Because Stella's timely treatment, the bleeding holes on Sean's shoulder were blocked, and his shattered scapula was also saved.
After the iron fist maid and insect maid retreated, Barrett and Stella hired an emergency carriage to take Sean to the best hospital in the city.
If Sean's arm was ruined, his life as an archer would lose its meaning. Fortunately, with doctors proficient in medical skills and Divine Magic treating him, he should be fine, and his arm should not have any lasting effects.
In the adventurer hall, EeDeChi stood alone at the counter, collecting the remaining half of the reward for completing the task.
Usually, during such moments involving monetary settlements, Barrett would never leave her side to prevent the unfamiliar team leader from being scammed.
But today, Barrett chose to visit Sean in the local clinic, seemingly not wanting to pay attention to her.
Probably because it was near noon, the adventurer hall was almost empty, and the receptionist was not at the counter, possibly out for lunch.
EeDeChi stood in the hall, pacing from time to time, feeling somewhat irritated. She tapped the oak counter with her fingers repeatedly, unsure if her irritation was due to the receptionist's absence or something else.
"Dear lady, what makes you so anxious that you're about to break the counter?" A steady and gentle voice sounded behind her, calming her anger.
EeDeChi turned around to find the speaker was the task's client—a refined old gentleman. He was still dressed in his elegant black tailcoat, walking lightly towards EeDeChi with a face full of humility, extending his arm for a handshake.
EeDeChi shook his hand, and said, not too kindly, "Your task was far more troublesome than expected!"
She stared at the number 300 above the old gentleman's head representing his Justice Value, with a hint of resentment in her tone, "Did you know something and didn't tell us?"
The old gentleman, Sebas Tian, made an apologetic gesture and said gently, "I didn't expect the task to be such a tough battle either. Your fight with the monsters nearly destroyed the entire manor, so the enemies you encountered must have been extremely powerful. By the way, how is the adventurer with the bow? He didn't look too well."
EeDeChi looked into the old gentleman's kind eyes and found genuine concern. She nodded and said, "Our cleric treated him in time. He should be... probably fine now." Her tone carried a hint of uncertainty.
"That's good to hear. I really don't want anyone to get hurt because of us." The old gentleman then took out a silver pendant inlaid with diamonds from the outer pocket of his coat.
The pendant lay in the old gentleman's broad palm, its tiny diamonds sparkling, with intricate and delicate engravings that shimmered brightly.
"What's this for?" EeDeChi asked, puzzled.
The old gentleman handed the silver pendant to EeDeChi. "I didn't have to come here personally, as the reward has already been given to the Adventurer's Guild to distribute. But as you said, the task's difficulty was far beyond our original expectations.
"So I want to give you this piece of jewelry as a token of our gratitude. This pendant is a precious family heirloom, once enchanted with a permanent High-tier magic by a great magician. It can protect the wearer and bring good fortune."
EeDeChi initially wanted to refuse, knowing that nothing but her own strength could protect her.
But thinking like Barrett, she realized that an adventurer wouldn't let any wealth slip through their fingers, even a copper coin fallen on a muddy road and run over by a carriage. So she accepted the silver pendant and thanked the old gentleman.
The old gentleman said it was no trouble and that it was the least he could do. He bowed slightly to EeDeChi and said, "Well, madam, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
EeDeChi nodded. "Goodbye."
The old gentleman smiled warmly. "I'm sure we'll meet again someday." With that, he turned and walked out of the hall, disappearing into the bustling street.
EeDeChi tossed the silver pendant in her hand, watching the old gentleman leave without any expression on her face.
...
As the sun set, the crimson remnants of daylight clung stubbornly to the mountains, refusing to fade. The twilight bathed the earth in a soft glow, turning the clouds on the horizon red and gilding everything with a faint golden hue.
EeDeChi walked gloomily along the riverbank. She had just visited the hospital on the south side of the city and learned that Sean had been discharged and left with Stella and Barrett. They hadn't left any message or told the doctors where they were going.
Now, EeDeChi was heading to the inn on the other side of the city where "The Last Defender of the Way" adventurer team was staying, unsure if Barrett and the others were still there.
Time passed slowly as the sun dipped halfway below the horizon, and dusk deepened. A black crow perched on a leafless sycamore tree by the river, cawing hoarsely.
EeDeChi suddenly felt a wave of irritation. "Shut up!" she yelled at the crow, drawing the attention of a few passersby.
But the crow could not empathize with the frustrated adventurer captain and continued to caw louder, flapping its wings.
Fury surged in EeDeChi's heart. She picked up a hard object and threw it at the crow.
The cawing stopped abruptly as the black bird fell from the branch with a plop into the river.
