The Substitute Healer (BL)-Chapter 20: Come back here, it’s dangerous!”

The snow fell in heavy, swirling sheets, muting the world in a ghostly white.

For a single, fragile moment, Cael, Lyric, Sylas, and Alaric stood frozen with the memories of the healer they had trusted most pressing painfully against their hearts. This was the very field where Torin Alderune had taken his last breath and where he had thrown himself between them and death when everyone else had turned away.

The wind carried faint echoes of his sacrifice, and even the howling storm seemed to mourn him.

It was here that Alaric had witnessed Torin giving everything to save them while the very people he had personally recommended, those who are supposedly loyal supporters of the Davenmore household fled in terror.

They had abandoned Torin to die alone.

From that moment onward, Alaric’s resentment toward commoners had burned like frozen fire since it was also commoners that caused his parents demise yet with Torin convincing him that not all commoners are like that, Alaric eventually gave in.

So, when the beasts appeared again on this same field, on the fourth anniversary of Torin’s death, the four young masters felt not only insulted but furious.

A sudden roar tore through the wind, shattering the fragile silence.

"Protect the Lords!" a knight shouted.

At that command, all nearby knights reacted at once.

Their swords were drawn in perfect unison with the sharp ring of steel slicing through the icy air as they raised their blades and shields.

Calm dissolved instantly into organized panic.

"Hurry, we must fall back!"

"They’re coming!"

"How did this happen? I thought this area was already cleared!"

"Ugh, help! Someone’s wounded!"

The snowy field erupted as beasts surged through the storm.

An entire horde of Glacier Serpents slithered toward them with their long, ice-covered bodies weaving like moving glaciers. There weren’t just one or two, but over twenty of them. Behind the serpents came packs of Frostfang Wargs, snarling with frozen breath, and Wraithfangs stalking through the swirling snow, their glowing eyes cutting through the white haze.

Claws tore at the frozen ground, sending sprays of ice and powder into the air with every step.

Despite the rising panic among the knights, Cael forced himself to remain composed. His hand gripped the sword at his side with the cold metal grounding him. However, before rushing into battle, he turned to Soren. The young healer was visibly shaken but also trying hard to steady his breathing.

Fortunately, several knights had already surrounded him protectively, fully aware that Soren was vital to the fight.

Cael then shifted his attention to Alaric where rage burned sharply in Alaric’s eyes, the kind born from unresolved grief. His grip on his sword was so tight that his knuckles had turned pale, and the veins in his hands stood out.

Meanwhile, the twins were already at the frontline, their movements sharp and without hesitation, they clashed with the advancing beasts. Snow exploded with every strike, turning the battlefield into a chaotic spray of white and red.

"Hey, commoner! Make sure you keep yourself alive, or we’re all going to die here!" one of the knights shouted.

He was a bulky, barbarian-looking man, swinging his sword in wide arcs to block a pair of Wraithfang Beasts lunging at their formation. Steel rang against teeth and claws, sparks flying as the beasts recoiled, leaving streaks in the snow where their icy bodies struck.

’Hmm, what a surprise. To think the three of them are actually trying their best to protect me. Did my employer tell them to?’ Soren thought, his brows knitting as another roar echoed across the field. ’Well... either way, it’s not like I’m irreplaceable. But for now, me staying alive clearly matters to them. I need to make myself useful. If I don’t show any skill here, who knows—they might not hesitate to shove me forward and use me as a shield.’

His fingers tightened around the strap of his satchel until his knuckles ached.

The cold bit into his skin, but he barely noticed. His pulse was also too loud and fast as he scanned the battlefield left, right, and behind, trying to anticipate who might fall next, who he might need to run to and who might scream his name for help.

Everyone around him was already fighting.

There, steel clashed and beasts roared as the snow erupted with every heavy blow.

The knights shouted orders and warnings, the twins tore through the frontline with deadly precision, and Cael and Alaric pushed forward with furious determination, dodging claws and snapping jaws. Glacial shards flew into the air as serpents lashed out, the snow cracking under the weight of their massive bodies.

And Soren stood alone in the middle of it all, the only one not engaged in battle, waiting for the moment he would be needed... or the moment the chaos reached him first.

"Damn it! Why do we have to stand guard over a rat like him?" the knight who had bullied Soren earlier ranted, yanking his sword free from the body of a Frostfang Warg. Blood dripped from the blade, staining the snow beneath his boots.

"It’s not like he even knows how to wield a sword! Come on, where’s the common sense?" a female knight shot back, moving to ensure no beasts could reach Soren. Her focus never wavered, even as she kept the snarling Wraithfangs at bay.

