Ch.214214. Stupid Senior (4)

Senior Junon, who had been asleep since the battle with the Guardian Deity.

It was nearly a week later when her eyelids, which hadn’t shown even the slightest movement, finally opened.

Although she had regained consciousness, her health was far from good, with wounds covering her entire body and damage to her mana circuits.

The doctor said she would be fine after recovery was complete. Only then could I finally feel at ease.

However, I was deeply concerned about the fact that she had no caretaker to assist with her movements.

After three consecutive battles without proper rest, her body needed dedicated recovery time.

Muscle swelling and torn muscle fibers were the least of her concerns; she also had damage to ligaments, joints, and even bones, making movement extremely difficult.

But knowing Senior Junon, who always avoids having people around her, she would insist she was fine and try to move on her own. So I clenched my fists and declared:

“It’s okay. I’ll stay by your side until you’re discharged.”

With major issues being handled in the Empire, lectures are difficult to continue.

They’re busy resolving misunderstandings with the Lakan tribe and working on sealing the sacrificial offering techniques, so I’m unlikely to be called away.

If I can help Senior Junon during my free time, wouldn’t that be the best way to spend these empty hours?

The doctor and nurses said they would designate me as her guardian, and thanks to that, I’m at the forefront of providing care.

When I proudly puff out my chest as her guardian and nurse, Senior finds it cute and pats my head.

…I might not seem very dignified for a caretaker, but maybe this isn’t so bad?

Ah, come to think of it, while guarding Senior’s hospital room day after day, I noticed she did have visitors.

I thought people around here would see Senior Junon as an enemy, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Um… it’s embarrassing, but when Senior woke up, two people happened to witness that moment, and they became the first visitors.

After those two came, others gradually started visiting the hospital room.

Senior Senia, who smiles but is somehow scary. Ugh… I still feel like her voice echoes in my head whenever she gets the chance. “Continue what you were doing,” she said…!

Because of that, I’ve fumbled around nervously while nursing more times than I can count. I had to climb onto the bed to change bandages, and each time my face would flush hot, causing me to make mistakes. I felt so sorry for Senior. Hmph.

The person who came with her was fine though. An adorable child! …Actually, it was the head of the Eshrelt Trading Company.

To think we’re only a year apart in age…! She was so cute that I wanted to pat her head, but Junior Charlotte actually told me that I was the prettier and cuter one. Really? Hmm… I’m not sure about that.

After those two visited, I think I saw someone with pink hair anxiously pacing in front of the hospital room. And then there was someone named Michelle from the Blue Flame who came to deliver a gift!

Hmm… but why were all the visitors women? Maybe it’s just my imagination?

Come to think of it, it was the same with Sister Adel, and I think I had some slight acquaintance with Henna and other female students…?!

Just as I was thinking that, two men named Kain visited. Hehehe… it was just a misunderstanding.

Since the Tembris Party was also at the subjugation site, it’s not strange that they would visit.

Plus, “that woman” who is a party member—though I don’t particularly like her—is also hospitalized here.

So whenever they had the chance, Tembris Party members would occasionally visit Senior’s room.

That’s about all the people who visited while I was taking care of Senior Junon. The rest couldn’t come because they were busy with repair work and monster subjugation.

Her connections might be thin enough to count on ten fingers, but that’s okay.

“What are you writing that’s making you smile like that, Renias?”

“Huh? Oh, this? Hehe. It’s a secret!”

“Hmm, suspicious. You’re not planning something strange, are you?”

“No way! It’s nothing like that, Senior.”

It’ll soon be revealed that there’s more to it than that.

‘It’s because something good is going to happen to you soon, Senior.’

Renias was smiling especially brightly today in anticipation of what was to come.

***

Quite a long time had passed.

The chilly autumn had gone by, and now the cold winter wind required one to bundle up in a coat—this hospitalization period had been long.

Seeing visitors come one by one during this time reminded me of the old days.

