Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Chapter 63

Ingrid didn’t argue with her. As much as she disliked being questioned and inspected by people she barely knew, Freya’s concerns were valid, and she couldn’t blame the hunters for being cautious.

If someone who had escaped from a settlement full of Evolved Ones suddenly appeared at their base with unexplained injuries, they would naturally want to make sure that person wasn’t infected. Besides, Ingrid had nothing to gain by making a fuss over something she could easily prove, so she reached for the bandages around her neck and began unwinding them without another word.

The cloth came away slowly, sticking to the dried blood in several places, and Ingrid had to grit her teeth when it pulled against her skin. By the time she removed the last layer, the bandages were so stained that she didn’t bother holding on to them. She let them drop to the ground, revealing the ugly wounds beneath, which had reopened during their escape from the village. Fresh blood had seeped through the torn skin, and the area around the wounds was swollen and irritated, making it clear that she needed medical attention herself. Ingrid barely glanced at the mess before looking up at Freya, silently waiting for her to finish the inspection.

"Oh, my goodness!"

Before Ingrid could even blink, Freya appeared right in front of her.

Ingrid’s eyes widened as Freya moved so quickly that she seemed to have crossed the distance between them in a second. She knew Freya was fast, especially after watching her take down the giant Evolved One, but seeing that speed up close was an entirely different experience. Her body instinctively leaned backward in surprise, and with her weakened legs already struggling to support her, she nearly lost her balance.

Fortunately, Freya caught her before she could fall.

One arm wrapped securely around Ingrid’s waist while the other steadied her shoulder, pulling her closer until Ingrid found herself pressed against Freya’s body. For a brief moment, she forgot about her wounds, the suspicious hunters, and even the unconscious man waiting inside the bus. Freya smelled surprisingly wonderful, with a light, fresh fragrance that reminded Ingrid of flowers after rain, and the warmth of the other woman’s body made her feel strangely comfortable despite the unexpected embrace.

Ingrid blinked. Oh.

She had expected Freya to smell of sweat, blood, and the battlefield after fighting such a monstrous creature, but instead, there was a delicate fragrance surrounding her that made her want to take another breath. Her face grew warm as she became painfully aware of how close they were standing, especially when Freya looked down at her with those bright, curious eyes and smiled.

"Careful, pretty lady! I’d hate for you to fall apart in my arms before I’ve even had a chance to examine you."

Ingrid’s heart gave an embarrassing little jump. Pretty lady?

She had been called many things in her life, but hearing those words from a beautiful woman who had just caught her in such a dramatic fashion was an entirely different experience.

"Th... Thank you," she managed, hoping her voice sounded more normal than she felt.

"You’re welcome!" Freya replied brightly. She then leaned closer to examine Ingrid’s neck, and Ingrid had to fight the urge to hold her breath. "Now, let’s see what we’re dealing with here. Goodness, these look painful!"

Freya’s cheerful expression softened slightly as she studied the wounds. She carefully moved a loose strand of hair away from Ingrid’s neck, then used her fingers to examine the skin surrounding the injuries. Ingrid flinched when Freya accidentally touched a particularly tender spot, and the hunter immediately drew back with an apologetic smile.

"Oops! Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, pretty lady, but I need to check properly. Hold still for me, will you? I promise I’ll be gentle this time."

Ingrid nodded as the hunter continued inspecting the wounds, checking the edges and looking for the familiar signs of a zombie bite. Her movements were surprisingly careful for someone who wielded an enormous mace and had just smashed a giant Evolved One into the ground.

After another moment, Freya straightened up.

"Well, good news!" she announced, releasing Ingrid’s waist only after making sure she was standing steadily on her own. "Your wounds are clear! There’s no sign of a zombie bite, and nothing here suggests you’ve been infected. Besides, if one of those ordinary zombies had bitten you, you would probably have turned by now. You’ve clearly been injured, but these wounds don’t look like the result of a bite, more like someone used their claws to strangle you. There are also strangulation marks."

Ingrid let out a quiet breath of relief. She hadn’t expected Freya to make such a definite judgment so quickly, but at least the inspection seemed to have settled one problem. She reached up to touch the skin around her neck, wincing slightly when her fingers brushed the damaged area, and began wondering whether the medical team at the base would be willing to treat her as well.

"Freya, are you serious right now?" Jowe’s irritated voice cut through the brief moment of relief.

He stepped closer, looking between Freya and Ingrid as though the two of them had somehow agreed to make his job more difficult. His eyes settled on Ingrid’s exposed wounds, and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Did you forget why we were ordered to destroy that village in the first place? Those creatures weren’t behaving like ordinary zombies, and we have no idea what kind of infection they might carry. You can’t simply look at someone’s wounds and declare them safe. What if the infection has a longer incubation period? What if the creatures inside that place can infect people without leaving the same marks as ordinary bites? We can’t afford to assume everything is fine just because she hasn’t turned yet."

Freya waved one hand dismissively, her expression showing that she had already heard enough of his complaints for one day.

"Oh, stop worrying so much, Dart! You’re going to give yourself wrinkles before you’re even old enough to complain about them properly. I know what happened in the village, and I’m not saying we shouldn’t have the medical team examine her when we reach the base. I’m simply saying that we shouldn’t treat her like an infected monster when there’s no evidence that she is one."

"That’s not what I’m saying!"

"Then maybe you should say something different, because that’s exactly what it sounds like."

Jowe’s mouth tightened. For a moment, he looked as though he might launch into another lengthy explanation, but Freya continued before he could get a word in.

"Besides, think about it for a second. If this woman had been bitten and knew she was infected, would she willingly follow us to a place packed with hunters? She came here asking us to save her companion, and she even handed over five stalks of Star Glow Herb to make sure we helped him. If she were hiding an infection, she would be putting herself in a very dangerous position by coming straight to us."

Freya placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head at him. "Of course, we’ll let the medical team examine her properly. I’m not stupid enough to ignore the possibility of infection, and neither should you be. But until we have a reason to believe she’s infected, there’s no point treating her like she’s already turned into one of those things. Isn’t that right, Hunter G?"

Hunter G, who had been quietly observing their exchange, gave a small nod.

"She’s correct about one thing," he said. "We shouldn’t make assumptions without a proper examination. The medical team will check both of them when we reach the base, and if there are any signs of infection, we’ll deal with them according to protocol. Until then, we have no reason to detain them as suspected infected individuals."

Jowe looked as though he wanted to object, but he eventually shut his mouth. He glanced at Ingrid once more, his expression still suspicious, before turning away with an irritated sigh.

Ingrid watched him go, then slowly shifted her gaze toward Freya. The hunter caught her looking and winked.

It was such a quick, playful gesture that Ingrid almost wondered whether she had imagined it. However, as Freya flashed her a bright smile and turned away to retrieve her enormous mace, Ingrid suddenly understood what had just happened.

Freya hadn’t asked about her wounds merely to satisfy her curiosity. She had noticed that Jowe was determined to treat her as a potential enemy, and rather than letting him continue accusing her without evidence, Freya had used the opportunity to inspect her injuries and clear the air. Freya had even defended her right to be treated fairly, which made Ingrid’s chest warmed.

’Freya Calisto, you’re officially my best friend.’