Chapter 38 – Patched Up

Chapter 38 – Patched Up

As she walks through the B-grade dormitory, Emily takes a glance at her status.

̄ ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄

[Status]

[Name:] Emily Coldstone

[Race:] Human

[Age:] 16

[Magic Circle:] First Circle

[Machina Cortex:] First Stage

[Attributes:] Strength 7 (8), Dexterity 16 > 17 (18), Agility 12 > 13 (14), Vitality 8, Intelligence 24 > 27

[Health:] 108/115

[Stamina:] 126/180

[Mana:] 386/405

[Machina:] 401/405

_____

At least that fight provided some useful data to process. I can feel the effect of my stat increase more clearly after my agility increase. I reacted faster to attacks than I did last week, and I think my flexibility is slightly better. My hand signs are getting easier too. That’s definitely an effect of dexterity. And I was successful in overcharging my light spell! The sudden burst of light was very effective, I’ll have to remember it in the future.

A frown forms on her face as she focuses on the resources at the bottom of the floating window.

What’s with my health though? I have several cuts, bruises, and a dislocated shoulder but it’s only dropped by 7. I guess none of them are life-threatening. Maybe it only decreases with more severe injuries.

With a small sigh, Emily clears her head of distractions and raises her hand to knock on the door she has reached. She hesitates for a moment, glancing down at her sorry state before knocking three times.

It’ll be fine, just say, ‘Hey can you pop my shoulder back in for me?’ and she totally won’t overreact...

Hearing a shuffling on the other side of the door, she starts shifting from side to side, regretting coming to Juliana already. The door fades from existence to reveal a smiling Juliana.

“Emi! What are-?“ She stops as she notices the dried blood on Emily’s cheek and slowly looks down.

Seeing Emily’s torn clothes, stained red in several places, and the unnatural way her left arm is sitting lower than her right, Juliana quickly grows concerned.

“What happened to you? Did you start a fight?”

“Hey, why do you assume I started it?” Emily asks with a small chuckle, wincing as it disturbs her wounds.

“Didn’t you?”

“No, but I did end it. They’ll think twice next time.”

Emily sees disappointment in Juliana’s eyes.

“It wasn’t my fault,” she rushes to explain. “Jeremy and Kyle brought two of their goons to try and force me to reveal the source of my Claws. When I wouldn’t tell them, they attacked me. With weapons.”

Juliana’s expression shifts to outrage, then concern as she surveys Emily’s injuries. She quickly ushers her into her room. Emily walks over to Juliana’s desk chair and sits down.

“Can you pop my shoulder back in? Then I can deal with the rest.”

“I don’t think so. Do you even have any medical supplies in your room?” Juliana asks while walking into her bathroom.

“No,” Emily confesses.

"So, what’s the plan?” Juliana calls back.

“What then?”

Emily bites her lip in indecision.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, I do want to tell you,” Emily says with a sigh, finally making her choice. “However, maybe we should stop my bleeding first.”

Juliana gives a small smile, standing up and pulling her medical kit back over. As she starts pulling out bandages and cloth to clean the wounds, Emily begins to speak.

“I guess I should start at the beginning. A few months ago, in Eimdon, one of the Mandrago family’s airships went down outside the city in the scrap heaps. I was nearby and went to dig through the wreckage, where I found an uncut mass of lightning mana crystals.” She pauses and winces slightly as Juliana ties a bandage around her ribs.

Keeping her explanation as close to the truth as possible while avoiding mentioning The Clock or the system, Emily continues while Juliana cleans and dresses the gashes on her shoulder. She pauses her explanation briefly when Juliana takes a clean cloth and wipes the blood from her face.

“Perfect,” Juliana says with a small grin as she finishes, causing Emily to blush and look away.

Juliana closes her medical box before sitting down next to Emily and wrapping an arm around her waist again. Emily leans her head on her shoulder as she continues.

“My awakening sent out a pulse of mana. It was like a beacon to the Mandragos. When they arrived at the shop, they took back the mana crystals, then slit Dad’s throat for stealing their property.”

Juliana lets out a small gasp and tightens her grip slightly. Tears of sadness and rage fall from Emily’s eyes as she keeps talking through slightly gritted teeth.

“They then realised I was a self-awakened mage, and told me that they’d let my sister, Anna, live with only a scar if I became their vassal. What choice did I have? I went with them. Once they got me into their mansion, they tried to use mental magic to brainwash me.”

Juliana pulls away slightly and turns Emily’s head to face her.

“They brainwashed you?” she asks with a mixture of concern and anger written on her face.

“Ha! No. They certainly tried though,” Emily chuckles lightly while reaching up and taking Juliana’s hand from her face and into her own as her grin turns malicious. “I was able to resist their spell without them realising. And I swear that once I’m strong enough, everyone who had a part in my father's death and keeping me apart from my sister will pay the price in blood.”

Juliana shivers and recoils slightly at her words, causing Emily to panic internally.

Shit, was that too much? I don’t want to scare her.

Her concerns disappear as Juliana responds with a sigh.

“I can see why you are so intent on making weapons then.”

“Yeah, I need to use everything I can to make sure I can get in and kill those responsible without killing myself.”

Juliana nods in understanding before changing the subject.

“Where’s your sister now?”

“I don’t know. Home, I hope. They’ve got no reason to bother her. She’s not a mage. You reminded me of her earlier actually. She used to get cross with me too, before she patched me up.”

“Ah, so I remind you of your sister?” Juliana says with disappointment as her face falls, and she starts to release her grip on Emily’s waist.

Emily laughs, then winces before pushing the pain to the back of her mind. She releases Juliana’s hand and reaches up to caress her face, smiling at the obvious hope returning to her gaze as she does.

I hope I’m reading this right.

Emily steels her nerves and slowly leans forward.

“Only in the fact that you care for me,” she says softly, her heart accelerating as her nerves try to force it out of her chest. “I certainly don’t see you as a sister.”

To her immediate relief, Juliana smiles and leans in to meet her, their lips joining together in a soft kiss. Juliana’s grip on Emily’s waist tightens, pulling their bodies closer together before their lips part.

“How do you see me then?” Juliana asks with anticipation, a light blush on her cheeks.

“As a girlfriend?” Emily responds with slight apprehension.

A bright smile blooms on Juliana’s face.

“Good.”

Emily joins her in smiling, as they lean in for another kiss.