Realm Lord
Chapter 80: Explanations

Chapter 80: Explanations

The woman rolled her eyes at Arthur’s blunt assessment of his companion, a flicker of amusement briefly softening her severe features before the professional mask slid back into place. The weapons aimed at them hadn’t lowered, though the atmosphere in the room had shifted slightly—from immediate threat to cautious evaluation.

"How do I know I can trust you two?" she asked, "How do I know you’re not with Crimson Soul or some other guild here to cause problems?"

Arthur’s brow furrowed in confusion, his exhausted mind trying to process this new information. "Crimson Soul? The Flame Lord’s guild?" He shook his head slowly, wincing as the movement aggravated the bruises forming along his neck and shoulders. "No, and even if we were, why would we be here to cause problems?"

The woman’s stern expression instantly transformed into one of flat unamusement, her eyes sweeping over their battered forms and improvised equipment with newfound understanding. "Yeah, you guys are definitely not with the Flame Lord."

’Why does it seem like I’m being judged right now?’ Arthur thought with mild indignation. ’Should I feel offended?’

While Arthur wrestled with these inconsequential thoughts, the woman came to a decision. She made a subtle gesture with her left hand, and the weapons surrounding them gradually lowered—not completely, but enough to signal a tentative truce.

"Well, I guess if you’re not with them and you’re already here, there’s no point in not working together." She straightened her posture, authority radiating from her stance. "I’m Lara Downing. Nice to meet you." She indicated each of her companions with a precise tilt of her head. "This is Jonas, Jake, and Kay."

Arthur scanned the room, taking proper measure of these unexpected allies for the first time.

Jonas stood like a mountain to Lara’s right—an overly large, stocky man with short brown hair and slightly tanned skin that had been weathered by sun and battle alike. His most striking feature wasn’t his imposing physique but the massive shield he carried with apparent ease. The shield was nearly as tall as Arthur himself, its metal surface inscribed with runes that glowed with a faint gold luminescence. The edges looked sharp enough to serve as weapons in their own right.

Next to Jonas stood Jake, presenting a stark contrast to his bulky companion. Jake was significantly leaner, with short blonde hair that seemed almost white in the chamber’s strange lighting. His pale skin made Arthur wonder how much time he spent indoors—or perhaps underground. Unlike the others, Jake held no physical weapon. Instead, a crackling arrow of pure energy was pulled taut between his hands. The spectral weapon hummed softly, sending ripples of light dancing across the white stone walls.

Lastly, on the far right stood Kay, his posture more relaxed than his companions though no less alert. His dark skin complemented a close-cropped military buzzcut, and he leaned casually on what could only be described as a ridiculously oversized warhammer. Yet Kay seemed to handle it as if it weighed nothing at all. His eyes, unlike his casual stance, missed nothing—constantly scanning between Arthur, Aziel, and the door they’d just tumbled through.

Lara continued her introductions, her tone shifting to something more formal as she expanded on their identities. "We’re an exploration unit of the Pure Wings guild."

Arthur’s eyes widened slightly at this revelation. Even as someone who never paid much attention to the world of chosen before he’d heard of the Pure Wings—often referred to as the "government guild" due to their deep ties and working relationship with the ruling authorities. They weren’t considered the strongest guild in terms of raw power, but their numbers were substantial, and their influence with the public considerable. Where other guilds might boast of individual champions or specialized strike teams, Pure Wings maintained a vast network of competent chosen who worked in coordinated units.

Exploration units were specialized teams whose primary function was to venture into unmapped regions of the realms, documenting valuable resources, threats, and any useful information. They had discovered the existence of this castle some time ago, observing it from a distance, and had been dispatched to investigate its interior for anything of value.

"But then, just like you two, we got stuck inside," she admitted, a hint of frustration coloring her words. "We’ve been trapped here for two weeks now."

Arthur listened with rapt attention, absorbing every detail. Beside him, Aziel appeared to be equally attentive—though Arthur suspected his companion’s focus had little to do with the strategic information being shared. Ever since Lara had removed her camouflage jacket to reveal a fitted black tank top underneath, Aziel’s eyes had barely moved from her general chest area, his expression one of undisguised appreciation rather than analytical interest.

Finally, Lara finished her explanation and stepped closer to them, her demeanor shifting from military commander to something more clinical. "Now... those injuries look like they hurt quite a bit. Let me take a look."

She lowered herself to one knee before them, reaching out to take Aziel’s mangled foot into her hands with surprising gentleness. Arthur watched with a raised eyebrow, uncertain of her intentions but too curious—and frankly, too exhausted—to object.

’What is she planning to do?’ he wondered, observing as she examined the foot with professional detachment.

Aziel, for his part, seemed perfectly content with this development, a dopey smile spreading across his face at her touch. His expression suggested he’d completely forgotten that his foot was supposed to be causing him excruciating pain.

Arthur’s skepticism vanished in an instant as a sphere of crystalline water materialized around Aziel’s injured foot. The liquid glowed with a soft azure light, pulsing gently like a living heart. Through the transparent globe, Arthur could see—with equal parts fascination and horror—the torn flesh and fractured bones of Aziel’s foot beginning to move. Tendons reconnected like seeking vines, bones shifted and sealed, flesh knit together in a hypnotic dance of restoration.

Within minutes, the foot that had been barely hanging on appeared completely healed—as if it had never been injured at all. The water sphere dissipated into a fine mist that evaporated into the air, leaving behind only a strange, clean scent reminiscent of rain on hot stones.

"A-amazing," Arthur breathed, his eyes wide with wonder.

Lara smiled at his reaction, a genuine expression that transformed her severe features into something softer, more approachable. "It’s my ability," she explained, releasing Aziel’s now-healed foot. "I can heal wounds... to a point."

Aziel stared down at his restored appendage with the same shock Arthur felt, carefully flexing his ankle and wiggling his toes as if to confirm they were truly functional again. He prodded at the skin where open wounds had been moments before, finding only smooth, undamaged flesh.

"As long as the flesh and bone are still there and can reconnect, I can heal them," Lara continued, her professional tone returning. "Along with most flesh wounds, bruises, or breaks. Unless you’ve been killed, vital organs have been destroyed, or a severed limb was lost completely, I can repair the damage."

Arthur sat white-eyed, still gawking at Aziel’s miraculously healed foot. In a world where he’d witnessed monsters and magic, somehow this practical application of healing abilities struck him as particularly profound. It wasn’t just destruction and combat—there were powers in this world that could restore and mend as well.

After his initial demonstration, Lara proceeded to heal the rest of their injuries. She moved her hands over Arthur’s bruised ribs and battered face, the cool sensation of her healing water sinking deep into his tissues and erasing the pain that had become his constant companion. Cuts sealed themselves, bruises faded from angry purple to healthy pink, and the persistent throbbing in his head subsided to blessed silence.

By the time she finished treating both of them, Arthur felt renewed. The gnawing hunger and thirst that had plagued them for days remained—some things even magic couldn’t fix without proper sustenance—but otherwise, they felt physically amazing. The constant drain of fighting through pain had been lifted, leaving both of them more alert and energized than they’d been since entering this accursed castle.