My Unrestrained Lives-Chapter 58: Aftermath (2)

Ellis’s expression turned unsightly the moment he realized that he wouldn’t be able to call a priest.

Why was the situation turning out like this?

One might wonder... but to truly understand, one must first grasp the political landscape of the Valemere kingdom, and more importantly, the real standing of the Light Church.

In the world of Elden, the Valemere kingdom could, at best, be considered a second-tier nation. Meanwhile, the Light Church... it stood as one of the top factions, if not the top, in the entire world.

Its influence stretched across both continents, deeply rooted in nearly every nation.

That’s precisely why every country is naturally wary of the Church. Even if they lack the strength to outright oppose it, due to the overwhelming gap in power and influence, they still try to keep the Church in check.

Is there truly no nation that can stand against the Light Church?

Naturally, that’s not the case.

The two strongest empires, though locked in a constant state of war with each other, are nearly on equal footing with it. And if they were ever to form an alliance, they could potentially destroy the Church altogether.

But since they are always at war, neither side bothers to intervene when it comes to the Church’s movements.

Even so, the Light Church isn’t without its own concerns.

Because of its widespread presence, it must tread carefully. Because, unlike the Valemere kingdom or other smaller nations, with concentrated power, the Church, who has its power stretched around many places can’t afford to antagonize everyone. If a coalition of smaller kingdoms were ever to unite against them, even the mighty Light Church would struggle.

That’s why it usually maintains a humble and respectful attitude, outwardly, especially when dealing with royal families.

Now, about the Valemere kingdom itself. Located at the very edge of the continent, right beside the Tenebrous Mountain, it has long held the title of protector... the blue flame guardians.

Due to its position and unique role, the central political turmoil often didn’t affect it much. Even the Light Church wouldn’t interfere with it.

Well... that used to be the case. Things have changed now.

Back when Ellis had just been born into this world... when he had only begun to study the political structure surrounding Valemere, he came to understand how the kingdom’s power was divided.

There were three main factions:

The royal faction, mostly composed of the royal family’s power base and a few loyal noble families.

The conservative faction, mainly made up of old, traditional noble houses who often resisted change, and wanted to hold more power.

Then finally, the neutral faction, those who chose not to involve themselves in the inner conflicts of the kingdom. And they were tasked with guarding the Iron Fortress, standing watch against the dangers of the Tenebrous Mountain.

This group also included weaker noble families who lacked the strength to intervene in kingdom politics, or simply those who wished to stay on the sidelines and observe.

That... was how things used to be.

Now, there were only two factions left.

Because everything started to change when the eldest prince, the son of the current queen, began to lose his firm grip on the promised position of the crown prince.

As that once-promised future started to waver, the Queen made a bold and unexpected move: she reached out to the Light Church, forging an alliance with them.

What exactly the alliance entailed, Ellis didn’t know.

But one thing was clear, after she made that move, everything changed.

The Light Church, which had once held a weak and distant role within the kingdom, suddenly became central, crucial even, to its power structure.

And what should have been an advantage to the eldest prince... only turned into another burden.

With the Queen’s decision, the royal faction fractured.

Many became dissatisfied with this move of her, and while some still supported the eldest prince out of loyalty, others turned toward the fourth prince, who had slowly but surely been gathering strength.

As for the nobles? Whether they belonged to the aristocrat faction or the neutral one, the Queen had lost her chance to win them over the moment she sided with the Church.

And though she gained the support of the Light Church...

The fourth prince, quiet, patient, and calculating, took that opportunity to nearly unite all of the remaining power in the kingdom.

That was how he likely became crown prince... probably.

At least, that was what Ellis thought.

Because at the end of the day, he didn’t understand what went through the king’s mind.

He seemed old. Senile, even, when he didn’t interfere at all after everything that had happened. But... was that really the case?

After all, the king was a sixth-circle mage.

Someone who stood at the peak of magic within the Valemere kingdom.

He shouldn’t have lost his mind. So, what was he thinking, staying silent, not making any move during the power struggles between the princes?

Ellis didn’t know. But he didn’t care, either way.

So then... where was he going with all of this?

He just meant that the Church, once a supposedly neutral force, a group that never meddled in Valemere’s internal politics, and would heal anyone as long as the donation was generous, wasn’t the same anymore.

Now, they stood behind the Queen.

Behind the one who was the enemy of his mother.

Ellis knew that. Even so... even knowing that, he had still believed, that perhaps now when the ship they’d tied their hopes to, the eldest prince, finally sank, and failed to rise as crown prince... the Church would reconsider.

That they would change their stance.

But now, he wasn’t so sure.

Did they still hold on to some hope for the Queen’s son?

He wondered about it for a moment, turning the question over in his mind.

But in the end, Ellis decided not to care, once again.

If the Light Church was useless...

Then he would simply have to find another way.

Another path to save his mother. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

And so, he turned his gaze from Silas to his mother and stared at her silently. After a long moment, he finally stepped closer to her, gently held her hand, and then activated his skills.

He used Mana Sense and Detection, hoping to understand the state of her body better. And when he did... he couldn’t help but frown.

Because aside from the obvious outwardly symptoms he had already noticed, her internal condition was far worse. It was a mess.

Her pulse, though still present, was faint and unsteady. And her organs... they appeared damaged, as if something was steadily gnawing away at them from within.

Ellis immediately understood. If he didn’t act... then with her current condition, his mother wouldn’t last more than a week.

So, after thinking for a moment, he finally made the only move he was capable of right now. He began circulating mana inside her body.

Because, at the end of the day, he believed mana to be the most mysterious force in the world... unpredictable, yet full of possibility. If there was even a chance that it could help, he had to try.

Time passed slowly. Nearly half an hour later, Ellis finally stopped using his skills.

Progress?

There was some. And that made him happy, even if just a little.

But it felt like he was only treating the symptoms... not the root cause.

If he continued with only this, then while he might be able to prolong her life, she still wouldn’t be able to live for long.

A few months? Maybe a year at most?

It couldn’t be more than that.

So, after quietly watching over her for a while longer, listening to her now more stable breathing, Ellis... who had already thought of an idea he might try, finally let go of her hand. Then, without saying a word, he turned and left the room with Silas following behind.

If he had stayed just a little longer, he might have noticed it.

The faint twitch of Thalia’s eyelids. A subtle, fleeting movement.

But Ellis, who had already stepped outside and was now focusing his Detection skill on the area around the palace, monitoring the new group of knights stationed nearby rather than the room behind him, failed to notice it at all.

...

Inside the library of the abandoned palace, Ellis looked at Silas, who had remained silent after delivering the news that she had failed to bring a priest. Then, he smiled gently at her and said, "Don’t look so down. It’s not your fault."

Then, his eyes lit up slightly with determination as he added, "Besides, who said the Church is our only option? If they won’t treat her, then we’ll just do it the traditional way... the way commoners always have."

Silas blinked, confused at first, unsure what he meant. Her head remained lowered, until realization slowly dawned. "You mean..."

"Bring me every book you can find, about herbs, medicine, poisons, anything even remotely related!"