Chapter 37. You Did Very Well

“Were you very scared?”

I blinked, not immediately understanding his question.

Scared?

Does he mean about the skeleton and lich?

Just as I was about to ask, Claude shook his head as though he had asked a foolish question and muttered in a self-deprecating tone.

“Well. To a woman who faints at the sight of ghouls.”

“Faint?”

I reacted to his mumbling.

The moment I heard the word ‘faint’, I felt like my heart was falling into a pit of unknown depth.

Faint…

I was afraid of ghouls, but I had never fainted. When I closed my eyes tightly and purified, ghouls would turn to dust and disappear.

“Are you saying I fainted?”

That was just a lie I told because I didn’t want to go to the North…

It’s not that I didn’t believe Claude’s words. Rather, it was problematic that I believed him too much. Partly because of the situation where I found myself in Hilton Castle when I regained consciousness, but more than that…

[Recalling Seraphina who died … years ago, Claude let out a low groan. Why was it that only Aveline showed the same symptoms as her when all the other purifiers were fine?

“Is it because of the power of the purification?”

His red eyes were tinged with a painful light as he speculated on the cause.

Seraphina, who died in the Battle of Agulena, would faint as if she had exhausted all her energy after purifying to the point of devastating her surroundings.

If Aveline had the same weakness…

If something were to happen while she was defenseless and unconscious…

Just imagining it made him out of breath.

Blue veins bulged and writhed on the back of Claude’s clenched fist.]

That’s right.

I had a fatal weakness of fainting when I used my purification ability.

Of course, I knew this from reading the original work, not from actual experience. But now it had happened. It felt like all the blood flowing through my veins was freezing.

I’m going to die.

That simple fact brought a greater sense of terror than any fear I had experienced in my entire life.

Without me even knowing.

Without even being aware, I’m going to die.

That would be my end.

Even though I was sitting on a warm bed, my whole body started trembling. Is death cold? I thought I just needed to avoid the Battle of Agulena.

…What if I can’t?

“Seraphina.”

“……”

“Purifier Seraphina.”

“Ah…”

Claude’s voice calling me was filled with concern. Only then did I realize that my cheeks were wet.

“No, this is…”

I closed my mouth tightly while wiping away tears with my hands. I couldn’t control my trembling body.

That’s when Claude reached out and grabbed my hand that was still rubbing my already wiped cheeks. Then he cupped my face with his large hand, making me look at him.

Large and firm hands.

Red eyes looking at me without wavering.

This man, like an invincible fortress, was reassuring me in the silence. That it’s okay. That he will protect me. Didn’t he promise?

“I brought you here knowing that you would faint.”

“……”

“Even though you faint at the sight of a single ghoul. You did very well.”

“……”

My heart fluttered.

It felt strange to hear praise from him, one of the three heroes, this bloodstorm-like man who seemed unlikely to be generous with compliments.

The fear of death that had seeped into my bones was now gone. In its place settled a sense of stability that Claude was clearly providing.

Without taking my eyes off him, I whispered.

“I really believe you.”

I didn’t hear him ask what I believed. Claude just nodded once as if it was natural to believe him. The trust given by that small movement was considerable.

Belatedly, he opened his mouth. And at the same time, the door opened.

“I keep my promises.”

While my ears were listening to his voice, my eyes turned towards the door. Austin and a middle-aged woman who looked like a doctor were standing at the door.

They probably came to check on my condition…

Bewilderment appeared on their faces.

Only then did I realize that our posture was quite prone to misunderstanding. I don’t know, but it might look quite passionate to others’ eyes.

A woman leaning back on the bed, and a man cupping her cheek and confessing that he keeps his promises.

We’re not even lovers.

Come to think of it, this is really strange, isn’t it?

“This is… Ah!”

When I tried to make some excuse, at that moment, the warmth cupping my cheek disappeared. Unless he’s a fool, Claude must also know how this scene would look to others.

“So keep doing this.”

A businesslike voice flowed from his mouth.

“……?”

I looked at him with a puzzled expression at the extreme temperature difference, and Claude continued without a change in his expression.

“I’ll take care of you so you don’t die after you faint, so just keeping doing just like this time.”

