Ch.149Chapter 149: Aftermath (2)

Honestly.

As soon as I heard that my sister was looking for me.

I felt my body and mind sinking into a swamp called fatigue.

But since maintaining such feelings wouldn’t do any good.

“Sigh…”

I shook off my heavy body and mind with one light sigh.

When it’s none other than my sister, the Vice Commander of the Imperial Knights—the highest-ranking person in this fortress—

Who says she needs to see me on official business.

How could I possibly dawdle?

Especially when it concerned something that could easily raise unnecessary suspicions if I didn’t provide a proper explanation right away, so there was no time to waste.

By the time the sister’s personal adjutant left my quarters and his footsteps were no longer audible.

My movements to attend to today’s important morning duty accelerated.

First, I turned my gaze away from the door.

Then I walked toward the mirror—one of which was provided even in each individual quarter of this frontline fortress.

Starting with checking my appearance in the mirror and paying attention to maintaining the basic dignity that a student of the Cradle should have outside the Cradle.

I proceeded with each task needed to have an audience with my sister.

Seeing my disheveled appearance in the mirror, with fatigue seeping into my eyes that I couldn’t completely shake off.

“…”

Even I couldn’t help but press my lips together and furrow my brow at the sight.

[You’ll break the mirror if you keep glaring at it like that.]

Thanks to Fafnir’s voice that mercilessly stopped my behavior.

‘I suppose this isn’t the time for that.’

I began preparing to rid myself of the disheveled appearance reflected in the mirror.

I went to the washbasin and washed my face once more to remove the oiliness that might have built up while sleeping and to alleviate some of the fatigue that had penetrated my mind.

After taking off the coat I had hastily put on to receive my sister’s adjutant with minimal courtesy.

I carefully donned the uniform embroidered with the emblem that certified me as a student of the Cradle, appropriate for an audience with the Vice Commander of the Imperial Knights.

Since this was a ritual I consciously performed whenever starting my day.

It didn’t take that long.

And after all preparations were complete, my reflection in the mirror showed.

[Even a rotten fish still looks like a fish—you’ve almost completely erased that walking corpse look you had from overexerting yourself.]

As Fafnir’s snickering voice echoed in my ears, a voice that was hard to distinguish between admiration and mockery.

I looked properly presentable for outdoor activities.

Well, the mocking tone was stronger, but at this point, no one would notice the fatigue-soaked appearance that had been clearly reflected in the mirror just moments ago.

“Phew…”

After drawing that conclusion and breathing a sigh of relief.

“Let’s go.”

I muttered in a low voice and took a step toward the door, the first gateway to my destination.

But the moment my right foot, which moved much more leisurely than when I had hurried to get ready, touched the floor of my quarters again.

“…My body feels like garbage beyond imagination.”

After returning—no, that’s not right.

I felt an extreme physical fatigue throughout my entire body that I had never experienced before in my life, even including my life before returning.

…What’s wrong with me?

It wasn’t just feeling sleepy or yawning.

My mind was clear and alert.

But I began to worry that if I forced myself to engage in any physical activity beyond a certain level.

I might end up like a puppet with its strings cut, tumbling across the stage.

#

Fortunately.

Very fortunately.

The worries about fatigue that filled my mind until I opened the door to my quarters didn’t last long.

It wasn’t because some innovative solution appeared to resolve it smoothly.

Rather, the winter wind mixed with chilling snow.

Whipped my mind into alertness, making such fatigue-related concerns seem trivial by comparison.

[If you lie down here, your face will be paralyzed or you’ll be bedridden for at least a week.]

I didn’t even have the presence of mind to respond to Fafnir’s concerned voice echoing in my head, so what more is there to explain?

A drowsy mind.

The northern wind, proud of its biting chill just before the new year, threatening to freeze that very mind.

Everything seemed like an obstacle blocking my path.

But if there was one fortunate thing in all this.

[Hmm, the sound of stepping on moderately accumulated snow is quite pleasant.]

As Fafnir’s humming voice pointed out.

The sensation of walking on snow that was neither too thick to impede passage nor too thin to risk turning into ice later—that felt quite nice?

…Well, not extraordinarily nice.

Anyway, as I continued walking, unconsciously soothing my trembling legs, my foggy mind gradually recovered to a level sufficient for daily activities.

Naturally, it wasn’t just walking that helped me regain my composure.

[I thought you were sturdy, but you still have a long way to go.]

‘I thought I was sturdier than this too.’

[So prepare yourself for tonight.]

‘…Why is the conversation heading that way… Well, I’ll do my best.’

[I quite like how you’ve been diligently training lately without making excuses.]

It was thanks to Fafnir constantly speaking to me in my mind that my consciousness was somewhat awakened.

By the way, when I first started walking toward the office, I didn’t pay much attention.

But now, as I approached the office step by step, something finally dawned on me.

“…What about the explanation?”

