Mohr quickly helped the Warden to his feet. Whitemane had been knocked unconscious, and the effect of his Power Word spell seemed to have diminished somewhat; at least Unas's tongue could move, but he could only utter one sound at a time, "Na... Mel... A... call... come."
Previously, Unas had ordered that no one was allowed to approach the Tent, fearing that it would be disturbed or explored. So, although there was quite a bit of noise inside, none of the soldiers or Priests outside dared to come in and check. They were all wondering what the man, woman, and seriously wounded man were doing inside.
At that moment, the seriously wounded soldier, whom many Priests believed was surely dead, rushed out of the Tent and shouted, "Who is Namelia? Your Excellency invites you in!"
Natasha was the only one in the healing team who knew the secret of the Resurrection, and of course she knew about the tricks Unas and Whitemane had played on her before. So she wasn't too surprised by Mohr's restoration and simply replied, "I am."
Upon entering the Tent, Natasha was stunned by the scene before her: one person had been resurrected, but two others were lying dead—this was not what she had imagined.
"Remove... then," Unas said, enunciating each word clearly.
Natasha crouched down to check on him, then turned to Mohr and said, "You can go out for a bit."
Seeing Unas nod slightly, Mohr immediately turned and left the Tent.
Natasha's entire body began to emit a black light, quickly transforming into Shadowform. After a series of muttered incantations, Unas felt a cool sensation wash over his entire body, the white light bands binding him began to dissipate, and his stiff muscles softened.
"Thank you." Unas stood up and stretched his limbs. Whitemane's power spell had been completely dispelled, but he still felt a little uncomfortable.
Natasha pointed at Whitemane on the ground and asked, "What exactly happened to you?"
The Shadow Priest was the only human who knew he was using Fel, so Unas explained the situation to her without hesitation.
"You mean she now knows you're involved with Fel?" Natasha frowned. "What are you going to do?"
"You handled Evan's matter very well. That kid seems to have completely forgotten about betraying Holiya. Could you use the same method to seal off this small fragment of her memory as well?"
"Evan is just an ordinary soldier, but she's different. A high-ranking Discipline Priest's mental defenses are very strong; it's difficult for me to do it without leaving a trace..."
Unas asked urgently, "So you mean it's possible?"
"Yes," Natasha hesitated, "But there will be side effects, perhaps it will disturb her mind."
"She's always had mental issues and likes to go against me. Maybe this time I can help her get back on track," Unas decided. "Let's do it this way. You can do it without worry. I'll take full responsibility for anything that happens."
Natasha was used to his lawlessness; what wouldn't Paladin who dared to use Fel do? She wasn't exactly a law-abiding person either, otherwise she wouldn't have become Shadow Priest. "I can give it a try."
"A woman this obedient is a true virtuous wife," Unas thought to himself, nodding to signal her to get to work immediately.
"I need some time." Natasha placed her hands on Whitemane's head, then closed her eyes and began casting a spell.
Unas watched for a while, then, feeling bored, turned and walked out of the Tent. Mohr, who was faithfully guarding the Tent entrance, immediately exclaimed excitedly upon seeing him, "My lord, you're alright!"
Unas held up a finger to signal him to speak softly, then thanked him, "Thanks to you this time, otherwise I would have been in trouble."
"I wouldn't dare, protecting you is my duty," Mohr said modestly. "Why would that female Priest want to harm you? Is she a spy?"
"No, that was just an accident," Unas's tone suddenly turned serious. "What I'm about to say concerns a lady's reputation, and you must promise not to let it slip."
Mohr quickly nodded and bowed, swearing oaths. Unas nodded in satisfaction and began to fabricate a story. "That Priest is mentally ill! She seems normal most of the time, but she easily has an episode when she's exhausted. She healed your serious injuries with all her might, and the result of that excessive exertion was that she had a mental breakdown and started treating me like an enemy."
"There really is such a disease in this world?" Mohr looked skeptical. The Warden's words were too outlandish, making him feel that it didn't seem to be true.
"Don't ask about these details," Unas warned. "She's the adopted daughter of Highlord Alexandros Mograine. If you don't want to have your head chopped off by Ashbringer, just pretend nothing happened. Miss Sally Whitemane healed your grievous wounds, but she collapsed from exhaustion. That's all you know, understand?"
"My lord, I understand." Mohr could only forcefully dismiss his doubts; he dared not get involved in the affairs of the great nobles.
"Very good," Unas patted him on the shoulder, "Are you interested in working for me? I have a dozen or so openings in my personal guard."
"Of course, it's my honor to fight alongside you, sir!"
The Warden's personal guard enjoyed perks that were the envy of many soldiers. Unas often shared spoils of war with his personal guards, so their food, weapons, and equipment were always top-notch.
"Then, once you've recovered, go report to Raphael." Unas desperately needs loyal subordinates. This Mohr seems quite skilled, and the fact that he's so badly injured shows he's brave in battle. After some observation, perhaps he could be promoted.
After chatting for a while, a dry cough came from inside the Tent. Unas the curtain and went inside, only to see that Natasha had already shed her Shadowform and returned to being a veiled, graceful woman.
"How about it?"
"It was a barely successful attempt, but it's hard to say what long-term effects it might have on her."
Surely he wouldn't really turn into a lunatic, would he? Unas took two steps forward. The bloodstains on Whitemane's face were wiped clean, and he lay peacefully on the marching blanket. Only in this state did he seem like a gentle healing Priest.
"You must be tired too, so rest in this Tent. Keep an eye on her while you're at it. If anything goes wrong, just come find me," Unas comforted Natasha, then left the two women to rest in the Tent.
Mohr also needed to return to the base to recuperate, Unas bid farewell to his newly acquired subordinate and returned to the front lines to oversee the construction of the defensive fortifications.
After an afternoon of hard work, the dead, the wounded, and the spoils were all transported back to the stronghold, and a foundation four meters wide and two meters high was built next to the ice wall.
Unas's goal is to build a five- to six-meter-high earthen wall before the ice wall melts, so that he can have a defensive high ground position to withstand possible attacks from the spider swarm. Given the current amount of work, as long as nothing unexpected happens, this goal should not be difficult to achieve.
As dusk fell, the entire army, under his command, took up camp. Those who had fought and toiled all day quickly drifted off to sleep. Unas stood on the foundation of the earthen wall, gazing up at the sky. The stars were shining brightly tonight; it seemed tomorrow would be another fine day. He wondered, however, if the spider swarm would return.