Ch.58Chapter 58 – Emperor, Chancellor, Mechanic, All Puzzling

Perhaps the most commonly used line in the opening of creative works might be this:

“An unfamiliar ceiling.”

I recall it’s a phrase that frequently appears in works featuring regression, possession, or reincarnation.

But I never thought I’d be the one saying it…

No, seriously—when I regained consciousness and opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling was there to greet me!

Anyway, the last thing I remember before losing consciousness after going down to the imperial palace basement was… striking the corrupted holy sword Zebario with my hammer for the third time.

Right after that, a sudden shockwave occurred, and I was caught in it and lost consciousness… that’s the summary I can provide.

What’s the evidence that I lost consciousness?

The most objective evidence is the clothing I’m wearing.

‘That would be the patient gown I’m wearing.’

A slightly stiff white patient gown that smells of disinfectant.

Plus, my head feels a bit constricted, suggesting there’s a bandage wrapped around it.

I tried to lift my hand to remove the bandage, but pain shoots through me whenever I move.

Is this what it feels like to be hit by a car, thrown into the air, and rolled across the ground?

I turned my head to survey my surroundings.

I needed to figure out where I was in order to plan what to do next.

One bed where I was lying. One table. Two chairs.

Something that looked like a basket containing basic first aid supplies was placed on the table.

‘Am I still inside the imperial palace?’

I’m curious about what happened after I lost consciousness.

To hear the full story, I’d need to ask the Prime Minister or His Majesty the Emperor.

However, I had absolutely no means of contacting either of them.

Moreover, the terrible pain throughout my body was adamantly refusing to let me get out of bed.

Whenever I tried to move my legs even slightly to get out of bed, a sharp pain would surge through my lower body.

The fact that I could feel sensation down there meant my lower body was functional, but…

“How many days has Patient Pathos been bedridden?”

“About three days… Oh my!”

Just then, the door opened and two women who appeared to be nurses entered. One of them saw me and dropped what she was holding in surprise.

She had been carrying a small basket containing what looked like a bottle of disinfectant, bandages, fixing pins, and scissors.

I assume they had come to change the bandage wrapped around my head.

“P-Patient Pathos? Are you awake?”

“Ah, yes. I just woke up a little while ago.”

The nurses, dressed in black one-piece dresses with white aprons, approached me.

Both wore armbands on their forearms with red hearts embroidered on them.

I’m guessing it’s a symbol indicating they’re nurses or medical professionals.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll bring the doctor in charge.”

The nurse who had entered first left to call the doctor, while the one who had dropped the basket hurriedly picked up her scattered items.

By the way, how long am I going to be stuck like this?

‘Couldn’t I just use my ability on my own body?’

On the off chance it might work, I transformed my bracelet into a hammer.

Though my arm was difficult to move, I used my wrist snap to strike my body three times with the hammer, hoping it would heal.

‘Ah, as expected, nothing.’

But striking my body with the hammer had no effect whatsoever.

The pain I felt with every movement remained unchanged.

Like the saying “a monk can’t shave his own head,” it seemed I couldn’t fix my own body with my ability.

‘If I could heal my own body with my ability, what could be more overpowered than that?’

If I ever get the chance to meet Epitrina again, I must ask her about ways to apply my ability to myself.

Considering I can fix everything else but not my own body, it suddenly occurred to me that this might be Epitrina’s way of maintaining balance.

“Huff, huff… Patient Pathos? You’re really awake?”

“What did I tell you, huff… I said he was really awake!”

By the time the nurse who had dropped the basket finished tidying up, the other nurse returned with the doctor.

“Phew, I’m glad you’ve regained consciousness. Can you move your body at all?”

“It’s uncomfortable to move because of the pain.”

“Hmm, the fact that pain remains even after administering the elixir…”

“Excuse me?”

Hold on, doctor.

Did I just hear that correctly?

What did you just say you administered to me?

“Ah, don’t worry. We won’t be charging you for the elixir.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“His Majesty the Emperor specifically instructed us to take special care in your treatment, so another bottle of elixir will be administered in a few days. That should completely eliminate the pain currently afflicting your body.”

It seemed the doctor had administered an elixir because the Emperor had specifically instructed them to take special care in my treatment.

‘But if they needed to use an elixir, just how badly was I injured?’

An elixir is a medicine so effective it can save someone on the brink of death.

If I was in a state that required its use, just how severely was I injured?

‘Wait a minute. What happened to Zebario?’

Thinking back, I definitely struck Zebario three times with my hammer.

Then I lost consciousness due to the shockwave, but there’s a high possibility my ability activated correctly.

“For now, please rest, and I’ll report to the Prime Minister right away.”

“Understood.”

I don’t know. I just felt like I needed to rest for now.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. When I wake up, someone will probably be here to explain the situation.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

Emperor Decatro IV of the Gelebrio Empire.

Prime Minister Bergen Steyler of the Gelebrio Empire.

The two men were currently conversing in the Emperor’s office.

“The doctor says that while the wounds on Pathos’s body have healed, he remains unconscious for some reason.”

What came from Bergen Steyler’s mouth was about Pathos’s health.

Pathos had awakened, but the last Bergen had seen of him was his unconscious form, sleeping as if dead.

“Is there any possibility of him waking up?”

Decatro IV was worried about what would happen if Pathos didn’t regain consciousness.

After all, he was a benefactor who had not only cured his baldness but also solved a problem that had been passed down through generations since his ancestors.

“We’ve sent a letter to the Great Goddess Order and received a reply.”

Bergen’s voice lacked energy as he answered Decatro IV’s question.

“What did the Great Goddess Order say?”

“Archbishop Bertrand said, ‘The Goddess says to tell you that if left alone, he will wake up on his own.'”

“Hmm. If Archbishop Bertrand says so, at least he’s not dead.”

“Perhaps we should wait and see for now?”

Decatro IV could only nod silently at Bergen’s words.

Pathos’s condition had been so critical that they had to use an elixir stored in the imperial palace.

“That aside, it was truly an astonishing ability.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

Bergen and Decatro IV could never forget what they had witnessed in the imperial palace basement.

“To think that a holy sword corrupted by demonic energy… would vanish.”

“It’s clear that the ability Pathos possesses is… not simply the power to fix things.”

Until now, other objects affected by Pathos’s ability had been restored to their best condition.

But Zebario was different—when Pathos’s ability was used on it, it was enveloped in brilliant light, and then vanished with a massive shockwave.

—KEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!

The sound Zebario made as it vanished was like the wail of a demon.

That wail was so horrific that both men could still hear that bizarre sound echoing in their ears.

“So, what’s your theory?”

“I believe that the ability Pathos received from the Great Goddess is… perhaps the power to return something to its ‘correct’ state.”

Bergen had his own theory about what Pathos’s ability might be.

“Indeed… there’s merit to that idea. However, he himself said his ability allows him to fix anything.”

“He seems to possess an ability more puzzling than any other ability user who has revealed themselves so far.”

“I share your sentiment.”

As the two were theorizing about Pathos’s ability—

“Your Majesty. There’s a message from the director of the Imperial Medical Center.”

“What is it?”

“Pathos has regained consciousness.”

“What?”

The news that Pathos had awakened was delivered to the Emperor’s office.