Chapter 11

Southern Wind

Lansius

Many people slowed down and bowed their heads as we entered Korelia town. I had been a lord for quite some time but this time it felt different.

The crowd was acting differently. This wasn’t just a formal greeting, but more like worship.

The only thing that changed was Felis who shared my ride.

With flowing golden hair and a pair of blue eyes, she looked the part of an ancient high noble. I couldn’t blame the people. Even the nobles in Midlandia weren’t blond, just a tad lighter brown.

Now, this fake noble was munching a Costard fruit which to me looked like some sort of apple. In her lap was a wrapped cloth where she stored another three pieces of the same fruits.

The image of a spoiled princess came to mind.

I let out a sigh. With my head down, I rode slowly to the inn to get her belongings, and then we rode to the castle.

The eyes of all Korelia were watching us. People were making comments as we rode past, some even followed to get a better look.

Because of this, Thomson and the other riders were guarded. Nearby troops were already joined in and making a perimeter around us.

Overhead, the weather looked nice with just the correct amount of clouds overhead.

Without any incident, we arrived at the castle.

The guards and staff were stunned by this development. Probably they judged that their lord was a pervert by bringing a girl out of the blue like this.

I guess I can kiss my good reputation goodbye.

A familiar silhouette waiting near the keep’s entrance.

“Oh, a blonde," Felis exclaimed excitedly, like an endangered species seeing another.

She was actually looking at my cup-bearer.

“My Lord, my lady," Cecile greeted us. It was perfectly done. She masked her bewilderment well.

Once we stopped, Thomson readily moved to assist us. With his help, Felis dismounted without an issue.

Then it was my turn. My buttocks were a bit sore, I’m not built into this sort of transportation.

The horse neighed and blasted its nostrils as if reading my mind.

Right, right, my apologies madam horse.

Then to Cecile who looked at me right in the eyes. "This is lady Felicity, fiancée to Earl Arte of Arvena.”

The title drop did not shock her. She did blink several times before bowing courteously.

“Hi, you can call me Felis.”

“Madam Countess," Cecile chose to reply formally.

“Her marriage is yet to be official. So you can still address her as a lady," I said, trying to close the gap between them.

“Understood, My Lord.”

“You have lovely hair. What’s your name?" Felis smiled.

Apparently, the smile was enough to make Cecile blush. “This servant is called Cecile. I’m Lord Lansius’ cup-bearer.”

“Nice to meet you, Cecile. I’ll be in your care today," the guest said energetically.

“Cecile," I called her. “Could you get Captain Audrey and inform her that a friend has arrived. But don’t tell her the name.”

I smiled politely afterward. No, that was a lie. I actually grinned like an imaginary cat from Alice in Wonderland.

Cecile raised an eyebrow, but I nodded to confirm my command. She did not hesitate and turned around to do my order.

With Cecile walking in front, I led Felis into the Great Chamber. I didn’t want to parade her in front of anyone, so we avoided going through the Great Hall and walked past a guarded corridor.

Quietly, I led her upstairs, showing her the Council Chamber. There Audrey found us.

“FELIS!" Audrey shouted while running at us.

“Kyaa~ Audrey!”

Then the two lovers hugged. No, the lovers’ part was just my illusion. The two were best friends, not into yuri stuff… hopefully.

Audrey was hugging and lifting Cecile like mother and daughter, complete with some whirling and spinning.

Then the two walked downstairs, leaving me alone. When I tried to follow, Audrey shot her eyebeam of death which almost made me slip my footstep.

Ok, understandable, have a great day…

I decided to turn around and head to my room.

When I opened the door, I remember my promise and let out another sigh. “Cecile.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Ask Margo and a few other staff. I want you to take the guest bed from the castle storage and moved it here. Our guests and Audrey are going to use my room.”

“Guests, My Lord?" she asked while seemingly undisturbed.

“Yes, there’s another one. She’s also Audrey’s acquaintance. But beware, Felis is a nice person. The other guest is... dangerous.”

“Understood, My Lord… but if they occupied your room, then where-“

“Oh, I’ll sleep in…”

Actually, I’m not sure as well.

Hmm, Hugo’s room is messy...

Calub’s? No, I don’t want to bother his privacy. I mean he’s an alchemist and treasurer as well. He might have important documents and I don't want to intrude.

“… the Council Chamber then. Can I bother the staff to prepare another bed there?”

“At once, My Lord.”

“Oh, don’t forget the beddings and blanket," I said weakly. It didn’t feel good, burdening a girl like her.

She’s not even 17, this is considered child labor right?

“Is there anything else, My Lord?”

“No, Cecile. You’ve been very helpful. I’m glad you didn’t take the week off."

“I’m grateful for your word of praises, My Lord.” She smiled, took a bow, and left to do my biddings.

Cecile was a hardworking girl. After many months of winter stuck in the castle, she refused a week off and only went home to deliver my gift to her father.

Carla and Liam who had escorted her in a horse-drawn cart told me that Cecile had only spent one night at her house.

The journey took longer because of the heavy rainfall that forced them to stop and spent the night in a small village outside Korelia.

