Chapter 16: Treatment
Veles smelled the sweet aroma of apple cider.
The scent came from Alan, who was behind him, and it always brought Veles’ thoughts back to that drunken night.
His tail began to tingle, followed by the roots of his teeth. That tingling sensation spread deep into his body—or perhaps, deep into his very soul.
Veles felt as if his entire body had become unusually off-balance.
Although the wounds on his back still burned and swelled from the corrosion of the poisoned spines, Alan’s fingers, by contrast, felt soft and cool—but Veles couldn’t shake the sensation that Alan’s touch was setting his body on fire.
It was as if his nerves were about to ignite.
Veles clenched his teeth, suppressing the impulse to leap to his feet and bolt. That familiar feeling struck him again—that same sensation that made him want to dash straight into the forest outside and climb to the treetops to hide.
At the same time, another part of his soul reacted like a puppy experiencing its first gentle touch, wanting nothing more than to curl up entirely and hide in Alan’s arms.
Alan looked at him with pure concern. There was no trace of prejudice, no condescending pity that one might show toward a creature so different.
Alan’s worry was only for Veles’s injuries.
Veles sensed this clearly—and he had never hated his own perceptiveness so much.
He felt utterly at a loss.
He could deal with malice with skill and indifference. He could accept every responsibility thrust upon him, endure every wound, and bear every ache with calm. After all, his bloodline was so tainted, yet he was so powerful—he believed he deserved to pay a price simply for existing.
He had always endured all of it as a matter of routine… until he came to Green River Village, and met a frail, slight, but inexplicably heart-stirring country mage.
Alan said that his tail was beautiful.
Alan said his wounds needed to be carefully tended.
Alan’s fingers traced along his spine, gently pressing his injuries, extracting the poisonous spines that had caused him so much pain.
Alan…
And finally, he made that absurd request.
Veles would rather have Alan treat him roughly, inflicting unbearable pain, even rendering him immobile, than be treated so gently.
Because Veles had no idea how to respond to such kindness and tenderness.
He could feel the corrupt part of his bloodline stirring within him, its hunger and emptiness relentlessly scorching his soul. It was infuriating—he hoped he wouldn’t reveal his flaws in front of Alan.
Perhaps Antara had been right—he really shouldn’t continue getting close to Alan. For Alan, Veles was dangerous.
Veles thought to himself.
“Rough? No, don’t worry, Mr. Veles.”
Alan, of course, didn’t notice Veles’ brief moment of inner conflict. He furrowed his brow and removed the final poisoned spine from Veles’ back.
“See? All the spines are out now,” he said softly.
Alan studied Veles’ body carefully.
No wonder Veles had been confident enough to let the spines remain and even encouraged Alan to be rough with his wounds.
Alan couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
He knew that many demi-humans’ wounds healed far faster than humans’, even when injured. But he had never seen anyone like Veles—the wounds were now visibly closing at a remarkable speed after the spines were removed.
The tattoos once covered in blood, the triangular ridges along his spine, and even the tiny scales tucked in the corners of his body—all were revealed to Alan’s eyes without exception.
Although he knew it was impolite, Alan couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.
He really was beautiful.
He marveled once again.
Before crossing over, Alan had read plenty of fantasy comics and, of course, played many games.
And Veles… was like someone who had stepped straight out of those idealized fantasies. Even Alan, who had been dulled and devoid of excitement by the harsh reality of the magical continent, felt his heart skip a beat upon seeing Veles.
He was even a little curious about those strange tattoos, but Alan managed to keep his composure, deliberately averting his gaze from Veles’s unusual features. Watching the wounds nearly close, he carefully set the extracted spines aside, stepped back several paces, and then turned around, giving Veles space to put his clothes back on.
“Mr. Veles, you could actually wear something lighter. It would help your wounds heal more completely,” Alan whispered, unable to resist offering the suggestion even with his back turned.
The faint rustle of Veles dressing paused briefly before continuing.
“Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Alan,” Veles’s voice finally came from the ranger’s cabin, a bit stiff but sincere.
“No need to thank me—this was just the most basic treatment—”
Alan turned his head and caught himself mid-sentence.
Veles hadn’t put on that dark, oversized cloak again. Instead, he wore a soft, cloth-made jacket.
For Veles, this could almost be described as a moment of madness.
Or perhaps, self-abandonment.
He had completely given up resisting, following Alan’s instructions, and discarded the cloak that had hidden his malformed body.
In the soft cloth jacket, his pale, corpse-like skin was fully exposed.
He made no effort to hide his ugly tail or claws.
He stood rigidly in place, utterly exposed under Alan’s gaze.
He noticed Alan pause for a moment, and the sensation made his heart tighten as if it might shatter.
“…I have some herbal oils in my house. They can help remove the remaining toxins from your body. Perhaps you should apply a bit more? I mean… we could also have dinner while we’re at it.”
The next second, Veles heard the dark-haired young mage awkwardly stammer out an invitation to dinner.
He wondered if the toxins were making him hallucinate, because the look in Alan’s eyes was filled with admiration… and Alan seemed to be blushing.
Flushed and pink, reminiscent of sweet apples.
“Dinner?”
Veles heard himself utter the dry question.
“Yes, dinner. How about roasted pork? Hills gave me a wonderful wild boar tenderloin—I marinated it with salt and pepper; it should be delicious. And we’ll have a tomato salad, the kind sprinkled with goat cheese. Oh, and carrot cake for dessert. As for a drink… no, maybe we shouldn’t have wine; it wouldn’t be good for your wounds. I really like sage herbal tea—what about you, Mr. Veles? Otherwise, we could have some orange cordial, sweet and tangy, very tasty…”
Alan spoke in a rush, listing everything at once.
When he panicked, he talked like this—nonstop—and he had no idea what he was even saying. All he could think was that he hoped Veles wouldn’t notice his flushed, embarrassed face in the dim light.
No one wants to look so foolish—but when Veles suddenly discarded the dark, heavy cloak, revealing his elven-like features and that strong, tall, perfect body fully before him, no one could control their heartbeat.
At least Alan couldn’t.
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Author’s note:
The countryside mage Alan, defeated by beauty.
Hmm…
Today, both of them are idiots.
