**Episode 11 **
—
When the young priest tried to deny what he was seeing, a cold voice shut him down.
“No one told you to look. I said to *heal* her. You don’t need to *see* anything for that.”
It was the first time in his life that Priest Reiser had ever been treated so rudely.
Staggered, he looked up at the man before him.
**Caissa Graves.**
Even as a man himself, Reiser had to tilt his head to look up at him. Towering and broad, with the sharp, dangerous eyes of a predator—Caissa was not someone easily ignored.
Even Reiser, who had lived his entire life within the temple walls praying and away from worldly affairs, had heard of this man. Not just because Caissa was the head of their clan, but because of what he had done since taking the position.
Not long after he rose to leadership, Caissa had crushed the corruption and old power structures that plagued the temple, ushering in a new, merit-based system.
It was thanks to this very system that Reiser—a poor farmer’s son with no powerful connections and no bribe money—had managed to become a priest on talent alone.
That’s why, when an unexpected summons came from the royal palace in the middle of the night, and everyone else refused, Reiser volunteered.
‘Sure, I might have had a tiny desire to earn some favor and climb the ranks, but…’
He felt genuine gratitude and admiration toward Caissa. When he first set foot inside the grand palace, his heart had been full of excitement.
‘That’s the man who leads our people.’
Seeing Caissa standing with dignity, wearing nothing but a thin robe, Reiser had even felt a strange kind of pride.
But now…
“I’m sorry, but it’s difficult to treat a wound without seeing it first,” Reiser explained, trying to remain professional.
“Then you’re saying you *have* to look at my wife’s bottom?”
This was the *third* time they’d gone in circles over the same topic.
Reiser, who had stood firm even in front of nobles, found himself unable to protest against Caissa. The man was simply too intimidating.
Now drowning in inner turmoil, Reiser spiraled into shame.
‘All this… for a bit of ambition?’
As a priest, he never should’ve been tempted by greed in the first place.
He vowed that if he got out of this alive, the first thing he would do was pray for forgiveness and repent.
Just when the priest’s eyes were starting to lose their spark like a fish out of water—
“Um… My bottom is fine now, really… So maybe let’s move on…?”
It was Sharie, flustered and humiliated after being talked about like she wasn’t in the room, who timidly raised her hand.
“Actually, could you check on Caissa’s health instead?”
Even Caissa looked surprised by her sudden change of subject.
“You’re worried about *me*? Why?”
Sharie nodded right away.
“I touched your skin earlier, and it was definitely hotter than a few days ago. It felt strange. I was afraid you might be sick or running a fever.”
Caissa let out a low chuckle. Finally, her strange behavior earlier made sense.
Now he understood why she had touched him like that, despite it seeming rather bold at the time.
“So *that’s* why you kept fondling my chest. I thought you were just… interested in me.”
“Your… your *chest*?!”
She *had* touched it, technically—but the way he phrased it made it sound so indecent!
“I-I wasn’t *fondling*—!”
“You did, with gentle, lingering fingers. Honestly, it was a little too soft. *I* almost felt shy.”
This was getting worse by the second. Sharie’s ears turned red as she lunged forward to cover his mouth.
But Caissa’s voice was low and clear, perfectly loud for everyone in the room to hear.
“What’s the harm? A married couple getting along is nothing to be ashamed of.”
He wasn’t going to shut up. That much was clear.
“I heard *nothing*,” Priest Reiser blurted out, desperate to change the subject.
“Then—may I examine your condition now, Lord Caissa?”
He would rather examine the lord a hundred times than spend another second debating a lady’s backside.
Perhaps his desperate prayers were answered, because Caissa finally gave a simple, “Go ahead.”
Relieved, Reiser summoned his holy power and scanned Caissa’s internal state—then paused in surprise.
“This is… unexpected. What kind of magic did you use?”
He had confirmed the change with his own senses: Caissa’s body, always ice-cold to the touch, now radiated a faint but definite warmth.
—
Caissa’s unusual constitution was well-known among the serpentkin.
Even in modern times, where individual abilities mattered more than primal traits, Caissa stood out.
Most beastkin had evolved to resemble humans more than animals, but not Caissa.
His body still regulated temperature based on his surroundings—just like a true cold-blooded creature.
This was likely because Caissa was believed to be the closest living descendant of their kind’s **Ancestor**.
In the early days, the Ancestor was more beast than man—wild, brutal, and feared.
Ancient texts carved into stone in the Unos region told how the god Gaia once saw the land run red with blood, thanks to the Ancestor’s countless slaughter of humans and beasts alike.
So Gaia declared:
> “Your savagery leads only to destruction. You shall bring forth order. I command you: take a human mate and bear children.”
From that union, the blood of the Ancestor was passed down.
Over the centuries, the violent beastly traits faded, and by modern times, nearly disappeared.
But on the day Caissa was born, a divine prophecy was spoken:
> “A barbarian bearing the Ancestor’s blood shall descend upon the clan.”
The elders, who longed for the wild days of power, revered him as the Ancestor reborn.
> “The Ancestor walks among us again! He will lead our kind to glory!”
To say Caissa carried the Ancestor’s blood was to acknowledge his raw, primal strength. But it also meant his body retained the original beast’s traits.
His ability to regulate temperature was poorer than that of even ordinary serpentkin.
The Barhad Palace—his home—stood in a land of eternal winter, where snow never melted.
Three years ago, when the harshest cold in 300 years struck, Caissa’s body temperature plummeted, and his heart nearly failed.
Thanks to a powerful elixir made from firestones, he survived. But the very idea that such a powerful warrior had nearly died shook the entire palace.
Ever since, the clan had tried every known treatment for cold-related ailments, to no avail.
“Is it true? Lord Caissa’s condition has improved?” Edvin rushed over after hearing the news.
“But how? He hasn’t taken any medicine or done anything different, has he?”
Everyone was glad at the improvement, but no one could explain it.
Until someone unexpected spoke up.
“I think… it might be related to Lady Sharie’s abilities.”
“…Lady Sharie?” Edvin blinked in disbelief.
“You don’t believe me?” Annette’s expression frosted over at his skeptical tone.
“N-No! If you told me you could brew wine from sand, I’d believe you!”
Despite wagging his tail and laying on the flattery, Edvin still didn’t understand.
How could a rabbitkin woman—who trembled just lifting a stone bowl—possibly solve a condition that had plagued their lord for decades?
As if reading his thoughts, Annette pulled a small engraved box from her inner pocket.
“She has a very unique magical ability.”
Edwin had seen the **Seed of Life** Sharie had infused with mana before.
But when he peeked inside, his eyes widened.
The once-dormant seed had sprouted a tiny shoot just days ago—but now the stem stood tall and strong, with a large flower bud blooming atop it.
“In just a few days?”
Barhad’s climate was too harsh to grow most crops. Even common fruits and vegetables barely survived.
Yet here, inside this little case, the flower bud shimmered with vibrant life, unaffected by the cold.
“It took me a while to figure it out,” Annette muttered, rubbing her aching temple.
“This seed is rapidly absorbing aether from the environment. That’s why it grew so quickly.”
Seeing Edvin’s confusion, she explained calmly:
“Lady Sharie has a rare condition. She can absorb ambient aether from nature and convert it into magical energy.”
That alone was almost unheard of.
Most mages were born with a fixed amount of aether . But Sharie was different.
Though born with little internal magic, she could draw in and transform aether from her surroundings—like eating food and turning it into energy.
That explained everything.
Lately, it was said that she shared warmth with Caissa every night.
During those moments of contact, she must have unconsciously transferred her magic to him.
And that magic—warm and rich with life—had begun to heal what even medicine could not.