The bully knight glared at Soren for a moment before turning back to the fray.

Meanwhile, Soren’s eyes scanned the battlefield and froze when he saw that Alaric was surrounded or rather cornered by one massive Glacier Serpent, two snarling Frostfang Wargs, and four vicious Wraithfang Beasts.

Before rushing to him, Soren made sure the immediate area around him was clear. The three knights assigned to protect him were fully engaged, keeping any nearby beasts away. Carefully, he slipped past their formation, noticing that the twins were too far from Alaric and that Cael was occupied fending off another pack.

"Your Grace!" Soren shouted, sprinting across the snowy field toward Alaric.

Alaric’s head turned just briefly, his eyes locking on Soren for a fraction of a second. His glare was sharp, fierce and Soren saw it but he didn’t hesitate.

He ran on.

"Hey! You! Come back here, it’s dangerous!" the female knight yelled, her voice cutting through the clash of steel and roars of beasts when a sudden, pained groan tore from her throat as a Wraithfang’s paw slammed into her side.

The bulky knight who had been fighting nearby lunged forward, swinging his sword to strike the beast away and shield her.

"Ugh!" she gasped, struggling to stay on her feet.

"Damn it! That commoner!" the bully knight growled in frustration, marching toward the female knight, clearly more irritated by Soren than the beasts themselves.

Meanwhile, the bulky knight lifted his bloodied sword, swiping it through the air to clear the crimson before returning to the fight.

The battlefield was a blur of movement with snow kicked up by clawed feet, steel flashing against fangs, and Soren running straight toward Alaric, heart hammering, knowing that one wrong step could get him killed.

Alaric was locked in combat with the Glacier Serpent, its massive body coiling and thrashing, sending waves of snow into the air with every strike. His sword sliced upward, and with a roar, he drove the blade straight into the serpent’s eye.

The beast shrieked, rearing back in pain.

"Go back! I don’t need you here, just go damn back!" Alaric barked, his voice strained with breath fogging in the frozen air.

"Your Grace, let me heal you. You’re bleeding quite badly—"

"I don’t need it!" Alaric snarled, turning just enough to throw Soren a furious glare. "Do you want to die? If not, go back!"

"I can’t! At least let me do the job you’re paying me for, Your Grace!"

"Can’t you stop being stubborn for once? If you won’t go back, I swear I’ll—ugh!"

His words broke off in a gasp as a Frostfang Warg lunged from the side, its claws raking across his ribs that blood sprayed across the snow.

"Your Grace!" Soren cried out.

But Alaric didn’t fall.

Gritting his teeth through the pain, he twisted, grabbed the Frostfang by its throat with his free hand, and drove his sword upward through its skull making the beast collapsed at his feet, lifeless.

Alaric then staggered, clutching his side where blood was quickly seeping through his uniform. His knees nearly buckled, but he forced himself upright, refusing to bow to the pain while the Glacier Serpent writhed wildly behind him, half-blinded and enraged.

And Soren, heart pounding, sprinted the last few steps whether Alaric wanted him there or not.

"Your Grace, please give me a minute..." Soren placed his palm over Alaric’s wound, doing his best to heal it quickly, even though Alaric’s glare was so sharp it could have killed him.

"Brother!" Lyric ran toward them, panting and stained with blood.

"Brother, are you okay?" Sylas followed, worry etched across his face.

"I’m fine. Don’t worry," Alaric answered.

Once the pain subsided, he grabbed Soren by the collar, his eyes freezing into a cold glare. "And you, how dare a commoner like you disobey my command? Who do you think you are, running toward me just to heal me? Do you think I was glad? You’re wrong. You clearly disobeyed me!"

Soren didn’t react physically, but he felt a sharp throb in his chest.

’Was saying thank you that hard for him?’ he thought, swallowing hard then, he spoke quietly, "I’m sorry, Your Grace. But I can’t ignore your situation. I’m a healer, after all. If this happens again, I’ll accept the punishment later but I won’t change my approach."

"Hah, look who’s talking!" Alaric shoved him, and Soren fell hard to the ground.

The twins, relieved their brother was safe, especially Lyric, wanted to thank Soren but pride held them back. They looked down on him instead, offering no help.

Cael, having just finished fighting off the remaining beasts, walked toward the group. He also glanced at Soren as he stood again.

’Why didn’t he run to me too, when I’m injured like the Duke? So unfair... hmph!’ Cael pouted slightly, though a smirk tugged at his lips.