Page 39 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
[Warning! Your Mana has dropped below 10%]
[You haveCured1 Bunion. Status Ailment Critical cost 20 Mana each. Mana Cost: 20 Mana.]
[Warning! Your Mana has dropped below 5%]
He probably shouldn’t have healed the other status ailments listed, but he had five hundred mana from his combined twenty-five Perception and twenty Intelligence. He had used a hundred and eighty mana to activate his shields, and another two hundred and seventy to cure them, leaving him with fifty mana to cover the rest.
The low-mana effects hit him hard, and he reeled from the headache and nausea, but managed while he summoned another potion. Closing his eyes, he tried not to throw up as the mana potion brought his stats back to normal. He opened his eyes to see the shielded frogs had turned back into people. Family and friends rushed forward to help their loved ones, but were kept back by his ability.
He cancelled the shields.
A little old catkin lady sat on the ground right beside Julian, looking around nervously before patting herself to be sure she was there. Julian helped her stand and handed her over to a nearby knight.
Thankfully, the kazil poison was a magical replica of the [Frog Curse] spell, and those who suffered its effects had all of their apparel and equipped items changed with them. Julian would have had a nightmare on his hands if twenty-odd naked festivalgoers suddenlypoofedinto being on his city streets.
“I think we’ve got them all, Your Grace.” Captain Auralee, leader of the capital city’s Black Brigade Knights, walked up to Julian, pressing a fist to her heart in greeting. The last three frogs were rounded up and deposited at Bronwynn’s feet.
“Good job, Captain,” he said. “Make sure that everyone who was affected stays long enough to give a report. Necromancer Chloe should be here anysecond. The frogs are affected with kazil poison, and we can start using any antidotes on hand to try and mitigate the effects.”
Rufus approached Julian and the captain. “Duke Julian, Bronwynn will only be able to hold the frogs for another fifteen minutes or so.”
“Were you here when this happened?” Julian asked.
“I was,” Rufus reported calmly. “I arrived early and grabbed a tea across the street. The rest of my group arrived not long after the final match. That was when a woman working in the café started handing out free samples—”
“Captain.” Julian didn’t bother waiting for the beastman to finish his story before pointing at the café. She was gone in a flash of fast travel.
Rufus continued. “My passive effects notified me in time, but Bronwynn turned into a frog right away. I gave her an antidote, and when she was back to normal, we started on damage control.”
Julian sighed. “Thank you for your assistance.”
Chloe’s voice echoed through the crowd. “What in the nine rings is happening here?”
Perfect timing.
CHAPTER 21
When You Fell for Duke Julian
Gerda
The mayhem had died down by the time I made my way to the Hall of Inventions.
“Please stay seated until you’re cleared to leave,” a guardswoman shouted over the croaking.
“[Cure].” Countess Julia, the Paladin of Light, was systematically picking up frogs and then bopping them on the nose. She stopped to take a mana potion every other frog.
Her build was for battle, not healing.
Necromancer Chloe was handing out antidotes and checking the condition of the cured. She was the perfect example of a calm, composed, and professional paramedic. She only came up to my chin, but she was a force to be reckoned with.
“Gerda!” Henrietta waved from across the street. Bronwynn was sitting on a statue of a dragon at the base of the stairwell into the Hall of Inventions, and Rufus was counselling the newly cured. Duke Julian, who was speaking with his shadowy assistant, stopped to shoot mea look. It was a very intense look. Absolute Fan Service.
“Excuse me, miss,” an elven guard stepped forward to waylay me. “But we have closed down the street and no one is allowed entry.”
“I am with Her Majesty.” I waved back at Henrietta.
“Then you may wait over here until the area is cleared,” the guard instructed, pointing to the café. Lady Amy was already sitting at a table so I joined her. She was all too happy to tell me everything I’d missed.
