The man was silent as he considered. He knew after all their encounters, she was bound to learn who he really was. Essairyn still had much to learn in this world, but she had already seen his ring from her first day in Farinheld. This woman was too observant and clever to not eventually discover his identity. It was only a matter of time and adventuring to new places.

"......Caelen."

Surprise flickered in Essairyn's orbs. The name had come as a whisper, but she had still heard it. A brilliant smile bloomed across her face. Finally, she had a name she could call him. Regardless if it was his real name or not, it was still something.

"Caelen." The name rolled off her tongue pleasantly.

The man colored a bit at her repeating his name with a soft voice and charming giggle. "You look rather happy. Was it that important?"

Essairyn pouted crossly. "Of course! Do you have any idea how many times I wondered? But I never got a chance to ask you? Because you always disappear before then!" She gestured with her hands for emphasis, prompting him to chuckle at her animation.

"I apologize, lady. Now you know."

His teasing tone at the end caused Essairyn's cheeks to puff up slightly in another pout. With a small sigh, she flicked her gaze away. "...Does it hurt?"

Caelen hummed in question. "These wounds? Hmm~ no. The blood you see is mostly old. I couldn't use any magic as I healed, so I ended up not being able to apply more bandages from my magic cache."

Essairyn tilted her head sideways. "You can't access your inventory when your magic is low?"

He chuckled. "You didn't learn it in school?"

She coughed. "I guess..I forgot. Or, I didn't pay attention...ahem. Is there any way I can help somehow...?"

"What? Are you thinking of lending me magic in your state?"

"Ah—!" A blush crept over her face at having been found out so easily. "Then, I could go back and fetch new ones for you?"

"When you should be sleeping and from a home that isn't yours?"

"Ah—!!" Essairyn almost huffed in vexation. She really felt like she was being teased unfairly. It reminded her of her first meeting with him in Reisparte market. She was sure that he had found her lack of knowledge about currency quite amusing. Whipping her head to the side, she crossed her arms and frowned deeply while thinking what to even do or say. It didn't help that he looked quite entertained by her fluster.

"I can't access my cache, but Eisso already gave me spare bandages."

Essairyn whipped her head back. "Then you should've told—!! Ugh—!" This man was so frustrating. She couldn't win in their conversations, and yet, that only made her want to engage with him more, if only, to verbally beat sense into him. She held her head, shaking it. "Seriously, I don't know what to do with you."

Laughing softly, he fetched a roll from his pant pocket and handed it to her. "How about helping me as you offered before?"

She gave him a "are you serious" scowl before helping him anyway. She thought of it as the least she could do to thank him. But as soon as she began unraveling the wrappings, she halted in shock.

"Liar." Essairyn knitted her brows as she stared at a deep gash of ice-covered blood on his arm. "You said it didn't hurt."

"But, it really doesn't hurt."

"..."

After pausing, she quickly unwrapped all of the bandages on his arms before reaching for those around his chest. A little surprised by the sudden, forceful movements, he blocked her hand, and she glared at him angrily.

"What are these wounds? Did you faint or something after taking us to Eisso? Where did these—" She placed a palm over one gash, beginning to will her magic into it. The action made Caelen jump as he objected.

"Stop. Are you crazy? Don't heal me with your magic. Hey—!!"

The two toppled onto the ground from him trying to escaping her lunge.

"You stop! You're still bleeding for goodness sake! Can't you hold still?!"

"I said no magic! Are you seriously going to risk that when you just woke up after a week?!"

"Gosh darn it just stay right there! I won't do it, okay?!" Essairyn huffed as she grasped his shoulders. Muttering her annoyance, she unwound the bandages around his chest, revealing more gruesome yet oddly beautiful gashes from the way that the frost covered the blood. Just what are these? It's like a layer of ice is closing up the wound, but the wound looks fresh underneath. She hesitantly grazed one gash lightly under his collarbone, making him flinch and catch her hand.

She peered at his face with a questioning, worried expression. He merely looked back silently through the cracks in his bandages. Mumbling her apology, she quietly began rewrapping his wounds. Various possibilities flashed through her mind as she attempted to figure out how he had gotten these. By the end, she had come to a single conclusion.

"You inflicted these on yourself."

Caelen stiffened momentarily. "...Yes." A pregnant pause followed as Essairyn waited for him to continue. "...I redirected some the damage over to myself, but I don't have a high regular m'u like you. So I have to spread it out over time or else I won't be able to take it. This spell takes some time to cast and works by ensnaring the attacking magic into a contract of sorts through the ancient language."

"......You..are the crazy one. How could you—...do this to yourself?" Essairyn sighed, deeply confused and troubled about this man's motives. She glared at the wounds angrily, making herself increasingly irked and hurt the more she stared until a hot tear dropped from her eye. In disbelief, she hurriedly wiped it with the back of her hand and stifled further emotion. Before Caelen could even ask, she answered in advance.

