Chapter 127…
As was only natural, Dante was not yet in any condition to demonstrate his swordsmanship.
Honestly, the fact that he had survived and escaped without dying could only be described as a miracle.
The muscles all over his body had been torn apart, his bones shattered, and even his mana circuits were so badly damaged that recovery would be impossible for the time being.
Forget wielding a sword—he was now at a level where even simple daily activities were impossible.
He couldn’t even lift himself out of bed on his own, so there was no way he could show Isabella his sword.
“Isn’t there some kind of miracle elixir?”
Even so, Isabella was burning with curiosity about what kind of sword Dante might have shown. She was so anxious that she kept asking Arthur and Windgale whether they had any good elixirs or recovery potions.
Unfortunately, there were none.
A few knights had brought some along, but they were no more than items that could easily be found even at Fortress Bayes.
“Milléon, how about sending a letter to Sir Xenon? Dante’s been hurt this badly—wouldn’t he send something decent?”
She was so desperate that she even made such a request of Milléon and Elaine.
But…
“I’m sorry.”
Milléon shook his head with an awkward expression.
Why wouldn’t he want to try such a method?
However, there was almost nothing left at the Aquitas estate at present.
In the battle with Lucia, it wasn’t just the estate building itself that had been destroyed.
Everything that had been stored inside had vanished as well.
Precious items that had been preserved for decades—no, centuries—had disappeared without leaving a single thing behind.
Xenon hadn’t been busy for no reason lately.
He was cutting down on sleep, working relentlessly to make up for those losses and gather new resources.
And Milléon and Elaine knew that fact all too well.
“Ugh, if I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve brought some health-boosting stuff from the duchy.”
She regretted coming empty-handed, never imagining things would turn out this way.
“Still, you don’t need to worry too much.”
“Hm?”
At Milléon’s sudden words, Isabella tilted her head in confusion.
Dante’s current condition was so severe that calling it ‘serious’ didn’t even begin to cover it.
If he hadn’t reached the realm of Stigma Awakening, he would have died a hundred times over by now.
That was how utterly wrecked Dante’s body was—it was a wonder he was even alive.
And yet… she didn’t need to worry?
As Isabella blinked in disbelief, Milléon continued quietly.
“After the catastrophe in the capital, Lord Dante obtained a sacred relic related to recovery.”
“A sacred relic?”
Isabella’s expression filled with shock.
“Yes. I can’t go into details, but it won’t be long before he’s able to get back on his feet.”
No one knew better than Isabella just how much power sacred relics possessed.
She had seen with her own eyes Dante, in a human body, use the power of the sacred relic called Holy Flame to cut down Erebus.
He’d obtained another one like that?
Isabella’s hips twitched.
Impulse and consideration—two opposing emotions surged up at once.
Had she not cultivated deep discipline, she would have rushed straight to Dante, unable to contain her curiosity.
But Isabella endured.
She merely asked,
“Are you really saying Dante will recover soon?”
“Yes.”
Even in the capital, Dante had restored his utterly ruined body in an instant.
His condition now was worse than back then, but probably not by much.
Sacred Blood.
Milléon believed that the power it possessed could restore even Dante in his current state.
No—he wanted to believe that.
“I see.”
Seeing Milléon’s tightly pressed lips, Isabella slowly nodded.
“Then I suppose we’ll have to wait a little.”
Anticipation swelled within her.
What miracle would Dante, that young and unfathomable being, show next?
With a fluttering heart, Isabella decided to wait.
“Phew…”
After finally sending Aina out—despite her determination never to leave his side—Dante let out a long sigh.
“I’m completely drained.”
He was truly grateful for her concern, but it was also a burden.
She always put him first, never sparing a thought for anything else.
It would be good if she spent a little more time for herself.
In his previous life and even after his regression, Aina had lived a life solely for Dante.
But Dante didn’t want her to keep living that way.
He wanted her to place herself first, not him.
It wouldn’t be easy.
Even so, someday, he wanted to create such a path for Aina.
“She seemed interested in magic.”
Magic…
To Dante, it was a completely unknown world.
While it was similar in that it used mana to create mysteries, its operating principles were entirely different—far beyond what Dante could even guess.
“I hope she has talent.”
Murmuring softly, Dante briefly thought of the Master of the Mage Tower.
