Chapter 324: The Earth Hero
I sat across from Levin, hands tightly gripping the hem of my skirt in my lap. The room was silent for the agitated swishing of my tail and the crackle of the fire in the corner. A tear trickled down my cheek, the sting of the Earth Hero’s cruel words fresh in my heart.
After a few tense seconds, Levin shifted and sighed, resting his chin on his scarred hand. "Look, I’m sorry about what I said. I don’t actually think you’re a...a..." He looked away, cheeks tinged with red.
"It’s alright," I whispered, staring at my hand in my lap. "I’m...used to it."
"Then please stop crying. It’s distracting," he muttered.
"S-sorry." I swallowed hard and brushed the tears from my eyes. My tail continued to flick back and forth, so I snatched it from the air and held it in my lap, stroking the tip softly.
We sat in tense silence for another few seconds, and then Levin leaned across the table, stern and serious. "Lieutenant Joel tells me you were the one responsible for healing the Last Light Company after the double gate incident. Is that true?"
"Joel?"
"He was my escort on the journey north to Brithlite. I moved ahead of the because...reasons...and ended up encountering a demon. It was like nothing we’d seen before, a real monster capable of destroying entire cities with a wave of its hand. That’s where I lost my party...lost Arthur, and Surva...."
Tears welled up in his eyes, overflowing to drip down his face. His broken voice stirred my heart, and before I could think better of it, I reached across the table and laid my hand on his, squeezing comfortingly. He stiffened and jerked up, staring hard at me.
"Levin..."
He shook his head, flinging small droplets off his face. " If only I’d been stronger, I could have...No, it’s done now, in the past. There’s nothing I can do to change it. All I have left is this ruined body and regrets. Victor’s out there on the front line, and I can’t even touch my mana anymore, much less rejoin the fight. So I ask again, can you heal me?"