----------------------------------------

Thanks to Relias's restorative powers that could treat even the most grievous of wounds, I regained consciousness within an hour. They had relocated me to a quieter section of the path, away from the epicenter of the brutal battle, and I was secretly glad I didn't have to witness the carnage left behind in its wake. Though no one shared the final death count, it was apparent that a lot of diseased animals had been dealt with. Despite my insistence that I could continue, my teammates demanded I 'take a break' as they searched the area for any lingering danger.

“Why were your past injuries not tended to with the requisite care?” Relias inquired the moment we were alone. “It perplexes me that any healer would allow such scars to form.”

Great… he saw them.

With an apprehensive quiver, I pulled my now-restored arms around me. “Wound treatments are very different on Earth...” I mumbled softly.

He pondered for a moment before responding, his face taking on a look of deep concern as he sat on the ground across from me. “The mere fact that you endured and thrived in such a barbaric environment, in the absence of divine magic, is a testament to your remarkable resilience and tenacity.”

Barbaric…? Hmm. Well, yes, but also no. Depends on what we’d be comparing notes about. At least Earth had air conditioning…

“Hmm... Resilience, tenacity… That's just a nice way of saying I'm stubborn, right?” I grinned, trying to change the subject. Talking about Earth with anyone other than Nora just makes me feel so uncomfortable...

He returned an embarrassed smile, affirming, “Indeed, it was the most benevolent manner to express such an observation. However, on the topic of stubbornness...”

Oh no. I was still in trouble for accidentally running off too far, wasn't I? I left them all to handle supply requisitions. I didn't even say goodbye to Captain Corwin. Would he take my careless actions as a sign of disrespect? Or maybe Nora insisted he give her Chairo's schematics. Had Vernie gone back to being angry with him again? Maybe Tetora already insisted on more training and picked a fight with Aleph?

“Umm...” I started after running out of potential scenarios to get anxious over.

He pulled out a small package from his pocket, his gaze locked onto its delicate white paper wrapping and small silver ribbon. “This should have been in your possession earlier... My obstinance led me to believe we were safe from demonic presences, especially in the proximity of a procession of holy knights. This assumption granted me a false sense of extended time. Given previous events, I was hesitant to add to your discomfort. However, I now see the value in returning—rather... bestowing this upon you.”

I carefully accepted the package with both hands, noting how light it felt. “Is it alright to open it now?”

“I would be most happy if you did so,” he affirmed, though his hands were clasped nervously.

The headband contained inside was unmistakable... no, the hachimaki. It was Captain Lightbringer's prominent symbol of bravery and unyielding effort. Its bold royal blue color was accented by two thick, intricately woven bands of shimmering gold.

“Oh...” I exhaled slowly, feeling the emotional weight behind this gift. To wear this would be the boldest declaration of all...

“You are under no obligation to don it now, should you feel unprepared to embrace its significance,” Relias murmured. “However, may I ask if you would be willing to hear the story it holds? It serves a Purpose beyond simple adornment.”

“Alright...” I'm a sucker for a good backstory, so let's hear it and see.

“I gave this to Raelynn—Raelynn Lightbringer, Captain of Order of Gold, and Former Holy Knight of the Blue, on the very day she was appointed as such.”

“The color scheme certainly matches the occasion...” I murmured.

Relias nodded before continuing. “Prior to presenting it to her privately, I had imparted upon it a sacred blessing. This was necessary, as it possesses a power of such nature that it is prudent to keep hidden from the knowledge of all others.”

“What sort of power?” I leaned forward, absently pulling at the band to straighten any possible wrinkles.

“It protects the wearer's thoughts from demons,” he explained with uncharacteristic brevity.

I stared in consternation, initially at the hachimaki and then at him. “Why... why aren't we mass producing these items?!” I gasped, my hands trembling. Shouldn't everyone have access to such sacred satin?!

“The threads of this artifact were crafted from the essence of Naught by Euphridia's own divine hand,” he replied, putting his hands over mine before squeezing gently. “No such other weave exists in this world... Yet, your immediate desire to bestow its blessings upon others fills my heart with an immense sense of joy. This very quality makes me certain that you are its rightful recipient.”

I don't know how many times I turned it over in my hands, tracing the gold threads with my fingertips. If I concentrated, I could feel a little jolt from them. It was nothing significant... more like the feeling of static electricity.

“How did you get it back?” I asked softly.

Relias diverted his gaze downward. “In the throes of their final confrontation, Demon King Epiales must have torn it from her locks. The events that transpired in those fleeting moments thereafter are still shrouded in uncertainty to me as his frenzy had reached its zenith then. It was in this state of madness that she commenced a series of lethal blows. I discovered it entangled in his claws... after...”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“I think I understand,” I replied carefully. “You then restored it and kept it safe.”

“Yes.” He looked up with a grateful smile.

What a mix of offerings and curses. Part peace offering... part blessed equipment to aid me in our journey, and part branding to forever tie me to a role I didn't choose. I wasn't sure if I should be grateful or resentful for this unique item, but I was sure time would help me decide. The circlet doesn't do much, so let's switch out my head slot item, eh?

...

It shouldn't be this hard to tie a headband! My fingers seemed to have lost all coordination, clumsily fumbling with the ends as I attempted to get them in line. No matter how many times I tied the knot, it never seemed to come out right—a wrinkle here, an uneven edge there. Just stop thinking about it so much. In the end, it's just a piece of cloth. Magic cloth...

“Ah... It would be my pleasure to assist you in donning it,” Relias offered kindly, probably trying his best not to laugh.

I stood up. “If it's not too much trouble...”

