When Tyler arrived at Emilia’s home, he happened to see Avril (Elle) cleave Charles to death from outside the window.
Although Tyler would have arrived in the nick of time even without Avril and Elle’s intervention, he was profoundly thankful for their help in saving Emilia.
However, the current situation seemed somewhat complicated to manage.
From afar, Tyler observed that Emilia appeared to be unwell, with Avril attempting to cool her forehead.
If things continued in this manner, Emilia and Avril might become exceedingly good friends. Then, it would only be a matter of time before they started discussing their romantic interests, potentially exposing Tyler’s “romantic entanglement” with two of them.
(Silly Nissen: Two? It’s not just two boats you’re juggling, Tyler. I see you’re destined to command a fleet.)
With the urgent situation at hand, Tyler had no time to deal with stupid loli’s pointless comment. His immediate priority was to separate the two girls, and quickly!
(Calculation Boost, Overclock!)
Tyler started brainstorming, scanning his surroundings for anything he could use. Finally, his gaze landed on an abandoned wooden cabin.
·
Meanwhile, Avril released the hand of the foxkin girl, Emilia, realizing that she was becoming delirious.
According to Avril’s experience, she determined that Emilia’s condition was not a simple fever. Elle also reminded her that the suspicious syringe on the ground might be the cause of Emilia’s “ailment”.
Consequently, Avril retrieved a vial of clear purifying potion from her pack.
During her journey with the Divination Rabbit Nevina, Avril had accumulated considerable knowledge and experience about potions.
“Sister Emilia, you should drink this purifying potion. It should help.”
Unconsciously, Avril activated her skill, “Potion Effect Enhancement,” causing a faint holy luminescence to flicker within the potion.
After Emilia swallowed the potion, she felt as though a refreshing downpour had cooled her burning body, leaving only a few remaining embers.
The semi-conscious Emilia, now feeling slightly better, was about to thank the girl named Avril when suddenly, shouts of a fire alarm came from outside the window. 𝑜𝑽ℯ𝐿xt.𝗇𝓔t
“There’s a fire!”
“Quick, put out the fire!”
“Everyone, wake up! There’s a fire!!”
Emilia and Avril simultaneously looked towards the window, indeed seeing a house on fire with a considerable blaze.
Avril wanted to help, but she was torn between the need to assist and the responsibility of caring for the not yet recovered foxkin girl.
Emilia, understanding Avril’s predicament, put on a brave face, telling her not to worry about her and to prioritize putting out the fire and saving people.
“Miss Avril, I’m fine over here, you should quickly go.”
“R-really, truly?”
After checking Emilia’s forehead one last time to confirm her temperature had genuinely decreased, Avril finally left with a relieved heart.
·
Not long after Avril had left, a shadowy figure snuck into Emilia’s room.
“Emilia, are you alright?!”
The figure rushed straight to Emilia. Initially startled, Emilia breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing it was Banning.
“I… I’m fine…”
Banning’s arrival allowed Emilia to relax her last bit of tension; she leaned against the wall, feeling as though her strength had been drained.
“Nonsense, you’re clearly not alright.”
Banning anxiously examined Emilia’s injuries before surveying the chaotic room. His gaze finally rested on two horrifying corpses on the floor.
However, Banning didn’t ask any questions. He only silently crouched in front of Emilia, tenderly embracing her, then stroked her head, assuring her that he would handle everything from here.
Emilia nodded, all the suffering she had endured that night was now soothed by Banning’s care.
.
After securing Emilia’s consent, Tyler hastily tidied the room, sealed the ruined windows, then carried Emilia away from her home to his own lodging.
Upon entering the inn room, Emilia, exhausted, had already slumbered deeply in Tyler’s arms.
He gently placed her on the bed, tucking her in, before finding a corner for himself to sleep.
·
Reclining on the floor, staring at the ceiling, listening to Emilia’s steady breathing, Tyler reflected on the long day that had finally come to an end.
(Tomorrow… I must find a way for the Divination Rabbit to… to take Avril away from Sunny Town…)
However, before he could finalize his thoughts, an overwhelming fatigue overcame him, and he swiftly fell into slumber.
·
Elsewhere, after collaborating with the townsfolk to extinguish the fire, Avril discovered that the house which had been ablaze was unoccupied, devoid of people or any belongings.
“Oh, what a nuisance, disturbing our sleep!”
“Indeed, such a waste of effort!”
“…”
Grumbling, the townsfolk dispersed, and Avril returned to Emilia’s house.
Surprisingly, Emilia was nowhere to be found.
Just as Avril began to worry, she noticed a note left on the table: Thank you, Miss Avril. I’m fine now and have gone to stay at a friend’s house for the night. I’ll thank you properly another day.
— (I didn’t expect the purifying potion to be so effective…)
Avril felt a sense of satisfaction in saving someone. She could feel her significant growth compared to her past self, who couldn’t do anything.
·
After enduring so many tumultuous events, Sunny Town, under the moon’s soft glow, finally returned to tranquility.
Everyone succumbed to dreams, except for one person, whose sleep was disturbed by the inside lingering fever.
When Emilia awoke drenched in sweat, the heat that she thought the potion had purged had flared up again.
“If only… I had asked… Miss Avril… for another… vial…”
Feeling parched and yearning for a large drink of water, she sat up, observing the unfamiliar surroundings, then felt a slight pain in her leg.
Only then did she remember she wasn’t at home.
— (I-I-I… I am sharing… a room with B-BBBBanning?!!)
Emilia instantly became alert. She looked at the other side of the bed, expecting to see Banning, but it was empty.
She quickly glanced around, finally noticing that Banning was sleeping on the floor.
— (The floor is so hard, how could he sleep… Fool, a big fool.)
The youth’s kindness deeply touched Emilia’s heart.
Emilia recalled her mother’s words: A man often treasures the woman he truly loves.
Banning’s decision not to take advantage of the situation was undeniably because he cherished her.
Looking at Banning’s sleeping figure, the flame in Emilia’s heart burned brighter.
She quickly drank a glass of water to quell the heat in her body, but to her surprise, it not only failed to help, but exacerbated her struggle to control herself…