Devotion

"Ugh…"

Lady Anatia swayed and nearly collapsed.

I hurried to catch her.

"Anatia-san!"

I couldn't see any injuries, but her complexion was poor.

Had she been in this annex? I was impressed she was unharmed.

She must have been protected by the power of the Anti-Magic Orb.

"Elza. Please tend to her."

"Understood."

I entrusted her to Elza, a priestess, for treatment.

After receiving a healing miracle, her complexion improved somewhat.

"Thank you. I feel a bit better now."

"It appears to be temporary shock from psychological trauma. You have no external injuries, so you should be fine."

"I was asleep when suddenly my room blew up, so I was startled. Something was coming right at me, but this thing saved me somehow. When Father gave it to me, I thought he was worrying too much…"

"I'm glad the Anti-Magic Orb I gave you proved useful so quickly."

I seized the chance to earn some goodwill.

But if the Anti-Magic Orb blocked it, then those really were spells after all.

Honestly, I still can't believe it. I'd be more convinced if someone told me it was a natural disaster.

Because if it was man-made, I would have to live in fear of it.

Lady Anatia nodded at my words, then stood up again with Elza's help.

I couldn't very well let her stay in that tattered negligee.

When I took off my cloak and handed it to her, she finally noticed the state she was in and turned bright red as she hurriedly put it on.

"So what happened? I saw a meteor fall here and rushed over."

"I don't know exactly either. Tianis asked me to stay overnight, so my attendants had left. Oh…"

No wonder the maids who were always standing by nearby weren't here.

If they had been here, they wouldn't have left Lady Anatia like this.

Lady Anatia turned her gaze toward the rubble-filled room.

"That child's room!"

And she screamed.

It seemed this room belonged to Princess Tianis.

"Please, Yohane-san. Please save her…"

She looked at me with pleading eyes. I nodded. That's what I came here to do.

But it hardly seemed possible anyone could have survived this.

Still, we should confirm.

Leaving Lady Anatia in Elza and Finn's care, I entered the room with the others.

What must have been a magnificent room had been reduced to ruins.

The furniture was destroyed, the carpet had burned away, and the stone walls that should have been sturdy were gone.

The ceiling in the central area must have collapsed. Rubble was piled high, and if anyone was here, it had to be under there.

"Let's move the rubble. Help me out."

Everyone nodded at my instruction, and just as we were about to reach for the rubble.

A foot burst out from within the rubble.

It immediately withdrew, and through the gap created by the kick, a hand reached out.

I understood that someone was trying to crawl out.

But the gap was too small.

We hurriedly cleared the surrounding rubble to widen the gap.

Then someone grabbed my arm.

"Eek!"

I screamed in terror. It was covered in blood. But if this hand was asking for help, I couldn't shake it off.

I swallowed hard and pulled on the hand that gripped me.

When Azu and Alexia joined in, the force suddenly strengthened and we could see up to the shoulder.

It seemed the person was holding something in their other arm.

"Hang in there. We'll get you out soon!"

I called out to encourage them.

Perhaps they heard, as they gripped back strongly.

Orleans brought over a stick she found nearby and inserted it into the gap, putting her weight on it to push down.

The gap temporarily widened, and at that moment we pulled them out all at once.

It was Lady Kanon, Princess Tianis's aide.

She was covered in blood from head to toe and severely injured, but she was breathing.

I was impressed she had that much strength in this condition.

… Beyond just the rubble injuries, her frostbite was severe too.

She couldn't have gotten like this unless she'd forcibly used magic to counter the meteor's heat.

What she had been carefully holding was Princess Tianis.

The moment Kanon emerged from the rubble, her strength gave out and I could see the princess.

Princess Tianis was unconscious, but without a single injury.

Kanon must have shielded her with her own body. Honestly, I didn't like the woman, but I had to admire her spirit.

Even if she served the princess, not everyone could literally risk their life to save another.

"The princess…"

"Princess Tianis is safe. Don't worry. We'll treat you right away too."

"I'm fine… Please, the princess first…"

She passed out after saying that much.

It seemed she had maintained consciousness purely through her determination to save Princess Tianis.

With injuries and frostbite this severe, she wouldn't last long.

"Elza! There's one critical patient here. I need you to treat her again."

"Yes, yes. My turn, I see. Wow, this is bad. It's amazing she's still alive."

Kanon's body had several pieces of rubble embedded in it, and the bleeding was severe.

Elza immediately began treatment.

The healing miracle saved her life right away, but there were still fragments to remove.

She proceeded carefully but precisely, with help from Orleans and Azu.

We had few supplies for treatment in our tool bags, but we had some.

We'd almost used everything up returning from the adventure, but we still had bandages.

And alcohol too.

"The bleeding is bad. At this rate… Can you bite on this?"

Elza pulled out a leaf from her pocket and forcibly stuffed it into Kanon's mouth.

Kanon reflexively tried to spit it out, but Elza mercilessly pushed it in.

Her mouth moved. It seemed she still had the strength to chew.

"What is that?"

"It's an epimedium leaf. The really strong kind used as a tonic, but it works well."

"She's making an awful face though…"

"Good medicine tastes bitter, they say. But don't worry. If she can swallow this, she'll survive."

"I hope so."

Honestly, she's someone who's had it out for me and I don't particularly like her, but having her die in front of me would give me bad dreams.

"How is Princess Tianis?"

"Surprisingly, she's just sleeping. She should wake up in a bit."

"Bold, or something…"

I felt relieved.

Lady Anatia had recovered enough to come over to us.

She paled again at Kanon's condition, but seemed relieved when she understood that Elza's treatment meant her life wasn't in danger.

Then she gently took Princess Tianis's hand.

Things had been touch and go for a while, but I was glad it worked out.