Zach Joan slowly slid off the horse's back, blue and purple all over, and in pain. Moreover, the rain continued until about an hour, and finally stopped. She clung to the saddle to avoid falling to the ground.

"Can you still go?" Hadwin asked, his voice full of concern.

"I'm just in a little pain," she whispered. "Please don't say you told me. I know. But we were in a hurry. We've wasted almost two weeks of our time. ”

He sighed softly, and then slipped off the saddle as well. He walked over and knelt down in front of her. "Joan. If you take a few, we won't be able to kill you—"

"I'm fine!" She lied and shook her head. "All I need is a minute."

He sighed softly, then patted her on the head. "Wonderful. Wait here, I'm going to hand over our horses to the janitor. They also deserve a little pampering after this trip," he said.

"I'll wait for you, old friend." She watched him lead the horse and said weakly. She kept repeating to herself that she had to stand a little longer. Soon she will be able to fall down and take off these wet and heavy clothes. She glanced down at her cloak and sighed. Although it provided a little protection, the rain was so heavy that it was all soaked. She reached out to untie the rope, but stopped. If she let it fall, she'd have to bend down to pick it up, and she wouldn't be able to get up again. No way?

So she stood up, stiff as a plank, her eyes fixed on the ground. "Are you okay?" She saw a pair of boots coming towards her.

"I'm fine," she said slowly, looking up. A girl is estimated to be only four or five years older than her. She wears the brown internship gown worn by all college students. She looked familiar, but she couldn't remember.

"Dear God, what's wrong with you?" The girl asked, her eyes wide in horror. Instead of walking over, she walked over to Joan and reached out and grabbed her arm.

Joan tried to push her away, but she was too tired. She struggled to identify who the girl was. Suddenly, a soothing numbness swept through her body, alleviating the pain and, unfortunately, leaving her legs paralyzed. But she didn't fall because another girl caught her. "Joan, what's wrong with you?"

"What did you do to me?" She asked, her voice barely hiding her panic. She tried to reach for the sword, but she didn't even have the strength to scream and push the girl away. But after a while, she realized what she had done. The same spell used by the troll when he crushed her body. Now she remembered where she had seen the girl, she was one of the trainee therapists in the infirmary.

"Healing spell." The girl said. "What's wrong with you? You're covered in wounds, your muscles are strained, and you're in the first stage of a breakdown. ”

"My muscles are—" Joan said, but interrupted herself as she finished processing the rest. "The flu? I don't think your spell worked. I feel good. ”

"Stand up, then." The girl said.

"I can't, because of your spell—"

"If you're almost able to stand on your own, it doesn't have that effect. Did the Crystal Phoenix do this? We're going to see the principal. Any mercenary company does this for-"

"It's not them!" She finally had enough strength on her legs to stand up. Unfortunately, they only hugged her for a few seconds and then gave up again. "It's not them. I'm fine. See? Okay," she said through gritted teeth, before pushing herself up again, this time barely able to get up on her trembling legs. "You go, I'm fine, I don't need you to help me."

"I can't go, I'm waiting for someone."

"You shouldn't-"

"Joan? What's going on here? Hadwin's voice suddenly cut through the air like a knife, sending her shudders.

"It's nothing, it's just some old classmates." She said hurriedly. "They just left."

"Oh, so she's like that in the academy too?" Hadwin asked, his voice full of amusement. When the girl turned her gaze to him, the smile on the corner of his mouth quickly disappeared.

"Yes, she is. Are you her commander? Bot asked, her voice stern and angry.

"Something like that," Hadwin said embarrassedly. "But I-"

"Then you should know that Joan is not in good health to perform any duties," Bot said again, interrupting him.

"Well, yes, but-"

"She was exhausted, bruised, scarred and had a bad flu," she said.

"I didn't—"

"Actually, these bruises alone aren't—"

"Ahem!" Hardwin finally shouted, his voice booming, shyness disappearing from his voice and being replaced by an edge of anger. "Miss, may I interject?"

"Thank you," Hardwin said, his voice as cold as ice. "First of all, those bruises were of her own making, stupidity. Secondly, it is because the important events on the throne have been delayed, so she is tired, otherwise I would not have allowed her to come in this state. Thirdly, while I do appreciate the information about the flu, I also hope that you don't adopt that tone towards me, young lady, unless you wish your back hurt like Joan. Hearing this, Joan couldn't help but laugh. Judging by Poud's face, she believed what was coming out of Hardwin's mouth. There seemed to be a flame in his eyes, which always made him seem intimidating. "Fourth, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Hardwin. One of the chosen people of the gods, a servant of Queen Emmeline. When Joan realized who she was scolding, she could barely help but giggle when she saw the other girl's face fade faster. Then. I have important things to attend to, but I appreciate you focusing on your own business, not ours. ”

"Yes, sir." Bot said quickly, lowered his head, and quickly ran away.

Joan snickered until she looked up at Hadwin, who was now glaring at her. "What? I didn't do anything. ”

"You just got me scolded by a kid. Is it all like this? He asked, his voice filled with exasperation.

