Author's note: Yes, a bonus update! This is a small celebration for achieving almost 5k reads, and for gaining my mood back to continue writing this story. A small token of my appreciation for everyone, and I wish you all a happy weekend ahead ❤

PS. This chapter is rather short, apologies!

The once chaotic atmosphere has finally died down, and the sun was beginning to set.

Xue stood in front of the two corpses, a red marble, and a blue marble hovering above his palm. His eyes were closed as he absorbed the souls from the corpses, one of them was a fire element user, while the other was a water element user.

Xue would be able to utilise most of his fire element, though it wasn't at its last evolution.

He would be twice as strong as Kai in terms of fire elemental power. Whereas, he would finally be able to use a portion of his water element.

"Hey, what's your name?" Alric asked as the Flaming Lotus in Cecil's hand slowly grew.

"That's right, I haven't introduced myself..." Cecil muttered out, and she managed an amiable smile at Alric. "Cecil Lan, you can call me Cecil."

"Cecil Lan. Th-that's a pretty name."

"Thank you."

"I-I can't thank you enough...for saving me earlier."

"It's fine."

Alric wanted to cry hearing her words. "You almost...died!"

Cecil lowered her eyes, not responding. Alric seemed to want to say something more, but he held back.

A quiet minute passed and Xue finished absorbing the souls.

The corpses in front of him began to crack, like porcelain dolls, the cracks resembled large spiderwebs that spread across their entire body. Eventually, the corpses crumbled to dust, and a small breeze entered via the window, blowing any remnants of the corpses away.

It was like they never existed in the first place.

Xue stared at where they once stood, recalling Veau's face and his eyebrows twitched in anger.

"Alright, the Flaming Lotus is done. You use fire, don't you? Simmer it in hot water for five minutes, and mash it." Cecil instructed Alric patiently, despite her exhaustion.

"Yes, just a bit of fire though. I-I am incapable of fighting with it."

"It's good enough if you can heat the water up to simmer the herb."

Hearing Cecil's lukewarm voice behind him, Xue felt the anger in him dissipating gradually.

"Okay, I'll do it. Cecil, yo-you can trust me." Alric said, trying to sound confident.

Cecil smiled, "I will trust you anyway, Alric."

Alric has stumbled across his life as a wandering merchant, where people accused him of being a cheat or took advantage of him due to this careless nature. He was also not a confident person, and his cowardly personality only makes him run at the first sight of danger.

Most of the people in the trading circle were sagacious and cold-blooded, and he certainly wasn't like them. Neither did he enjoy masquerading as one of them.

He never fit in anywhere.

He was then invited here by the principal, they were close friends since young and Alric was delighted. However, he realised his presence dragged the entire academy into trouble instead. The principal made him hide, swearing to him that he would protect Alric no matter what. Alas, the situation escalated to the point where Alric couldn't bear it.

How could he let someone die for him? When he was just a wandering merchant? A nobody?

It made him feel even worse about himself.

However, this woman before him that he has never once met, did not judge him the people around him did, and she even smiled so gently at him.

She even saved his measly life without hesitation.

He knew he was always a small puzzle piece in his entire life, but he also felt that there was a woman out there, destined for him.

Is that woman...you? Cecil Lan?

Unlike Kai and Xue, Alric was one of the few alters that did not have a strong connection with Hana.

Alric held his flames over the pot, heating the water and gazing at Cecil, intent.

Cecil laid out the medicinal supplies and preparing to clean her own wounds. However, Xue approached her and stopped her, swiftly taking over and Cecil didn't have a chance to protest.

She observed, tentative, as he sat down beside her, taking the medicinal supplies into his hands and...staring at it.

Cecil was puzzled.

Xue still continued to stare at it.

A thought suddenly occurred to Cecil, and she felt her mouth twitch.

Xue...whenever he got hurt in his previous life, he would automatically heal...and in this life, Hana cared for his wounds instead. Moreover, getting injured is rare for Xue.

The great lord protagonist definitely doesn't know a thing about dressing wounds and stitching them.

At the same time, Kai was lecturing Xue in his mind.

Kai: "...you don't know how to treat wounds?"

Xue: "..."

Xue: "...no comment."

Kai: "You...you are so good at fighting, but you don't know how to..."

Xue: "..."

Kai: "Just...let me take over."

Xue: "I'll figure it out myself."

Kai: "Just let me. Take over."

Xue: "I'll figure it out. Myself."

Kai snorted.

Cecil forced a smile, "It's okay, Xue. I think it's better if I do it myself--"

"No."

Kai: "Cecil is going to offer to teach you how to do it."

Cecil cleared her throat, appearing more serious. "I know, Xue, that you are...unsure of how to dress wounds. Let me teach you, especially stitching."

Kai: "Told you."

Xue: "Shut up."

Kai: "Let me take over then I'll shut up."

Xue: "..."

Kai: "Or do you want me to teach you--"

Xue: "No."

Kai: "Goddamnit, you stubborn ass! What if you hurt her? Or make her injury worse? I won't forgive you if you do that! And I won't shut up, forever and ever! If anything happens to Cecil, it's all your damn fault!"

Kai started to fight for control, and Xue grunted softly. He wasn't happy at allowing Kai to take control, and he didn't know why.

However, in this case, Cecil took precedence.

Xue definitely didn't want anything more to happen to Cecil.

Xue: "...fine, you take over."

Kai: "Yes, finally, thank you!"

Xue sighed, "Kai will do it."

Cecil's eyes seemed to light up at those words. Xue caught it, showing a hint of displeasure, before his eyes seemingly glazed over.

The change was immediate and Cecil eventually saw a grin stretching across his face. "Hey, Cecil."

"Kai." Cecil smiled.

Kai moved hastily, taking hold of the medical supplies. He attended to her wounds with prudence, his movements gentle.

"I can't believe he doesn't know a single thing about dressing wounds."

"For someone good at fighting, what a disgrace."

"Am I really him?"

"...ah, he is barking at me now."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, continue barking."

Cecil was amused as she listened to Kai grumble.

Alric was finally done with his part, sliding his way over, his gaze still fixated on Cecil. There was an inscrutable look in his midnight black eyes.

"Cecil, I think I'm done."

"Let me see." Cecil gestured for Alric to show her and he obeyed her.

The herb has been simmered and crashed into a herbal mixture, and she smiled, nodding. "Yes, thank you Alric. Well done!"

Kai was still stitching her wound, but Cecil was able to focus on Alric and his work, it was like the stitching didn't affect her at all. Hearing her words, and seeing her cool reaction to the stitching, especially her smile, something stirred within Alric.

His heart began to pound loudly, slowly.

[ You have met the requirements for triggering another secret mission. ]

[ Secret mission #2 : Alric, the Cowardly Wandering Merchant
Objective : Assist Xue in assimilating with his fourth fragment, Alric.
Clue : Due to your gentle actions and your sacrifice, he now sees you as an angel. Once again, you have left a great impression on another alter of Xue.
Time limit : 1 hour
Reward : 400 points ]

The smile on Cecil's face stiffened as she saw the two notifications.

"......"

"Wh-what is this, AI500?! I...I have bewitched another one of the alters, again? Again?!"

[ Yes, you did :) ]

[ Congratulations, you are truly one of a kind, Cecil Lan~ ]

Cecil wanted to cry.

What was there to congratulate about! She was stealing all of them away from Hana!

Cecil had no idea what she did to even cause such a reaction from Alric!

***

《 start 》

I do not understand.

Why do I care?

Why do I want to treat your wounds so desperately?

Why do I not want to see you hurt anymore, especially because of me?

Why...do I want to care?

《 stop 》