6-3-3/7 (5-8) Chapter 6: The Land of the Winds Episode 3: The Bonds of Royal Blood
Part 3/7: Restoration and Rediscovery
Scene 5-8
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Scene 5: Lunchtime and Lingering Worries
By midday, everyone had gathered together and brought lunch from Kalisa's home back to their shared quarters. The chatter and clatter of dishes echoed lightly through the space, enough to rouse the boy from Earth from his slumber.
Still unshowered, Akira waved them off, insisting they start without him. So the others began eating while chatting casually, intentionally steering the conversation away from heavier topics. It was clear they were doing their best to create a pleasant atmosphere for everyone.
After a quick rinse, Akira returned and sat down to eat. But as he scanned the room, he noticed something odd. Without a word, he walked over to Yue, leaned down, and placed a hand on her forehead, then checked her ears and hands.
"Yue… what did you do? Why is your body so hot?" he asked, concern etched across his face.
Yue protested immediately. "That's not true! You just finished showering—that's why!"
Akira frowned, undeterred. "But your ears are red, your eyes are watery, your body's warm, your hands are cold and veiny, and you're trembling a bit. This looks like a full-blown fever. Go on—someone else check and see if I'm wrong."
One by one, the others stepped in to touch her skin. Each of them looked surprised.
"He's right," Osiris confirmed. "Yue's body temperature is abnormally high. You really do seem feverish."
"I'm fine, really," Yue insisted, a little flustered. "I just spent too long under the shower. I'll be okay."
Akira's voice turned stern. "Yue, don't be stubborn. Sure, you can heal others. But if you get sick, who's going to take care of you? Can you heal yourself? And can healing magic even cure a fever?"
Yue's voice softened, a shimmer in her eyes. "I can cast Heal on myself, but… it doesn't help with fevers."
"Exactly," Akira said firmly. "Come on. I'm taking you to see a doctor."
"There's no need. I've got medicine," Yue said, still resisting.
"Yue," Akira scolded, his tone sharp this time.
Keela stepped in. "Akira, calm down. Don't scold her like that."
Draco added gently, "I get that you're worried about her. We all are. But don't make her mental state worse."
Akira turned to Draco, then looked back at Yue. With a deep breath, he pulled her into a hug, resting her head against his stomach.
"I'm sorry. I got carried away," he said softly. "I just… I can't bear to see anyone get hurt right in front of me again."
Yue clung to her brother tightly. "I'm sorry too. I should've listened when you first said something. You're always worried about me… Let's go to the doctor after lunch, okay?"
The air lightened once more, though not for long. As they talked about the incident that had taken place earlier, Akira eventually asked how they had managed to save him.
Once the story was told, the room fell into silence. Everyone wore a heavy expression.
But Akira smiled.
"Why are you smiling?" someone asked. "We all feel pretty bad about it, you know."
"Why should you?" Akira said with a warm grin. "You should be proud. You pulled through together and got me out. It's like when Draco said he'd punch me if I apologized—there's no point in beating ourselves up. We should say thank you to the people who helped us, and be proud that we were able to help someone else in return. Don't you think?"
And just like that, the air around them lifted again. The wounds in their hearts, though not gone, felt just a little less heavy.
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Scene 6: Resolve in the Midst of Doubt
After lunch, in the early afternoon, Akira, Kalisa, and Keela took Yue to see the physician. The others stayed behind to watch over Mirelle. Draco and Elina took the first shift, and Draco, clearly trying to lighten the mood, made an effort to start a conversation. This time, Elina was more receptive, talking more than she had before—quite the change from when his words used to hit nothing but silence.
From this small development, Draco noticed something interesting: Elina often smiled brightly whenever she talked about cute or fluffy things—small animals, soft textures, anything adorable. He made a mental note to find something like that to give her someday.
During the next shift, Grandpa Gryp and Osiris took over. The two became engrossed in a discussion about runes. It was then, at last, that Mirelle stirred awake, groggy but conscious.
The moment her eyes opened, she asked the only thing that was on her mind.
"How's Akira? Is he safe?"
