Chapter 345 (Patreon)

Kana had been relieved when Rose Light finally woke up.

Not just relieved. Genuinely happy.

For the past day, she had wondered whether the commander would ever open her eyes again. Rose had looked terrible when she returned from that strange gray world. Bloodied, exhausted, barely conscious. Seeing her sit up had lifted a weight Kana hadn't even realized she was carrying.

Then Rose touched her neck.

Everything changed. The commander's hand froze there for a moment. Her eyes widened. Not with confusion. Not with surprise.

With fear. Pure fear.

Kana watched the color drain from Rose's face as though someone had pulled the warmth directly from her body. The woman who had calmly led them into enemy territory, who had faced overwhelming odds without hesitation, suddenly looked as though she had seen a ghost.

No. It was something worse than a ghost.

Rose pulled the blanket tightly around herself and curled inward. Her gaze dropped to the floorboards of the wagon, and she stared at them without truly seeing them.

Suri reacted immediately.

Without saying a word, she raised her staff. Soft strands of illusion spread around Rose, creating a subtle veil that obscured her from direct view. It was meant to hide her completely.

It was simply a curtain. A small piece of privacy. A shield for someone who needed a moment to breathe.

Kana understood Rose’ expression and probably Suri too by how fast she reacted. Well, Kana wished she didn't. The sight pulled memories from places she preferred not to visit.

The underwater dungeon.

Those silent moments afterward when the three of them sat alone, staring at nothing. The look of someone who had already accepted death. The look of someone whose mind still couldn't understand why their heart continued beating. The look of someone who had crossed a line that should never have been crossed and somehow returned.

Kana had seen it before.

She had worn that expression herself.

What surprised her was seeing it on Rose Light.

Until now, Rose had always seemed untouchable. Like one of those mountains that remained standing regardless of storms or earthquakes. She always had an answer. Always had a plan. Even when things went wrong, she carried herself with the confidence of someone who could force the world back into order.

Now that confidence was gone.

For the first time, Rose looked vulnerable. Not like a commander. Not like a veteran knight. Not even like an adult. She looked like a frightened young girl trying desperately to convince herself she was still alive.

Outside, the wagon continued inching forward through the endless line leading into the Empire's capital. Wheels creaked. Merchants shouted. Imperial guards barked orders somewhere in the distance.

Life continued as though nothing had happened. Inside the wagon, however, nobody spoke.

The silence felt heavier than any conversation. Eventually, Suri glanced around and quietly broke it. "Everyone, go outside for now."

Her voice lacked its usual cheerfulness. "Let's give our commander some space to collect herself."

Nobody objected. Not Artin. Not the knights. Not even the vice captain.

They all understood what Suri meant.

The vice captain cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to salvage some normalcy. "Right then. Everyone put your hoods on." 

He gestured toward the wagon to exit. "Let's go get some fresh Empire air."

A pause. Then he added, "Or maybe sandy Empire air."

The joke landed with all the grace of a falling brick. Nobody laughed. The vice captain looked disappointed by this outcome but wisely chose not to comment.

One by one, the knights climbed out of the wagon. Artin followed. Chelle and Suri stepped down next. Ryle quietly slipped out behind them.

Kana lingered for a moment. She looked back. Rose hadn't moved as she could sense her from her [High Awareness].

Still wrapped tightly in the blanket. Still staring downward. Still trapped somewhere far away.

Kana quietly stepped out as well. Soon only two occupants remained inside the wagon.

Rose Light.

And Boris.

Boris, meanwhile, remained blissfully unaware of everything.

The large boy continued sleeping soundly despite the emotional crisis unfolding beside him. His breathing remained steady, completely unconcerned with assassins, death, politics, or traumatized commander.

Thorne was curled comfortably atop his stomach, fast asleep as well. The little lizard might have been the only creature in their group currently enjoying true peace. Outside, warm desert wind drifted between the wagons while the line toward the capital crawled forward inch by inch.

Inside, Rose sat alone beneath Suri's illusion. The physical wounds had already been healed. The cuts were gone. The bruises had faded.

But some injuries were not the sort a healing skill could touch.

And judging by the haunted look in her eyes, Rose Light was still standing in that gray world, still watching, probably something like a blade descend toward her neck, still wondering why she had survived when every part of her had already accepted death.

…..

After a few moments, Rose Light finally stepped out of the wagon.

The first thing that greeted her was the noise.

The second was the heat.

