Chapter 323

My head hurts.

My everything hurts.

I could feel my toes. I could feel my fingers, so a little bit of relief filled my heart. My eyelids were heavy, but I pushed them open and the light above me stinged.

An unfamiliar roof I could barely make out through blurry eyes.

I wanted to sit up, but my body screamed out in pain. I had to pause and grit my teeth, fighting through it.

"You're awake…."

I heard a soft voice, and my head slowly turned towards the door. "Salem?"

Just speaking the words was enough for me to start coughing up blood. My chest hurt something fierce, but…..it was definitely worth it to see her rush over and start fussing over me.

"Why are you sitting up?" She hissed, gently pushing me back down. "Do you have any idea what state I found you in!?"

My only response was a groan.

"Stop moving, you're only making it worse." She said sternly, putting a hand on my chest. "I can actually feel your Aura now, so that is an improvement. Good, I can help facilitate it then."

Oof.

I don't know how long I was out, but it feels like a while. And if My Aura is just now making itself known again…..It must have been hit very hard.

"No, it's still much too faint. If I try to pull it out anymore, you may receive backlash."

That doesn't sound pleasant.

Closing my eyes, I could vaguely feel my Aura working its magic. There was another – warming feeling inside. I could easily tell it to be Avalon, even if the supply of Artoria's Magical Energy is nearly depleted. It seemed to be doing its best to heal the parts of me that were the most damaged.

Solomon….no, it was clearly not Solomon. Whatever that was, he was assuming the identity for some reason. With the brief conversation we had, he obviously held disdain for him.

And Flauros.

It wasn't hard to put two and two together.

Perhaps another of the Demon Pillars?

No wonder I disliked him immediately. My Devil Bloodline encountered his demon bloodline or whatever it is.

A strange reaction between two worlds.

Chaldea...I need to go back. Or rather, should I immediately head back?

Would my presence make him target Chaldea? He expressed apathy towards it before, something beneath his notice, would I change that if I went back right this moment?

I knew they were safe right now. If he was going to do something, wouldn't he have done it already? My bond with Sir Wiggles…..I can still feel it. That Rabbit had been with me even when I became a Campione, it's bonded with me so deeply, I don't doubt it has some affinity with the Kaleidoscope now. The fact that I can still feel him with this 'distance' isn't that surprising.

Taking that into consideration, I wasn't sure I could even win in a fight. Strike that, I was pretty sure I would lose as I was...fully healed that is.

It's not that I didn't have some more cards to play, things I wasn't able to bring to bare before. But…..how likely is it that he showed all his cards? Considering he was hiding his true nature, pretty damn likely.

Ddraig…..are you okay? He had been awfully quiet.

[No.] He answered sort of groggily. [You're awake now, going to sleep for a little bit. Got hit with some backlash when the Scale Mail broke like that. We'll talk later.]

…..shit.

I'll just focus on healing for now. I'll weigh my options again once I'm back at 100%. Rushing into the problem caused this in the first place, I need to consider what happened properly and decide how to continue.

Taking a deep breath, I turned on my Magic Circuits. Unsurprisingly, it burned pretty damn bad at the moment. But I gathered the Magical Energy needed to reach into my storage ring and take out a Health Potion.

I took a moment to uncork it and shakily brought it up to my lips only for Salem to grab onto my arm.

"Stop." She gently reached for it. "Let me." She said softly, taking it from my hands and sitting down next to me. I suppose she could assume it was something beneficial for me considering the circumstances. She lifted the phial to my lips and I felt the warm liquid flow down my throat

It didn't do a lot but giving it a moment, I should be fine to at least talk and sit up properly.

"What happened?" I looked up at her.

"I was hoping you would tell me. One moment I am in my study, the next, the sky fills up with lights, followed by Lightning and Thunder booming everywhere. I see a shooting star that turns out to be a person crashing into the ground some miles away from my castle."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh." She rolled her eyes. "You are lucky I got to you when I did. The Grimm were about to get brave."

"You saved me?" I asked.

"…..I suppose I did."

I forced myself to sit up again. The pain was lessened, but it by no means disappeared. I was not at a very good point right now, but hearing something like that brightened my mood substantially.

She cared.

"You've been taking care of me too?"

"Of course, who else did you expect to be doing so?" She crossed her arms with a small huff.

