Teresa discreetly requested additional aid from the guard who had brought her in, and he responded to her needs with surprising swiftness.
Despite clearly violating protocol by assisting an unregistered fugitive alongside a newly registered individual, he ultimately chose to help them both, albeit with initial hesitation, and Teresa further ensured his cooperation by quite literally threatening him with death.
On the other hand, Oliver found himself unable to determine whether the man was simply dense or excessively kind, because, truthfully, he had not expected such assistance to come this easily.
If the guard were caught doing this, he would be executed without hesitation. The Settlement was that ruthless, and even more so were the four figures who held absolute authority over the entire castle.
At this stage, they were overwhelmingly powerful, each of them, and neither Teresa nor Kaden was capable of confronting them head-on in a one-on-one encounter. But, of course, those were the earlier stages.
The four "dogs" of the Settlement were all slain by Kaden himself later in the story…
In addition, Oliver and Teresa never fully disclosed what had transpired before seeking his assistance, and, as expected, the young guard continued pressing for answers, but Oliver countered with a more convincing web of lies he constructed on the spot.
All of this worked in their favor.
Of course, all Oliver required at the moment was some form of treatment. It had been established in the novel that the Settlement possessed a highly capable healer with a Nature Hue, whom they relied upon to tend to their injuries.
…However, this healer died during the first outbreak of conflict between Teresa, Kaden, and the Settlement.
Marilyn had supported Teresa's decision to grant freedom to the people within the Settlement and was killed mercilessly during a brief clash between the two sides, as Teresa and Kaden swiftly rallied a number of rebels to fight for their freedom.
They disregarded her value…
And unfortunately, that was set to occur within the span of one week, which meant that, for now, she was still alive and unharmed.
The two were quietly led through a basement until they arrived at an iron door.
The young guard stopped and glanced back at them with a frown:
"This is where my reach ends, the infirmary. I do not want to ever see either of you again, and by the way, once you are done, take your friend, including the red-haired one inside, and leave this place quietly. That would be better for you."
Teresa responded immediately:
"You brought him here too? What about Effie? Where is she?"
Oliver stood behind Teresa quietly, his expression blank.
'Hmm? Are they talking about Kaden? Who is Effi— oh, that is the black dragon beast she owns. Quite a memorable name. Anyway, cheers to the fact that, from now on, the storyline is… ruined.'
That was hardly unexpected. Oliver had always wanted to believe he could move through this dark fantasy world without disrupting the plot; however, his mere insertion into it had already been enough to unravel everything.
He was not even supposed to be this close to Teresa at this stage, yet here he was, receiving direct assistance from her.
Not to mention the yandere tendencies that were glaringly evident, something that had never existed in the original story, and even now, he had no understanding of why they had manifested.
Nonetheless, the conclusion remained the same. Oliver had finally been confronted with the harsh reality that the storyline had already been compromised from an early stage.
Even so, he still possessed foreknowledge, and even if future events began to diverge, he was determined to carve a path forward using what he knew.
All he had to do was prevent his own death. He had no interest in altering the fates of the other characters…
In contrast, the young guard's face turned pale at Teresa's question.
"…Do you really think your damned beast would even listen to me or follow me anywhere? I tried so hard to separate it from that red-haired boy, and I had to give it all my food for the day… I am sure your beast is wandering somewhere in the castle. And I also saw it with a wolf-like creature, quite small. Whatever—"
'Huh? Rook, possibly?'
Oliver's eyes widened at the guard's final remark.
He stepped forward immediately, inserting himself into the conversation.
"You saw it with what?"
***
Upon entering the infirmary, with the guard hastily departing after nearly being threatened with death once again, Teresa and Oliver encountered a young woman seated on a wooden chair beside a small bed.
Within the room were three additional beds. The only illumination came from a modest fire burning within a recessed chamber in the wall, akin to a small hearth.
The underground basement was notably cold; thus, the fire served a dual purpose as both a source of warmth and light.
Having confirmed that Rook was indeed within the castle, Oliver's mind settled somewhat regarding the whereabouts of the small creature.
It was rather impressive that the beast possessed enough intelligence to conceal itself and reach the castle undetected, yet it had still not revealed itself to him — this remained the most plausible conclusion he could draw for now, as his priorities lay elsewhere: treating his fractured shoulder, retrieving his sword, interrogating Mara for answers regarding Joshua's death, if true, and ensuring that the critical plot events unfolded as they were meant to, regardless of the circumstances.
"Hello," Teresa greeted, somewhat awkwardly.
The woman did not respond.
Even after their arrival, she did not bother to turn toward them, seemingly preoccupied with tending to the young man lying on the bed.
That was Kaden, still unconscious, for nearly an entire day now.
He was bound to awaken soon, likely with a measure of agitation.
As for the woman, Oliver recognized her immediately.
Marilyn.
A young woman with brown hair and a slender frame, consistently dressed in attire resembling a traditional Korean hunting outfit, specifically a variation of a hanbok adapted for mobility in rugged terrain.
She was a year older than the main characters and had indeed spent an entire year in the Garden of Death.
According to the novel, the oldest individual within the Garden was barely twenty-one years of age.
Teresa glanced back at Oliver's shoulder and frowned, clear displeasure crossing her face.
"I was the one who brought in that red—"
Oliver quietly nudged her to stop.
It seemed Teresa was on the verge of becoming agitated that Oliver's injuries were being ignored and left unattended, not even granted acknowledgment, while the woman remained entirely focused on a single patient, who was only here because Teresa herself had brought him into the castle in the first place.
Honestly, her reaction was beginning to spiral out of control, and in addition, she had her own wounds that required attention, yet with Oliver occupying her thoughts, she appeared to disregard everything else aside from his safety.
As for why Marilyn was ignoring them, within the story, she was deeply devoted to healing others, her Nature Hue possessing a natural restorative effect. As such, she was described as being confined to the infirmary throughout the day, tending to injured patients with an almost obsessive fixation, often neglecting her surroundings entirely.
Her unwavering compulsion to save lives was precisely what made it easy for Teresa and Kaden to persuade her into joining the rebellion.
By the way, the three of them were here illegally, as they remained restricted from most privileges within the Settlement, especially access to the infirmary, not to mention the other circumstances surrounding them…
Unfortunately, despite her sincere desire to preserve human life, Marilyn was not someone who would defy the rules of the Settlement without cause, due to a personal reason that would only be revealed at the onset of the Outbreak.
The only reason she was treating Kaden was because he had been on the brink of death, forcing her to set those rules aside, regardless of the consequences.
That aside, neither of them were in such a condition.
There was no immediate urgency that would compel her to break the rules again.
So yes, she was most likely going to say the very words he had once anticipated.
Marilyn finished tending to Kaden and stood up, walking toward the fireplace while Teresa and Oliver remained at the center of the room with strained expressions.
She then bent slightly and extended her hands toward the fire, seeking warmth.
After a few seconds, she glanced back to observe them more closely, then frowned.
"I do not know you, and neither of you appear to be dying."
Teresa was taken aback by her words, her eyes twitching with rising anger, and she was clearly no longer resembling the Teresa described in the original story, having changed entirely in Oliver's presence and in anything concerning him.
Oliver, in contrast, simply exhaled.
'Accumulated karma, perhaps?'