If Aina had magical talent…
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to prepare a place where she could properly learn magic.
A life as a mage would be far better than one as a maid.
“If she doesn’t…”
Then there was no helping it.
He would teach her the sword himself and open up a new path for her.
If it came to that, both Aina and her brother would end up learning swordsmanship from Dante.
“That wouldn’t be so bad either.”
Since Elliot showed decent talent, Aina probably wouldn’t fall behind.
If he raised them with care, they could easily reach the level of ordinary knights.
Without realizing it, Dante began drafting Aina’s training roadmap in his mind.
After lying there like that for quite some time, a thought suddenly struck him.
“Ah, this is no time for that.”
Frowning deeply, Dante forced himself up from the bed.
He couldn’t keep lying down forever.
Up until now, he’d been resting because he couldn’t refuse Aina’s pleas, but it was time to get up.
The threats of Calderion and Vargrad had not yet ended.
Of course, with Isabella now in Bayes, there was little immediate danger—but you never knew.
Unexpected situations could still arise, so for now, he had to focus on recovery.
“Hngh…”
He let out a groan and sat cross-legged.
Then he closed his eyes and began to observe his own body.
“…I knew it, but still.”
It was truly a mess.
The mana circuits, twisted beyond repair, showed no sign of untangling.
He couldn’t even begin to count how many bones were broken.
It was astonishing that he’d returned alive at all.
If it hadn’t been for Acrasion, Dante might have had to trade Vargrad’s arm for his own life.
Thinking of Acrasion, who must have fled desperately to save him, his chest felt tight for no reason.
And Isabella and Windgale as well—who had come all the way to this distant northern land after receiving just one letter from him.
‘I have to repay them.’
He hadn’t figured out how yet.
But once he recovered, he resolved to repay their life-saving help no matter what.
“Fuuuu…”
A deep, heavy breath echoed through the room.
Amid pain that felt like his entire body was being torn apart, Dante devoted every ounce of effort to concentrating his mind.
It wasn’t easy.
Even a single needle under a fingernail is enough to draw all of a human’s attention.
For Dante, who had suffered dozens of fractures and had muscles reduced to rags, it went without saying.
Even breathing was painful now.
There was no way focusing his mind would be easy.
Still, Dante endured the pain, cold sweat pouring down his body.
This was why he had sent Aina away.
There was no way she would have just stood by and watched.
It felt cruel, but right now, it was better that she wasn’t here.
Woooong… wooooong…
The mana that had been sleeping as if dead began to respond little by little.
A faint vibration arose from deep within his chest.
‘Got it.’
Rejoicing inwardly, Dante sank his consciousness even deeper.
A shattered body.
Torn mana circuits.
A faint stigma.
And then—
Fwoosh!
The Holy Flame, faintly burning.
As Dante’s consciousness fell endlessly downward, he finally discovered the sacred flame hidden in the deepest place.
A flame so weak it would be more fitting to call it a candle.
It looked even smaller than when he had first discovered it.
Yet it wasn’t unstable.
It burned steadily, illuminating Dante’s inner world.
Unconsciously, Dante’s awareness smiled.
Just looking at it made his heart feel warm.
But what Dante was searching for now wasn’t the Holy Flame.
His consciousness spread deeper, wider.
And then—
He found it.
A clear, transparent droplet of water.
It was no larger than a pinky fingernail, yet the holiness emanating from it far surpassed that of the Holy Flame.
The very source of life itself.
The tiny Sacred Blood that had been drifting alone amid the light of the Holy Flame was drawn toward Dante’s will.
Slowly. Slowly. Very slowly.
And then—
Drip.
It made contact with his inner self.
Flaaash—!
A tremendous light burst forth.
Crack—crack-crack!
The shattered bones throughout his body returned to their proper places, as if time itself had been reversed.
Shrrrk!
The twisted mana circuits also began to recover at a rapid pace.
“Ah…”
Though it was the second time he’d felt it, an overwhelming ecstasy surged through him—far too intense to describe in words.
Vast life force coursed through his veins, reforging Dante’s body into a perfect vessel once more.
A smile spread across his face.
His body, which had already evolved once, was advancing toward an even more perfect form.
He couldn’t complete it right now.
But someday—
‘After finishing complete growth.’
By then, he would likely be able to reach it.
The next realm.
Flash!
Dante’s eyes snapped open.
