[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 59

As soon as the water touched them, a hot steam-like vapor started rising from Marlon and Zelda's bodies. Jade flinched for a moment, thinking something had gone wrong, but then realised that Kirona's prediction had been correct. The bodies that had been as stiff as stone began to regain the flexibility of living beings.

"See that?" 

"Whether it's good or bad, the water definitely has an effect." 

They pulled Marlon and Zelda down from the branches and laid them on the grass. After waiting for a few minutes, Marlon was the first to regain consciousness, coughing as he did. The first words out of the mercenary's mouth were just like him, straightforward and direct. 

"Jade Eclipse?" 

"So you do recognize me." 

"Are you the one who kidnapped me?" 

"Do you really think you're that valuable?" 

"Never mind that. I don't know if you have any sense of honor, but if there's even a shred of it in you as a fellow mercenary, make sure all my estate goes to my daughter. Find the Dreha family in the West..." 

"Get a grip, woman. We barely saved your life." 

Jade grabbed Marlon's ear and shook it, trying to snap her out of her delirium. Zelda Black, lying next to her, had started breathing but showed no signs of regaining consciousness anytime soon. 

Kirona pushed Jade aside and spoke to Marlon. 

"Are you fully awake?" 

"Who... who are you?" 

It seemed like Marlon was still disoriented, not recognizing the client she had abandoned. Jade was about to say something, but Kirona beat him to it, glaring at Marlon. 

"I'm the client you took 5 million Elyssia from as a down payment before you abandoned me, Marlon Dreha." 

Jade was shocked. Without thinking, he jumped into the conversation before Marlon could respond. He was so surprised that he nearly forgot to use formal language with Kirona. 

"Are you crazy? You gave her 5 million Elyssia as a down payment?" 

"Well, the location is Navimi Forest. No one wanted to take the job." 

Kirona looked at him as if wondering why he was so upset. Seeing her innocent expression, Jade rubbed his face in frustration. He thought she would have some common sense after surviving in the East for a year, but even though they were all practically dead at this point, it was still astonishing. 

"Do you not know how to negotiate? You could have paid her a third of that, and she still would have taken the job. If you'd looked into some of the more dangerous guilds instead of just ours..." 

Ignoring Jade’s interruption, Kirona turned back to Marlon. 

"I believe people should be paid according to the work they do, Marlon. But you left me behind." 

It seemed that Marlon finally recognized Kirona. She shook her head vehemently, her face full of indignation, and raised her voice. 

"I didn’t abandon you! I was searching for you the entire time! If I had run away, I’d already be out of this damned forest by now!" 

Kirona looked at Jade as if asking him to verify the truth of Marlon’s words. Jade studied Marlon's face and then nodded. Despite overspending on the job, Kirona had at least chosen a reliable guide. So, in a way, it was half a success. 

"She’s a mercenary who always follows through on her contracts. Even if she’s a bit rigid due to her knightly upbringing." 

"Yes, I’ve never broken a contract, not even over trivial matters! I may have become a mercenary due to life's circumstances, but I still know what honor is!" 

"But this time, you overcharged her too much. Do you have no conscience?" 

"I don’t want to hear about conscience from you, Eclipse." 

Marlon groaned as she forced her stiff body to move. She clicked her tongue in disapproval at Zelda Black, who was lying nearby in a half-dead state. After checking the sword at her waist, she reached out and took Kirona’s hand. 

"Thank you for saving me. But I swear I didn’t run away. I lost track of you and searched for you the entire time. Honestly, I thought you were dead, but a contract is a contract, so I did my best." 

"I understand. Now that I think about it, you’re probably right. It’s been half a month since we encountered the basilisk, and you know the terrain well enough that if you had wanted to leave, you would have escaped by now." 

"Eclipse may not care, but regardless, I’ll take responsibility and get you out safely..." 

Marlon trailed off, groaning again. Jade sighed. It wasn’t a matter of responsibility—just looking at Marlon’s condition, she wouldn’t be able to manage herself, let alone get Kirona out. At this point, she was more of a burden. 

"It’s unfortunate, Marlon, but things have gotten complicated. It seems we’re trapped. Jade and I are heading north now to check for an exit. If we don’t find one, we might have to kill the basilisk to get out." 

"To the northern exit..."