The Substitute Healer (BL)-Chapter 70: “Ugh…!” he groaned.

After the preparations were finished, the knights moved toward the beast’s lair.

Of course, Alaric led the group with Cael beside him.

Their target was to purify the strange liquid-like substance since that was somehow discovered and studied by Cael. Because of this, the liquid needed to be purified before the situation could worsen.

Soren was assigned as the head healer, following Alaric’s order and Cael’s intention. Cael trusted Soren’s skills and believed he was the most capable of handling the purification.

Soren walked near the front with expression calm despite the tension in the air. At his side was Caelius, ever watchful, followed closely by Irlian and Gwen.

The latter two were locked in silent hostility with their glares clashing more fiercely than words ever could.

Irlian, however, restrained himself.

Still unsteady and not yet fully recovered, he knew better than to provoke another confrontation. More importantly, he was well aware that Gwen had someone formidable backing him and Gideon’s name alone was enough to give him pause.

Irlian knew of Gideon’s close, hands-on relationship with his healer and understood that if matters escalated again, Gideon would not hesitate to retaliate, also given the fact that Gideon stands above him when it comes to status.

Irlian considered himself fortunate that their previous altercation had ended when Caelius stepped in before it could spiral out of control. That intervention had spared him consequences he doubted he could have easily escaped.

So, as days goes by, Irlian kept his temper in check, choosing silence over pride as the group advanced deeper toward the lair.

Sylas and Theron, on the other hand, were left behind at the encampment to keep everything running smoothly and Lyric insisted on going with Alaric instead, hoping the mission would help him release some built-up tension.

He knew that his argument with Sylas should not be dragged on any longer, and as he reflected on it, he realized he might have overreacted.

For now, Lyric chose to step away and give himself some space, believing that a bit of distance would help him calm down.

Still, his attempt at solitude did not fully succeed since Gaspar, the vice-captain of his brother’s knights, stayed close by and kept pestering him, making it clear that Lyric would not truly be alone anytime soon.

As the days went on, things became hectic, yet everything still followed Alaric and Cael’s plan.

They were able to locate and dispose of the known liquid-like substance, leaving the purification to the healers. With the four healers combining their abilities as one, the process went smoothly or

too smoothly, in fact.

Instead of relief, the ease of the purification left Alaric and Cael uneasy.

The lack of resistance felt unnatural, as if the corruption was only the surface of a deeper problem waiting to reveal itself.

"Alright, everyone. Let’s wrap things up here. It’s getting dark. Start setting up the tents."

Alaric’s order rang out clearly so the knights immediately scattered, each returning to their assigned tasks.

Melissa and Hector also moved with the others while helping secure the area before night fully fell.

"...Something’s wrong. You feel it too, don’t you?"

Cael spoke in a low voice making Alaric turned toward him at once with his left hand settling on the hilt of his sword.

"You’re right, Your Highness," Alaric replied calmly. "It’s the same cold presence as before, but the air feels heavier now. Should we move the camp farther back?"

"Hm..." Cael did not answer right away.

His gaze first swept across the clearing, taking in the busy knights before stopping on Soren. The healer was tending to a knight who had slipped earlier and injured himself.

"We should be fine," Cael said at last. "Soren is with us. You know how good he is at his job."

Alaric stepped closer, following Cael’s line of sight. He also now looked from Soren to Caelius standing guard beside him, then briefly to Gwen and Irlian, who were once again locked in a silent glare.

"That’s true," Alaric said. "He’s valuable, as always. Doing his part well. It would be a waste if he didn’t, considering the generous pay he receives."

Cael let out a small chuckle and shot Alaric a sideways glance. "I really don’t understand you sometimes, Duke."

Alaric frowned. "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

Instead of answering directly, Cael shook his head. His attention shifted when he noticed Lyric approaching Soren with an awkward, almost forced smile.

"Aren’t you interested in him?" Cael asked casually.

"...Who?" Alaric blinked. "Soren?"

"Yes," Cael replied. "Aren’t you? Just like how you felt about Brother Torin."

At that, Cael laughed softly. Alaric’s eyes widened in clear surprise.

"What?" Cael continued, amused. "You think I didn’t know? You like Brother Torin, don’t you?"

"W-well, we all liked him, Your Highness..."

