"Enough toodling around. You guys got some rest to catch. Have fun," Rudy said with a grin. "Bye-bye!"
With that, Rudy wisp into the sky, vanishing into a streak of light. The classmates and students all looked up, watching him disappear.
The instructor gave a single nod, as if approving Rudy's parting words.
"Well, you heard his lordship," the instructor said, sliding his blade back into its sheath with a stern expression. "Head back to your lodgings and get some rest. Tomorrow, we hit it hard."
"Yes, sir," Ricky called out, already marching off toward the housing area.
The rest of the students began to scatter, some limping, others walking in silence, the weight of the battle still clinging to their shoulders.
"I guess… that's that," Noah muttered. He lowered his spear and carefully placed it back on the weapon rack. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the pain in his left arm started to flare—deep, pulsing, and sharp.
Amanda walked over, depositing her own weapons. She gave Noah a pointed look.
"Now that we're not in the middle of a fight for our lives, you really need to get that checked out," she said.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Noah replied, wincing as he grabbed his left arm. "Trust me, I was planning to."
The two of them began walking back toward the village. As they moved past the battered outer gate, the townspeople began to emerge from their homes—hesitant at first, but growing bolder with every step.
"Thank you so much…"
"The Lord is truly gracious to bless us with your help…"
"We're so grateful…"
Dozens of voices overlapped, murmuring thanks and praise. The villagers bowed their heads, some even falling to their knees, eyes brimming with relief.
Noah didn't know what to say. He just kept walking with Amanda quietly at his side.
The sun now settling made the air feel heavier now—not just from the exhaustion, but from the understanding it's only to get harder from here on out.
Knowing better than to say anything, Noah just gave a polite wave and a nod in response to the villagers' kind words.
"It's crazy," Amanda muttered under her breath. "I don't get how the villagers aren't more upset. Rudy literally sent those goblins at them."
She kept her voice low, almost as if afraid the villagers—or Rudy himself—might overhear.
"Kind of cultist no?" Noah replied, his tone dry. "Feels like every time their 'Lord Rudy' does anything, they think it's for the greater good. They just… believe him. Without question."
"I don't know why they follow him so blindly," Amanda said. "But yeah—there's definitely more going on here."
"You could say that," Noah murmured.
They continued walking deeper into the town, the quiet buzz of village life slowly returning around them. Soon, they stopped in front of a large wooden building with a slightly polished look to it—cleaner, more refined than the others.
Noah stepped up and knocked on the door, peering through the front window into the dim interior of what looked like a doctor's office.
"Doctor Avik? Can I come in?" he called.
A muffled voice responded from inside. "Hold on just a minute—I'm treating someone. Wait in the front room."
The door creaked open.
Noah stepped inside and was immediately hit with the sharp, clean aroma of herbs and medicine. The scent clung to the wood, natural and slightly earthy.
The floor creaked softly beneath his boots as he walked in. Sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a gentle glow across the waiting room. Wooden chairs lined the far corner, worn but sturdy, and a narrow hallway stretched ahead, leading to the patient rooms beyond.
"Ah, that should do it," a voice called from down the hallway.
Footsteps followed, and then a firm voice echoed closer. "Now listen to me—you better take your medicine, got it?"
A villager limped out from one of the rooms—a militiaman, clearly wounded from the goblin attack. Noah recognized him as one of the men from Mason's group—the same squad the instructor had ordered to hold the south wall.
"Yes Ma'am." The village person responds to Avik.
Walking out of the room he saw Noah and Amanda his face opening happily.
"Good work, Noah. I'm sure the instructor was proud of you guys. Make sure you get some rest," the man said with a grin. "And hey—congrats on your first battle wound."
He gave Noah a friendly slap on the shoulder before limping off.
"Don't mind that old fart," came another voice, this one sharper but warm.
From the hallway, Doctor Avik stepped into view.
She was an older woman—late sixties, with a mix of gray and white hair, short in stature but still clearly fit. A common trait among the village folk, especially those who had to survive in the wilderness around here. You couldn't afford to be slow.
"Come on, let me see your injuries," she said, already motioning for Noah to follow her down the hall.
"Thanks for seeing me, Doctor Avik. It's, uh… it's my left arm. Got it hurt pretty bad," Noah said as he stepped forward, cradling the arm with his right.
Doctor Avik adjusted the glasses perched on top of her head, lowering them over her eyes. She twisted a small dial on the side, causing the lenses to shift colors—almost like a microscope lens adjusting focus.
"Hm… bite marks," she muttered, inspecting the injury. "Goblin must've gotten a real good hold of you."
She gave him a knowing look. "I'm guessing you taught it what happens when a goblin gets too close to a warrior, huh?"
Noah chuckled. "Yeah… you could say that."
"Good, good," she said with a small grin. "We need strong warriors like you. Life'd be too boring without people willing to throw themselves into danger."
She turned and motioned toward a nearby chair. "Come here. I'll apply some ointment and stitch it up. Then I'll let you be on your way."
As Noah moved to sit, Avik's eyes flicked toward Amanda.
"And who's the young lady following you? Don't think I've seen her before."
"Oh—hi. I'm Amanda. I don't think we've met."
"Nice to meet you, Amanda," Doctor Avik replied, smiling before shooting Noah a side glance. "I take it you're one of his classmates?"
Noah nodded. "Yeah."
Avik snorted. "Well, that's a surprise. Noah doesn't usually come here with company. The last few times, it was just him dragging himself in after training. That instructor of yours sure has a heavy hand."
She looked at Noah again, a teasing glint in her eye. "First day, too, wasn't it? Real shocker."
Noah rolled his eyes, remembering the incident. "The instructor wanted to make an example out of someone and, well… he might've hit me a little too hard. Not my fault."