Satisfied, EeDeChi clapped her hands and continued walking. She reached into her pocket and realized that the object she used to hit the crow was the silver pendant given to her by the old gentleman in the Adventurer's Guild hall earlier that day. The delicate pendant seemed to be an heirloom of the old gentleman's family.
But no matter what, EeDeChi felt much better, and her steps became lighter. She quickened her pace towards the inn where she was staying in the city...
The night was deep, with a crescent moon hanging high in the sky. After knocking on the doors of five houses, EeDeChi finally got directions to the inn.
On the third floor of the small inn, only Sean's room had a light on. EeDeChi tiptoed upstairs, hesitated for a moment, and then pushed the door open and walked in.
The room was filled with a faint herbal fragrance. Barrett was lounging in a soft chair, while Sean, shirtless, sat upright on the bed. Stella, dressed in her cleric uniform, was gently changing his bandages. The twin blonde girls, Ureirika and Kuuderika, were lying on the bed, playing with their stuffed dolls.
"Hey, you're back. I thought you got lost and almost went out to find you." Barrett sat up straight from his chair and greeted EeDeChi as she walked in.
"I'm not directionally challenged," EeDeChi retorted with a stern face, but her expression soon softened. She looked at Sean sitting on the edge of the bed and spoke in a rare gentle tone, "How are you feeling now? Are you okay?"
Sean grinned, his freckles dancing on his face. "Don't worry, Captain. Thanks to Stella's healing magic, I'm perfectly fine now. In a few days, I'll be able to draw my bow again!"
As he spoke, he slapped his sturdy chest with his uninjured hand, making a loud "thump, thump" sound. But the movement pulled at the wound on his other shoulder, causing him to wince in pain.
"Hey, don't move around. It wasn't my magic that healed your arm; it was the High-tier doctor in town. And if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been injured in the first place..." Stella said, her eyes filled with tenderness as she wrapped a clean white bandage around his shoulder.
"I just acted on instinct at the time, didn't want you to get hurt. Don't worry about it. Look, I took a heavy punch from those wolf tooth gloves, and I'm still fine, right?" Sean said carelessly, looking unusually relaxed.
"Ha, don't get too cocky. Besides practicing your archery, you should also train your close combat skills. If that maid with the steel gloves had punched you in the head, you'd be dead! When I fought her, her punches were dead accurate, always aiming for my vital points!" Barrett squinted his eyes, recalling the dangerous battle with the iron fist maid in the manor yesterday.
To be honest, this battle was the most dangerous one Barrett had encountered in his nearly twenty-year adventuring career. Even the time he bragged about fighting a giant frost dragon wasn't as intense and perilous as this fight. When he picked up his shield to face the maid, he already knew he was in serious trouble.
The iron fist maid's strength, speed, and combat skills were impeccable. But after destroying two adamantite shields, three longswords, and a spear, he barely managed to fight her to a draw.
But how could he go out and brag about this? Who would believe that his peak battle was a tie with a maid?
Looking back on the fight, Barrett realized that what he remembered most clearly wasn't the maid's flawless martial arts and her fists that were like battering rams.
Instead, it was her composed face during the fight, the black narrow-rimmed glasses on her high nose bridge, the strands of hair that fell over her forehead after the battle, and the elegant, gentle smile she gave when she lifted her maid skirt and left...
Barrett shook his head, banishing the maid's image from his mind, trying not to think about such meaningless things.
He turned to look at EeDeChi, hoping to see a hint of guilt or something else in the captain's dark eyes.
The adventurer captain glanced at Barrett, expressionless, and waved her hand, "Since everyone is fine and in good condition, we'll set off tomorrow and leave for Re-Estize Kingdom."
"Captain, I'm not trying to blame you." Barrett made up his mind to explain things clearly, "During the last battle, you shouldn't have left us to chase another enemy."
"Why? If I didn't chase her, she would have escaped." EeDeChi crossed her arms, "And with you there, I believed there wouldn't be much of a problem. You're reliable."
Barrett gave a bitter smile, "You have too much confidence in me. I wasn't a match for that maid. The three of us nearly got killed."
"She wouldn't have killed you." EeDeChi had a confident look on her face.
"Why?" Barrett was utterly confused.
"I can see her Justice Value. It's 150; she's a good person."
"Impossible. I clearly felt her killing intent." Barrett shook his head, "Let me tell you clearly, she wanted to kill the three of us! She's a maid, she'll follow her master's orders first, not some so-called Justice Value."
"I don't believe you. Could you be smarter than me?" EeDeChi lifted her head arrogantly.
"Alright." Barrett helplessly pressed his forehead, "I bet you'll suffer for trusting someone's Justice Value too much someday. Anyway, we're a team, and you're the captain. You have the duty and responsibility to protect your teammates."
"Alright, alright, I got it." EeDeChi waved her hand.