During my time with the Tembris Party, I was always the one most severely injured in battles, ending up in hospital rooms with the other members gathered around nagging me.

Goden was always busy. Kain probably didn’t even think about hospital visits because of Lumia.

Charlotte. Senia. Michelle. Aris. And originally Erika, but… now Renias alone has taken that place.

Thanks to her, I felt… a little less lonely, perhaps.

So how’s my body doing?

-‘It’s amazing that your overheated mana circuits didn’t shatter… but you’ll need to be hospitalized for at least a month for them to settle down.’

Well, that’s what they say.

With both the doctor and my temporary guardian giving me stern looks and telling me to rest, what could I do? I had to lie down and rest forcibly.

‘But a month? Isn’t that too long? Even if I used that, it shouldn’t be this…’

Bad. Am I an idiot?

Complaining about having to rest this long.

‘I stupidly forgot about that.’

Right. This wasn’t the first time I’d used it. I already had a precedent of squeezing out my mana to survive when dealing with the Plague Shanbereshu. And here I am complaining… tsk.

Now that it’s come to mind, I’m just guessing, but honestly, I don’t know exactly how that mana spear works.

It just happens when I push my mana to its limits… it’s obviously far from ordinary magic, and also far from my unique magic, the mana shield. It’s an unknown power.

If I had to pinpoint it, maybe it could be considered the strongest weapon I can bring out.

But it’s hard to classify it as a mana blade because it can’t be moderated. It’s simply about drawing out all the mana in my body at full power and throwing it.

Therefore, it never manifests when I try to practice it, and I can’t control it either. I’ve even fainted in the past trying.

However, I always keep in mind that it’s not completely unrelated to my unique magic.

Even weapons become dull or rusty with continued use, losing their edge and weakening. Eventually, they become unusable and break.

In that sense, I thought my body would break down… but what actually collapsed was my mana shield—my unique magic.

That’s why I asked Professor Denis if unique magic could disappear, and why I learned mana control techniques instead of relying on it.

Just as in the past, there’s no guarantee I won’t have to thrust this mana spear into a named monster I’ll face. I couldn’t keep holding onto a mana shield that weakens with each use.

In other words, I’ve determined that this mana spear isn’t a power I can use whenever I want.

‘But this is already the second use.’

With each use, my mana shield dulls, and the cycle of being confined to a hospital bed gets longer.

This time, the pattern doesn’t seem to have changed. As for when to use it, in extreme terms, it’s whenever a named monster appears.

I think I’ve used it three times in total.

…One of those times, it didn’t work properly.

Now I have one use left. After that, my mana shield won’t function properly, and I’ll have to fight purely with physical techniques and skills.

The fortunate thing is…

“Ah, Senior! I told you not to use mana!”

“I need to check if the circuits have recovered.”

“Uuu-! Put it away right now. Don’t you know you’ll get scolded for not listening to your caretaker?”

“I was just checking. See, I’ve stopped now, so stop puffing your cheeks.”

The mana itself seems fine. Back then, the problem was that I relied solely on my unique magic and this mana spear even when I had mana, but now it’s different.

Unlike then, when I could only use Anti-Cast, I can now use Spell Break freely and even handle mana blades.

Whether it’s ranged or close combat, or spell attacks, managing my body shouldn’t be too difficult.

‘But…’

Will this really be enough?

Such anxiety occasionally visits me.

“Renias, I’m going to change clothes, so could you step outside for a moment?”

“Ah, yes. But… changing clothes means…”

“I’m getting discharged. The external wounds have all disappeared, even if the mana circuits aren’t fully healed yet.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to rest more in the hospital?”

I firmly shook my head at the still-worried Renias.

After changing, I went straight to complete the discharge procedures. When Renias offered to pay for me, I shook my head again, and when she puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction, Senia appeared and helped.

I unhesitatingly handed the bills from my pocket to the staff member, who looked puzzled at the larger amount.

