Do You Know Me?

32

(You can imagine any emblem for azure as you like)

Athanasia fell with a thud at a the corridor near her office.

'haaa. I shouldn't have tried to teleport while having low mana from the fight just now.'

Rubbing her head, Athanasia stood up and dusted her clothes. She continued through the corridors and reached the office.

The first thing she noticed was the smell. The smell of blood.

While being cautious and hightning her sences, she opened the door and looked in.

Sir.Mataes was the only one there. And he seemed quite injured. Using his last bits of strength to use the scroll.

It was a terrible sight. He'd dirtied the couch with his blood that leaked from the gash on his waist.

His arm was bleeding too.

'These injuries.... A knife?'

Athanasia rushed towards him and checked him over. Gently pulling the image projector out of his right grip.

He tightened his grip just a bit.

"It's okay sir. Sir. Mataes. It's me, Athanasia. Relax."

Slightly opening his eyes, Sir.Mataes looked up towards the blurry figure of his boss. Immediately feeling guilty, he began to speak.

"P-princess. I apologise. They cau-caught me."

Tsk. Athanasia kept her palms above his wounds. A soft glow being revealed. She was quite irritated that she carelessly used up her mana in the fight with Lucas.

She didn't have enough to heal Sir. Mataes complety.

"Do not speak. I am currently low on mana so this will take some time to heal."

He was sweating. Skin paling due to the injuries.

"I have fail-failed you, your highness. Please, punish me as you see fit."

"Haa. Well i certainly cannot punish you without knowing what exactly you did wrong."

They both spent a while in silence as Athanasia healed him.

His skin was gaining some colour. He looked well enough to speak now. Athanasia began to speak.

"But tell me first, how did you get injured"

Although it was difficult, he needed to report. Sir. Mataes began to speak.

"I was.... getting the projector from the organisers of the auction after I'd won it with the highest bid."

Hiss. Sir. Mataes hissed in pain.

"Just as I........ Just as I went out to get back to my hotel room to use the scroll, i was kidnapped. Initially i had assumed it was probably his men."

His men. Anastacious. He was probably there as Viscount Patterson for the auction. Knowing he didn't have enough money, he probably decided to steal it from the one who get it.

"By your tone, it wasn't."

"Yes.... He was there himself."

"He came himself? Not his men? Why?"

"I don't know, your highness. When I'd realised, i tried to listen to what he said first. He needed the projector. Thankfully i had already hidden it inside a seal your highness gave me."

That explained why the projector was still safe dispite getting kidnapped.

"Mn. And your injuries?"

"I realised He's known as a talented mage for a reason, your highness."

Athanasia took off her hands. She did the most she could do. Sir. Mataes would need to heal with rest now.

"I was certainly surprised he'd use not only magic but also physical fighting. I'm just thankful he hadn't poised his knives."

"Yes, well. It's probably his first time coming in person and fighting like so. He's too much of a coward to use poison."

The light joke lightened the mood. Subconsciously relaxing Sir. Mataes responded.

"Haha. I suppose that true."

"He's coming isn't he."

"...... Yes."

Sir. Mataes had used the teleportation scroll within Anastacious's sight. Surely he must have seen the 'Azure' symbol on it.

Seeing how the scroll had not been a product given out to the public, the only person who could give such a scroll to him was the owner themselves.

'Me. He's probably persuing my identity'

"I see. I'll take care of it. Your all healed up now. Rest for a bit."

"But your highness! This is my fault, I need to help someho-"

"- your too weak to help, sir. Mataes. You'd only get in the way with your injured self. The best way to help us by getting healed. It's an order."

Biting his lip, Sir. Mataes bowed his head. He was well aware that he wasn't physically the strongest. Nor was he a great mage. All he had was his brain. It made him feel quite useless.

But he knew he had no choice.

".... I will act in accordance to your order, your highness"