Chapter 347 : Help For Queen Kayana

The spear that had pierced Queen Kayana continued its trajectory, slamming into the wall in its path. Queen Kayana was carried along with it, crashing into the wall as well, as the spear had run clean through her abdomen. Upon impact, she immediately vomited blood. The spear remained embedded in the wall, while Queen Kayana struggled to free herself from the weapon that pinned her there. Blood began to flow heavily from the wound in her abdomen.

Meanwhile, Commander Oliver looked utterly shocked and shouted out the moment he saw Queen Kayana pierced through the stomach by the spear.

"Your Majesty!!" Commander Oliver cried out.

Queen Kayana, still struggling to break free, heard Commander Oliver’s shout. She turned her head toward him; he was standing at the exit of the academy's central building.

"Sir... Oliver? Why is...he here?" Queen Kayana wondered.

After glancing at Commander Oliver, she resumed her efforts to free herself. However, she found it difficult to escape because the spear—which had run through her abdomen was firmly lodged in the wall. To free herself, she first had to dislodge the spear from the wall and then pull it out of her body. Yet, the spear was embedded so deeply and firmly that extracting it proved to be a difficult task.

Queen Kayana could have freed herself without first pulling the spear out of the wall; she could have escaped by maneuvering her body toward the lower end of the spear. By shifting her body toward the lower end of the spear, Queen Kayana could avoid further injury to her abdomen, as she would effectively free herself from the impalement by sliding past that end.

However, this maneuver was exceedingly difficult; she was suspended several meters above the ground, with her feet dangling in mid-air. The spear pinning her had embedded itself into the wall high above the floor, making it a challenge to shift her body toward the lower end while lacking any footing. Consequently, she attempted to free herself by first extracting the spear from the wall, a task so arduous that she resorted to using her gravity magic.

~Gravity Magic: Gravity Marionette~

Queen Kayana extended her hand forward, attempting to wrench the spear from the wall. Initially, the weapon showed no sign of movement or reaction; nevertheless, she kept her hand aimed, compelling the spear to obey her will. Moments later, it began to move, slowly pulling free from the wall. Yet, just as she was working to dislodge it, black tree branches from the surrounding area shot rapidly toward her. Duke Remy was controlling these branches to attack her while she remained immobilized by the spear. Unable to move or dodge, Queen Kayana would certainly perish if struck by the branches an outcome Duke Remy was counting on. Unfortunately, Duke Remy’s desire would not be realized; before the tree trunks could strike Queen Kayana, Commander Oliver swiftly closed the distance and slashed through the timber hurtling toward her.

~Lightning Sword Art: Lightning Speed ​​Slash~

The tree trunks were severed instantly as Commander Oliver arrived at Queen Kayana's side. Queen Kayana, who had been attempting to pull out the spear piercing her body, turned to look at the commander. She appeared completely unsurprised by his sudden presence.

"Sir Oliver... I had ordered you to....accompany Lord Louis and Lady....Arlet to find Rid. Why... are you here instead?" Queen Kayana asked.

"Please forgive me for disobeying your orders, Your Majesty. I decided to return because I was worried about you and it turns out my fears were justified. I will rescue you immediately, Your Majesty," Commander Oliver replied.

Commander Oliver then swung his sword at the spear, aiming for the section near the tip that was embedded in the wall. He intended to sever the shaft so that Queen Kayana would not have to struggle to pull the embedded spear free.

His sword struck the target, yet the spear remained uncut. Commander Oliver looked startled to find that his sword could not slice through it. He swung again and again, but the spear refused to break.

"This spear is incredibly hard; even my sword cannot cut it," Commander Oliver thought.

Seeing that the commander had failed to cut the spear, Queen Kayana told him to stop.

"Please stop, Sir.....Oliver. I appreciate your decision to....help me, but no matter....how many times you try, you....will not be able to cut...that spear. If you wish to assist me... it would be better to deal with those...who intend to attack me," Queen Kayana said, gazing straight ahead.

Before her, numerous black tree branches were writhing, poised to strike. Upon hearing her words, Commander Oliver immediately ceased his attempts to cut the spear and turned to look in the same direction as the Queen.

"Very well, Your Majesty; I shall deal with them. But what of the spear piercing your body?" Commander Oliver asked.

"You need not....worry; I can remove it... myself," Queen Kayana replied.

"......Very well, Your Majesty," said Commander Oliver.

With that, the tree branches before Queen Kayana began to move, preparing to attack her. Upon seeing the tree trunks moving, Commander Oliver immediately launched an attack against them.