“Of course,” he murmured as he rose as well, holding his hand out expectantly. After I gave it to him, he stepped forward and carefully lifted the cloth, his fingers lightly grazing my forehead as he adjusted it. He then deftly tied the band into a neat knot at the back, the fabric whispering against my skin.

“There,” Relias said softly, admiring his handiwork with a smile. “You wear it well.”

Stupid, stupid face! Stop pretending you're on fire! Extinguish that deep blush, and remember that you need to show some respect! “Thank you, Your Holiness,” I tried to say as sincerely as possible, raising my hand to touch the hachimaki. “I will do my best to honor—”

“Ahem!” Vernie practically shouted from just behind me.

“Waah!” I was suddenly way too close to Relias, and I jumped back, throwing my hands forward in front of me, almost shoving him in the process. “You scared me! Don't sneak up on me like that!”

“Sneak?” Vernie folded her arms with a look of mock-scandalized amusement plastered all over her face. “I made all sorts of noise on my way here. You were just busy with other things, and—wait! You're wearing it!”

A general rumble of approval came from the others behind her, a somewhat thankful distraction. Most of them mirrored Vernie's expression of cheeky delight, but Nora's brow seemed a bit furrowed.

“I should get used to it...” I tried to explain without really saying anything. “Before we know it, we'll be in front of a monarch... and we'll need his cooperation.”

“He holds a profound reverence for the Chosen One,” Relias added. “He has not had the privilege of a prolonged personal audience with her, but several of his vassals have made pilgrimages at his request to relay their encounters and the blessings of having made her acquaintance.”

I mulled over the implications of his statement for a moment. “Um...”

“He's a real fanboy, huh?” Nora cooly summarized for me.

Relias blinked several times. “Fanboy?” Now, it was his turn to be lost entirely. “Numerous pages in his court serve him, yet I am inclined to believe he would not resort to such undignified behavior as to have them employed in the mere task of fanning him...”

“No, no!” I grinned and started to laugh. “It's just a way of saying... he's devoted to the hero.”

“I see...” he said, looking rather unamused over his understandable misunderstanding.

Maybe I laughed a little too obnoxiously... I didn't mean to snort.

I placed a contrite hand on his shoulder. “It's a weird saying, for sure,” I admitted, hoping my eyes conveyed my apology. “I think it's short for fanatic—” I trailed off as his face turned red.

“Ah, indeed! The clarity of your explanation dawns upon me!” he stammered in a fluster before retreating several steps.

What just... With my hand still outstretched, I turned my now-suspicious gaze back over my shoulder and saw Vernie elbowing Tetora gleefully. Why you!

Vernie stiffened under my glare, though she kept the smug grin on. With an audible exhale, I turned my back on her. “Why don't you tell us more about this King... Saulus, is it?” I asked Relias from a deferential distance.

He cleared his throat as he thoughtfully rubbed at his cheek. “Agreed, such discussions will serve our future endeavors as we journey on. It would be prudent to commence forthwith even, given the stringent schedule we must adhere to.”

Aleph, ever helpful, stepped between Tetora and Vernie. “We have also deemed it safe to continue this path, old friend. Nothing else dared to make its home here. However, we did find evidence that Hrolf had set up a makeshift sanctuary. However, it is rather small—all contained within a rotting tree trunk.”

Relias nodded. “Hmm... it may fade over time, but regardless, I shall attend to it in the rare case of any subordinates. Will you accompany us, Rae?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes, of course,” I agreed, grabbing my weapons and targe, just in case.

Hrolf's sanctuary, about a ten-minute walk away, was just as described.

“There was no mistaking the odor.” Aleph shook his head.

“Do you perceive any traces of dark miasma?” Relias asked me, his hand gesturing towards the fractured tree trunk.

“No...” I said with a shallow breath, trying not to inhale any of the heavy, sulfurous air around it. “Do you see anything?”

Relias shook his head. “No, however, I acknowledge that your capacity to perceive such dark forces is notably more acute than mine. It is a relief to know that neither of us can sense any activity from this desecration.”

Before I could say anything else, he held up his staff reverently with both hands. “With the sacred light of the divine Euphridia, I consecrate this area in the name of her hallowed virtues, that it may once again serve the Purpose of the righteous, sanctified, and reborn. Purificatio Divina!” As expected, a brilliant white light infused the stump, burning off the rot and stench that had permeated it.

“Now it will no longer call to the other filth of this world...” he declared firmly.

Would any sane demon want to hang out somewhere like that? But there was something even more important we needed to discuss.

“A moment ago...” I murmured. “You said I can see demonic animus better than you. How are you so sure about that?”

“Oh, indeed... What I meant to convey earlier was...” Relias paused and pursed his lips, obviously trying to find a way to back up his claims that didn't involve equating me with Raelynn.

Aleph cleared his throat. “I had recounted our encounter with those two recruiters,” he reminded Relias.

Relias's eyes darted to him with a temporary flash of gratitude, but then they locked onto me again with a glint of fear. “Truly... had I been present in your stead, my realization of the situation would likely not have been as prompt as yours.”

They'll keep making excuses and white lies if I don't set things straight now. If I want them to trust me with the truth, I must also trust them.

“Look...” my voice trembled as I finally confessed. “You don't have to keep doing that. You no longer have to say only the things I want to hear. I'm trying to come to terms with it, so... I really shouldn't expect you to tiptoe around me. Certain memories... are starting to resurface, it seems...” I continued to gesture awkwardly long after running out of words.

Aleph exhaled and hugged me wordlessly for a moment, his long face full of relief. “Come to me if you ever wish to discuss them, Little Dragon,” he offered as he let go, patting me gently.

“I will,” I promised.

Relias's smile radiated pure warmth. “It is a profound blessing to have you returned to us, Dear One.”

I could only nod at the ground in response. But at least I was starting to accept it.

----------------------------------------