In Another World I Become a Healer With Purple Hair

51 The Bewitched Spell

“Henry and Vale got the defense mission on Gaftan?” Asked Justice to his guard, Bernard.

He feels refreshed this morning, even though his arm still hurt like crazy when his medicine lost its effect. He ignores the pain and opts to work as usual on his studies; the healers put him in a sling, and he will work with one hand for a while. Bernard presents him with the list of soldiers that will go on a defense mission on Gaftan.

“Well, it will be fine for Henry. Gaftan is a yellow-level area. Besides, he needs to polish his. It’s been how long since his last defense mission, one year?”

“One and a half years.” Said a voice coming from the open door.

Justice turns around to see Horden smiling at him.

The crown prince’s face lit right away. He always admires Horden’s bravery on the battlefield. He even thinks of him as his own grandfather. “Horden, it is so nice to see you.”

“How are you? I’ve heard from Leon about your wound,” Said Horden, looking at Justice’s arm that has a sling on.

“It’s fine, I’ll live,” Said Justice while both of them goes to sit on the sofa, Justice asked him a question after they got comfortable, “I believe you came today to ask me about Henry’s defense mission, do you want me to cancel his deployment?”

“No! If I want him out of the mission, I should’ve asked him to voluntarily deploy himself, right?”

.....

Couldn’t believe what he was just said, Justice asked him one more time, “You asked him to voluntarily go to Gaftan? Why?”

“He lost his touch, Justice. Did you know he couldn’t even fight the Bog Yeti? He got punched one and pass out!” Said Horden with a shame, “He was the future Duke of Spencer, a military dukedom, and look at him, you fought the Bog Yeti with one arm and still able to par with the monster.”

“Horden, you’re too hard on him.”

“No, he needs this. He needs to become a man now.”

“Why? Was it because you finally gave the crystal blade to a girl that you thought would be perfect for him?” Justice said to Horden with a smirk on his face.

Instead of being surprised, Horden actually laughed, “Oh, this is perfect, you have met Anne?”

“All four of us have met her. How did you meet Anne?” Asked Justice, curious.

“We were on the same carriage back when she was going to the capital. We have a very interesting encounter with one of the dark and mischievous road monsters. That’s when she got imprinted by the demon kitten that she owned now.”

“That spawn of Satan? He always hissed at me.” Gruntled Justice.

“Probably thought you were such a hard*ss.” Said Horden, trying to hold his laughter.

“So, you gave her the crystal blade because you have a history of killing a monster together? Great way to bond, I guess.”

“What?! are you crazy? The crystal weapon is the Spencer family’s heirloom, I will never give some random woman the crystal blade,” Horden frowned when Justice teased him about how short their time together, but Horden already trusted her with the crystal blade, he then added, “Especially when I have already decided the owner to be the next maternal figure for Spencer Dukedom.”

“That will be quite hard, though.” Said Justice with a soft voice.

“What? what did you say?”

He tried to hide his amusement, and then shook his head, “Nothing, just for your information, though. I don’t think your grandson knows Anne is the new owner of the crystal blade.”

“Thought as much. He was a kind and generous boy, but never the sharpest.”

A frown came into Justice’s eyes, he knows Horden and Henry never have a close relationship, but to have him belittle Henry like this, he just couldn’t accept it, “No, don’t say that about your grandson, Henry is smart, he was just...”

“Lazy? Ignorant?” Said Horden with a bittered smile on his face, “I know you feel obliged to defend your best friend. He is close to you, even more than your own brother.”

“If you think about the past, please, Horden...” Justice’s voice became softer. He remembered everything like it was just yesterday, the trauma that Henry, his grandfather, and his father have gone through. The tragedy broke them apart.

With glistening eyes, he tried to smile at Justice, “I’m trying, the three of us are trying our best, that’s why I asked him to go to Gaftan, and I will come with him, I need to train him properly now.” Said Horden with sniffles.

“That’s good Horden, I wish both of you luck. My deepest regret is that I couldn’t come as well.”

“No, no, you need to rest. Besides, Gaftan is the safest border town. We are going to be fine.”

They gave each other a short embrace, and when Horden said his goodbye, Justice turned his attention to Bernard.

