She woke up, shot up, and banged her head against the wall. Maria yelped and clutched her head. Bump. She could feel a bump as it formed on the back of her head and it stung a little whenever she pressed a finger against it. She raised her head and looked around the room to find two bodies, both asleep. No, only the officer who lost an arm and an eye slept soundly. The other one simply stared at her from beneath the bandages that covered his face. He said nothing while he stared at her in utter silence.
"H-Hello..."
"..."
The man slowly nodded.
"May I have your name, sir?"
"..."
An awkward silence filled the room while Maria waited for the man's answer.
"N-Not much of a talker? That's alright, I'll just ask one of the-"
"Where am I?"
A deep, low voice spoke from beneath the bandages that obscured his face.
"Ah, er, you're in the Church of Illyria, sir..."
"I see. I lived... Is the Prince safe? I-I need to get a message to him. It is urgent."
The man tried to stand up, but stopped himself when she stood up to try and lay him down.
It was part of her job. She needed to know who they are and what happened before they were brought here. That was her job. To help those who would be of use to the kingdom. If she were to use her [Heal] in whatever way she wanted, 10 soldiers would leave the church's ground each day. But Te'loinn didn't want her to do as she pleased. They want her to be healing people that they could not afford to lose. The officer before her is one of them. Important information, powerful skills, or the son of a nobleman, these things were always the reason why she needed to save their lives. Maria sighed and shook her head.
"I think the Princes are still at the borders. If the information is secret, I'll have someone from the-"
"No. This... This is a discreet matter."
Silence once again fell between them and the conversation slowly fizzled away. Maria stared down the man. It was not because she wanted to intimidate him, but because she needed to properly concentrate for the [Appraise] Skill to take into effect. The man sighed and shifted in his bed. His bandaged arms moved towards his face and his fingers tenderly took off the wrappings that held medicinal herbs and ointment close to his face. The coils fell onto his lap while he undid more of the bandages. When he was done, Maria saw the deep, hazel hair that hid underneath the bandages and the crimson orbs that stared back at hers.
"My name is Mattheo de Ruvean II, second-born son of Mattheo de Ruvean. I was put at the head of the Ruvean host when our army was ambushed. I bring a message of utmost importance that must not be heard by anyone other than the Royal Family."
In that instant, the blue window glowed brilliantly as the Lord's stats were revealed to her. Maria blinked at the blue window, then back at the youth that stared at her with a slightly miffed expression. His Class was that of a Lord, but he had a Subclass called Frontline Commander. He had 20 levels in his Lord Class, and 30 levels in his Commander Class. His stats were all over the place but his combat and organization stats were high. Maria stared at the window for a while. After a few minutes, she heard a cough from in front of her.
"May I go now?"
"Sir, I understand that you possess sensitive information on your person, but I cannot allow you to leave the church's premises just yet. I will need to get in touch with-"
"No."
The Lord's hand shot forward and grabbed Maria by the wrist. Maria tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.
"Do that, and I'll be hung at dawn. I need to speak with someone in the Ar'villeas like the Queen or the First or Second Prince. I need to get them out of the capital."
"But-But Lord Mattheo... They're already out of the capital. They're at their retreat palace further south-"
"South?! Do you mean at Avieon?!"
The lord grabbed her by the shoulders and snapped his voice. Maria squirmed in his grasp as his fingers dug into her while his intense, rage-filled gaze bore into her.
"Y-Yes! The Queen and the rest of the Princes are at their retreat palace in Avieon and the King, First Prince, Second Prince, and Fourth Prince are stationed at the borders."
"... Too late then."
Lord Mattheo eased his grasp on the girl. Maria immediately pulled away from him while she watched him slowly slump forward with hollow eyes.
"Ar'villeas, Ruvea, Lorrans, Fleuor, and the Visconieas. Families that stood for thousands of years as nobility reduced to squabbling, petty groups by lesser families like the Lafine and the Marchiolion. Get me a horse, girl. I need to ride for the capital to meet with someone."
"Uh..."
"Don't tell me I'm already at Castlleon."
Maria slowly nodded. The Lord looked out of the slightly ajar door at the soldiers outside then back at her. His eyes suddenly flicked to her side.
"Fu-!"