I...was a little hesitant about Salem. I wasn't blind, nor did I ignore everything about her. But hearing that…..I was at her literal mercy, I was at my lowest, and she helped me, probably saved me, and had been nursing me back to health.

I felt my heart beating a little quicker.

I didn't really have time to think about where I forced myself to go. It was subconscious, and just somewhere I would be relatively safe.

My hand inched towards hers. She stiffened a little when I took her hand into mine, but she didn't stop me. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." She said softly, hand tightening around mine.

I leaned my head against her shoulder, letting out a long breath in relief. "How long was I out?"

"From the time I have found you, it is the third day." She replied. "I was beginning to think that you were not going to wake up. A severe injury resulting in Aura depleted so thoroughly can cause serious harm."

"My soul is strong, it can handle that kind of blow and recover." Even if I felt like I could have died had things played out differently. "Were you worried about me?" I tilt my head up to see her face.

She pursed her lips with a harumph. "I was worried that there was someone capable of putting you in such a state whom I was unaware of." She grunted. "Tell me who it was, I will take care of it."

She was being completely serious too.

Despite the circumstances, it did bring a smile to my face.

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Don't tell me not to worry." She frowned. "I have had to sit here and make sure you would not die for three days." She turned towards me, giving me a little poke.

I winced a little, feeling very sore right where she poked me. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"'Hmph. It's good that you acknowledge it then." She had one of her cute little huffs again. "How strong was the person who harmed you?"

I thought about that question on how to answer. "You remember that Sea Fei-long I killed?"

"I recall, yes."

"I was hit by something about a hundred times stronger than the spell I used to take it out." A rough estimate, but it wasn't entirely incorrect.

She looked at me strangely. "And where can I find them?"

"….it's complicated."

"One of your secrets then?" She frowned. "Very well."

"Salem…"

"You have many secrets, one more will not change anything."

I'm not being fair to her.

I've been spending time intentionally trying to flirt and do my best to earn her affection, yet, I've been keeping so many obvious secrets. By what right do I have to want her to open up to me when I don't reciprocate the same?

"You deserve better." I said softly. "I've been keeping a lot from you and you deserve to know at this point. But…..not like this. I want to be at my best when I have that talk with you. Will you wait just a little bit longer? I want to tell you everything."

"You would trust me to reveal all your secrets?" She looked at me strangely. "I have made my desire clear in that regard. Are you not afraid that I am just seeking out my own personal goals from you?"

I brought her hand up to my lips, giving it a small kiss. "I trust you."

"…..some may call you foolish for that."

"As long as it allows me to stay at your side, I don't mind being a fool."

She let out a snort, but she leaned further into me. "You have become delirious from your injuries, otherwise I cannot think of a reason for you to spout such nonsense."

Despite everything that happened recently, at this moment, I was feeling relaxed. I would worry about everything else once I was able to do something about it.

"I will make you some food. You have not had proper nourishment for many days." She pulled away, standing up.

I leaned back, watching her leave the room, letting my body basically collapse against the bed, finding it difficult to bring the energy to sit back up.

I couldn't even find it in myself to wince in pain again.

Tired, my body was so utterly exhausted. With the last ounce of energy I had, I looked into my ring again and took out my Kaleidophone, staring at it.

Should I call them? Am I being selfish that I don't want any of them to see me like this?

….I don't want them to worry about me.

I'm already out of danger at this point, I'll just let myself heal enough that I can walk on my own, then I'll go talk to them.

The door opened back up only a few minutes later, Salem came back carrying a tray with a bowl, steam visibly simmering above.

She walked forward, sitting down next to me once more and I dropped the phone to my side.

"Come, I shall help you." She said softly, taking a spoon full of soup and moving it gently towards my mouth.

I would just allow myself to calm down and enjoy the moment. I would worry about everything else once I was given some time to properly recover.

[***]

I opened my eyes again, looking at the same ceiling I've recognized thus far.

My body still hurt, and I didn't think I was going to be back to a hundred percent unless I got Artoria to refill Avalon. Otherwise, naturally healing would probably take a couple weeks even with my absurd biology.

I may have gone back to her sooner, however….just activating my Circuits and drawing enough Magical Energy to take something out of my Ring was leaving me weak. I couldn't imagine pulling on the Kaleidoscope and actually hopping worlds at my previous state.

