"He's fine for now, Mademoiselle. Thankfully he wasn't severely injured. When you used your Inheritance, you prevented an internal wound that may have caused his life. He will wake tomorrow, but with a sore body, I'm afraid." the physician spoke.
"Thank you," Estella.
The physician smiled, "It is my greatest honor to meet such an esteemed individual." he took his hat and wore it, "Well, then. Mademoiselle. I will take my leave." he left the room and took off.
Estella carefully removed her hand off Lawrence and smiled. She then shifted her gaze towards the knights before the door, "You may take your leave," she said. "We'll depart seven in the morning," she informed.
Jane, Koa, and Helix stooped and left Estella with Lawrence. She, too, was tired. Estella pushed her limits by overusing her Inheritance. Although her daily routine inside the St. Apple Villa was to use her Inheritance, she never had a had proper training. Her affinity increased for the last year of exercising her Inheritance, without even knowing. But the amount she used today exceeds a month of work inside the Villa.
Drained and exhausted for the first time in her life, all she wants to do is sleep. She brought a candlestick towards the balcony to enjoy the cold breeze outside. As soon as she stepped outside the door of the balcony, the fresh wind slap her cheeks, making her quiver. She placed the candlestick on the fence and held out her palm around it.
All she could think about was what had happened today and what will happen tomorrow. She was hesitant whether she should stay in the village for a few days for a safety measure. This day felt horrible for her. To see Lawrence in pain was the last thing she ever wanted to see, ever, in her life. Going to the estate of the emperor, too, was a bad idea.
She regrets not stopping by inside the City of Muelaemoar. She thought none of these would have happened if they asked guards about the potential dangers inside the forests of Winesap and Apple Lands. She also regrets not asking Expeditioners or Hunters whether they had missions in these lands.
She sighed, "I must rest."
Dawn came.
The knights were already doing their daily routine of shining their swords and cleaning their armor. Helix woke up a little earlier than the rest, and he was now training behind the Inn with his sword, swinging it vertically back and forth. "97... 98... 99... 100...!" he finally finished the last swing.
"A hundred? Is that it?" Jane teased.
"This is my fourth round already." Helix smiled.
"Tch." Jane clicked her tongue and prepared stance. She started doing the sword exercise and also started counting.
Koa just finished furnishing his armor and leathers and stood to get a wooden sword carved by Helix. Due to the extra time Helix had, he was able to make two wooden swords. It wasn't perfect, but it would suffice for training or dueling. They all knew how frustrated Estella was about yesterday and had barely had a wink of sleep.
The knights were frustrated about the defeat of both Gavin and Estella. Although they won, Gavin and Estella, who contributed and killed most of the forest trolls, were gravely injured. If not externally, then internally. It was their instinct to wake as early as possible to train before they depart. They knew how much trouble they would encounter if the next perpetrators would be goblins. They did not want to lose.
"300!" Jane muttered her last swing, panting. She lost some breath but was not exhausted.
"Want to spar?" Helix suggested.
Jane nodded, her face serious. "Let's," she spoke.
A voice came out of the corner of the area, near the backdoor of the Inn. "Just a light spar," Gavin spoke.
"Seargent!" the three immediately dropped their weapons at the sight of their leader. They all rushed towards Gavin.
Gavin stepped back, "E-ey! Don't come close." he warned.
The three knights shot puppy eyes, "We thought we lost you," they spoke in sync.
"I didn't have any wounds, you morons."
"But you overused your Inheritance!" Jane spoke.
Gavin smiled at them. "Go back to your training, you morons," he ordered them with a chuckle. Then he gave a determined face, "Train, and be prepared of what may attack us at our way later. Do you understand?"
The three knights gave a salute, "Yes, Seargent!"
.
"Mum?" Lawrence awoke. He rubbed his eyes. Realization hit him as Lawrence remembers what happened last night. He rose abruptly and immediately felt the pang in his gut. He fell and coughed. "Mother!"
He called out, and then the blurry vision of his surrounding finally was clear. He noticed the place wasn't a place he knew. Lawrence started panicking. He stood once again, this time, grunted at the pang on his stomach but endured it. He moved towards the door, and when he was able to open it, Estella was outside, about to open the door.
"Mother!" Lawrence leaped towards her.
"You're awake?" she asked, hugging him. "I'm so, so, glad." she carried the youngin and placed him on the bed.
Lawrence asked, "Where are we?"
Hi Readers! Honestly, as I was making this chapter. I found it very boring and wanted to sleep. But I do hope the next chapter will be better. I'm sorry if you got bored in this chapter. I tried to lessen the words too.