"Fine, I will help."
Ingrid Von Balmung said as she followed Dante Ruthwilfer into the cave to treat Erona's father, Ronald.
They entered quickly, and Dante shut a huge cloth over the cave entrance before giving an order to Kaen to guard the area. The fabric billowed for a moment before settling, sealing the cave from the outside world.
Kaen nodded without question and took her position.
Inside, Dante raised his hand and levitated Ronald with his magic, carefully lowering him onto a smooth stone slab. His expression was calm, almost cold, as if this were a routine task.
With another gesture, he conjured a table along with several metal objects used for surgery from his previous world. The tools gleamed faintly under the dim cave light.
Ingrid frowned and stepped closer, examining the unfamiliar items.
"What are these?" she asked.
"We got the herbs, all right," Dante replied. "But the injuries to his internal organs cannot be healed by magic alone."
Ingrid scoffed and placed her hand over Ronald's chest, pouring her mana into him. The air shimmered briefly, but nothing changed. Ronald's breathing remained shallow, and his condition did not improve.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Told you," Dante said flatly.
Ingrid withdrew her hand and clicked her tongue.
"Hmm. So what do you suggest, boy?"
Dante smirked.
With a snap of his fingers, both Ingrid and Dante were suddenly dressed in green garments, complete with cloth masks covering their faces.
Ingrid stiffened in surprise, instinctively reaching for her new attire.
Before she could speak, Dante placed his hand on his own forehead. A faint glow appeared, and from it he pulled a thin golden thread. He moved closer and transferred it to Ingrid Von Balmung.
Her eyes widened as her body froze for a brief second.
"What is this? What are these images I am seeing in my memory?" she demanded, her voice low and tense.
Dante picked up a forceps and held it up.
"Name it," he said.
Ingrid answered without hesitation. Dante lifted another tool, then another, and each time she named them correctly. Her confusion deepened, but understanding slowly settled in.
"Good," Dante said. "Now the wrapping can begin. Remember to keep up. I am going to do it fast."
Ingrid took a steady breath and nodded.
They moved into position, hands steady despite the situation. Dante called out for tools, scalpels, forceps, and knives, his voice sharp and precise.
Ingrid passed them to him instinctively, her movements smooth even though her mind struggled to catch up.
She watched closely as Dante cut into Ronald's body and began operating on his damaged organs.
There was no hesitation in his hands, only focus and speed. Ingrid felt a chill run down her spine as she realized she was witnessing a form of healing completely alien to her world.
Dante summoned three shadow goblins and gave them the task of disposing of the waste outside the cave.
The creatures bowed silently and carried the blood soaked materials away.
Outside, Kaen and Erona froze as black, fog like figures emerged from the cave. The goblins discarded the waste nearby, and Erona caught sight of blood stained cotton.
"Kaen?" she whispered, fear creeping into her voice.
"Do not worry, Ms. Erona," Kaen replied, though her own expression was uncertain. "Master knows what he is doing. I think."
Erona swallowed hard and chose to trust Dante.
The surgery lasted four long hours. Inside the cave, Dante Ruthwilfer and Ingrid Von Balmung worked without rest, sweat forming beneath their masks.
More waste was carried out as Ingrid periodically checked Ronald's pulse and condition using her magic.
After one final hour, silence filled the cave.
Dante and Ingrid emerged at last, both visibly exhausted. They sat down heavily, the weight of the ordeal finally catching up to them.
"Boy," Ingrid said after a moment, "I cannot believe you stitch organs like that. So precise and fast. I have never heard of this kind of healing before."
"We all rely on magic too much, Ingrid," Dante replied quietly.
"Enough said, boy," she answered.
As everyone rested, Dante rose once more to check on Ronald's condition.
"Lustia," he called.
Lustia emerged from Dante's shadow in her curvaceous form, kneeling on one knee as she awaited his command.
"My liege," she said.
Dante ordered Lustia to secretly escort Erona and Ronald back to his hidden base.
As sunrise approached, Erona checked on her father. Ronald's condition was steadily improving thanks to the herbs and Dante's surgical skills, though she had no understanding of what he had truly done, nor would the world ever know.
Dante returned to the cave entrance and noticed that Ingrid Von Balmung was gone.
In her place was a note, stating that she would rather kill him in battle than strike him with a cowardly attack from behind.
"At least the bitch has honor," Dante muttered.
Days passed. Dante continued to monitor Ronald's recovery while Kaen was ordered to search for a nearby village.
Ronald soon began walking again, his recovery unusually fast. Supported by Dante's shadow soldiers, he steadied himself and gave a dry chuckle.
"Not bad, for a former Ruthwilfer knight," Dante remarked.
"Kekeke. You know better than me, kid," Ronald replied as he slowly regained his balance.
As the final days passed, Dante checked on Ronald one last time and used his healing magic again, despite knowing it was no longer necessary.
