"Lambert..." Louis smiled, his voice hoarse yet gentle, "Youâre alive too."
Lambert was momentarily stunned, then quickly smiled.
He knelt on one knee, reaching out to hold Louisâs arm, fearing his body was too weak to sit steadily.
"Donât be so tense, I... just slept for how long?" Louis softly asked.
Lambert hesitated for a moment, "Five full days."
"Five... days?" Louisâs eyes widened, "You mean I was unconscious for five whole days?"
"Yes." Lambert looked at him with a complex expression, "We all thought you were just exhausted. The doctor checked and said it was just overexertion, with no external injuries. But... no one can explain why you slept for so long."
Louis was silent for a few seconds.
Indeed mysterious, that torrent of memories lasted only minutes in his consciousness, and the illusion was even more fragmented, seemingly just a few fleeting moments.
Yet he had slept for a full five days...
"My lord?" Lambert asked.
"Itâs nothing, maybe just too tired." Louis shook his head, but his eyes were clearer than ever.
"The doctor just came by again, and although you have no internal injuries, itâs best to rest for another day," Lambertâs tone eased a bit, "Emily is also on her way, itâll take about five or six days."
"Sheâs coming?" Louis was a bit surprised.
"Of course she is." Lambert nodded, "Once the war ended and knowing you were unconscious, Lady Emily immediately set out."
Louis paused, feeling mixed emotions.
He certainly wasnât dead, even becoming stronger.
But only he knows, that crimson fog really entered his mind.
If not for the Primordial Heart, perhaps heâd have already turned into a puppet of anger like Titus.
"Lambert." He suddenly asked, "Now... how is the war?"
Lambert slowly nodded: "Itâs over. The moment Titus died, the entire battlefield quieted down. All Point Giants, Barbarian Soldiers, even Magical Beasts, collapsed like broken puppets.
Now weâre just clearing the battlefield, burning remains, handling corpses, and... rescuing those soldiers who went mad but didnât die."
"We... won." Lambert softly said.
"We... won." Louis softly repeated.
Outside came hurried footsteps, a man in a gray-blue medical robe quickly entered the room.
The doctor did not say much, cautiously placing his hand on Louisâs pulse, then approached his chest, listening to the heartbeat.
A moment later, he took a dark golden bronze stone from a box, lightly pressing it on Louisâs forehead.
It was a Fighting Energy Reaction Stone, able to sense any uncontrollable fighting energy fluctuations within a Knightâs body.
"...Strange."
"What is it?" Lambert immediately became tense.
"No, itâs not bad." The doctor quickly gestured, "Itâs just... although your pulse and breathing are weak, they are extremely stable.
The flow of fighting energy within is smooth, showing no abnormalities. By all means, someone like you shouldnât have been unconscious for five days."
"What do you mean then?" Louis asked.
"...I canât quite determine." The doctor lowered his head, "If you say severely injured, no. If you say fighting energy imbalance, no."
"Itâs alright, since youâve confirmed Iâm fine, you may leave." Louis waved his hand.
"Yes." The doctor bowed and exited.
"Lambert." Louis turned with a slightly tired tone, "Help me get some hot food, then... I want to go to the washroom."
"My lord, your body..."
"I can still walk." Louis gritted his teeth, standing with somewhat unsteady steps, but he managed not to fall, "Awakening from a five-day slumber should at least warrant a face wash, right?"
Lambert sighed, silently moving forward to assist him, leading him toward the inner hallâs washroom.
"Iâll wait outside, call for me if you need anything." Lambert said softly, then gently closed the door.
Once the door was closed, Louis stabilized himself next to the sink, slightly panting before looking up at the copper mirror directly ahead.
The reflection in the mirror showed his pale face, faint blue beneath his eyes, lips nearly devoid of color, appearing as a noble young man recovering from illness.
"...Is this it?" He gazed at his reflection, lightly furrowing his brow.
No blood vines clinging, nor angry flowers blooming.
His skin bore no cracks, his bones had not mutated, even his breath fluctuations were suppressed by the Primordial Heart to nearly invisibility.
Even he almost suspected those events were merely a dream.
However, not being controlled is undoubtedly a good thing, as for any hidden side-effects within himself, heâs left to resolve later.
Louis lowered his head, submerging his face into the icy washbasin, as the cold water slid down his cheeks, seeming to wash away the five days of stupor in a single breath.
But what he truly cared about was never the face.
"The washroom certainly isnât for washing faces," he muttered softly.
After confirming Lambert hadnât intruded, he subtly waved his right hand.
In the next moment, the air seemed to slightly condense, as a translucent blue interface appeared centrally, like waterâs surface, shimmering with flowing light patterns.
A faint blue light stream flowed gently along the screenâs edge, following which a series of information rushed out like a flood breaking through a dam, rapidly occupying the entire screenâs view.
Massaging his still somewhat heavy forehead, Louis read while mocking himself: "Offline for five days and only sixteen updates... seems nothing major happened?"
[Daily intelligence updates completed.]
[1: Post-war stability in the Red Tide Territory, good military and civilian conditions, under Bradleyâs leadership, preparations for spring plowing have begun.]
[2: An adult Ice Vein Giant Snake has appeared on the northern edge of the Storm Plateau, ending its hibernation state.]
[3: Frost Halberd Cityâs post-disaster epidemic risk has emerged, causing unrest among civilians due to grain distribution.]
[4: The Southeast Provinceâs grain prices have risen again, leading to the third wave of panic buying frenzy.]
......
The intelligence scrolled rapidly, and Louis reviewed them one by one.
Most of the intelligence didnât count as bad news, mostly relevant news triggered by the war.
Some discussed the progress of repairing food supply lines, others mentioned outbreaks of various diseases.
One entry stated that his nearly collapsing forge starâs seventh mine pit had finally restored initial production.
"Seems Bradleyâs doing well... At least spring plowing is in motion," he nodded lightly, lips curling slightly.
Just as he was about to relax his shoulders, suddenly a piece of intelligence popped up.
[12: Governor of the North, Duke Edmund severely overextended life essence in the Battle of the Bone-Burying Canyon, with only 183 days of remaining lifespan left.]
The font on the screen seemed to carry a chill, and Louisâs fingers froze mid-air.
He was silent for a full five seconds, his lips parched, not quite knowing where to start.
In that battle, Edmund thrice bore the brunt of the Angry Crown Giantâs charges, using his flesh to withstand divine court pollution.
Although he possesses the body of a Peak Knight, he is ultimately human.
He didnât fail to think of the cost, only half a year of life left, making him somewhat sad given the Duke has helped him so much.
"Old injuries linger, past sixty, already near lifeâs end... enduring until now is certainly an anomaly."
Louis slowly sat against the wall: "But with the Dukeâs death, my Red Tide Territory in the Northern Territory will have no backing..."
Before he could contemplate further, another piece of intelligence, even more shocking, followed.
[14: Ironblood Empireâs Emperor, Ernst August missing, last seen five days ago at Imperial Capitalâs Old Dragon Castle.]
[15: The First Legion, Dragon Blood Legion, Emperorâs Personal Guard, all disappeared with the Emperor.]
[16: Imperial Capitalâs situation is turbulent, the regent council has yet to release a statement, public opinion under control.]
"What, what?" Louisâs frail body practically sprang up from the ground.
Emperor, First Legion, Dragon Blood Legion, even Imperial Guard vanished?!
"This isnât a vacation," his throat dry, "This is vanishing from the world."
His mind immediately conjured numerous possibilities: civil unrest, coup, disaster, forbidden relic awakens, even some supernatural catastrophe stirring awake...