Galen Vesa

“I submit. This is my loss, master.”

Cora put her cards away. About five thousand six hundred and some rounds later, she was as bad at playing the old maid as when we started. Or the dryad just let me win out of pity. Not that I care. Either way, Erta choose the moment of my victory to snort in her sleep, roll around and slap me away through several tree trunks. Perhaps using her tail as a card table wasn’t such a smart idea. Even in her sleep she still found ways to squash her dolt.

“I believe this is her new record, my flying master. Twice as far as the last time.”

It took a moment but Cora plucked me out of the wreckage caused by my landing. I have no idea how that worked but the forest would absorb broken trees while new ones sprouted the moment a place cleared.

“How come she never hits you?”

“Perhaps it is because you are an irresistible target, my seductive master.”

Why did I even ask?

“How is it outside?”

“About the same way it was when you asked last time, master. The guild house in Fenira is safe. All the rooms are furnished and ready. Vittoria is doing fine. I’m showing her how to hide her ears. Last night we went beyond the city limits to confirm how long she can last outside the influence of our daughter.”

“Please stop calling it that. It’s just a tree, right?”

Her blanked stare drilled me for a several heartbeats then, after clearing her throat, she continued her report.

“Depending on how much mana she accumulates at the guild and the power she expends, I think she can last up to one week, perhaps two if she can conserve her mana. Less if she were to use magic for anything else than sustaining her body.”

With an unimpressed, almost bored stare, she patted out my hoodie, flicking away the occasional splinters.

“Inra is avoiding me but I saw her already training with the rest of the guild guards so it is safe to say she is better now. You might want to avoid her, master, until she sorts out her thoughts.”

Poor girl got a double dose of dryad pheromones and a long taste of my own cursed charms while I was out. I don’t know if she wishes to ever see me again but the only time I caught a glimpse of her, she appeared thorn between wanting to skewer me with her sword or commiting some other atrocity. Her blushing face let me assume she might be leaning towards that juicy choice but she run away on wobbly legs before I could talk with her.

“As for your body, that healer from before, finished redressing your arms about a moment ago and is cleansing the rest of your body as we speak.”

Was there a slight annoyance in her voice? A jealous twiggy? Come to think of it, I had to use her name and force her to stay hidden during all this ordeal. Dryads are zealous in their possessive care of their bound tree. Well, that doesn’t stop her from mocking me at every opportunity. A shame.

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“The judge magister has yet to return but there are even more knights stationed around you than before. I can sense one inside the room. Two on the balcony. Two more outside the door and several others stationed in the adjacent corridor. Beyond that I cannot tell, this place is too well shielded for me.”

After my little display of my ‘fake it till you make it’ skill number, I have no idea what since I lost count, the duchess and her company bought into the story of me heroically saving their lives. Not the best outcome. That stint reopened the damn saint route I wished to avoid but at the same time it spared me from answering questions like how come half a town suddenly went splat inside a fancy pillar of light. Yeah, good luck handling that.

Whether Fenella bought that story is another matter. She found me half baked near the boundary separating land where everything got an atomic sunburn and our little cone of vitrified sand where people got only a bit cooked. All thanks to the Fire standing there when we blew up everything. She’s still sore about it. Well, two out of six kabu pulling our carriage along with four vanguard knights also turned to dust but I could do nothing about them now.

Either way, the fainting dolt spectacle earned me a whole week of peace and quiet as they rushed to the next town on their way to the capital. The duchess personal healer bandaged and cleaned me up then ordered for everyone to keep their distance. She also used this chance to satisfy her own professional curiosity by prodding and pinching this and that squishy part of me. I don’t blame her. Not everyday you get to play doctor with a crispy elf.

This brought me to my current predicament. Pretending to be a sleeping beauty in the grand duchess residence, about a day’s ride away from the capital. Fenella went there yesterday after official summons for her came from, well, wherever it came from they made her spew obscenities for a good minute before she composed herself and left my room. She too, I believe, had some explaining due on her part. As for me, well, best if I get in touch with the wolf.

“Keep an eye on her, will you? She’s been restless for a while now and I don’t like what gets to me from our bond. It’s like she’s been stuck inside a nightmare and I can’t do a thing about it.”

“As you wish, master.”

“Huh? Just master? No venomous remarks this time? That is so unlike you twiggy.”

I had to put my hand on her forehead to see if she wasn’t running a fever.

“Why would I joke from pain I know far too well, my tactless master? Please stop that, it is annoying. I will look after your dragon. Go now, the healer already left.”

She pushed my hand away and vanished inside the nearest tree trunk. How convenient. Either way, sleeping beauty, time to wake up. I told myself and opened my eyes. Much to the horror of the female knight holding watch inside my room.

“Well? I’m awake. You can stop gawking and notify whoever you need to.”

I sent her one of my fake smiles that came to my face on its own and sat up.

“What a mess...”

Both my arms were wrapped in white bandage from my armpit down to my fingers. Hmm, something’s been put between my fingers. Some sort of splint to stabilize bones and separate them? Who knows? My palms gave off a strong herbal scent when I brought them closer to my nose. Let’s look at the bright side. With Erta snoring away inside me, I have no idea which part of my ass got itchy. I Won’t have to bother with finding a way to scratch myself. That’s as far as my optimism went when the doors swung wide open and fluffy trouble number one and squinting trouble number two marched in together.

“Pestilence and rot!”

Altina arrived, accompanied by judge Tirsten. Neither of which appeared pleased to see me.

“Why, why is it always blood and trouble when I hear your name? Merciful Shamuu, hold me or I’ll choke her! Look at yourself! The imperial ball will be held in five days! How do you want to attend in such state?!”

“Oh, this?”

I raised my hand and wiggled my wrist.

“This is fine, it doesn’t even hurt.”

I said when something underneath my bandages snapped with a muffled pop and began leaking.

I shouldn’t have done that. I thought while a crimson spot appeared and began spreading all over my bandage.