"Just the healer," she said with a sigh. "They can be a little bossy."

The anger on his face slowly faded, replaced by a playful smile. "Ahhh Therapists, of course. Then, she will definitely make a good result. ”

"I don't understand what to do," Joan said with a little bitterness. "The queen is a better healer, and she is more gentle."

Hadwin reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "You also listened to her and followed the care instructions she gave you. Sometimes. For adventurers like me, there's an old proverb. Never annoy your therapist. ”

"Why?"

"Because they usually know the best way to stop you from committing suicide, and if you're persecuting too much, they know which herbs to include in your drink that you regret."

She stared at him with her mouth wide open. "Wait, what? Has the Queen tried? You never told me about it! ”

Hadwin laughed. "We all have secrets, Joan. Also, it's not a very interesting story. It's hardly worth saying. How do you feel? ”

"I had no choice but to go on my own. Clear? ”

She sighed softly. "Okay. I'm just tired. ”

"And then - "

"But we first need to focus on finding all the people who are chosen. The sooner we find Searle, the sooner we'll be able to pick two people instead of one to defend the world. Joan said, desperately trying to sound confident.

"Come on, let's find this boy and see if the shield reacts to him. Where is his room? ”

Zach Jones rolled her eyes, trying to think back to her days at the academy. It felt like something that had happened many lifetimes ago. She guessed that there were more than a few times when other girls tried to invite her on an "adventure", but she always ignored them. She was too busy then. Now that I think about it, there have been several times when a few boys have been caught sneaking into the dormitory. Her cheeks turned even redder when she realized why the girls were laughing when she yelled at them. "It's a stupid game, isn't it?"

"Possibly," he said with a laugh. "Are you sure that your life now is your own choice? Doesn't seem to be right for you. ”

"This suits me perfectly! I like it! It's a great life! ”

"Then why are you trying to end it all?"

"I'm not. I just—" She staggered and almost fell until he reached out and grabbed her stomach and lifted her up. "I'm just tired."

He sighed softly and shook his head. "Joan, you're still a kid. You don't have to push yourself too hard. ”

"I watched the world burn again and again," she said, trembling softly. "I have to push and fight. When it's all over, I can rest. When I won. When the world doesn't need me. ”

Hardwin didn't pull his arm away from her, just looked down at her. "Have you been cured before?"

"There are so many times I can't even count them." Joan was quick to speak.

"I see. Then you should know how important it is to rest. I shouldn't have let you come in the first place. ”

Joan blushed. "Please let me go. I am fine. Even though she said so, she was reluctant to admit that he was right. Even though his arms supported most of her weight, each step felt tougher and tougher. Is what Bot said true? Is she really sick? Is this the reason why her strength has not recovered?

"Joan, I told you not to lie to me," Hardwin said again.

"Wonderful. I am not good. But the world won't wait until I'm okay, will it? If we want to have a chance to save it, then we-"

"That's enough," Hardwin said, his voice cold.

"But-"

"That's enough." He repeated, interrupting her. She looked around the courtyard of the academy, and there were people looking at the two of them, whispering.

The college itself is a huge and majestic building, made of strange wood, that looks like it was planted rather than built. With the exception of a few places, the walls and floors appear to be made of solid wood rather than planks. She suspected that the base of the building was built entirely of magic and then retouched. It's four stories tall and majestic, and it's one of the few she's ever seen in her life with real glass windows.

The school consists of three main wings, the east, west, and south wings, each four stories high but only half as thick. Between the hidden wings of the building itself, there is the inner courtyard. That's where they train for outdoor activities as needed.

This college is centuries old. It is funded and maintained by the royal family itself and is special enough.

Those rich people also often send their children here. It teaches swordsmanship, magic, history, politics, and everything she can imagine. She only learned what she needed for her future role as a mercenary, but now she can't help but regret not knowing more about the history of the world.

"The boys' dormitory is in the East Wing. If we go there, we're — hey! When they walked into the building, he didn't walk down the hall, but stopped in the middle of the foyer. What? ”

"Where's the headmaster?" He asked. "It's quicker to have someone bring him. And, I don't want to go all over the school with this. He said, pointing to the backpack on his back. The shield is hidden inside, from prying eyes.

"Oh. Yes, it is. Uh, right there," she said, gesturing to the staircase at the back of the building, near the door to the inner courtyard. "Fourth floor."

He nodded, and then, to her horror, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"What are you doing? I'm not a sack! She whispered, her face flushing with shame. She tried to break free from his grasp. "I'm a—"

"A little kid who can't walk up stairs," Hadwin said contemptuously.

As more and more students seemed to enter the main entrance, Joan's face burned with even more shame, staring at the display and whispering to each other. She didn't expect that she would return to the academy, let alone that. She raised her hands to cover her face, wishing to die of shame. It was at least one of her least painful deaths.

