Jules smiled awkwardly, as the presence of another player had the effect of calming his mind.
"I'm sorry about that. I went a bit overboard. But they didn't die…"
NPCs used to be a valuable resource in the game, for the 'kingdom management' side wouldn't work without them. And the devs limited resurrection spells, making them usable on NPCs only under limited conditions, making them even more valuable.
That's why killing another player's NPCs was considered a heavy offense, and it's the reason Jules held back and used non-lethal blows.
If this was still the game, that would be all. But Cecilia knew better.
"They didn't die, but they are hurt. Come, let me show you something."
She made a gesture for Jules to follow her and went to the most injured guard, who was crying with an open fracture in his leg. A man who had the distinctive look of a captain of the guard was nearby and hurried to intercept them.
"I'm sorry, you just almost killed this man. I can't let you get closer."
He was talking at Jules, as he was grateful for the girl to have stopped his rampage. But she brushed his objection off.
"I understand, captain. But what I need to show him will be a good lesson and will avoid future problems. I will offer my healing to all the injured guards, so, please, indulge me with this?"
Her voice carried the power and presence of a high priestess, like she was looking at the world from a very high place. The captain found no strength within himself to deny her what she was asking for.
"O-okay. Please, take care of my men."
((Wait, isn't she the owner of these NPCs? I thought that she was the one in power here…))
Jules' back was tense as he followed her, half curious and half just going with the flow. She was his only anchor in this weird place.
She approached the fallen guard and crouched at his side, motioning for Jules to do the same.
"Good sir, what is your name?" She asked the guard.
"… Adrian."
"Adrian, I'm Cecilia. This man didn't mean to really hurt you, he just didn't understand his own situation. I will heal you promptly, but do you allow me to show him your injury before that? I want him to learn the truth of the what he has done."
The man called Adrian just cried meekly and nodded.
"Look at this. His broken bone is sticking out. Do you think that that would happen to an NPC in Hyperborea? This is real flesh and real blood, do you see?"
Jules looked at the injury, and his face paled immediately. He had never seen anything so gruesome in his whole life. Even 'realistic' gory games never reached that point.
"I… ugh."
He blacked out, his mind unable to deal with the sight.
Cecilia nodded, then stood up, closed her eyes, and chanted a spell.
"Anthyra Thalasson, phorion es anastasis,
Ephemar kaleo, nythea lytha kai anthyra phaneros,
Lysara es moratha, phōs kymathōn Ephemerys,
Eireneth epistrepho - aionion zōē es phorion."
("Sea of Rebirth, passage into rising,
I call the soul, death fades and rebirth shines,
Release within the cycle, light of the waves of Ephemerys,
I return in peace - eternal life upon the journey.")
The area under her feet became a ghastly ocean, spreading on an area around her like liquid light taking over the land. All the injured guards touched by it began to shine, as their bodies were restored.
When she reaches the last syllable of the chant, the liquid light bursts up to the skies and dissipates, leaving all affected guards in perfect health.
Only then did she open her eyes, looking at the awed guards around her. She turns to Adrian, the guy that had an open fracture on his leg a few moments before.
"How are you feeling?"
"I… I'm feeling great. Thank you!!"
The man quickly stood up and looked down at Jules, who had recovered in time to see the healing she performed.
He wasn't able to tell what spell it was, but he knew enough of the lore to understand that it would make Cecilia a priestess of Ephemerys. And he knew enough about how spells worked to see that it was a very high-level one.
But he couldn't forget the injury he caused and the meaning behind it. So he stood up and walked to the captain of the guard.
"I'm sorry for the commotion and damage I caused. I really am. And I'm ready to accept the consequences for it."
((Oh… so he really wasn't a bad guy. I'm glad for it. From his initial posture, I thought that he could've been a PK in the game. It's good that my plan to drill into him the idea that this isn't the game anymore worked.))
Even most people who gladly kill NPCs and players and go the evil route in games wouldn't harm anyone in real life. Games are fantasies where one can let loose and blow off steam with little consequences. It doesn't mean that the person would do the same in real life.
"Okay, I appreciate it, but just saying you're sorry won't cut it. I'll need to take you to the guard post to interrogate you, even if you are really a player. And you too, as you were a witness and got involved. Would you mind accompanying us, lady?"
"No problem at all."
Soon the two of them were walking with the captain to the guardhouse, closely accompanied by the guards. In theory they were 'arresting' Jules, though in practice they knew that he could flee effortlessly at any moment if he decided to do it.
The sun was lowering on the horizon, and the citizens around them slowly returned to their normal lives.
((This was quite the eventful day, huh?))
The morning began with Cecilia's decision to visit the capital and then had the birth of little Ceci before she even finished her breakfast. Then there was the reunion afternoon, and later the commotion.
((I feel like my head is gonna explode with so much information…))