"Ugh..."
Deep inside his own consciousness, Nein awake and greeted by a vast snowfields. He gets to his feet and start walking to one direction to look for something.
"Ah, there it is."
He grab the stuff from the ground and lift it up. It was a fragment of the dragon.
"A bone? What should I do with this? Hey, Fiend, can you at least explain to me?"
hauriendum est.
The voices answer his question like an old friend. The same one who take Lisan down.
"Absorb it? How? I can't swallow this bone whole. Help me will you?"
...bene.
Suddenly, a mouth forming on his arm. Seeing that, he feed the bone to the mouth with it immediately swallow it and turning back to normal.
"Huh, nothing hap-ugh!"
A sharp pain coming from inside his body, it feels like his bone crushed at once. He collapse to the ground as he writhing in agony.
Patientiam habe, te convalescere adiuvabit.
"Gasp..." He woke up with sweat all over his body.
The pain was gone, but the trauma's still there as he test how his body a lot more stiff than ever.
"Damn it, that bastard not even bother giving me a heads up. But yeah...I feels better now somehow..."
He remarks after he test to stand and got no problem with it. He noticed that he's in casual attire now and inside a small sterile room with a basket of fruit on the nightstand.
"Seems I've been sleeping for a while." He said before grabbing one apple and eat it while making his way to the window.
Kriek...
The wooden lid opens, revealing the bright sunlight of noon inside his room. There, he leaning against it and enjoying the breeze.
Clang!
He immediately turn around and saw the falling tray on the floor and also the terrified nurse who's covering her mouth in disbelief.
"S-SIR NEIN'S AWAKE!"
She shout hysterically and rushing to inform Lucas about it. Leaving him standing there in confusion.
"Just...how long did I slept this time...?"
Shortly, the door opens up again with a slam.
"NEIN! Thank goodness...I thought you won't be woke up soon..."
Lucas said, relieved when he see Nein sitting on his bed and enjoying the fruits.
"Yeah, regarding that...how many days passed since then?" He ask sceptically.
Lucas inhaling deeply before stepping closer to him on the bed.
"It's been...three weeks since you're unconscious."
Three weeks after that incident and he freezed momentarily before setting down the half-eaten apple and rose up from the bed.
"I see, thank you for taking care of me for the time being, your majesty." He sent his gratitude immediately.
"...Please, you've risked your own life fighting for us. This is the least we can do for you and... Please drop the formalities, you're my savior so you're basically an equal to me." He replied with a smile as he give Nein a light pat on his shoulder.
Nein's shocked but decided to get along with it as he find it as a good thing.
"Very well, Lucas."
"Good, now. Can you walk? Or should I..."
"No, I'm fine. No issue with my well-being."
"Then we should get outside together! The peoples eager to meet you."
Hearing that, Nein flinches and change his mind.
"Uhm...let's keep it for later. I believe there's more important things to do. How about the invaders?" Nein switch the topics to something he's accustomed to.
"...I see. Then we should talk while eating. You've been eating nothing but mana on your sleep. Come, let me take you to breakfast." Lucas invite politely.
"Oh, you sounds like you've prepared fory awakening. How thoughtful of you." Nein remarks playfully.
"Haha, it's nothing but a simple courtesy for our hero."
"Please don't call me that, it's embarrassing."
"How do? That's the truth."
Their banter continues until they reach the door to the dining hall. Lucas open the door for him and reveal how everyone's already present inside, including those who first doubting him.
"What the meaning of this?" He frowns, trying to be positive.
Lucas just smile, Nein reaction was understandable. He turn around and suddenly one of the knight, the one wearing a heavy armor, walking toward him.
To his surprise, the knight were there to apologize as he watch him bowing down to him.
"My name's Evan, the knight who guarding the West wall. I beg for your forgiveness, not only I'm doubting you... I also made a plan for driving you out from this kingdom. I apologize for the behalf of my men and myself. Please forgive us." His voice heavy yet honest.
Nein's a bit taken by the suddenness of this and looking at Lucas before looking again at the bowing knight with a sigh.
"Raise your head. No need to be at fault here. Your action were reasonable knowing the past. I don't mind it, but yeah. I forgive you and all of you." He said, guiding the knight to stand straight and holding his shoulder firmly.
Lucas clap his hands, followed by others until the room filled with their applause. The simple act makes Nein feels accepted, and it was nice.
"Well then, shall we have breakfast?" Lucas suggest lightly while showing Nein the way.
There he saw a empty seat next to where Lucas's sitting. Everyone eagerly waiting for him to sit down and when he does, they smiles in relieve.
