Misunderstanding #2
I unfolded Hecate’s letter.
To. My younger brother,
It took me a while to send this, didn't it? I’m sorry. I’ve just been incredibly busy lately.
I’ve been thinking about you a lot. Whenever I felt overwhelmed, just thinking of you gave me strength.
Especially whenever I hear rumors about you, I feel relieved knowing you’re doing well.
Besides, things have finally settled down, so I think I’ll be able to see you soon. I’m so excited for the day we meet again, aren't you?
Oh, and that favor I asked of you last time? You’ve already taken care of it, haven't you? I told you there was no rush. Thank you so much. It’s taken a huge weight off my shoulders.
I’ve enclosed a reward in this letter, as promised. I noticed last time we met that while your body is tough, your natural healing ability doesn't quite keep up.
Of course, you’ll probably never get hurt, but... as your older sister, I can’t help but worry.
So, I’ve put some of my blood, which contains a portion of my life force, into the bottle. Since the act of 'drinking' it is a ritual in itself, you don't have to drink it all at once, but...
Even if it’s not for that reason, it’s a good medicine for the body, so I hope you drink it all.
I’ll end this here.
I’m praying for the day we meet again. Let’s see each other soon, my brother.
— From. Your sister.
She’s brazenly calling herself my sister now...
I was starting to get genuinely worried about what the secret of my birth might actually be.
Besides, who in their right mind puts their own blood in a water bottle and calls it medicine? That’s not a normal person’s way of thinking.
I looked down at the letter with a bitter expression before folding it neatly.
“‘Soon,’ is it.”
That part is welcome. I have plenty to ask her when we meet. I also wonder where she’s been all this time that we haven't even seen each other’s faces once.
And.
‘Natural healing ability, huh.’
Honestly, I haven't had a reason to get hurt lately, so it’s an area I’ve never really thought about. I mean, I’d actually have to get injured for it to matter. Plus, in my position, I can use potions like water.
Still, it’s better to have it than not. When I checked my physical condition, it was true that it was a potent medicine—not just for healing, but my body felt overflowing with energy.
Though, I was already overflowing with strength to begin with.
Now, for the healing test...
‘Hmm.’
What should I do? I pondered for a moment before rolling up my sleeve.
Then, I began to unravel the layers of ‘stature’ that encased my body, one by one.
To put it simply, it’s like relaxing your muscles to make it easier to get an injection.
After stripping away the thick, multi-layered defensive barriers, I pulled a sword from my subspace.
A blade with a sharp, cold edge.
Slice.
As I lightly drew the blade across my forearm, the skin parted and blood sprayed out.
‘This should be enough.’
It had been a long time since I’d seen my own blood, so I observed the wound with a fresh sense of curiosity.
Sss, sss... The blood that was about to flow out stopped. Then, as if rewinding time, it flowed back, weaving itself like thread to seal the wound.
Moments later, it was as clean as if it had never been cut.
‘External wound healing confirmed.’
Satisfactory. Some might say, “What’s the big deal about healing a small cut from a knife?”
True, the wound itself was nothing. I would have healed from that quickly even before this.
However, what changed was that the effect of the elixir was visually apparent.
I could clearly tell that the elixir—or rather, Hecate’s blood—had taken root in my body.
‘There are some medicines that don't work even if you take them.’
No, actually, there are more medicines like that. Of course, Hecate wouldn't have sent her own blood as medicine without verifying that, but still.
Regardless, it seems to be a treasure among treasures.
I headed down to the training grounds. This time, I intended to check the intensity of the regenerative power.
I stood still in the center of the training ground and closed my eyes.
Controlling my own body is something I’m confident in.
Like this, if I lightly touch my qi channels...
“Ugh—!”
Blood surged from within. My twisted qi channels went berserk. I calmed them down quickly, but in that brief moment, I coughed up a mouthful of bitter blood as if I’d suffered internal injuries.
The clothes I was wearing were stained with blood around my abdomen.
“Hoo.”
I took a deep breath and checked my condition. I held a potion I’d brought just in case the regenerative power wasn't as good as I thought.
“...Fast.”
As I checked the internal injuries, the healing was already finishing. It wasn't a fatal internal injury to begin with, but an injury is an injury.
For a normal knight, it wouldn't have been strange to fall into qigong deviation.
It wasn't just a matter of healing; it felt more like the damage was being rewound, as if I’d never been hurt at all.
“Indeed.”
