Chapter 117: The Weight of Consequences

“Of course, if you had acted that way, you would have had to consider the grave consequences. Attestor might never have returned because of your choice.”

Lovelenica’s chilling words made Lucia’s pupils contract. She froze for a moment, as if paralyzed, while Imeline and Attestor, standing nearby, also had their expressions fall.

They certainly hoped Lovelenica would reprimand Lucia, encouraging her to abandon her impulsive and reckless habits.

However, in their view, merely pointing out Lucia’s flaws would have been sufficient. Wasn’t it a bit excessive to describe the consequences so severely?

“Hey! Don’t utter such inauspicious words! How could Thor possibly be in trouble?!”

Imeline immediately stepped forward, refuting Lovelenica, while Attestor, meanwhile, stood to the side, her expression grim.

“Impossible, you say?”

Lovelenica glanced at Imeline and Attestor, then countered their words with a question.

“Aren’t you being a bit too optimistic? What would have happened if Lucia had truly pursued those Black-robed Mages when they retreated?”

“At that time, Thor was already injured, and she hadn’t had time to be treated, had she? If Lucia had truly given chase, she would have faced the Vampire’s attack, just like those Black-robed Mages.

Regardless of whether Lucia could have survived that creature’s assault, even if we assume the best, Lucia would certainly have lost her fighting capability.”

“Imeline, do you think just the two of us could have dealt with that Vampire?”

“Hmph, why didn’t you just chase after them with Lucia, then?”

Imeline let out a cold laugh, taking another step forward, continuing her refutation.

“Oh? So if Lucia and I chased the Black-robed Mages together, there wouldn’t be a problem? How do you know the Vampire wouldn’t have first teamed up with them to attack us both?”

Listening to Imeline’s twisted logic, Lovelenica’s brow furrowed instantly.

“Do you think our splitting up in that situation would have been a wise choice? Or are you suggesting you would have joined us in the pursuit? What about Thor then? Do you believe, given her physical condition at the time, she could have handled the other Specters?”

“Of course not! How could I possibly leave Thor there alone?!”

“Then you believe Lucia and I could have simultaneously dealt with both the Black-robed Mages and the Vampire?”

“This…”

At this, Imeline was momentarily speechless. Her lips twitched slightly, but she opened her mouth with no idea how to retort.

Indeed, the truth was as Lovelenica stated. If no one had dissuaded Lucia at the time, and she had been allowed to pursue them alone, their outcome would certainly not have been favorable.

In fact, Lucia’s actions at the time had already impacted them. If Lucia’s first thought hadn’t been to pursue, but to escape, then they would have had a perfect opportunity to flee while the Vampire and the Black-robed Mages were fighting.

They could have returned to Lovelenica’s tower, or sought help from another Guardian in a different area. As long as they could reach another area, Lovelenica could have used her Spirit of Trust to notify a Guardian.

With an additional Tier 4 or Tier 5 professional, they certainly wouldn’t have been in such a sorry state, barely repelling the Vampire. They might even have been able to trap the opponent there.

Imeline bit her lip, remaining silent. Watching her, Lovelenica not only didn’t stop, but continued to point out Lucia’s flaws incessantly. She fixed her gaze on Lucia’s eyes and spoke again.

“It was the same when you faced the Vampire. The moment she retreated into your blind spot, you chased after her completely unguarded. Even if you possess extraordinary power, you cannot act like this.”

“After all, you are only a Tier 3 Vampire. You have no advantage in close combat. If she hadn’t been unaware of your regeneration ability, you would have been incapacitated after the first exchange!

You were lucky not to be severely injured the first time, yet you still intended to make such a dangerous move a second time. If she knew about your regeneration, she certainly wouldn’t hold back. If you had lost your fighting capability, it would undoubtedly have caused an irreversible weakening of our combat strength. At that point, do you think we could have repelled that Vampire?”

Lovelenica paused, allowing Lucia time to ponder the meaning of her words.

Attestor’s face was ashen as she turned away without a word. She didn’t leave, merely turned her back to the others, clenching her small fists.

Lovelenica’s words had greatly infuriated Attestor, as everything seemed to hinge on her being injured.

She believed that Lovelenica’s words were indeed irrefutable. Lucia’s impulsive actions at times had created minor troubles for the team. While these issues were small, if they truly escalated, the consequences they would face might be unbearable.

Therefore, she could not refute Lovelenica’s admonishment of Lucia. However, the root cause of this situation was her own injury.

Because she was injured and had lost her combat ability, Lucia’s flaws were amplified. Lucia herself was already unstable; seeing the Black-robed Mages turn into blood after death even distracted her, which then put Imeline in danger and caused her to panic.

At the time, facing the Black-robed Mages’ encirclement, it was precisely because Attestor herself was injured that Lucia grew so anxious she left Imeline’s side, forcing Imeline to use Spatial Magic to reposition herself.

If Lucia had handled it calmly, perhaps by throwing a sharp sword in support, or by focusing on protecting Imeline while Imeline used magic to aid Attestor, they would not have fallen into such a state of complete disarray.

Therefore, Attestor believed that her injury was the reason Lucia lost her composure. If she hadn’t been injured, they could have pursued the Black-robed Mages without issue.

If she hadn’t been injured, it wouldn’t have mattered if Lucia exchanged injuries with the enemy. Ultimately, it was her injury that plunged the team into this predicament. ‘I’m still too weak… so, I must work harder and become stronger…’

Attestor clenched her fists, resolving to train even more diligently upon returning to the Royal City. Her current mentor was only a Tier 4 Knight, and merely a mentor in name, having virtually never guided her. She usually trained by herself. If she wanted to continue improving her strength, it would be best to find a mentor who could truly teach her.

Thinking this, Attestor couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Lovelenica. It seemed… there was a suitable candidate right here.