Hana hesitantly asked Calden.

“…Is there really opposition to this?”

“Yes.”

He sighed deeply.

“Some died right there. Nobles who were in serious condition died shortly after. Now, there are hardly any wizards willing to fight against the Void. At this point, they don’t feel threatened to the point of risking their lives. It’s true in practice, too. Even…”

He then revealed his left hand, covered by the glove.

“Some take pride in these scars as if they were badges of honor from the battlefield. They consider them proof of enduring the Void era and don’t bother trying to cure them. They even flaunt them as a badge of honor.”

“That’s a bit…”

Hana thought silently, ‘It’s insane.’ Instead, Calden expressed his frustration.

“These guys are crazy! How can they justify this? They’ve even collectively lost their minds trying to rationalize an incurable disease!”

It wasn’t entirely incomprehensible on both sides.

It made sense that they wouldn’t bother trying to cure a disease that doesn’t pose an immediate threat to their lives. From an outsider’s perspective, like hers, the effort and cost involved in treating the disease would likely outweigh any benefits for them.

There must have been resentment, undoubtedly.

Those who embraced the divine disease, like the princess she had seen, probably existed. On that side, they might have waited for their families to squeeze money into them, delaying their demise while their vitality waned.

‘Political maneuvers are the same on both sides.’

The process of coming here was reportedly not easy either. According to Calden’s estimation, the king of Eatinte must not have been free from the divine disease.

However, there were no visible signs.

Therefore, the king probably learned about it belatedly.

Additionally, the cunning individual decided to exploit the desperate situation. The wand of light was said to have been obtained in this way. Even though the details were unknown, the conclusion was straightforward.

Calden was seeking a cure for the divine disease, nominally for the kingdom or the king but actually for his sibling.

“Anyway, my blood might have an effect, so, cough, pass me that. Cough.”

“Here. Seems like your throat is weak.”

Hana sipped the tea that Calden handed her. It had been a while since she took any medicine, and her body wasn’t in great shape. Although she could endure the pain in her legs, a persistent cough troubled her.

Compared to Calden’s attitude so far, he was much more polite now.

Still, she thought that it was much better when Weed came secretly at night. Even though, in terms of the situation, Weed’s side was far more impolite and awkward, she felt more comfortable with Weed.

Moreover…

“There isn’t even a syringe for drawing blood.”

“Uumm…”

Calden only toyed with the hilt of the sword at his waist without drawing it.

Hana began to feel short of breath, covering her mouth and urgently tapping Calden’s shoulder with her other hand. It meant that she felt like she was about to vomit, and he should move away, though he seemed not to understand.

“Cough, uugh…!”

“Why are you suddenly…!”

While Calden was perplexed, Hana, in an attempt to distract him, spilled the remaining tea from her cup onto the floor. Perhaps this could be a solution.

“Kuhk—! Cough, uhk!”

She brought the empty cup to her mouth and retched several times as a warm hand patted her back.

Blood that erupted from her insides was collected in the emptied cup. After taking a moment to lower her head and regain her breath, she handed the cup with blood to Calden.

Even with a blurry vision, she could see his subtle flinch.

“…Here, blood. Is it done?”

Calden alternated between looking at the blood in the cup and the streak of blood that ran down Hana’s mouth as if unable to believe it.

Then, he let out a bewildered, hollow laugh.

“Are you sick?”

“Don’t worry, there’s no contagious disease or anything.”

For reasons she couldn’t explain, she wanted to say her body was now cleaner than anyone else’s in this world. How much of Weed’s bodily fluids had mixed within her body during this time?

Hana wiped her eyes where tears had gathered.

“If you’re concerned about my saliva mixing in…”

Calden looked noticeably surprised and quickly shook his head.

“…That’s not it, but… maybe—”

“I’m okay, Brother.”

A voice was heard right beside them. There was only one person in this place who could say such words.

“I’m sorry. I heard everything. It’s not that spacious here. Give me the cup.”

“But…”

“Brother won’t drink it, right? I appreciate everything you’ve done so far, but I know you can’t understand everything. You’re not as desperate as I am.”

“You’ll drink it?”

“Yes.”

Hana had only heard about using blood, but she had never thought they would actually drink it… especially not his younger sister.

Just as she was about to say that a simple cut with a knife would be okay, the Princess swiftly swallowed the blood in the cup. It was drinking blood. But still, it must be disgusting since the blood was spat out rather than from cut flesh.

Nevertheless, without a single hint of nausea, she drank all the blood Calden handed her.

“How is it, is it worki—”

Dizziness grew gradually as her eyeballs spun uncontrollably, making it impossible to see anything.

A sensation, as if something was crawling inside her body, made her feel like she was about to vomit. Hana shook her head to snap out of it but couldn’t endure. Eventually, she collapsed and lost consciousness.

* * *

[ Now, I can finally meet you. ]

It was that voice again.

It was unpleasant to hear it in her dreams, but it seemed inevitable. The voice was so clear. What more did it want to do?

Hana kept her thoughts to herself and didn’t respond.

[ I won’t act on a rampage like that anymore. I promise. I’ve realized that it’s not a helpful act. I want an answer. I know what you’ve done, but that’s not enough. I want to see you. ]

The voice spoke calmly.

She could only understand half of what it had said.

Hana ignored the voice as usual. Instead, she thought of something else. She had just been in the cave, struggling to breathe and coughing up blood. Spending time outside had taken a toll on her body, and she fainted.

‘How long has it been since I’ve been with Calden? It doesn’t seem like it’s been much…’

Weed had indeed faithfully kept his word. He made her stay comfortable and ensured she didn’t feel any pain. Her body, without him by her side, was not holding up well. Just a little movement made her feel exhausted and weary.

[ Are you not going to answer? I’ve thought about what I can do to help you. I can do a lot. I can provide answers to everything you’re curious about and give you comfort. I’ve been waiting patiently for this to happen. ]

Still, she remained silent.

However, her heart was gradually softening. It wasn’t because of the persuasive words of wanting to fulfill her desires. It felt like the voice was earnest, not trying to fabricate lies for some ulterior motive.

[ What do you want? ]

[ Do you plan to use your strength in a place like that? Do you pity the humans here? ]

[ …It seems they call it a divine disease. Do you want a solution? If so, you don’t need to go around in circles. ]

The voice continued to speak without expecting a response from her. The voice kept talking, sounding as if it understood the circumstances. Even though the voice was genderless and emotionless, for some reason, it felt like the tone was wavering, perhaps even teary.

So, Hana hesitated for a moment.

She didn’t think anything else would go wrong. While she used to find this voice incredibly frightening, for some reason, that fear was absent now.

“I’ll answer if you promise to listen.”

The voice fell silent for a moment.

__