In the end, there was a condition as I had expected.

“You know what, keep it. Just drop me to the nearest healer’s clinic that would be enough. I would rather not be indebted to any of the nobles.” I said mockingly, “There was no point in gifting me the elixir if you are going to keep some absurd conditions in the end. I have already suffered a lot in the elite’s hands so I don’t think I could stomach anymore.”

She can easily make some absurd condition to pledge your fealty to that house. I suffered enough as it is from those rich bastard aristocrats. She helped me so far and for that I am thankful. I don’t plan on swearing my loyalty to any of you, anytime soon.

“You are jumping into the wrong conclusion. I won’t force you to do anything against your will nor do I want to make you indebted to me or turn you into a slave. You can rest assured that it won’t be something absurd like you think it is.” she then glared at me, “Even if you do decline my courtesy and somehow survived this ordeal, you will still be crippled for life. If that were to happen, what would you do about your younger siblings back at your house? Who would take care of them if something were to happen to you?”

That last statement made me shiver down my spine.
She also knew about my Rose and Armin’s existence.

I thought for sure only a few people were aware of this fact.
After we were abandoned by our mother, we started living under a different alias for the rest of our life. Only some military officials and some internal politicians were aware of our real identity. Although, the military police allowed us to use a different alias. But sooner or later some arrogant bastard from the military would rattle out our identity to our neighboring. Forcing us to keep constantly changing homes.

We kept on shifting homes after home and never once did we give in to those military bastards. Right now, those arrogant assholes left us peacefully after so long. And again the noble girl like herself knew about the last of the Heller kinsfolks.

Pietra did a background check and had me cornered.
“Are you perhaps threatening me?” I asked.

If I don’t comply with her so-called ‘condition’ will she leave me here to my death?

“Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not in any way trying to threaten you. All I am asking is just a simple request, nothing more or less.” she responded with her casual demeanor.

But what she says is true.
If I became crippled not only it will affect me but also Rose and Armin. Then they might have to quit school and start looking for a job in my stead. That’s the last thing that I want them to face. I don’t want them to suffer the same way as I did. I want them to be able to live a carefree life.
I want to clear the name of the Heller family so those two can hold their heads high and live without being mocked because of our old man.

Even though she made a good point, I am still not fully satisfied with her argument unless I know what this condition of hers.

“So tell me what is this so-called simple condition of yours?” I asked.

“I just want to keep today’s event a secret. I want you to tell not a soul about what went down. That’s all.” she said.

“That’s all?” I asked to confirm.

“Yes, I will make sure that such uncouth actions to never happen again in the future.” she then stared at the distant horizon in a monotonous tone, “At least not when I am in charge of this town for the time being.”

Well, that makes sense.

Under the presence of Pietra, the heir to the house of Nevarlises, her colleagues did such shameful things that would also tarnish Pietra’s reputation. If the people came to know about such rumors it will drag the elite military’s name down the mud.

The house of Nevarlises is one of the most prestigious houses in the Rublor Kingdom. I also heard they are also quite a proud bunch with an aggressive sentimentality for justice. I also happened to hear rumors that there was quite an internal quarrel on the subject who will become the next successor.

Pietra was the next in line to succession because she was the daughter of Cecelia Nevarlises, the current leader of house Nevarlises and also the commander who's in charge of the entire military fleet of Rublor.

But many of the elders in the Nevarlises family disagreed on the fact that the next head of the family should be a female. Hence there’s a competition to outshine each other for next to be in the line of the successor.

Although, the current leader of Nevarlises is the mother of Pietra, a woman.
And in her command, Rublor has earned quite a lot of victories under her belt.

So with such a conflict within the Nevarlises house, Pietra doesn’t want to spread rumors about how corrupted the elites soldier’s deeds.

“Ah! Alright! I agree. Please now pour down that elixir before my wounds become irreversible.” then I glared back at her, “Also if that turned out to be poison, I will surely haunt you for life.”

Pietra sat down one of her knees and placed my head on her lap.
“If I wanted to kill you, I could have just let you die by the hands of Lady Ruxia. There’s no need for me to go a mile to kill you,” she replied.

She once again made a sound point but still, I can’t help but be nervous.

Currently, if I was an ordinary guy I would be on cloud nine for getting to sleep on the lap of such a beautiful lady as Pietra. But sadly her thighs were covered with armor plating and it was not a bit comfortable.

She placed the potion bottles opening on my lip and slowly pours down the elixir potion down my mouth.

The potion had a very sweet taste and a powerful aroma. It really did taste similar to honey but more sweet and fluid.

Suddenly there was this warm tingling feeling in my throat and slowly it spread within my belly. This strange warm feeling started to spread slowly and steadily throughout my body.

She didn’t even pour half of the elixir but the elixir already started its effects.
The warmness covered all over my body and especially it was more concentrated on the places on my wounds.

I could hear noises echoing inside my body when the potion automatically repaired my internal wounds. I could even feel and hear my shattered bones reconstructing within. My bones in my arms and in my ribs slowly started to repair itself, even though I can’t see them but I can feel it.

She was just halfway done pouring the elixir in my mouth and it already did wonders.

This was the first time I experienced something so magical.
Health potions are also classed in the same manner as any enchanted equipment.

These potions are actually made by mages who could use the art of magic.
Mages are a rarity throughout the world, no one else can use magic.

The trait of practicing magic is hereditary by one’s descendants.
If you and your wife are both can use magic, then their high chance that their children can also use magic.


Three powerful houses in the Rublor kingdom are the descendants of such are mages of the nobility who had sworn their loyalty to the Rublor kingdom long ago.

Although the trait to use magic was hereditary there were some exceptional cases. There was sometimes a mere child of a peasant who could develop the trait to use magic spontaneously. Although, it was very rare this happened but there are such people all around the world.

Those people won’t be as powerful as the nobility mages but they are still invaluable mage nevertheless.

Such mages and their families are given a higher status and made them swear loyalty to one’s kingdom. Although, the kingdom takes all the rights of the things that those low born mages produce and they are restrained from using magic other than the well being of the kingdom.

Although the ‘well-being’ part was a load of bull, the only thing the kingdom wanted was more and more enchanted gears for warfare.

Even this elixir that I was drinking right now was made from one of the mages.
This was a silver class elixir so it must be brewed by one of the most powerful mages of the nobility.

Just when Pietra was done pouring all the elixir down my throat.
“Just wait for the elixir to do its thing and you will be good as new.”

Suddenly the warm sensation inside my body swelled up and become much hotter.
I sweated like preposterously.
Even breathing was getting difficult.

“What the… heck is going on?” I asked while groaning in pain.

“Hmm…” she responded, “I guess this elixir is a little too powerful for your body to consume.”

What the heck does that suppose to mean?
I literally felt like I being burned alive.

My vision started to blur and before I knew it, I fell unconscious.