Chapter 82: The Aftermath and a Quiet Promise

A low hiss escaped his lips, acknowledging the grim scene before him.

Sangkes, clad in an identical purple trench coat, strolled through the chaotic basement.

His leather shoes crunched noisily on the shards of rock and broken glass.

The air hung heavy with a strange, sickening cocktail of blood, disinfectant, and chemical reagents.

Against the walls stood several colossal glass cultivation tanks, within which emaciated, naked children were suspended, submerged in fluid.

Thick tubes connected to the tanks’ edges, seemingly delivering nutrients to their occupants.

A cold operating table dominated the center of the room, still marred by dried, dark red bloodstains.

Deep scratches scored its edges, painting a vivid picture of the immense suffering endured by the children who had once lain there.

Sangkes inhaled deeply, exhaling a plume of smoke before flicking the nearly spent cigarette butt to the floor and crushing it underfoot.

He then cleared his throat softly.

Footsteps echoed from behind him.

Sangkes turned, his gaze falling upon Thirteen, who approached with a grim expression, cradling Mia’s lifeless body.

“Oh, you’re back? How was your first mission?”

“I feel my combat experience is still far from sufficient.”

“Ha, a top student indeed. Always so diligent.”

Sangkes rubbed his somewhat aching shoulder.

Truly, age catches up to you.

Just a little movement, and aches sprout everywhere.

His gaze drifted downwards to the girl in Thirteen’s arms.

“Tsk, and this… who is this?”

“A dead child. I wish to bury her in the earth.”

Thirteen kept her eyes downcast, staring at the grime on the floor beneath her feet.

Sangkes glanced at her twice, then pulled out his cigarette case, extracted another, and placed it between his lips, igniting it with fire magic.

“Suit yourself. There are plenty of bodies, and they’ll all need burying eventually.”

“Mm.”

Thirteen gently laid Mia’s body on the ground, then turned her gaze towards the cultivation tanks, which glowed with an eerie green light.

“What about them?”

“Those bastards shut down the nutrient supply when they fled, so everyone inside is dead. Let the Academy people handle it.”

“Alright…” Thirteen paused. “What about the others?”

“Children with homes will be sent back.

As for those without… some with talent can be brought to the Royal Capital for training, while the rest will be sent to orphanages.

I doubt they’d want to stay here, or perhaps they could be sent somewhere else.”

Sangkes exhaled a puff of smoke, then gathered the stacks of compiled documents from the table and placed them into his bag.

“Ha ha, Shuster, that scoundrel, for all his wickedness, truly possesses a certain knack. To devise such a repulsive method as flesh-and-blood grafting…”

“Grafting? What is that?”

“It’s quite complex to explain, but simply put, it’s replacing diseased flesh and tissue with the healthy flesh and blood of other people.”

Thirteen’s brow furrowed. “Such a thing… is it truly possible?”

“That’s precisely why he joined the Church. He likely borrowed some of the evil god’s divine authority.”

“The Abyssal Church…”

A wave of unpleasant memories washed over Thirteen, causing her to clench her fists.

These were the very people who had shattered her family, leaving her to endure decades of torment and humiliation—a wound in her heart that could never truly heal.

From that day forward, she had sworn to eradicate these rats lurking in the shadows.

Thirteen took a moment to compose herself.

Reacting emotionally on instinct was a terrible habit.

She suddenly recalled the mysterious Black-robed figure she had seen in mid-air that day.

A pair of strange wings sprouted from their back, and dark tentacles seemed to writhe within them.

“Was the person I saw that day also from the Church?”

“Who knows? But I’m certain they’re not someone you want to mess with.”

Sangkes scratched his head irritably, grumbling, “Ugh… I originally thought we only needed to investigate a single priest. Now it seems Ellanmia isn’t as peaceful as we imagined. Doesn’t this mean our workload is going to increase again?”

Thirteen fell silent for a moment before asking, “Regarding that alchemist…”

“Ah, yes, him.”

Sangkes shook his head. “Didn’t I tell you? Don’t worry about him for now. Since the Academy said they’d handle it, just leave it to them.”

