“Are you feeling alright?”

Rael and Cheltain moved inside the temple.

“You’re the first person who nearly died falling into that pond.”

Bastian was the one who lent clothes to the soaking wet Cheltain. Thanks to Rael, who had frantically searched for Bastian with news of someone falling into water, Bastian too had to calm his startled heart.

“Thank you.”

Cheltain was extremely excited right now. Partly because the world naturally looked beautiful to someone who had just escaped death, but that wasn’t the only reason his heart was racing. What made his pulse quicken was the person standing before him.

“Thank you for saving me. May I know my benefactor’s name?”

At Cheltain’s question, Rael hesitated momentarily. In truth, she hadn’t paid much attention when rescuing him due to the urgency, but she thought this man looked familiar from the Magic Tower. She had once suspected he might have come to capture her, so she remained cautious.

However, reasoning that if he were truly a mage who knew her identity, the Magic Tower would have already been informed, Rael dismissed her uneasy feelings as mere oversensitivity.

“I’m Rael.”

“…Rael.”

Upon hearing that name, Cheltain had to suppress his immediate urge to rush to the Magic Tower.

“Do you live around here?”

“Ah, yes… sort of.”

“Do you come to the temple often?”

“I do.”

Though Cheltain’s persistent questioning felt burdensome, Rael answered willingly, figuring someone who had his life saved deserved to satisfy this much curiosity. However, Bastian, watching this exchange, felt differently.

“You seem quite interested.”

“Ah, I’ve been rude, haven’t I?”

Cheltain was anxious that Rael might leave this place, but knowing he shouldn’t arouse suspicion, he carefully masked his expression.

“I just happened to be passing by and helped. Anyone would have done the same. Please don’t feel obligated.”

“Your body seems fine now, so you may leave.”

“Thank you.”

He needed to retreat for now. Cheltain obediently got up from his seat.

“I hope to see you again. I’d like to repay your kindness.”

“Ah… yes.”

Rael felt uncomfortable with his talk of repayment since she hadn’t expected anything in return, but since she frequently visited the temple, she knew they would likely meet again.

“Take care of yourself and get some rest.”

“Yes. I’ll return the clothes soon.”

“Alright.”

Cheltain left the room with a brief farewell, and as soon as the door closed, Rael and Bastian relaxed their tension.

“I’m glad there’s no serious injury.”

“What about you? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Bastian asked Rael. At his question, she finally examined her arm.

“I got some scratches from his fingernails. Oh, my elbow must have hit a rock.”

Though not serious wounds, various parts of her arm were scratched and scraped, causing swelling. She hadn’t noticed when she wasn’t paying attention, but now that she looked, it felt stinging. When she lightly touched the scratches with her fingertips, they smarted.

“Sit down.”

Bastian muttered “just as I thought” while taking out a medicine box from a drawer. Then he knelt on one knee in front of Rael, who was seated in a chair, and placed the medicine box beside him.

“Let me do it.”

Though Bastian’s kindness was appreciated, Rael waved her hand to stop him, thinking his reaction was excessive for mere scratches. However, Bastian continued rummaging through the medicine box without responding.

“Just stay still.”

He opened a bottle containing a red liquid. Then he dipped a flat stick into it and brought it to Rael’s arm. Even apart from the scratches and redness, her pale, thin arm looked pitiful on its own.

Bastian’s hand gripped her wrist where there were no wounds. Feeling too awkward to refuse further, Rael relaxed and offered her arm.

“Weren’t you scared?”

When he asked about the pond incident, Rael chuckled.

“The pond is only waist-deep, what’s there to be scared of?”

“You would have done the same even if it were a deep sea.”

Bastian knew Rael well. Despite her denials, she had such an altruistic nature that she would certainly risk danger to save someone drowning.

“My body is precious to me too. I’m not alone anymore either. Ah, ouch… this medicine really stings.”

Rael flinched when the medicine touched her wounds. Her arm involuntarily twisted and nearly jerked out of Bastian’s hand, but he tightened his grip to prevent her movement.

“If I’d known this would happen, I would have worn long sleeves.”

She regretted wearing summer clothes because of the unusually hot day, resulting in her arms getting all scratched up.

“Next time, don’t act yourself but call someone.”

Telling her not to immediately help a drowning person but to call for assistance seemed rather heartless coming from a priest, but Rael understood what he meant. He was simply worried about her.

“Alright. I won’t do anything dangerous, so you can stop with the grandmotherly nagging.”

Bastian’s lips curved slightly upward at Rael’s deliberately playful retort.

“And don’t carelessly give out your name in the future.”

