CHAPTER 269: CHAPTER 259: CRIMSON KNIGHT WOUNDED BY THE CRIMSON KNIGHT

"The welcome banquet is ready," Catherine said, "I know everyone probably has a lot of questions, but let’s head inside first. We’ll talk more during dinner..."

As she spoke, Catherine paused slightly, as if sensing something.

She raised her hand to her nose and then looked at her palm, finding it covered in blood.

The nosebleed came without any warning.

Andrew was right in front of Catherine at the time, the closest, and he couldn’t help but be stunned.

Seeing the bright red blood staining Catherine’s fair and slender fingers, Andrew, who had just begun to relax, suddenly felt tense again.

"Oh, it’s nothing, nothing..." Catherine, after a brief bewilderment, quickly raised her hand to signal Andrew and the others, whose faces had changed, not to worry, "I’ve actually encountered a small issue in my training recently..." As she spoke, she summoned a Frost Guard.

The guard handed over a "potion," which turned out to be a Snickers made by Andrew. Catherine tilted her head back and consumed a large handful of Snickers, stopping the nosebleed.

However, just as the nosebleed stopped, Catherine’s face suddenly became very pale, and she began to cough.

"Your Highness, you..." Andrew felt increasingly uneasy.

"No... nothing..." Catherine still shook her head to signal there was no need for concern.

She seemed to attempt an explanation, but soon, the coughing became so severe that she couldn’t speak.

The cough grew more intense, and in the end, under the shocked and incredulous stares of Andrew, Barbara, and the others, Catherine suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood!

"Sister!?"

"Second Miss!"

"Second Aunt!"

Barbara, Susan, and Havier couldn’t help but cry out in shock.

Andrew almost couldn’t believe his eyes.

What exactly was going on?

Could it be that when Catherine subdued the Warrior Chief earlier, she actually suffered some unseen counterattack?

The coughing abruptly stopped, and then a body collapsed into his arms—

Just moments ago, Catherine had displayed such remarkable strength in subduing the Warrior Chief, reversing the situation, and suppressing the Dragon Tamer’s wife and Flame Turtle. Yet, after a violent spurt of blood, her body went limp, and she fell forward directly onto Andrew.

Andrew instinctively reached out to support her, and as he looked down, he saw Catherine’s eyes tightly closed, her delicate brows furrowed, and she had fainted.

"This..."

Andrew stared blankly at this eerily familiar scene, "What is going on again?"

...

...

Half an hour later.

Inside a pure white stone room within the Royal Court, where the snowy mountains outside could be seen through the windows.

Dean Charlie, Barbara, and Havier were all inside waiting.

Havier paced around the room anxiously.

Barbara looked worried.

Dean Charlie also had a hint of concern in his eyes.

Andrew was also in the room.

Sitting on a chair next to the bed, his face looked tired as he rested with his eyes closed.

After Catherine collapsed, the Frost Guards at the scene immediately summoned the Royal Court’s physician.

However, the local Frost Guards of the Royal Court had no healing abilities, and ordinary medical skills were no match for the healing magic in a world dominated by magic power.

The best physicians in the Royal Court were just a few Warm Fire Mages who understood the "Fire God Blessing Series" that Catherine had brought from Warm Fire City to the Royal Court.

Andrew naturally took on the task of diagnosing and treating Catherine.

The first step of the diagnosis was to confirm the extent of the injuries.

Upon entering the Royal Court and placing Her Highness Catherine on her large bed in her chamber, Andrew slowly infused Water Magic into the unconscious Catherine’s body.

Soon, he located the source of the injury.

He could feel that the injury was definitely not light.

But there wasn’t any "Frost Power" contained in it.

"In other words, it wasn’t from the countermeasures of the Tier Eight Frost Knight Chief she subdued earlier..."

Andrew further sensed and explored the nature of the injury.

His expression gradually became a bit odd, then somewhat shocked.

Because he ultimately discovered the injury had nothing to do with the Frost Guards, nor was it caused by the Earth and Fire professions.

It was more like... an injury caused by a Crimson Knight.

"An injury caused by a Crimson Knight?"

Barbara, who was assisting Andrew in the treatment (achieving better results with Water and Fire United), couldn’t help but be stunned upon hearing Andrew’s preliminary diagnosis, "So did Second Sister hurt herself? Is this the issue she mentioned she had with her training that led to her coughing up blood and fainting?"

"...That’s the only possibility." Andrew frowned.

After reconfirming twice that it was indeed an injury caused by a Crimson Knight, Andrew thought for a moment and began targeted treatment.

Water Magic, when used in conjunction with the Warm Fire profession, creates a unique Water and Fire United phenomenon, significantly enhancing its power.

It is also effective in countering injuries caused by the Warm Fire profession.

It is not inferior to the effects on the Earth and Fire professions.

As the treatment proceeded, Catherine slowly opened her eyes, waking up.

"Sister, you’re awake!" Barbara exclaimed in surprise and joy, mixed with concern, "Sister, how do you feel now?"

Catherine seemed momentarily disoriented. After seeing the situation clearly, she slowly sat up, "I’m... I’m fine, sorry for worrying you, little Barbara."

Her voice still couldn’t hide her weakness, but she raised her hand to signal Andrew to stop the treatment, "Thank you, Andrew. But my problem lies in my training; healing magic can ease it but can’t cure it. Could you have Aunt Susan come in, please? She’s the best to help me right now."

Andrew nodded and said, "Sure."

And so, Susan, also a Crimson Knight like Catherine, entered the bedroom.

Andrew and Barbara waited in the living room outside the bedroom.

Until now.

"Hey, Andrew..." Havier’s voice sounded in front of him. Andrew opened his eyes to see Havier standing before him, asking, "How is my Second Aunt? Is she alright?" His attitude was surprisingly agreeable.

Andrew replied truthfully, "She’s alright, don’t worry too much. I’ve mostly treated Her Highness’s injuries, and Aunt Susan will take care of the remaining problems entirely."

"Really? That’s great!" Havier finally breathed a sigh of relief, his complexion improving. He hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Thank you, really, thank you, Andrew!"

"No need to thank me." Andrew forced a smile.

Then he continued to rest with his eyes closed.

This was the most exhausting and draining treatment Andrew had ever done.

Because Andrew didn’t just perform the treatment.

While treating, Andrew carefully examined, trying to confirm: Did Catherine have the Eight Strange Fires in her body? And if she did, which one was it?

The result was that in almost every corner of Catherine’s body, Andrew could feel that strong sense of intimacy not unlike what he felt with Barbara.

Yet he couldn’t detect even the slightest trace of the Strange Fire.

"Unable to find any trace of the Strange Fire yet clearly feeling that sense of intimacy that only the Strange Fire could give me..."

At that moment, Andrew, with his eyes closed, pondered silently, "In this situation, it feels like there are only two possibilities left to explain.

Or perhaps, only two Strange Fires could cause this ’invisible yet real’ scenario."