Ch.65Hospital Visit

Darkness shrouded the office where not a single candle was lit.

A figure sat in an ornate chair, gazing down at a crystal sphere placed on the desk.

The darkness in the room concealed their appearance.

Whether young, middle-aged, or elderly—it was impossible to tell.

“By the way, this affair exceeded my expectations. Those beasts performed admirably.”

A husky voice emanated from the crystal sphere.

Had others witnessed this scene, they would have been astonished.

At the existence of an object that allowed conversation regardless of distance.

Heaven’s Messenger.

A legendary artifact believed to have vanished in ancient times.

“Indeed. When I sent those few werebeasts to the island’s underground, I thought they’d eliminate at most a hundred students and be done. I never expected the Werebeast Nation to make such a significant move.”

Another voice flowed through—a low female voice, somehow exuding nobility.

“With this, the Holy Grail fills again after eight years. Only one step remains until the first cup overflows.”

The seated figure spoke softly. Their voice was peculiar.

Neither male nor female, neither old nor young.

It had a strange resonance, as if all these voices were mixed together.

“It finally begins.”

“Somewhat regrettable. If not for that woman, this incident alone would have been sufficient.”

The husky voice grumbled.

“That Ka’har woman? I simply cannot fathom what she’s thinking. There’s no consistency in her actions.”

“Indeed. A woman who committed massacres in the east suddenly heads to the Empire, and now she’s inexplicably playing knight? I can’t understand her purpose or intention.”

“The Three Apostles are seething. Apparently, their plans for the east have been completely derailed.”

“—It doesn’t matter. The Holy Grail has filled, and the harbingers of transformation are already appearing.”

The seated figure cut off their conversation.

There was no reason to listen to pointless chatter.

It was time to go out again.

“All for the true gods.”

To his declaration, the voices responded.

“Destroy the false gods, and return the world to its rightful form.”

“At last, we shall achieve ascension.”

And then.

Silence.

======================

An awkward silence briefly hung in the air.

A monster made of intestines that devoured werebeasts?

Even for me, this rumor was rather speechless.

“…I’ll leave these letters here, so please read them later.”

As my silence lengthened, Lacy returned to the main topic, placing the letters she was holding on the table beside my sickbed.

“Read them? In this condition?”

It was an absurd suggestion.

With only my neck able to move, how could I possibly manage?

“In about five days, you should be able to move your upper body somewhat. You won’t have full strength, but you should be able to read letters.”

“Couldn’t you just read them to me now instead?”

Having to wait five whole days seemed incredibly frustrating.

Judging by who had sent the letters, they likely contained important information.

“That would be difficult. I can’t arbitrarily open letters bearing the imperial seal or those of the prince-electors if I’m not the intended recipient. Especially since I’m from the Holy State—that fact alone could cause considerable controversy.”

Lacy shook her head and rose from her seat.

As if to say she was leaving now, without a moment’s hesitation.

I see. Her business is finished, so she has no time for further conversation.

Her attitude was remarkably businesslike, almost eerily so. Like an emergency room doctor.

Well, her role wasn’t all that different, I suppose.

“Wait, I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know Nigel? She’s a female knight who came as my guard. She was severely injured fighting werebeasts, and I asked for her to be treated.”

Nigel. Since waking in the hospital room, she had been my greatest concern. She too had nearly died fighting Boris.

Near-fatal blood loss, massive physical exhaustion, and her left arm completely severed.

If Frider hadn’t been there, she probably would have lost her life before even reaching the main building.

…At that moment, I truly felt a suffocating desperation.

Watching people I care about dying before my eyes has always been a horrific experience.

The state of the island afterward was equally devastating, but…

The human heart inevitably weighs things differently depending on relationships.

Despair and fear. Guilt and anger.

Both were tremendous shocks, but their directions were clearly different.

So. What had happened to Nigel in the end? Had treatment come in time?

If they reattached the severed arm and poured healing miracles into it, would it return to normal?

No, it probably would. These miracles could even restore ruptured internal organs.

I hadn’t bothered asking Millia. She wouldn’t have known.

Millia had no connection to Nigel, and while she recovered quickly, she was a patient just like me.

That’s why I had been holding back this question.

But Lacy, unlike Millia, might know something about Nigel’s condition.

She probably didn’t have any direct connection to Nigel either, but… as a candidate for sainthood, she was likely the person in charge of this shelter.

That’s why I brought it up.

“Nigel…? Nigel… Ah, that female knight from Landenburg. I heard she’s recuperating. Though I haven’t seen her personally.”

Recuperating. So the treatment itself must have been successful.

“Her arm is okay, right? It was completely severed. We did reattach it, but…”

“Yes. If it had been completely lost, that would have been problematic, but even other priests can manage reattaching it. She should fully recover in about two weeks.”

“I see…”

That’s a relief.

Now that I’d heard confirmation from an expert, I could finally feel at ease.

“Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now. I still have many patients to treat.”

“Sure, thank you for your work.”

Lacy stared at me silently for a moment after hearing my response, then wordlessly turned and left the room.

Five days passed like that.

—-

Every morning I received healing arts from the priests, spent the day lying down, and when fatigue overtook me, I fell asleep, only to repeat the cycle.

Days like a hamster wheel.

There wasn’t much else I could do anyway.

The only meal provided was a tasteless thin soup.

Since I still couldn’t move my body, I couldn’t feed myself. Like a baby bird, I would open my mouth, and an apprentice priest serving as a nurse would feed me.

Being cared for by a child who looked about fourteen was honestly a bit embarrassing.

…The truly embarrassing part wasn’t the feeding process, but the consequences that followed.

Every action has its reaction. I painfully realized the meaning of those words.

Yes, if there is input, output must also occur.

It was truly an obvious fact…

Compared to that, the priest’s touch as they unwrapped my bandages and wiped my body with a wet towel was bearable.

Thanks to my raised threshold for shame.

—-

Throughout this time, various acquaintances visited my hospital room.

Millia, Demian, and Asha.

Kalix, who had returned from his dispatch.

And Frider.

Millia told me about the situation at the academy.

The academy was under temporary closure until the situation was resolved.

The buildings were being used as temporary shelters, making classes impossible anyway.

Perhaps thinking of the dead classmates and citizens, her expression darkened as she mentioned this.

Demian bowed his head in gratitude.

Saying he was able to endure thanks to my training.

Well, Natalya’s fighting style was remarkably similar to mine.

Honestly, that was unexpected.

Asha had no injuries. She had merely lost half her assets.

That’s probably why she looked a bit dejected.

Fortunately, she still had 20% of her silver bullion left?

She’d need silver prices to increase fivefold.

…Though that would probably cause economic collapse.

She seemed indifferent about the deaths. I suppose this is the difference between species.

Kalix didn’t say much.

He just asked about my condition once, and after hearing my answer, silently looked at me.

Then, muttering “As expected,” he nodded with satisfaction.

That was it.

And.

I had quite a long conversation with Frider.

—-

It was the morning of the fifth day.

By then I could raise my upper body somewhat, and was thinking about reading the letters.

The door to my room burst open and Frider entered. Without even knocking.

“I heard you were half-alive, so I came to see. It’s true.”

“What, Frider…?”

I was so surprised to see her visiting me that I was speechless.

With her coat tails fluttering, Frider approached me with unstoppable momentum and sat down in the chair.

Her injuries from fighting Boris’s subordinates seemed completely healed, judging by her impressively spirited demeanor.