The little demi-human girl lying there looked so still that, at first glance, no one would think she was alive.
But as Raphtalia called out, the girl's eyelids twitched slightly. Though the movement was faint, it was enough for Jason and Raphtalia to see, proving the girl was still alive.
This girl was clearly Raphtalia's former partner: Rifana.
"Rifana, I'll save you right away!"
Raphtalia shouted, drawing her saber to cut through the iron bars of the cell. She rushed in, knelt, and gently cradled Rifana in her arms.
"Rifana, wake up! I'm here to save you!" Raphtalia cried, tears streaming down her face, but there was no response from Rifana.
"Master Jason, please help Rifana! She's still alive!"
Raphtalia, at a loss, pinned all her hopes on Jason.
"Judging by her condition, it's clear she hasn't eaten for a long time, and she's sick. To be honest, I don't have much confidence. Her survival depends entirely on luck."
Jason knelt beside Raphtalia and Rifana, checking Rifana's condition. Though he wasn't a doctor, he used his shield skills to assess her physical state.
Though Rifana was alive, she was on the brink of death. Her pulse and breathing were so weak that it seemed a miracle she had survived this long.
Saving someone so close to death was no easy feat. Jason wasn't a reincarnation of some master healer, and his healing skills were limited to those of the shield.
But, as Raphtalia's partner, he had to try his best.
Jason quickly pulled out a bottle of self-prepared nutrient solution from his shield. Rifana's body, like a dry lake, needed to be replenished before anything else.
"Raphtalia, tilt her head slightly."
Following Jason's instructions, Raphtalia gently rested Rifana's head on her lap.
Jason carefully opened Rifana's mouth and tried to pour in the nutrient solution, but before much could enter, it trickled from the corner of her lips.
"She can't even swallow."
Jason frowned. Without the ability to swallow, things were going to get tricky. This world had no modern medical equipment.
"Master Jason, what do we do now?" Raphtalia asked, panic clear in her voice.
"There's no other option. Even healing techniques won't help Rifana in this state. We'll have to try something desperate."
With that, Jason poured the nutrient solution into his own mouth, lifted Rifana upright, and tilted her head back.
Then, he brought his face close to hers, transferring the solution directly into her mouth in a more, let's say, unorthodox way.
A scene straight out of a martial arts novel? Not quite. For those who lack the ability to swallow and are unconscious, this method—while dangerous—can work if done properly.
Jason's technique wasn't just feeding her; it was sending the solution directly into her stomach, bypassing her swallowing reflex entirely.
But it was risky. If Jason applied too much pressure, he could damage Rifana's esophagus. With his strength, even spitting could cause serious harm. On the other hand, if he was too gentle, the solution might enter her lungs, leading to death.
Jason had complete control over his power, which gave him the confidence to try such a dangerous move.
Soon enough, Jason had emptied the nutrient solution into Rifana's stomach. Now, all he could do was pray she didn't have any adverse reactions.
It was like chugging beer—if done too fast, it's easy to spray it back out.
With Rifana's fragile state, this was likely the final straw.
Thankfully, the gods seemed to pity her, and nothing catastrophic happened.
Jason breathed a sigh of relief, then handed Rifana back to Raphtalia. "The nutrient solution is in her stomach, but now it's up to her if she wakes up."
"Thank you, Master Jason," Raphtalia said, laying Rifana carefully on the ground.
"Do you have any other friends here?" Jason asked. He vaguely recalled there being another person, possibly a little boy—or maybe a girl. He couldn't remember clearly.
"Yes, there should be someone named Kiel," Raphtalia replied, nodding.
"Jack, you stay and take care of Rifana. Raphtalia and I will go find Kiel."
With that, Jason led Raphtalia out of the cell.
They ventured deeper into the dungeon, soon discovering another cell. A demi-human was shackled to the wall, their eyes vacant and body bruised, signs of severe torture.
This one had dog ears, appearing to be a boy in his teens. However, his face was so delicate that one could easily mistake him for a girl.
"Is this a boy or a girl?" Jason wondered aloud, feeling his memory blur. In the end, he shrugged off the confusion and decided to treat the demi-human as a boy.
"Who are you?"
At this moment, the boy sensed the arrival of Jason and Raphtalia and struggled to lift his head.
"Kiel, it's me, Raphtalia!"
Recognizing the boy, Raphtalia excitedly pointed to herself.
"You're lying. Raphtalia is smaller than me, and she's not as pretty as this big sister."
Kiel lowered his head again, his voice tinged with sadness, as if remembering someone.
"Anyway, you must've been sent by that guy to pretend to be my friends, right? To trick me? Save your cruel jokes. I won't fall for it."
Kiel's tone was heavy with despair, his expression ash-like, as if he had lost all faith.
Raphtalia, rather than getting upset, patiently explained, "Then I'll show you proof. Two months before everything happened, you dove into the sea to find beautiful shells for your uncle's birthday. You almost drowned, but Sister Sadeena saved you and brought you ashore. If you still don't believe me, I can give more proof."
Kiel, still disbelieving, glanced up at Raphtalia with wide eyes. "Huh? How do you know that? Are you really Raphtalia?"
"Of course! It's all true." Raphtalia smiled warmly.
"Raphtalia, how did you grow up so much and become so beautiful?" Kiel asked in amazement, still struggling to accept how much she had changed.
"That's because I'm now following the Shield Hero, Master Jason," Raphtalia said with pride, glancing at Jason as she spoke.
Before Kiel could respond further, Jason interrupted, "Sorry to break up your reunion, but something's coming."
As soon as Jason finished speaking, the ground began to tremble.