Chapter 6
Nazarick, 8th Floor, Cherry Blossom Sanctuary
"Momonga."
"Momonga. Momonga."
"Hello?" Momonga paused. "Apologies, it took me a while to sort things out. Everything is ready now."
"Alright, here goes nothing."
For the first time in what seemed like centuries to Ainz, the Gates at the Ends of the World was activated. The Sakura leaves swirled around the courtyard as one of the Torii gates at the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary opened up a rectangular portal with special effects that made the teleportation spell [Gate] look like child's play.
Punitto Moe stepped out of the portal, fully equipped in her signature gearset. A bulky white-and-blue mecha plate-armour with blue wings that covered her head to toe, holding a a long musket rifle decorated with gold in her right arm.
"AH MOMONGA." The voice echoed with a synthetic tone. "IT'S BEEN YEARS, BUT YOU'VE NOT CHANGED AT ALL."
Beside her, another figure exited the portal, smaller and leaner, but equipped with a similar gearset. Hers had a black-and-white motif.
"Punitto Moe. It's been a while." Momonga commented, signalling his left hand to Aureole Omega that everything was under control.
"I'M ACTually glad." Punitto Moe unequipped her helmet, smiling towards Ainz (aka Momonga). "Satoru."
Ainz's eyes lit up upon hearing his previous-life name, before the emotional suppressor dampened down it as it always had. She looked genuinely happy to see him, but he was slightly conflicted that he wasn't able to react with a similar excitement.
"You're welcome to stay in Nazarick anytime Arisu." Momonga, having butchered the pronunciation of 'Alice', looked at the blindfolded shrine maiden. "Aureole Omega, you may return to your normal duties."
The maiden nodded and silently walked back to her post, though Ainz noticed her lips slightly upturning. Perhaps she was happy to see a former AOG member.
It was a good sign that the rest of the NPC would react positively to the return of a supreme being, but Ainz was not sure, especially after what he heard from some of the NPCs like Albedo. The presence of an internal rebellion cannot be 100% eliminated. Before this meeting, he had made it clear that the restriction to the 8th floor is absolute, and nobody is to enter or exit it.
To add on to the secrecy of this meeting, Ainz had only entrusted 2 NPCs with this knowledge – Aureole Omega and Victim. This was what Ainz and Punitto Moe had agreed to keep everything hushed.
Also, no other NPC in the 8th floor, aside from Aureole Omega, was to be within the visual range of the Cherry Blossom Sanctuary. He had intentionally generated sandstorms within the borders of the region to prevent any spies catching up onto Punitto's visit.
As they walked through the courtyard without saying another word, Punitto Moe waved at her bodyguard to wait outside as a watchguard. Unequipping her bulky armour and storing it in her inventory space, which she magically opened and closed in thin air, Punitto stepped into a traditional Japanese Minka house, with tatami flooring and paper walls, followed by Ainz.
"[Wall of Silence]." Ainz cast a spell, creating a spherical area of influence where conversations/words inside the room are absolutely inaudible to listeners outside of it.
"Now we can start talking." Ainz said. "First of all, tell me everything that happened to you."
"Given what you've told me about other political powers existing such as the Slane Theocracy and this Re-Estize Kingdom, It's fortunate that we've arrived to this 'New World' as you call it, together, and with our respective guild base."
Alice (aka Punitto Moe) occupied herself with the hot cup of freshly brewed green tea in a porcelain cup as the conversation carried on.
"There's something you should know. Of course, I didn't know you were online until you contacted me, but right after I transported to this new world, I checked the status of players in the guild and discovered 2 green names in Ainz Ooal Gown."
"Yamaiko and Nishikienrai." Ainz paused, and looked towards Alice with a serious expression. "I have contacted them through [Message] just like you, but I have yet to hear back from them. The last time I checked today, they were still online."
"We have to find them! God knows what they are currently going through. Without their main PVP gears, they wouldn't be fighting at full strength if they were to be mugged or attacked."
"Yes, but we have to be careful. Are they really still alive? Are they the Yamaiko and Nishikienrai that we know?" Ainz philosophically asked Alice, to which she couldn't really refute.
"Exactly. The moment I heard your voice in [Message], I knew it was you, Alice. The tone of voice, the speech mannerism, there was no doubt about it. Plus, I've met you in real life."
"Hmm, I am sure you're still making efforts to find them. Do you have a plan in mind?" inquired Alice.
"To be honest, I haven't thought about it that far ahead."
