"..."

The silence stretched on like an uncomfortable eternity as everyone in the medical wing remained frozen in shock.

Nero blinked his eyes repeatedly, trying to process what he was seeing.

He'd expected to meet an extraordinary waifu, sure. Most probably a holy milf goddess judging by her motherly and gentle aura from the character preview in the system.

The woman seemed regal, powerful, and yet gentle in the showcase, so he was half-expecting a kind priestess with a warm attitude...

But this?

"..."

He could only stare in surprise as the golden-haired woman wearing a ceremonial silk gown kissed his hand in deep respect and perhaps even reverence.

Not gonna lie, he did have fantasies in the past of being served by a beautiful milf goddess, but not this kind in a literal sense though...

The way she knelt before him with such absolute devotion made his brain short-circuit completely.

"!!!"

Aurelia suddenly snapped out of her stunned look and immediately stepped forward, breaking the contact between Nero and the golden-haired woman.

Her divine instincts were screaming warnings as she positioned herself protectively between them.

"Who are you? State your purpose."

Her voice carried the cold authority of someone prepared for battle, golden eyes narrowing with suspicion.

The sudden tension made everyone else in the medical wing go on high alert.

*Clatter! Grab! Ready!*

Jin's hand immediately went to the weapon at her side.

Gilbert stopped his healing work to focus on the potential threat.

Even the grieving parents looked up from their children's bedsides, sensing danger.

"Lord Nero, please get behind me."

Aurelia's wings partially manifested, stellar energy beginning to gather around her form as she prepared for combat.

But Nero immediately stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Aurelia's shoulder.

"Hey, everyone, calm down."

His relaxed tone cut through the building tension like a knife.

The crowd looked at him expectantly, clearly waiting for an explanation.

If he was calm, that meant he knew something about this mysterious woman that they didn't.

"She's... a companion of mine. A summon of some sort."

Nero explained in a roundabout way, carefully avoiding details about his ability or system.

"I earned her from a loot drop after that recent battle."

"..."

The people, except Aurelia who was also a summon, looked confused as hell.

How could a person be a loot drop?

Though… considering all the surreal phenomena, powers, and magical things they'd experienced since the apocalypse began, they figured anything could really happen at this point of time.

And besides, it wasn't the time to think about that when there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Who is she exactly?"

Jin was the first to voice the obvious question, her wariness evident despite Nero's reassurance.

Nero looked at the golden-haired woman, who nodded gracefully and stood up from her kneeling position.

She bowed magnificently before all of them, including Nero, with the kind of perfect etiquette that spoke of noble breeding and extensive training.

"I am Celis Verillia," she spoke with a voice like honey mixed with morning sunlight.

She paused for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully.

"... An ex-priestess from the Inquisition."

"..."

Nero felt a bit confused why she said priestess instead of saintess, considering what her card had shown him.

But the people around him reacted more strongly to her job description than the discrepancy.

A priestess from the Inquisition?

Although they don't really know about this so-called Inquisition, they do have a grasp of what a priestess is.

"Ex-priestess?"

Yuki asked hesitantly, clearly picking up on the regal and holy vibes radiating from the woman despite her claims of being "former" clergy.

Celis responded with a gentle smile as she moved closer to Nero, intertwining her arm with his and causing her bountiful chest to squeeze against his arm in a way that made his brain temporarily malfunction.

"Yes… For I now do serve my Savior," she said in affirmative, surprising the people around them.

"!!!"

Everyone's eyes immediately snapped to Nero, their expressions mixing surprise, confusion, and a dozen unspoken questions.

"..."

Meanwhile, Aurelia frowned at the brazen attitude and actions of the woman before her.

She regarded it internally as something somewhat disrespectful and intrusive toward her Lord Nero, though she didn't act on the impulse.

More than that, she felt this tight feeling in her chest that she couldn't quite identify.

Nero, who could somehow sense Aurelia's emotional turmoil through their connection, silently reached out and held her hand, pulling her to his other side.

He smiled wryly at the people who were looking at him for explanation.