My soul definitely took a big hit. Ddraig was sleeping right now, which was an obvious insinuation at how bad I suffered. My Aura was utterly annihilated in such a way that It sent a shock right through my Soul.

But…..after resting for as long as I have, I think I was well enough to try.

I wasn't in a big rush though.

If nothing else, this has given me a lot of time to think about everything. I do not have confidence on re enter that workshop of his in the same manner. The way it existed, I was fairly sure he could change the coordinates in the Imaginary Numbers Space at his will. Even without that though, It would be foolish for me to confront him immediately.

He deciphered my Magecraft with ease. And he was able to analyze nearly everything I did with but a single glance. Solomon he may not be, but I have to respect that kind of prowess he showed. And that's not even considering the sheer power he was giving off.

My Ether Canon was completely ineffectual at the level I used it at. My Dragon Words were acceptable, but the location left something to be desired. He had a stranglehold on that place, enough that even my Authority was being forced away.

Speaking of my Authority, that attack didn't even manage to cause true damage. No, the form of 'Solomon' that he showed was….fake. I didn't have time to investigate it for obvious reasons, but I could put forth that hypothesis with what I learned in the small window. I have a feeling that my Authority wasn't completely ineffectual, but that I barely scraped the surface of what he actually was.

Some kind of demon taking on his form perhaps. The name of it was also obvious at this point considering who Flauros is. Though, which specific Pillar is the question.

I did notice ten rings on his fingers, which begs the question on if it's the ten rings I'm thinking of, or was he just playing the role fully.

Because if that was the true ten rings…..I'm even more skeptical about my chances than I was previously.

No, the Spear didn't react enough for that I think.

And the Spear. The Spear is a Trump Card he didn't see. It's something I think I can rely on if it came to it. As for my Power of Destruction, he probably knows all about it now due to Flauros. And my Authority was revealed, and Ddraig was shown. I have a few other tricks, like my Staff of Magnus, but I don't know if I could really call that a trump card when it only helps me in casting my Magecraft.

But….I need something else. Not just a trump card. If he's going around calling himself Solomon, then his knowledge of Magecraft is obviously to the point where he can pull off the name. And his ability so far just showed that much already.

So my Magecraft is probably not going to help me too much. My Primordial Runes are still acceptable, as are my Nine Realms due to their nature of being supported by the Primordial Runes. But even then, a good chunk of the spell is created through normal Magecraft.

I needed something else, something outside of Magecraft that I could work with.

I was going to have to report back to Gramps anyways, so I may as well ask him for his opinion. Because I wasn't going to go looking for a fight again unless I was a bit more confident.

But before all of that, I really, really just needed to hug Artoria for a little while.

Taking a deep breath, I slid to the edge of the bed and let my feet touch the ground. I wobbled for a moment before steadying myself, putting weight onto my legs for the first time in days.

"Fuckkkk." I groaned out.

It wasn't a sharp pain anymore, but still felt like Scáthach focused purely on my legs when she beat the shit out of me. But once I got up on my feet, my chest was hurting too, fractured ribs are going to do that.

My slow and methodical steps took me to the door, and pushing it open, I found my little friend again.

"Squidward." I smiled happily upon seeing him.

The little tentacled Grim waved its appendages as if to greet me.

Salem probably left him here in case of emergency.

"Take me to Salem?" I pat his squishy head.

It made a strange noise and wiggled its tentacles again before slowly floating off down the hallway.

Honestly, it made me wonder if other Grimm were as intelligent as he was. It opened up some very interesting questions if that was the case.

He only turned the corner twice before floating in front of a doorway as if to tell me she was inside. I didn't stand on ceremony, if Salem didn't want me here, Squidward wouldn't have willingly led me.

Pushing it open, It was a quaint little room. A little smaller than her Library, but it had some books and shelves around the place.

In a Castle this large, it's not strange to have such redundant-like rooms.

Salem looked up from a book she held. One I recognized as it was about Runecraft. She sat in a chair facing the window, and I suppose that was how she originally saw my entrance.

"You shouldn't be walking around." She stated, rather sternly.

