Ch.237Chapter 237: Golden Waves

#

My eyelids feel heavy.

Right after the battle ended, as the tension released, my consciousness slipped away.

The first sensation I felt as my consciousness drifted toward the surface was the heaviness in my eyelids.

It’s a familiar feeling.

Like when I’d collapsed into bed, soaked in fatigue.

Or when my consciousness forcefully awakened before the fatigue had fully dissipated, and I had to struggle to open my eyes while still exhausted.

It was exactly like those times in Night Haven when I’d pushed my body to the brink of death, then barely managed to wash up before collapsing into bed for a deep sleep, only to be forced awake by monster raid sirens.

Unlike then, I suppose not opening my eyes immediately wouldn’t put my life in immediate danger.

I’d done my part, left the cleanup to others, and fallen asleep—and now someone was rudely waking me up.

Whoever it is, they’re quite inconsiderate.

“Hmm….”

As soon as I realized this, a bitter smile tinged with resignation escaped my lips.

I felt some relief knowing that my body had survived that fierce battle intact.

But situations are unpredictable.

For all I know, Desire might have had a change of heart after saying goodbye and kidnapped my collapsed body to the demon realm.

[If only you could refrain from such nonsense thoughts, that would be wonderful.]

Paphnir’s sarcastic comment echoed in my mind, mocking my ridiculous speculation.

But for someone who has frequently experienced truths becoming lies the moment you turn your back, it’s hard to feel reassured just because some senses seem intact.

So, to regain my bearings, I decided my first task would be to open my eyes and identify the inconsiderate person who had awakened me from my deep slumber.

Just as I was about to slowly open my eyes—

*Breathe* *Breathe*

The moment I detected that perfectly even breathing very close by, I had the intuition that I should postpone that task.

Why?

Because I realized that breathing pattern matched exactly with the sound someone I know very well makes when they’re sleeping peacefully.

This meant I didn’t need to force my eyes open to assess the situation, which had seemed somewhat foolish in retrospect.

It also meant I could drift back to sleep without worry, as there was no problem at all.

So, releasing the effort I was putting into lifting my eyelids…

“…”

I silently surrendered myself again to the marsh of slumber that was calling me.

After the brief confrontation with Desire, I needed much more time to recover from the exhaustion of having pushed my body to its limits by drawing out every last bit of strength I had.

Besides, I didn’t want to risk disturbing Shizu, who was sleeping close to me, though I couldn’t see in what position.

The last thing I saw before forcibly falling asleep was the night sky regaining its original color after being covered with crimson particles.

I didn’t get to properly enjoy the night sky’s ambiance as my eyes closed just as I was about to take it in.

But that was okay.

Because I could already picture what I would see when I opened my eyes again.

That would be…

#

My eyelids feel light.

I’m not sure how much time has passed since I closed my eyelids again, reassured by the knowledge that I was safe even with my eyes closed.

But it was the perfect signal that the fatigue accumulated during the fierce battle had dissipated and my depleted strength had fully recovered.

So I easily lifted my eyelids that no longer needed to remain closed.

“…”

The sight that unfolded before me immediately cleared away the cloudiness that normally accompanies just-opened eyes.

What did I see that dispelled the inevitable cloudiness despite my eyes having just opened?

It was a golden wave.

A beautiful golden hue reminiscent of a wheat field ready for harvest brightened my vision—how could I feel any cloudiness with such a sight before me?

Beautiful. Truly beautiful.

Just as people feel abundance in their hearts when looking at a wheat field ready for harvest.

I too felt one emotion strongly as I watched the golden waves rippling before me.

What emotion, you ask?

“Mmm…”

Before answering, I should gently embrace the protagonist of this golden wave, who had been in light sleep and was now awakening, sensing that I was awake.

“Good morning.”

After offering the greeting we always exchange when first facing each other at the start of the day.

“Shizu.”

I called your name with a voice filled with as much warmth as I could possibly contain.

It might have seemed like a simple, perhaps trivial exchange.

“…!!”

But it was an incredibly effective greeting for my angel who was still in a half-asleep state.

The long, golden waves of hair that had been rippling peacefully suddenly moved dramatically.

Following the gold, I was now shown blue waves reminiscent of the morning sky regaining its light at dawn.

Gold followed by blue.

What a luxury.

Seeing this, I focused on transforming the slight fatigue trying to settle on my face into a smile.

When I was about to meet eyes with someone precious who felt like I hadn’t seen them in a very long time.

How concerned would they be if I showed a strange expression marred by fatigue?

But as I thought this and examined Shizu’s expression as she looked at me.

I could see her expression changing more dramatically than I had anticipated.

The slightly disheveled look of someone just waking up.

The joy that appeared the moment she saw I was awake, though it lasted only briefly.

Soon, concern began to creep into Shizu’s expression, which had been contorted slightly with joy.

“…Karl!!”

She called out to me loudly with the most intense emotion her voice could carry.

Then, with arms that were small and slender yet contained a strength greater than anything in the world, she embraced my back and asked:

“Are you okay? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Are you tired? Are you hungry?”