By the time they finally reached the fourth floor, the door had opened, and a balding old man was standing there, his eyes narrowing in horror. She didn't blame him, the group of students gathered in the foyer let out a dull roar at the moment. She was put down, and then his eyes were focused on her. Annoyance quickly turned into confusion. "Joan?" He asked, then turned to Hardwin. "Uh, I'm sorry, but-" Then his words got stuck in his throat, and his gaze quickly jumped to the sword beside him, and his face disappeared from his face. "Wait, the sword. You're not—"

"Indeed, I am Hader, the chosen people of the gods." Hardwin said. "Can we come to your office and talk?"

The headmaster sighed, then walked over to the railing, "I see. Considering your arrival, it's hard for me to say I'm surprised. Come in. The man said, then turned and walked into his office.

The two followed him in. She couldn't help but wander her gaze around the room, she couldn't remember the last time she was here. There was a thick red carpet on the floor of the room, and her feet almost sank in. There were only two pieces of furniture in the room, one of which was a bookcase placed against the wall, filled with dozens of thick books in various languages, one of which she believed to be demonic. There was a large table and a few chairs on the opposite side of the door, and the headmaster hurriedly moved to the back and sat down. There was a small square door on the wall behind the desk, but she couldn't imagine what it was for. The only thing that struck her as strange was the wall opposite the bookshelf, on which a large portrait hung on it. The metal strip at the bottom of it reads "First Headmaster – Damien Light Feather".

At least now she knew that the rumors that he was one of the founders were true. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if he had elven blood in him, or maybe demon blood. He was human, but as far as she knew, he hadn't aged a day since the portrait was completed. Maybe he used some kind of spell?

"I'm sure you have some questions," Hardwin said. "You've seen Joan."

"Oh, I still have some. It's not hard to imagine why you're here, though," Damian said, propping his elbows on the table and staring out with his hands folded. "I'm Headmaster Hikariha, but you can call me Damian, sir."

"As you wish. So what do you think is the reason? The chosen one asked, and then he placed her on the chair across the table, a little more rude than she thought. She almost melted in, but to her surprise, she found that her body refused to move.

"A chosen one came here and brought one of our best students ever? It's not hard to imagine what that means. Joan has become one of the chosen ones, I guess? ”

Hadwin smiled and shook his head. "No, though you're close. She believes that one of your students is one of them. ”

This made the man frown. "If one of my students is selected, I would be happy to find them for you. Can I know his name? ”

"Serge Durstef," Hardwin said quickly before the headmaster continued.

The man had a shocked look on his face.

"Are you sure? He's not the most ......" Damian's voice faded before he coughed into his hand. "We have many other excellent ones—"

"I'm sure you will. Joan, are you sure it's him? "There's still a chance to quit." Hardwin said, though the irritation on his face made her suspect there was no chance.

"It's him. Believe me! She asked.

Damian looked between the two, then his gaze fell on Joan. "Is she okay? Her face was pale. ”

"I'm fine," Joan said again. Despite her own reluctance, she did her best to open her eyes. But for this she must remain sober. A large part of her just wants to be sleepy in her chair, but she has to stay strong. The world depends on her.

"Good," Damian said. "I'm going to pick up the boy. Please wait a minute. He stood up and walked towards the door. When they were alone, Hadwin turned to her.

"Are you sure?" He asked again.

"If I'm wrong, it means I'm crazy." She said, closing her eyes for a moment, then jerking them back again.

"Does it make you happy to know you're crazy?" He asked, then knelt down and placed a hand on her forehead. "Joan, you have a fever."

"I'm fine. This is more important. She shook her head. I'll rest after you finish reading. ”

"I shouldn't have let you come," Hardwin whispered. "You're crazy."

"I hope so. If yes, it means that I haven't destroyed the world over and over again. She whispered, tears in her eyes and despair in her voice. She quickly closed her eyes, trying to let the tears flow. What's wrong with her?

"You're tired and sick. When all this is over, you stay here until you get better, and then I will take you back to the Queen. ”

"Wonderful. I'll take a few days off, but then we'll have to go. I think I know where Tagren will be at this point. Once we catch him, we-"

"Nope."

"No?" She asked softly, struggling to open her tired eyes and stare at him. "But the chosen one must—"

"From now on, I'll go alone."

Her eyes were wide open and her mouth was wide open. "What?"

"Do I really need to repeat it?"

"But you need me, I-"

"You need to rest. That's what you need most. ”

My mind was in a mess, and I couldn't think of anything to say. He couldn't do it without her, he needed her. They need her. His hand pressed to her forehead again.

"You need a therapist," he said firmly. "Damn it."

"I'm fine," she whispered, already struggling desperately to keep her eyes from closing again.

The sound of the door opening again made her turn her head slowly.

He's right there, Serge. The young man was just a boy now. His short brown hair is slightly messy. His nose was slightly curved. His plain brown eyes. The youngest of them was a year younger than her.

Hundreds of memories flooded her mind, that face staring down at her, her blood and her friend's blood smeared all over this bastard, and all she could do was suppress the hatred before her energy was finally exhausted. The last thing she heard before darkness enveloped her was Hardwin calling her name.