Lionel's Point Of View

Once the situation turns in our favor I get a proper sense of what is going on. There's a small crawlspace between the ground and the glacier, just enough for someone to get through. Furthermore, there's a small tunnel at one side of the glacier where the enemy is fleeing through... slowly...

"Lord Tepet!" I look from the battlefield and over to the Celeste troops. As frustrated I am over their recklessness, I am also incredibly thankful. The glacier will give us a bit of time to rest. They'll need to use a lot of magic to turn that back into water or crush it. There's currently none with the specific mixture of blessings from water and wind faeries.

I step over to the exhausted group to prevent matters with who going to who, and look over the battered and bruised group. The knight from before bows stiffly, and I can see Lily staring at the guy through her helmet.

"Lord Tepet, we have all reached exhaustion, and do not have the strength to take Celeste-sama to the injured to heal them. We would be filled with gratitude if this could be arranged."

I look over the group again. At least one of them should have the energy to bring her there, but considering that multiple of them have passed out I won't argue. They're already busy checking their own injuries as well.

Lily looks to me.

"It would be greatly appreciated. To my regret I'm too exhausted to move."

Her words comes out calm and collected, as if the situation at the academy didn't happen... no, she's probably focused on the injured twenty or so guys from before... but... she can't move? A momentary rush of anger bursts through my body, but I swallow it bitterly. She was practically still in the same pose she took after cutting the officer down, so the little sprint from before must've tired her out... if we hadn't been there she would've been unable to defend herself. What would have been an awkward and uncertain reunion will have to be delayed.

I glance down to her mildly trembling legs and hold in a sigh. I can find no other reason for her to struggle to stand on her feet than pride.

Without wasting any further time I step up to her. Asher, her bodyguard, is one of those that passed out due. He's crumbled together at her feet snoring softly. He will wake up in a few hours.

"I may be a bit heavier than what you expect, since I am quite athletically muscular."

I nearly freeze for a moment as I hear her warning. There's no hint of sarcasm in her voice. Not shame either. She's actually appears to be a bit proud.

...

In a moment of nagging annoyance with her reckless behavior... and well learned manners I reply to her the following after picking her up over my shoulder:

"You are light. It will be fine."

I catch a glimpse of Rover that looks somewhat terrified at my words. Certainly, since she was indirectly bragging about her muscle weight, my words would be considered an insult, however calling a lady heavy is not acceptable. Not that Rover knows she's a lady.

Surprisingly she doesn't retort at me as I get a proper hold around her thighs, and I look to Damien briefly.

"Please guide the Celeste knights to their area."

With that I set into a light run towards the area for the injured.

Honestly, Lily might be heavier than your fine young lady, but compared to a man she was quite light. I had expected her to complain about being put over my shoulder, but she was... surprisingly calm.

—-*—-

The entire infirmary had been moved outside as we got there. I figure that the Celeste knights brought the news of Lily's arrival once they got there.

As I put Lily down, I almost fear she passed out as she didn't stand properly on her legs. Thankfully she grasps my arm and just sits down instead.

Once down she gets rid of the helmet, and from her lips flows poetry. A... prayer... I think. I've never seen Lily even close to interested in religion, so I always assumed she disliked it. The few times where we went to the cathedral in the royal palace, she always tried to get out of it. If she was forced inside she never spoke nor prayed along with us. However, if you listen close then you can hear why. Her prayer isn't to our god, but to water itself... and it answers.

The clouds pull together above us and from them drizzles a warm and... almost comforting rain. I take off my helmet as well and gaze up at the clouds above us, just soaking it in like the ground after a drought. The pain in my body from injuries and crushing blows fades under the gentle rain like it's washing it away... however... with it my stomach sinks... images of the people we have lost flashes through my mind, and yet... it feels like I can feel their hands on my back.

The rain stops after a short while. My clothes are a bit damp after the rain, but nothing that appears to affect it. I wipe my face off and then look down to Lily who is watching the nearby injured knights. They're still injured, but those that were about to die just a little while ago sit up slowly with groggy expression, as if they've seen heaven and returned... that distant and amazed expression on their faces.

One of the Celeste Knights gets up effortlessly and grabs his travel gear... I hadn't thought they brought it with them to the battlefield since none of the others had theirs... he heads off from the infirmary with his fire fairy in the shape of a bird and joins the rest of the exhausted knights coming back from the battlefield, slipping into the group fairly unnoticed.

I look back to Lily who watches the knight with... the same look she gives Gilbert. Whoever that knight is, she doesn't like him. Then again, for her to actually care enough to dislike him is a step in the right direction I'd say... hesitantly.

"Are you done?"

I glance to the injured around us, and everyone else that got enveloped in the rain. They look better, by much, but they're not fully healed. That said, it is more than we could ask for. Some of them even get up ready for battle once more.

"I've spent all the prayers I can use today. Pushing the gods' favors will cause death if they're even answered. Think of it as being out of mana... I'll be able to do more tomorrow..."

