"By the way, from the way it's described, soul-damaging attacks sound extremely lethal. So why does the academy even allow them?" Leo asked Leon, snapping him out of his surprise.

Leon exhaled slowly before replying. "Anything that can be fixed is allowed by the academy—and that includes soul damage. And the Birel family, was it? Their attacks have only temporary effects on the soul. So, don't expect any action from the academy." His voice lowered slightly. "I've heard that, similar to this girl, many other students were also beaten in same method by that guy."

Leo's brow rose.

"So you're telling me that so many students will live with scars for the rest of their lives?"

"Most probably," Leon replied with a faint shrug. "Unless they use some expensive cosmetic-type treasure to heal them. And that might be the case with this girl too—if you're here just for a fluke."

Leo shrugged in return, utterly unconcerned.

"If I say I have a way, then I have a way."

Lily couldn't immediately tell what Leo meant. But after a moment, realization dawned on her—he had to be talking about the strange vitality-rich petals he had already fed her 3 of.

How many of those petals does he even have? she wondered. I consumed 3. That day, Leo and Master James consumed 1 each, and Miho consumed 1 too. Then later, Leo used two more himself… that's 8 in total.

Her thoughts tangled. Didn't a single flower only have five petals?

Confused, Lily eventually let it go. Leo had been performing miracles one after another—this was nothing new. As long as he wasn't in danger, she wouldn't pry. And having more of those petals was only a good thing. Refocusing, she turned her attention to Miho.

That was when she noticed that Miho was now clutching Leon's entire arm, not just the palm he had initially offered. Since she had been unconscious, and Leon had been continuously infusing aura into her, making her feel good, she had unconsciously grabbed onto the comfort.

Lily shot Leon a sharp glare.

He coughed lightly and quickly averted his gaze, pretending to observe the mound beneath them.

As they landed, Brok's eyes widened in astonishment at the mana density in the surroundings. They weren't near the center—they had landed at the periphery, where Lily and Leo had built their sheds yesterday. Even so, the mana remained thick and heavy, saturated by the Mid Green-tier treasure Blueleaf that Leo had acquired by blackmailing Shub.

Brok was promptly sent back. Even with a non-disclosure contract in place, Leo wasn't willing to reveal too much. As for Leon, he already knew most of it—and didn't seem like a bad person.

Only after Brok flew away did Leon finally speak.

"That's the back of that Colossus, isn't it?" He stared at the ground beneath them. "You built your territory on his back? Seriously?"

Leo simply grinned. Without another word, he created a medium-sized shed, large enough to fit all four of them. Then made Niri grow soft grass over the floor.

Leo didn't answer. He remained silent as he made the final adjustments, reinforcing the shed and stabilizing its structure.

"All right," Leo said at last, clapping his hands softly. "All done. Let's begin her treatment. But before that…" He turned to Leon.

"Your soul is damaged too, right?"

The words struck Leon like a thunderclap. Instinctively, he shifted his free hand, as if preparing to summon his beast.

"Whoa, whoa," Leo said quickly, raising a hand. "I'm not trying to harm you. I'm just asking."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "How do you know?"

Leo met his gaze calmly.

"Really? How do I know?" He pointed toward Leon's bandaged arm. "You said it yourself—when a person's soul is damaged, the first thing that happens is slowed healing."

"The wounds I gave you yesterday haven't even scabbed yet," Leo continued. "And that's not to mention your proficiency in stopping bleeding and alleviating pain without magic. Only people who rely on traditional healing methods will bother mastering those."

"And with all those remnant scars on your body?" Leo added. "It's a clear giveaway that you can't heal properly."

Leon exhaled in relief

"I thought you were—never mind." He shook his head. "Yes. You can say that, in a way, my soul is damaged. So what about it?"

Leo smiled faintly.

"Nothing. I just want you to pay attention to what I'm about to do and decide for yourself." His tone sharpened slightly.

"Just so you know, I'm still looking for a capable subordinate to help manage my territory. Lily and I alone aren't enough. There will be times when both of us are absent."

Lily's eyes twitched as she listened to their conversation. Both men immediately realized they would be in serious trouble if Miho's treatment was delayed any further.

Cold sweat beaded on Leo's forehead as he hurriedly spoke.

"Oh—right. My preparations are complete. Let's begin."

Leon nodded just as quickly, silently hoping Leo wouldn't fail.

Leo waved his hand. A flower with a soft golden sheen appeared in his palm. Each petal was as long as an arm, and a gentle fragrance spread through the air—one that seemed to soothe the soul itself.

Leon's eyes widened. The flower radiated the unmistakable aura of an Orange-quality treasure. Even without touching it, he could feel how a single petal could change his entire life.

Leo plucked one petal from the stalk, then made the rest of the flower disappear. He handed the petal to Lily.

Lily took it and moved closer. Carefully, she parted Miho's lips. The moment the petal neared her mouth, it dissolved into soft golden light and flowed into Miho's body.

As the energy spread, Miho's wounds began to close. The deep gash across her face vanished completely, leaving not even a faint scar behind. Even Leon felt warmth surge through the arm Miho was holding, soothing his injuries a bit, making them less painful.

Leon could only stare, his eyes wide and unblinking.

Now he understood why Leo had insisted on returning to his territory to use the treasure. This was no ordinary artifact—it was priceless.

"So beautiful…" Leon murmured. "A hundred times—no, it's beyond priceless…"

He stared at Miho's body as the effects continued. To an onlooker, it might have looked as though he was admiring her rather than the treasure at work.

Leo grinned like an idiot at the sight, while Lily's gaze darkened dangerously.

"You lecherous man—get away from her—" Lily cut herself off abruptly.

Miho's eyelids fluttered.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Lily, looking down at her with undisguised worry. Then Leo snickering to himself. Finally, her gaze drifted to Leon's stiff, frozen expression—and to her own hands, still clutching his arm close to her chest like a lifeline.

Before she could fully awaken, the colour drained from her face and panic surged through her.

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