Ch.5353. Denial (1)

A hastily assembled surgical environment. For tens of minutes now, an anesthetized person’s flesh has been cut and something has been attached.

Internal organs that couldn’t be healed by magic alone were cleanly restored through the combination of western medicine and healing magic.

The final suturing process. Soon, the blood-stained surgical tools are lowered from Professor Dahlia’s hands.

“Good work.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The surgery was over. The surgery of my former colleague who had been dying.

“I can say with certainty that I couldn’t have saved her alone. The areas requiring healing magic were too deep, requiring the abdomen to remain open for an extended period.”

I had been keeping the incised abdomen open as Professor Dahlia instructed.

If someone were to ask if that’s all I did, I would answer that even this was a critical responsibility requiring focus.

Even a slight deviation in angle from the affected area could impact the recovery of internal organs, so I had to concentrate with all my attention.

It seems I managed to do it well, and the surgery was successfully completed.

“This girl was saved by you. Not me.”

“…Why would you say something so absurd?”

If Professor Dahlia’s name were mentioned, doctors throughout the Ardelion Principality would jump in surprise.

To say that I saved Erica is completely nonsensical.

Professor Dahlia insisted it was true, smirking as she threw off her surgical gloves.

“You weren’t particularly close, were you?”

“…Pardon?”

“I can tell. I’ve seen this many times before.”

What is she talking about?

“Doctors can understand the relationship between people just by observing how they look at patients. From that perspective, you don’t seem to be on good terms with this girl Erica.”

“Is that so.”

That could be true. How many people has this green-haired middle-aged woman saved in her lifetime?

Years of experience and skill are absolutely not to be dismissed.

“…”

I slightly turned my head to look at Erica.

Not on good terms, huh. That’s correct.

I only stepped up because I had a compelling reason to help save Erica, nothing more.

I wouldn’t mind if she opened her eyes right now and looked at me with those contemptuous eyes.

The Tembris party members must all, without exception, stay alive.

That’s why I helped, and that’s how the principality won’t collapse.

If you end up resolving the issues erupting inside and outside the Ardelion Principality, I don’t mind wasting a bit of my emotions.

So, protect the principality with your hands. I’ll try my best to have no connection with you until the end.

‘Now there’s something more important to address.’

It’s time for me to say what needs to be said.

“I’d like to make a situation report.”

“A report?”

I intend to organize and convey to Professor Dahlia the series of events that have occurred.

In the process, I plan to add a bit of my own influence as well.

I’ve finished what I needed to say, and Professor Dahlia is making a somewhat enigmatic expression.

“Would that be acceptable?”

“It’s not difficult, but…”

Why are you making that face? That was the look in her eyes.

“I helped you, so you can at least do this much for me, right?”

“I never said I wouldn’t. But, don’t you find it a bit strange yourself?”

Of course it feels strange. But I need to do this to create some insurance for myself.

“I have my reasons.”

“…Alright. I’ll do as you ask.”

I said I would go ahead first and took my leave.

The smell of blood permeates the dark night air.

It’s not blood from my body, nor is my clothing stained with blood.

And since no one died here, the smell of blood must be coming from my clothes.

-Sniff, sniff.

“Ugh, this feels unpleasant.”

The blood smell embedded in my clothes keeps rising, which would be quite awkward if I were to encounter someone.

Students around me turned their heads away as if fleeing when they saw me.

Perhaps they’re concerned after seeing me follow Professor Dahlia earlier. Not that knowing this now changes anything.

Considering what lies ahead, I have several matters to deal with alone, so there’s no need to be troubled by something like this.

Just as I was letting it go, as if to deny that, someone gently grabbed my sleeve.

“…Silvia? Have you been waiting all this time?”

Seeing her nod, it seems that was the case.

“You must be tired. Why didn’t you go home?”

“I’m not the only one who’s tired. Ugh…”

As soon as I turned to look at her, she wrinkled her nose. She must have smelled it too.

“You hate the smell of blood. Go ahead first.”

This is Silvia, who would turn her head away in disgust at the mere sight of meat pieces I had hurriedly bought to feed the magical beasts.

The scent of human blood must be permeating my body, which is even worse, so it would be better to send Silvia ahead.

I didn’t want her to smell this now, nor did I want to urge her to return together.

“…Are you really okay?”

“Yes.”

But she just shook her head, and despite my attempts to persuade her a few times, Silvia was determined not to leave my side.

She walked with me toward the dormitories until we reached the point where the male and female dormitories diverged.

We walked without conversation as I felt bad about the blood smell making her uncomfortable, and I felt sorry for Silvia.

She got involved because of me and had to witness and smell things that weren’t mentally pleasant.

Moreover, I had passed on to her something like an important position, so I truly owed her a great debt.

With these thoughts, I walked until we reached the path where the male and female dormitories separated.

“Thank you, Silvia.”

“Huh?”

“It was thanks to you that the others listened. If I had been the one to speak, it wouldn’t have worked at all.”

“That’s… probably because they don’t know better…”

“My reputation is what it is, I suppose. More importantly, tell me if there’s anything you want. I’ll grant it next time.”

It would prick my conscience to just let it go. Silvia had gone through hardship because of me, not just any hardship but real suffering.

“Something… I want?”

“Yes. I’ll grant anything as long as it’s not too unreasonable.”

“Hmm…”

Silvia, with a flushed face, seemed to be thinking of something, then was about to speak but grabbed her head again as if reconsidering.

The sight of her pondering what to say was quite adorable.

Telling her to think about it and let me know later, I parted ways with Silvia and headed to my dormitory.

