Edrick shouted toward them.
“Her Highness is injured! She needs healing magic immediately!”
Hearing that, Sir Hart ordered one of the knights following behind them to bring a mage.
A short while later, a young imperial mage came running over.
While he examined the Imperial Princess’s condition, Edrick and the other knights began clearing away the rocks.
When they lifted the boulder crushing her knee, the torn skirt revealed a leg that had been completely shattered from the knee down.
Several fragments of bone protruded through the skin.
Edrick swallowed a groan.
Even with healing magic, an injury of this severity could leave her crippled for life.
“If we close the wounds ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ in this condition, the entire structure of the leg will heal improperly.”
The mage inspected her injuries with a grave expression.
“We need to transport her back to camp and set the bones first.”
Edrick looked at him darkly.
“Will she survive until then?”
“I’ve already cast restorative magic. She should be stable for now.”
The mage rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
“Still, we should splint the leg to prevent the injury from worsening further. Is there anything suitable we can use?”
“Will this do?”
Sir Hart removed the scabbard from his belt and held it out.
The mage accepted it, testing its weight with a few gentle swings before nodding.
“That will work. I’ll secure the leg. Please support it from underneath.”
Edrick immediately obeyed.
Carefully, he slid his hands beneath her grotesquely swollen calf.
The instant he lifted it, a terrible scream burst from the woman’s lips.
Startled, Edrick lost his grip.
The mangled leg, with bone protruding from it, dropped back to the ground.
Dark red blood sprayed across the dirt.
As he froze in horror, unsure what to do, Varkas—who had been silently watching from a short distance away—stepped forward and wrapped both arms around the Imperial Princess’s upper body, holding her firmly.
“Stop the bleeding. Now!”
Edrick snapped back to his senses.
He immediately grabbed hold of her leg.
Meanwhile, the mage tore strips from his cloak and compressed the long wound that ran from her thigh to her knee.
With her face buried against Varkas’s chest, the Imperial Princess let out animal-like groans.
Her blood-darkened fingernails raked furiously across the back of his neck.
“It’s done! Secure the splint now!”
At the mage’s urgent command, the knights bent down and fixed her leg against the long scabbard.
At last, the emergency treatment was complete.
Sir Siorcan lifted her into his arms.
Edrick immediately reached toward him.
“I’ll carry her. Commander, your injuries—”
Before his hand could touch her, Varkas pulled her closer against himself.
The possessive, defensive motion made Edrick pause.
Frowning as though annoyed, Varkas jerked his chin.
“Forget it. Lead the way. We don’t have time to waste.”
“M-My apologies.”
Without meaning to, Edrick found himself apologizing.
He hurried ahead with the torch.
There was no way they could take the Imperial Princess up the steep cliff in her condition. To reach the camp, they would need to circle around the rocky wall.
As he illuminated the dark forest path, Edrick glanced back at Varkas.
The torchlight carried by the knights faintly illuminated one side of the man’s face.