Shailyn had been hit with two afflictions that had jammed her spirit channels, however, she could still use some part of her power, but only because she had cast aside those two afflictions on her right side, rendering half of her spirit channels busy dealing with them.

Seriously, she’s a genius. Not only did she neutralise the two afflictions there, she even cast aside the other ones on her right side, leaving her left side free to draw the other half of her spirit energy.

I could barely even figure out how she had been walking straight. Other than those two, she was hit with some cold poison, a blood curse, and a neurotic affliction. This Rojar Iker seemed no joke, either. One needs to be quite capable to learn so many kinds of afflictions, which are, in the first place, never easy to learn.

I had been thinking Noyar was tough, but my aunt wasn't that soft either. I could feel her resolution through the mingling of our spirit energies.

The ideals of Victoria had been imprinted on her down to her very bones. The cold and awful weather made them tough, though her personality was never soft. However, there was a protective nature to it, like most women. She would do anything to protect her babes—that’s what I learned.

However, even with all that fortitude, she was not without flaws. Shailyn just tried too hard. She thinks it’s her fault that Lord Kirien died, and how she endangered me and others.

William’s betrayal hurt her more than she let on the outside. Well, she was the one that referred him to his post even though many called his traits obnoxious.

“This is going to be . . . painful,” I said, unsure if only painful was enough to describe what Shailyn would feel next. “Do you—”

“I’m ready.”

Shailyn unsealed her right side channels as her body convulsed, her jaw clenched, eyes tearing up, shivering. Her focus wavered while I took the lead, steadying the chaotic flow. My purgation finally got in contact with the real afflictions she had been holding off so far.

Finding so much of dark powers, even my touch of Purgation wavered as it got busy purging the dark force.

It took a couple of seconds for Shailyn to get back to normal, even though she was finally feeling an arduous amount of pain on her right side. Her red eyes, even though teary, she never lost herself in the pain, and stayed calm the whole time, with jaw clenched. Her lips cracked into a tired smile as Noyar touched her other arm.

I could feel Shailyn’s suffering, though it didn’t affect me. Her fingers dug into my palm as I tried to make it quick. The process lasted for a couple of minutes before she stabilised, eyes weaker than before, leaning against her partner.

“You’ve suffered a lot,” Noyar whispered into her ears. “Now rest, you've earned it.”

“But—“ Shailyn muttered, but Noyar cut it, stroking her hair.

“Shailyn, you can be such a child sometimes,“ she said, “It’s okay, I’m here. Rest.”

Shailyn did as her eyelids shut and her body went limp in Noyar’s lap. Her exhaustion was so strenuous that it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. Noyar continued to stroke her hair for a time before laying her body, wrapping a blanket.

"You care a lot about her, don't you?" I said, and finally saw some embarrassment on the knight’s hard face.

"It is as it should be," she added, after pausing for a while, “Earther Family helped mine a lot, where my debt to Shailyn was not any less. She has saved my life on many occasions, like today."

“As you saved her.” I paused for a second, thinking about my next words. Screw it. “Curious, is it only because you feel indebted to her so you try so hard?”

Noyar didn’t argue or answered my question. There was a sense of wisdom in her that asked for others' respect. Well, I do respect her, seeing how hard she tried, even with such terrible wounds.

"You should also rest," she said finally, "I’ll watch for the time being." Seeing me open my lips, she continued in a stern voice, "Don’t argue. You have been through a lot and helped us a lot. Shailyn cares a whole lot about you and would be devastated if anything were to happen to you. So rest; you’ll have more time to fight later. "

"Yessir, knight-sir." I almost saluted. There was no chance of negotiation in her voice. “But first, let me help you.”

"No need. The afflictions I got hit with are normal. I can expel them myself." She seemed more troubled by letting me peek through her than curing the afflictions.

Well, after all, it's a very intimate thing. Hell, I’m not even sure I managed to hide my insecurities from Shailyn; showing another person any of that was a terrible idea. I guess it's enough wizarding for today, and then my eyes fell on the angry looking wound on her thigh.

Sighing, I drew the warm flames of purgatory. “It isn’t just purgation that I’m capable of,” I said, drawing the flame to the terrible wound on her thigh. “I can do a little healing, too.”

Noyar jolted away first, but I continued, giving no more explanation. When the flame touched her wound, she whimpered almost in an audible voice, biting her lips. It's not that the flame was painful, but the wound was just too terrible. Just by touching the scarred thigh, I caused it.

Huh, I came a long way from being a sick introvert to curing pretty women, touching their thighs.

She stared into my eyes before watching the little crimson flame wash over her wound. Her leg shook slightly from the pain as the flame touched it. Dark scarlet blood oozed out, making around the wound less swollen.

Noyar clenched her jaw. Still, some form of whimper escaped out of her mouth occasionally, but nothing else. Heck, I might cry like a baby if got wounds like this.

“How can you act as if nothing happened to you?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Hmm,” Noyar grunted, giving me a confused look.

I gestured at the wound on her thigh. Bloody hell, it looked painful just to watch, yet she had carried someone with her all the time with that wound.

"It’s in the job description," Noyar said, his voice as low as a whisper, absent-mindedly watching the swaying crimson flame. “I can’t say if I’ve been through worse than this, though; but I’ve been in similar situations a couple of times. Yes, it gives me experience in dealing with cases similar to this, but it never makes it easy. However, it’s always good to know that someone is watching your back, and that someone is also depending on you. That keeps me standing, gives me strength."

I nodded at her words. “I literally cried,” I said, biting my lips, gesturing at the broken elbow. Well, I did most of the work in breaking the elbow, as I thought it was necessary at that time, but the tears were never under my control. “Blood and ashes, I never thought it would be this agonising.”

“Yet you stood up,” Noyar said. “That makes all the difference.” She paused for a moment. “I heard the Old blood of Emberheart was always ready for a fight, but you seemed quite different.”

“Let me guess, you’re disappointed?”

Noyar shook her head, returning her gaze to me. “Yes, you’re more timid than what I’ve heard from Shailyn, but I'm not disappointed. You didn’t just fight, you thought. You didn’t go out blindly, but took every step with deliberation. Shailyn may see you as a kid that she has to protect, which is likely developed with the relationship she has with you. However, you’re not a kid, nor need protection. At least not in that scope."

“What do you see in me, then?”

Noyar became silent for a moment, staring into my eyes. “I see a youth with too much power, too much potential, struggling, trying too hard to use his power for good, but afraid he will hurt someone.”

I stared at those blue eyes of hers. There was some wisdom in them, and I could understand that she had gone through what I was feeling right now. The person I killed today, even though it was almost accidentally, it came too easily.

I didn’t like that feeling. I didn’t like the blood on my arms, nor will I ever like in my life. It reminds me of . . .

An impaling pain struck my head just as I had to clench my jaw. What is this?

“You need to rest. Don’t worry about your friend," Noyar said, standing up. The wound on her leg has closed, and the flame has purged most of the ailments in it, but she still needs a week or two to heal. "I’ll look for her after some time."

I tried to utter something, but in the end, “Thank you,” was all I managed, before resting next to Shailyn.

___________