Chapter 236

I felt like I had a long dream.

A bad dream, perhaps, or maybe a good one.

All I knew for sure was that when I opened my eyes, I was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.

Yes, an unfamiliar ceiling.

“…”

What was this?

Had I been transported to another world… No, that couldn’t be it.

The pain in my abdomen brought me back to reality.

It was the wound I had received from the mad necromancer.

My abdomen was tightly bandaged.

“…I somehow survived.”

I muttered in relief, touching the bandages.

I had been worried that I might have suffered severe organ damage, but it seemed like it wasn’t that bad.

“But I’m not fully healed…”

The pain lingered, and my body didn’t feel right.

It felt heavy and weak.

Well, it would be strange if I had already recovered from such a serious injury.

“By the way… is this a hospital?”

The bed itself smelled like a hospital.

And it was the only place I could be, considering I was injured.

But.

“…Do hospital rooms usually look like this?”

I muttered, my expression puzzled.

This wasn’t a small clinic. If it was a hospital, it could only be one place in the Holy City.

Lumiere Hospital, located on a hill near Lumiere Cathedral.

It was run by the Church, and thanks to their generous support, the quality of medical care was among the best on the continent.

Even in the game, students from Holy Lepheria Academy were treated here when they were injured.

Despite the complex power dynamics, Lepheria Academy was essentially a Church-affiliated school, so it was only natural.

So there was no way I could mistake the hospital room.

And the ceiling couldn’t be unfamiliar.

That meant…

“Is this the special ward?”

I chuckled, realizing the truth.

Lumiere Hospital, as befitting its reputation as one of the best hospitals on the continent, had top-notch facilities.

It had multiple buildings spread across a vast area.

The main building housed the general ward, but there was also a special ward.

Of course, it wasn’t accessible to everyone.

Only patients who met certain criteria could be admitted.

Those with special status, or those with a lot of money.

Camian, the second son of a minor baron, didn’t qualify for either, so he was always stuck in the general ward.

But I, Max Celtrine, was different.

I had to be.

Because I was rich.

“This is nice.”

The general ward rooms were shared.

But this was a private room.

It was far more comfortable.

And the room itself was several times larger.

There was a luxurious sofa, a wardrobe, a large mirror, a table for conversations, and even what seemed to be a private bathroom.

“Ugh.”

I spotted a water bottle on the table and tried to get up.

I was thirsty.

I needed to quench my thirst and call for someone.

But.

Thud!

The moment I put my feet on the floor, I lost my balance and collapsed.

Fortunately, the floor was covered in a soft carpet, so I didn’t hit my head too hard.

“Damn it, why is my body so weak?”

I felt even weaker than I had thought.

I had assumed I had only been unconscious for a day, but it seemed like it had been longer.

I needed to assess the situation, so I tried to call for someone.

But before I could,

The door opened.

Someone must have heard me fall.

A nurse in a white uniform.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me on the floor.

“He’s… He’s awake! Patient number 3 in the special ward is awake!”

* * *

“…So I was unconscious for four days?”

“That’s right, Mr. Max.”

The doctor, a man with gold-rimmed glasses and a trustworthy demeanor, nodded.

He was probably one of the best doctors at Lumiere Hospital.

I had never seen him before when I was Camian.

Money was truly a powerful thing.

“What exactly was my condition?”

“Well, it wasn’t good. The wound passed through an area with many vital organs and blood vessels.”

“…I see. But the fact that I woke up in this condition means that the wound didn’t damage anything too critical.”

“That’s not entirely true.”

“Huh?”

“Your spleen was severely damaged. As you may know, the spleen is a highly vascular organ. If it’s damaged, it can cause severe bleeding, leading to a high risk of death from blood loss.”

“…”

I was speechless.

It was that serious?

It was a miracle that I had woken up after five days.

No… how did I even survive in the first place?

It seemed like a wound that could have killed me before I even reached the hospital.

Of course, there would have been first aid, but even Annette, the Named Healer, or Amy, the Baguette Senior, wouldn’t have been able to treat such a severe injury.

