Chapter 64: A Fateful Recovery

By the time Aldoran awoke again, three days had already passed.

“Aldoran, Aldoran, Aldoran.”

As she groggily roused herself from sleep, the first rays of morning sunlight greeted her eyes.

Rubbing her drowsy eyelids, the face of the young man calling her name gradually came into focus before Aldoran.

His long white hair, golden eyes, loose green attire, and his characteristic smile—

“Eden?”

Aldoran glanced around the room.

This was indeed her and Qing Yu’s room.

Yet, why was Eden here now, and where had Qing Yu gone?

“As for Qing Yu, I sent him out to buy a chicken to make you some restorative chicken soup; I’ll stay here for now,” Eden said with a smile.

“You collapsed at the Knights’ Order that day, and it was a good thing Qing Yu rushed into that room and dragged you out, otherwise you would have been in grave danger.”

Eden had sent Qing Yu away because there were some questions he wished to ask Aldoran.

“I see.”

Aldoran lay back down, her throat inexplicably dry, as if a needle had pierced it, leaving her utterly uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong, Aldoran?”

Noticing Aldoran’s distress, Eden inquired, extending a cup of water to her.

Aldoran accepted the water, offering a faint thank you.

However, after only a single sip, the piercing sensation in her throat forced Aldoran to spit the water out.

“Oh, Aldoran,” Eden murmured, wiping the water from his face without a hint of displeasure.

“My apologies.”

Aldoran set the glass down and settled back onto the bed.

Her throat ached intensely, and she had no desire to speak further.

The sunlight today was exceedingly bright, so much so that it irritated Aldoran, its dazzling glare piercing through the sheer curtains and causing her eyes to ache.

“Aldoran, why did you disregard your own safety to search for clues in that gas-filled room?”

Eden, unable to bear the silence, spoke up again.

He was too restless; a minute of inactivity made him uncomfortable all over.

In the past, everyone described Eden as an active, mischievous child, and it was precisely this vivaciousness that made him everyone’s favorite.

“To find the culprit; someone instructed me to do so.”

Aldoran replied succinctly, her throat throbbing, each word a torment.

For Eden, however, it was enough; the moment Aldoran mentioned someone had instructed her, he had already pieced together most of the truth.

From the moment he saw the gem on Qing Yu’s collar, Eden had already discerned their true identities.

Now, with Aldoran stating that someone had tasked her with finding the culprit, it was almost certainly the Lord.

Eden had always known that beneath the tranquil lands of Alast, a great dragon lay hidden.

Only she possessed such potent poison gas, capable of harming Aldoran, even with the protection of her crest.

The Lord intended to guide Aldoran and Qing Yu to defeat the dragon, discover the path to the Horus clan, and find Mimir.

Yet, that dragon had managed to reduce Aldoran to this state with merely a wisp of its poison.

If they were to truly confront it, Aldoran, with her current strength, would be utterly incapable of fighting such a monster.

Even if Aldoran wielded the power of Lord Odin, it would only prolong her life by a mere few minutes.

Aldoran, as she was now, was risking her very life.

Gazng at Aldoran’s delicate face, Eden fell silent.

To overcome that monster, Aldoran needed to become immensely powerful.

However, at this moment, even if there were another Aldoran, they would be no match for that creature.

Should Aldoran rush into battle, not only would she perish, but all of Alast would be engulfed in flames.

Eden absolutely could not allow such a scenario to unfold, not just for Aldoran’s sake, but for the people of Alast as well.

Aldoran had no idea what Eden was thinking, nor did she feel the need to know.

She simply stared quietly at the ceiling, the pain in her body rendering her unwilling to move or even think.

Her delicate hand lay slightly draped over the edge of the bed, her golden bracelet reflecting the sunlight, and that warm glow from the sun made Eden feel a touch uneasy.

Ever since Aldoran had fallen unconscious, Qing Yu had scoured the entire city for the most skilled physicians.

Yet, not a single one could cure the damage inflicted by the poison gas; everyone was utterly helpless.

It was said that there was no remedy for this poison, and Aldoran could only rely on her own resilience to overcome it.

“Tick-tock, tick-tock.”

As the clock’s hands slowly advanced, Eden stood by the window, observing the ceaseless flow of people outside, occasionally waving and offering a greeting.

He had initially thought he could take a proper rest, but as the hour hand shifted for the second time, Eden spoke to Aldoran once more.

“Aldoran, may I ask you another question?”

Aldoran said nothing, merely nodding in silence.

The moment she nodded, her throat instantly felt as if it were pierced by steel needles, and the pain and discomfort caused Aldoran to erupt into a violent fit of coughing.

Eden, meanwhile, continued to watch the stream of people outside, only speaking again to himself once Aldoran had ceased coughing.

“Aldoran, do you believe in fate?”

Aldoran froze at his words.

A strange atmosphere gradually settled between them.

