Chapter 210

The examination of Carsein and looking into his inner world had ended.

Now, all that was left for Talpon and the Rilfetten was to settle their past debts and willingly enter into diplomacy with the Lord of Shatren.

Though he couldn’t immediately return to Shatren given how thoroughly exhausted he was after the battle, once Talpon woke up, he planned to inform him right away and move at the desired time.

However, as of now, one day later, it wasn’t Talpon who came looking for him but Harnier instead.

“Isn’t Carsein still not awake?”

“Yes…”

Nodding her head nervously, Harnier replied.

“I’ve been watching his condition since he lay down in bed, but even when I woke up, Carsein hadn’t woken up either.”

“Hmm… It doesn’t seem to be such a serious injury.”

Both of them had fought with all their might, so there were cuts and fragments that caused wounds. Apart from that, the effects of sword qi veering off or clothes tearing and grazing the skin could be seen scattered across their bodies.

However, if asked if they were severely injured, the answer would be no.

This was something Talpon, who had crossed swords with Carsein, knew very well.

Even though various injuries were scattered across his body, it wasn’t enough to make him sleep for an entire day. In fact, the one defeated, himself, was still able to move quite normally.

Still.

“I should check just in case.”

There was no reason to doubt what Harnier, his fiancée, said.

After all, she had been the one monitoring his condition all along.

Talpon promised that he would ride out and move if he deemed Carsein’s condition dangerous, and headed towards Carsein’s room where he was sleeping.

Upon opening the door and entering, there were no signs of movement like Harnier had mentioned.

However, the cause could be guessed.

“Harnier, you said you’re Carsein’s fiancée, right?”

“Yes?”

“If you’re a fiancée, you’d be close to him often. So, let me ask you this: Has this guy ever suffered from Defeshan Syndrome?”

“How did you know about that…?”

“Hmm. So it was true.”

It had seemed odd that despite possessing mana, it wasn’t properly manifesting or awakening late.

“And what method did you use to adapt to the eroded land in the West?”

“I brewed herbal decoctions for him to drink.”

“Herbal decoctions, huh? Then if there was accumulated fatigue, it would have been completely resolved then. What happened after that?”

“He fell asleep today. Just like this, and slept deeply…”

As expected.

Those who had lived in the West for a long time had adapted, so there weren’t major issues. However, the eroded lands of the West generally affected humans as well.

Therefore, measures must be taken to resist erosion and prevent mana from being consumed, but it turned out Carsein’s constitution was the bottleneck.

But it didn’t seem to end there.

“But it wasn’t just the resolution of fatigue. Carsein’s whole body felt cold.”

“What? That, could it be…!”

“Yes. The aftereffects of Defeshan Syndrome appeared.”

Defeshan Syndrome’s aftereffects.

“Just a unique constitution, not an extremely rare one.”

Generally, when measures are taken to resist erosion in the West, the body naturally develops defense mechanisms. One such mechanism is the resistance to erosion that arises with rest.

These reactions might include feeling tired, inducing sleep, and losing strength, among others, but…

If the disease itself appears, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“Then, the aftereffects will appear again this time too.”

“What?”

“When I entered the room, mana was leaking out. It seems his constitution has weakened, and his resistance to erosion is fading, causing mana to consume again.”

“So, what should we do?”

“When Carsein first experienced this illness, you took appropriate measures while feeding him herbal decoctions, right?”

“…Appropriate measures?”

That was true, but…

“Originally, it would have been difficult, but since you’re his fiancée, it shouldn’t be much of a problem. Well, it’s not difficult. You just need to take the same measures as you did at first. The important thing is the initial target.”

“…”

Harnier, who had been silent, held her skirt slightly and asked timidly.

“Uhm, isn’t there another way…?”

“There isn’t.”

“Really… there isn’t?”

“Yes. Given his constitution, Carsein can’t shake off Defeshan Syndrome by himself. Moreover, in this case, recovery is impossible unless the person who helped during the first illness is involved.”

At those words, Harnier flinched.

“Hmm. Mana is leaking out more now. If this continues, the aftereffects from before will come back soon. It’s best to act preemptively at this time. Let’s do it quickly.”

“Ahh…”

“Hmm? Why are you acting like this? Didn’t you rush here because you were worried about your fiancé?”

“It’s not that, ugh…!”

There’s a very important reason.

Something too embarrassing to even mention!

“Ah, don’t worry. Remember, it’s crucial that it’s as similar as possible to the first time. Keep that in mind. All symptoms from the initial to the present should match.”

Unaware of Harnier’s feelings, Talpon responded casually and left, causing Harnier’s face to flush red.

‘Why does this have to happen here?’

She understood the importance of acting early.

But saying it’s nothing like that is misleading.

Again, just like before.

She’d have to hold him naked!

Harnier’s face turned even redder.

But… she had to.

-Klack.

She locked the door and drew the curtains.

With this, only she and Carsein were in the room. There were no eyes watching.

-Swish.

She undressed, starting with her outer clothes, revealing her shoulders to her waist.

“Ugh…”

Shame surged as she realized she had to do this again.