"You bloody cow! You keep doing that!" Ronald barked, swatting Dante's hand away as best he could.
"Father, please," Erona said with a tired sigh. "Dante is just being worrisome."
The father and daughter immediately fell into another argument, their voices echoing lightly through the area.
Dante simply stood there, watching them with a neutral expression. Somewhere within his shadow, Kilamahi shared the same unspoken thought as him.
This father and daughter duo truly felt like something straight out of a comedy drama.
Dante eventually called out to Lustia and instructed Ronald and Erona to follow her, introducing her as his general.
She led them toward a secluded location hidden from prying eyes. There was some arguing at first, mostly from Ronald, but after a while, they finally agreed.
"Stay safe, Maladeva," Erona said softly, still unaware of Dante's real name and his trial as a Ruthwilfer.
They parted ways soon after. Before leaving, Erona stepped closer and placed a small set of red colored earrings into Dante's hand.
"I hope to see you again, Maladeva," she said.
"Same to you, Erona," Dante replied.
When they were gone, only Kaen and Dante remained.
"Where to now, Master?" Kaen asked, her arms resting behind her head in casual laziness.
"The Dwarven Kingdom," Dante said.
The two of them set off on their journey. But deep down, Dante knew Zhe Ha would find him again.
And the next time, he would be waiting. He would be ready to face him once more.
And this time, he would kill him.
Back at the Vidalier Kingdom, a body lay submerged in a quiet pool. It was the hero, the one who had fallen by Dante's hands.
He suddenly woke up, gasping, his body drenched in cold sweat as panic seized him. His eyes darted around, trying to understand his surroundings.
"You are awake, Goku."
"Father?" he croaked.
Goku, once known as the blond haired hero, now had jet black hair. Parts of his face were lightly disfigured, enough that he was forced to wear a mask to hide the damage.
"Father, what happened?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Zhe Ha explained everything. He told Goku how he had provoked someone he never should have crossed, and how that person had nearly ended his life.
Zhe Ha admitted that he had intervened, but even his power had failed to turn the tide. Goku's organs had been almost torn apart, and only by a tiny thread of fate had his son survived.
"Maladeva…" Goku muttered, his hands slowly clenching into fists. "Maladeva…!"
Zhe Ha noticed the rage boiling within his son and spoke firmly.
"You are not fully recovered. It will take weeks before your body is even stable again."
Goku ignored the warning. He raised his head and looked straight at his father.
"Let me take the test," he said.
Zhe Ha's eyes widened.
"Boy, may I remind you," Zhe Ha said gravely, "if you take this path, there is no basis for retreat. Once you begin, there is no going back."
Goku did not hesitate. His determination to kill Dante, the man he knew only as Maladeva, burned far stronger than fear.
After a long silence, Zhe Ha nodded.
"Very well," he said. "Once your body recovers in the coming weeks, the test will begin."
Back at the Ruthwilfer House, each family member was handed a report detailing their children's results from the current tests.
Evan Ruthwilfer examined his son's report with clear satisfaction. Taka had emerged as the champion of the northern arena, his name standing proudly at the top of the document.
Evan allowed himself a smug smile, his chest swelling with pride.
He then turned toward Will Ruthwilfer, Dante's father and the current Patriarch of the family.
Evan's expression shifted when he noticed Will clutching his own report tightly, his fingers creasing the parchment.
"What is wrong, brother?" Evan asked, his tone dripping with mockery. "Did that bastard child of yours die?"
Will slowly turned his head to face him, his gaze steady and cold.
"You want to compare Dante and Taka?" Will replied calmly. "Here is your answer. Dante is currently under secret observation by the elven clans because he wields the Infinity Mana Foundation."
The moment those words left Will's mouth, Evan stiffened. The smugness drained from his face.
He scoffed in frustration, turned sharply, and stormed out of the meeting room without another word.
Not long after, Diana Ruthwilfer passed by Evan in the corridor. He did not greet her, nor did she acknowledge his presence. Diana cared little for her nephew's arrogance and continued on her way.
"Aunt Diana," Will greeted as she approached. He handed her Dante's report.
"Hoo…?" Diana murmured as she read through it. "My boy fought a demigod? How intriguing."
Her lips curled upward as she continued reading.
"He even killed this so called hero?" she said, clearly amused. "I am dying from laughter."
Will hesitated before speaking. "Why do you call Dante your boy, Aunt?"
Diana lifted her eyes from the report, her expression softening.
"Sometimes," she said, "even a mother can be the most worrisome creature of all."
She exhaled slowly.
"I know I used Dante as a betting chip all these years. When I first found him, he was easy to tease and manipulate,"
Diana admitted.
"But over time, I grew fond of the boy. Without realizing it, I raised him as if he were my own son."
"Even though he is not your son, Aunt?" Will asked quietly.
Diana met his gaze without hesitation.
"Blood or not blood," she said.
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Chapter 46 — End.