Chapter 16: What a Piece of Shit!

(Alfonso's POV)

When I saw the assassin prepare his attack.

"I guess I'll have to use this again... This is gonna fucking hurt"

I muttered with a glare.

And soon,

——Ting!!!—— 

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.

.

[Blade of Pierce] A deafening sound of silence followed when I used my ability, giving no time for the assassin to even use his deadly attack.

In that instant,

A simultaneous sound of a sword piercing the flesh of the assassin sounded in every direction.

Blood painted the green land, as the assassin's hand loosened. Almost as if it would fall anytime, while his grip on his dagger loosened.

Meanwhile, I stabbed my sword into the ground and knelt in pain.

"Augh! Fak!"

I let out in anguish, such a simple word can't even be properly said anymore because of the pain that's surging all over my body.

My muscles are ruptured, screaming from pain, my bones are broken, and my blood vessels burst apart due to the stress.

With this condition, I couldn't help but groan like never before,

Even the perfectly composed look I was keeping, no longer mattered because of just how painful I was feeling.

‹I think I'm going to die at this point...›

I thought while I took a breather. Heavy, labored breaths leave my mouth in fast intervals.

My vision then got fuzzier as time passed, I couldn't even pay attention to my surroundings anymore.

At this moment, my grip on my sword slowly lost its strength, my eyes were so heavy that I couldn't stop but close it.

When suddenly,

The system rang but with the thought of me dying again,

I quickly said Yes without a second thought, while darkness invaded my consciousness, and at the same time, I could hear a familiar voice.

"Alfonso!"

After that, a long silence followed.

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.

.

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………

(Mary's Side)

After the incident happened, they immediately set off to heal Alfonso in a much safer place.

Mary who was inside the carriage watching the boy in front of her, couldn't help but worry as the two knights with healing abilities endlessly poured their manas to heal Alfonso.

Every nook of his bones is so severely broken that just touching him with too much force could make a crisp noise. She couldn't imagine just how painful this was, she has experienced some of her bones getting broken in the past, and Mary could tell how agonizing it was.

The fact that Alfonso was still alive even shook her even more, despite all of that, she still was glad that he was alive.

But she couldn't bear the sight of his suffering!

"..."

The injury that the beast has put on him is still being healed, fortunately, they have stopped the bleeding, if they didn't, Alfonso would have died from blood loss.

Mary then clenched her hands when she remembered the words Christine uttered.

|Alfonso used a potion, I think that is why his body is like this and why he was able to be on par with the enemy...

• He will get crippled at this point...| *

The voice of Christine echoed in her ears. before whispering,

"We're almost there my Lord... You'll be okay soon." With her eyes teary, she formed a determined look.

"I won't let that happen!"

She didn't know how Alfonso got the potion that Christine mentioned, but one thing is for sure. The potion that Alfonso used is deadly and it almost killed him.

‹Was this the reason why that happened to him the other day?›

She pondered when she recalled the day that Alfonso collapsed with his broken bones the other day.

[Chapter 10]

‹Did he just almost die that day then?›

She quietly reminisced. Mary was able to heal Alfonso at that precise moment without calling for help, both because she was worried about his condition and because she secretly used her black mist ability to heal him. She also couldn't heal him earlier when the knights appeared, she could predict what could have happened.

Because if she showed her ability, rather than the knights helping Alfonso at that moment. They would have targeted her first and killed her if they knew of her secret ability.

Therefore, it would simply put her lord at risk, including her, because they would rather waste their time killing her than heal Alfonso; who is on the verge of death!

And also even if she wanted to risk her life and she used her ability at that moment to heal him, the knights could have stabbed her and her process of focusing on healing him would be disrupted which, be useless; Her ability needed full focus to work.

Knowing that,

Mary then soon looked at Alfonso as her eyes bloomed in tenderness when she recalled his actions

"My Lord... I know that you regret what you did but aren't you overly punishing yourself?

It wasn't even your fault why you turned this way..."

She quietly whispered in a sorrowful tone, her eyes were as deep as the sea. When she remembered how Alfonso slowly changed as a kid.

Soon tears began to drip out of her eyes and weepingly continued.

"I'm so sorry that I was not there for you at that time when you needed me three years ago."

"..."

‹But don't worry, I'll make sure you won't get crippled even if that's by using that ability of mine. This is after all... My fault...›

Seeing the sight of Mary. The two knights beside were surprised by her sudden tears dripping out from her face but they soon didn't pay heed to it and continued their duty.

They were more worried that they'll get punished because Alfonso was in a severe state.

Heck! They are even thinking that they could be executed as a punishment because of it. By limiting the damage, the two are doing their best to not further the consequence of failing to protect the one they needed to protect.

Knowing the horrible personality of Alfonso, they felt a shiver running down their spine. They were only able to grit their teeth at this moment.

………

(Valentina's Side)

Inside a luxurious carriage, two women, sitting with their heads down, deep in thought.

At first glance, you could immediately tell that the atmosphere around them was heavy.

"..."

"Did you really see him use a potion?"

Valentina asked,

"Yes My Lady... He did all of that just to save me..."

Responded Christine in a low voice, while Valentina could not believe just how Alfonso suffered just to save Christine.

Alfonso even willingly tried using a potion that could kill him just to save her maid. Which she never expected him to do!

Valentina is aware that a potion that could strengthen one's ability in such a short amount of time was a deadly potion!

Because a potion like that was something that could not be contained by the body because of the overwhelming mana that could cause one's body to explode.

But rather than Alfonso's body exploding, Valentina speculated that it was his bones that got affected.

Because of the overwhelming mana, Alfonso tried to exert those powers even if it resulted in his body getting broken in the process just to release mana inside his body.

