Date: September 23, 637, Time: 11:03

Location: Inside a human structure.

It had been exactly half an hour since Malle left the room. Being chained and unable to move freely was a revolting feeling. While I could move partially on the bed, I couldn’t get more than a meter away, and my mind kept circling back to Malle’s words. I was trying to uncover the meaning behind her immediate reactions. Of course, I couldn’t.

What did she mean by food? This seemed to be the only subject I could investigate at the moment. Since no one was around, I accessed the Archive System and started searching for information about food. I learned that it was a fundamental necessity for living beings to survive. So, she was going to bring me something I needed. Honestly, after researching the concept of food, I realized that I craved it internally. It was clear that I needed it.

I decided to wait, but I was already growing bored. I searched for something to do, wishing for something, anything, to happen. It was as if someone had heard my wish because I began hearing voices arguing behind the door:

“Malle! You can’t allow this.”

“Do you know how long she’s gone without food? Get out of my way!”

“Why didn’t you tell Torsten she was awake?”

“If you’re so curious, go tell him yourself, Adam!”

Malle stormed into the room, followed closely by two others. These strangers, holding long swords, couldn’t take their frightened eyes off me, likely due to the way I glared at them. Nevertheless, Adam suppressed his instincts and continued speaking to Malle. Meanwhile, Malle placed the tray of food she was carrying on the table near the entrance.

“Malle, are you sure we’re safe?”

Malle responded sharply:

“Are you scared because she’s chained like a wild animal? Or are you afraid of what might happen if I unchain her?”

“Unchain her?”

“How else am I supposed to feed her?”

“I can’t allow this. Brayton! Go inform Torsten immediately!”

Despite Adam’s audacity, Brayton didn’t move a muscle. Adam, noticing Brayton trembling with fear, angrily slapped him on the forehead, then turned and struck him harder. Only then did Brayton seem to come to his senses. As Adam repeated the order and prepared to send him away, Malle suddenly slammed the door and deftly drew a short blade from her belt. The two strangers instinctively reached for their swords as well.

“What are you doing?” Adam demanded. “Do you plan to fight us?”

Malle answered calmly and confidently:

“If necessary, I will die for my patient, but I will ensure they survive. That is the sole purpose of a Healer.”

Adam let out a deep sigh, rolling his eyes as if exasperated. Finally, he sheathed his sword and said:

“Fine, unchain her, Brayton.”

Brayton, his voice shaky and uncertain, interjected:

“But Adam! We can’t do this.”

“Stop babbling! Do you think you know better than me? Malle is an honest person. I’d rather trust her than Torsten, even though my job is to protect this village alongside him...”

Trembling, Brayton pulled a set of keys from his pocket and began unlocking the chains one by one. As he removed the chain from my left leg, I let out a scream, unable to bear the pain. Brayton recoiled in fear and collapsed to the floor. Adam reached for his sword, but Malle quickly intervened, delivering a brief explanation about my injuries. The situation calmed down. Malle took the keys from Brayton’s hands and continued unlocking the chains herself.

Only the chain around my neck remained. As I locked eyes with her, Malle gently removed it without causing pain. Finally, I was free, but my left leg was still in bad shape. Unable to move it, I couldn’t go anywhere. I was bound to this bed, and I wasn’t happy about it. However, the pain in my leg gradually subsided, and I began to regain control of my breathing. Thankfully, my arms and hands were fully functional. That was enough for now. My next thought was how to deal with these humans.

While I was deep in thought, the three of them stood lined up like students in front of me. Malle resembled an eager girl satisfied with achieving her goal; Adam, a stern and formal boy; and Brayton, a clumsy, cowardly child. I wouldn’t harm Malle, but I didn’t trust the other two. Eliminate them? No, that would create too much trouble. I needed to stay in this village until I healed. If I could win these two over, it might work to my advantage. After all, Adam seemed to hold a position equal to Torsten. He clearly had influence in this village.

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Interrupting my thoughts, Malle spoke:

“Now, I’m going to ask something of you. Adam, you have Torsten’s ear. Stop him from summoning the Knights and keep the fact that our patient is now free a secret.”

