Chapter 22: Aftermath

I drifted awake to the sweet, spicy aroma of curry lingering in the air, rich enough to make my empty stomach stir.

My head felt heavy, wrapped in a haze, but warmth cocooned me, soft and comforting, as though I were cradled in a proper bed.

When I pried my eyes open, the first thing I saw was a wall of gray fur.

A thick, furry blanket draped across my right side, but no, it was Janbo, curled protectively against me.

On my other side, another weight pressed gently against my arm.

Following the touch, I found a blue-haired girl resting her head on my bed, breathing quietly in her sleep.

“Reimei…” I whispered.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of her name.

“Raki!” she cried, relief flooding her face as she threw her arms around me.

Her shoulders trembled; I felt the wetness of her tears against my chest.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she sobbed softly.

“How long… was I out?” My voice rasped.

“Only a few hours,” Reimei said, still clinging to me with a shaky smile.

I glanced around, the ceiling beams of a wooden house coming into view. “Where are we?”

“In Lahir,” she explained. “The settlement leader lent us a few rooms to rest.”

“And the others…?”

“They’re fine. Thanks to you.”

I tried to push myself upright, and Reimei immediately slid closer, steadying me with gentle hands.

“Bau?” Janbo whined, licking my face as though scolding me for worrying him.

“I’m fine, boy. Really. Thank you for catching me back there,” I said, ruffling his fur with both hands until his tail wagged and he barked happily.

The door creaked open.

“Is Raki awake?” Zid’s voice cut short as his eyes fell on Reimei still clutching my hand.

His face stiffened, and with an awkward cough, he shut the door again just as quickly.

“Sorry for bothering!” Zid began, but before he could close the door, Lily stepped in and caught him.

“Zid, tell your father and Uncle Hekken that Raki’s awake,” Lily ordered firmly.

Turning back to me, her expression softened. “Do you have any requests for the food you want to eat, Raki?”

“Some warm meat curry would be nice,” I admitted.

Her lips curved into a teasing smile. “So the sweet and spicy aroma really did wake you up?”

I chuckled faintly. “Maybe it did.”

“Can you stand?” she asked.

“I can try,” I replied.

I was just about to ask Reimei for her shoulder when Janbo suddenly clamped his jaws onto my armor collar and hoisted me up like a misbehaving pup.

My feet dangled helplessly.

So this is what the cubs must feel like, I thought wryly.

“Janbo, follow me,” Lily said, leading the way.

Carried along by my ever-dutiful companion, our little group moved down the hall, the rich scent of curry only growing stronger with each step.

By the time we reached the dining area, it was nearly mouthwatering.

“You can set him down here,” Lily told Janbo, pulling a sturdy wooden chair from the table.

Janbo lowered me with surprising gentleness, and I found myself seated before the spread of food.

“How’s your body holding up?” a familiar voice asked.

I turned to see Father Damian, calm as ever, watching me from across the room.

“It’s still a little numb,” I admitted.

Hekken, already seated at the long table, leaned forward.

“Father Damian, do you know what’s happening to him?”

The priest folded his hands, his gaze grave.

“The only explanation I can give is that he suffered a Divine Fallout.”

Reimei, standing close beside me, stiffened.

“What… is a Divine Fallout?” she asked, worry etched into her face.

“It’s the backlash,” Father Damian explained, “the price one pays for wielding too much Divine magic in too short a span.”

In short, I was burned out, I realized with a weary sigh.

“He’ll recover with a good night’s rest,” Father Damian reassured.

“High Priestess Selena sometimes suffers the same after overexerting herself.”

Both Lily and Reimei let out a breath they’d been holding, relief softening their tense faces.

“Raki,” Father Damian continued, his tone edged with curiosity, “what sort of Divine magic was that?”

“It’s called Emperor’s Authority,” I explained, my voice steady.

“It lets me turn words into reality, so long as I possess more magic than my target,” I added.

Uncle Hekken frowned. “But that Death Knight, his magic stats should be well over two thousand.”

So that’s why it worked… it must have been the dice. Good thing I rolled five, I thought silently.

“Raki has a way to boost his stats,” Zid interjected, as if reading my mind.

“I see,” Hekken murmured, still deep in thought.

Lily finally huffed in irritation. “Enough. He’s here to eat, not to be interrogated.”

“Fair point,” Father Damian conceded with a faint smile.