My question was answered by the doctor’s next words.

“If it weren’t for her, a miracle might not have happened.”

“Her?”

“Ah, I’m talking about the Headmaster. Headmaster Arifer.”

I finally understood how I had survived.

Headmaster Arifer.

Her miraculous healing abilities, called the “Angel’s Return” or even the “Saint’s Return” by some, would have been enough to provide emergency treatment.

I must have been lucky that she was near the Tower of Infinity.

“She stopped the bleeding, almost miraculously. All we had to do was properly stitch up the wound. You were very lucky, Mr. Max. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that it was a divine grace.”

“I see.”

I replied, lost in thought.

Fate wouldn’t change so easily.

It also meant that the mad necromancer was a truly dangerous opponent.

Perhaps the princess had been referring to this when she had mentioned a bad feeling.

But the important thing was that I was alive.

Everything I had desperately prepared for had saved me.

I had killed the mad necromancer.

And I had been lucky enough to receive emergency treatment from the Headmaster.

No, I had created my own luck.

Because luck was something only those who worked hard could grasp.

“Then is it possible to be discharged today…”

“What are you talking about?”

The doctor looked at me as if I was crazy.

“You might be conscious, but you still need absolute bed rest. You’re in no condition to exert yourself, and if you do, the wound might not heal properly, leading to complications.”

The doctor said firmly.

If he was being this insistent, it would be wise to follow his advice.

Even though every day was precious.

“Hmm, alright. Then when can I be discharged…”

“We’ll monitor your condition for at least a week. We’ll decide after that.”

…And so, I was forced to take an unexpected long break.

* * *

My body was comfortable.

But it was also a boring time.

All I did was eat, sleep, take walks, and read.

I learned about the aftermath of the incident from the newspapers.

Nine deaths.

One faculty member and eight students.

And dozens of injured, including those with serious injuries.

Of course, I was among the seriously injured.

“Hmm, we managed to keep the death toll below ten.”

It was a miracle.

It was an incident that usually resulted in at least ten deaths.

It was only natural, considering the number of undead that had rampaged simultaneously and the fact that there was no outside help due to the barrier.

Looking at the results alone, it was a huge success.

My role had been crucial, preparing the Holy Light scrolls in advance, leading the students as their leader on the day of the incident, and even defeating the culprit myself.

But I couldn’t have achieved such results alone.

There must have been others who had contributed, like the princess.

I would soon learn about their efforts.

Because visitors were allowed starting today.

As someone who was enjoying a “colorful” school life, I expected to have quite a few visitors from day one, so I could just ask them.

Of course, if no one came, I would feel disillusioned with life and dig a hole to hide in, but that wouldn’t happen, right?

…I didn’t know at the time.

That such a commotion would occur regarding my visitors.

* * *

“The special ward, you said?”

“That’s right.”

Amy and Diana hurried towards their destination.

They had rushed over as soon as they heard that visitors were allowed.

It was only natural for them to visit the junior who had saved them from a terrible ordeal in the storage shed.

They carried flowers and a fruit basket, the standard gifts for hospital visits.

…And of course, Amy also had a baguette in her hand.

As they walked towards the special ward on the hill,

“Huh? Look…”

Amy’s eyes widened as she spotted someone.

“It’s Handsome Junior’s brother!”

…Allen, who had a perfectly good name, was still being called “Handsome Junior’s brother.”

It was the sorrow of an older brother with a talented younger sibling.

“It’s Allen, Allen,” Diana said, reminding her to use his proper name.

But she seemed to have forgotten that she also called Riviera “Sickly Pretty Genius Mage Junior” and Alfred “Mask Junior.”

“What does it matter if it’s Allen or Aellen?”

“…”

“The important thing is that it hurts my pride to lose to Handsome Junior’s brother.”

Now Allen was even being called “the guy it hurts your pride to lose to.”

“I agree.”

…Even Diana agreed.

Looking at him, fumbling around like a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the big city, their words made sense.

“So let’s overtake him.”

“Okay.”