Hmm, about the two...

After Audrey’s hellish training, Carla and Liam become sort of mature. Either that or they probably received a head injury or concussion.

Anyhow, they became reliable as swordsmen and retainers.

Liam’s spear wound from the last battle had been fully healed by now. Carla's brashness was refined into a calculated approach.

I’m thinking to turn them into squires after I received my royal patent from the High Court. Right now, I'm still a lord pretender without anything official to back me up.

***

Calub’s House

“Is the tourniquet ready?" Hannei asked.

“Yep," Calub confirmed.

“Midnight food and hourglass?" Hannei continued.

“Ready," Oscar answered.

“Okay, then Maester, you may do your craft.”

Upon Hannei’s words, the physician nodded and started to do the incision. The scalpel knife was the town barber’s sharpest and had been boiled at Hannei’s insistence.

Little Tia was sleeping face down in a makeshift bed with holes for her face and around the waist. A bucket was placed underneath for bodily fluids.

She had received a small dose of poppy milk mixed with a quarter dose of calub’s potent paint-killers.

“Timmy, focus on Tia’s breathing. Tell us immediately if her breathing pattern changed," Hannei ordered. She was the chief of this operation.

“As I thought, the ankle bones are fused. We need to break this," the physicians informed while grabbing a wooden mallet and small bronze chisel.

The tools had received alcohol treatment for precaution.

Hannei and Calub held Tia’s leg and calf tightly while the physicians lightly tapped the bone several times. The blood and the sound were harrowing. Timmy shuddered every time he heard the muffled sound.

Hannei helped with the dressing, using a clean linen cloth as gauze.

The physicians diligently informed Hannei about the connecting sinew and muscle which was deformed, likely from the wolf attack.

He proceeded to stitch the skin back. He then used some linen for dressing, but let it unwrapped. The calf area slightly turned bluish and swelled.

“I’m done,” the physicians remarked.

“Thank you Maester," Calub said. "Oscar, please assist the Maester if he needed anything.”

However, the physician who was around forty with sharp eyes and a thin beard shook his head. “No, master Calub. I have to insist on staying here. You see, I’m curious.”

Calub nodded and Oscar brought another chair for the physician.

Now, Tia’s fate was in Hannei’s hands.

“Start the hourglass," Hannei said to Oscar while holding her right hand above Tia’s calf. Then she started to sing in a language unknown to this world.

“Gloire au Pére, au Fils et au Saint-Esprit.

Comme Il état au commencement, maintenant

et toujours pour les sičcles des sičcles.”

There was no blinding light or anything, just calm repeated short verses intermittently.

After a few readings, the wound began to coagulate and formed scabs around the stitches.

After a dozen or so, the bluish bruises began to turn slightly better.

By the time for supper, the swell was much reduced.

Calub was already used to this and brought Hannei drinks and snacks at an interval.

The physician was satisfied observing the recovery. In between sessions, he checked the bones as much as he could using his finger. He could tell that the bones’ position was still correct.

He stayed till the second night watch time, then he was escorted home by Oscar.

Hannei continued to do exactly the same.

She repeated her short verse four times each hour. The verse was short, but she needed to hold her hand above the healing area for some duration each time as if pouring energy into it.

...

More than twelve hours had passed since the start.

Hannei’s body was fatigued due to a lack of sleep. After each session, she quickly rest on her bed which was in the next room.

Calub and Timmy take turns monitoring Tia’s breathing. They were looking for signs of the poppy milk sedation wearing down.

Hannei’s repeated action lasted all night and into the next morning.

...

Around breakfast, Calub administered some of his potions to Hannei. It gave some of her strength back. She also thanked Oscar for brewing her some spiced light ale.

The physician came early and Calub could take proper rest.

However, it wasn't for long. Tia was awoken and Calub must administer a dose of painkillers for her.

As underage, Tia couldn’t take another dose of poppy milk.

It required a few tries as she vomited the medicine. Even after the poppy milk had worn down, Tia continued to be in a state of delirium.

Now, Tia rested on her back to help her with drinking and eating. Unfortunately, she was still strapped into the bed. The leg wound was still fragile and may reopen by accident.

Timmy tried to persuade Tia to eat, but she only took a few spoonfuls and some sips.

Hannei continued her verses over and over again.

As the only female around, it was also Hannei who helped to wash Tia as needed.

In regard to this, she was glad that there was no trace of blood in the urine. "A good sign," she said.

At midday, Oscar brought Hannei some meat pie from a renowned shop. It was delicious, but Hannei only took a few bites.

The long grueling day with monotonous activity persisted.

…

The physicians stayed until around supper time. By that time, Calub already got a few hours of sleep. Oscar and Timmy also got some much-needed sleep.

That evening, Tia became fully awakened. She conversed with Hannei in between treatments and the two shared meals.

Afterward, Calub administered another dose because was Tia starting to feel a stinging pain in her leg.

The wound began to fully heal. The swelling was gone and the skin color was healthy. Tia began to feel that her calf was itchy.

"Another good sign," said Hannei.