~Lightning Sword Art: Great Lightning Slash~

A massive slash struck directly at the tree trunks, instantly splitting and shattering them. However, the trunks began to regenerate and immediately resumed their assault. Seeing this, Commander Oliver attacked them again to prevent them from striking Queen Kayana.

While Commander Oliver kept attacking the trunks targeting Queen Kayana, she continued her efforts to extract the spear embedded in the wall using her gravity magic. Slowly, the spear began to pull free from the wall it had struck. Realizing the spear was coming loose, Queen Kayana intensified her gravity magic to hasten the extraction. Sure enough, the spear began to dislodge much faster than before, and moments later, it was successfully pulled free from the wall.

Once the spear was freed, Queen Kayana plummeted downward, still impaled by the weapon. Seeing her fall, Commander Oliver instantly darted toward her.

~Lightning Magic: Lightning Movement~

Commander Oliver sped toward Queen Kayana and managed to catch her before she hit the floor. He then carried her across the floor, dodging the tree trunks that were still attempting to attack her, and made his way toward the staircase connecting the current level to the floors above or below. Commander Oliver had brought Queen Kayana to that spot because he noticed an absence of the tree trunks that were protruding elsewhere.

Upon arriving at the location, Commander Oliver laid Queen Kayana down on her side, as a spear was still impaled in her abdomen. Once she was laid on the ground, Queen Kayana spoke to him.

"Sir Oliver, please... pull out the spear piercing my abdomen. I... I don't think I have the strength to remove...it myself," Queen Kayana said.

"If the spear is removed, your wound might worsen due to the heavy bleeding that would follow, Your Majesty. Right now, the blood loss is minimal because the flow is being stemmed by the spear itself. If you want to remove that spear, we must at least find someone capable of treating or sealing the wound once it is pulled from your abdomen," said Queen Kayana.

"This puncture wound in my abdomen... it cannot be healed...by ordinary healing magic because... the spear that pierced me is made of Dark Magic. In this vicinity... the only one who can heal me is Rid... but it seems we won't be allowed to leave....this building to find him. So, to leave... the two of us must defeat...or at least get past Lord Remy, who is....stationed in the center of this floor; if.....we don't defeat him first, he won't....let us leave. That is why....I need you to pull out this spear....immediately, Sir Oliver. With it still embedded in my abdomen... I find it difficult to move. And if....I can't move properly... I won't be able to fight Lord Remy effectively," said Queen Kayana.

Commander Oliver looked shocked upon hearing Queen Kayana's words.

"You still intend to fight Lord Remy in your condition?!" asked a startled Commander Oliver.

"Yes... I still intend to fight...him. I must fight him... and then kill him. I have to make... Lord Remy pay for.....everything he has done," said Queen Kayana.

"You might be struggling to move with the spear still in your abdomen, but once it is removed, you will likely face even greater difficulty moving because the wound will worsen. Blood will gush heavily from the puncture. If left untreated, you will lose a dangerous amount of blood," said Commander Oliver.

"It’s alright; I can... endure it. So please immediately....remove this spear..., Sir Oliver," said Queen Kayana.

Commander Oliver then fell silent after hearing Queen Kayana's words. He was silent for a long time, maybe about 1 minute. Queen Kayana looked confused because Commander Oliver did not answer or respond to her words.

"Sir Oliver,....what's wrong?" asked Queen Kayana.

Commander Oliver, who had been silent, was immediately shocked after hearing Queen Kayana's words. Commander Oliver immediately responded to Queen Kayana's words.

"It's nothing, Your Majesty," said Commander Oliver.

"I see... then, quickly remove the...spear that pierced... my stomach, Sir Oliver," said Queen Kayana.

"........Very well, Your Majesty," said Commander Oliver.

Then, Commander Oliver began to hold the spear that pierced Queen Kayana's stomach and prepared to pull it out.

"It will probably hurt a lot, so please bear with it, Your Majesty," said Commander Oliver.

"...Yes," said Queen Kayana.

After that, Commander Oliver immediately pulled out the spear that pierced Queen Kayana's stomach. But the spear was not immediately removed because Commander Oliver withdrew the spear slowly and carefully. Queen Kayana was seen moaning in pain as the spear was slowly being removed from her stomach.

"Hang in there, Your Majesty," said Commander Oliver.

Commander Oliver continued to slowly withdraw the spear. Then, just as the weapon was on the verge of being fully extracted from Queen Kayana's abdomen, he suddenly yanked it out with a swift, rapid motion.

*Arrrrgghhhhh!*

Queen Kayana screamed loudly as Commander Oliver swiftly pulled the spear from her stomach. With the spear now completely removed, he tossed it aside, letting it fall nearby. He then turned to look at Queen Kayana, who lay clutching the wound where the spear had pierced her. A significant amount of blood was pouring from the injury. Blood also trickled from her mouth, though not as profusely as from the abdominal wound. She continued to moan in pain, holding her bleeding stomach.

