* * *
“What do you mean missing? Didn’t he return safely after dealing with the beast?”
Irtel’s face contorted, as if suppressing something, before he finally spoke.
“There was no issue after the beast was dealt with. But as we descended the mountain, an avalanche struck… and in his efforts to stop it…”
“W-Where? Where exactly? Couldn’t he be rescued immediately? How could something like this happen…”
Jaynon and Tens held Ed back as he shouted at Irtel, while Ronen clung to Ed’s coat, shaking his head with tear-filled eyes.
It was only then that Ed noticed Irtel’s condition. His armor was battered beyond recognition, and the visible parts of his body were frostbitten.
“…”
“Sir Irtel, let’s treat your wounds first. Then we’ll reorganize a search party. The knights will reconvene in the dining hall in an hour.”
It was Ronen who pulled himself together first, giving instructions to the stunned crowd.
“No, Master Ronen. We only returned because we lacked the tools to save His Grace. Once we’re prepared, we’ll depart immediately.”
“Sir Irtel, I’ve already said it once: we regroup and then head out. Or are you saying you’ll only listen to His Grace’s orders?”
At that, Irtel finally realized that Ronen, with his calm yet commanding tone, was now exerting an authority reminiscent of the Grand Duke.
Startled, Irtel dropped to one knee.
“No, Young Master. I’ll follow your orders immediately.”
“The rest of you, ensure the returning knights can warm themselves and change into fresh clothes. Serve the food prepared for the welcome feast. And, Doctor, tend to the injured.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Everyone else, ready the carriages and tools for the search party. Ed, you’ll help too, right?”
Watching the castle’s staff scramble to carry out Ronen’s orders, Ed felt as though the Grand Duke himself was present.
But when Ronen grasped Ed’s hand, Ed noticed how ice-cold it was.
Gently, he clasped it tightly.
“Leave it to me, Young Master.”
When Irtel and the knights stepped back outside, now ready to leave, Ed was already waiting beside them.
“Are you truly coming with us, Ed?”
“Young Master, I already told you. Leave it to me.”
Ed patted the bulging medicine bag at his side and leaned in to hug Ronen tightly.
“I’ll make sure to bring His Grace back safely. So please, take care of the stronghold. I don’t entirely trust Jaynon and Tens to handle things on their own.”
At Ed’s teasing remark, Ronen chuckled softly and nodded.
“Don’t worry, Ed. I’ll keep the castle and everyone in it safe!”
With a firm nod, Ed turned to join Irtel and the knights.
“Sir Irtel, did His Grace use the elixirs?”
“If you mean the round pills in glass bottles, His Grace distributed them to everyone as soon as we encountered the beast.”
Ed’s eyes gleamed with determination.
“Did you use all of them?”
Irtel paused, thinking deeply, before shaking his head.
“No, there should still be some left. The battle didn’t last long, so we didn’t use much of it.”
“If His Grace still has the medicine, we might be able to find it quickly.”
Ed, with a confident expression, reassured Irtel as he mounted his horse.
Riding swiftly, Ed and the knights arrived at the site of the avalanche and immediately began their rescue efforts, gathering tools and spreading out to search the area.
‘If the divine power of the Great Temple or the priests is similar to my own, I should be able to locate items imbued with my energy.’
Ed wandered through the snowdrifts, trying to sense anything that resonated with the power flowing within him.
However, despite searching for tens of minutes, the vast area hindered progress in the rescue operation.
As darkness fell, the knights began lighting magical lanterns one by one, continuing their work without a word of complaint, despite the biting cold and their exhaustion.
‘Hmm…’
Then, Ed felt a familiar energy emanating from a particular spot.
He walked over and tapped the ground lightly with his shovel.
Unlike other places, the sound was somewhat hollow.
As Ed raised his magical lantern to call for Irtel, the ground beneath him gave way with a loud cracking sound.
Drip. Drip.
“Ugh…”
Ed groaned as cold water droplets struck his forehead, waking him.
‘Where am I?’
He quickly stood and surveyed his surroundings.
The dim space felt like a dark cave.
