Huh?

Warmth was the first thing Lionel felt. His body felt heavy and sore. When he tried to move, his fingers twitched weakly instead.

Slowly, his eyelids fluttered open, but he closed them again right away. The light was too bright for his vision. He groaned softly and turned his head to the side.

What... happened?

Lionel’s thoughts were messy, so he tried to piece everything back together. He recalled the forest, the monster, his power, and all the shouting.

Right!

His eyes opened wider this time. He sucked in a sharp breath and tried to sit up, only for a hand to gently push him back down.

"My lord! Don’t move yet!" A loud voice from a panicking woman exclaimed out loud.

Before Lionel could even process it, several figures rushed into his view. Familiar faces greeted him, and all of them had the same expression on their faces—they were pale and looked scared.

"My lord, you got us so worried!" Diana, who was on his side, suddenly knelt so they could be at the same height. Her hands hovered over his shoulders, unsure whether to touch him or not.

"The knights said you suddenly collapsed! Do you have any idea how scared we were?"

"Diana?" Lionel, who was still in a daze, blinked at her.

"Yes, my lord?" she asked quickly in fear that Lionel was feeling something wrong. "Are you in pain? Oh no, please do not move. Maids! Go fetch some water for our young master!"

The moment Diana shouted, the others hurriedly moved.

"Yes, Diana!"

"Bring water, hurry!"

"Bring clean clothes too!"

The three other maids rushed out as they do everything in just a few seconds. Lionel watched all of it in silence. He let out a slow sigh and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

He was getting overwhelmed by what they were doing. However, based on their reaction, he realized he must have been out for a few hours.

Lionel opened his eyes again and turned his head slightly toward Diana.

"Diana," he called out her name. "How long has it been since I passed out?"

Diana froze at that question. She slowly frowned as she looked at him, her lips parting in hesitation.

"My lord...." she said carefully.

"What?"

"It has already been a day," Diana replied.

"A day?" For a moment, Lionel’s mind went blank.

"But what about the ceremony?" he asked quickly. "And the others?"

Diana let out a tired sigh, her shoulders finally relaxing a little.

"The academy decided to move the ceremony to tomorrow," she explained. "They already informed everyone’s family that we will extend here for one more day."

"They wanted to give the students time to rest after what happened yesterday. The knights are already monitoring the area, and some are investigating the incident."

"They said everything will be explained during the ceremony tomorrow. For now, everyone has been told to stay in their tents and wait for the signal."

Lionel looked at Diana and slowly nodded.

"I see..." he murmured.

Just then, the maids arrived back.

"My lord, the water!" a maid said as she hurried in, holding a cup with both hands.

Another maid followed, carrying clean cloth and fresh clothes. They moved carefully, as if afraid that even their footsteps might hurt him.

Diana took the cup and gently helped Lionel sit up a little. She supported his back with one arm.

"Slowly," she said. "Drink bit by bit."

Lionel nodded and took the cup. His hands were still weak, but he managed to bring the cup closer to his lips. The cool water soothed his dry throat. He drank quickly before letting out a small sigh of relief afterward.

As he lowered the cup, his eyes drifted to his hand.

Huh?

His fingers stiffened when he realized that something was missing.

Oh shit. Where is it?

Lionel’s gaze locked onto his bare finger. The ring on his finger was gone! He forgot to put it back on!

"Diana," Lionel quickly turned to the side, "Did you see a ring? I was wearing one yesterday. The gold ring."

Diana blinked, then paused. Her eyes widened slightly, as if something clicked in her mind.

"A ring..." she murmured. "Ah!"

She stood up at once and walked to the side. After a moment, she returned with something in her palm. She held it out to him.

"Lord Rufus handed this to me after they brought you back," Diana said. "He said he found it beside you. He told me to keep it safe until you woke up."

Damn...

Relief washed over him all at once as he saw his ring.

"Thank goodness," he muttered under his breath.

He took the ring carefully and slipped it back onto his finger.

Fortunately, I didn’t lose it, he sighed. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if he ever lost the precious ring.

After giving him water, the maids stayed close to him. One wiped the sweat from Lionel’s temple. Another adjusted the blanket around him. Someone also gently checked the bandages on his forehead.

Diana stayed on Lionel’s side throughout the time.

"Please rest a little more, my lord," she said softly. "Your body is still weak. The doctor said you sustained some wounds and had to rest."

Lionel let out a small breath. He smiled and nodded.

"I know," he paused and looked around. "By the way, where are Rylan and Eiden? I have something to say to them."

Lionel remembered the sachet he found. He should quickly instruct Rylan and Eiden to find those.

Shit... he could only hope that no one saw it first.

"Oh, when the news spread yesterday, all the knights brought by the nobles were mobilized," she explained. "They were led by the general that the Lord Cassian brought with him. Everyone was given tasks right away."

She clasped her hands together.

"Sir Rylan and Sir Eiden were ordered to guard the camp first. That is why they could not come to you immediately, my lord. Later on, they were also sent out with the others to search the area."

"Search?" Lionel repeated.

"Yes," Diana nodded. "Right now, they are burning the remains and bones left behind by the monsters. They also captured the wolf that suddenly changed. They want to understand what truly happened out there."

"I see..."

"They should be back soon," Diana added. "They were already informed that you had woken up. They must be on the wa—"

And as if on cue, loud hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent.

"My lord!"

The tent’s opening was pulled open, and the two knights rushed in. Beads of sweat run on the temples of their foreheads. It was obvious how they rushed into Lionel.

"My lord!" Rylan said loudly, dropping to one knee. "You’re awake!"

"We’re glad that you’re awake!"

"It—"

But before Lionel could even respond, Eident stepped forward, his face was tensed with urgency.

"My lord, we’re here to report to you that we found something!"