The aftermath of any battle was always a gruesome sight. A sight that Ida can never get accustomed to. The only positive change that Ida has seen from this battle was…

No one died.

Even if that was only possible because Auriana and Nikulas were here. The fact that no one died was all she needed.

“...”

Ida exhaled shakily, clutching at her quivering fingers. After receiving the report from the guards this morning, she couldn't control her emotions well. It seemed as if her past life never stopped haunting her. In the story, this village was supposed to be completely annihilated with no survivors. After which, the Grenyth Empire suffered huge losses due to this incident. Now, the future has changed for the better.

She was seated at her dining table, gazing out the window, observing the villagers as they worked to repair the town. The memories of the past few months she shared with her parents and the villagers flashing across her mind. When she first dropped into this world, broken and all alone, she was comforted by their presence. Whether related by blood or not, to her, the people here were now her irreplaceable family.

She drank down the last sip of her tea before refilling it. Her fingers had finally stopped quivering.

“My little one!”

“Good morning, June.”

“So, what’s your guess?”

“...” Ida smiled, resting her chin on her hand. “Twenty-three barriers.”

“Aww…”

“Am I right?”

June nodded but there was no hint of happiness in her eyes, her wings losing its lustre.

Fortunately, with the help of June and the combined effort of everyone else, the barrier separating the Wastelands from the Grenyth Empire has been fixed. The only problem was the stout impeccable pillars that had been destroyed in the process. The barrier was only temporary, but there was still a barrier to protect them for now.

“Here you go, June.”

The fae lifted her head up, noticing the sweet and colourful pastry that Ida had been hiding behind her arm. She immediately brightened up.

“Thank you for listening to me, and helping all of us. You saved us all.”

“My little one! You are the best! The best!” June exclaimed, hovering near the pastry. “Can I eat it now?”

“Of course.”

June squealed and dug into her meal.

Ida moved her arm away and winced a little, she glanced down at her arm, pulling her white sleeve back. There were bruises and cuts on her arms, and she glanced down, tugging at her black pants. There were bruises and cuts on her legs too.

This damn weak body.

Ida sighed to herself.

She knew there was no fixing the weak constitution of this body. She could only recuperate and recover before doing any physical activity.

“My little one! You are so hurt!” June stopped eating her pastry for a moment, staring at Ida's injured body with worry.

“It’ll go away with time. It’s nothing.”

“If I turned you into stone, it wouldn’t hurt!”

“...” Ida frowned at June’s words, a helpless look on her face. “Just continue eating.”

June brightened up, nodding eagerly as she continued chomping down on her pastry. Ida merely sighed to herself once more, shaking her head.

“A body too weak to even link with a spirit. How pathetic.”

Auriana and Nikulas were observing the battered body of Ida from the stairs, and overheard her muttering to herself. They glanced at one another, sharing the same conflicted expression on their face.

“Good morning, Ida.”

“...morning.”

Ida adjusted her clothing, glancing at the two people who greeted her warmly. She greeted them back and took note of their clothes. Auriana wore a similar outfit to hers, and Nikulas wore an all-black outfit with a long sleeved shirt and pants. Thankfully, her father's clothes were of similar size to Nikulas, and her clothes were a perfect fit for Auriana. She couldn't let them wear previous outfits which were covered in the substance from the mutated monsters.

“How are you feeling?” Ida asked.

“I'm glad to be clean.” Auriana sighed in relief, sitting down at the table.

“The wolves stink.” Nikulas scrunched his face in disgust, sitting down next to Auriana.

Ida naturally poured two cups of tea for them, and bowed her head towards them.

“Thank you for saving my people, and the village itself.”

Auriana and Nikulas were speechless.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I don’t have to witness another broken family because of you, and neither do I have to bury them myself.”

“You don't have to thank us, Ida! We can't just let people die before our eyes!” Auriana reached forward, bringing Ida’s head up with a sheepish smile.

Nikulas nodded in agreement.

“You don't know us and you didn't have to fight for us, but you still did. It's only right to thank you.” Ida said, her tone sincere.

“It's alright, we have been fighting those wolves ever since we were young.” Auriana shook her head with the same smile.

“They are nothing.” Nikulas added.

A hint of amusement was detected in Ida's eyes.

What a humble way to brag about their strength.

She stood up from her seat, patting the yawning June who was getting sleepy after her meal. June let out a burp, laying on the table and falling asleep quickly.

“The capital will be opening up to visitors soon,” Ida spoke, looking at June as her tone softened. “Wait for my parents to return, and you'll be able to get a ride to the capital to meet His Highness, the Crown Prince, Rael.”

“Don't worry. We have enough time.”

“We can wait.”

“Well then, I hope you'll enjoy your stay here until then. If you need anything, just say the word.” Ida responded politely, turning around and walking away.

“Where are you going?” Auriana questioned.

“I need to visit the sick and injured. I also need to attend to the matters of the village.”

“But you need to rest.”

“This is resting. I am simply walking around.”

