Guinevere was still in shock as she listened to Angelica's full report in her office.

The civilians had been rescued, the damage was being repaired, and the people of Catchipara were slowly trying to recover from what they had witnessed.

None of them would have survived. Neither the civilians nor the students could have stood against the behemoth that spilled out of that crack.

But between those monsters and a thousand people stood one man.

It took one man to change the fate of a thousand lives.

And Angelica had witnessed that miracle with her own eyes.

"You did your job brilliantly, Angelica. You may go back and rest now," Guinevere said absentmindedly.

The younger woman hesitated for a moment, prompting Guinevere to ask, "Is there something else you want to share?"

Angelica smiled faintly, her gaze lowered. "I just wanted to thank you for placing me on his team, Commander. I've learned a lot from him."

Guinevere wasn't surprised to hear that.

The same girl who once held nothing back when speaking of her team captain was now expressing gratitude for that very decision.

It proved that no matter how a person was, if they were truly a great warrior, they needed no words to earn the respect of those around them.

William had established something like that.

With a nod, Guinevere dismissed the girl.

A small smile touched her lips as Angelica stepped out, but it soon faded into a frown as Guinevere read the opening lines of the report.

[Due to the lack of communication between the bases…]

Shaking her head, she muttered, "This situation can't be handled unless Arthurt personally oversees the management."

There was still a mountain of work waiting for her.

And some people would soon have to be ready to give very difficult answers.

….

"And once again… William saved the day," Natalie joked as she walked down the gravel path with Gizel and Kevin after lunch.

Last night, Natalie had witnessed something unbelievable.

She knew William was strong, but defeating a ranked devil on his own? That was far beyond what she had expected.

"Well, we should get used to it already," Gizel sighed. "He always somehow finds his way through any obstacle."

The bespectacled girl noticed that Kevin had been unusually quiet since morning, so she nudged Natalie.

The short-haired girl shrugged. "He's just sulking because he didn't get any action."

Kevin paused before complaining, "How rude of you to assume that." With a huff, he added, "I'm just thinking about that explosion."

Glancing at Natalie, he asked, "I mean, I'm not the only one who saw William throw something at the devil that was supposed to blow up half the town, right?"

Natalie hummed. "I've been trying not to think about it, but you're right. It doesn't make sense."

The three of them had already seen the kind of destruction William was capable of.

During the contest and even before that, whenever he used a certain spell, nothing remained once the dust settled.

So then… where did that explosion go?

"I guess we can ask William when he wakes up," Gizel suggested.

"Speaking of walking up," Natalie said, "why don't we go check on him? I'm sure Emma is still with him."

Kevin smiled wryly. "I'd rather not…"

Natalie tilted her head in confusion until Gizel explained, "Emma's been like a cautious cat guarding her master. Anyone who approaches William gets silently interrogated by her."

Natalie chuckled. "Well, she's protective of her beloved, alright." Resting her hands on her hips, she added, "Then how about we go check on Mia?"

Gizel nodded. "Yes, I was about to do that." The poor girl had nearly drained her aether reserves last night and had been found on the verge of fainting at the campsite.

However, suddenly, Kevin's eyes caught something passing, and he said, "You two go on. I need to check something in my room."

Natalie hummed and followed his line of sight, but she didn't notice anything.

Before she could ask, Kevin had already started walking away, his hands tucked into his pockets.

Shaking her head, she mumbled, "He's been quite strange since this morning."

….

[In the infirmary]

Emma sat on the stool, her posture straight despite not having slept a wink since last night.

Her hand held his, her eyes fixed blankly on his face.

His eyes were covered with cotton pads, bandages wrapped around his head.

His upper body was bare, several bandages covering his wounds.

A deep gash marked the left side of his torso, and despite her healing, the scar would surely remain.

As her fingers traced the mark, she heard his hoarse voice. "Hot or ugly?"

She flinched for a moment before shaking her head. "Is that really the first thing that comes to your mind after waking up?"

His lips curved slightly. "I took my chance to lighten the mood."

William knew what he had done and how much he must have worried his lover.

His hand gently squeezed hers. "Emma… I'm sorry. I know I promised you—"

"William," she interrupted, her voice calm. Without seeing her face, he could tell he hadn't been wrong. She wasn't worried or furious. She sounded calm.

Keeping that same tone, she asked, "Did you enjoy the battle?"

For a moment, William thought he had misheard her.

That was why Emma repeated herself. "Was the battle enjoyable?"