Osiris nodded calmly. "He's safe. But he's not here right now."
A soft sigh of relief escaped Mirelle's lips. "That's good… that's really good…"
Osiris called Elina to help take Mirelle for a bath and then bring her to eat.
The food prepared was gentle on the stomach, ideal for recovery, and infused with mana-restoring herbs.
Mirelle tasted it and looked surprised.
"I didn't think herbs could taste this good. It smells amazing." She took another sip. "Auntie Kalisa really is something in the kitchen."
Osiris corrected her with a straight face. "Actually, Keela made that one herself. She said she wanted to help you recover in her own way."
Mirelle froze for a second. "Oh… thank you, Keela." Her words were polite, but her thoughts were unsettled.
She's good at cooking too… That's a tough strength to beat. What do I have to compete with her?
After the meal, Mirelle told the others she wanted to meditate beneath a tree to restore her mana. Draco, Elina and Osiris helped her find a peaceful spot she liked. Once she settled in, the three spread out in a triangle around her, watching from a distance in case anything happened.
Mirelle sat in the meditation posture, but her heart was far from still.
When will he ever start worrying about himself? He keeps pushing himself for others and getting hurt… Always saying he cares for people, but all he does is make us worry about him instead. That idiot…
A small smile curled at the corner of her lips—one that soon faded.
But if he ever got seriously hurt… I wouldn't be able to bear it.
Tears began to form in her eyes.
You know… we haven't known each other that long. But I can't even imagine what life would be like without you. Please… please don't disappear. Stay by my side. Always.
The tears slid down her cheeks like thin streams.
Am I being selfish? One day, he'll have to choose someone. And if it's Keela… well, that wouldn't be so bad. She's beautiful, skilled, well-mannered, noble-born… and she clearly has strong feelings for him.
Mirelle's heart tightened.
But I feel like… all this time, he's kept his distance—not just from me, but from Keela too. The only one he stays close to is Yue. Osiris and Elina… he's even more distant with them. Or maybe… he already has someone else in his heart?
The thought hit her hard.
That must be it. It's probably someone he loved back on his old world—before he came to Arcadia.
Her anxiety swelled.
That's bad… The real rival isn't just Keela. It's whoever he left behind on Earth. Lucky for me, I've still got an advantage—as long as he's still here. I need to win his heart before his return.
Her resolve began to focus.
Keela… I'll have to call a truce with her for now. And focus on making Akira see me—really see me—before it's too late. Whoever that girl from Earth is… I won't lose to her. I can't. But… what do I do now?
Suddenly, the laughter of some village children in the distance snapped her out of her spiral. Mirelle chuckled softly.
"Hehe… oh goodness, what am I thinking so much for? He already gave me the answer, didn't he?"
A genuine smile formed on her face, and the wind gently dried her tears.
He'll see me as someone important if I act like someone who treats him as important. And if I shine with a smile like the aurora…
Her smile brightened with newfound clarity.
Alright, Akira. From this moment on, I, Mirelle Glaciermist, will become someone new—someone who beams with a radiant smile like the aurora. I'll make you smile every single day, just you wait.
Her eyes burned with gentle resolve.
Come on, Earth girl. Keela. I'll win his heart with nothing but my smile—this smile.
She looked up at the sky.
But no matter who he chooses in the end… I don't think I'll mind anymore. As long as I get to see his smile… and he sees mine every day, that'll be enough.
That shift in mindset lifted a heavy weight from her chest. At last, she began meditating in earnest—and this time, her focus was stronger than ever. Her heart, now clear as crystal, allowed the natural mana around her to flow through her more freely than usual… as if nature itself had chosen to aid her in this quiet moment.
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Scene 7: The Queen of the Dinner Table
By early evening, Akira had returned from the physician with Yue. Kalisa and Keela split off to prepare dinner while Akira brought Yue back to rest.
He asked about Mirelle, and upon hearing from Grandpa Gryp that she had already awakened and was now meditating outside with Draco, Elina, and Osiris keeping her company, a look of deep relief washed over his face. It wasn't just that Mirelle was safe—it was that she was surrounded by people he trusted.