All she did was blink. In that one moment of brief darkness, her staff disappeared from her hands and she heard the gurgle of blood from behind her. When she opened her eyes, the bed was empty. She whirled around to see Lord Mattheo, her staff in his hand as he choked the other officer with him. She could see that the man's throat was already crushed, but Lord Mattheo choked him nonetheless. Maria stared at him in shock. Her legs trembled and if she weren't sitting down, she would've fallen to the floor already. She opened her mouth to scream, but she suddenly felt the intense urge not to.
The air in the room felt tense and heavy. It felt as if she was about to suffocate on the words that got stuck in her throat. She looked at the man Mattheo choked. His eyes bulged red and his face is now blue and swollen. Then, without noise, Mattheo's arms twisted the man's head and snapped his neck. He laid down the body silently on the floor while he looked around the room with a cautious gaze while Maria tried to muster the faintest of screams from her lungs. Mattheo glanced at her and sighed.
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"No wonder I survived. You must be the Champion I heard so much about. I'm sorry about him, but he's not an officer. Well, he's an officer but he's an officer sent to finish the job."
Mattheo shoved the body under the bed while she crawled away from him.
"I'm sorry about this, but it's part of the mission."
Mattheo handed her the staff and she quickly grabbed it from him. Mattheo nodded and walked towards the door while she quivered on the floor. Her blood ran ice cold throughout her body. Cold sweat ran down her back while the Lord slowly placed his hand on the handle of the door. She let out a squeak when he turned towards her. He had a pitiful look towards her.
"Tell them I caught you off guard."
----------------------------------------
She sat with the Nuns of the church. Blood. It was everywhere in the courtyard and in the wing they used as a hospital. They asked her questions, but she did not answer them. She stared at the bodies. Nuns, Priests, and even soldiers lay around the courtyard. A trail of blood could be seen that led out of the church's gates and into the city, where one could easily slip into the many shadowy alleys and streets of the city. Her stomach twisted into a knot at the thought. A woman stared at a body with a blank expression.
"Are you sure it's who you said? Lord Mattheo the Second of Ruvea?"
Maria nodded slowly. The woman clicked her tongue and shook her head.
"The Prime Minister will have your head for this, Father."
"It is not my children that brings in those who need the Goddess' mercy."
Sefa glared daggers at the large man behind Maria. After a moment, the Maid scoffed.
"But it is your children that checks who they are beneath the dirt and grime. Fine then. Father Noc, I'll be taking back Miss Maria to the palace where she would be safe."
The Bishop smiled at the maid and stepped forward to meet her intense gaze. His robes stretched over his body and his fat fingers were the size of her thumb. He patted her on the shoulder gently with his large hands. The old Bishop of Castlleon looked like Santa with his fat belly, thick arms, and snow-white hair and beard to match. But instead of the Coca-Cola kind of red that Santa wore, he wore a white robe embroidered with gold and a green vestment. The old Bishop stared at the Maid in front of him and slowly nodded.
"To shed blood in a place dedicated to the Goddess' worship is a grave sin. But to defy her will is a sin much more grave than bloodshed in her temple. You should know well the old worship of the Goddess."
"And you should know well that Prime Minister does not take threats of any kind... kindly."
The old Bishop laughed at the Maid's words.
"We answer to the Goddess Illyria and her alone. Only those weak in spirit and heart will tremble before you and your master. If the Champion of the Gods wishes to come with you back to that palace, who am I to deny the request of one chosen by the Gods? But if she does not wish to go with you, what is a mere Maid to a Champion of the Gods?"
"Father Noc, do not confuse me for some common Maid that nobles use and throw away whenever they please. And do not let your righteousness blind you to what you truly are..."
Sefa approached the man, a wide yet narrow smile stretched across her face.
"A fat man surrounded by naive boys and weak women."
The Bishop kept his smile but he took off his hand from her shoulder.
"So be it. May the Goddess have mercy on this poor soul before me."
"You chose the right decision, Your Excellency. Maria, let us return to the palace before that madman senses that we're here."
"I..."
The two looked at her, both had vastly different expressions on their faces. Sefa cast her a cold glare while Bishop Noc eagerly waited for her answer.
"I'm a bit hungry."