The matter of explaining the origin of the Dragon Armor—the most basic thing I needed to do when meeting my sister.

[Why not just tell the truth?]

While one of the parties involved spoke casually, showing a composure that quickly resolved the bewilderment initially expressed through silence.

For me, who knows my sister’s personality better than anyone, I’m worried about how to properly convey that straightforward honesty to her.

After I drew the Dragon Sword from its scabbard—a weapon said to be usable only by someone chosen from our family once every thousand years according to tradition.

I need to report in detail what happened after Fafnir, awakening from a long sleep, invited me to a world surrounded by mist separate from this reality.

Setting aside whether I could explain this coherently.

The first question was whether my sister would even believe what I said.

“Haah…”

A heavy sigh involuntarily escaped my lips.

Well, what can I do?

I’ll just have to explain the facts without a shred of falsehood in a way my sister can understand.

I could clearly imagine my sister narrowing her eyes and scolding me in a polite voice if she found my explanation inadequate.

But since it was largely my responsibility for walking around wearing the Dragon Armor in front of her, I couldn’t blame her for scolding me.

“Ah, I’ll just have to endure a few more scoldings. What else can I do?”

I said this to myself to steel my resolve, but the closer I got to the office and the clearer my mind became, the harder it seemed to lift my feet.

After about 5 minutes of reluctantly dragging my heavy steps.

[We’re here.]

With Fafnir’s needlessly informative voice echoing in my head about something I already knew.

I arrived at my sister’s office, the first destination for this morning.

Now I just needed to knock on the door to announce my arrival to my sister, which would surely lead to an interrogation-like barrage of questions.

“Haaah…”

After taking a breath so deep it seemed excessive to regulate my breathing.

I raised my right hand to knock on the office door, but.

[…Hmm?]

For some reason, before I could knock, Fafnir’s voice filled with bewilderment echoed in my mind, causing me to halt all movement.

What could possibly make Fafnir, who rarely showed surprise let alone confusion, so perplexed?

Was there something at the office door that I couldn’t perceive?

‘…Fafnir?’

I hurriedly tried to ask what was causing his confusion, but.

Before I could even begin.

The office door suddenly opened, revealing a figure who.

“Oh? You came quickly? I was just waiting for you.”

Rendered my attempt futile with a voice expressing welcome at my arrival.

“It’s been a while, ‘Young Lanos.'”

The person who greeted me with a moderately energetic voice mixed with cheerfulness and boldness was a woman.

With beautiful features that exuded calmness, most of her physical attributes except her skin could be appropriately described as dark, including her hair and eyes.

“Aren’t you happy to see this sister after so long?”

But whenever she opened her mouth, her boisterous voice immediately dispelled any calmness her appearance might suggest.

Moreover, if my memory served me correctly, she was someone who should have been completely absorbed in her work elsewhere during this period, unable to leave that place.

Grace Rabin.

Nominally an instructor of martial arts at the Cradle.

A renowned authority in the field of physical awakening enhancement and one of the Cradle’s finest professors.

The kind person who approached me when I was determined not to give up despite facing the bleak reality right after my return, and informed me that I had awakened the ultra-regeneration ability.

[How dare you!! Pah!! Calling her a person!! That woman, unlike me, still stubbornly maintains her identity as a species and you call her a person!]

As evident from Fafnir’s reaction, clearly displeased with my referring to her as a ‘person’.

“Hmm, you’ve become somewhat capable of drawing out the power of the dragon sword at your waist.”

The professor, who smiled contentedly while looking at the dragon sword hanging at my waist, is a dragon like Fafnir.

But unlike Fafnir, who left no records except as an evil dragon.

She is also a great hero who left clear footprints in history under the name ‘von Draken.’

[Great? Has the meaning of ‘great’ changed without my knowledge?]

Seeing Fafnir’s voice grow increasingly exasperated beyond mere grumbling.

The intense reaction he showed when I briefly mentioned the professor before seemed quite mild compared to now.

[I cannot accept it!! I cannot accept someone who was weaker than me yet made only their name famous!!]

As Fafnir’s reaction to seeing his thousand-year-old colleague continued unabated, showing how “delighted” [?] he was.

I almost laughed at his attitude, but.

“Professor, I understand you’re happy to meet your student, but…”

The laughter that was about to crack through my lips subsided just before breaking through, thanks to my sister’s refined voice coming from beyond the doorway.

“Ah, ah, sorry. Sorry. You’re busy, and he must be busy too. I got carried away.”

Only then did Professor Grace realize she was interfering with my sister’s work, and properly apologized to her in a calm tone.

Thanks to that, the unsettled atmosphere inside and outside the office, which had been chaotic with the professor enthusiastically expressing her delight at seeing me, gradually stabilized.

The solemn atmosphere I had expected, reminiscent of a hearing, took on a strange vitality due to the appearance of an unexpected guest.