She had expected the Empire's capital to be crowded, but not to this extent. The long line of wagons waiting to enter stretched far into the distance, creating what looked like a temporary settlement outside the city's massive walls. Travelers had apparently accepted that entering the capital could take days. Small stalls stood between wagons, merchants shouted advertisements, and families rested beneath makeshift canopies to escape the relentless sun.

For a brief moment, Rose simply stood there and observed.

Most of the people around them were clearly natives of the Empire. Their skin carried the bronze color earned from generations beneath desert skies. Many wore turbans or loose sleeveless clothing designed to survive the heat rather than impress anyone. Even the atmosphere felt different from the Northern kingdom. The scent of spices lingered in the air, mixing with dust, sweat, and the smell of countless animals and beasts packed together in one place.

Her gaze drifted toward the academy students.

Surprisingly, they had already found one of the nearby stalls.

Suri was standing there with a wooden cup in her hand, taking a long drink before letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Ahh... this is surprisingly refreshing."

Beside her, Chelle nodded enthusiastically while holding a similar cup.

"I agree."

Kana took another drink from her own cup before wiping sweat from her forehead. Despite having traveled through deserts before, she still couldn't understand how people willingly lived in places like this.

The drink itself wasn't anything special. It was simply cold water.

The stall owner happened to be a [Mage] water variant who had turned his abilities into a business. While most travelers struggled with warm supplies, he sat comfortably beneath a shade cloth selling magically chilled water to exhausted thirsty merchants and adventurers.

Kana stared at her cup as though it contained some profound mystery. "Why don't we have a water variant [Mage]  traveling with us?"

Suri immediately nodded. "Exactly. We're heading into the hottest place on the continent. You'd think someone would've planned for that."

She took another drink before continuing. "I know water variant [Mage] are rare, but surely the Northern kingdom can afford one."

A nearby knight overheard the conversation and couldn't help chuckling. "We actually can."

The students immediately turned toward him. 

The knight folded his arms and grinned. "We have water variant [Mage]."

"Then where are they?" Chelle asked.

The knight laughed. "They'd probably die before they even got here."

The students blinked in confusion.

The knight shrugged. "Most water variant [Mage] grow up near rivers, lakes, or coastal regions. They're not exactly fond of crossing deserts for weeks. Some of them struggle enough just traveling between provinces during summer."

A collective realization passed through the students. Their mouths formed matching circles. "Oh."

It was one of those practical details nobody ever bothered writing in books. Stories always described [Mage] as powerful figures capable of shaping nature itself. They rarely mentioned that some of those same powerful individuals disliked environments where their element was practically nonexistent.

The conversation ended abruptly when several knights suddenly straightened their backs.

Posture changed. Conversations stopped. A line of salutes appeared almost instantly.

Rose Light had finally approached them.

The students turned toward her as well.

Kana studied her carefully. Rose looked considerably better than before. Her armor was back in place, polished despite the circumstances. Her posture had returned to its usual disciplined form, and the vulnerable image from earlier had nearly vanished.

Nearly.

Kana could still see it. The faint paleness beneath Rose's skin. The exhaustion hidden behind her eyes. The slight stiffness in her movements. Well, probably because of her [High Awareness], others probably wouldn’t take notice of it.

The commander had recovered enough to stand. That didn't mean she had recovered completely.

Rose looked at the gathered group for a moment before speaking. "Forget what you saw earlier."

Her voice was calm, steady, and authoritative once again. "I am fully recovered now."

One of the knights immediately responded. "We don't know what you mean, Captain!"

Unfortunately, he shouted it loudly enough that several nearby travelers turned to stare.

Rose slowly closed her eyes. The knight immediately realized his mistake. The commander opened them again and glanced around at the curious looks they were attracting.

"Can you keep it low?" she asked, her voice carrying just enough irritation to make several knights suddenly find the ground fascinating.

"We don't want any extra attention."

A few embarrassed coughs followed. The knight who had spoken earlier rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry, Captain."

Rose sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. For the first time since waking up, she looked less like a legendary commander and more like a tired woman forced to manage an army of oversized children.

Suri nearly choked trying to suppress a laugh. Chelle quickly looked away. Even Kana found herself smiling. It was a small thing. 

A very small thing.

Yet after everything that had happened in the desert, after the encounter with the four heavenly Jhings, the gray world, and the sight of Rose sitting frozen beneath a blanket, this felt normal.

And normal was something they desperately needed.

The desert wind carried dust through the crowded road as the line toward the capital slowly crawled forward. Around them, merchants continued shouting, travelers continued complaining, and life continued as if nothing extraordinary had happened.

Post note:Uhm.. Boris, please wake up?

Fifth chap of the week!

Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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