Chapter 61: Skyrocketing Respect.
Ryan was at a loss for words.
He simply stood there in silence for several long moments. It wasn’t until he noticed how cold Damien’s eyes had become that he finally managed to answer.
"No."
Damien studied him for another second before quietly pushing the wheels of his chair forward.
For a moment, it looked as though he intended to leave. Then, without warning, the wheelchair came to a stop.
He slowly turned back around.
"Ryan, have you ever slept with a woman? And I don’t simply mean sleeping in the same bed. I mean—"
"I know what you mean."
Ryan hurriedly interrupted, his face turning bright red almost instantly. He lowered his head until half his face disappeared beneath the hood of his jacket, wishing the snow beneath his feet would swallow him whole.
"And... no. I haven’t done that yet."
A faint smirk tugged at Damien’s lips.
He deliberately allowed Ryan’s embarrassment to linger for a few seconds before speaking again.
"What if I told you I could help you with... what’s her name?"
Ryan instinctively followed Damien’s gaze.
His eyes eventually settled on the young healer standing some distance away. The moment he saw her, his expression softened without him even realizing it.
"Her name is Jessie..." he muttered quietly. "And she’s really pre—"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Damien waved a dismissive hand. "You’re in love. Do you want my help or not?"
Ryan blinked several times, his expression becoming increasingly conflicted.
"You literally just asked if I murdered Leslie."
Damien shrugged as though the two subjects were completely unrelated.
"Yeah. I’m still working on that." He lazily rested an arm on the wheelchair. "But for now, I need you to say the magic words."
Ryan awkwardly looked around the camp.
People walked back and forth carrying supplies. Others sharpened weapons or repaired damaged equipment. A few children chased one another through the snow as though the world hadn’t ended.
Nobody came to rescue him.
After a long internal struggle, Ryan slowly looked back at Damien.
"...Can you really help me with Jessie?"
Damien rolled the wheelchair closer before casually patting Ryan on the shoulder.
"Ryan, my boy." A confident grin spread across his face. "There’s nothing I can’t help you with. Even death itself."
He pointed farther into the camp.
"Come on. First, we need information."
Ryan frowned.
"Information?"
Without another explanation, Damien pushed the wheels of his chair and began making his way through the camp. Ryan hesitated briefly before falling into step beside him, still wondering what exactly helping him confess to Jessie had to do with Leslie’s murder.
Neither of them spoke again until the camp gradually grew quieter.
The sounds of laughter and idle conversation slowly faded behind them, replaced by muffled groans of pain and the hurried footsteps of healers moving from one patient to the next.
Rows of white tents soon came into view.
Unlike the rest of the encampment, this section carried a heavy atmosphere. Men and women lay on makeshift beds beneath thick blankets, some missing limbs, others wrapped almost entirely in bandages.
The sharp scent of medicinal herbs drifted through the cold air while healers moved tirelessly between the injured, tending to wounds that ordinary medicine could never hope to mend.
Near the center of it all, a familiar figure darted from one bed to another.
Seris.
Her sleeves were rolled above her elbows, revealing both hands glowing with a gentle golden light as she carefully treated an elderly man’s shattered arm. Despite the exhaustion visible beneath her eyes, she still wore the same warm smile she always greeted people with.
Damien quietly brought the wheelchair to a stop.
"There she is."
Ryan followed Damien’s line of sight before his gaze settled on the young healer moving busily between the rows of injured survivors. His expression remained thoroughly confused.
"That’s Seris." He glanced back at Damien. "One of Andrea’s close friends... What exactly does she have to do with my situation?"
Damien didn’t answer immediately.
He simply raised a hand and waved toward Seris, making sure she noticed them before finally responding.
"Let me give you a bit of advice about women."
Ryan instinctively straightened up.
"You see, women only seem complicated when they have absolutely no interest in you. The moment they begin developing feelings, even something as small as basic attraction, those emotions start getting in the way of their common sense."
Ryan let out a quiet sigh.
"I don’t think Jessie has feelings for me. Sometimes we just sit together for hours without saying a single word."
Damien suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Don’t interrupt."
Ryan immediately closed his mouth.
"Based on what I saw five minutes ago," Damien continued with complete confidence, "I can tell for certain she’s already smitten with you."
Ryan’s eyes widened.
"She is?"
"She is."
Damien nodded confidently.
"Now all we have to do is prepare a grand romantic gesture."
Ryan’s hopeful expression immediately turned into one of uncertainty.
"What do you mean by grand?" He gestured helplessly toward the camp around them. "We’re trapped in a frozen wasteland, surrounded by endless snowstorms and an army of monsters that’s marching here with the sole intention of wiping us out."
Damien slowly turned his head until their eyes met.
"Let’s start by getting rid of that negative attitude, Ryan. You don’t have to remind me how fucked we all are."
"DAMIEN!"
Seris jumped over and wrapped both arms around him, hugging him despite the wheelchair.
Ryan’s eyes widened.
Damien knew Seris was simply being friendly, but to Ryan, it looked like a blatant declaration of affection. In that instant, his respect for Damien skyrocketed.
"Sorry I couldn’t visit your tent." Seris finally let go with an apologetic smile. "Every scouting party we’ve been sending out lately comes back with near-fatal injuries. It’s almost like the Eidolons have become a lot more aggressive."
Damien waved a hand dismissively.
"Yeah, no shit. Chiefty is still pissed. I slaughtered almost half his army, destroyed his siege weapons, and burnt his food supplies."
A smug grin spread across his face.
"One of my greatest moments, if I do say so myself."