MHHC Chapter 76

Greta

The sound of her heart echoed as it dropped to the floor with a thud.

Half out of her mind, Adelheid rushed into the room.

No thought remained for the possibility that those who had done this to Greta might still be nearby, or that this might be a terrible trap.

"Greta!"

Adelheid knelt hurriedly beside Greta. Drained completely of color, Greta's face looked like a pale corpse.

Greta's abdomen was pierced by a long blade. Horrific and gruesome.

She could see Greta's life pouring out from that wound. A sob burst through Adelheid's clenched teeth.

"Please, Greta."

Adelheid brought her trembling hand to Greta's nose. Fortunately, she could still feel faint breath.

She barely clung to hope that had been half-extinguished. If life still clung to her, if a skilled healer treated her, Greta might yet survive.

'If only... if only we could get her to Charlotte.'

Adelheid gripped Greta's cold hand tightly.

But how could she make her last until then? Whether bringing a healer here or taking Greta to one, neither was possible right now.

Greta needed the strength to endure that time.

Adelheid chewed her lips raw.

'There's only one way.'

In truth, she had known from the beginning. Her mind had judged immediately.

If she removed the blade and simultaneously used healing magic to stop the bleeding, immediate first aid was possible. But did she dare?

'I've never used healing magic on a person... I can't even guarantee it will work. I barely learned it by fumbling through books.'

Moreover, what if she accidentally caused a greater wound while pulling out the blade? What if the magic failed completely? With Greta's life balanced in her hands, she had no confidence she could maintain composure to the end.

'What do I do... Please... what should I do...'

She was squeezing Greta's hand so hard from tension when—

With a faint groan, Greta's eyelids began trembling. Adelheid hurriedly leaned her upper body toward Greta.

"Dear God, Greta... Can you hear my voice?"

Small groans burst between Greta's lips. Soon, Greta's eyes opened with difficulty.

Some clarity returned to her clouded eyes.

Had she immediately recognized Adelheid? Tears gathered heavily in the old woman's wrinkled eyes.

"Not, a dream..."

"Yes, Greta. Not a dream. I really came here."

Adelheid quickly removed her cloak to support the back of Greta's neck, then gripped Greta's hand that fumbled through empty air.

She felt tears about to burst forth, but Adelheid barely held them back. She didn't want to do anything that might make Greta anxious.

"Miss, I'm... cold..."

If only she could, she wanted to strip off all her clothes to cover Greta so she wouldn't grow colder.

If not for this cursed blade piercing Greta's stomach, she would have done so immediately.

Following her gaze down to her own body, Greta asked with hollow eyes:

"I'm... going to die soon, aren't I?"

Adelheid shook her head desperately.

"No. Wait, I mean, you just fainted from shock. A, a healer will come soon."

"I, I remembered... What I was told to do. Laura, Miss..."

Ah. Adelheid bit her lip. It seemed Greta was mistaking her for 'Laura.'

The maid who was supposedly her birth mother. But 'Miss'? That Greta's memory was wandering was an ominous sign.

"Whatever it is, don't talk now. Can you hold on alone like this for a bit? I'll bring people right away. There must be a healer staying at the shelter. I'll bring someone somehow..."

"N-no..."

As Adelheid tried to rise, Greta grabbed her forearm with claw-like hands. It was a grip impossibly strong for someone dying from a blade wound.

"Miss, you must... hear this. Listen."

In the darkness, Greta's eyes gleamed. In the twenty-some years Adelheid had known her, she had never once seen such resolute, determined eyes.

Though the gripped arm hurt painfully, Adelheid didn't dare think of resisting.

She leaned her head close as Greta's hand guided. The dying woman's humid breath touched her ear.

That long, long gasping breath.

"When the Light... hides its traces... and Shadow surveys the world... the Great One shall be born, tearing the womb of the doe... Behold the Master of the World."

"They shall place a crown of thorns... upon their head... and walk silently the path... of suffering and humiliation."

