The Innocent Mage's Spellbinding Nights - Chapter 40
Irina, her face flushed from continuous running, panted heavily as she answered. It was a very straightforward response, saying she simply repaid kindness with kindness.
“…I’m injured. I might be more of a hindrance than any help to you.”
“The distance between you and the Mutras was too close for me to launch multiple wind spears. If I misjudged, they could have hit you. I’m sorry. If I were more skilled, you wouldn’t have been injured…”
Instead of receiving the response he was expecting to his gratitude, Hesed found himself getting an apology from Irina, making him feel awkward. He closed his mouth.
Regaining some composure, he started thinking of a way to survive.
“Are we still inside the evaluation area, or did we go outside?”
“I-I’m not sure. I was so focused on running that I lost track.”
“Even if we did leave the evaluation area, we shouldn’t be far. The ones who fled will soon inform the White Tower mages if they don’t encounter more surprises.”
“You’re right. We just need to hold on until we’re rescued.”
They didn’t need to defeat all the Mutras. They just needed to evade them and wait for help.
After catching their breath for a moment, they prepared new spells.
“Now!”
The Mutras had almost caught up to them. Hesed used his remaining magic power to create a small sandstorm. It wasn’t lethal, but it temporarily obscured the creatures’ vision.
While the monsters were disoriented, Irina and Hesed recast their Haste spell and ran back the way they had come, trying to mask their presence amidst the scattered scents.
“Huff, huff.”
“Haa…”
After about an hour, they realized their desperate attempt had succeeded, having evaded their terrifying pursuers. They collapsed onto the sandy ground.
A faint smile appeared on their half-ruined faces, a smile only survivors could have.
“We made it.”
“Thanks to you. You made the right decision at the start.”
If Hesed hadn’t blocked the monsters with a wall of fire initially, they all might have died.
Watching Irina add a “thank you,” Hesed, half-bowed, opened his mouth.
“…No, thank you. For saving my life and not betraying my trust.”
Gratitude for having his back, embarrassment for getting angry for no reason—all these emotions made his face flush. Luckily, he could attribute his red face to all the running they had just done.
After catching her breath, Irina retrieved a small pouch, which she had miraculously kept through the battle, and carefully applied the emergency ointment she had made to Hesed’s shoulder wound. She then tore a piece of her skirt and used it along with a handkerchief from the pouch to bandage the wound. With their magic reserves depleted, it was the best she could do for now.
“While wandering around carelessly is dangerous, staying here is just as risky,” Irina said cautiously.
They were in a place with no sign of life, not even a single cactus, just endlessly shifting sands in the wind. It was an open area where any approaching monster would mean certain death.
Furthermore, the only items Irina and Hesed had with them were a small pouch containing a few personal items like emergency ointment and a handkerchief. They needed to find groundwater or an oasis soon to prevent dehydration.
Leaning on each other for support, they began to walk slowly. They had to move diligently while the sun was still up to find something that would help them survive the harsh desert night.
‘Of course, being rescued before that would be best…’
Search efforts in the desert are challenging, even outside the evaluation zone where dozens of White Tower mages are actively preparing. Both Irina and Hesed were well aware of this.
After wandering for hours on the sandy path, dehydration symptoms hit them sooner than expected, perhaps due to the intense battle and prolonged escape. Their mouths and throats were not just dry but painfully parched. Their vision blurred and wavered. It felt like death, which had distanced itself with the monsters, was creeping back.
At that moment, a small shadow appeared over their heads.
Flap, flap.
The faint sound of wings.
Irina and Hesed looked up in surprise.
“…An eagle?”
Fortunately, it was an ordinary creature, not a monster, circling above them.
“If there’s a bird, there must be some plants or water nearby,” Hesed said, and Irina nodded in agreement.
“It might sound strange, but it seems like it’s leading us somewhere. Shall we follow it?”
At least they had never heard of monsters using animals to lure people. Even if the eagle were leading them into a trap with its flock, it wouldn’t be more dangerous than facing a Besmos.
With that judgment, they followed the eagle for about thirty minutes to an hour and eventually found a small oasis gleaming beautifully in the setting sun.
“Water!”
“Don’t drink it too quickly! Purify it first!”
It seemed like a newly formed oasis, as the surrounding foliage was small and modest. Still, they quenched their thirst with the purified water and used their remaining magic to cast a warming spell, allowing them to spend the night amidst the bushes. They clung tightly to each other, enduring the fear with their shared body heat.