He groped ahead, feeling his way through the barely visible area.
‘Huh?’
Startled by the solid object his hand touched, Ed soon realized it was the handle of a magical lantern.
He quickly grabbed it from the ground and confirmed it was intact.
‘Thank goodness it’s not broken.’
Ed lit the lantern, exhaling in relief as it illuminated the area.
His breath caught when the light revealed a figure nearby.
It was the Grand Duke.
Ed bit his lip as he approached the Duke quickly.
“Your Grace.”
“…”
“Your Grace!”
The Grand Duke, who had always greeted Ed with a warm smile, now leaned silently against the wall, completely unresponsive.
Suppressing the anxiety that quickened his heartbeat, Ed brought the lantern closer to the Duke.
His body bore visible injuries, likely from the fall.
‘His condition is worse than I thought. If he hasn’t regained consciousness, he might’ve suffered a head injury during the fall.’
Ed slapped his cheeks lightly, steadying himself, and brought the lantern near the Duke’s chest, observing the steady rise and fall of his breathing.
Still, he pressed his ear to the Duke’s chest, listening for a heartbeat, and checked his breath by placing a hand near his nose.
‘That’s right. There’s no way His Grace would lose his life over something like this.’
Ed let out a long sigh of relief and raised the lantern higher to examine the Duke’s face.
Carefully, he lifted the Duke’s eyelids with his fingers.
‘Good. His pupils are reacting.’
Once he confirmed that the Duke had only lost consciousness temporarily, Ed swiftly unfastened the medical bag at his side.
‘In this state, herbal medicine might be more effective than my healing power.’
Ed quickly mixed the medicines he had brought and prepared a round pill.
Holding it near the Duke’s mouth, he hesitated, gnawing on his lip.
Feeding medicine to an unconscious person wasn’t easy.
Even when Ed tried switching to a liquid potion, it was no use.
The medicine refused to pass through the Duke’s lips, and precious time kept slipping away.
Ed massaged the Duke’s hands anxiously, but the Duke still showed no signs of waking.
Finally, Ed rubbed his lips with the back of his hand, muttering:
“Well, there’s no other way.”
Though embarrassed, his hesitation was brief.
Ed placed the pill and some water into his own mouth, then gently lifted the Duke’s chin and pressed their lips together.
Adjusting the angle to ensure the medicine flowed properly, he transferred it into the Duke’s mouth.
Ed kept their lips locked for a long time to prevent the Duke from spitting the medicine out.
The soft texture of their lips pressed together, the coolness of the Duke’s lips contrasting with his own warmth—it all brought a peculiar heat rising within Ed.
Ignoring the odd sensation, Ed checked to make sure the medicine had been swallowed.
“It worked.”
He repeated the process several more times, feeding the Duke medicine through his lips.
Yet, when the Duke remained unconscious, fear gripped Ed.
Suppressing his growing anxiety, he carefully examined the Duke’s condition.
‘…His wet clothes are causing his body temperature to drop.’
Once again, hesitation was fleeting.
Ed reached for the Duke’s soaked garments.
The heavy, damp fabric clung to his body.
Supporting the Duke’s head with one arm to minimize any jarring movements, Ed carefully removed the clothing piece by piece.
The thick fur cloak, the sturdy leather armor, and the black shirt with a faint sheen—each layer was stripped away, but the Duke remained still.
Finally, the Duke was left wearing only a thin undershirt, his figure illuminated by the magical lantern. Ed swiftly removed his own robe.
‘He looks so cold.’
Seeing the Duke, who had always offered him warmth and kindness, in such a vulnerable state stirred something in Ed.
He pushed the rising emotion aside.
‘Focus. The only thing that matters is helping His Grace regain consciousness.’
The best way to address hypothermia in this situation was to use his own body heat.
Ed placed his robe, still warm from his body, between the Duke and the cold earthen wall.
He then continued undressing, removing his own clothes layer by layer.
Each time the cold air brushed against his skin, he shivered.
‘How long had His Grace been enduring this desolate, freezing place alone?’
* * *
Ух
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