“What are you saying, Malle? I told you I trust you, but I won’t betray Torsten.”

“No one’s asking you to betray him. I just want her to recover. Once she can move, we’ll take her to the Capital. She can continue her treatment there, far from this village. In short, there’s nothing for Torsten to worry about.”

Adam rubbed his chin, thoughtful, as his orange beard shifted slightly. It was at that moment I realized Malle was an intelligent woman. She had spoken exactly as I had hoped and anticipated. Malle thought like I did, and this trait would be useful. Of course, she had mentioned things I didn’t know. Especially the idea of going to the Capital… I couldn’t discern her true intentions, but I saw no harm in leaving once I was healed.

“Fine! Quickly, get out and stand guard at the door. Let’s not get caught. And the food is getting cold, anyway.”

After dismissing the two men, Malle pulled the table closer to me. Though she struggled, she managed to do so without spilling anything. She was skilled, but she wouldn’t stop talking. Even though I hadn’t said a word since they entered, she kept explaining things to me non-stop:

“There’s no need to worry. They won’t harm you. You’ll be safe with me.”

I wasn’t worried. Malle’s attention and care unsettled me in an odd way. What could a human possibly want from me? I couldn’t be of any use to her. All she would gain was disappointment. The third rule… Was it even valid? I wasn’t sure.

“What are you thinking about so deeply? Your food’s getting cold.”

She dipped the spoon into the soup and brought it to my mouth. Steam rose from it—it was hot, yet I felt a coldness inside me. I didn’t want to accept this food. I smacked the spoon out of Malle’s hand, and it clattered to the floor. I couldn’t meet her eyes. I didn’t know why I couldn’t. I thought I felt ashamed of myself—maybe I truly did. But I wasn’t sure. I just knew I shouldn’t accept this feeling from a human.

“Oh, it won’t do if you don’t eat. You need food to recover faster. You shouldn’t knock the spoon away like that.”

Yes, I knew. What I had done was completely unreasonable. I had lashed out at someone trying to help me. Why was I like this? Who was I? Why couldn’t I remember anything? I desperately wanted answers to these questions. Just then, I felt warmth on my face, followed by the flow of a liquid… After the spoon hit the ground, there had been a brief silence. That silence was soon broken by the soft, sorrowful notes of Malle’s voice, filled with concern:

“Come on… Don’t make me cry too.”

Her voice trembled. I raised my head and looked at her face. Her nose and the area around her eyes were red. She grabbed a stained yellow cloth from the table and wiped her eyes and nose. At that moment, I felt a tear from my right eye trickling down to my chin. Was I crying? Why was I crying? It didn’t make sense. I turned my head toward the bed and looked at the marks my tears had left on the sheets. But my vision was blurry. My hair had fallen forward, obscuring Malle from view.

“I know. This is hard for you.”

I wanted to know just one thing. Without raising my head or looking at Malle, I asked, “Who am I?”

Malle, though she had calmed slightly, replied in a trembling voice:

“You are someone very important.”

I felt the palm of her hand on my hair. She gently, slowly stroked it.

“You are the one who has endured all hardships and survived. That’s why you deserve to live your life to the fullest. I won’t let anyone take that right away from you.”

Ah… She was saying all the things I had always wanted to hear. Her words were so comforting… Even though feeling this way about a human made me hate myself, I couldn’t resist these emotions. It was a feeling I had sought, longed for, for so long. It was unfamiliar yet somehow familiar.

“One day, you’ll achieve great things. Until then, I’ll always be by your side. You understand me, don’t you?”

Yes, I understood her very well. I nodded.

Malle continued stroking my hair for a few more minutes before gathering herself and moving toward the door with the food she had brought. Before leaving, she turned back and, seeing me wrapped in the bed, said one last thing: “I’ll bring you more food this evening.”

And with that, I was alone in the room again. I felt tired, so I closed my eyes. My mind had fought a grueling battle. I needed rest. As a reward for my mental victory, I decided I had earned the right to sleep.