"I see… You're right, it's futile to think about it for now, given they could be anywhere." Alice poured another cup of green tea for herself. "I was led to believe, by my NPCs who did aerial reconnaissance, that the actual size of this new world is multiple times larger than planet Earth."
"By my calculations, it is likely that this new world is at least 10 times larger than Earth." Alice said. "Let me demonstrate. If this is our old world, then this is how big the new world is."
"Umu. I didn't know it was that large." Ainz, who was having a hard time imagining this concept, since he'd only graduated elementary school, was taken aback by the sheer size of the second metallic ball that Alice held in her second hand, compared to the first.
"I'll leave the task to you then. Spreading the name of Ainz Ooal Gown should be more than enough."
It's been several hours, almost a day since Ainz had left Albedo's side to attend to some important matters in the 8th Floor. She was feeling quite nervous. She had tried contacting Aureole Omega as to Ainz-sama's whereabouts, but was only told that it was confidential.
What could Ainz-sama be doing that required such length of time?
No. It's wrong for her to doubt the supreme being's decisions. If she could barely comprehend Ainz-sama's words, how could she expect herself to understand his infinitely complex thoughts?
"Albedo. Ainz-sama has returned from the 8th floor." Demiurge said.
Albedo, upon hearing it, jumped out of the blanket sheets of her beloved's bed and hurried to his office at the 9th floor. As Albedo entered, she saw Ainz busy sorting out stacks of paper documents once more.
"Albedo, thank you for coming." Albedo's heart throbbed upon hearing Ainz-sama's comforting words.
"I would like you to read these documents and give me your opinion."
"Of course, Ainz-sama." Albedo picked up the papers and twitched for a split second. The paper had traces of a perfume scent that Albedo was unfamiliar with. Moreover, she could smell the same scent coming from Ainz-sama's robes.
Someone managed to touch these papers before Albedo. For someone to be so close to Ainz-sama, was unacceptable. Was it espionage?
"Ainz-sama, if this humble servant may ask, has anyone else read through these documents?"
"Hm? No, just me, why?" Ainz replied with a voice that seemed to Albedo as if he was displeased.
"I am grateful to have been provided me with this task first before others by Ainz-sama. Now, to give my opinion." Albedo hurried to not keep Ainz-sama waiting. "In my humble opinion, the ideas in this document are genius. The notion of a 'Moving Assembly Line' and 'Theoretical and Experimental Science' that is on paper, hard to implement, but is highly practical, and if successful, will be revolutionary. I do not think anything needs to be changed in this document. It's perfect."
"How soon can we implement scientific experiments in Nazarick?"
"I think with Demiurge leading the project, and teaching the other denizens, the necessary laboratory to run experimental science can be completed latest in 2 hours-time."
"Good. Please do that. Also, I would like you to prepare a carriage with at least Tier 7 magic protection ready-to-go at Nazarick's entrance as an immediate-priority task. Make sure that the carriage leaves out of Nazarick interfered." Ainz said. "Sebas will deal with the rest."
"As you wish Ainz-sama." When I get to the 8th floor, I will thoroughly investigate the lecherous fool who dares to touch my beloved Ainz-sama.
"Albedo, one more thing. Without Aureole Omega's prior authorisation, if anyone except Victim or myself is seen to enter or exit the 8th Floor, they are to be locked and tortured in Nazarick, and let me know, because I will personally deal with them. Harshly."
"Understood. Ainz-sama." Albedo tried to keep her composure, although she was terrified. This was not the first time she had her thoughts read by Ainz-sama and she understood immediately that Ainz-sama was being merciful by warning her of her potentially treasonous actions beforehand. She hurriedly made her way out of the room.
Waiting outside of the room was Sebas, who noticed Albedo's unease, and after knocking and hearing a response, entered Ainz's office.
"Ainz-sama, at your discretion, I have brought here one of the homunculus maids." Sebas placed one of his hands on his chest and the other hand held out. A homunculus maid, having seen the signal to enter, walked into the room meekly and greeted Ainz-sama with reverence.
"I believe that Blanche would be the best fit for this mission. Amongst the homunculus maid, Blanche is uniquely talented at handling uncertain situations with finesse and good judgement."
The homunculus maid, known as Blanche, looked similar to the other homunculus maids on the superficial level, although upon looking closer, she had a blonde braided hair that rested comfortably at the right shoulder. She looked really excited yet nervous at the same time.