The title ‘Witch of Immortality’ isn't just an empty name. Since it was medicine containing Hecate’s life force, it seemed to be near-immortal regenerative power.
Of course, it would be inferior to the original, and there would be limits to the regeneration...
But that wasn't a big problem for me.
I rarely get hurt this badly anyway. I’ve just secured a solid insurance policy for the ‘what-ifs.’
By the way.
“...The stain won't come out.”
What should I do about this?
‘What did I just see?’
Cecilia, who had returned to her room, was lost in thought.
‘...Brother was bleeding?’
She hadn't seen it clearly, but at a glance, blood had been flowing from Khalid’s lips. There was blood on his clothes, too.
To Cecilia, this was equivalent to the impossible happening. To her, her brother had always been invincible.
But someone like him...
“Ugh. Tine, are you out there?”
Cecilia groaned. After agonizing over it for a long time, she called for her close maid—the very same maid Khalid had investigated earlier.
“Yes, Your Highness. Did you call?”
“Come here for a moment. I have something I’m worried about.”
Cecilia sat Tine down and pondered. She couldn't tell the truth.
“Tine, tell me. Usually, if someone is coughing up blood, it means they’re very sick, right?”
“I suppose that’s usually the case, Your Highness?”
Right. Cecilia had lived as a mercenary outside the palace, after all. She didn't ask because she didn't know.
Cecilia’s dilemma was this:
“Then, what does it mean if they’re that sick even when they’re in an environment where they can be treated?”
“Hmm...”
Tine also fell into thought. Sensing what kind of answer her mistress might be looking for, she answered cautiously.
“...Doesn't that mean it’s already too late for treatment?”
“...”
Cecilia’s mouth snapped shut. She had vaguely guessed it, but hearing it from someone else made the shock even greater.
“Th-think a little more. There are elixirs and prayers from high priests, too. Could there be a situation where even those are hopeless?”
“Hmm.”
At first, Tine thought Cecilia was talking about an acquaintance. But hearing Cecilia’s examples, she thought, ‘Ah, Her Highness must have heard another interesting adventure story.’
It was only natural, as there were almost no serious situations that couldn't be solved by elixirs or high priest prayers. Those were things that only happened in stories.
So, this time, she spoke from the perspective of a reader enjoying an adventure or heroic tale.
“...If that’s the case, doesn't it mean it’s even more dangerous? Like you said, Your Highness, it means they coughed up blood even when they were in a position to use an elixir?”
“...Ah.”
At Tine’s answer, Cecilia’s face went blank. Now that she thought about it, that was true. If Khalid were truly in a critical condition, there was no way he wouldn't have used an elixir or tried other methods already.
And yet, if he had still coughed up blood...
“...I see. Thank you, Tine. You can go back to your duties.”
After sending Tine away, Cecilia bit her lip.
‘...Since when?’
She thought.
Since when had Khalid’s body become like that?
Cecilia had been away from the Empire for quite a long time. She couldn't know for sure.
‘I can’t share this with anyone else.’
If she did, the Empire would be turned upside down. Even if she shared it, she had to limit it to a very small number of people she could trust.
Even then, not right now. Khalid himself was hiding this fact thoroughly. Cecilia didn't want to expose a truth he was so desperate to conceal.
‘Why is Brother...’
Hiding it? If he’s critical, shouldn't he be trying to recover by any means necessary?
Of course, if he did that, the Empire might be shaken—
“...I see.”
Cecilia realized.
Why Khalid was hiding his condition. Why he had changed his mind and started to change the Empire.
Cecilia understood it all.
“Brother... he intended to do this from the start.”
He had planned it this way from the beginning.
Knowing his body was in a critical state, rather than revealing it and causing chaos in the Empire, he intended to cut himself out along with the rotten parts of the Empire.
Her chest felt heavy.
Cecilia felt as if her heart were being squeezed tight.
“...What should I do?”
She couldn't find her footing.
Cecilia still hated Khalid. Not to the extent she once did—she had once hated him enough to want to kill him—but she still hated him.
Honestly, even now, she didn't think for a second that Khalid was a perfect saint.
On the contrary, she thought he had only changed his mind because his death was approaching.
But, still.
He is family, isn't he?
Cecilia didn't want to see Khalid die.
She would rather he live and pay the price for the sins he had committed than die.
But how?
Cecilia’s eyes trembled.
“Brother...”
Her voice was weak and powerless.