Absolute Beast Dominion - Chapter 293: Rewards - 1
Chapter 293: Rewards – 1
Chapter 293: Rewards – 1
“Brother Leon!” Miho’s voice caught the group’s attention as they walked out of the arena.
She came running toward them and grabbed Leon’s hand, the one slashed by the [Violet Hellbrand]. Rolling up his sleeve, she examined the bandage.
“Arggg… This needs to be redone…” she said with a frown, noticing the blood seeping through. Then she cast an accusatory gaze at Leo.
“Don’t look at me like that. This fool wouldn’t surrender even after I gave him so many warnings,” Leo dismissed her accusation.
Thankfully, the others—the 3 girls, Veronica, Virat, and Brok—arrived a bit late and didn’t hear their conversation. But they were shocked at Leon’s appearance.
“Eh? Why isn’t Sir Leon healed?” Veronica asked.
“He likes scars.” Once again, Leo made the same comment nonchalantly as if it has become a natural trust, making Leon’s blood pressure rise.
“What sort of maso—” Brok started, but Leo’s gaze shut him up, making it clear to everyone that they shouldn’t push further.
After that, they roamed the market for a while, buying necessary first-aid materials, and then promptly left for the territory since Miho insisted Leon needed to be repacked.
Apparently, the specialised healers had done a bad job, according to her standards.
As Leo and Lily departed for their ’private moment’ of celebration, Miho was left alone with Leon as she began her work.
She gently removed the overly tight bandages and proceeded to wash the wounds with warm water she created by combining the powers of water and fire beast cores.
“They didn’t even wash the wounds before applying the bandages.” Leon raised a brow as he realized it was true.
The healers there were mostly experienced in magic-based healing, and many were part-timers—students with little real first-aid training. Due to time constraints, their focus had been on stopping the bleeding, ignoring some less obvious but crucial steps.
She cleaned him thoroughly, even scrubbing away the dull layer of dirty skin, leaving the bruises slightly redder.
“Why didn’t you surrender?” she asked.
“Eh? Didn’t feel like it?”
“But you could actually die!” she said, annoyed.
“Is that supposed to be a problem?” He almost tease her more, but when he saw her face—Miho’s eyes brimming with tears, ready to spill—he stopped.
“Uh… ah. I mean, the academy wouldn’t allow it. So you shouldn’t worry too much,” he corrected himself quickly.
What the hell? She shouldn’t care for me this much, should she?
We barely know each other… It’s only been 1 month…
“Hmph!” She continued her work until Leon was fully rebandaged from top to bottom.
Slowly and steadily, she delicately did the bandages as if handling a fragile being.
Wow… This actually feels super comfortable…
Leon thought as the bandages settled snugly around him like soft clothing. Even the sting from the cuts dulled.
“I cannot bandage this normally…” she said, looking at the bruise on his cheek.
She reached out and touched it, prompting Leon to shift his head slightly back.
“Did it hurt?” she asked, worried.
It didn’t. Leon was just taken aback by her sudden touch.
Come to think of it… I haven’t been hurt on my face before…
Ever since Miho started treating him, his injuries had always been on his body. This was the first time she touched his face.
“Does it hurt too much?” she asked again, leaning closer to inspect him, worry evident in her eyes.
“No. No…” Leon replied, still distracted by her close face.
Miho nodded and took a cloth, carefully cleaning his face while Leon sat stiffly, unmoving.
The scene was almost comical—like an artisan polishing a stone statue’s face.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. She took out a beast core and used a skill from it to create a sticky substance. She collected it in a bowl, then added a powder she had bought to make it safe, leaving only the adhesive property.
She carefully applied the paste onto the treated bandage extremities and placed it over the bruise. It covered only the injured area, minimal yet somehow fitting, giving him a slightly rogue look.
At that moment, Miho gathered her courage and spoke.
“B-big sister told me a good way to heal wounds on the face…”
Leon’s interest piqued. He finally broke out of his stiff posture—only to freeze the next moment.
Miho cupped his face from the side and planted a light kiss over the bandage.
His eyes widened, and heat rushed to his face.
“W-what are you doing?!” he asked, his usual indifferent tone slipping into panic.
Miho turned scarlet, quickly turning away as she began packing the first-aid materials beside her. Her ears were visibly red.
“I-I don’t know! Big sister says a kiss works like magic on face wounds!”
She was referring to the time Lily had punched Leo in the face when they first went to rescue the 3 girls from the pond frog beasts. Back then, Miho had asked how Leo reacted.
“Huhu, I gave him a good kiss on the injured spot, and the pain—along with his grumpiness—disappeared.” Lily had replied dismissively, not going into detail about what happened next and what else she was required to kiss for everything to work.
“What?” Leon asked, confused. But Miho had already finished packing everything into her ring and was at the doorstep.
“R-rest well!” she said before darting away like a startled cat.
“What the hell…” Leon muttered, raising his hand to touch the kissed spot—only to wince as he irritated the bruise.
“That was my first kiss… if I don’t count my mothe—” He stopped. His flushed face turned cold instantly, his fist clenching involuntarily.
“Fucking demons…”
He shook his head, forcefully pushing away the thoughts threatening to consume him, and instead focused on Miho as if she were his distraction.
“I need to be stronger…” he muttered, setting his goal to surpass Leo—who had entered his life unexpectedly and, in such a short time, become an integral part of it.
Meanwhile, while Leo was busy with Lily, a thought crossed his mind.
“Feels like I am forgetting something…” He muttered.
“What… happened, Leo?” Lily asked, breathing heavily as she pressed Leo closer to her chest.
“Oh? Nothing. Must not be important.” He said while grabbing a handful of something.
