Chapter 13 The Hunt Part 6

Ar carefully sat Clau down on the plush sofa, now stained with a mixture of dirt, dust, and blood. Their bodies still bore the marks of battle, but the young Kaelith was oblivious to this. There was no sign of displeasure on his face, as if the dirt staining his expensive furniture was nothing compared to Clau's condition.

"The Healing Channeler is still quite far from here," the young man said calmly. "The poison may spread further and reach the heart. If that happens, the situation will be much more dangerous."

Ar tensed. It wasn't something he wasn't already aware of, but hearing it from someone else made him even more uncomfortable.

"But don't worry," the young man continued, his eyes shining with conviction. "I can heal your sister."

Ar remained silent, simply watching warily as the young man held out his hands. Greenish light began to gather around his palms, forming tiny particles that then enveloped Clau's blackened wrist.

It wasn't Essential Healing.

Ar recognized the pattern of the light particles; it wasn't a simple healing ability, but something more complex. A time warp.

The Kaelith youth wasn't regenerating damaged tissue, but rather returning Clau's hand to the state it had been in before the poisoning.

In an instant, a drastic change occurred.

The pitch black that had eaten away at Clau's skin disappeared, the stench of dead flesh vanished, and his brother's wrist returned to its original state, as if it had never been injured in the first place. Clau's previously pale face now looked fresher, his breathing was more steady, and his body stopped shaking.

But while Clau was regaining his health, the young man Kaelith was losing his strength.

Ar could see sweat trickling down Kaelith's temples, and the young man's body seemed a little unsteady as he tried to stand. Before he could completely lose his balance, the bespectacled man formerly known as Simon grabbed hold of the young man's body.

"Young master, you have used too much of your Essential Energy." The guard's voice was firm, but not judgmental. "You should not exert yourself."

"I'm fine."

The answer sounded easy, but Ar could not ignore that the young man looked paler than before.

Ar remained silent.

He said nothing, not even a word of thanks.

He just watched as the young man was helped to Kaelith's feet and carried by the bespectacled man to a room in the large tent.

Not long after that, the bespectacled man came out of the room and approached Ar.

Instinctively, Ar lowered his guard. So far he had seen too many times how the Kaelith treated Ethel like him, looked down on, insulted, considered nothing more than the scum of society. He was prepared if this man showed the same attitude.

But his prediction was wrong.

Without a tone of condescension or arrogance, the man instead held out a tray of food and drink.

"You should rest for a while," he said calmly. "Besides, the young master is resting."

There were no more words after that. After handing over the tray, the bespectacled man left, leaving Ar and Clau alone in this large, luxurious tent.

Ar stood still in his place, looking at the food on the tray, as if looking for an excuse to refuse it. But Clau had already taken a piece of bread with soft-looking peanut butter and bit into it greedily.

"Brother, the Kaelith youth were very kind." Clau smiled slightly between bites. "They are different from the Kaelith we often see."

Ar only replied with a faint smile without answering.

Not because he disagreed with Clau, but because he did not know what to say.

Until now, he had been accustomed to receiving warm and sincere treatment from humans, but only from the residents of the Floressia district, from Mother at the orphanage, and from his fellow Ethels who lived in poverty. But from a Kaelith? That was something foreign to him.

But the young man... and the people around him... they were different.

There was no insult, no condescending look, no arrogant tone. Even Clau, who was usually wary of everyone, looked much more at ease here. As if there was no fear left in him.

"So what about our next plan?" Clau asked, his voice calmer now.

Ar looked away from the tray and looked at his brother.

"Don't worry, Clau," he said firmly. "Our plan is still on track, including the possibility of Baron Bartemus returning to the Floressia District."

***

It had been nearly half an hour since Ar and Clau had rested at Kaelith's campsite. The sun was now at its peak, indicating that midday had reached its highest point.

Ar knew he couldn't stay here much longer. He still hadn't caught any prey, and without it he wouldn't be able to sell anything at the market.

Fear began to creep into his mind. Hunting without a permit in a forest like this was very risky. If they were caught, the punishment from Kaelith could be very severe. But there was no other choice. He had to return to the forest and finish what he had started.

With determination, Ar finally decided to say goodbye.

Before leaving, he turned to Kaelith, the young man who had saved them and treated Clau. This time, without any hesitation, without any resentment, he expressed his gratitude sincerely.

"Thank you for saving us and healing my little sister."

The young man looked at Kaelith with a friendly smile. "It's okay. It is Kaelith's duty to help and assist anyone in need, including comforting Ethel's people." The young man's tone was so light, so natural, as if there was no burden or falsehood in his words. Then the young man stepped closer and looked at Ar with a warm gaze. "By way of introduction. My name is Alexander Arthur Casterwyn. Nice to meet you."

Ar was silent for a moment. He blinked a few times, as if to make sure he had not misheard. That name... Casterwyn, was a fairly well-known family name among the Kaelith.

But for some reason, instead of feeling embarrassed or intimidated, Ar found himself smiling a little. A smile that rarely appeared in the presence of a Kaelith.

After saying goodbye, Ar and Clau finally continued their journey, leaving the Casterwyn family camp.

Their journey felt calmer this time. There were no disturbances or obstacles like before. In fact, the forest around them seemed more alive than before. Ar could hear the sound of insects filling the air, as well as the chirping of birds flying between the tall trees.

When they reached a more open area, Ar suddenly raised his hand and signaled for Clau to stop.

"Over there," he whispered, his eyes keenly observing something.

Under an old tree with thick branches, two fat squirrels could be seen climbing a low branch. They were busy chewing on seeds, completely unaware of Ar and Clau lurking in the distance.

Ar slipped his hand into his holster and whispered softly, "Take the one on the left. I'll take care of the one on the right."

With calm and controlled movements, he drew his sword from its sheath and prepared to hunt.

Clau nodded slowly, then reached for his sharp dagger. She held her breath, his body began to emit a faint bluish flash, which was the Lightning Essence. With rapidly increasing speed, she flew away without a sound, leaving the squirrels unaware.

In an instant, the blade of his dagger was perfectly embedded in the body of a squirrel. The small animal fell from the branch, dead instantly.

"Good," Ar muttered, his eyes following the movements of his twin sister. Then he jumped to the nearest tree, his movements agile and measured. With a quick swing, his sword sliced through the second squirrel. The tiny body crashed to the ground without having time to make a sound.

Ar slowly lowered his body and picked up the two squirrels that were now lying still. He put the results of his hunt into the bag that Clau had brought.

But just as he was about to continue his journey, Ar's gaze fell on something in front of them and his steps stopped.

Something was strange.

Behind the shadows of the trees, an animal seemed to stand still. Its shape resembled a mouse deer, but there was something unnatural about it. The creature's body radiated a blinding white light, as if inviting anyone to come closer. A pair of glittering red eyes stared at them, shining like piercing jewels.