All Ready

After exhibiting such a powerful attack, Cardo finds himself completely drained while lying on the ground along with the three dead Wither Bees he killed by cutting each one of them into two.

Those who had seen and felt the spectacle he created rushes to him in concern.

"Cardo! Are you all right?" Asked Riko who arrived first at the scene.

Ignoring what the young knight asked him, Cardo started laughing heartily all of a sudden.

"Did you see what I did?" Said Cardo as he continues to let out a hearty laugh. "I finally awakened my magic ability."

The young knight stared at Cardo blankly as his worries simply drifted away after seeing the knight acting all proud and mighty while laughing like an idiot.

Shortly after that, Magdalo arrived on the scene to also check up on Cardo.

"Cardo?"

Only to see and hear Cardo boasting about using Liksi and let out a laugh just like what he did in front of Riko. Magdalo looks at the young knight, asking about Cardo instead of asking the person himself through eye contact.

Riko responded by shrugging his shoulders.

"The man's excited to use his own magic ability for the first time." Said Riko as he shook his head, following a burst of stifled laughter. "Can't blame him though, I mean we all had the same reaction the first time we awakened our magic, right?"

Magdalo couldn't argue with what the young knight said.

"Well, yeah. But at least we don't go and just use Mana Burst as soon as we awakened our magic like what this idiot did."

Roberto, the third one to arrive at the scene, interjected.

"I bet he also did it without realizing it," Roberto added. "Because a normal person wouldn't release that much mana just to kill Wither Bees."

Cardo's proud expression disappeared soon after hearing the words that came out of Roberto's mouth.

"It was in the spur of the moment." Cardo mouthed. "I wanted power to save you two. I wanted the power to fight... and take IT back."

At that moment, they felt and heard the sound of the ground rumbling like thunder. They all look and see a flat surface that was once a dome that sealed in two Wither Bees before crushing them flat without a trace left behind.

"That's the plan," Marlo uttered as he walked towards them with a poker face. "That's why we are here. Isn't that right?"

"Yeah."

Using both his arms as a support, Cardo lifts his upper body upward.

"Even if Lyrica actually comes back for us, we can't just let a girl who came from another world do it herself," Cardo stated. "We have to fight, too."

"That's right," Magdalo interjected as he looks at everyone, encouraging them. "We will fight. And we will take it back."

The silence broke out between the group. But although no words are spilling out of their mouths, they are all screaming for freedom deep within their hearts.

"Now then, before it gets all awkward with everyone staring at each other wordlessly, here, Roberto."

Riko, after breaking the silence, extends his hand towards Roberto, holding the bottle of honey right in front of him.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Roberto looks at the young knight with confused eyes.

"What do you think? I'm having you drink the honey." Riko replied. "Oh, but leave some for Cardo, too."

Looking at the bottle of honey in Riko's hand makes Roberto remember the exact time since he had a taste of such delicacy right before his eyes. The more he looks at it, the more he is getting tempted into taking it from the young knight. But after remembering the situation of Riko's young sister, Roberto begins to shake his head as he resists his urges.

"No, that's for your sister. I'll be all right."

Roberto averted his gaze at the honey bottle that's only a few centimeters away from his grasp.

"Looking at your legs, Nela would have like it if you drink this instead of her."

It's a miracle that Roberto could still stand despite receiving hits from the Wither Bees' stings. But who knows how long his legs will keep themselves intact unless he receives treatment right away?

"Nela is a stubborn girl, that illness is nothing to her."

Roberto turns around and looks at the young knight hesitantly. He then shifted his gaze at the honey bottle as his hand reluctantly takes it from Riko's palm.

"Are you sure about this?"

"She'll be fine," Riko replied confidently. "Although we're gonna have to go back to the beehive and get some more just in case."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"There's no need."

A familiar voice resonated from the direction of where the cave entrance is, stealing everyone's attention. There, they see the image of Lyrica who then threw something towards the young knight.

"What?"

Riko catches the thing with one hand, albeit he got startled after it being thrown so suddenly. The young knight opens his hand, and there he sees a tiny bottle containing mother bee honey.

"Before I went out of the house, I grabbed the empty potion bottles I saw last night while I was doing the dishes."

Lyrica pulls out another honey-filled bottle from one of her blazer's side pockets.

"Cardo, was it?"

"Huh? Oh."

The girl lightly threw the other honey-filled bottle towards the incapacitated Cardo.

"Thanks." Said as he caught the bottle in his hands.

Roberto takes the smaller honey bottle in Riko's hand as he gives back the one that was given to him by the young knight.

"Well, Nela's probably gonna need a lot more than me."

Roberto mouthed as he drink the honey in one chug.

"Right," Riko replied in agreement.

Seconds later, Roberto's limbs begin to heal up. Until eventually, the effects of the stings can no longer be seen. A smile of relief formed on everyone's faces afterward. With the exception of Lyrica whose sporting a stoic face.

Shortly after that, Cardo begins to chug down his own honey bottle. And as he does, Magdalo looks at Lyrica and said:

"It seems like things didn't go easy for you back there. Are you all right?"

Lyrica appears to have gone through a hurdle, seeing her being covered in Wither Bees' bodily fluids and her clothing almost torn apart due to the Mother Bee's flurry of attacks, exposing her skin through all the tears.

"I'm all right." She answered nonchalantly. "I made sure to take one last sip before exiting the beehive. So right now, I'm in full health."

Though Magdalo and the others couldn't see it, Lyrica's character window shows that her HP is back to 100%.

Listener: Lyrica Ley Rael

Lv. 27

HP: 100%

MP: 74

'I'm all ready.' She thought to herself.

"That's cool, but I think you're gonna need to take a shower... And also a pair of new clothes." Said Magdalo.

Riko and the others somehow did not realize it until now, but thanks to the veteran knight's words, they all looked at Lyrica from head to toe. And sure enough, her torn clothes look revealing just a bit too much.

"You're right," She replied nonchalantly. "I can't show myself to the high commander looking like this."

"Right... Wait what?"

The knights tried to avert their gaze from the girl as casually and not as suspicious as possible. But as soon as they heard the last sentence that spilled out of her mouth, they cannot help but look at her in surprise.

"You guys look at me as if you can see through me with my torn clothes," Lyrica grunted in disgust. "Whatever, I'll see you guys in Riko's house."