“Prepare the carriage. I need to go to the captain’s barracks.” Said Justice.

Bernard gave a bow to Justice. “At once, your majesty.”

Almost an hour later, the red hair crown prince arrived at the captain’s barrack. He saw Vale and Henry’s subordinates. They were in the middle of preparing the carriage and the horse for their journey. Martin came to Justice immediately, his fake smile came to his face.

“Your majesty, so nice to see you here.” Said Martin to Justice.

Justice took a glance at the young noble. “Yes, Martin, where’s your captain?”

“They were inside, with Lord Henry and Sir Xavier.”

Nodding his head, Justice stepped inside the barrack, but before he was gone, he looks back to Martin, “Next time Martin, you called your superior as their specific rank. You’re on active duty now. There are no nobles or peasants here, only soldiers.”

Martin’s eyes widen, and he replied to Justice with a stammered in his voice, “I... I am sorry... your majesty.”

Brom and the other soldiers gave him chuckles. Martin is the overproud noble that entered the civil service to become magi. he was a good magi with seventy percent of magica inside of him, too bad he was too cocky and proud of his heritage and his blood rather than his own talent.

Meanwhile, Justice standing outside of Vale’s front door, he can hear the conversation inside, and how he just couldn’t believe it, a high-level spell and Vale feels the need to test the four of them with Anne, without even informing him, Henry, or even Xavier.

Justice punched to the door frame. That was when Henry, Vale, and Xavier saw him.

“What the f*ck? Vale!!” Shouted Justice.

Justice plunged himself towards the magi, but Henry and Xavier shield Vale from the angry crown prince.

“Justice, calm yourself. He got a point!” Said, Henry.

“This is not about the spell itself! He withheld his suspicion and let us in the dark. That was upsetting for me!” Justice was hurt. He trusted Vale. He never questioned him. But to realize that he doesn’t feel the same makes his heartache.

Vale came to his best friend and put his hands on his shoulder. “I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret, Justice! I was being careful. What if I told you about all of this and turns out it wasn’t the truth? We never got bewitched, don’t you get it?!”

Henry’s trying to calm Justice while Xavier shielded the two of them. Finally, after a while, the four of them already sat on the sofa, and Vale, once again, need to explain his reason.

“Sorry for earlier, Vale, I don’t know that you wanted to protect us and Anne.” Said Justice after some explanation from Vale.

Xavier patted Vale’s back. “I’ve told you though, you always think that you need to protect us all the time.” He grinned at the three of them and said, “We take care of each other, right?”

Justice, Henry, and Vale gave him a warm smile. When it is time for Henry and Vale to go to Gaftan, Justice, and Xavier were standing in the street, seeing their best friends off to Gaftan. Before Vale and Henry ride their horses, they saw a girl running from across the street, a young girl with purple hair.

“Anne?!” Henry shouted at the girl.

The two of them came to her right away. Her breathing was fast.

“I am... I’m glad that I could catch up with the two of you.” Said Anne to Henry and Vale.

“What are you doing here?” Asked Vale, even though he was so happy to see her.

She looks at the two of them, and smiles, “Someone told me that the two of you are going into a short-term mission, so...” She took two bottles of potion from her basket, her familiar also sleeping soundly inside the basket, “I wanted to gave you this, energy potion, it will be good for your fatigue.”

“Oh Anne, you shouldn’t have.” Henry feels guilty. He still feels a certain feeling toward her, but now he tried to blame him at the spell. He forlorn the feeling, it doesn’t feel so right for him.

“You... you don’t want it?” There’s a sadness in her voice and her eyes reflected the sadness.

They feel guilty and took each of the bottles. There’s a reason the two of them felt a bit of distance from her. Until they know how to deal with the bewitched spell, they are going to keep their distance from Anne. Vale and Henry said goodbye and go on their way. Justice put on his coat and go inside the carriage right away. He said nothing to her. Only Xavier who kind enough to greet her and even accompany her to the central carriage station.

Unbeknownst to all of them, there was someone looking at them with a very sinister smile. Through the shadow of the uncertainty of the future, the witch’s plan brews.