fullness, an unfortunate satisfaction.
He could tell that it wasn't sadness but a different emotion he did not fully understand. Although he couldn't comprehend it, he felt a strange emotion begin to sprout within him, quickly spreading to every corner of his thoughts. It was as if an innate string in an unknown corner of his heart had been plucked, resonating with that inexplicable emotion she radiated.
This feeling intertwined with his sense of guilt, mixing into a duality of both sorrow and joy, filling him with an inexhaustible courage. Even if the path ahead led through fire and sword, he would bravely march forward against all odds.
He was completely immersed in his thoughts until he heard a loud shout: "Stop!" Only then did he realize he had been surrounded by a group of people.
Four armored swordsmen surrounded him from all directions. A circle of young nobles in fancy attire stood outside, and the leader, with a little braid, Asa recognized as the guy he had injured last night by twisting his wrist and striking his throat. The onlookers saw that the situation was turning tense and quickly moved aside.
The little braid looked at Asa against the firelight and shouted, "It's you! You think that by disguising yourself last night, no one would recognize you today? Let me tell you, I've been tipped off long ago. You think you're so impressive for being a hero saving the damsel in distress? Tonight, I'll chop your head off and use it as a urinal!" He appeared full of energy; clearly, the royal priest's healing magic was quite effective.
"Get lost." Asa ignored him completely and walked straight forward.
The little braid shouted, "Stop him!" Two armored swordsmen moved in to block Asa's way and pushed him back.
The little braid jumped up like a dog whose tail had been stepped on, shouting, "You dare to look down on me? How dare you look down on me? Do you even know who I am? Don't think just because you know a few magic tricks that you're something special." He pointed to the four armored swordsmen as if showing off. "Look at their gear; they're palace guards. Do you think they're afraid of your little tricks? Let me tell you, I can easily mobilize hundreds of people to take you down. I am..."
"I said get lost." Asa completely ignored what he was saying and charged straight at the two swordsmen blocking his path.
"Take him down! Kill him right now!" the little braid shouted in a high-pitched voice. The two armored swordsmen raised their shields and drew their longswords, charging at Asa.
"Get the hell out of my way!" Asa shouted in fury, drawing a dagger from beneath his robe and striking hard at the swordsmen's shields.
With a loud crash, the two armored swordsmen were knocked backward, clutching their hands and screaming in pain. The deformed shields flew backward, one hitting the little braid in the face and the other slamming into his chest, followed by two dull thuds and the sound of cracking bones. The little braid fell to the ground, unable to make even a sound.
"Young master, young master..." People rushed in to surround him, while the two swordsmen in the back were completely stunned by the force of Asa's attack, standing frozen in place. Asa stepped over the crowd and continued walking toward the main building.
It wasn't until he had walked quite a distance that Asa realized he had put too much force into that last strike and had dislocated his wrist. He gritted his teeth as he popped the joint back into place, sweating from the pain.
With a tentative hope, Asa still asked Sandru if there was any way to help someone with a spinal cord injury regain mobility.
The answer was as he had expected. Sandru yawned and replied, "Sure. You just need to take them to the Diya Valley to find the Necromancer Guild, and they'll be able to run all over the place. Who knows, they might even fly."
"Is there a way to do it while they're still alive?" Asa felt he was asking a silly question.
But this time, the answer surprised Asa. "Of course there is." Sandru lay down on his bed, preparing to sleep. "You could go to the Whispering Woods and find a leaf from the World Tree. Heh heh."
"What is that? Where can I find it? How do I..." Asa hurriedly pressed for more information.
"I'm going to sleep. Look it up yourself," Sandru said, closing his eyes and curling up in bed.