"Now, for the awakening of our savior and to celebrate our victory, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The breakfast turned into a celebration instead, and that's enough to put a smile on everyone's faces.
Hours later, Lucas along with Nein arrived at the dungeon where they holding all the invaders.
"Say, Lucas. I can't help but noticed that this place..."
"Empty?"
"Yeah, I suppose it's because the lockdown?"
"Correct. This dungeon were made with one reason, to be filled with criminals. But...since we're not a fan of taking things from others, this place originally used to keep the "visitors" until they behave. That's before the lockdown, this place basically got left behind." Lucas explain the history of this place in one breath.
"Make sense. So where did you put those guys?"
"Underground. The place that coincidentally able to keep their numbers while also keeping them inside."
"Huh...how many are they again?"
"... Five hundred invaders."
The conversation stopped when Lucas told the door keeper to open the passage inside the underground dungeon. There Nein's eyes widen when he saw how big the place is and how the prisoners occupying the cell until its max limit.
"Huh, I guess they deserve it." He remarks dryly as they continue walking deeper.
Lucas simply smile at his remarks before turning serious again when he remembers the reason they here.
"We're here. Lisan's right behind this door. We put extra security in case he's regaining back his power." He explain, didn't ask how and decided to trust Nein completely.
With the guard opening the door, the two of them enter the cramped cage with Lisan being held by heavy chain all over his limbs.
Splash!
"Ahh!!! S-stay away!!"
He screaming in fear after Lucas throwing water at him. The sight so pitiful that even him feels bad.
"Yo. You seems well." Nein said as he approaching Lisan with a mocking grin.
Hearing a familiar voice, Lisan shot up and immediately fall into fury.
"AHHH! ITS ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!! IF ONLY...IF ONLY YOU'RE NOT HERE!!! I'LL... I'LL DEFINITELY-Slash."
Nein use his smoke to cut Lisan's mouth as he crouching down to grab his throat.
"Zip it, don't waste your voice throwing shit. Rather, spill some of valuable information. Maybe you'll be spared."
"NEIN!" Lucas reaction upon hearing his words.
But Nein simply raise his finger, telling Lucas to stand back and let him handling this matter.
"So? What's your call?" He adds with a grins.
Yet Lisan simply starring at him with teared eyes from the cuts. And that reaction pulled something inside Nein to surface, making his terrifying smile to appear.
"Lucas. Step outside. I'd like to talk with him in private."
Lucas's unable to see his face, hesitating at first before agreeing when Lisan looking at him, begging him to not leave.
"I'll trust you for not killing him yet, Nein." He said before shutting the doors.
"Now...shall we start?"
"HMPH!! HMPH!!"
The sounds of silent scream can be heard through the steel doors where Lucas and the guard listening to it with chill over their spine. The noises were gruesome especially when they realize there's nothing inside that could make that sounds.
"I'm done, you can enter now Lucas."
Nein's voice calling from inside the room after the voices no longer there. Lucas brave himself to open the door, expecting a gruesome scene when he entered.
And yes, Lisan, who supported to be chained now laying down his limbs tied to the chain. The scene almost got him but the lack of blood in the wall, somehow makes it feels manageable.
"So...what did you get from him, Nein?" He ask, can't help but sounded anxious.
Nein stretch out his hand with a page. Lucas grab it and give it a quick scan before getting distracted by the sight of Lisan.
"Let's... discuss it later. For now...put him down first."
"You don't want to..."
"No... I'm fine. He's already get what he deserved. Just...let him go."
"... you're a good man, Lucas."
Shing.
Nein decapitated Lisan in one quick sweep, putting an end to Lucas nightmare and his own agony.
Seeing the source of his problem finally gone. Lucas let's out a small relieved sigh before turning around.
"Let's get out of here and...thank you, Nein. For everything."
"I'm simply doing my job."
His words somehow put a smile on Lucas's face as they begin to exit the dungeon.
"So how about the rest? You're not planning on keeping them here forever don't you?"
"Well... I'd like to discuss is later. For now... we'll use them as we see fit."
Nein let's out a hums at that.
As they reach the outside of the dungeon, Lucas stopped for a moment as he let the warm sunlight washing his face to be finally freed from the past. He look so lost right now.
"Hey, about seeing the people. I think I'm ready for it now. What do you think?" Nein break the silence.
"... Nah, looks like I'll be busy soon. I'll tell... Ellie to take you instead. How's that?" He replied with a smile.
Seeing his smile, Nein simply chuckles for worrying for nothing.
"Sure. Then I'll be taking some rest now. I'm already tired from all that earlier." He said while stretching.
"Hee...but you said that you're fine." Lucas tease him for giving up quickly.
Both of them laughing together as they walking back to the palace.