Lina couldn't believe her eyes. Her mother looked the same as she always did, her auburn hair cut in a practical, no-nonsense way. Without even thinking twice about it, Lina rushed to hug her mother. The latter pulled her into a tight embrace, crying profusely.

  "I- How? Why are you here—are you okay?" Her mother grabbed Lina's face between her hands and examined her from head to toe, the color draining out of her face when she noticed the purple hand.

  "Mom, I—there's a lot to explain," said Lina as she stepped back while wiping off her snot and tears. Milena carefully stepped into the room, cocking her head to the side curiously.

  "Sorry for scaring you at first," smiled Milena kindly.

  "Oh, it's fine, it's fine. Since you're with my daughter, I'll take it you're not here to slit our throats?" Lina's mother joked as she tried to hide her reddened eyes the best she could.

  "I'm Milena. I've been working with your son for a while—"

  "Glenn is here too! Oh god!" Lina's mother sat on a nearby chair, overwhelmed. "T- This is too much." She took a deep breath in and lightly slapped her own cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't present myself. I'm Emily Miller. Thank you so much for taking care of my children." Emily hugged Milena tightly. The latter awkwardly returned it, her cheeks colored with a slight touch of red.

  "N- No problem, M'am Miller."

  Emily's face suddenly darkened and she pulled herself away, poking her finger into Milena's shoulder. "M'am? I'm barely forty, you can still call me Miss."

  Milena apologized in a panic, not knowing where to stand. Lina shook her head with an emotional smile.

  "Stop teasing her, mom. You're old enough to be a grandma—ow!"

  Emily pinched her daughter's ear. "You little brat." She turned back to Milena and chuckled. "Don't bother with the honorifics. I wasn't a fan of them back home, it still hasn't changed today. Just call me Emily."

  Milena nodded slowly, her shame washing away. "...Home? You mean...Earth, right?"

  Emily's eyes widened before quickly filling with understanding. "Lina or Glenn must have told you, then. Yes, I...I suddenly woke up in Satidipug, a broken rope around my neck and strange powers I still struggle to understand."

  Lina frowned. "A broken rope...?"

  Her mother was about to explain herself when a cry of pain interrupted her. She turned around without a second thought and rushed to the aid of a patient, assisted by a few younger nurses. Milena and Lina exchanged a look before carefully heading deeper inside the cavern. There were many victims, mainly from stab wounds and deep cuts in their flesh. Some had missing limbs and were struggling to hold the pain in as the stumps were cauterized with red irons.

  None of the wounded looked like soldiers, yet all their wounds seemed to come from a fight. Milena rubbed her chin, pondering. 'Considering the war going on, could they be conscripted villagers? Why would they need to hide, though?'

  Milena kept that question to ask Emily later, whenever the middle-aged woman was freed from her duties. Lina walked around, trying to find some way to be helpful. She brought dirty bandages to hot boiling pots, throwing them inside.

  '...Curious. Milady, you and the Young Master both share traits with your mother. It is fascinating to see.' Tiamanes noted.

  Lina scowled as she washed the bloody bandages. 'What did you expect? Most children take from their parents, after all.'

  'But, if I trust your memories, you don't seem to share anything with your father.'

  Lina stopped for a moment, looking at her purple hand in silence. 'That's because he's not my father. The only thing connecting us is the blood we share, and if I could get it out of my veins and replace it, I would. Let's not talk about that monster anymore.'

  'Absolutely, Milady. Please forgive me if I've been touching a sensible subject.'

  '...No worries, Tiamanes. No worries.' Lina focused on her task, trying her utmost to get herself to think about something else.

  "Alright Bob, clench your teeth." Emily grabbed the shaft of an arrow piercing her patient's shoulder and broke the tip off. "I'll pull it out from your back to avoid internal injuries. Ready?"

  Bob nodded weakly, his eyes bloodshot.

  "Have strength, Bob. In three. One—" She precisely pulled it out before applying her hands to the wound.

  "Argh! You said to three!" Bob screamed painfully.

  "I lied. Milena, hold him," ordered Emily. Milena obeyed without complaining. Green, soothing light came out of Emily's hands and washed over Bob's wounds. The bleeding stopped slowly as the flesh knitted itself back in order. Bob's face progressively turned paler until his eyes eventually rolled back in their sockets. Milena held him firmly, stopping him from collapsing onto the bunk bed and interrupting the treatment. Emily muttered through her teeth before leaning back, exhausted.

  "Good job, you can put him down. Don't worry, he's just unconscious from the strain. A bit of rest and some meat, and he'll be better."

  Milena carefully complied before turning toward Emily with curiosity. "You were a healer, Emily? That's a very rare ability for those who don't serve Gods."

