Ch.291Let’s Get Some Sleep First

“The rest… I guess I’ll have to postpone it until tomorrow. Looking at your condition, I think I need to tie you to a bed right now.”

My conversation with Frider ended around the time the teacup revealed its empty bottom.

There were still things I wanted to discuss, but neither of us was in any condition to stay up all night talking.

“Tie me to a bed?”

“Yes. How many nights have you been awake for your eyes to look like that? They’re about to burst, I swear.”

I pointed at Frider’s eyes that had been bothering me for a while.

It seemed even strong coffee couldn’t hold back her drowsiness, as her bloodshot eyes were filled with fatigue and sleepiness, looking almost like those of a beast.

“…In this situation, I can’t just leisurely sleep when I’m the one in charge.”

“What are you talking about? In this situation, you need proper rest. You said you’re the only Master left. Can you even fight properly in that condition?”

Fighting in that half-asleep state, she might end up getting killed by an ordinary Werebeast rather than a Champion.

Even as a Master, she’s still human. She’ll die just the same if cut.

“If you collapse from fatigue before you can show your true skills, there’s no more pathetic death than that.”

“That’s… not wrong.”

Frider nodded in agreement.

She seemed like she wanted to argue, but even she must have realized she had no counterargument.

While fulfilling a commander’s duties is important, if it prevents her from fighting at full strength as a Master, it’s putting the cart before the horse.

The usual Frider would have managed herself well without me having to point it out.

Whether due to her sense of responsibility, pressure, or anger toward the Werebeasts, this wasn’t like her.

“I’m glad you understand. So just go get some sleep without thinking about anything else. If you’re stubborn about it, I’ll knock you out myself.”

After saying this much, she should go to sleep.

“…If you tried that, it would be eternal sleep rather than just sleep. Anyway, I understand. As you said, I should get some rest.”

“Good. As a student, shouldn’t you heed your professor’s advice?”

“Professor, what…”

Frider chuckled with a smile.

Yes, laugh all you want now. Once we return to the academy, I’ll create special classes just for exceptional students and run you ragged.

—-

“Well, I’ll be going now. I think I need to get some sleep too.”

“Alright. The maids will guide you to your bedroom.”

I put down my empty teacup and stood up.

I hadn’t met Demian and Millia yet, but I planned to postpone that until tomorrow as well.

I needed rest just as much as she did.

As Frider said, as soon as I left the reception room, a maid was waiting and bowed her head in greeting.

“Greetings, Baron Median. I am Ellen, Lady Faelrun’s maid.”

She didn’t quite seem like a maid.

While her attire and demeanor were impeccable, the energy fluctuating around her like worms was unmistakably mana.

“So House Faelrun employs mages as maids? That seems like quite a waste.”

“…I’ve only learned magic at a basic level, not enough to be called a mage. At best, I can create an ice pick.”

Is that so? Judging by her mana presence, it seems like more than that.

She might not be at Kenneth’s level, but that’s still equivalent to a student in the Academy’s magic department.

Well, come to think of it, those guys could only shoot flame arrows at best…

“Well, if that’s the case.”

It doesn’t really matter.

I was just surprised that a woman trained in magic would work as a maid, but she’s not strong enough to be concerned about. She’d die instantly if I struck her.

“May I guide you to your chamber now?”

“Yes, please.”

Ellen bowed apologetically and turned to walk down one side of the corridor.

I followed her to the bedroom.

—-

Whether they provided private rooms for everyone in our party, the room I was guided to was completely empty without a trace of anyone else. There was only one bed.

As if to make it clear this was Faelrun’s place, a Werebeast’s head hung decoratively on one wall, standing out prominently.

“I will return to the Lady. If you need anything, please pull the cord beside the bed.”

“Alright, thank you for guiding me.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as Ellen left, I collapsed onto the bed.

Nice room. The fur-layered blanket was soft, and warm heat seeped through the walls and floor, making it feel cozier than I expected.

Come to think of it, didn’t they say they used hot spring water for heating?

Hot springs… that was nice…

How long had it been since I soaked in warm water?

Moreover, the saying that hot spring baths are good for recovery might not be just a joke, as I felt my recovery was a bit faster.

