Home

The smoke surrounding the two of them didn't spread much. It floated gently like a giant ball of cotton candy as Theus took a deep breath.

The smoke wasn't choking at all. Instead, it carried a faint spicy fragrance.

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

This must have been incense Burier used to ward off evil. Theus had learned a little about it: supposedly, everyone smelled something different.

Confusion showed in the girl's eyes. She seemed unable to understand why Theus was unaffected despite coming into contact with Pollution, but at least she looked relieved.

Then she stopped turning the incense burner. The smoke quickly flowed back into it, and she nodded to Theus before putting it away.

Theus checked his Transcendence senses from the Banshee. Nothing seemed amiss, so he smiled.

Good. It looked like things had mostly worked out.

Now they could discuss business.

"Miss Nora, one of my nonhuman friends has been affected by Pollution, and her injuries won't heal. If possible, I hope you can help treat her," Theus said, looking at Nora.

Nora was silent for a long time. Her beautiful white eyes trembled, then she finally closed them and nodded.

Theus found it a little strange, but didn't think much of it. He stood and bowed to Nora.

"That's wonderful. Castel won't forget the Silent Temple's help today," Theus said solemnly. "This is your home, too."

He hadn't asked Nora what she wanted in return, but he could guess. In fact, he'd looked into the state of the White Crow Duchy long ago. It was after that that he'd decided to approach the Silent Temple.

Rescuing someone was the priority now.

Theus quietly discussed the details with Nora, and she soon took her leave.

Both sides had preparations to make.

Theus summoned Connor and began planning ahead.

The treatment definitely couldn't take place at the manor. Apart from the danger of exposing the secret passage, Theus had to consider the possibility of Pollution spreading.

The manor was crowded. If anything went wrong, it could wipe everyone out in one fell swoop, and Theus would have to start over on the spot.

In the end, Theus decided to hold the treatment in a seaside cavern.

It wasn't far from the manor, so getting Monica there wouldn't be a problem. The cavern also had a passage leading straight to the sea, where the Banshees could hide underwater and intervene quickly if anything went wrong.

In addition, Theus invited Sister Chloe of the Candlelight Society to visit the manor. This was a precaution in case Nora couldn't successfully treat the Pollution or something went awry. If that happened, he might have no choice but to ask the Candlelight Society for help.

Theus had a carriage prepared especially for the occasion.

Once the arrangements were made, Connor hurried off. Theus gave the maid beside him a few instructions, then entered his study, locked the door, and took the secret passage down underground.

Theus had traveled down the slippery cave many times and knew the way well. With the Transcendence senses he'd gained from the Symbiotic Pact, he could see easily in the darkness. He walked through the narrow, dark passage as if it were level ground.

"Lord!"

"The lord! The lord is here!"

When they saw him arrive, the Banshees gathered near the water's surface.

Theus looked around but didn't see Ash.

"Lord, Ash was too tired, so she went into hibernation," a blonde Banshee said, noticing him looking around. "You can call me Nini."

"...All right." Theus glanced at her mature, composed demeanor and nodded, feeling a little perplexed.

Why did that name sound like one a little girl would have?

"Can Monica be moved right now? How is she doing? I found someone to help treat her. It's a little way to the south."

Theus's manor was almost at the easternmost end of the island. The fishermen's docks were to the north, and the southern area was relatively sparsely populated, making it a good place for the treatment where they were less likely to be noticed.

"As for her condition..." Nini's expression turned a little strange. "We've made a new discovery."

Theus raised an eyebrow.

"You know our Flesh Magic can forcibly keep our bodies in a stable state. That's also what lets us withstand the water pressure."

"And we've discovered that Flesh Magic seems to be able to stop Pollution from spreading, because..."

"It keeps the body in a state where it hasn't been polluted?" Theus's eyes lit up. This was good news. No one knew how long this Pollution would last or how much it would affect them. If the Banshees could use Flesh Magic to withstand it, there was hope of finding a solution.

Nini continued:

"Monica can be moved for a short time. Her condition has stabilized, but we'll have to keep replenishing her Flesh Magic, which will take a lot of people."

"How many?"

"Almost everyone." Nini sighed. "Flesh Magic consumes a tremendous amount of power. We have barely any left after maintaining our own magic, not even enough to take turns casting it on her."

"So there's very little room for error. If the Pollution flares up and some of you can't cast Flesh Magic, Monica might die on the spot?"

"Yes." Nini nodded solemnly. "If the treatment requires us to stop using Flesh Magic, we'll have to act quickly. If we can't resume it soon, Monica won't survive. She's too young."

This was risky.

Theus bit his lip and asked hesitantly, "What if I made a Symbiotic Pact with her? The Pollution shouldn't spread through the pact, should it?"

Nini was silent for a moment. Then she swished her tail and swam over to Theus.

"Monica is my dearest sister. Everyone in our tribe loves her. I love her as much as I love my own eyes, and I'd give my life for her," she said slowly. "You could say that she matters more to me than you do— I hope you understand. I've known her much longer, after all."

Theus nodded. That was only natural.

"But if saving her would put you at risk... I wouldn't do that."

Theus was taken aback. "But you said..."

"Lord, you still don't understand what you mean to the Banshees." Nini's expression was serious. "To you, perhaps a thousand years of enslavement is just a number, a few weightless words. But for us, every second was agony."

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

As she spoke, she smiled.

"I'm more pragmatic than the others. I don't care about some Promised Land, and I don't believe in vague prophecies."

"I just want a home."

"A home..." Theus murmured.

"Yes, my lord." Nini drew closer, looking at Theus earnestly. "Please don't let us lose our home again."

"For the sake of our home, no sacrifice is too great to accept. Not even mine. Not even hers."

Theus gazed silently at the Banshees, then looked at Monica.

"I understand."