“……?”

“Purifying the undead. I mean do it properly.”

“Huh.”

An uncontrolled sound escaped my mouth as I understood the meaning.

This bastard.

How ridiculous?

So you’re telling me to use my ability to the point of fainting every time!

If he wasn’t a hero, I would have punched him.

At that moment, Austin and the middle-aged doctor approached.

“Judging by her actions, she seems fine.”

Claude spoke to the doctor as if there was no need for an examination.

I became even more dumbfounded.

No, even if a person fainted and woke up, shouldn’t you check their physical condition!

While I was just opening and closing my mouth, the doctor expressed my mental state for me. With sharp eyes that seemed to say ‘We still need to examine her’ and a gentle smile that seemed to say ‘Please move aside quickly’.

Claude looked at her for a moment, then stepped aside.

I glared at Claude who had stepped back a couple of steps, then looked at the doctor. She asked simple questions.

“Do you feel any discomfort?”

“I feel weak and lethargic.”

“That could be because you haven’t eaten. Anything else?”

“When I first woke up, my vision was very blurry.”

“That’s because you woke up after being unconscious for several days.”

I was a bit surprised by the doctor’s words as she nodded.

“Several days?”

When I asked back in surprise, she nodded calmly.

“To be precise, you woke up after four days.”

“That long?”

I couldn’t believe it.

It felt like I had just woken up from a cozy nap…

“Your breathing and pulse were all normal, but you didn’t regain consciousness, so His Grace Denhague was very worried.”

“Because she’s a purifier I brought from far away.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The doctor just smiled gently at his gruff addition from behind. Then she took out simple examination tools from her bag and started checking my condition.

Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any particular problems.

Then why did I faint?

It feels like I had some kind of dream while I was unconscious, but I couldn’t remember clearly. Still, some sensations remained.

“It doesn’t feel like I dreamed for four days…”

“Do you remember anything?”

Claude reacted sensitively when I mumbled softly.

You’re really trying to squeeze every last drop out of a person, aren’t you.

Although I felt a bit sour, I answered obediently.

“When I woke up, everything became blurry, but.”

I rolled my eyes around, carefully recalling my memories.

“It felt like I was shattered into powder and scattered far away like dandelion seeds. How should I put it. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation…”

I could feel the attention of the three people focusing on me.

I tried to find the name for the sensation that remained in me.

“It was a warm, cozy… kind of feeling, I think.”

I tried my best.

I think this describes the state of unconsciousness well. I could have just said I don’t remember anything and moved on.

But what’s this?

The look in Claude and Austin’s eyes as they looked at me was strange.

Austin seemed to be recalling the subjugation battle from four days ago, narrowing his eyes slightly before opening his mouth.

“Miss Seraphina, can you perhaps also heal?”

“Heal?”

Why suddenly talk about healing?

I could only blink at the unexpected question.

No, how many years did I live mistakenly thinking I was a healer.

I could speak with certainty on this part. That I’m not a healer, and I can’t heal.

Because despite participating in numerous battlefields with Marc as a healer mercenary, I had never been useful even for a single day.

But why are they suddenly asking about this?

As if reading my confusion, Claude stepped forward and added an explanation.

“All the knights who were with you that day experienced healing.”

“……?”

But his explanation made me even more puzzled, and I furrowed my brow.

You receive healing, not ‘experience’ it.

“I don’t know how to heal though?”

I should make this one thing clear first.

“I have absolutely no talent as a healer.”

“Hmm.”

But Claude didn’t look like he believed me. Apparently, Austin also had a dubious look on his face.

Come on, you guys.

Why would I hide something like this?

As innocent as I was, I felt frustrated and dumbfounded, but when the two people who were present that day showed the same reaction, I couldn’t say anything. Above all, I fainted that day.

“Anyway, let’s fill your stomach first.”

Claude looked me up and down before speaking.

“We can’t leave you like this, so we’ll have to build up your courage.”

…Why are you saying that with such a chilling expression?

Somehow it sounded like he was saying he would raise me like livestock.

I, who had been feeling good at the thought of eating something, felt my spine chill and my lips tremble as if having a seizure.