“Ah. That did feel a bit uncomfortable… I hadn’t thought about that situation beforehand, so I was flustered and just said it. I’ve been introducing myself by name to people at the temple, so it happened without thinking.”

“Maybe you should come up with a completely different name from now on.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. How about ‘Ratian’? It sounds like we could be siblings.”

Bastian’s hand paused briefly on Rael’s arm at her words. But soon the halted hand resumed its movement.

“Not that.”

“Why?”

He didn’t like the sibling comparison. He disliked others thinking of him and Rael as family.

“It doesn’t suit you.”

“I guess Rael suits me best, right?”

“…I suppose so.”

The thought of calling Rael by another name felt strange. It was best for Rael to exist as Rael.

“I’ll think about it more later.”

“Okay.”

In the end, the discussion about an alias was also temporarily put on hold.

“You have quite a few scratches.”

There were numerous red wounds on her white arm. After applying medicine to various spots, her entire arm had turned red. Even with small wounds, having so many would cause considerable discomfort in daily life.

“Be careful not to get them wet.”

How would that be possible when even washing her face would soak that area?

“Come on, making such a fuss over these minor wounds. They’ll be fine after I sleep.”

Once he seemed finished applying medicine, Rael pulled her arm from Bastian’s hand. But Bastian quickly grabbed her escaping arm again.

“You need bandages too.”

“Bandages will just make things more troublesome.”

She worried they might get wet, and how uncomfortable they would be. Rael didn’t want to wrap bandages as well.

“Are you going to walk around with medicine smeared all over?”

“Ugh….”

Once again, she had to obediently extend her arm according to Bastian’s instructions. The medicine being red meant it could stain her skirt, making people think she was covered in blood.

Bastian wrapped thin bandages around Rael’s arm with practiced movements.

“This isn’t your first time, clearly.”

Rael was impressed by his skillful treatment.

“As you know, I’m a priest, so I see injured people often.”

“Often? This isn’t a medical clinic.”

“Priests went to your academy too when monsters attacked. Most priests treat people with medicine. Divine power is granted only to a few.”

“What about you? You have divine power.”

The reason Bastian could become a High Priest at such a young age was because of his divine power. The sacred ability that manifested in him was more extraordinary than other priests.

“Then can’t you just heal me with that?”

“You’re denied because of your reckless mischief.”

“Wow… that’s unfair. So unfair.”

Rael pouted her lips. If he could heal so easily with divine power, she wouldn’t need to be covered in this red medicine.

Bastian looked up at Rael’s pouting lips and smiled.

“I’m joking. Divine power isn’t an infinitely regenerating ability. If I used it for such small wounds, I might not be able to save someone in grave danger someday.”

“Ah… that wouldn’t be good. Just secure the bandage tightly then.”

Rael quickly understood Bastian’s explanation. If there were limits to its use, it was certainly too precious to waste on mere scratches.

“Done.”

The bandage was neatly tied.

“Come back if it gets wet.”

“So you can wrap it again?”

“Of course.”

Bastian’s hand, which had lingered on her arm for so long, finally withdrew. Rael rubbed over the carefully wrapped bandage.

“You’re a really good priest.”

It wasn’t just because he had nicely wrapped her arm. It was because she could see his attentive heart that cared for even minor wounds with the same concern he would show for his own.

“Not to everyone.”

Bastian answered Rael’s comment sharply. His response made Rael feel somewhat embarrassed. Somehow it felt like she had said something wrong.

“Thank you.”

In the end, her expression of gratitude could only conclude lukewarmly.

* * *

Returning to his lodging with an excited heart, Cheltain fell into contemplation.

“Hmm….”

Until he left the temple, his only thought had been to quickly inform the Magic Tower, but once he sat at his desk and picked up his pen, his mind became unsettled.

Suddenly, he recalled his conversation with Max.

‘Why is the Magic Tower so desperately searching for that mage? Did she commit a crime?’

‘Well, yes. When has the Magic Tower ever searched so desperately for someone who hasn’t incurred their wrath?’

The moment he informed the Magic Tower, she would undoubtedly be dragged away for judgment. He didn’t know what crime she had committed, but the outcome would surely be unfavorable.

Yet she had saved his life.

“This is troublesome.”

If he had just happened to discover her by chance, he wouldn’t have felt this tiny prick of conscience.

Cheltain’s pen tip hovered over the paper for a long time.

“…Maybe I should first hear her story.”

His uncharacteristic softening of heart was because the woman who saved him didn’t seem capable of wrongdoing from any perspective.

Cheltain was lost in thought for a long time. Forgetting he hadn’t eaten all day, he fidgeted with paper and pen until the outside grew dark.

After much time passed, Cheltain seemed to make a decision and began writing something on the paper. Black ink stained the sheet.