Thinking about it, what Alfonso did was too risky!

This method only worked for other people but rarely succeeded.

What if Alfonso died?

Wouldn't that be a problem for her father? War could ensue. No, rather than war, her father's reputation will be damaged because of this.

Not only that, Antelmo's wrath would affect them.

Despite all of those thoughts, Valentina could only grit her teeth in worry. Praying for Alfonso to survive.

At the same time, Valentina could not help but feel guilty. Guilty for what she said to him.

Guilty that if Alfonso died... It would have negatively affected her father.

‹This would not have happened if I was not too weak...›

Slowly, this time, when Valentina thought back to Alfonso's deeds, she was filled with admiration.

After all, she always had the motto to protect the weak, just like how her knight mother always told her.

*|"Don't be powerful, to threaten the weak. Be powerful, to protect the weak."| -Prasad Kamune-

Alfonso's actions reminded her of her mother when she was still alive, how she was respected by everyone, and how she willingly risked her life for the weak.

It was also the reason why her father loved her so much... But it was also one of the reasons for her death.

She became even more interested in who Alfonso is, as a result of the way he deliberately and why put his life in danger to save her maid even though they had previously annulled their engagement.

Knowing this. She realized that the boy she had known had drastically changed. If it was the boy he knew before, that guy would not even look back to save her maid.

At some point, the words that Valentina uttered had to do something with his sudden change.

Valentina then started pondering, just what happened to Alfonso to change this much, she knew that her words were not the only driving force that made him change. There should be another reason.

Now that Valentina thought deeper into it again, she never knew who Alfonso really is and what is his past.

Then suddenly as she reminisced,

She recalled the day when Mary told her something.

|"Please don't blame and hate Alfonso too much... It's not his fault... He is actually a sweet boy. But... Ever since that incident happened... He changed."|

Said Mary, however, Valentina disregarded Mary's words that day as she thought that she is just being a hypocrite and that Alfonso tricked a kind maid like her.

She just could not see the sweet boy that Mary is talking about, however, what happened today made her have doubts.

‹Just who was Alfonso before?›

She inwardly asked.

Suddenly,

"My Lady..."

A voice rang in Valentina's ears, disrupting her thoughts away.

Valentina then soon turned her head toward the voice's origin, "What is it Christine?" she asked.

"Why did you come back at that time?"

Uttered Christine in worry.

Hearing her response, Valentina turned silent as she furrowed her brows.

"Because I just couldn't leave you behind!"

She responded but Christine shook her head.

"My Lady... What if you died at that moment? What would have your father felt? What could have he done?

My lady's life compared to mine doesn't mean a thing."

Christine responded in a strict tone.

She was grateful that Valentina chose to save her, but, that was still reckless of her.

Upon saying her words though, Valentina once again turned silent.

From her reaction, she realized that if Alfonso didn't drink the potion, she would have died, including her maid.

Making her question again in the process.

Was it worth it to save a maid than her own father's happiness?

Because what she did earlier could have killed her if Alfonso didn't drink the potion, knowing full well that her father loves her. She could not even bear the thought of him crying for her, caused by her foolishness.

She couldn't fully blame Kevin too, as to why he tried to save her and run away.

‹Are my morals more important than my father's?›

She questioned again but shook her head after.

She always admired the way a knight protects the weak. And why it was natural but she can't help but ponder again whether what she did was right or wrong.

"I..."

Valentina exasperatedly mumbled in dilemma.

But in the end, she couldn't find the words to utter.

………

(Kevin's Side)

When Kevin woke up, he was quickly introduced to a moving carriage, inside were two dead bodies and one sleeping above-average ranked knight, the one who he fought with.

"Oh, You're awake."

Said the man sitting on the other side, only did Kevin notice him when he spoke.

Although the man's face was extremely aged, his immaculate black hair shone like youth. He wore the same armor as the knights of Alfonso.

However, Kevin could care less, and quickly asked the man, "Where is Valentina? Is she okay?"

"Chill man, she's okay. You're lucky though that you were found while we were marching toward my lord, or else you could have been left behind because we were in hurry."

After hearing him, Kevin then sighed in relief as he questioned again.

"What do you mean in hurry?" He thought that Alfonso should be dead already,

‹Wait perhaps Valentina was in a severe state?›

Kevin then panicked again but the Aged man shook his worries away,

"Don't worry it's not your lady, it's my lord. Though, I'm fucked! I can't even fathom how he is still alive."

Uttered the aged man while he watched the window in a bored manner.

"What happened? Why is his state like that?" the aged man added.

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Huh? Weren't you there though?"

Kevin then turned silent, he couldn't just tell that he ran away while Alfonso defended Christine. He was unaware of what might have happened next because he had abandoned them. And struggled to think of what to say.

"He was attacked by a beast because of his carelessness. That's why. And I tried to take Valentina that time with me to save her but I lost consciousness because I was out of mana."

"Oh? Just expected of lady Valentina! She probably tried to defend and save Alfonso and Christine.

She was probably the one who killed the beast, right?"

The aged man quickly uttered but Kevin could not stop anymore so he continued his lies, by not directly answering the man's question

"Isn't she great? That useless guy... Seriously! While I was dealing with the assassins, he was just watching Valentina fight."

The aged man then had a mocking look on his face and said, "What a useless piece of shit!" without hesitation, since he speculated that they were going to die anyway because they failed to protect him. It was better to show his frustration now.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Scoffed Kevin with a smile.

"Yeah, we're dead anyway so what's the point? Considering his personality... We'll probably be executed as a punishment" The aged man whispered in a frustrated tone.

………