They quickly reached a consensus and increased their pace.

As they were about to pass him,

Whoosh!

Something flew past them.

A bird?

No, it wasn’t a bird.

It was clearly a person.

A person was flying!

…And almost skimming the ground.

“Whoa! It’s not a bird, it’s a person! And why is she flying like that?!”

Amy’s eyes widened in shock.

“Huh? Sickly Pretty Genius Mage Junior?”

Diana also exclaimed in surprise.

“Ugh, this is so unfair! Why are you leaving me behind?!”

Allen cried out in despair.

He seemed deeply betrayed by his friend.

Riviera ignored him, turning her head and saying nonchalantly,

“It hurts my pride to lose to Allen. I’m going first.”

Crash!

Amy and Diana witnessed Allen’s mental breakdown in real time.

They had said similar things, but they never thought anyone would actually say that to his face.

She was a terrifying junior.

Allen seemed to have completely lost his mind.

“Sob, sob… Mother, I’m sorry… I’m sorry for being such a useless son… I’m sorry for living like this… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

He looked pathetic.

But society was cruel.

“Okay, we overtook him.”

“Our pride is safe.”

Amy and Diana passed Allen on the hill.

“Uh… uh…”

Allen was speechless.

A perfect loser had been born.

But it seemed like the real competition was about to begin.

“Run, Annette!”

Camian’s voice.

It came from the bottom of the hill.

“Wh-Why are we running?”

“It’s a matter of pride!”

“Eh? P-Pride?”

Camian dragged the bewildered Annette up the hill, his expression determined.

He couldn’t let those seniors, who he wasn’t even close to, get ahead of him in visiting Max.

…Annette, who valued peace over competition, was just confused.

“Oh, you want to challenge us?”

Amy grinned, brandishing her baguette.

“Stop grinning and move, Amy!”

Actions speak louder than words.

Diana urged her friend on.

Her eyes, behind her glasses, gleamed with determination.

She wasn’t physically strong, but they had a head start, so she was confident in their chances of winning.

Tap, tap, tap!

Amy and Diana ran.

Camian and Annette ran.

And.

Allen was left behind…

No.

“Hmph, pathetic. Father always said that the game isn’t over until it’s over.”

“L-Leon?!”

Allen, who had been mentally checked out, suddenly snapped back to reality.

His younger brother, whom he hadn’t expected to see, had suddenly appeared.

“If you want to disgrace our family name, just stay there as a loser.”

He was a true brother.

He seemed to know a hundred ways to motivate his older sibling.

“Wh-What are you talking about?! I would never!”

Allen’s face hardened with determination.

A faint, unreadable smile appeared and disappeared on Leon’s lips.

“Then go! Go, brother!”

“Alright, of course!”

Allen ran with renewed vigor.

Leon ran beside him.

“Whoa, Handsome Junior, you resurrected your dead brother?”

“…He wasn’t dead in the first place, Amy.”

“Hehehe, well, whatever. We can’t lose. Not to those juniors.”

“Heh, I like the way you think. Let’s go all out.”

Amy and Diana, showing their senior spirit, ran with all their might.

“We can’t lose either, Annette!”

“Th-That serious?”

“We have to win!”

“Eh? Uh, y-yeah…”

Camian led the official couple in their desperate sprint.

“Our family name.”

“Yeah!”

Motivated by his younger brother, Allen ran with newfound enthusiasm.

The hill leading to the special ward had become a heated race track.

Which team would emerge victorious?

“Good luck, everyone.”

Even Riviera, who had flown ahead, was watching the spectacle with amusement, even cheering them on.

Tap, tap, tap!

Tap, tap!

Tap, tap, tap, tap!

The three teams made their final push.

As the intense and heated competition reached its climax,

The main entrance of the special ward swung open.

Everyone felt a sudden chill, as if a blast of winter air had swept through the area.

No, it wasn’t their imagination.

“Silence in the hospital.”

Regina said coldly, her eyes filled with disapproval.

Clank.

Creak.

…And time seemed to stop.