"Ah… finally! A full eight-hour sleep…" Kayden had finally woke up from his sleep which had been forced by Eli and the rest and now was looking so refreshed and energetic.
"Oh… Doctor Einz! How was your sleep? Would you like to have some meal first before you do anything?" When he was seen by the temple researcher, he immediately reminded Kayden not to neglect taking care of himself.
Like Eli, all of the people which were involved in producing the cure potion deeply revered Kayden for his priceless contribution. And so everyone showed concern over his well being
Afraid that he would be nagged as soon as he woke up, Kayden opted to do what the researcher suggested.
"Alright, I'll call on the assistant." The researcher was delighted upon seeing that Kayden did not reject eating his meal but instead prioritized it first. He hastily strode off the laboratory and called on Julian to guide him to the dining area.
Seeing Julian guiding him, he felt relieved for he was also privy to the fact that Julian was one of Leon's men.
"What happened during my sleep?" He asked Julian in a voice that was only enough for the two of them to hear.
"Great Doctor, during your sleep, the Paladin has finally found a way to purify the people severely affected by the curse the fastest way. She actually thought of using the rain to purify everyone… Though I personally think that her idea of converting a pond into a holy cleansing lake would have been the most long-lasting and efficient for her."
Julian explained everything to Kayden, even letting his opinion on the matter.
His words led Kayden into thinking - was his little sister's choice good or the initial idea was better. "Hmmm… actually if I were the Paladin, I would also do away with converting the pond…"
Julian was surprised that Kayden also agreed with Eli's final choice. As a very curious person, he looked at him and politely asked, "Great Doctor, would you grace me in hearing your insight about this matter?"
"Although the common people would only conclude that the matter at hand was already thoroughly suppressed, we who were directly involved clearly knew that there was a stronger enemy lingering around the Empire and waiting for his time to defeat us…
Paladin knew that we were not in any position to properly defend the empire when that happened. Also, revealing herself was like a double-edged sword.
It could either be a factor that made the enemy stand down and observe for a while, giving us time to re-stabilize the Empire, or a trigger to see the Empire as a wounded Lion to defeat because we are too much of a threat.
And so, Paladin did not want us to be seen as the latter, that's why she chose the most naive and seemingly uncaring way of helping the people of the land. She made it so that the Empire will not survive without her help, not leaving the Empire any sustainable means to resist curses.
There's also the show where she would give everyone the impression that she was not a citizen of the Empire. All this was to ensure that our enemies would not be too hasty to attack us because the mysterious paladin had not left anything for them to loot or seize should they try to invade the empire."
"I see… wow! I cannot be compared to the Great Doctor and the Paladin's way of thinking!" Julian was full of admiration towards the two, the more he understood the logic behind Eli's decision.
"Alright… after my meal, may you lead me to the patients, as I would be helping the team in bringing the patients to the open grounds as the Paladin triggered the cleansing rain?" Although he did not disagree with Julian's praises, he was not one who indulges in the feeling of being complimented.
"That… Great Doctor… Errr… everything was already set. After your meal, you would still have enough time to witness the cleansing rain being performed by the Paladin." Julian carefully told Kayden the information.
"What? The transferring of the patients requires time and magic to protect the patients from the elements by being in the open, how come it was done in only eight hours?" Kayden was shocked upon hearing the news.
It was one thing to expose the patients out in the open but it is another thing to protect them with an array that would simulate the conditions of being indoors. Just setting those up would have taken them one whole day.
Now Julian was saying that everything was prepared and done in just one night?
"Errr… Great Doctor… the truth is you have been asleep for two days and two nights…" Julian was sweating beads as the more he revealed this matter, the darker and flabbergasted Kayden's face was.
"Ah… how could I miss everything by sleeping for two days straight?!!! I have to see the team now…" Hastily walking in the opposite direction, Kayden immediately ignored taking his meal and decided to get straight to work.
"Oh no… Great Doctor… please eat a single meal first!" Julian followed frantically and started to beg him to take care of his well-being first.
"No… I need to check whether the transfer was done smoothly and none of the patient's conditions were jeopardized." Kayden firmly replied.
"But…"Julian tried to persuade him again but to no avail.
Fortunately, someone managed to effectively stop him from doing so, it was none other than his dear friend Leon.
"You'll crush your comrades' confidence if they ever hear you say that. Aren't they competent enough to be entrusted with these kinds of things? Einz, you're taking more than what your body could handle. You know that the most."
"I-" Kayden was utterly speechless by his friend's reprimand, but all of it was definitely on point.
"Do not worry about that and do not let us worry too. Go and eat your meal, after that I would even help you look after the patients…" Leon sternly commanded, not as a prince but as someone who genuinely cares for his friend.
And so Kayden had no choice but to do as Leon commanded. Leon even waited for him to finally finish his food and they together went to the healing site.
When they reached the site, he was astonished by what he saw.
The patients were systematically organized as they were placed in the open under a protective array.
Aside from that, there were many onlookers around, noblemen and commoners, they just convened at a safe distance only to witness another miracle happening with their own eyes.
Everything was indeed ready and all set, the only thing that was left was Eli, who would be performing the purification.
"I heard that you would also help her put on a show…" Kayden asked Leon.
"I would… I have to also give her a break from all of this, even though it was her destiny to do so." Leon replied with a deep sense of helplessness in his heart.
"Well… what do the two of you plan to do after all these are settled?" Kayden could not help but ask in curiosity. Now that everything is falling into place, it was time for the two to think about what they had to do in the future.
Leon paused for a while, contemplating what words he had to say. There was some restraint in his expression, however, he still answered his friend's difficult question.
"Well, first we would have to get Little Han back to our home and celebrate his first birthday…
Then I will have to start thinking about how I would introduce him as my child in the Imperial family...
But… if I was allowed to be greedy then… I want to marry Eli first… then I can finally show my family, the other half of myself to the Empire…"
"Hmm… not bad… not bad…" Kayden contemplated and evaluated his friend's plan like he was a judge. "However… there's one thing which I greatly disapproved of…"
Leon's interest was piqued, it was very rare for his ideas to be outrightly rebutted by Kayden, what could it be?
He looked at Kayden with great interest and a hint of challenge… as if saying let me hear what you had to say…
"I greatly disapprove of you marrying Eli…" Kayden answered him bluntly.
"What did you say?" Leon's voice became cold in an instant.
There was vigilance in his eyes as he was frantically thinking of the reason why his friend, who was one of the people who first approved of his relationship with Eli, suddenly said that he disapproved of him marrying Eli?
'He must be joking…' Leon denied what he heard but looking at his friend's eyes, it was full of seriousness.
"I am not kidding… I am dead serious… I disapprove of it." Kayden slowly enunciated these words to Leon, making the latter panic.