Homeland

The smoke surrounding the two of them did not disperse much, floating gently like a massive ball of cotton candy. Theus took a deep breath.

This smoke did not feel choking; instead, it carried a hint of spice.

Theus smelled the charred scent of burning pine, the aroma of roasted chestnut shells, and a very rich, sweet caramel scent, like brewing tea beside a warm fireplace in winter.

This must be the incense used by the Burier to ward off evil. Among the common knowledge Theus had acquired, there were relevant details stating that the scent perceived by each person was different.

A look of confusion appeared in the young girl's eyes; she seemed unable to understand why Theus had no issues after coming into contact with the contamination, but she breathed a sigh of relief nonetheless.

She then stopped the rotation in her hands, and the drifting smoke was quickly sucked back into the censer. She nodded at Theus and put the censer away.

Theus felt his supernatural senses from the Banshee; there was nothing unusual, and he revealed a smile.

Good, it looks like it's basically done.

Now, we can talk business.

"Miss Nora, one of my non-human friends has been affected by the contamination, and her injuries cannot heal. If possible, I hope you can help treat her," Theus said, looking at Nora.

Nora remained silent for a long time, her beautiful white pupils trembling, before she finally closed her eyes and nodded.

Theus found it a bit strange, but he didn't dwell on it. He stood up and bowed to Nora.

"That is wonderful. Castel will not forget the help of the Silent Temple at this moment," Theus said solemnly. "This is your home now as well."

He did not ask what reward Nora required, but he could guess roughly. In fact, he had long since understood the current situation of the White Crow Duchy, and his decision to contact the Silent Temple was made after that.

Saving lives was the priority now.

Theus and Nora discussed the specific details in low voices, and then Nora hurried away to take her leave.

Both sides needed to make preparations.

Theus called Connor over to start planning in advance.

The treatment certainly could not be carried out in the manor. Not to mention the danger of exposing the secret passage, Theus needed to consider the possibility of the contamination spreading.

The manor was densely populated; if an accident occurred, he feared they would all be wiped out at once, and Theus would have to restart his life on the spot.

In the end, Theus decided to conduct it in a grotto by the coast.

It was not far from the manor, so moving Monica there would not be a problem. Moreover, the grotto had a passage leading directly to the sea, allowing the Banshees to hide underwater and intervene promptly if they encountered any accidents.

In addition, Theus invited Sister Chloe of the Candlelight Society to visit the manor as a safeguard, in case Nora failed to treat the contamination or something went wrong, at which point he might have to seek help from the Candlelight Society.

For this, Theus specifically prepared a carriage.

After making the arrangements, Connor hurried away. Theus gave a few instructions to the maid beside him, then walked into the study, locked the door, and opened the secret passage to enter the underground.

Following the slippery karst cave downward, Theus had been here many times and was quite familiar with it. Coupled with the supernatural senses brought by the Symbiotic Pact, he could see easily in the dark, walking through the dark, narrow passage as if it were flat ground.

"Lord!"

"It's the Lord, the Lord is here!"

Seeing his arrival, the Banshees gathered near the water surface.

Theus looked around but did not see Ash.

"Lord, Ash is too tired and has entered a dormant state," a blonde Banshee said proactively when she saw Theus looking around. "You can call me Nini."

"...Alright." Theus looked at her mature and steady appearance and nodded with a strange expression.

Why does this name sound like something only a little girl would have?

"Can Monica be moved now? What is her condition? I have found someone to help treat her, just a little to the south."

Theus's manor was almost on the far east side of the island. The pier where fishermen went out to sea was in the north, while the south was relatively sparsely populated, making it perfect for treatment and less likely to be noticed.

"As for her condition..." Nini's expression was a bit strange. "We have made a new discovery."

Theus raised an eyebrow.

"You know, our Flesh Magic can forcibly maintain a constant state of the body, and it is precisely because of this that we can withstand water pressure."

"And we found that Flesh Magic also seems to be able to block the erosion of the contamination, because..."

"The body is maintained in a state of not being contaminated?" Theus's eyes lit up. This was good news. No one knew how long this contamination would last or how great its impact would be. If the Banshees could resist the contamination by maintaining Flesh Magic, then there was hope for a solution.

Nini continued:

"As for Monica, short-distance movement is no problem. Her condition has stabilized, but we need to constantly replenish the Flesh Magic, which will occupy a lot of manpower."

"How many do you need?"

"Almost all of us," Nini sighed. "The consumption of Flesh Magic is extremely high. After maintaining our own magic, we don't have much mana left, and we can't even rotate to cast it on her."

"In other words, the margin for error is very low. If the contamination flares up and causes some people to be unable to cast Flesh Magic, is it possible for Monica to die on the spot?"

"Yes," Nini nodded solemnly. "If the treatment requires pausing the Flesh Magic, it must be done quickly. If the Flesh Magic cannot be sustained for a short time, Monica won't be able to hold on; she is too young."

The risk is huge.

Theus bit his lip and asked hesitantly, "What if I sign a Symbiotic Pact with her? The contamination shouldn't be transmitted through the pact, right?"

Nini was silent for a moment, then she flicked her snake tail and swam to Theus's side.

"Monica is my best sister. Everyone in the clan adores her, and I love her as dearly as my own eyes. I would willingly give my life for her." She said slowly, "You could say that in my heart, she is even more important than you—I hope you understand, as I have spent much more time with her, after all."

Theus nodded; this was only human nature.

"However, if saving her would put you at risk... then I would not do it."

Theus choked on his words: "Didn't you just say..."

"Lord, you still do not know what you mean to the Banshee." Nini said with a solemn expression, "Perhaps to you, thousands of years of enslavement is just a number, a light and airy phrase, but to us, it is every single second endured in agony."

"That kind of pain makes me cherish the present even more."

As she spoke, she smiled.

"I am more realistic than others. I do not care about any promised land, nor do I believe in ethereal prophecies."

"I only want a home."

"A home..." Theus muttered to himself.

"Yes, my lord." Nini leaned in closer, looking at Theus with an earnest expression, "Please do not let us lose our home again."

"For the sake of a home, no sacrifice is too great to be accepted, not even me, and not even her."

Theus looked at the Banshees in silence, then looked toward Monica.

"I understand."