I was at a loss on how to treat magic depletion, something I had no experience with as someone who can't wield a God Sword.
"Just take the Onijin Sword and Rakshasa Sword and leave her," Holly suggested nonchalantly.
"…"
I realized it was foolish to ask her. I had to figure out a way to help on my own.
"Okay, let's see…"
After all, I'm a graduate of the Officer's Academy. I've learned first aid for injured soldiers and know what to do for hypothermia.
First and foremost, I needed to raise her body temperature as soon as possible.
I carried the unconscious Amranth and placed her on the Tenma Sword. I found the nearest village and headed straight there.
"…"
The village was deserted. Either everyone was wiped out by the monsters, or they had fled following Platanus' evacuation guidance. Fortunately, there were no signs of bloodshed, so I hoped for the latter.
I got off the Tenma Sword, carrying Amranth on my back, and entered a nearby house.
It was a typical house with a fireplace, which I decided to use.
I laid Amranth on a bed and started a fire in the fireplace, adding as many logs as I could find to increase the room's temperature.
But this alone wouldn't be enough.I quickly realized that the firewood wasn't enough and, more importantly, Amranth's clothes were still soaking wet, which was a serious issue.
First things first, I needed to get Amranth out of her wet clothes and wrap her in a blanket.
"…"
I chuckled to myself. Normally, this would be the moment when any typical guy might think it's an opportune time to see Amranth naked while undressing her under the pretense of it being a life-threatening situation.
But honestly, no one can undress someone with their eyes closed, pretending not to see. They'd end up staring anyway. And what if she regained consciousness in the middle? I'd be beaten to a pulp.
I'm not that foolish.
But I also can't just leave a woman suffering from hypothermia in her wet clothes to die. That would be utterly incompetent.
"Holly, we can't leave Amranth like this, her life's in danger. Her wet clothes will only make her colder."
"And?"
"Can you undress her and wrap her in a blanket?"
"…What?"
"You can do that, right? While you're doing that, I'll go look for more firewood and be back soon."
"You're too soft on women, even one who tried to take your life."
"I've forgiven Platanus, too. It's not just about women."
"…Always playing both sides, aren't you?"
"Just hurry up, will you!"
I snapped in frustration, and Holly, clicking her tongue, moved towards Amranth, who was still shivering on the bed.
"Such a nuisance... Why do I have to undress this woman?"
Muttering, Holly began to undress Amranth. She roughly yanked down her skirt and tossed aside her underwear. In a panic, I averted my eyes and left the house.
"Ah, here we go."
Wandering around the village, I found a shed that looked like a storeroom, filled with neatly bundled firewood, probably stored there after the winter preparations to keep it from getting damp. I felt bad, but I needed to use it.
Returning to the house, I found that Holly had already undressed Amranth, who was now wrapped in a blanket. Her naked body was out of sight.
"Haha, that’s better."I really do pride myself on being a gentleman. I would never look at an unconscious woman's naked body.
After replenishing the firewood in the fireplace to increase the room's temperature, I also took care of hanging both my and Amranth's wet clothes on a rope inside the house. I decided against getting naked myself, worried about what would happen if Amranth regained consciousness. So, I quickly grabbed some men's clothes I found in the house and wore them. They weren't black, which I usually prefer, but they'd have to do.
"Hmm… I see. That makes sense now," Holly mumbled, stroking her chin thoughtfully as she looked at Amranth's swords laid out on the table.
"What's up, Holly?"
"Ah, Crow. I've figured out why this woman could use both the Oni God Sword and the Rakshasa Sword simultaneously."
"Wasn't it just a matter of talent?"
As I asked this, I moved closer to Holly.
"Indeed, she's undeniably a genius. To be recognized as a master by both swords requires exceptional talent. However, there was something that didn't quite add up for me."
"And what's that?"
"You remember I mentioned before that both these swords consume a significant amount of magical power, right? Especially when used together. No matter how talented, it's nearly impossible to sustain the Rakshasa Sword's enhancement for a long period or to frequently unleash the Oni God Sword's thunderous power."
"So how did she do it then?"
Amranth managed to fight almost equally with Shion because she could use the destructive power of the Oni God Sword and the enhancement ability of the Rakshasa Sword together for an extended period.
"It's this."
Holly presented a golden bracelet.
"This is the Demonic Sword Carnwennan. It's a saintly sword that absorbs and stores its owner's magical power, which can then be transferred to others when needed."
So, this bracelet was also a saintly sword. With the existence of swords in the form of spears, axes, and even a horse, I wasn't surprised to find one shaped like a bracelet.
"Does that mean Amranth was handling not two but three saintly swords simultaneously?"
"That's not the most surprising part. The Demonic Sword is an exceptional saintly sword designed to replenish the magical power of a weary hero or other saintly sword wielders."
I see. That explains how Amranth managed to sustain the use of both the Oni God Sword and the Rakshasa Sword. She had a reserve of magical power in Carnwennan, the Demonic Sword, to draw upon.This Demonic Sword can be used by any saintly sword wielder.
It makes sense, as otherwise, it wouldn't be possible to transfer or receive magical power when depleted. So, it could be used by other saintly sword wielders like Cattleya or Iris.
"But Holly, just because she has this Demonic Sword, does that really explain how she could use both the Oni God Sword and the Rakshasa Sword together?"
"Yes. The Demonic Sword can replenish the user's own magical power."
"But isn't that magical power ultimately coming from the user herself?"
"That's why, while continuously in battle, the magical power stored in the Demonic Sword keeps diminishing and eventually runs out. Just like what's happening to Amranth right now."
Holly pointed towards Amranth, lying exhausted on the bed.
"However, when not in battle, it's possible to store up excess magical power."
"Ah, I see! So Amranth was using the stored magical power in the Demonic Sword to wield both the Oni God Sword and the Rakshasa Sword."
"Exactly. And now she's exhausted all the stored magical power. Essentially, her ability to fight on par with Shion is limited to a certain duration. She probably needs to store up magical power for several months without fighting to match Shion for a day."
I understood then. For the next few months, Amranth wouldn't be able to engage in combat. Not that she couldn't fight, but her time limit would be much shorter. To fight for an extended period, she would need long-term rest, like saving up magical power in a bank and using it in emergencies.
On the other hand, while Shion's magical power would deplete after prolonged battle, it would fully recover after a day's rest. If she fought conservatively, she could recover even faster.
When Shion and Amranth had fought before, it seemed evenly matched, but in reality, Shion was overwhelmingly superior. Shion could always fight at her strongest, while Amranth's peak strength was limited to once every few months.
"So there really isn't anyone who can match the hero, is there?"
"Shouldn't we kill her now, while we have this rare chance? She'll be a formidable opponent once she recovers."
I couldn't help but ponder over Holly's suggestion. Indeed, now would be a perfect opportunity.But, you know...
Once you've gone through life-and-death situations together, it changes things.