“I know, but…”

“No ‘buts’. Remember your duty and don’t do anything unnecessary.”

Thirteen lowered her head, replying after a brief pause, “Understood.”

Sangkes casually slung his bag over his shoulder.

“The remaining stragglers outside have all been dealt with. Grab your things; it’s time to head back.”

Yalin’s Home

In the second-floor bedroom, the curtains were drawn, allowing only a sliver of soft light to filter through.

Carol lay on the soft bed, curled up in the blankets, appearing utterly frail.

“Carol, the porridge is ready. Would you like some?”

Yalin entered the room, carrying a steaming bowl of white porridge, its comforting aroma filling the air.

“Thank you… but I think I’ll eat later. I don’t have much of an appetite right now…”

“I see. That’s fine, then. It’ll give the porridge a chance to cool.”

Yalin placed the bowl on the bedside cabinet, pulled up a chair, and sat down beside Carol.

That evening, after bidding farewell to Luminas and returning home, Yalin discovered that Carol had fallen ill.

She had been running a fever for two full days, and only this afternoon did she seem to have improved slightly.

“How are you feeling? Are you still uncomfortable?”

“Mm… much better than before.”

Carol shifted, turning to face Yalin, and offered a smile that, though slightly pale, remained sweet.

“I’m sorry, Yalin. You’ve been staying with me all this time, even missing school…”

“It’s alright. A few days off school won’t hurt anything.”

Yalin reached out, pressing the back of his hand against Carol’s forehead.

It still felt somewhat warm to the touch, though it was considerably better than yesterday.

“Are you sure it’s alright not to see a doctor? Don’t try to tough it out. If anything changes, you must tell me.”

“It’s fine. I should be alright by tomorrow.”

Yalin possessed some medical knowledge, and after two days of observation, it seemed Carol was indeed suffering from nothing more than a common cold; it wasn’t particularly serious.

“Drink plenty of water and rest well for a few days; you should recover quickly.”

“You should rest for now. When you feel a bit better, or if you get hungry, just call me.”

“Wait, Yalin.”

Carol called out, stopping Yalin just as he was about to turn and leave.

“Um, Yalin, could you stay and talk with me?”

“Hm? Of course, if you don’t feel like sleeping.”

Having just stood up, Yalin obediently sat back down.

“So, what would you like to talk about?”

“Mm… I’m not sure.”

Carol blinked her beautiful large eyes, then said in a playful, coaxing tone, “I’m a patient right now, you know! So of course, Yalin should be the one to find something to talk about!”

“Alright, I’ll think of something.” Yalin looked up, his gaze falling upon the somewhat aged ceiling.

Even if he were to find a topic, there wasn’t really much to say.

‘Should I tell her that I might be gone in three months, and that she absolutely must survive… or something like that?’

‘Well, that’s not funny.’

‘Then again, what would Carol do if he truly died?’

‘Still, she was intelligent, and Yalin had left her some money, so she should be alright, shouldn’t she?’

“Oh, right.” Yalin suddenly remembered something. “In a few days, I want to return to my hometown. Would you… like to come with me?”

“Really? How long will you be gone?”

“If we take an airship, factoring in travel time, it’ll probably take four or five days.”

“Hmm…” Carol pondered for a moment. “I’m not really used to riding those things, so let’s see how I feel.”

“Alright, whatever you prefer.”

Yalin said nothing more, and the room settled into a quiet stillness.

Carol stared at his face, then suddenly giggled.

“Yalin, will you stay by my side forever?”

“Why would you suddenly think that?”

Carol pouted. “When people are sick, they tend to overthink things.”

She coughed a few times, deliberately feigning discomfort.

Yalin smiled and tucked the corner of her blanket around her.

“Don’t worry. Don’t think so much about it. I’ll be here with you.”

“Mm-hm, if you say so, then I feel relieved.”

Hearing his words, Carol closed her eyes, utterly content.

“Heh heh, I’ll always be by Yalin’s side too.”

“Yes, you will.”

‘As long as it’s just me.’