episode_0058

“······Hm, I slept well.”

I opened my eyes on the incredibly soft bed in my quarters, now so familiar to me, and after stretching and getting up, I felt refreshed as always in the morning.

After drinking a glass of cold water, I prepared for the day and once again reflected on what had happened yesterday.

“Indeed, it’s still dangerous even after sleeping on it.”

A fresh body but an anxious mind.

It was all due to the incident yesterday, confirming Meiluina’s separation anxiety symptoms. The moment I realized that her condition was a result of me, a huge obstacle appeared before my dream.

Although it was just a vague obstacle created by my own anxiety, with no certainty, if there was even a slight chance of the ominous future becoming a reality, I needed to prepare from now on.

“If I realize it later, it’ll be too late. Right now, while I have control over the three plant people, I need to take action first.”

Since taking on the role of a caregiver, mornings that had always started off refreshing and pleasant were now filled with anxiety and tension about the ominous future, the possibility that even after treatment, the three might not want to leave my side.

Logically speaking, as an F-rank individual who had been raised as a breadwinner and used as an experimental subject, and treated as an emotional garbage can by S-rank Awakened and the world’s greatest heroes, there should be no interest in me even after treatment. However, having witnessed an exception to this logic from Meiluina directly yesterday, I had to prepare for this ominous situation.

“······Sigh. Let’s keep this in mind once again.”

Last night, right before falling asleep, I deeply contemplated the theme of “Is the future caregiving life okay as it is.” Facing Meiluina’s separation anxiety, and the possibility that Dain Adamas and Mir Ryuin might also experience similar separation anxiety, my future actions needed to change accordingly.

Many treatment methods came to mind, and countless options for how to deal with the separation anxiety and what would be the right way to handle it arose, but among them, there was only one that mattered most.

“I’m someone who values my dreams much more than I realize.”

The longing for my freedom is much greater than I ever thought. It’s enormous.

When I turned 20, I became indebted due to my own mistake, and only by living a life solely to repay that debt did I come to understand the preciousness of freedom.

Becoming a caregiver for S-class plant people and gaining the abilities from the status window brought the freedom that had been so distant right up close. It was yesterday when I finally realized that this freedom might be taken away from them.

“I want to live freely. Rather than living without freedom, it’s better to die.”

The desire for freedom, the dream I’ve longed for while working as an emergency room assistant, has grown so large within me that it feels more precious than life itself.

“Alright then.”

After realizing the magnitude of my longing for my dream, what I needed to do next became clear.

I’ve always been like this, but from now on, even more so, I will do anything to achieve my dream.

Yes, anything.

“Shall we go in?”

With a firm determination to achieve my dream and regain my freedom, I opened the door to the hospital room where Mir Ryuin, the world’s greatest sorcerer and master of magic, with his now familiar jet-black smooth hair, was waiting.

Click.

As I turned the doorknob and opened the door, I could see Mir Ryuin, the person I feared the most and the one with the most pent-up emotions among the three people I was caring for.

[User’s will confirmed. From now on, you can hear the target’s inner thoughts within a certain range.]

Without even checking the contents of the notification that appeared in my field of vision, I immediately listened to Mir Ryuin’s voice that followed.

“Oh, you’re here······! Oh, no. Umm. You’re here?”

A voice filled with delight that couldn’t be hidden despite being concealed enough for anyone to think they were eagerly awaited.

Ryuin Mir had been waiting for this day when I would arrive, and sensing the subtle emotion in that, I greeted her with a bright smile.

“Good morning. Have you waited long?”

[Waited? Me? For you? The Sovereign of Magic? Not someone else?]

In response to my question, Ryuin Mir seemed to express her incredulity by answering my question with another question, indicating both her own disbelief and the fact that my assumption was fundamentally flawed.

[…And yet, despite saying that, you showed way too much delight at my arrival initially.]

But her attempt to subtly remind me of the gap between us was cut short by her own words.

As soon as I entered, Ryuin Mir’s voice, welcoming me, was so lively and cheerful that it could have conjured an image of a dog greeting its owner.

Realizing this fact herself, she decided there was no point in hiding her joy.

“After experiencing the same thing more than once, one should get used to it, but why is it still strange? Waiting for you always feels so slow. Unlike the last time when there was nothing to pass the time, this time I even set up a speaker next to me so I can hear your voice.”

At Ryuin Mir’s self-doubting words, I momentarily felt a shiver run through me and my limbs tensed up.

“Still, time seems to pass quite well when I hear your voice through the speaker. Even though I feel suffocated and anxious, strangely, it all becomes okay when I hear your voice. The unease disappears. Does your voice make me realize that I’m not alone? Is that why I feel better? It’s only after becoming like this that I’ve come to realize that ultimately, I am a social animal. There’s a reason why they say ignorance is bliss.”