"Your Majesty!" Commander Oliver exclaimed upon seeing her condition.

He wanted to tend to the wound, but he was at a loss; he possessed no magic to heal or even simply cover the injury.

"What should I do...?" Commander Oliver wondered.

Just as he was contemplating how to treat the wound, several knights arrived from the building's second floor.

"So, this is where you are, Commander Oliver. Hmm, wait... Your Majesty?! Why is Yoyr Majesty injured like this?!?" one of the knights asked.

The knights were visibly shocked to see Queen Kayana lying there with blood gushing from her abdomen. Commander Oliver, who had been deep in thought, turned to face the knights who had just arrived.

"It is fortunate that you are here. Your Majesty is gravely injured! Quickly, provide aid!" Commander Oliver ordered.

"Understood, Commander," the knights replied.

The knights immediately rushed to assist Queen Kayana. Seeing the familiarity between Commander Oliver and the troops, it appeared they were the very knights who had accompanied and escorted Queen Kayana to the academy.

Some of the knights prepared to heal Queen Kayana, but before they could begin, Commander Oliver spoke to them.

"There is no need to use healing magic on Her Majesty. The wound on her abdomen was caused by a spear made of dark magic; ordinary healing magic will not suffice. It is better to simply cover the wound to prevent it from worsening," Commander Oliver said.

"Understood, Commander," the knights replied.

The knights then began to cover the wound on Queen Kayana's abdomen using magic. Before long, the wound was sealed over. Even after the wound was covered, Queen Kayana remained lying there, weak and clutching her abdomen.

"Your Majesty!" Commander Oliver and the knights exclaimed.

"You... thank you," Queen Kayana said.

Commander Oliver and the knights felt relieved to see Queen Kayana, yet they remained worried given her weakened state.

"For now, it would be best for you to rest, Your Majes—" Commander Oliver began.

But before he could finish his sentence, black tree trunks suddenly appeared around them. These black trunks then shot rapidly toward the reclining Queen Kayana. Realizing the situation, Commander Oliver quickly slashed at the tree trunks hurtling toward Queen Kayana. Although he managed to sever them, the trunks instantly regenerated.

"It seems this place is no longer safe. You all, take Your Majesty to the second floor or the one above it immediately," Commander Oliver ordered the knights nearby.

"Understood, Commander. But what about you? Will you be coming with us?" one of the knights asked.

"No, I’m staying here. I’m going to confront the person who wounded Your Majesty. Now, hurry and go!" Commander Oliver said.

"Yes, Commander," the knights replied.

With that, the knights immediately left, taking Queen Kayana with them. She offered no resistance as they carried her away—likely because she was too weak from significant blood loss to put up a fight. As she was being taken away, Queen Kayana kept her gaze fixed on Commander Oliver.

"Sir... Oliver," Queen Kayana whispered softly.

Meanwhile, tree roots emerging from the area attacked Queen Kayana again as the knights escorted her away. However, Commander Oliver immediately slashed through every root aimed at her. He continued to cut down the roots until the Queen and her escort had safely left the first floor.

Once Queen Kayana had departed, the roots ceased their pursuit of her and turned their aggression toward Commander Oliver. He immediately engaged the roots lunging at him, striking at them while on the move. He first headed toward the black spear, which had previously pierced Queen Kayana lying on the floor. After retrieving the weapon, he moved toward the center of the building's first floor.

Commander Oliver dashed rapidly toward the center of the area. There, Duke Remy stood, surrounded by a multitude of black tree roots. Upon spotting the Duke, Commander Oliver immediately hurled the spear he had just retrieved. It shot toward Duke Remy at incredible speed; it appeared Oliver had imbued the weapon with his ~Lightning Magic~ before throwing it.

The spear closed the distance rapidly, nearly striking Duke Remy, but he narrowly dodged the attack just in time. The spear had been aimed at his head, so he evaded it by shifting his head to the side. Although he managed to avoid a direct hit, he could not escape the attack completely; the spear grazed his right cheek. The graze occurred despite Duke Remy having encased his entire body in black tree roots. The spear continued its trajectory until it finally struck a wall located a considerable distance behind Duke Remy. Meanwhile, Duke Remy, having just dodged the attack, turned his gaze toward Commander Oliver.

"A fine throw, Lord Oliver. It seems you are also skilled with the spear," Duke Remy remarked.

"Lord Remy, you had the audacity to injure Her Majesty and even intended to kill her. I cannot simply let this slide; I will kill you for attempting to take Her Majesty's life," Commander Oliver declared.

-To be continued