"Thank you Sebas. I will brief Blanche on the mission." Sebas, taking a final look at the bookcase behind Ainz-sama's chair, bowed and left the room. He made his way to the ground floor to ensure the carriage was ready to depart and was not bugged.
"Huh, I felt Sebas' eyes on me for a second, must be his natural affinity to positive karma." Alice appeared out of thin air, smiling at Ainz and then at Blanche.
"Blanche, for this mission, you will be travelling with one of my closest friends, formerly one of the 41 supreme beings, Punitto Moe." Ainz said, having cast a spell which prevents eavesdropping.
The fact that there was another supreme being here hit Blanche like a wave of electricity. Then, the realisation hit her that she was privy to information which her superior, Sebas, was not. "For the supreme beings to entrust me to accompany them in such a mission, I'm very grateful." She cried with tears of joy. The guildmaster even called her by her first name.
"Thank you for coming with me on short notice Blanche. My name is Alice, you can call me by my first name."
"Alice-sama, it is an honour to serve one of the supreme beings."
"Sigh, I wish Naberal could learn from this." (note: Nabe is one of the Pleiades maids who is always overly formal when addressing Ainz, to the point of it being problematic)
"This is my subordinate, Natasha, whom you'll be working together for this trip. We're going to be travelling far by carriage and there's no guarantee you'll return to Nazarick anytime soon, but for sure, I'll keep you safe."
"I have already summoned some Hanzos who will follow you throughout the journey." Ainz added, looking at Alice.
"Thank you Ai…Momonga." Alice found it distasteful to call his close friend Ainz, since that was not really his name, but a guild name.
"When this is over, you should change your name to Momonga again. I like that name." Alice commented.
"And you'll go with Punitto Moe?" Ainz raised his non-existent eyebrows.
"Sure. When the whole guild comes back." Alice smiled, to which both of them laughed. It was the first time Ainz had laughed genuinely in the New World. Truly a proud milestone.
As the carriage departed from Nazarick, Sebas couldn't help but reflect on the presence in Ainz-sama's office. It was a similar warmth that he felt when his creator, Touch Me, was present. He held onto the hope that it was Touch Me, who was in the carriage with Blanche. Ainz-sama must have his reasons for keeping his knowledge hidden from the rest of the guild. Perhaps the supreme beings are working towards a grand plan that Sebas could do little for. It was a humbling thought.
Re-Estize, Capital City of the Re-Estize Kingdom
All Roads Lead to Rome. Historically, the capital city of a nation was most often than not a nation's pride. It was the greatest concentration of a nation's wealth and power. However, in modern times, it has been the case that many nations have instead made the capital city the administrative hub of the entire nation. The first best example Alice could think of was Washington DC, the beating heart of the United States of America, where legislative, judicial, and presidential powers were all concentrated in. It was separate from the glim and glamour of New York City.
How a nation utilises its capital city informed Alice a lot about its customs, its political structure, and its values.
The tall, thick walls that surrounded the entire city itself were quite aged yet still standing strong. It could have been used to deter invaders in the past, but the absence of a moat-and-drawbridge, as well as lax guardsmen was signs of a peaceful period in this nation's history.
The city, contrary to common sense, wasn't built on flat soil, but rather on a series of hills that converged into a large hill to the north which held up a huge castle with its own walls, guards' towers, and vast range of forest without signs of construction. Highly impractical, but means that this nation is unlikely to be highly commerce-driven like the DC or London, both of whose capital cities lay along a river or flat plains.
Moreover, for a relatively old city, it was surprising that the city's houses haven't sprawled out of the walls, which often happens with prosperity, prolonged peace, and a reliable local militia. Inside, the city of Re-Estize was nothing special, nothing like what she expected. Though the weather was pleasant, similar to that of countries at the Mediterranean during summer, the cityscape was quite sad. Sure, the streets were unpaved, but they were reasonably wide and comfortable enough for carriage-rides. The people looked to be content, without overt signs of poverty being on display. However, what felt unusual was the lack of commercial activities going on the streets, informally or formally.
Was it due to something similar to the Spanish concept of a Siesta where everyone was napping at home? Or was it because most works were conducted indoors rather than outdoors? It was hard to say. Perhaps it was simply because it was a pre-industrialised society, where personal space for the commoner was a thing.