"I don't know."

Essairyn was tired of being hurt and getting people hurt. The day was still fresh with the torrent of emotions from earlier, and in this moment, it all came rushing back. The pain of losing her loved ones in her past life and the fear of losing new ones in this life. While it was true that she did not know this man as well as she knew her traveling companions or even those from the Neu'arth Academy campus sent for the Farinheld mission, he had still been with her from the start. Thus, she felt an odd connection and sense of familiarity with him. It tore her heart that he would voluntarily cut himself like this. Self-injury was a frightening thought to Essairyn who had once fallen into a pit of despair in her past life.

"...such a fool. ....You're a real fool."

Caelen tipped his head a little to the side. "Now that's not very nice." His silly smirk further irritated her. He was dangerously close to being smacked for taking his situation so lightly. "I didn't lie when I said that it hurt. The original spell is quite painful though, haha. But I combined it with a freezing spell that numbs the pain. So I really can't feel anything."

Relieved, Essairyn asked quietly. "You know ice magic?"

"Yes, I'm—" He cut short as he realized he had revealed too much about himself by accident. She had caught him regardless if she meant to or not. Essairyn didn't let his stop bother her as she exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

"You're an ice elemental?!" When she had seen the icy wounds, that possibility had come to mind. But Caelen quickly rejected the notion.

"I'm a human, just like you. But my ancestry is mixed with elementals."

"Umm...wouldn't that just make you both though?"

"Uh—" Caelen blinked. "It's— different. We've...always been different from the elementals." His vague answer and forlorn tone only made Essairyn more curious, but she had a feeling he wasn't going to divulge anymore.

"Then, these injuries go away once the spell is finished?"

"Yes, now that you woke up, they'll be going away soon as the spell has completed."

"I see... that's good then..." Essairyn went silent as she pondered how long it would be until he had to leave. After her perilous experience with Balgair, she knew that two weeks of schooling wouldn't be enough if she wanted to survive and protect her friends in this mysterious world. Traveling to study at the Knight-Mage Academy in Neu'arth, where academia in all forms of magic was the most renown, was her best bet in getting stronger and avenging Leœss. So, today might be the last time she would ever see Caelen.

As if reading her thoughts from her pensive expression, Caelen lightly tapped the side of Essairyn's head and assured her. "Our paths will cross again as long as you continue chasing after H.T. So make sure you don't get hurt again. Don't be too reckless and take care of yourself."

His gentle words squeezed her heart, making Essairyn confused. Instead of responding, she quietly unraveled the wrappings around his head now that she had finished bandaging his arms and chest. As the white cloths dropped away, the rest of his facial features appeared in the dwindling light. Caelen was still peering up at her, but Essairyn was still stunned when she took in his countenance.

Strong brows, long lashes, high cheek bones, he was more handsome than she had anticipated. His intense, viridescent orbs connected with her lavender ones, making her a little nervous. Suddenly, it just hit her than she had been touching this shirtless man all over. And on top of that, she had even knocked him to the ground. Mortified, Essairyn cradled her head in her hands. After a moment's silence, she quietly asked, "Your eyes...they've also been affected by the spell?"

Caelen touched his face. Blood had poured out of the sockets when he had casted the spell. Since he had previously used this spell multiple times to withstand greater damage than his m'u capacity could handle, the blood and accompanying pain wasn't a surprise. It had stopped hurting once the spell-casting was finished, but the resultant effect was an almost red sclera that still bled every so often.

"This will disappear soon too."

And so will you. Essairyn thought dispiritedly. She lifted the remaining clean bandages and began rewrapping his eyes. "Next time, please do don't this. I'm already indebted to you enough."

"It's fine. It was my choice."

"...Are all strangers as kind as you? No, I know not everyone is like that..with H.T. and all. But still...I guess good samaritans exist in this world too."

"Who?" Caelen tipped his head curiously, making Essairyn realize that he wouldn't know what a "good samaritan" was in this world. But before she could explain, he rebuffed her compliment. "I'm not kind. I just live and do as I'm told in order to survive. Me helping you was just...rebelling."

"Pft!" Essairyn muffled her snort with her hand. "What are you? A kid? Rebelling at your age, haha."

Caelen gave a sheepish, lopsided smile. "Perhaps. I am a momma's boy."

Essairyn choked back her laughter and waved her hand dismissively. "Okay, okay mister Caelen. Now then, I'm all done." She stood and reached out a hand to help him up. "Again, next time that I see you, please don't appear in front of me injured. Stay well."

He nodded with a soft smile. "Will do. Good night, Essairyn."

His farewell stirred up the perplexing sadness she had felt just earlier. For one last moment, Essairyn quietly stared at him as if etching him in her memory.

"...Good night, Caelen."