Her blushing face turned even redder, spreading across her cheeks.

Later, when Carsein wakes up, she’ll have to tell him about this.

And she’ll have to say it herself…

“Eee! It’s not about that now!”

Waving her flushed face, Harnier thought.

Back then, it was different. Now, she needs to focus on Carsein’s recovery.

“Undergarments…”

Talpon said it was important to do it as similarly as possible to the first time.

So, this means…

She had to take them off.

Finally, stripping off her last piece of clothing, she stood naked.

Her pale skin fully exposed, she slowly approached Carsein’s bed, glancing furtively.

He wouldn’t wake up now anyway.

With a strange worry about whether she was showing too much, she covered her chest with one hand and moved hesitantly.

Before she knew it, she was right next to Carsein’s bed.

“…It was said to be as similar as possible to the first time, right?”

Slowly lifting the blanket…

She wrapped her body around his. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and her skin made full contact with his.

Embarrassed to the point of madness, but it was exactly like this back then.

She just needed to wait until Carsein recovered.

-Thump. Thump.

Oh, her heart started pounding wildly again.

If he woke up now, it would be a disaster.

But why?

She felt both embarrassed and somewhat relieved.

She couldn’t understand these mixed feelings.

Harnier fell asleep just like she did during their previous night together with Carsein.

***

‘That Defeshan Syndrome.’

Talpon crossed his arms and pondered.

In the deeply eroded lands of the West, various diseases often arise as people adapt. Defeshan Syndrome is one of those diseases, and it’s not common.

On the other hand, those who adapt to erosion in the West usually don’t suffer from such illnesses.

This point gave Talpon confidence.

“No big deal. You hurried to find me and sent such an urgent message.”

Pollox came to see Talpon, who was waiting.

When Pollox extended his fist, Talpon returned the gesture, maintaining their usual West greeting.

There was no need for unnecessary preliminaries.

Pollox was the one who brought Claire to change Talpon’s mind, so the question was already known.

“So, how was it when you met?”

Naturally, it was about Carsein.

Talpon shook his head first.

“My stubbornness was strong. Your words and that man Nui’s request were valid, but meeting him directly revealed misunderstandings on my side as well.”

“Huh. As expected. You had sufficient qualifications.”

“Yeah. To single-handedly catch the Scorpion King. Tsk. That’s a crazy act even the Rilfetten wouldn’t do.”

“What? Haha!”

Pollox laughed happily.

“So, what about Carsein?”

“Well, we decided to establish diplomatic relations. For now, he needs some rest.”

“Rest?”

“After our duel, he collapsed from exhaustion and slept for a whole day. Upon checking, it turned out his constitution was poor, suffering from Defeshan Syndrome at stage three or higher.”

Pollox’s expression stiffened slightly.

“Hey, isn’t that dangerous? From stage three onwards…”

“Yeah. From stage three, help from others is needed, but only the mana of the first person who shares mana is effective. If it’s not the same person, recovery won’t occur, and the illness will continue, leading to death. But there’s no need to worry.”

“Oh, I see.”

Since the first person was Harnier, his fiancée.

There was almost no risk of the two separating.

“That’s settled then. Hehe. They really should stick together.”

“In any case, we’ve decided to establish diplomatic relations. Starting tomorrow, I think we’ll move to Shatren and travel with him.”

“What? Talpon, you came all the way here just to tell me that?”

Pollox rubbed his chin and smiled with a helpless look.

“No. That’s not the news I came to deliver. Pollox.”

“Hmm?”

“Firstly, there was a peculiar smell about that guy.”

At the mention of a smell, Pollox’s expression turned serious again.

The Rilfetten’s sense of smell.

It clearly meant he sensed the scent of Carsein’s mana.

“What kind of smell was it?”

“In the duel with Carsein, a sense of intense loneliness and pain overwhelmed me. But strangely, I couldn’t feel anything beyond that.”

“…Yeah. That boy felt like being trapped in a vast glacier, a chilling sensation.”

“You also fought him, huh?”

“Right.”

Having fought him in the West, he remembered it.

Perhaps, the Ipheros people were better at judging someone by fighting than the Rilfetten, who relied on smelling mana. They obtained all information through combat, having powerful tactile senses.

“Carsein is deteriorating. Losing emotions and being captured by the monster called rationality.”

“Hmm. Not feeling other emotions after loneliness and pain is like that.”

“If left unchecked, it could be dangerous, but it seems his fiancée will handle it.”

“Mm.”

Indeed.

Being beside him, the rationality, might awaken the most intense emotion they haven’t yet understood. At first glance, the two seemed to be a perfect pair.

“Yeah. Then, I have to tell you the second thing.”

“…What is it?”

“The scent of the Kingdom of Wederos is unmistakable. However, oddly enough, this guy has Defeshan Syndrome.”

“! Indeed. Definitely…”

“In the West, people don’t get Defeshan Syndrome. It’s only possible for Imperials. For someone from the Kingdom of Wederos to have Defeshan Syndrome is contradictory.”

What does this mean?

Actually, this is what Talpon wanted to say.

“This guy smells like a foreigner. Like the prophet I once encountered.”