The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

"Miss Novalis, are you sure you are unharmed?" The nurse asked. Her eyes swept over Aisha’s arms, neck, and face, searching for injuries that weren’t visible at first glance.

"I’m really fine," Aisha replied, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

The grass and bloodstains on her hospital gown were the only proof of anything that something had happened at all.

The four guards weren’t as easily convinced. They stood behind the Daisy and the nurse, their expressions tight with tension beneath their helmets. One of them had already pushed his visor up to study her more closely.

"You were alone with a berserk sentinel," the guard closest to her said. His tone was unnecessarily harsh, even considering he was asking questions of a patient. "Do you know who he was?"

"No," Aisha replied, looking directly into his eyes.

"Are you sure?" he repeated.

Once Aisha nodded, he asked, "Where did he go?"

Aisha shook her head and responded, "I don’t know that either. Everyone should have seen what happened earlier. He was there for one moment, and then he was gone."

The guards exchanged a glance. It wasn’t the answer they wanted, but it was consistent with what they had witnessed before.

"Why were you with him?" Another guard asked, stepping forward. His gaze landed on the tree where the blood was still on the grass. "A patient wandering into a secluded part of the garden, right where a berserk sentinel happened to be hiding. And you’re a guide, isn’t that, right? That’s quite the coincidence."

Something in her eyes flickered. Annoyance at how she was being treated like a criminal needed to be investigated. Some of this guard was treating her unfairly without even knowing fully what happened.

But she kept her expression blank. "I was just getting some air before my maid returned with the nurse. I didn’t even know he was there until I nearly stumbled into him."

"And he didn’t attack you?" The first guard’s gaze narrowed, taking in the fact that she had not a single bruise or tear in her gown. "A sentinel in that state doesn’t discriminate between threat and bystander. To them, anyone’s a target. He should’ve torn through you the moment you got close."

"I suppose I was lucky," she answered slowly. Keeping a perfect hesitation that looked like she was recalling something. "I only saw him for a few seconds before you all arrived. He might’ve gotten scared before he could do anything, and the guards appeared quickly, anyway."

It wasn’t entirely a lie. Time inside his mental landscape and time outside of it clearly didn’t move the same way. What had felt like a very long time had barely been a handful of breaths in the real world. She just didn’t elaborate on the part where she fought and won inside his mind. The kiss. And the words he left behind.

"You don’t remember anything else? He didn’t leave behind a name or anything?"

"Nothing." Aisha frowned, her face turning white. She looked like a fragile and weak woman who faced a disaster. "I was more concerned about getting away than memorizing details."

The guards didn’t look satisfied, but there was nothing they could pull from her. One of them sighed and gestured toward the hospital entrance.

"We’ll need you to come inside. We need a full statement, and have you examined." The guard turned to the other guards and barked an order. "Sweep the area for any residual contamination. Make sure you get the blood checked and match with any registered sentinel."

Aisha didn’t resist, nodding and allowing Daisy to support her arm. They were guided forward by one of the guards and the nurse. The young maid remained silent during the whole conversation, her hand tightly clutching Aisha’s arm as if fearing Aisha would disappear if she released her.

Sighing, Aisha patted her head gently. "It’s fine."

They walked back inside.

It seems that a berserk sentinel was a far more serious incident than she thought. The entire hospital was vacated. She heard that most of the patients and medical staff were removed and placed underground for safety.

That sentinel’s power was something akin to burning hell. If that sentinel completely went out of control, these people would have trapped themselves instead and might have become denizens of that door made of bones.

After a health examination and a full statement from her, Aisha was released and was cleared of any suspicion.

Daisy immediately shut the door behind them, half-dragging her into the bed, fully taking over her duty as her personal maid, and fussing over her.

"Miss Aisha should rest now. Whatever happened out there, it must have been terrifying."

Aisha wanted to say it wasn’t that scary, but Daisy’s gaze stopped her as she took Aisha’s hands between both of hers. "Look—your hands are even shaking. You must have been frightened earlier."

Aisha glanced down at her hands. She hadn’t noticed it until Daisy pointed it out. Indeed, slight tremor ran through her fingers. But it wasn’t because she was scared.

It must have been because I used too much of my power before I could completely control it.

But there was no way she could tell Daisy about it.

"I guess I was." She let herself be tucked into bed without protest. "I’ll rest now, Daisy. Thank you for taking care of me."

Daisy paused in her movements, but in the end, she carefully left the room to make sure no one could disturb her young lady’s rest.

Once she was alone, Aisha reached into the pocket of her gown and took out the tiny, glowing creature curled inside. It had gone quiet, probably worn out from spending its power in that space.

"You did well today." She cradled it gently in her palm. She stroked its small body the same way one might soothe a child to sleep. "Rest now."

The creature released a faint chirp, snuggling closer into her palm before its light faded softly.

Aisha watched it for a while, her own eyelids growing heavy, until darkness finally claimed her too.

***

Far above the atmosphere, a man appeared out of thin air inside the dark corridor of a warship humming with the low thrum of engines.

Silver hair damp with sweat and blood swayed with the wind, his uniform torn where the corrupted roots had entered his chest.

The two men standing guard at the end of the hall were startled, hands flying instinctively to the hilts of their energy pistols and blades before recognition dawned on them. They hurriedly dropped into hurried, respectful bows and greeted him.

"Commander."