Alaric avoided Cael’s gaze and instead focused on Soren and Lyric, who were talking nearby. He couldn’t help but notice how much gentler Lyric was with Soren now compared to their first meeting.

The change was subtle, but unmistakable.

Hearing Alaric’s hesitant reply, Cael merely shrugged, choosing not to press the matter further.

"Hm, you’re right," Cael said lightly. "We both liked him... yes." He nodded to himself before waving the topic away. "Anyway, what were we talking about again? Ah, yes. Something really is wrong here. We haven’t encountered a single beast, have we?"

"That’s right, Your Highness," Alaric replied. "If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with Gaspar. You’re welcome to come with me if you’d like." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Cael shook his head, clearly noticing how Alaric was now avoiding him after the mention of Torin.

"No, thank you," Cael said. "I’ll go speak with our healer instead. Go on your way, Duke."

After the conversation, Cael went on with his duties and spoke with several knights, especially those assigned to scout the surrounding area.

From their reports, he learned that the group could safely move toward another location by the next day.

Even so, the uneasiness in his chest did not fade. It had been there since earlier, growing stronger the deeper they traveled into the snowy forest, as if something unseen was watching their every step.

Their next target for purification had also been identified, and it was far from ideal. The corrupted substance lay in a highly dangerous area, a wide stretch of frozen water with no solid ground in sight.

Worse still, the source of the corruption was located at the very center. One wrong step could send a knight plunging into the freezing depths below, making the task all the more perilous.

As night fell, torches were lit around the camp, their flames flickering against the snow. Warm meals were also distributed, and the knights took turns standing guard, maintaining a careful watch over the quiet forest.

Despite the activity outside, Soren remained inside his small tent, unusually silent.

He sat alone while lost in thought as he realized that the anniversary of his mother’s death was drawing near and the memory weighed heavily on him while stirring emotions he kept carefully buried.

The tent he used was portable, easy to set up, yet surprisingly comfortable.

It was clear that Alia had prepared his belongings carefully for the mission, making sure he lacked nothing. The familiarity of the items brought Soren a small sense of comfort, even as his thoughts darkened.

Meanwhile, Alia was left in the main encampment and was assigned in the healer’s main tent. She remained there to assist Becky and Bella, helping organize supplies and prepare for the next day’s work, ensuring that everything would be ready once the purification began again.

"Uh... I really miss you, Mother..."

Curled up inside his tent, Soren hugged his knees tightly to his chest.

His eyes were dull and sorrowful, fixed on nothing as memories quietly surfaced. The cold outside seeped through the fabric, but it was nothing compared to the ache settling in his heart.

Alone in the silence, he allowed himself this brief moment of weakness, whispering words he could no longer say aloud.

Meanwhile,

Far away, in the Davenmore Dukedom, Elias was tending to his plants as he carefully arranged the pots, trimming leaves and brushing soil from his hands, when Soren suddenly crossed his mind.

"...Haa," Elias sighed softly. "I wonder how you’re doing out there, Soren. I hope you’re taking good care of yourself and not getting hurt."

He gently caressed the flower pot in his hands with calm but touched with concern expression.

"Though you probably can’t feel this," he continued quietly, "I still hope you’re doing well. I wish we could visit your mother together... but it seems now isn’t the right time."

With another quiet sigh, Elias returned to his work with his thoughts lingering on Soren despite the distance between them.

’...Wait, now that I think about it, I can just excuse myself and visit her on my own, right?’

The thought struck Elias suddenly as he clenched his left hand into a fist, then tapped it lightly against his open right palm, as if he had just come up with a brilliant idea.

"That’s right. I can also write him a letter," Elias said to himself with a smile spreading across his face. ’Wow... I didn’t know I could be this smart.’

He chuckled softly while feeling clearly pleased, and paid no mind to the nobles who often mocked him for his unusual hobby.

Their whispers and disapproval no longer bothered him.

The truth was, Elias had long since lost count of how many times his flowerbeds had been damaged, whether by careless steps or deliberate acts.

Even so, he continued tending them without hesitation, choosing to care for what he loved despite everything.

Back at the small camp, Alaric was moving among the knights in the deep of the night while checking that everything was in order.

The night was quiet, and for a moment, everything seemed normal.

But then...

A sudden, sharp pain hit him. His vision blurred, and he felt weak. Cold sweat also ran down his face as he realized the truth.

He had been poisoned.

"Ugh...!" he groaned.