There was also a lack of opulence in general amongst the common homes such as that in London, as well as the absence of a grand city design as seen in Paris. However, one thing stands out – the looming castle that sits isolated on the hill, indicating a more traditional style of monarchy, with the rulers rather detached from the common person, hoarding most of their wealth to the upper classes, yet, allowing a free market to exist, as long as it does not threaten the status of the rich. There wasn't anything flashy or luxurious about the exterior of the castle – it was quite bland on the outside, indicating that the royalty was careful enough to not evoke envy or dissident should they colour every seam and wall with silver, gold, or similar precious metals. This told Alice that the royal family was likely still well-grounded in governing their nation.
"I might have underestimated the importance of not being overdressed for the occasion." Alice frowned, looking outside the window, as the carriage passed by a building that catered to the upper class inside the Re-Estize society. The men wore colourful tunics and breeches, matched with tall leather boots. The female wore monotone dresses of various colours – aquamarine and red being the more prevalent colours.
The carriage had just made it's second round past this same building, and it had been half an hour since the carriage had been cruising through the city, as Alice deemed it important to first and foremost scout the city and understand its landmarks. After all, the only thing Alice hated more than travelling unprepared was to rely on a tour guide. Not only was it too linear for her taste, but she hated spending money for information that she could obtain by herself. There was also the added benefit of thinking time.
Alice had her hands on the corner of the window, resting her head, when the wagon came to a halt. Hm?
"What's the problem, coach?" Natasha sensed the mood and relayed the message cleanly.
"£%{&!*"
"What did he say?" Natasha asked.
"A young boy." Blanche said.
"!£&*~ ';{##!"
"A young boy fell from a height and his body is now blocking the road." Blanche continued to translate.
"What?" Alice said, surprised that such a situation was shrugged off as a small matter.
"He is asking whether he should continue on." Blanche added with a straight face.
"Stop."
"I have told him that it was a dangerous job." A man rubbed the back of his head. "You should take him to the Shrine of the Water God. It's the closest one nearby."
The girl struggled to carry the body of her close friend. She was only working in the tavern next door when she found out what happened.
"Please help me, we need to do something! Anything! He's going to die. Can't we get the priests here?"
"I'm sorry, I'm only a construction worker. You have to consult the owner of the tavern for that."
"Please, help me. Anyone, he's my only family. Does anyone have a healing potion?"
Wherever she turned, she saw people look away. Some shook their heads, as if saying there was nothing that could be done. Everyone had told her that it was impossible, that a healing potion wouldn't work for injuries like this. That the only thing she could do was take him to the Shrine of Healing.
The price of healing was quite high. She had barely saved up several silvers, how was she going to pay the healing cost of 1 gold?
"Oncoming carriage. Make way! Make way!"
She looked at the luxurious carriage that was headed her way. She grabbed onto her friend tightly, not wanting to let him go. Please don't die like this.
Everyone who was helping to clear the debris that occurred due to the fall evacuated the road and called for her to leave him alone. The unspoken rule in the Re-Estize Kingdom was that it was illegal to interfere with the business of the nobles.
She knelt in front of him, waiting for the inevitable to happen.
But when she opened her eyes, she saw that the horse had stopped right before her. And a person stepped foot out of the carriage. Could this be it? A fate worse than death. She had heard what nobles did to peasants to punish them.
"Excuse me."
She looked up to see the person tapping her by the shoulder. It was a Noble Lady wearing one of the most beautiful dress attires she had ever seen – pitch black as the night, with the texture of vines wrapping onto one another, the dress beautifully flowed downwards like a flower. What also caught her eyes were the Lady's hair as white as snow that perfectly fit her youthful face.
She watched as the lady's hands glowed blue with magic and dimmed once more.
"Extradural haemorrhage in the left parietotemporal region. Multiple open fractures on the skull bilaterally. At high risk of brainstem coning." The Lady spoke complex words in a language she couldn't understand.
"Where is the closest place of healing?" the noble lady asked while carrying the injured boy in her arms. "Can you take me there?"
Natasha knew better than to question the Tsaritsa's actions, especially in situations such as these, where emotional stakes are high. Although she disliked that the Tsaritsa was getting her hands dirty because of this street boy, Natasha believed that the Tsaritsa's actions stood highly true to the Communist way of doing things. Under the Communist Manifesto, all humans were to be treated equally, regardless of their socioeconomic background. It made Natasha respect her creator even more.
"Show me where the nearest hospital is." The Tsaritsa voiced her commands to the young girl.
"The nearest healing shrine should be one left turn here, straight ahead, and to the right." The young girl looked really distressed.
