Emmy looked around once again after wiping her eyes, she didn't anything new from her laid down position so she moved to sit up. Carefully she shifted her body and felt a slight pain in her arms and the area beneath her belly button.

'System what happened after I passed out?' Emmy thought.

[The Host was carried away by Captain Jean to the knight's infirmary, where you are right now. Fischl tagged along where she stayed here for the whole night by your side.]

'Hmm, she is a great friend,' Emmy thought rubbing Fischl's head.

[The system would like to announce that it would hibernate for a short amount of time due to the battle. The system needs to analyze and upgrade parts of itself in response to the recent activities of the host.]

'Hmm, go ahead,'

[The system will be available tomorrow.]

"Haa..." Emmy sighed looking at her friend, "What am I going to do with you, doesn't your back hurt in this position."

Emmy carefully lifted Fischl's palm off of hers and got out of bed. Her feet touched the cold floor and her toes crinkled due, she cringed hopping up and down silently cursing her lack of preparation.

She rubbed the soles of her feet while emitting heat from her hands and stopped when the cold had passed, finally comfortable she went to complete another task.

She approached Fischl and carefully tried to lift her cupping her knees and body in her arms, with that done she lifted her friend off of her feet and carefully placed her on the bed.

"Hmm..."

Emmy paused looking at Fischl, watching as she turned looking to grasp at something frantically moving about, she deliberated for a moment before ultimately giving Fischl her hand. Almost immediately her friend eased with a smile on her face, going back to sleep.

Emmy thought about how to make her friend more comfortable before ultimately placing her hand on the bed and sucking up most of the heat in the sheets, to make it cool and comfortable. Everybody likes cold beds right, at least it was comfortable for Emmy.

She did the same for the pillows before sitting down in the chair. She sat there and watched her friend for a few minutes, bored but unwilling to wake Fischl. Fischl sniffed and Emmy felt the grip on her hands become tighter as Fischl started softly crying in her sleep.

Emmy was startled at the abrupt shift in emotion and momentarily wasn't aware of what to do. Fortunately, she gathered her wits quite quickly and sat on the bed near Fischl giving her head pats and hugs from somewhat compromising positions, while emitting heat from her body.

She did this for a while but it worked to little effect and Emmy finally worked on what she thought to be a good plan. She let go of Fischl's palms, which caused her to search around anxiously. She then went into bed and hugged Fischl from the front while their foreheads touched.

Fischl's shoulders which Emmy just noticed were a bit tense eased as she snuggled into the hug and Emmy released some from her body, sharing it with Fischl as they hugged.

"Uwaah~" Fischl yawned, rubbing herself on Emmy as if trying to find a more comfortable position. Emmy found herself torn between regret and happiness, regret for getting used as a pillow, and happiness for being used as a pillow by her best friend.

'Hmm, maybe Fischl was a cat after all,' Emmy thought as she felt Fischl snuggle closer to her neck, her nose pushing forward into her nape.

Eventually, Emmy resigned to her fate and also leaned into the hug, sniffing Fischl's hair. It smelled somewhat like burnt firewood and lavender flower. Emmy decided that she liked this smell and made a note of how to reproduce it later.

The two friends, one asleep and the other very much awake hugged each other comfortably. Emmy put her hands around Fisch's waist and looked at her sleeping face. She could only see the top of her eyes and everything else was dug into her neck.

Emmy studied her friend's face and found that her eyelashes were quick long and beautiful, she looked at the top of her head, and what she saw momentarily shocked her.

Fischl had her hair down.

She wasn't wearing her black bat hair pins, so her hair was down. What brought this on? Did she receive too much shock from the incident? Is she trying a new style? Emmy couldn't figure it out when they met Fischl always had her hair in the twin tails style.

Emmy thought that she liked that hairstyle of Fischl and told herself that it was her favorite but a new challenger has arrived and she found herself leaning onto that side instead.

While Emmy debated on which hairstyle looked the best on Fischl, the girl in question got even bolder and her mouth went towards Emmy's ear. There she blew a tender breath, that action sent waves through Emmy's body and her mind momentarily went blank.

Fischl, the sleeping gremlin didn't appear to be concerned that her friend was now a blushing confused mess and continued her subconscious actions.

Emmy felt that her friend was a bit unrestrained, wanting to ask her if she didn't notice how uncomfortable she was. Then remembered that she was asleep and closed her mouth in resignation, accepting her fate.

However, before things could escalate even further a sound came from the door.

Knock! Knock!

"Is there anyone awake?" A familiar voice, likely Jean whispered through the door.

Emmy shifted and came out of the hug swiftly yet carefully unwilling to awaken her friend and headed to the door. She opened the door, taking a look at Jean who was dressed in a formal knight uniform and she had a serious expression.

"It appears that you are awake, yes? How are you doing? You were quite exhausted to have collapsed so quickly yesterday."

"I am well and my fatigue has long passed but I wonder why you come to me so early in the morning?"

"Well," Jean started, continuing, "I came to ask you if you would like to accompany me to see the Grand Master, he would like to meet you."

The Grand Master?

"Master Varka would like to meet me, pardon my rudeness but what for?"

Emmy didn't think of anything that would draw the Grand Master's attention. While she did indeed help with the rescue of the kidnapped children and wielded elemental power, there were many like her in this world, some of them were even younger.

"He did not say, he did however leave the choice to you. Whether you come or not is your choice, this is the City of Freedom after all we do not force citizens unless necessary."

"Sigh... I will go but can you assign someone to Fischl for the time being?"

"It shall be done, the female infirmary knight will watch her."

"Then let's get this show on the road," Emmy said before thinking of something, "Oh! what about the kids who escaped, are all of them safe."

"They are all receiving care from the knight's infirmary, all of them wished to thank you for saving them."

"There is no need, I came for Fischl but helped with your mission since it was within my capability and was the right thing to do."

"You still have my thanks for that."

"You're welcome."

They both walked in silence after that, with Jean stopping every so often to salute the passing knights and those on duty. Emmy noted that the Captain maintained a look of vigilance the whole time, even when in the knight's headquarters.

They walked down a flight of steps before arriving at the Grand Masters' office. During this time Emmy finally found out that they were in the upper area of the knight HQ. Jean saluted the guard at the door before moving to open the door.

"Ready?" Jean asked, opening the door.

"Yep."

Emmy breathed and walked through the open door after the captain. Coming face to face with a largely built man with a green knight uniform on.

"So your Emmy. Welcome to my office."

"Thank you for having me."

So began a tense but also strange interrogation.

YiHuiliang

If any of you thought this chapter was romantic in any way...
Sigh... Lord ha mercy.
It was kinda sweet though ngl.
Shorter chapter.