Still, it would take at least two days to return to full condition.

Well, that’s not bad.

Originally, I came prepared to fight in an even worse state.

Looking up at the ceiling, I pondered what to do next.

More precisely, how to fight. After all, I only had one job from the beginning.

If I could defeat Rurik, the king of the Werebeasts, this great invasion would end. At least we could buy time until the next invasion.

The Champions who returned beyond the mountains would fight to determine a new king.

The problem is that I can’t gauge how strong Rurik is. I know he’s transcended the level of Champion and reached a realm similar to mine, but I don’t know his exact level.

They say he overwhelmed several Masters, but I could do that too, so it’s not a helpful reference.

What kind of power do Werebeasts gain when they transcend their limits…

In the original game, characters who exceeded certain levels could gain new powers based on their race.

Humanity’s power, “Tale of Heros,” is a technique that distorts the laws of the world with one’s soul.

The Dragonborn’s “Dragon Transformation” temporarily transforms their body to be closer to a dragon, and fairies receive powerful high-level spirits from the World Tree.

As for Dwarves… they piloted something like robots that they excavated or restored, I wonder if that’s still the case in reality.

And Werebeasts… they just get stronger.

Rather than gaining completely new powers like other races, their existing physical abilities and regeneration are greatly amplified.

A Werebeast at my level could probably regrow an entire body from just a head in an instant.

Even wounds from silver-mixed or silver weapons would heal quickly.

Simple but powerful.

A race that might be the strongest of all in terms of raw strength and agility, and they keep coming at you no matter how much you cut them.

Ah, but would they die if I cut their neck with a silver blade…?

While pondering various ways to deal with him, I drifted off to sleep.

—-

In my dream, I was dancing.

In the center of a splendid banquet hall where light from chandeliers poured down like drizzle and orchestra music resonated like waves. Wearing a dress, I twirled around, continuing a waltz with my partner.

The hand holding mine seemed twice the size of my own, covered in black fur, soft and warm.

A body with beast-like firm muscles. Beyond the bulging formal attire, a face both wild and dignified looked down at me.

It was Boris.

We faced each other, smiling, and danced endlessly until dawn broke.

…What a ridiculous dream.

—-

It must have become morning already, as when I woke up, sunlight streaming through the window was brightly illuminating the bed.

Hah… Now I’m even having strange dreams…

I covered my eyes with my right hand to block the sunlight and sighed.

A dream of waltzing with Boris? There’s a limit to absurd dreams. This isn’t Beauty and the Beast.

=====[ Perne ]=====

In the dark dormitory of the special building.

The fairy, who could no longer get drunk, was still gulping down from a bottle. It had long since become a habit.

In her right hand was a new order that had arrived from her homeland.

That was precisely why she was expressing displeasure with her entire body.

– Capture and bring back the Dwarf girl of the Red Copper clan residing in Extrashafel. –

An extremely brief message.

Perne questioned whether these people were in their right minds.

‘You want me to kidnap a Dwarf from the middle of the capital? And a foreign student in the Empire at that? Have these senile old fools really decided to restart the racial war?’

Although she had warned Haschal, Perne hadn’t expected her homeland to move so quickly and aggressively.

Ordering her to capture Asha at this point… it was tantamount to declaring a severance of diplomatic relations with the Empire and outright war with the Dwarves.

The Dwarves, being extremely few in number, cherished each of their kind tremendously.

‘No, perhaps they’ve already started the war. News from there hardly reaches here…’

Sighing, Perne crumpled the letter and threw it in the trash.

She had no intention of complying, and there was nothing to gain by doing so.

It was obvious that if she returned, she would become a pawn of the old elders like her other comrades.

She might even be sent as cannon fodder against the Dwarves’ stronghold. No, that would certainly be her fate.

‘If that’s the case, I can no longer remain as a foreign student. If they’ve really started a war, my status as an exceptional student will be revoked. Should I side with the Imperial House then? Or… that Ka’har woman?’

In the past, she would have clung to Leopold without hesitation.

However, with the Empire’s power greatly diminished now… the latter option seemed better.

Perne’s worries only deepened.