"Natasha, stay in the carriage with Blanche. I want you to watch over her."
"Understood Tsaritsa." Natasha saluted.
Temple of the Water God, Re-Estize
When times are rough, Fabien found solace in praying to the Water God. Seeking an answer to life and its miseries, he dedicated his youth to reading scriptures from the 6 Great Gods, in the hope that one day, he would be accepted into priesthood. At the age of 20, he was serving at the Temple of the Water God in the city of Re-Estize, as an internship. Nowadays, it was really difficult to get posted to your place of choice in the Slane Theocracy. As much as he wanted a placement in Kami Miyako, the entry standards for Priesthood training had only been increasing with each passing year.
Having grown up in a poor family, Fabien had barely passed the entrance examination. Between the Roble Holy Kingdom and the Re-Estize Kingdom, he chose the latter since it was closer to home. Moreover, he really didn't want a place so close to where demihumans lived (referring to the Abelion Hills). Though it could be said he chose the worse option in terms of reputation, he found that Re-Estize wasn't that bad, especially with the affordable cost of living.
"Father Lorentz, thank you for having me here today."
"No problem. After all, you have to learn." Father Lorentz replied. Amongst the dozens of individuals inside the temple healing room, Father Lorentz was easy to spot by his sharp clean shaved face, as well as his tall stature.
"Have you memorised the study materials I provided?"
"Yes, I've went through it several times last night."
"Good. I'd like you to cast a Tier 1 Lesser Minor Healing Spell on this patient's arm. Focus on this part of the arm, at 16 millimetres of depth. It should be sustained for at least 10 seconds and not longer than 15. The focal point should be the bone here and then the tissues would heal by itself."
Fabien closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Remember to keep your eyes opened throughout."
Fabien opened his eyes and honed all his attention to the X symbol marked on the patient's arm. His hands glowed green and the spell began to work its magic, as the pain started to diminish for the patient. Following the instructions, he let go of the spell at the right time.
"How does your arm feel now. Can you move it?" Fabien asked the old man who he just healed.
"Wow, I could feel my hands again. Thank you very much, young man. Good luck with your studies."
"Good, but there are some areas of improvement." Father Lorentz lectured Fabien, sharing his vast knowledge of healing in a highly descriptive way.
"You may call me a pedant, but remember that it may very well be the difference between having a patient who recovers quickly versus a patient who goes on to suffer complications because their wounds weren't perfectly healed."
"As you say, Father. I will keep that in mind." Fabien said.
"Excuse me Father, I know you're busy but there's an emergency trauma case that requires your expertise. The other sisters and I have tried to heal the patient but he's not getting any better."
"How urgent?" Father Lorentz sighed.
"Between life and death." The sister spoke softly.
"Oho is that so? Finally." He clapped his hands. "Fabien, make sure to take notes."
Past the marble floors and pillars holding the roof, past the healing room where individual patients are seen in a linear order, there were other facilities inside the temple. The infirmary was one such place that was overcrowded during times of war – such as the annual war between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire – but at other times, it was normally empty.
[Song suggestion: Kupalinka, choir version (not nightcore please)]
"Didn't you say this was a hospital? This looks more like a temple." Alice commented, puzzled why there weren't any ambulances parked in a corner, no paramedics running around, glass doors, or portable beds.
"Ah." Alice finally realised her misunderstanding.
"Yes, the temple is a place of healing." The girl replied, as if asking why Alice asked such an obvious question.
Another careless mistake. She wasn't back in the modern world of 2138. This was a fantasy world. And that means…
"I have a potion of healing." Alice monologued, taking out a red bottle from her inventory. Wait, how was he going to drink it? He's unconscious, that means his swallow reflex would be impaired, and if I give him this bottle to drink, he'll suffer from aspiration pneumonia. WTF. Hm. As Shakespeare put it, to give or not to give.
While she was hesitating whether to give him the potion, the 'doctor' priest arrived at the scene. Uh. I should hide the bottle.
"Excuse me, are you this boy's mother?" one of the 'nuns' asked her a question.
"Me?" She looked at the young girl and then at the nun, "No. But this girl knows the boy. I was just passing by when I found him like this."
"I'm his close friend" the young girl was still in tears when she said that.
"I see, we have a policy where all non-family visitors should wait outside." the nun pointed her the way out.
"But…" Alice started to protest.
"I'm sorry madam, Sister Agatha is still new. If you would like some refreshments, I am happy to get them for you." One of the more older looking Sisters stepped in to apologise, glaring at Sister Agatha and taking her away from the bedside.