"The wicked shall covet... but in the end... they shall perfect themself."

There were sentences so faint in the middle that she couldn't hear them, and Greta paused long to breathe, but she ultimately finished her words to the end.

Adelheid couldn't believe they were wasting this precious time on riddles.

"What on earth is this..."

Then suddenly, one possibility came to mind.

'An oracle.'

That oracle Count Reichenau knew of, supposedly given to her mother.

Could this be it? If what Greta recited was truly that oracle, how did Greta know it? She'd said three high priests guarded it as a strict secret.

How on earth could a mere maid, by what circumstance...

"This."

Into Adelheid's bewildered hand, Greta desperately pressed something.

Even in the dimness, Adelheid immediately recognized what it was.

Something Greta had always worn around her neck. As a child, she'd occasionally played with it while held in Greta's arms.

'A ring engraved with a doe emblem.'

She didn't know the ring's history, but Greta cherished it dearly.

Adelheid had never seen Greta remove that ring from her body for even a moment. And now she was giving it to her—why?

"Keep it... safe... It's yours, Miss..."

"Mine? You're giving it to me?"

"It was... yours from the start... At last... I have no face left to show..."

Adelheid asked again, but Greta no longer seemed to perceive her voice.

Greta's face, closing her eyes with satisfaction, looked somehow relieved.

Adelheid felt the strength draining from Greta's hand that had been gripping her tightly. She could see death rushing over Greta like a great wave.

Only then did Adelheid realize she had delayed too long.

"...No."

Everything was already too late. Greta's last breath was about to slip away.

Tears fell patter-patter onto Greta's rigid, deathly pale cheek. Only then did Adelheid realize she was crying in shambles.

"Hhh..."

A muffled groan flowed through Adelheid's teeth, like air escaping between lungs, or perhaps a beast's whimper.

She had never once imagined her last moment with Greta would be like this.

That they would be severed by death in this way, without even a proper farewell.

'...I won't let that happen.'

She gritted her teeth. Now was not the time to cry. If even a single possibility existed, she had to stake everything on it.

She already held the key to change this situation.

Adelheid hurriedly adjusted her posture. Once her resolve was set, her actions were swift.

Adelheid immediately gripped the hilt of the blade that had pierced Greta's stomach. With that alone, pooled blood oozed out.

The soft sensation transmitted from the blade's tip was horrific.

'Please, stay calm...'

Her entire body trembled.

'I have to pull it out in one motion. Don't make mistakes, don't hesitate. Please.'

She took a deep breath and firmly set strength in her hand. Then she pulled the blade out with all her might.

With the recoil, Greta's chest rose and fell violently. Blood that had been somewhat blocked burst forth, flowing down.

Adelheid hurriedly drew out all her magic. More vivid and deep blue energy than ever before formed in her hands.

'The most important thing is the will to reverse it. And... for first-time attempts, three hand seals.'

Originally, magic was the act of breathing will into magical power. Therefore, ancient powerful 'mages' could cast all manner of spells without speaking, but for her, that remained distant still.

In such cases, mages borrowed the power of magic circles, incantations, or hand seals.

'Be careful that the beginning and end connect.'

Adelheid calmly formed the hand seals she had seen in books. Because she had practiced many times, her hands forming the seals were precise and swift.

When she completed the final seal, the light of magic gathered in her hands transformed into a very warm and gentle golden glow.

'Just like in the book.'

That's how it looked on the surface, but she could be certain of nothing.

Sometimes failed magic brought truly horrific results.

But if she didn't even attempt it out of fear, Greta would cross a river from which there was no return.

'Once you start, don't hesitate.'

Adelheid whipped her weakening heart. She brought both hands glowing golden to Greta's abdomen.

When she pulled back the fabric stiffened with blood, she saw a long torn wound. Adelheid spread her palms toward the wound and drew up her magic.

At first, there seemed to be no change at all.