She adds the last part with a bit of hesitance. Likely because we have to fight again tomorrow, and she's considering the need to step onto the battlefield. Though, with the battle being as it is, I'd prefer that we use their offense carefully. They're valuable, but their endurance, and thus defense value is low. However, they'll be excellent at breaking the front enemy line. They're strong and fast, so the enemy won't know what hit them.

I shake off the thoughts of war and look her over. She's watching her injured knights carefully. More specifically, the couple of knights I'd noticed earlier. They're out of their plate armor, and you can see the two of them talking. Then laughing together. Mike, the most heavily injured one claps the shoulder of the other one with a big grin on his face before wincing in pain and falling over. His injuries aren't fully healed.

I glance back to Lily, and see something I haven't seen before. A hidden, but sincere smile. She's smiling at their behavior.

This maniac probably went wild on the battlefield in rage over having them injured too. I nearly sigh with relief, and the frustration from before lessens, if only a little. I'm stuck between being happy to see her making ties with people, but angry she nearly got herself killed as well.

"... If there is nothing more here, I would like to... talk with you about something."

This does include scolding her for her reckless behavior, but there's something else as well. This wasn't how I imagined we'd meet again after the... incident... but I'm relieved. She appears to be doing okay.

She pulls her eyes off the knights, takes a couple of breaths to consider my request. I can't blame her for the hesitance after what happened last time.

"Very well."

Before I can offer to carry her again she gets up on shaky legs and picks up her helmet. The trip inside seems long since we have to take off the armor as well, but eventually we get inside to a small meeting room where I close the door behind us for privacy.

...Lily looks at the door disapprovingly, but she will be happy I kept it closed.

I take a small breath and watch her closely. The woman in front of me is not really Lily. I want to keep that in mind as I continue. This is a gesture for my own failure.

"I wanted to apologize properly for the incident at the academy, and the attitude I showed up until then. No matter my anger or frustration, I should have worded it more carefully if at all."

Her eyes drift to the side at my words, and her lips curl into a deep frown... then nods.

"I accept your apology, however, I too will have to ask for forgiveness. Had I not behaved unbecomingly the situation would not have progressed thus far. Though, neither would I have been fo-... neither would I have had to face the past." She corrects herself halfway, but looks me in the eyes as she speaks. She doesn't sound bitter or hateful as I expected she would either.

"You're forgiven," I reply back.

It's... awkward.

The conversation drifted to a halt as I prepare for the next part. More so than the apology, I am worried what reaction she will give. Despite knowing her for eight years, I've never actually talked with her about such... intimate matters...

I pull a small stone pendant from my clothes and hold it out to her. It's placed on a thin metal chain so it won't be broken easily as well... but more importantly...

"This... may just be my assumptions speaking... but you don't seem to have a memoir of them... your former unit. You don't pray to the god and don't wear religious regalia either... and the battle doesn't seem to have happened near here... so I thought you'd need something to have them close to you. It's... a protective charm. It may be able to block a small magic attack just once... I was hoping you'd accept it to make amends for my behavior."

I respect the person in front of me. She may be reckless, grouchy, prideful, and ignorant to her own suffering. However, she's a fellow commander... I can't help but to make an extra condition.

"Just promise you won't do something as reckless as you did today."

Her eyes have rounded. She's looking confused, puzzled and like she never expected I would do something like this... just what kind of person did she think I was?

She looks at the pendant and then her eyebrows crumble into a frown and her eyes get glossy.

She looks back at me, then back at the pendant.

"With how aggressively you were approaching, the best choice was to scare the life out of them," she argues back confidently... pridefully even. She's clearly gritting her teeth while looking at the medallion... I can't hold back a sigh.

"Your weapon broke," I argue back at her. A wave of clear annoyance washes over her face.

"Your weapons are unbalanced. The gods don't bless them so they are not as sharp as they should be, they cannot even cut through armor. I blame the lack of elemental swordsmiths for the b- qualities of the weapons. I had no choice but to summon a sword myself."

...

We are getting off subject, but there is so much wrong with the words she just spoke that shudders go through my body. I try to shake it off. Let's just shake off the image of warriors that can outrun horses, cut both the horse and the rider in half. Shield and all...

I move forward and gently take her hand instead, where I place the pendant.

"They'll wish you to live Lily-... no... whatever your name was before. Give them the chance to watch over you as you lead a good life, and as Lily, live that good life with the people you have around you now."

I've though of this part of a possible conversation multiple times. I've tried to formulate the words to her properly multiple times. I just hope it comes across.

She look somewhat flustered and tense, but she holds the pendant tightly. I move my hand away and watch her somber expression for a while. Then pulls her hand closer and begins observing it. Not critically, but calmly. Then looks up at me with a small trembling and tear filled smile I never thought I'd see from this prideful person.

"Thank you, Lionel."