Now that the commotion was over, it was time to return to my daily routine.

I’m tired. I wanted to wash off this body steeped in that fishy, unpleasant smell and lie down in bed as soon as possible.

***

Although there were no fatalities in the Osoptera defense battle, there were quite a few injured.

Since damage to ordinary citizens and civilians was extremely minimal, the injured were mostly academy students.

One of the two most severely injured people opened her eyes.

“Nngh…!”

As mana flowed through her circuits, seemingly hot enough to scorch her skin, Aris opened her eyes to the pain.

“Breathe slowly. If you hold your breath, the mana won’t circulate properly, and the pain will only last longer.”

“Haaah… Hoooo…”

“That’s right, you’re doing well. Keep doing that.”

“Are you… Professor Dahlia?”

“I thought I’d be overshadowed by other more famous professors. I’m grateful someone recognizes me.”

Aris found the ceiling unfamiliar. Along with the white-gowned female professor standing right beside her.

This whole situation felt alien, as if she had been injured and brought to a hospital.

“How did I…”

Aris wanted to ask how she ended up here. Dahlia, who had been taking a sip of coffee, immediately spoke.

“All the Osoptera have been dealt with, and all students are safe. You and Erica suffered mana exhaustion and are recovering after treatment.”

“Recovering…? Erica too…?”

“As it happens, I arrived at just the right time to perform surgery. She was actually on the brink of death.”

Dahlia took another sip of coffee from her mug.

“I see…”

The number of Osoptera hadn’t decreased, and despite retreating repeatedly, the battle situation hadn’t improved.

They were short on power, and amidst that, Erica, the ace of sustained combat, suffered a terrible fate due to those who had fled.

The situation changed when reinforcements arrived at the end. That’s all Aris could think.

“Um, Professor.”

“Yes, I’m listening, go ahead.”

“I should have said this first, but I’m saying it belatedly. Thank you.”

Aris, regulating her heated breathing, expressed gratitude for saving her and Erica.

However, Dahlia, despite hearing the words that would most reassure a doctor about their patient, did not seem pleased.

These words weren’t meant for her.

‘It wasn’t me who saved you.’

Based on the circumstances, the person who saved Erica and Aris was a male student.

A black-haired third-year student who was full of enemies at this academy, had a rock-bottom reputation, and whom no one was pleased with.

Junon, known as the weakest vanguard and the dunce of Class E.

That’s why Dahlia didn’t accept Aris’s thanks and let it pass. Someday, these words should be directed not to her but to him.

It’s questionable whether he would welcome it when Aris and Erica realize this and learn that their benefactor is Junon.

“Sigh. Anyway, Aris. Listen carefully.”

Now it was time to fulfill Junon’s request.

“You’ve been identified as the person who contributed most significantly to this Osoptera defense battle. This will likely be recorded in reports and presentations.”

“What? But that’s…”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

“No, it’s not that I don’t like it, but…”

She couldn’t help but find it strange.

Although Aris had led the students in resistance, it couldn’t be said to have been particularly effective.

After informing her of the content that would be formally recorded and telling her to remember it that way, Dahlia left Aris’s hospital room.

She didn’t feel entirely satisfied.

‘Honestly, I don’t want to announce it this way either.’

It was evident even to Dahlia, who had directly observed the cleanup process.

The students remaining at the academy weren’t the 4th or 5th years who had experienced actual combat.

They were only 3rd years who had barely participated in mock battles, early semester evaluations, and the Tveshar joint practical training, along with clueless 1st years and still inadequate 2nd years.

Without someone skilled in command, organization, deployment, and situation assessment, it wouldn’t be strange if they had all been annihilated.

It seemed that things were maintained for a while thanks to Aris, but there were abundant signs of retreat.

Even if Aris had held the command structure and led the students, it could be inferred that she hadn’t given the right directions.

It was presumed that the command structure changed during the retreat, and if they had adopted the Hasirt 3-formation from the beginning instead of the Kenick 6-formation, Erica wouldn’t have been severely injured.

The most puzzling thing was who could have thought of holding out in Alcaide Hall.

Most likely, someone who intervened midway changed the formation, created an opening, and guided them there.

The person who endured as long as possible using even the Blushuar Arc, and led the Alcaide Hall siege with team rotations.

‘Based on the circumstances, that’s definitely you, Junon.’

Few people know that the person who gave those instructions was Junon. Even those students who need mental and physical treatment would want to forget this nightmare, so essentially only Dahlia knows the full truth.

‘But why do you want to hide it?’

-‘Today, I only followed Aris’s instructions. Please spread only that.’

Junon asked at the end to conceal his actions. That was quite unsatisfying, making her crave coffee repeatedly.

“…When did I finish it?”

She had already emptied a cup of coffee. Only now did she realize she was holding an empty cup after continuously sipping coffee while pondering Junon’s request.

The face of the male student who showed not a single moment of agitation during surgery kept coming to mind.

Those eyes, calmly applying disinfectant and gazing composedly at the patient’s abdomen while wearing latex gloves, were somehow chilling.

It was a life-or-death situation, a surgical procedure. Yet he showed no agitation? Instead of frowning and saying he wanted to run away?

Did it mean he had seen human intestines and blood more than once?

…Really? That young boy who had just come of age?

-Gulp.

Though she knew it was absurd, the nagging thought wouldn’t leave her mind.

“This won’t do. I need another cup.”

Normally, she would have dismissed it as just another peculiar student, but why was she dwelling on it so deeply?

Today seemed like a day for bitter coffee.