She chose to inquire about my well-being with a voice that mixed concern, urgency, and relief all at once.

…I had merely fallen asleep from exhaustion, yet her reaction was as if she were seeing someone who had returned from the brink of death.

[Well, that’s because… No, more importantly, hurry up and calm her down. She’s not thinking straight. If you leave her like this, your back won’t survive.]

Paphnir’s voice echoed in my confused mind, prioritizing calming her down over explaining the situation.

I was already thinking that soothing Shizu, who was holding me and fidgeting anxiously, took precedence over resolving my confusion.

So I carefully placed my right hand on the crown of Shizu’s head as she nestled in my arms, frantically asking about my condition.

With a touch more careful than one would use handling a fragile object, I stroked her head.

The strength in Shizu’s hands, which had been mercilessly gripping my back and would have continued to do so had I delayed stroking her head even slightly, gradually diminished.

“…Karl?”

From Shizu’s lips, which had been spouting nearly incoherent words after nestling in my arms, I finally heard her call my name with a relatively calm voice.

Lowering my head slightly, I met Shizu’s eyes as she looked up at me from within my arms, and only then could I confirm her expression again.

It may go without saying, but the emotion embedded in Shizu’s expression as I looked down at her was deep relief.

“Feeling a bit calmer now?”

“…Y-yes.”

And the emotion in her voice as she shyly answered my question was a mixture of relief and belated embarrassment.

To wake up after collapsing into unconsciousness and be greeted by the sight of someone I care for displaying such a rich array of emotions.

It was an overflowing happiness, and one I wanted to protect forever.

#

A short while after the not-quite-commotion had settled.

I was finally able to hear various stories from Shizu, who had regained her composure.

Most of it was about what happened right before I fainted, when my strength was draining and my consciousness was dim, so my memories weren’t clear.

As soon as I heard it, I could naturally understand why she had made such a fuss upon seeing me awake.

After I collapsed to the ground as if falling asleep.

The Dragon Scale Armor that had been covering my body shattered and disappeared.

Shizu, thinking something had happened to me, urgently approached and found that my condition wasn’t good at all.

My pulse, breathing, and a complexion so pale that even the word “ashen” couldn’t adequately describe it.

After confirming this, she carried me on her back all the way here—that was the end of Shizu’s account.

“…”

I struggled to cool my face, which was threatening to heat up with a strange embarrassment.

It was an embarrassment composed of multiple elements.

The embarrassment of having worried the person I care about to the point of making her pale with fear, just because I had overused my spirit energy without sustaining a single physical injury.

And the embarrassment of finding myself in a situation opposite to the usual—normally, I was always the one carrying her when something happened.

These factors combined to create an effect that wouldn’t be easily calmed if only one had been at play.

Fortunately or unfortunately:

[You collapsed too quickly once the tension eased after the situation ended. It’s proof that your training is still insufficient.]

Thanks to Paphnir, who clearly mocked me in my confused mind and made me bristle, I was able to redirect my embarrassment in another direction.

Moreover, after hearing her story, I also had something to say to the teasing Paphnir:

‘…Didn’t I ask you before to make the Dragon Scale Armor disappear quietly when its summoning ends? If it had just vanished silently, at least half of Shizu’s worry that we saw until just now could have been avoided.’

I immediately pointed out the element that had caused Shizu unnecessary worry.

[…Why? It looks cool.]

‘….’

I was left speechless as Paphnir responded with immediate confidence, as if wondering why I was making a fuss over such a thing.

[If your body had truly run out of spirit energy completely, would the Dragon Scale Armor have disappeared so spectacularly? You fainted because the psychological pressure disappeared and your tension released. You should have at least dismissed the armor summoning before fainting. It’s not my fault.]

And with such nagging on top of it all, I was on the verge of losing any words I might have had.

So instead of focusing on the argument with Paphnir—which would only result in one-sided loss for me—

I placed my hand on the crown of Shizu’s head as she maintained an appropriate distance after leaving my embrace, telling me what had happened while I was unconscious.

“I’m sorry for collapsing without thinking about the aftermath once the danger passed and the tension released. I gave you unnecessary worry.”

I focused on apologizing.

That was also the moment when Shizu’s expression, which had been anxious as she glumly recounted what had happened, brightened.

Seeing that only confirmed my conviction.

What’s the point of engaging in a conversation where I’d only end up at a disadvantage?

What matters is expressing gratitude and apology to the person who worried about me and dozed off beside the bed, and alleviating her concerns.

I did have some thoughts about what might have happened to Wolzé, who was caught by Adorator and exploited for her power.

And some anxiety about whether our schedule to return home after completing the delegation mission had been disrupted.

But right now, I should spend time expressing sincere gratitude to the person who was so relieved that I had awakened.

As I thought this while diligently moving my right hand to stroke Shizu’s crown, I noticed one thing.

Ah, Shizu’s hair is always so soft.

If I can enjoy such luxury as a reward for fighting hard against demonic realm beings, I think I could fight again and again.