"I healed up enough for at least this much." I walked up behind where she was sitting, and my arms snuck up around her. Again, she stiffened a little bit, more of an unconscious reaction to my touch than an unwelcome one. She didn't deny me in the slightest, so I put my chin on her shoulder, looking at what she was reading.

It didn't feel uncomfortable to do this either. It didn't feel awkward that I had my arms around her. I think we were both familiar enough with each other that such actions were acceptable.

"How many times have you read this book now?"

"Several Dozen." She admitted. "However, I feel as though I discover new things each time. Or some specific passage gives me inspiration that I had not considered previously."

"Done anything interesting with it yet?"

"I had one idea that worked out well. This type of Magic is interesting in that it's easier to mold for other purposes than pure Destruction." Salem shut the book, putting it on a small table next to her. "Look at my shadow."

I followed her instructions, tilting my head to see her faint shadow on the ground. I had to blinked because I thought I was seeing things. "Is that….a Grimm?" I asked, red eyes were peeping at me from her Shadow.

"Indeed" She smiled. "I created a spell to store Grimm in my Shadow. Due to their nature of having been created by the God of Darkness, they take to the concept of Shadows easily."

"That is absolutely brilliant." I praised her with full sincerity.

"I am aware." She said rather smugly. "There are still some minor problems, such as the amount I can store. But I am working on that for the moment."

"Do you want help?" I offered.

"Your offer is appreciated, but unneeded. I am enjoying figuring it out and it is staving off boredom while you are absent."

She went quiet. I don't think she meant to say that last part.

"I'll do my best to start coming around more." I could have teased her, but….It didn't really feel right at this moment.

"Hmph, do what you want." She didn't say no.

She was too cute, I couldn't help myself. I gave her a little kiss on the cheek, much to her continued chagrin.

"I'm going to head out."

"…..you are well enough to leave then?"

"I'm good enough that I can head back. Once I'm back home, I know someone who can heal me very quickly."

"I see."

"My girlfriend."

"Pardon?" She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"It's not someone, it's my girlfriend." I made sure to clarify. "I don't want to keep being vague or giving half truths. My girlfriend – Artoria can heal me much quicker once I go home. She knows about you, so it's only fair that you know about her as well. I have others – as you know, but that's a long conversation and I think it'll best be served for when I get back. Like I promised."

It was hard to get a read on her emotions right now, but….I think she was happy? Happy that I was sharing things with her, things that were kept secret before.

"Very well, I shall await your return then." Salem said softly.

Salem looked…relaxed, content even. It made me not want to move because this kind of intimacy wasn't common between us yet. "…..I can wait a few more minutes before leaving." I whispered.

She replied simply with a small smile.

[***]

I stabbed Mirage into the ground to steady myself after walking through a portal. I winced, immediately deactivating my Magic Circuits due to the burning sensation that was magnitudes higher than where they normally were.

The Sun had already disappeared for several hours at this point. But even so, it was nice to be back home after everything. Spending time with Salem after getting my ass thoroughly handed to me was relieving. It truly did help settle some of the emotions that were rampaging at the time.

But right now, there was someone else that became a priority.

I pushed the door open, ignoring the stabbing feeling in my chest.

A little head poked out of the kitchen.

"Will?" Artoria greeted me with a mix of confusion and happiness.

Almost immediately, all those emotions I had been pushing down the past few days just spilled out. I didn't care that I was hurting right now, I just moved quickly towards her. My arms wrapping her up nice and tight.

"What's wrong, what happened to you?" She looked worried, pulling apart as she gave me a thorough look. "Wilhelm, are you okay?"

Seeing her after what happened…

"I love you." The words just came out by themselves.

"W-what are you saying so suddenly?" The King of knights immediately turned a bright shade of red.

I couldn't stop myself. After watching the other her die, I couldn't hold onto it. Maybe it was too soon, maybe it wasn't, but I had to say it.

"I – " Her dainty hands squeezed the fabric of my shirt, her head pushed against my chest as if to hide her face. "I Love you as well." She said quietly, barely more than a whisper.

Magic words that could settle the frenzy of emotions that was happening in my heart.

They were enough to make the world seem perfect for this moment.

[***]

Just a heads up, I edited the wrong chapter, it was supposed to be an interlude today. I don't have time to edit the interlude before I head to work, so i'm doing this a little out of order.

If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone