When Noct opened his eyes, the first instinct he had was to freak out.
The ceiling above him was unfamiliar, and for a second, Noct thought he had been kidnapped or somehow been transported to another country.
All valid, yet unreasonable concerns. Still, his mind felt so empty that any concern was valid right now. And his body felt even worse.
Every limb seemed to be attached to at least a ten-kilogram weight, leaving him unable to move without considerable effort. Even breathing required concentration, as though his lungs had forgotten how to perform the task without being reminded.
’Where am I?’
He tried raising his head, causing pain to shoot through his neck and forcing him back onto the pillow.
〔The following STATUS EFFECTS are currently active.〕
[Broken Bones Lv. 1]
[Hemorrhage Lv. 1]
[Severe Headache Lv. 1]
"Kghh—! Great..."
Noct closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts once more. Suddenly, the rush of memories all came flooding back to him.
Everything from Altaire and Lenia, to Faust and Leviathan, until finally...Sylpheed and Noelle.
He remembered sacrificing his lifespan to establish the contract, then remembered fighting Leviathan above Altaire, watching his timer decrease with every spell.
Yet, he couldn’t remember what happened afterward...
Falling? Maybe it was that.
Noct’s left eye opened abruptly, but his right refused to do the same. A thick bandage had been wrapped around that side of his face, covering everything from his eyebrow to the upper half of his cheek.
But that meant everything was real, as he felt Sylph’s connection still. She was probably resting, and he wanted to call out to her.
But before he could, Noct finally noticed the weight resting against his left hand. Someone was sitting beside the bed.
Noelle had fallen asleep with her head resting against the mattress. Her long white hair spilled across the blankets, completely disheveled in a way that Noct had never seen her before.
She was still wearing part of her damaged maid uniform. The dress had been cleaned, but several tears remained on its sleeves and shoulders. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, while her complexion was just barely healthier than his own.
One of her hands rested on top of his, and between their palms...was a mana crystal pressed inside.
’A mana crystal...?’
Most of its color had already disappeared, leaving only a faint blue trace that pulsed weakly whenever it came into contact with his skin. Noelle’s fingers were wrapped around his, holding the crystal firmly in place even while she slept.
Only then did Noct notice the evidence of what had happened while he was unconscious.
Dozens, perhaps closer to a hundred, depleted mana crystals were piled high everywhere in the room. Some had crumbled to little more than powder while others were frankly just dull and gray.
Every last one had been drained completely.
’...Status.’
[Lifespan Remaining: 3 days, 3 hours, 17 minutes.]
’Three days? How’s that possible?’
The last time he remembered checking was when there was only five minutes left.
Noct looked back toward the unfamiliar room.
Morning light filled the windows, but that told him nothing. He had no idea whether this was the morning immediately after the battle or one several days later.
But doing the math in his head, things were instantly clear.
Assuming these crystals came from the mines, each would give him an hour and thirty minutes. And with the cooldown imposed, the total time he was out cold was—
38 hours...a little over one and a half days.
Though that was only under the assumption that she had been feeding Noct a crystal as soon as the timer was over. He looked over at the maid still asleep by his side.
’Has she really been...doing all of this without stopping or sleeping? All this time?’
"You really kept your promise," he whispered. "Didn’t you?"
But the door opened before Noct could think on it any further. He instinctively turned toward the sound, only for another spike of pain to shoot down his neck.
Aurora stepped into the room, carrying a small stack of documents underneath one arm. Her red hair had been tied back rather hastily, while the simple white dress she wore lacked most of the decorations she usually preferred.
At least she appeared considerably better off than Noelle was. Though the dark circles under her eyes suggested that no one in Altaire had enjoyed much rest lately.
Aurora closed the door behind her before finally looking toward the bed. The documents nearly slipped from her grasp.
"Noct?"
He raised his functioning hand to his lips, gesturing at Noelle. "Shhhh, quiet. Someone’s still sleeping over here."
Aurora simply stared at him, before a grin spread on her face. "You might be the only noble who told me to shut up for a sleeping maid of all people."
But after a moment of silence, they both chuckled softly. Aurora crossed the room and placed the stack of documents onto the desk by his side before taking a seat nearby. She then pulled a blanket over Noelle’s shoulders.
"You know she refused to let anyone take her place. Lenia tried forcing her to rest yesterday, but Noelle threatened to stab the next person who attempted to take her place."
Despite the joke, the guilt inside Noct’s chest only deepened.
Aurora seemed to recognize it, and for once, she did not tease him or draw attention to the way Noelle’s hand remained intertwined with his.
Instead, she turned toward the table and began straightening the documents she had nearly dropped. "I’m relieved that you’re awake. But unfortunately, you need to prepare yourself."
"For what?"
"The trial."
"What trial?"
"The trial for control of the Altaire Crystal Mine."
"That’s still happening?"
"Why wouldn’t it be?"
Noct frowned. "Shouldn’t it already have happened? With Faust gone and probably all his crimes coming to light, wouldn’t Amelia already get the mines by default?"
"There is no default, Noct."
"What do you mean?"
"The mine never belonged to either of them."
"It was a trial to decide who would receive it."
"No. It was a trial to determine who would be entrusted with operating it."
Aurora selected one of the documents and placed it across his lap.
"The land belongs to House Arcadia. The mineral rights belong to the duchy. Neither Faust nor Amelia was ever going to own the deposit personally."
Noct read the entire document with the official Arcadia seal and everything. After finishing it, he thought he was going to slip back into a coma.
"That old fox...!"