“The extra is to include everything I haven’t been able to repay until now.”

Debts accumulated during academy activities are typically paid after graduation—that is, after entering society.

Paying it all now means I intend to clear all my debts as of today.

The rest of the time was spent organizing and packing my belongings. Renias said she would wait outside the hospital entrance to avoid Senia.

Now that I’ve been discharged, I could move right away, but I felt like… I needed to visit one more place.

***

Failing to respond to an unexpected variable was purely due to my arrogance, complacency, and inadequacy.

Yes, it was definitely a failure. A bitter failure that will never be erased from my heart.

I’m now walking to the place where I realized that failure.

[Room 220: Adel Lisia]

The door is half-open.

I wish I could see her sitting up in bed, awkwardly scratching her cheek… but that’s impossible.

“Excuse me.”

I opened the door and went inside.

But…

“…?”

Adel was nowhere to be seen. It’s not like a person disappeared leaving only a pillow and blanket, but Adel had been diagnosed as being in a vegetative state.

She couldn’t have escaped on her own, and the idea of her escaping makes no sense.

But this makes even less sense. An entire bed is missing. Did she have to undergo emergency surgery due to an internal circuit problem?

As I looked around, lost in thought, a woman’s voice came from behind me.

“I’d like to have a word with you, Junon.”

“…Mrs. Rwena?”

The lady… had been in such a state of grief over Adel’s condition that she couldn’t speak. She had just held her daughter’s hand tightly while sobbing.

I couldn’t ask her anything, nor could I continue any conversation.

Her eyes, sunken with grief at the sight of her daughter in a vegetative state, were still the same. But now, she was looking directly at me and requesting a conversation.

“Yes.”

There was no way I could refuse that conversation.

She said this wasn’t the place to talk.

I didn’t care where she wanted to go. I was simply following her, ready to fully accept the consequences of my failure.

But.

As soon as we headed toward the hospital entrance, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“Everyone, salute!”

A formation without a single flaw. Imperial soldiers positioned at every point along the path leading to the hospital exit.

“You should go now. Everyone is waiting for you to pass by.”

“…Pardon?”

I asked in confusion, but the lady just kept repeating that I should go through.

Numerous imperial soldiers. All of them were imperial soldiers who had participated in this subjugation, both current academy students and graduates.

I could also see retired soldiers who had participated in the Great Shute Subjugation.

I have no idea what this is all about, but urged by the lady who insisted we needed to move to continue our conversation, I had to move my legs.

This path seemed as if it had been prepared for just one person leaving the hospital.

…Even though I wanted to deny that possibility.

The line of imperial soldiers holding their salutes eventually ends.

But this human corridor continues.

“Kid! How could you discharge yourself so hastily?”

“We thought you might have noticed and run away when you didn’t come for so long.”

“Hey, junior. If you walk that slowly, we won’t be able to go our own way either.”

“This isn’t the time to dawdle. You should be running, not making all those people wait until the end.”

Students who fought in the defense battle at Levrant. Faculty members. Administrative staff.

Just like that time when I was being stoned, they formed a dense crowd holding hands tightly, creating a path.

The members of Levrant Academy had created a path for me to walk. It was the only way for me to go.

Given that this path was made with the help of so many people, I had to start running, if only to spare them from standing there too long.

Just when I thought the path would end, it continued again.

“…!”

The third path was formed by the townspeople.

All the residents clasped their hands, bowed their heads, and prayed. Some said thank you, while others burst into tears saying they were sorry.

Why on earth…? These should be the people who rejected requests after witnessing my failure…

I don’t understand.

Right now, all I could think about was running through the path created between the bustling crowd.

And so, after running and running, at the end of the path were:

“Welcome, Senior!”

Renias waving from a distance, and

“Now begins the ceremony for the Award of Merit left by Grand Duke Ardelion himself!!”

Professor Muniher, looking down at me with satisfaction from the platform, announcing a completely unexpected award ceremony.