William took a deep breath, his lips curling further as he nodded. "Yes… I loved every second of it." His grip tightened as he continued, "I came up with strategies. I got cornered, but this time I had a way to come back with something strong. And honestly, it was so satisfying to wipe that smirk off that bastard's face. Haah… I wish you'd seen it."

Emma smiled fondly. "I saw it. And know that, I felt very proud watching you dominate the battlefield."

William turned toward her, excitement lighting his face. "You saw me?"

"Mhm. I arrived just before you finished that devil." She softly caressed his cheek and added, "That was pretty cool."

William leaned into her touch, her warmth healing him far better than the potion coursing through his body.

Kissing the back of her hand, he said, "Thank you, Emma."

Emma hummed. "For what?"

He shook his head with an innocent smile. "You wouldn't understand."

It was better if she didn't know what he meant, or she would only grow sad and concerned.

The only person whose thoughts ever made him hesitate during battle was her.

But after hearing her words, relief flooded his chest.

She chuckled softly and shook her head. "Silly… if I wouldn't understand, then who would?"

°°°°°°°°°

[Next day]

Emma sat beside the bed, her expression calm. She had slept for a few hours in the afternoon, so fatigue hadn't yet claimed her. By tomorrow morning, the bandages covering his eyes would be removed. His eyes hadn't suffered any damage and his vision was perfectly fine, but the precaution was necessary to ensure no complications appeared later.

From time to time, Emma assessed his condition, and each time she felt relieved. His body was recovering at a steady pace. The wounds he had sustained fighting the Ranked Devil were nothing compared to how he had looked after the dungeon trials. That fact alone showed how frighteningly fast he was growing stronger.

At only eighteen, he had already reached four stars and defeated a Ranked Devil on his own.

You're moving so fast, Will, she thought, gently holding his hand.

Her grip tightened slightly as she whispered, "But I'll catch up."

She knew that he loved her enough that even if she stopped training altogether and asked him to protect her for the rest of his life, he would agree without hesitation. Still, being a burden was never an option. She wanted to stand beside him as an equal, both out of pride and out of necessity.

Just then, she sensed someone approaching from behind.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she said, "I believe the cadets were instructed to retire to their quarters after dinner."

The violet-haired boy stopped a few steps away and replied calmly, "Doesn't that apply to you as well, Miss Emma?"

Emma glanced at Brutus over her shoulder but didn't respond.

Brutus let out a quiet sigh. "I apologize." He raised a hand in surrender before adding, "I was only worried that you weren't getting enough rest."

"I don't believe we're close enough for you to concern yourself with me."

Brutus hummed in thought. "You're right about that, at least on a personal level, Miss Emma. But as my group member, it's my responsibility to make sure my teammates are well-rested and prepared for the upcoming mission."

Emma frowned, "Mission? I never heard anything about it."

Brutus sighed, "Well, you have been spending most of your time her ein the infirmary for the past two days, that's why." shaking his head, he told her, "This training prgramme isn't very long so the management couldn't have us stay back and do nothing while the others have already left for their respective missions."

Emma looked down. He was right about that. Natalie and the others have recently been sent to their missions by the Commander—they came to say goodbye just this morning.

And the only possible team who was still on the island and ahdnt finished a single mission was hers.

After a brief pause, "When are we leaving?" If William hadn't recovered by the time, she surely would reject the mission. However, thankfully, "Tomorrow night. We were supposed to depart tonight but I requested the commander to grant us another day."

Emma let out an audible breath before nodding.

Brutus threw a glance at William and asked, "How is he now?"

Emma looked back at her lover and said, "Recovering..it would still take a few days for him to get back to his full health."

Brutus hummed thoughtfully before asking, "Do you remember when I told you about my mother? She has abilities similar to yours. I believe she has a way to amplify the effects of Absolute Healing."

Emma frowned. "That's not possible. There's no way to do that."

Brutus let out a slow sigh. "I'm not lying. After my fight with a Ranked Devil, I was brought back half-dead. She healed me instantly." Blinking, he added, "I think if you meet her, you'll come to understand a lot more about yourself." Glancing at her he added, "And I believe if you want to match William's pace, it's better you make a few tough decisions."

Emma offered no response.

Brutus didn't linger. After saying, "I'll see you tomorrow, then," he turned and left the infirmary.

Once he stepped out of the building, his calm façade broke. His warm eyes turned calculative as he muttered, "Thanks to that fool's self-destructive attitude he won't be coming between us anymore."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Was supposed to separate the chapters but then I poured hot tea all over my hand. ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

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