Feeling anxious, I glanced down at Benjamin, who was now surrounded by a growing pool of blood. There was no more time to waste.
“If he dies, I’ll be haunted by guilt for the rest of my life. Please…”
As I clutched his collar and begged earnestly, Edwin’s face twisted into a scowl.
“Fine. Just stop crying. If you cry over that kid, I won’t let it slide.”
Realising I looked like I was about to burst into tears, Edwin hurriedly scanned the surroundings.
“Beryl, pick him up,” Edwin ordered with a nod toward Benjamin. Beryl lifted the boy over his shoulder.
“We’re moving to that tent,” Edwin pointed to a partially collapsed tent, bearing the symbol of the Pellisena festival, likely used for overseeing the fireworks.
With me still in his arms, Edwin quickly cut through the monsters with his sword as we made our way to the edge of the beach, where the tent stood.
“Don’t collapse. If you do, I’ll kill that kid,” he threatened.
I was used to Edwin’s harsh words by now, so instead of feeling scared, I found myself chuckling a little despite the seriousness of the situation.
Nodding, I let Edwin lower me to the ground. Beryl followed, gently laying Benjamin inside the tent.
“Be careful,” I urged, worried about Edwin facing the monsters despite knowing how strong he was.
“Don’t worry. I’ll wipe them all out,” he replied with a chilling smile.
His face looked like a warm spring day, yet somehow, I could sense even more intense bloodlust than before.
Rubbing my arms against the sudden chill, I turned my attention to Benjamin.
“The garnet I have won’t be enough to heal him,” I muttered. His body was a mangled mess, with wounds so deep you could see the bone. His shallow breathing seemed to weaken with every passing second.
Without hesitation, I gripped the garnet attached to my anklet and began singing the song of Jueri.
Infusing my energy into the garnet, I amplified its power. Red light glowed in my hand, and as I carefully placed it on Benjamin, the bleeding slowed.
The gaping wounds that had exposed bone started to close one by one.
It took considerable time to heal his injuries, a testament to how severe they were. Though my strength was fading, I gritted my teeth and endured, sweat forming on my brow.
Finally, colour returned to Benjamin’s pale face, and his breathing, which had been so faint, became steady.
Only then did I stop singing and remove my hand.
“He’s alive,” I whispered, letting out a sigh of relief. Exhausted, I leaned on my hands for support.
It felt different from when I saved Edwin. Back then, I had just awakened my powers, and the experience had been overwhelming, leaving me no time to process what happened.
Now, seeing Benjamin lying there peacefully, a sense of pride swelled within me.
“Thank goodness,” I murmured, brushing back his sweat-soaked hair and quietly thanking him for holding on.
I knew I needed to check on Edwin and see what was happening outside, but my legs were too weak to stand.
“What should I do?” I wondered, staring helplessly at the tent entrance.
*
As soon as Angelina entered the tent, Edwin’s expression turned deadly.
“I shouldn’t have let this happen.”
If he had dealt with that boy earlier, there would have been no need to get involved.
“My bride is too soft-hearted.”
Despite her own fragile nature, she could never walk past someone weaker without offering help.
Knowing this, Edwin had let the boy live earlier and had just brought him along again now. He hated how Angelina’s attention was drawn to the boy.
Seeing her beg to save him had nearly driven Edwin mad.
Everything about Angelina belonged to Edwin.
How could some boy she had just met steal her tears? She hadn’t even cried for him yet, and he wasn’t about to let someone else take that first tear.
“Absolutely not.”
Anything that dared to claim what was his deserved to die.
That’s why he had been ready to let the boy perish.
[“I’d be haunted by guilt for the rest of my life.”]
But the thought that Angelina might never forget the boy if he died infuriated him.
“She should only be thinking about me. No one else.”
He couldn’t allow that. So he had granted her permission to use her jewel crafting.
“Anyone who puts my bride in danger will pay the price.”
Edwin committed the name Isles to memory.
Gripping his sword, he advanced. His rage, which had been bubbling since the monsters appeared, flared even hotter, fuelled by his fury over the boy.
Now, with terrifying speed, Edwin’s sword cut through the monsters, leaving their corpses in his wake.
Seeing Edwin unleashed in his dragon form, the Wolf Knights instinctively distanced themselves.
Just then, the monsters suddenly hesitated.
Edwin noticed this change, as did the knights, who warily watched the creatures.
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