"Just still water would be fine."
"Of course, madam, I'll be back with your drink." the senior Sister bowed and left the room, dragging Sister Agatha with her on a figurative leash.
Alice, with her enhanced hearing in this world, was able to pick up their conversation which they were having in a more private spot.
"Agatha, what do you think you're doing? We're in Re-Estize, not the Theocracy. We have to adhere to their laws and customs." She was scolding Sister Agatha. "The woman outside does not look related to the patient, but with the way she's dressed, I'm almost certain she is a noble. These young children could be her slaves! What would happen if word of such an incident spread amongst the Re-Estize nobles?"
Alice cringed at the word slaves. She would never stoop that low.
"I'm sorry, that will not happen again Sister Flavia." Sister Agatha replied.
"Hello Madam, I am Father Lorentz, one of the priests. May I have a look at the patient? Thank you." the man known as Father Lorentz inspected the young boy and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I feel that we're too late."
Alice's careful observation and keen senses told her that the boy was still breathing, albeit with slow shallow breaths. Moreover, his pulse was clearly audible. The only reason she hadn't interfered was that she expected that this world's doctors would have the skill to save the life of a patient from this world. Oh, how wrong I was.
Alice initially hypothesised that it would be a fallacy to assume that humans from this world were anatomically and physiologically similar to humans from Earth. What if every human here had physiological Situs Inversus or Kartagener's Syndrome? However, she must make a decision now. Fuck. I'm quite in a pickle now.
"What about potions?" Alice suggested.
"Even our strongest health potions wouldn't be able to completely reverse the damage that has been done to his body." Father Lorentz replied.
"Do you have any nails or drills?" Alice asked them once more.
"What does that have to do with this." One of the younger looking priests commented.
"Just tell me if you have them or not!" Alice gritted her teeth.
"We do not have such equipment in the hospital, unfortunately. I apologise, madam." The older priest looked apologetic.
"Alright, fuck off. I'll take care of him." Alice said, to which the temple staffs left her alone to grief. Hell no. This isn't over yet.
Alice took out a dagger from her inventory, placed it on the boy's skull, and using her best estimation, precisely forwarded the sharp tip of the dagger until it reached the right skull layer. She then continued to cut an area of the skull wide open, exposing some tissue layer of the brain. Blood started spilling out of the boy's skull and drenched her in red liquid.
"What are you doing? You're hurting him!" the young girl shouted.
"Quiet." Alice said, restraining the troublemaker using one of her hands. Wtf.
[Message]
"Natasha, can you come down here with Blanche? I'll describe how you can get to the infirmary. First…"
As soon as Natasha arrived, Alice released the girl.
"Please restrain this young brat." Alice said.
"Understood." Natasha said.
"He's lost a lot of blood. What to do. What to do."
"How about pouring some of the healing potion on his head?" Natasha suggested.
"No." Alice put the suggestion down. "Wait what?"
"Yes."
"How can a potion that is meant to be consumed orally also work the same topically?" Alice asked the question before it hit her. Maybe a potion can repair damaged tissues on contact. I'll try.
"Holy Shit. What kind of logic is this?" Alice watched as the first drop of red healing potion touched the open skull, it regenerated the excised portions of bone, tissue, muscles, skin, and even hair.
She poured more, until the bottle was empty, and watched the boy's breathing stabilise, his heart rate increasing to normal range, and gain consciousness.
His face gained started to gain a healthy colour and the boy began to open his eyes.
"Fox!" The young girl ran to the boy.
"Thank you, madam noble!"
Alice was too busy caring about the blood to notice the young girl's jumping around.
"Wow, so much blood. This is wonderful!" Alice said sarcastically and then politely turned towards the disappointed homunculus maid. "I'm sorry, Blanche. Did you, by any chance, pack another dress?" To which Blanche's eyes lit up.
"Of course! Shall I bring it here now?"
"Yes, please, Natasha!" Alice shouted, reminding Natasha of her guard duty as a Level 100 NPC protecting a Level 1 Homunculus Maid in this strange city. "Follow Blanche." As much as she hated to micromanage, this is necessary to prevent any of her irreplaceable subordinates from going MIA or KIA.
When the infirmary staffs arrived back on the scene due to the commotion, they looked at Alice with an accusative and frightened look as if a murder had taken place, several people reciting some phrases from perhaps a holy text of sort.