"You heard her, Father. The girl is famished from all the work and stress she went through. Come, Maria. The Princess must be worried about you."
"... Sure."
Maria stood up and glanced at the Bishop. The old man gave her a wistful smile and a wave as she followed meekly behind Sefa.
"Stay away from the Ruveas, Miss Maria. The current scion of that family, Lord Mattheo de Ruvean, is still loyal to the King, but his sons have been marked as traitors to the Kingdom."
"I-Is that so?"
Maria asked in hushed tones as she walked behind Sefa towards the carriage.
"We thought you this in your first year here. The Ruveas held the region called Ruvea, the hilly region that hugs the Arendine to the north. Aside from wine and steel, they are called the Sword of Te'loinn since they could both arm and call upon 10,000 men in times of war. But right now, only 6,000 flocked to their call. The rest seems to have defected."
"How about the other families? Can't the royal family call upon them?"
"The only ones we could call among the major families are the Lorrans. The Margrave of Lorran is held up in the north against Leroun with the Second and Fourth Prince while the King and the First Prince are in Asconna to prepare against an attack from the east."
"So the other families..."
"They have either abandoned us or they wait for a clear winner to the conflict."
Suddenly, Sefa turned her cold gaze towards her.
"That is why you must continue your work, in the name of the King. Your presence alone gives the kingdom a bright ray of hope for they believe that your arrival is a sign from the Gods. You are the key to this kingdom's victory, Maria. You do not just [Heal] those who are wounded in battle or struck with foul diseases. You are a Healer of the people's faith."
The Maid let out a sigh.
"Tomorrow, we will meet with Prime Minister Morryal. We will discuss with the council how we should deal with a loose rebel in the capital city. I want you to attend the meeting to make a show about showing mercy to him."
"W-What? Wait, I don't-"
"Maria, Lord Mattheo might be the second son of Lord Mattheo, but he is still the son of the man that holds nearly half of the kingdom's army and weapon. He is a hostage that we can use to get into favor with the Ruveas."
Her tone irked Maria off, but it was the implications of what she said that irritated her.
"But I have work to do at the church. I can't just abandon dying people to deal with the politics of some kingdom I barely know!"
"Te'loinn is not just some kingdom, Maria. Te'loinn is the kingdom that has sheltered you for many years and allowed you to do as you please. If Leroun or any of the Old Cities managed to grab hold of you, you would've been sent to the frontlines already to help raid our lands or the lands of some other Old City. You should be grateful that the Ar'villeas took you in..."
Sefa scowled but quickly hid it under her usual unfeeling expression.
"I was there when the King rode for Pon'telien to see the Maiden of Healing for himself. If the King himself rides for you, what sort of message does that convey to the average commoner?"
"Importance."
"Precisely. You are an important person, Maria. Whether you believe it or not does not matter for what matters is the fact that you have the ability to cast [Heal] 10 times a day on either a fatally wounded person or an entire battlefield. If you were sent to the frontlines, the difference would be seen immediately. But all it takes to kill a [Healer] is a well-placed arrow or a powerful Mage."
Maria narrowed her eyes at the Maid as she glanced out of the window.
"Your place is here. In Castlleon, everything will be provided to you as long as you help support the kingdom. You don't belong hidden away in some convent or church healing all those who pay their stipends or donations or whatever they call it. And if you can show me that you can do what I ask for tomorrow, I'm sure proper rewards for your continuous hard work is in order."
Sefa smiled at the girl while she thought about her offer. After a moment, she let out a sigh and nodded.
"Fine. I'll do it..."
"Wonderful! I'll prepare what you need to say tomorrow at..."
She drowned out Sefa's words as she looked at the blue window on her lap. She could see the Skills Sefa tried to use on her. [Platinum Tongue], [Persuasive Aura], and [Dominating Presence] all failed on her thanks to one of her buffs called [Resist Will]. She peered out of the window and sighed. The city was vast, but not as big as Portland. Her eyes stared at the horizon, at the things that lay beyond this city and beyond the reach of the sickening people around her. A quiet sigh left her lips as well as the thought of someone coming to help her. The first time she saw someone die was a few years ago when bandits raided a small village. What happened earlier wasn't some sort of tragedy like how they made it to be.
It was a wake-up call.