“Your body is–”

Nikulas, who was drinking his tea, hurriedly grabbed Auriana's arm, shaking his head. She tilted her head at him, and he gave her an insistent look.

“We’ll accompany you then.” Auriana said.

“You are guests.” Ida furrowed her brows.

“It's not like we have much to do here. Besides, what if that guy comes for you again?”

Ida blinked in surprise. The beginning of the story has been twisted, and thus, Auriana was right. There was no telling when the spirit mage would appear again, and whether he would find another way to destroy this village. It wouldn't hurt to bring the two of them around the village either. However, she recalled the lecture she received from her parents about treating guests with respect.

“If my parents found out that I'm treating my guests as my bodyguards, they will be disappointed,” Ida frowned before she shrugged. “Well, suit yourself. I'm weak and without a linked spirit, so I do need protection.”

Auriana nodded happily, gulping down her tea. Nikulas finished his tea calmly, checking his sword and following Auriana. The two trailed behind Ida as she headed for the door, pushing it open.

The bright sunlight hit Ida's face, making her squint her eyes as she shielded herself.

“Lady Wolfe!”

“How do you feel?”

“Would you like some fresh bread?”

Ida smiled at the warm greeting of the villagers.

***

“The situation is not good, Lady Wolfe.”

“I know.” Ida crossed her arms across her chest, her troubled face scrunching up. “We are in dire need of spirit healers.”

She was standing in the centre of the clinic, listening to the report from the doctor in-charge of the patients. Even if no one died, the ones who lost their limbs or sustained internal injuries that were difficult to recover from. Unfortunately, the ones who were severely injured were the capable guards of the village. Losing a guard was equivalent to losing ten men. They were the ones guarding the borders to the Wastelands, and hence, they were seasoned veterans in battles.

Out of everyone in the village, being a guard here was the most important job. Without them, the village would cease to exist.

“We can only request them from His Highness, the Emperor but…” the doctor said hesitantly, their voice full of unease. “What should we do, My Lady?”

“How long can they last?” Ida asked.

She observed the people groaning in pain as they laid on clean, white beds. Their family members could only sit beside them, sharing the pain mentally. Despite the bright and airy environment, there was a dark and depressing atmosphere lingering in the air.

“A month. For cases relating to traumatic experiences, they are unpredictable.”

“I'll handle this, so please, do the best you can.”

“Of course, My Lady. I'll help them no matter what. My family is living because of them. I may not be a spirit healer, but I know about medicine well enough.”

Ida forced a reassuring smile on her face, and left the clinic. Auriana and Nikulas followed behind her the entire time, silent but their expressions were grim. They saved the entire village, and no one died, but that didn’t mean that no one was hurt. The villagers were working together to repair the destroyed buildings, and sharing their resources. After all, they could only depend on themselves to help each other now.

“Rael said every village has its own spirit healer, but why…” Auriana spoke, lowering her eyes with a hint of sadness flitting past them.

“There are only so many spirit healers around. The Emperor prefers to keep them close to his side, and keep them happy so they wouldn’t leave.”

“You are the ones guarding the border,” Nikulas said, his voice laced with anger. “Without any of you, the Empire would fall.”

“No, the Grenyth Empire isn’t weak.” Ida shook her head. “It’ll suffer some major losses if this village was destroyed, but they will recover.”

That was what happened in the original story, and Ida had no doubt it’ll turn out the same way. The imperial family regarded the villages and towns near the borders as a banishment zone, especially for nobles and commoners that went against their will.

“How could they treat people’s lives like this?” Auriana questioned in frustration.

“No spirit healer would give up their comfort and life to live here,” Ida answered, shrugging. “They would be foolish to station themselves here, where they aren’t able to earn a single coin.”

“We will sneak into the capital now and find Rael.” Auriana picked up her pace and caught my arm, a look of determination in her crystal blue orbs. “Ida, we will help you.”

Nikulas nodded in agreement.

Ida sighed as Auriana released her arm, waiting for her answer.

“You don’t have to entangle yourselves with my problems. Leave it, and go. This isn’t where you belong.”

“We won’t just leave people to die.”

“Who said I’m letting them die?” Ida narrowed her eyes, running her hand through her silver hair. “I am not the type to give up on my own people, so long as I am alive.”

“I can drag a spirit healer here for you.” Nikulas declared.

“...” Ida was momentarily speechless before she cleared her throat, shaking her head. “No need, in my current position, I cannot afford to make any more enemies, especially with a spirit mage after the lives of everyone here.”

Nikulas frowned.

“What do you plan to do then?” Auriana asked. “You said the capital was under lockdown after the Emperor’s passing.”

“I’ll send a message to my parents.” Ida stated.

In the original work, there was a single line for the fallen Wolfe family. They were once prestigious and powerful, and for a good reason. It was implied that the greedy Emperor framed them for a reason, and banished them to the borders of the Wasteland to act as guards. It was an obvious execution, but in the end, the Wolfe family ended up thriving and became guardians of the borders despite being a fallen noble family.

Ida knew her parents were not to be underestimated.