"It's a summoner's pact, that's why she regards me as her 'savior.'"

"..."

They reluctantly nodded, though clearly still processing this information.

But then Juno, who had been mumbling to himself in the corner, suddenly stepped forward.

His analytical eyes narrowed as he studied Celis intently, taking in every detail of her appearance and bearing.

And then, without warning, he bowed his head to her.

"Please... save the children."

His voice had a tinge of desperate hope as he continued,

"I'll pay you anything, do anything, just... Please save them."

One could hear the gritting of his teeth as the painful reality hit him.

Even if the two kids near death could be saved through some miraculous power from this summoned woman that Nero had brought out, he knew it was beyond impossible to revive his daughter.

… Yui was already gone.

"..."

Everyone was surprised by Juno's sudden action, including Nero.

Although Nero was surprised for a different reason… it's the fact that the analytical man trusted a complete stranger based solely on his recommendation.

It seemed everyone was willing to let their guard down simply because they trusted his words.

He was also surprised that Juno immediately recognized she was a healer, though considering they were all pretty cultured and intelligent people, it wasn't really that surprising.

But the question remained hanging in the air like incense.

"Could you heal them?"

Nero asked Celis directly, his voice carrying hope and uncertainty.

The half-closed eyed woman nodded serenely.

"..."

And it shocked pretty much everyone in the room.

No one - not a single healer among them - had managed to make any progress with the poisoned trio.

But this woman proclaimed she could succeed where everyone else had failed?

But considering Juno's desperate actions and Nero's words, the parents felt she was trustworthy to a certain level, although the suspicion remains there.

… And besides, what other choice did they have?

With nothing else working and Vincent showing no signs of waking up from his coma, believing in a miracle was literally their only remaining option.

"..."

The parents and healers inside finally stepped aside, creating a clear path to the makeshift beds.

Celis nodded at them gracefully, her expression radiating gentle gratitude.

For she knew how hard it is to trust the lives of someone precious to you to a stranger like her.

"I thank thee for thy trust."

She immediately moved forward, her movements flowing like water as she approached the two unconscious boys.

"..."

Celis placed her hands on Kaito first, her fingers glowing with faint golden energy as she conducted some kind of mystical examination.

Her half-closed eyes moved beneath her lids as if she was reading invisible information.

After several moments, she moved to Haru and repeated the process.

"..."

Everyone held their breath as they watched her work, the medical wing so quiet that even the sound of their own heartbeats seemed thunderous.

Finally, Celis straightened and turned to face the anxious crowd.

"The malady afflicting these young ones is indeed complex," she began, her voice carrying the authority of someone who truly understood what she was dealing with.

"'Tis not merely poison, but rather a confluence of alchemical toxins designed to consume the very life force itself."

"!!!"

The explanation made everyone's faces pale with renewed fear.

"The reason thy conventional healing hath proven ineffective is that each toxin doth counteract the others' removal. When one is purged, the remaining compounds grow stronger to compensate."

"So... it's hopeless then?"

Jin's expression was grave.

The question hung in the air like a death sentence, making several parents visibly flinch.

But Celis smiled gently and shook her head.

"Nay. 'Tis challenging, but not beyond remedy."

"!!!"

Joy immediately shot up among the parents, their faces lighting up with desperate hope.

Yuki grabbed Kaito's hand tighter, tears streaming down her face.

Genya straightened in his chair beside Haru, his military composure barely containing his emotional response.

"...T-Then please," Haori whispered from beside Yui's still form. "P-Please help them!"

Celis nodded and returned her attention to the two dying boys.

What followed was unlike anything anyone in the room had ever witnessed.

*Hummm...*

Golden light began emanating from Celis's hands as she placed them over Kaito's chest.

But this wasn't the simple healing magic they'd seen from other survivors.

This was something far more sophisticated and beautiful.

"Hmmmm…"

She began to hum, a melody so pure and ethereal it seemed to make the very air around them shimmer with warmth.

Intricate patterns of light began forming in the air above Kaito's body, geometric designs that looked like they'd been drawn by divine hands.

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