Eden continued to watch the flow of people outside the door, occasionally smiling and waving, patiently awaiting Aldoran’s reply.

Eden waited patiently, hoping Aldoran would take her time to truly ponder the question before giving him an answer.

“Of course.”

Of course, the people of Midgard all believed in fate.

Everyone trusted in the guidance of destiny; no one would ever go against its directives.

Fate was everything in Midgard, the guiding principle for its people’s actions, the very essence of their world.

It was under the guidance of fate that Aldoran married Qing Yu and offered him her entire heart.

It was also due to fate’s guidance that Aldoran embarked on her journey without hesitation.

“Is that so.”

Eden wasn’t sure if this was truly the answer he sought.

Nevertheless, this was how the people of Midgard thought; they all believed in fate.

Even Eden and Bragi often pondered whether this so-called fate truly existed.

Should one truly believe in destiny?

Eden didn’t know, Bragi didn’t know, and no one truly knew.

He simply faced the window, the sunlight illuminating his cheek.

A powerful white light enveloped Eden, making it difficult for Aldoran to clearly discern his features.

Behind him, Eden’s shadow stretched long, reaching into the darkest corner of the room.

Eden could never abandon Aldoran and Qing Yu; they bore a striking resemblance to people he had once known.

Whenever he saw Qing Yu and Aldoran, Eden was reminded of two familiar individuals.

However, since Aldoran believed in fate, then let fate’s guidance aid her.

Let destiny be the one to save Aldoran.

If Aldoran had chosen the path of fate, then let fate illuminate her way forward.

“Aldoran,” Eden said, brandishing his sleeve with a flourish, as if performing a magic trick, and produced a golden apple, which he offered to Aldoran.

“Use this to soothe your throat.”

This particular golden apple was unlike others.

It seemed to emit a faint, golden radiance, and a peculiar, fresh fragrance transformed into a mist, gently swirling around the apple.

Aldoran took the apple, but she had no desire to eat it.

She felt utterly wretched, disinclined even to move her body.

She was overcome by dizziness, the stinging pain in her body, the burning sensation in her throat, and the churning in her stomach, all of which caused her to retch continuously.

“Aldoran, please try to take a bite.

Trust me, this will do you good.”

Eden urged her repeatedly, his demeanor suggesting he wouldn’t give up until Aldoran ate it.

Aldoran, however, merely gagged desperately, persistently refusing Eden’s golden apple.

Aldoran was utterly unable to swallow anything.

The poison gas had ravaged her throat; though externally it appeared unharmed, her throat was already crisscrossed with blood vessels and numerous wounds.

Lumps of flesh hung within her throat, abrading the corroded wounds, and dark blood continuously flowed into Aldoran’s stomach, only to be vomited back out.

Even Aldoran’s internal organs seemed to be decaying, with pieces of flesh sloughing off and blood flowing freely, causing her pain more excruciating than a thousand arrows piercing her heart with every movement.

“Please eat some, Aldoran.

Trust me, this truly will help.”

Aldoran continued to refuse.

Seeing that Aldoran adamantly refused to eat, Eden could only slice off a small piece of the fruit.

Miraculously, the moment Eden cut a piece, the golden apple instantly regenerated an even more radiant segment of fruit where it had been cut.

Aldoran did not notice the apple’s instantaneous repair; she merely continued coughing.

Seizing the opportune moment, Eden quickly tossed the small piece of fruit into Aldoran’s mouth while she was coughing.

Aldoran, caught completely off guard by this unexpected move, had no time to react before the fruit firmly landed in her throat and descended into her stomach.

In an instant, Aldoran felt a refreshing current flow through her internal organs.

A peculiar fragrance permeated her heart, and the pain gradually gave way to a comforting sensation as the corroded areas within her body rapidly healed.

A cool, soothing sensation washed over Aldoran’s skin, making her already fair complexion even more supple and pristine.

Her snow-white hair now seemed to radiate a gentle glow, and a glint of light flickered in her pale blue eyes, making their beautiful blue hue even clearer.

In mere seconds, all pain, fatigue, and discomfort were swept away.

Even Aldoran herself marveled at this miraculous transformation.

“What did you… give me to eat?”

Aldoran was filled with both shock and delight, a flicker of joy passing through her eyes.

She had never imagined that Eden possessed such a magical artifact capable of restoring her so swiftly.

Not only had her physical pain vanished, but even the magical circuits within her body felt as if they were brimming with power.

Eden smiled slyly, putting away his golden apple.

“It’s a secret.”

He couldn’t allow Aldoran and Qing Yu to become overly dependent on the golden apple.

Now that Aldoran had recovered, the rest would be left to fate.

Eden realized that the key figure in defeating the dragon was Roalsa.

Let fate guide Roalsa, guide that Knight of the Swift Wind.

“Aldoran, the chicken soup is here—”

The door was pushed open, and Qing Yu entered, carrying a steaming bowl of chicken soup.