“We’ll leave you to enjoy your meal.” He and Hekken rose and quietly left the dining hall.

“I tried my best to mimic the flavor,” Lily said as she set a wooden bowl of steaming meat curry before me, her eyes hopeful.

Reimei placed another dish by my side, a plate of soft, white grains that looked uncannily like rice.

I scooped a spoonful, tasting the familiar texture. “What do you call this?” I asked, curiosity piqued. If I learned what they called it here, it could be useful later.

“Sorry we couldn’t bring bread,” Silvia said as she joined us, her tone apologetic.

“Most of the loaves baked this morning were given to the refugees from Flogas.

What you have there is Oryza, it’s one of the main crops we grow in Lahir.”

“We can try again to find bread if you’d prefer” she began.

I shook my head, cutting her off with a small smile. “No. This is perfect.”

“Have you ever tried eating curry with Oryza?” I asked, glancing at the steaming dishes laid out before us.

Lily tilted her head. “No… we haven’t. Why?”

“It pairs perfectly,” I said, scooping a ladle of rich, fragrant curry onto the mound of white grains on my plate.

The sauce seeped into the Oryza, releasing an even deeper wave of sweet spice.

I gave it a quick stir and grinned.

“What are you waiting for? Me and Janbo might finish everything before you even start.”

True enough, Janbo was already crouched over a wooden bowl, happily devouring a mountain of Oryza drowned in curry.

“I’m kind of hungry myself,” Zid admitted.

“Lily, can I have a serving?” he asked.

I eyed his right arm. “Are you sure it’s fine already?”

He flexed it with a small smile. “Yeah, thanks to that weapon you lent me.”

“I see…” I nodded.

“I left it in my room. Should I grab it for you later?” Zid asked.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s yours now”, I said with a smile.

“Are you certain? It’s a rare weapon, isn’t it?” Zid asked.

I shrugged with a grin. “Rare or not, I think you’ll make better use of it than I ever could.”

I took another spoonful, savoring the bold flavor as Reimei, Lily, and Silvia finally settled into their seats, each helping themselves to curry over Oryza.

Silvia’s eyes lit up after her first bite. “I’ve never tasted anything like this.”

“That’s because it’s from Raki’s world,” Lily explained with a proud smile.

Reimei nodded, spoon halfway to her lips.

“It tastes just as good as the curry Raki makes himself,” Reimei stated

“Really, Mei?” Lily asked, her voice tinged with playful doubt. “What do you think, Raki? Zid?”

“Definitely as good as Raki’s cooking,” Zid answered between bites.

“To be honest…” I said after a thoughtful chew, “I might like this one even more.”

Lily’s cheeks turned a faint shade of red at the compliment, but she only smiled quietly and continued eating.

The warm aroma still lingered thick in the air when a deep voice rumbled from the doorway.

“That smells delicious.”

Uncle Hekken strode in and sat beside Silvia, the weariness in his face easing just a little at the sight of the meal.

“There’s plenty left,” Lily assured with a light laugh.

“Then… may I have some as well?” Father Damian asked, his tone a bit excited for once.

“Of course.” Lily smiled and served both Uncle Hekken and Father Damian generous portions.

The room grew quieter for a moment as everyone ate, until Zid spoke up, glancing at his father.

“So… what do we do next?”

Father Damian set down his spoon, his expression steady.

“For now, we rest. Let our wounds heal. With High Priestess Selena’s barrier active, another attack is unlikely.”

He leaned back slightly, his voice lowering.

“And now it’s certain, the Death Knights are behind the resurrection of Death Dragon Urzuz,” Father Damian stated.

Uncle Hekken shot him a look, one eyebrow raised, as if to say I told you so.

Father Damian sighed. “I know, Hekken. But I needed to see it with my own eyes.”

“It’s fine,” Hekken replied, shaking his head.

“You were doing your duty. We can’t just send out the Holy Knights on nothing more than suspicion.”

I set my empty bowl aside, having cleaned through two helpings. “I think I’ll head to my room. I’m feeling drowsy.”

“Rest well, Raki,” Father Damian said firmly. “Your body still needs time.”

As I started to rise, Janbo padded over and clamped his jaws gently on my collar, hoisting me off the ground like I was nothing more than a pup.

“Janbo, hey!” I protested, dangling helplessly as he trotted off toward the hallway.

“I’ll make sure he brings Raki to the right room,” Reimei said quickly, following after us with a small smile tugging at her lips.