Hearing the news, the two didn't bother continuing their strategy discussion. They hurried out to see what had happened and why an attack had occurred.
The Doctor was particularly shocked. She hadn't expected the lively Zalak she had seen just this morning to be ambushed so quickly—and based on Blaze's description, the injuries were far from minor.
When they arrived, Sciurus was sitting to one side, staring blankly into space. Yukon's severe wounds had already been dressed, and he was officially out of life-threatening danger.
The loyal husband, who always stayed by Sciurus's side to protect her, bore deep slash wounds across his chest and abdomen, alongside several other injuries. The battle had clearly been brutal.
"What happened? Where did you go today? Why is Yukon hurt so badly?"
Ratatos, having rushed back the moment she heard the news, looked at Yukon lying on the medical bed, then turned to her lightly injured sister, and finally locked her eyes on Gnosis, who stood nearby practically unscathed.
Looking at the man who had supposedly joined them seeking revenge, Ratatos's suspicious gaze hardened into open distrust. She didn't even give him a chance to explain.
With a flick of her tail, several Browntail retainers stepped forward and escorted the spectacled Liberi—whose white suit was merely slightly rumpled—off to a side room to "chat" about how he had managed to stay so clean.
"We... we were just scouting near the edge of town for any signs of Silverash activity," Sciurus stammered, her voice shaking with sorrow. "Halfway through, we were ambushed. We fought back... Yukon took most of the hits protecting me..."
Sciurus looked down, her tone heavy with regret. She knew she had been reckless, acting without bringing enough men along instead of conducting a proper search.
"So you two brought him back, while that newcomer didn't get a single scratch because he can't fight?" Ratatos asked coldly.
"I took him along to look for clues, so of course I tried to keep him safe," Sciurus defended softly. "Besides, in the middle of the fight I lost track of him. Wearing a white suit in deep snow, he practically vanished. He used Originium Arts to slip away first, and I caught up with him a while later."
Ratatos stared at her younger sister, torn between anger and exasperation. Sciurus had risked her life to protect a suspicious outsider—and looking at her own cuts, Sciurus hadn't just been running away either.
"You should count your blessings those attackers weren't using heavy crossbows," Ratatos grumbled, a lingering chill running down her spine. "Otherwise, except for that cowardly runner, neither of you would have made it back alive."
The thought frightened Ratatos. Just a short while ago, the Grand Elder of the Vine-Bear Court had been abducted by unknown assailants. If Jeanne hadn't caught up with them, no one knew where the old man would be right now.
Regaining her composure, Ratatos found herself increasingly suspicious of the uninjured Liberi. How exactly had he managed to slip away from a tight encirclement without taking a single hit?
"How is he? How is he?" Jeanne's loud voice rang out from the hallway. Having waited outside for quite a while, she dragged the Doctor with her as she squeezed her way through the crowded doorway.
"Nothing fatal. They were attacked by unknown assailants," Ratatos said, turning around in surprise. She hadn't expected Jeanne to reach the valley so quickly.
Right, she flew down on a dragon, Ratatos remembered with a sharp blink. Still, another unsettling thought crossed her mind: after both major incidents today, Jeanne had conveniently arrived right on the scene.
Overstrung by recent events, Ratatos couldn't help but wonder for a fraction of a second if Jeanne herself might be involved...
"Looks like he's through the worst of it," Jeanne murmured, leaning over with the Doctor to inspect Yukon's bandaged chest and the blood-stained clothes discarded nearby. "With proper rest, he should recover fine. Do you have any good healing salves? I remember Blaze brought some specialized medicine with her."
The Doctor reached out to grab Blaze from behind her, only to catch empty air three times in a row before realizing the big Feline hadn't managed to squeeze through the doorway yet.
"Out of the way, please! Out of the way, I've got the medicine!" Blaze grunted as she barged into the room alongside Alina. Squeezing through a packed crowd without bumping into anyone was a genuine challenge while carrying someone else.
"Apply this every time you change his bandages," Blaze said cheerfully, handing over a small container like a seasoned merchant pitching her wares. "Our operators love using this for flesh wounds! I guarantee your husband will be bouncing around in a week!"
Though Blaze's lively, upbeat pitch felt a bit out of place in the tense room, no one minded the gesture.
"Thank you all for your concern," Ratatos said, bowing her head slightly. She then turned to the group with a solemn expression. "If you have a moment, there are matters I would like to discuss with you in private."
Before leading them away, Ratatos turned back toward Sciurus, her tone stern: "Go get those cuts cleaned up right now! Don't go falling sick because you ignored your injuries! The family doesn't have time to nurse two invalids at once!"
Only then did Sciurus realize she had completely forgotten about her own wounds. With Yukon out of danger, the adrenaline faded, and a sharp, throbbing pain surged across her body.
The battle had left her bruised and cut in multiple places. While her injuries weren't as severe as Yukon's, they were far from minor.
"I didn't realize I had this many scratches..." Sciurus muttered, relaxing her shoulders as she eyed the medicine jar Blaze had left on the table. "I heard this stuff prevents scarring too... No, better save it all for Yukon so he heals faster."
Inside a quiet room that resembled a small conference chamber, Ratatos gestured for the four guests to take their seats.
"Please, sit. We need to go over the current situation carefully."
Once everyone was seated, Ratatos stood before them and bowed deeply. "Before we begin, I must offer you my sincere apologies. Just a moment ago, I briefly suspected that this attack might have been orchestrated by you. I am deeply ashamed of my paranoia."
Jeanne blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected this sharp, calculating Zalak Leader to apologize so earnestly over an unspoken suspicion.
Compared to those stubborn old fools at the Vine-Bear Court who refuse to admit fault even when caught red-handed, this woman is a hundred times better, Jeanne thought.
"A brief suspicion is nothing to apologize for," the Doctor said, waving her hand dismissively. "When I investigate suspicious events, I treat everyone as a suspect first and rule them out one by one. That's standard procedure."
Back when a commercial spy had infiltrated Rhodes Island, the Doctor had even put Amiya and Kal'tsit on her initial suspect list before clearing their names.
Since Ratatos had only harbored the thought in her head and hadn't taken any hostile action, neither the Doctor nor Jeanne took any offense.
"I appreciate your understanding," Ratatos said with a bitter smile. "Once I calmed down, I realized how absurd the thought was. With the martial strength Lady Jeanne and Miss Blaze possess, if you truly meant us harm, you could have captured both of them with ease."
It was a strange feeling—discarding a suspicion simply because the other party was far too powerful to bother with subtle tricks.
"I came to ask for your guidance and help," Ratatos continued, her eyes burning with steady resolve. "I know dragging you into our internal affairs brings you no benefit, but please, lend us your strength. Once this crisis is resolved, Browntail will repay your kindness tenfold."
"May I ask why?" the Doctor raised a hand like a student asking a question in class, her voice small inside her hood. "We haven't known each other long, so a sudden request like this makes me a little uneasy."
"The reason is simple," Ratatos answered directly, keeping her gaze fixed on the four of them. "The enemy we face is exceptionally formidable. As things stand, relying solely on Kjerag's internal strength will not be enough to resolve this crisis."