  Emily snorted dismissively. "As if I need some God's help to treat my patients. I've been stitching meat together for twenty years and will continue to do so for twenty more at the very least. This magic power is just making my work easier, even if it's not infallible."

  Emily washed her bloodied hands with a rag, grimacing. "If only they had latex gloves...That'd spare me a world of trouble."

  "Aqua Mundare." A ball of water rose above Milena's hands before wrapping itself around Emily's. The latter looked in amazement as all the blood and filth disappeared.

  "A cleaning spell? You need to teach that to me. Forget about gloves, this is perfect! With it, sterilization would be a walk in the park. I won't need to worry about nosocomial infections anymore..." Emily's attention snapped back to Milena. "Could you apply this miracle ball to Bob, please? Wait, thinking about it, I might have a few more areas I need it. That would save me a ton of time."

  Milena chuckled lightly. "I'm happy to help, Emily. Just point at what I need to clean. I'll teach you the spell once everything is a little calmer if you wish?"

  Emily gave her a thumbs-up. "You better."

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  After half an hour of hard labor, Lina eventually realized she had been cleaning clothes by hand when she could have done it magically. She almost broke into tears when she saw the pile of cleaned clothes that took her so much effort but caught herself when she heard the grunts of pain from the numerous patients.

  Eventually, no patients were in need of Emily's expert skills, and Milena's cleaning services were no longer required. The ladies sat around a table, exhausted.

  "Is that what it's like to work in a hospital?" Lina asked wearily. "No wonder you were always so exhausted."

  Emily laughed and ruffled her daughter's hair. Milena crossed her arms and leaned back slightly on her chair.

  "Emily, there are a few things I'm curious about."

  "I'm sure there are," sighed Emily. "You probably wonder why we're all hiding here, don't you?"

  Milena smiled awkwardly. "You read my mind."

  Emily pressed her hands together and chewed on her lower lip. "The war had already started when I arrived in this world. From what I gathered by asking neighbors and the like, the war started because of a conflict over precious resources."

  "We learned as much," nodded Milena.

  "Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure that's not the true reason." Emily chuckled nervously, sweat beading off her forehead. "Nobody in Satidipug ever saw that infamous mine. We only heard the Count's orders of going to fight for prosperity, for the Satidipug territory, and so on and so forth..."

  Emily rubbed her forehead, chasing away a rising headache. "I have been having these...visions. The Count meeting ominous individuals with strange scars on their foreheads, and a tsunami of blood rising as an army of death appeared out of nowhere..." She shook her head. "Sorry, it's all very cryptic, but—"

  Milena suddenly grabbed Emily's hand, her expression serious. "Emily, those scars. Could you describe them to me?"

  Emily grimaced, trying to recall what she remembered. "I- I think there was a cross...at the center of a circle of thorny vines, I think. I'm not sure. You know, it's probably only hallucinations I saw after a hard day of work—"

  Milena clenched her teeth and hissed: "The damned Thorn's Church! Those scums are everywhere!" She drew a deep breath. "Emily, these visions you saw were probably very, very real. If the Count of Satidipug is complicit with the cultists, we're all in for some disastrous consequences."

  Emily nodded somberly. "I guessed as much. My instincts kept telling me that the more people died on Retni's plains, the worse the problem would be. The Count already sent practically everyone who wasn't part of his close guards to die on the plains, and Eari seemed to reply in kind every time. That's why I've been trying to save and hide people from the conscription." She paused for a moment before adding: "I'm wondering if both aren't complicit in some sort of nefarious plot."

  Milena grunted and pressed her palms against her forehead. 'This is a mess. I need to tell the others.'

  She glanced at Lina who was listening very seriously. She couldn't let Glenn's sister witness whatever was going to happen here. 'With how many people died, if this is some sort of sacrificial ritual, we're all fucked. We need to get the hell away from here and with Emily in tow. I can't let Glenn's mother die because of a Thorn's Church plot!'

  Emily suddenly froze, her eyes turning glassy and empty. Milena and Lina rushed to the woman's side, worried, but she returned to herself almost instantly. She looked at Milena and Lina in horror, trembling.

  "W- We can't leave!" She huffed. "Glenn...So those weren't dreams. He changed a lot. Pinned to a cross, an army of madmen, the Emperor of Blood...!" Emily fell to the side, her consciousness fading away. Lina grabbed her mother in a panic, shaking her gently.

  "Mom, Mom, are you okay? Wake up, please!"

  Milena pulled Lina away slightly while using Mana Sight to check out Emily's condition. "Her body is just exhausted. Damn it. We need to regroup with the others and share what we learned. This is too much for us to handle!"

  Lina pressed her lips together before hugging her mother. "I- I'll stay here, just in case. I won't be of help anyway, right?"