That evening, everyone gathered in their shared quarters for dinner. Keela brought out several dishes she had cooked herself. But unlike usual, this time she didn't merely serve them—she stood in front of everyone with a look of fierce determination.
"I'd like comments," she said, folding her arms. "Real ones. I don't want to hear just praise."
We all blinked, surprised.
She continued. "There's no way all the dishes came out perfectly. This flavor is too neutral—there must be someone here who prefers it stronger, or milder. So here's the rule: each of you must give me at least one criticism. If you don't, tomorrow's meal will skip your portion. You'll have to sit and watch the others enjoy it."
Shock swept across the group. Keela had just declared culinary war—with the same iron command as a queen presiding over her kingdom. It was a perfect imitation of Kalisa's ironclad rule at mealtimes, where delicious food equaled absolute power.
And truly, none of us wanted to endure the agony of watching others enjoy a delicious meal while we sat with an empty plate. So everyone scrambled to taste everything as fast as possible, hoping to find some tiny flaw to point out.
The only problem?
Every dish was genuinely delicious.
One by one, our group started making up vague criticisms just to comply.
"This one's… a little salty?"
"Maybe this one's a tad bland…"
Then came Draco's fatal error.
He pointed to a perfectly cooked slice of meat and said, "This one's undercooked."
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Because if that meat were cooked any more, it would have turned to charcoal.
Keela narrowed her eyes. Her voice was calm, almost too calm. "So… you're lying, then?"
The room grew cold.
"Tomorrow morning," she declared, "no Thunderwill meals for you."
A collective gasp erupted around the table. The group slumped into despair, some of them lightly smacking Draco on the shoulder in half-hearted protest.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Draco panicked. "I panicked! I didn't want to miss out either!"
But it was too late. The sentence had been passed.
Kalisa and Keela exchanged a light chuckle. Grandpa Gryp smiled, shaking his head with the soft resignation of an old warrior who had long accepted his fate.
"At last," he thought to himself, "I have comrades who share my culinary suffering. Even if they're a few generations younger."
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Scene 8: Operation Breakfast
That night, Keela, Kalisa, and Grandpa Gryp returned to House Thunderwill, leaving the six remaining members of the group to tackle a looming crisis: how to survive tomorrow morning's breakfast.
Reluctantly, they asked Yue to open the supply reserves for inspection. Yue volunteered to cook, but they immediately vetoed the idea and told her to rest—she hadn't fully recovered from her fever yet. That left only three members in relatively good health: Draco, Elina, and Osiris. Unfortunately, none of them were particularly skilled in the kitchen—they were more adept at eating than cooking.
The only two who could handle the task with any competence were Akira and Mirelle, though neither of them had fully recovered either. Still, they were determined to make it work.
The plan was laid out like a battlefield strategy:
• Akira would handle the chopping of all ingredients.
• Mirelle would take charge of the actual cooking and baking bread.
• Draco was assigned fire control under Mirelle's command and would use his immense strength to knead the dough.
• Elina would be in charge of organizing half of Yue's pantry and transporting utensils using her barrier magic.
Osiris volunteered to be the official taste-tester, and Yue eagerly raised her hand to join—but both were immediately banned from tasting duty. The reason? They found everything delicious, making their opinions unreliable. Thus, Mirelle would once again be both the chef and the judge of her own food.
To keep her hands full, Mirelle assigned Osiris the task of assembling salads, arranging the plates, and managing any waste from the cooking process.
Once the meal was finished, Mirelle would wash the dishes herself, and Yue would follow up with a purification spell—bringing the operation to completion.
Despite being sidelined, Yue was happy to still be included as part of the team and have a role to play.
The night went on beneath the artificial starlight of the fiber-optic crystal veins embedded in the ceiling. Their planning session stretched well into the evening, filled with whispered debates, light-hearted arguments, and detailed breakdowns of who would do what.
It felt like they were preparing for a high-stakes chef exam, not just a simple breakfast.
But for this team, even something as small as a shared meal had become a symbol of unity, care, and the strength they drew from one another.