"I see. So you've come for professionally medical assistance? Haa.. I can't believe that old man is still kicking, haha! Glad to know he's doing good."
"…"
I am not the type of person to be easily swayed by appearances. So what is the problem? Has a [Cast] been inflicted upon me? One that I did not notice?
"Alright. Oscar, right? I think I've heard a little bit about you. You're a bit of a sensation in the noble space. A young man with no family manages to defy all odds and transform into a formidable foe. You graduated in a single year of school, and became a cadet shortly after."
"… I see."
"Now, enough of that. Come in."
Alize held the door a little bit more open, in order to allow Oscar in. He took his shoes off at the door, right after Alize finally closed the large door.
"You can just sit in living room. I'll look at your wound, and determine the best way to go about it," she said. Oscar nodded, listening to her. He took a seat on the well-cushioned seat in the living room, his feet cuddled by a fur rug on the floor. Behind him, there was a family portrait of Alize and what looked to be her father, an elderly man who shared features with her. Oscar noticed that in the painting, her right eye was no longer obstructed by hair, but with a white eye patch.
"When was this portrait taken? You look quite young," Oscar asked. It was a bit of a random question. For a moment, Alize examined his expression, trying to look for the intention of him asking that.
"I was probably about your age in this. Worry not about that. Alright, take your shirt off, Oscar."
Oscar listened and did as so. The bandage around his abdomen was still there; he was to rewrap it every three days, as the previous doctor suggested. He slowly unwrapped it, revealing a wound that was slowly healing, though there was a lot of evidence of the strike.
"And where did this come from?" she asked.
"A fight. The guy punched straight through my body, leaving a hole," he responded.
"And you're still alive? And the hole managed to heal this much? Wow. Oscar, you're seriously something. Okay."
After receiving instructions, Oscar kneeled on the floor, and Alize kneeled behind him. She placed her cold, but soft fingers on his back. Then, she closed her eyes. After a few seconds, her eyebrows shot up.
"Your wound will be fine. But something else is happening.
"Right now, I can sense your Velian. There are.. traces of an unfamiliar man's lingering around in there. This is weird. To add on to that, it's slowly decreasing.
"Perhaps… your Velian views the foreign mana as a threat, and is actively neutralizing it?! In either case, this is something unheard of. Oscar, you're really something…"
Finally, she took her palm off his back, and re-wrapped his body.
"You'll be done be fully healed by the end of the month, I'll assume."
Oscar stared at the window to the backyard. It was quite spacious, adorned by flowers of varying colors. Unlike the front of the mansion where there was simply tall bushes and grandiose water fountains, this backyard seemed a lot more homely.
"…"
"If that's all, then I'll be sending you off, Oscar. Are you hungry? Would you like a snack before you go?"
"Ah, no thank you."
"Well then, safe travels, Oscar."
She escorted Oscar toward the door, walking him out. Leaving the mansion, the gust of hot wind surrounded him, sticking to his skin. He wore a white dress shirt with the first three buttons nearest to the collarbone left undone. His trousers were a medium brown, and he wore sandals. The outfit was perfect for ventilation in the heat, something that Oscar was used to doing in the southern kingdom of Venichian.
It definitely isn't as bad as down there, I can say that for sure.
That women… was beautiful.
"N-no, this can't be," a young voice quivered.
As Oscar walked along the stone path, he was stopped. In front of him stood a boy, similar age to himself. His hair was black and long, though well kept. With balled fists, he seethed, staring at Oscar with green eyes akin to an emerald.
Strangely enough, the boy in front of him dressed in complete disregard for the weather. He wore a white dress shirt, a beige vest over it, and a lime coat over that. A black necklace with a blue colored mineral placed in the middle of it was worn, resting at his solar plexus.
It's… that amulet. It must be allowing him to stay cool with the influence of mana. Wow. The world beyond the village is really quite innovative. Oscar deducted.
"What's with that expression!? You're seriously sick! Three buttons left undone… who knows what you were doing in Miss Meino's house! Sickening! You're a monster!" the boy in front of him suddenly yelled out.
Oscar's expression changed into a confused one.
"Huh?"
"You just left that house…. t-to defile Miss Meino, didn't you? I've never seen anyone like you before. What school did you go to? What family do you come from? Are you talented in any way? You don't deserve Miss Meino!"
"What are you… what are you talking about?"
"Hush!"
The frail boy lunged toward Oscar. Of course, the crude, uncoordinated attack was easily evaded, to where Oscar did not even find it to be a threat.
That was until the frail boy pulled out a knife.
How brazen. Oscar thought. His demeanor shifted.
"Are you even ready to kill?"
"I-I'm willing to protect Miss Meino!"
The frail boy swung at Oscar.
Oscar struck his wrist, sending the knife flying into the air. Disarming the boy, he swept his legs, sending him to the ground.
"Ack!-" the boy yelled out.
The spinning blade was falling to the ground. Oscar caught it, preparing the finishing blow. The boy underneath him tightly closed his eyes.
Suddenly, another voice entered the front yard.
"Alright, that's enough."
Oscar suddenly noticed that he could no longer move his hand, the hand that held the weapon. Completely stiff. It was then that he realized someone was holding him!