  Milena gave her a silent, reassuring smile. "I'll be back with the others once this is done. Don't get out of here, alright?" She nervously laughed. "I might not look like it, but I became an expert in dealing with these situations."

  Lina silently looked her up and down.

  "...You very much look the part, Milena."

  Milena looked at herself and forced a grin. "Thank you for that, I guess. Stay safe."

  Lina nodded, her eyes steeled with resolve. "You too."

  ***

  Lucian walked with his head held high, the soles of his boots leaving muddy prints on the pristine marble. The Count's mansion was quite luxurious, even to the Prince's standards. Finely sculpted statues ornated the hallways alongside beautiful paintings and grand tapestries. Guards wearing Munirp's finest steel were posted at every corner, their eyes nervously following Lucian's stroll.

  'Count Satidipug... Famous for his incredible merchant skills and equally unbelievable stubbornness. He has three wives and yet no sons, and is the last one of his lineage. He doesn't have any talent in magic nor combat, and is rumored to be a Gold Church's devotee.' Lucian nodded slightly after he finished recalling all the information he had about the Count.

  He stopped in front of two grand oak doors. Following the usual Munirp style, they should be leading to the Lord's hall, where the latter would receive his subjects' demands and respond to them. Lucian shamelessly pushed the door open, not bothering to announce his presence.

  The heavy scent of perfumes rushed to his nose first, right before the drugs settled in. Lucian covered his face with his sleeve as he projected a gust of wind that pushed away the fumes.

  "What nonsense is this, Count Satidipug?" Lucian shouted in a commanding tone.

  Sitting on a noble throne of precisely sculpted wood, was the Count and his three wives. He was old and decrepit, his eyes blurry and his breath trembling. A large bald spot was appearing on the top of his head, amidst the dirty white hair. He was wearing improper clothes to receive anyone and didn't seem bothered whatsoever groping his wives before the Prince's very sight.

  "Munirp's setting sun...?" The Count lowered a lazy eye to look at the emblem on Lucian's royal vest. "Are you that... Prince, Bernard Lampi warned me about? You came just in time."

  Lucian's eyebrows creased as he stepped toward the Count. "Explain yourself! This is no proper respect of the etiquette, Count!"

  Count Satidipug waved dismissively. "Etiquette? What good does respecting it do me?"

  A crown of pure Mana appeared above Lucian's head, brimming with unrelenting power. "Are you rebelling against the Kingdom's rules, Count?"

  The Count languorously french-kissed his wives, running his hands improperly. Lucian frowned and activated his Mana Sight just to make sure of his guesses. Sure enough, these women...

  "You noticed, huh?" The Count spoke wearily. "Finally. I have finally managed to pass down my blood."

  The Count rose from his throne, leaving his wives' embrace. "I... have been gifted with commercial genius. In my lifetime, I made Satidipug the most important trade hub in Munirp, making even the Gold Church interested in the city. My most incredible achievement to date was having them installed their headquarters in my city."

  He dragged his feet on the marble and stood in front of Lucian, ignoring the pressure the Prince exuded. "I was the most fervent believer of the Gold Church, then. My fortune seemed only to grow, my house relishing in my glory."

  The Count sighed heavily. "But...there was still something I couldn't get, no matter how hard I tried." He glanced back at his wives in satisfaction, revealing the back of his neck to Lucian. A symbol was carved into the skin, a cross at the center of a circle wrapped in thorny vines.

  "I was sterile. The most prestigious healers, the best priests of Onnea, even foreign witches... I spent a fortune on these fools only for them to repeat that fact to me. I couldn't conceive a child. My lineage would die with me." He coughed out a laugh and shook his head. "How ironic. The fortune I spent my life toiling away for would be buried with me, with nobody worth receiving it. How vain."

  Lucian took a step back as he felt a strange energy come from the old Count. Something...dirty. Dirty and dangerous.

  "At least, that's how it was until a couple of years back. They came to me with a solution. I would need to sacrifice all I had but in exchange..." The Count's eyes gleamed as he clenched his fist tightly. "My wish would be fulfilled. And today, I say it proudly: I can die with no shame." His skin bulged as something moved beneath it, slithering like a worm through the Count's body.

  "Even if I sold my soul to the devil itself, at least, my death will serve my name. The House Satidipug..." He stood from all his height, fighting back against old age and proudly raising his chin. His muscles swelled, filling up with disgusting strength. His hair fell off, replaced by wriggling vines. His feet rose from the ground as large vines held him above even the Prince. His head cracked in two parts, vines coming out of his throat incessantly.

  "SHALL LAST FOR ETERNITY!"

  Lucian planted his feet on the ground, fighting back against the Count's roar. His crown gleamed with royal strength as he conjured both Dawn and Twilight in each of his hands.

  "Another day, another traitor..." he hissed. "Come! Let me show you Munirp's might!"