Upon hearing Ryuin Mir’s statement about feeling less anxious when hearing my voice, her partly confirmed fear of separation anxiety became apparent.

Even Ryuin Mir, who seemed the least likely among the three to experience it, thinking that she might be feeling separation anxiety because of me sent a chilling shiver racing down my spine.

[However, the thing is, when I hear your voice, it does bring some comfort, but along with that comfort comes a much greater sense of irritation.]

“You?”

[For instance… if you were to embrace Ada Mas or Mei Luna with all your might, while only patting me on the butt, or when I realize that your affectionate voice is directed towards other women and not me.]

At the same time, Mir Ryuin’s words, which had been only half certain, completely solidified the possibility of separation anxiety.

“I guess it’s fine. Especially when you embrace Mei Luna. That’s even more… You even called her by name and used informal speech. It’s as if we’re so close, like friends who are so familiar with each other, almost as if… lovers. No, even beyond that, as if we’re such close friends that there’s no barrier between us.”

To anyone listening, Mir Ryuin’s words seemed nothing more than jealousy over what I did for Mei Luna yesterday, with her exclusive treatment. Of course, even if this might be the typical crazy excitement of an introverted loner who can now hear her voice, the fact remains that I am in a very serious crisis right now.

“Come to think of it, it’s natural for me to feel this discomfort. With Ada Mas, from the beginning, I used informal speech, treating her by pressing on her lower abdomen for therapy, embracing her tightly. With Mei Luna, I pressed her nipple affectionately, massaged her chest, and then yesterday, I only used informal speech and called her by name, embracing her tightly. In contrast, all she does to me is pat my butt. Getting angry at such blatant discrimination is just common sense for any normal person.”

Mir Ryuin’s tone attempted to conceal her emotions, yet her attempt at composure couldn’t fully hide her feelings.

The dark, gloomy, and viscous negative emotions that flowed through her voice crept up and gripped my throat, despite being a plant-human hybrid with no physical strength, she was Mir Ryuin, the first person to be granted the title of “Dragon Tamer,” a human with magical powers.

It was only natural for someone like me, an F-grade lackey, to feel a suffocating pressure as if my throat were being constricted just by infusing emotion into his voice.

[Even though it was obvious that I could hear his voice through the speaker. Blatantly disregarding me by not giving me a hug or calling me by name, or speaking informally, despite knowing full well that he could do so, isn’t it perfectly reasonable to interpret this as you ignoring me? If you have a mouth, why not try to make some excuse? Of course, mere excuses won’t resolve this situation in the slightest.]

Breath caught in my throat, blood not properly circulating in my limbs, I, Mir Ryuin, found myself in a life-or-death situation, feeling jealousy and anger due to the discrimination.

However, even in such a predicament, I wasn’t as flustered as one might expect, my mind not turning as white as bleached hair, unlike yesterday.

“Jealousy from Mir Ryuin. How adorable.”

[······W-What?]

Because, despite the terrifying and perilous nature of the situation, it was a scenario within expectations.

“Why are you so surprised? Did I strike a nerve? You never used to show such a flustered reaction no matter what happened, but it seems like I’ve seen you flustered quite a lot since we became involved.”

As horrifying and dangerous as it was, honestly, I wished it hadn’t happened in reality, but still, it was a fitting situation to carry out my plans.

“W-What are you doing right now? I-I’m angry! Can’t you see that I’m angry? Stay, you may have no skills, connections, money, or luck, but still, one of your few advantages is being much quicker on the uptake than others! If you, with all those shortcomings, dare to take such a shameless attitude after witnessing me this angry, then the biggest of your few advantages will disappear…”

“You’re babbling on and on. Seems like you really were flustered.”

I felt a strong sense of discomfort, even writing that I was upset, but despite my lack of reaction, Mir Ryuin, instead of feeling embarrassed, broke a plate and fidgeted like a young child who had hidden something, unable to speak properly when facing his parents. Seeing Mir Ryuin in such a state, I became convinced that my plan wouldn’t be so difficult after all. I smirked, running my fingers through my smooth jet-black hair and whispered, “Why are you whining like that? Did you want to act so smug while I was away for three days?”

[Wh-What?!!]

That plan was none other than the restructuring of the relationship between me and the S-grades who had become plant people. It was a precaution for when one of them, or even all three, might continue to cling to me even after their treatment was over and their separation anxiety didn’t disappear.

“You don’t need to stutter like that. If you want something from me, feel free to tell me. …Mir.”

[Huh?! You, you just called me by my… name.]

“Why? Do you dislike being called Mir? I’ll stop if you don’t like it.”

“N-No! I don’t dislike it, I actually really… like it! It’s okay! Y-Yes! You can call me Mir!”

And thus, the first subject of change in our relationship became Mir Ryuin.