"Oh sure," Avik said with a dry laugh, waving him toward the chair. "Still broke your damn leg though."
She gave him a playful swat on the shoulder as he sat down.
With that, both Noah and Amanda stepped fully into the room, the scent of herbs growing stronger as the door swung shut behind them.
As Doctor Avik stitched up Noah's arm, the smirk she usually wore faded into a more focused expression. Her eyes narrowed slightly, lost in the precision of her work. The needle pierced through his skin with practiced ease. The ointment she had applied dulled the pain—but not completely. Noah still felt the thread tug through his flesh.
"Ah—hell," he muttered, wincing.
"Oh, shut it. You'll live," Doctor Avik murmured, not looking up.
After a few more careful passes of the needle, she tied the last knot and snipped the thread.
"There. That should hold. Now, off with the both of you—unless you need treatment too, young lady?"
"Nope, I'm good. Thanks for asking, though," Amanda replied, giving a small nod.
"Glad to hear it. Now shoo, both of you. Don't need two young people cluttering up my clinic. This place is meant for old folks like me," she added with a chuckle, clearly amused by her own joke.
With a gentle push, she ushered them out the door.
Back outside, the sounds of the village returned in full—clinking tools, footsteps on stone, and distant chatter. The sun was starting to dip low, casting a warm glow over the streets.
"Well, I guess… uh, back to the lodgings," Noah said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.
"Yeah. Same here," Amanda replied. "Girls' side's in the opposite direction, so… guess I'll catch you on the flip side."
"You know it," Noah said, giving a half-smile.
Amanda turned and started walking away.
But after a few steps, she hesitated, then glanced back. "Hey, Noah?"
He looked up. "Yeah?"
"I just wanted to say… thanks."
Noah blinked. "For what?"
"For being a leader. For helping everyone. A lot of people would've died out there if it wasn't for you. So… thank you."
She looked away as she said it, clearly a little embarrassed.
Noah paused, caught off guard by the honesty.
"Yeah… uh. No problem. I'd do it again," he said.
Amanda smiled softly. "I'm sure you would."
Then she turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Noah stood there for a moment, then finally turned and headed back to the boys' lodging.
His steps were slower now, the weight of everything finally catching up to him.
God… that was intense.
I didn't know what I was doing. I just…
He dragged a hand down his face, his pulse still erratic, the stress gnawing at the edges of his mind.
"Aw, what's got you looking so down, bud?"
The voice came out of nowhere.
Rudy popped into existence right beside Noah, materializing from thin air with his usual smugness.
"Son of a—!" Noah jumped, startled.
"Oh my, did I scare you?" Rudy asked innocently, eyes glowing with amusement. "My bad."
"Shut the hell up. What the hell was that back there?" Noah snapped, rounding on him.
Rudy gasped, hand over his nonexistent heart. "Noah! How dare you speak to me like that? All I've done is treat you with kindness and have enlightening discussions with you."
"Shut your trap," Noah growled. "The only discussions you've had with me are answering some of my questions and then dropping f***ing curveballs out of nowhere, you b—"
"Noah, language," Rudy cut in, tone firm. "We don't take kindly to that kind of talk around here."
He floated closer, voice lowering. "And besides, maybe keep your voice down. You don't want people thinking you're talking to yourself, do you?"
Noah froze, glancing around. A few nearby villagers were eyeing him with confused stares, whispering among themselves as they passed—like he was some raving lunatic arguing with thin air.
"Fine," Noah muttered. "I'll wait until I'm in my room."
Still fuming, he stormed through the village and into the lodgings. The wooden floor creaked under his boots as he made his way to his room. Once inside, he slammed the door shut behind him, letting out a deep breath before flopping onto the bed.
"All right. Now you can answer me," he snapped, staring up at the ceiling. "What the hell was that? Don't censor me—I want a real f***ing answer."
Rudy reappeared, hovering above the bed like an upside-down ghost.
"Fine," he said, voice less chipper now. "I told you not to be afraid. I told you to follow your instincts. If you did that, no one would die."
He tilted his head. "And guess what? No one did."
"Yeah, no one died," Noah shot back, sitting up. "But that wouldn't have been the case if I hadn't somehow used mana for the first time and saved James. That wasn't skill. That was a one-in-a-million shot, and you damn well know it."
"Hey, man, I told you what to do—and you did it. It turned out great."
Noah jumped to his feet, rage flaring. "You son of a—!"
He lunged, reaching to grab Rudy by the neck, but the floating AI casually drifted back, easily avoiding the attempt.
"No need for violence," Rudy said calmly. But the playful glint in his eyes faded, replaced with something more serious.
"Okay, look… I'm sorry," he said. "I know this has been rough on you. I know you're looking to me for guidance. That is my job, okay? But there's only so much I can do."
He hovered lower, tone softer now.
"I've already told you how dangerous this tutorial is. I told you to listen to your instincts. I told you to trust your affinity—to let it guide you when the moment comes. That's exactly what you did."
Rudy paused.
"But now what? You want more? What more do you want, Noah? No one died. Injuries were minimal—for most people, anyway. Yeah, you're mad. Yeah, you're hurt. But take a second and look at what I gave you."
He floated back, his expression unreadable.
"Look at what could have happened… and what didn't."
There was a moment of silence.
Then, clearly frustrated, Rudy turned and phased right through the window, vanishing into the night without another word.
Noah stood there, chest heaving, fists clenched. The heat of anger still burned in his veins. But slowly… it began to cool.
He dropped back onto the bed, exhausted.
Damn it…
I guess… he's right.
The thought rolled through his head as he stared at the ceiling.
No one died. I led people. I did what I had to.
He sighed, heavy and worn out.
"I'm too tired to think about this shit…"
Noah closed his eyes.
And drifted into sleep.