"Healer Azriel," Gina also sensed the animosity that was leaking from Azriel's words. She turned around on her heel and glanced at the man with a stern look on her face.
She hoped that her subtle warning would make Azriel back off but she had severely underestimated the greed Azriel now held for the position of the sole healer of the guild.
He didn't want to share the respect or the power that he wielded with anyone.
So even when he sensed Gina's threat, Azriel pretended to not hear her. She calmly blinked his eyes and looked at Gina before speaking innocently, "What? Did I say anything wrong? I am just praising Lord Damien for his utterly charming work."
Ignoring the stern gaze that Gina shot his way, Azriel turned his attention to Damien. He smiled at the man before saying, "Indeed an excellent performance of your—uh... unexpected and unauthorised skills but ...why is this man still unconscious?"
Everyone turned to look at Sigurd who was breathing evenly but hadn't opened his eyes even after the treatment was over.
"That's because he is still under the anaesthesia spell," explained Damien. He knew that the man was trying to fault her, so he didn't back away and instead stared right into Azriel's eyes. "He also lost a lot of blood which he needs to replenish."
Damien had used the anaesthetia spell for the first time. Though he had controlled the 'dose', Damien had no idea how long it would take for Sigurd to wake up.
He could only hope that the journey to La La land would not take long or else given how Azriel had been targeting him, he would blame him for killing Sigurd.
"I see," Azriel didn't understand what Damien meant by an anaesthesia spell. He simply arched his brow and said to Damien, "But you know when we— healers treat someone they wake up in — like in a minute or two. Haha, I mean this is why we use the conventional method."
Damien smiled politely though his smile was more like —, how- long-are-you -going to -act like- a -clown. "I thought healers didn't have any spells that could treat snake venom."
The smile on Azriel's face was wiped clean. He glared at Damien, with his fingertips rubbing one another. "Lord Damien truly knows how to make a joke. Since you know so much I am certain that you already know how to replenish the blood that he had lost?"
"Ahaha!" Azriel burst out laughing when Damien's complexion turned ashen. He felt jubilant and relieved. "So? It seems like the great Lord Damien had lost eh?"
"What do you mean by he lost?" Though Xavier wasn't a fan of Damien, even he felt that Azriel was being too much.
How was this Damien's fault? If there was no other way to replenish blood, what does it have to do with Damien?
"He did lose the bet, my dear young man," Azriel wriggled his finger at Xavier's face before saying haughtily, "Lord Damien was the one who said that he was going to save this man, didn't he? According to the bet— unless this dog guard opens his eyes ... Lord Damien will lose the bet."
Thalia turned and glared at the old healer. She said to him, "What do you mean? Lord Damien did save him. He mended the blood vessels that were cut and even took care of the venom in his body. How can you say that he didn't win?"
"Ah, ah.. no.. no ... no..." Azriel shook his head pompously. "The bet clearly stated that Lord Damien will save the life of this dog beastman. And as he cannot replenish blood, the bet has fallen through. Since he lost the bet—"
He raised his head and glanced at Damien with such an air of superiority and smugness that Damien thought Azriel ought to be fined.
"Now then," Azriel stepped forward, snapping his fingers. A swagger in his fluid actions, his malicious intent clear as the day. "Will you be leaving on your own or shall I call someone to drag you away?" He smiled and added, "Of course if you are feeling rebellious— we have other means to kick you out of the guild.
Personally, I would like it if you chose the latter." His eyes glowed with murderous force.
"How dare you!" Maui hissed at the man who was threatening Damien.
Xavier stepped forward, his hand reaching for his sword. "Master Azriel, stop when you still have time or else I will have no choice but to make you."
••••••••••
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