Hannei continued her verses reading despite being tired after having no more than a few winks since last night. Darker circles already formed around her eyes.

...

Unexpectedly there was a commotion outside the house. Several people sounded like they were entering the house. So late at night, that was a cause for concern.

Hannei was looking vigilant, her brown eyes were sharp.

“My Lord!” Calub greeted.

“That’s not necessary, Calub. How is she?”

“Hannei is upstairs, but she’s tired.”

“May I have a look?” The man sounded concerned.

Hannei had recognized the voice. “You may. Get in here, Lans,” she said from upstairs.

Lansius went upstairs and then the meeting happened.

“You looked like a panda," he commented.

Hannei readily stepped on the man's foot.

Meanwhile, Tia was puzzled; she never knew what a panda was.

“Ok, that’s entirely my fault," Lansius clarified while making a pained expression.

Hannei's face was indifferent. She was too tired for jokes.

“I brought medicine, blanket, and…” Lansius grabbed a parcel wrapped in clean cloth from his coat. It was common to wrap food items like that. Carefully, he revealed a golden crescent-shaped pastry.

“No way, a croissant," Hannei said.

“Here, have a bite.”

A crunchy sound was heard while some of the flaky crust fell.

“I know it’s won’t be as good as-“

“No, thank you, Lans. It’s been ages.”

The two mellowed.

Hannei walked to Tia and offered the pastry. Tia took a bite and was shocked by the texture.

Another commotion was heard downstairs. It was louder, even Calub’s voice was drowned.

“We’re here!!” Women's voices were heard. Soon, two women appeared from the stairs and subsequently pushed Lansius aside.

“Rest assured, Felis is here! Everything is going to be all right, haha~” proclaimed the newly arrived blonde.

Audrey was grinning beside her. Hannei waved her hands to Audrey’s salute. The two were close but there was formal respect between them.

After observing Felis, Hannei let out a sigh while rubbing her forehead. “Where have you been?”

“In the castle. I told you that I’m going to the castle," Felis replied.

“No. You said you’re going to get some fruit you just heard from a peddler. Then you’re suddenly gone. I’m worried you know," Hannei said in frustration.

“Oh that too, hehe~ sorry, Hannei." Felis approached Hannei and hugged her.

But, Hannei was still annoyed.

This made Felis walk toward Tia.

The little girl’s eyes were wide open.

“What’s the matter, child?" Felis asked sweetly.

“Pardon, my lady, but am I in heaven?" Tia replied.

That sent Felis into giggling.

“Why do you ask that?" Hannei asked while approaching Tia with a concerned look.

“Well, I’m surrounded by people with golden hairs and the Lord of Korelia is also present. Am I dreaming?”

Hannei snorted then let out a chuckle.

They ended up hanging out together. Felis assisted Hannei since Tia needed some change of clothing.

In the meantime, Calub was showing Lans and Audrey around the house.

That night, many accompanied Hannei on the last part of the treatment. The second night of healing treatment was known to be the hardest.

They chatted and filled each other with their stories. Sadly, Hannei couldn’t get some sleep.

They dragged a bed and place it beside Tia’s so Hannei could perform the verses while lying down.

Upon Calub’s insistence, Audrey and Thomson dragged Lansius back to the castle after midnight.

Felis was staying since Hannei could use more help.

In the morning, Audrey showed up at the first light.

She had let Lansius to oversleep. The lord had a below-average constitution so she thought it was better to have him sleep and rest longer.

Along with Calub and the rest of the household, she witnessed Tia’s recovery.

Still bedridden but without any strap, Tia tried to move her once limp leg. The first movement was abrupt and shaky, but the ankle was showing a full range of motion as it should be.

The little girl cried with happiness.

Finally, Hannei could get some rest. After a light breakfast, she told Calub not to let Tia move from her bed. Hannei then entered Calub’s room and fell asleep before long.

The window and curtain were shut tight. Hannei's thin figure was sleeping in the fetal position, looking beautiful but fragile.

Oscar and Timmy were obsessed with guarding the house that day. Not letting anyone make some noise.

Felis was sleeping soundly in one of the beds, undisturbed by anything. Meanwhile, Calub busied himself by reading some scrolls while regularly checking Tia.

Audrey returned to the castle, satisfied with what she witnessed.

On her way back, the wind was blowing hard than usual. It was coming from the south, blowing toward the north. The season was changing.

***

At the start of summer, wild gossip circulated that a Saint Candidate was secretly taking refugees in Korelia.

The appearance of blonde girls at the inn and around town, the lord’s visit, and the physician's tight-lipped seemed to confirm the gossip.

Despite initial pessimism, masses gradually gathered around Calub’s house.

In a world without religion, the closest to devotion was toward the Ageless Emperor. Then the second-best was the Saint Candidate. Extremely rare individuals who were born with the innate ability to heal.

Because of this, Saint Candidates were usually taken and cloistered. Their usage was monopolized by the nobility through the Healers Guild.

For commoners, even the Saint Candidate's blessing was believed to be potent for healing.

The truth was of course much more complicated.

To avoid unrest, the Lord of Korelia ordered the house to be evacuated.

***