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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Ugh.”
Fatigue pressed down on my eyelids as if I had returned from a fight. Without realizing it, I made a sound and firmly pressed my eyelids with my fingers.
Still, with the satisfaction of having dealt with a major issue, I headed to the next hospital room.
As I turned the doorknob, I thought I should have called the witches, but upon entering, the witches and Eris were already waiting in this hospital room.
“…… Sister.”
Diana, my sister, who was using the hospital room alone unlike the other kids, sat on the bed and smiled slightly at me.
It felt like my sister was welcoming me home, but the horns protruding from her forehead and the wings on her back gave me a sense of pain rather than discomfort.
“Daniel, you’re here?”
Even though she must be the one suffering the most, my sister pretended as if nothing was wrong and tapped the chair next to her, telling me to sit.
“How’s your body?”
A question I had uttered countless times today.
My sister still answered without losing her smile.
“Yeah, I’m quite used to it now.”
I didn’t bother asking what she had gotten used to, and she didn’t mention it either. I glanced at the Grand Witch sitting next to me and asked.
“What about the treatment?”
It was a result created by No. 17, born from the witches. I thought the Grand Witch would naturally be able to treat it.
“It seems difficult.”
The answer that came back deeply pressed on my heart.
“Why? You should be able to do it. You’ve been researching magic for a long time, you’re not saying you can’t do what your so-called material did, are you?”
When I confronted her with an agitated voice, my sister held my hand to calm me down, and Eris also came next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Research is needed for implantation, and we can also imitate it to some extent. But extracting it is a different matter.”
The Grand Witch began to explain calmly.
To be honest, it was difficult to understand as it was a high-dimensional aspect related to magic, the human body, and the abilities of magical beasts.
Adriana tried to explain it in a way that was easier to understand.
“So think of it as if you dipped paint in water. We can also squeeze out the paint to some extent, but we can’t reverse it back.”
“……”
My fist clenched.
In the end, it meant that my sister had no choice but to live with this appearance for the rest of her life.
“For now, we’ll make a large quantity of magic potions that can hide the characteristics of a dragonkin before we leave. I heard you don’t have much time left until graduation, right?”
My sister nodded at the Grand Witch’s question. As a 5th-year student at Aios Academy, my sister actually had less than half a year left to attend the academy.
“Yes, I actually just need to prepare for graduation, so I don’t even need to attend lectures.”
“Really? That’s even better.”
“What’s better about it?”
The Grand Witch’s every single word had been grating on my nerves since earlier. I spoke sharply, but Eris intervened, telling me not to worry.
“I’ll go and find a treatment method. So calm down a bit, Daniel.”
“Eris will?”
“There’s a child who turned into a dragonkin in Yggdrasil too. And there’s also the Heretic Inquisitor already captured as a prisoner near the Dragon’s Boundary, right? They might know something.”
“…… I’ll go too.”
I said I would leave right away, but Eris shook her head.
“Of course not.”
“……”
“Daniel, you’re a student. As a student, you should study at the academy. I’ll find a solution to this situation. It’s not just me. Mr. Jaguia and Mr. Hatsim, whom you saw last time, also agreed to accompany me.”
If it was those two, I could trust them to some extent. Although it was too short of a time to judge their character, their high positions gave me faith.
“I’ll also accompany them. We witches can’t avoid responsibility either.”
Adriana also smiled slightly, telling me not to worry.
Still, I also wanted to go with them, but my sister Diana, who had been holding my hand, tightened her grip.
“We don’t have many days left to attend the academy together. Let’s be together.”
Sighing, I told Eris.
“…… There’s a tiger-eared beastman that I let go. If you chase after her, you’ll find something.”
In the end, I had no choice but to take a step back.
After that, my sister and I talked about various things.
The conversation was surprisingly no different from usual, which made me feel a bit more at ease.
My mouth was also sore, so I went out for a moment to get some fresh air.
Outside the hospital room, Rin was leaning against the wall, blankly looking out the window.
“Rin?”
Seeing me come out, Rin asked with a considerate smile.
“Did you have a good talk with your sister?”
Realizing that she had deliberately waited outside so as not to disturb my conversation with Diana, I felt embarrassed and scratched the back of my head.
“Well, sort of.”
“Hehe, look at you being embarrassed.”
If you know, don’t say it.
“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
“No, you protected me, didn’t you?”
Rin smiled shyly.
She was so beautiful that it felt like a single painting, and it also seemed to remind me of why I liked her when I was young.
“You kept your promise, didn’t you?”
“……”
The promise I made in Yggdrasil to protect her came to mind again.
Something about it made my face feel slightly hot, so I tried to quietly leave, but Rin followed me.
“What’s wrong?”
Wondering if something was going on, I turned back, and Rin spoke with puffed cheeks and a dissatisfied expression.
“What about me?”
“…… Huh?”
“You patted Eve and Sen’s heads, high-fived Hayun.”
“Wa-wait a minute!”
I tried to rush and cover Rin’s mouth in surprise, but she stepped back and playfully continued talking.
“You kissed the back of Elise’s hand and hugged May, didn’t you?”
Rin deliberately made a tsk sound loudly for me to hear and asked with her arms crossed.
“Then what about me? Me, who is your childhood friend, who single-handedly destroyed the Tudogs’ base, and who fought their leader?”
What should I say in this situation?
This is Ares’ area of expertise, so I can’t do anything about it.
“Hmm, should I at least buy you a meal?”
I said it just in case, thinking of what Tana had told me to treat her to a meal, but Rin made an X with her fingers.
“Try again.”
I was rejected.
From my experience so far, I knew that if I didn’t properly resolve this matter here, there would be a tremendous aftermath later on, so I started to ponder.
Fortunately, Rin suggested the answer first.
“Can’t you do it one more time?”
“…… Do what?”
When I asked back with an uneasy feeling, Rin smiled brightly and took a step closer to me.
“You said something in Yggdrasil. Can you say that one more time while hugging me?”
I don’t want to.
I did it back then because my emotions were heightened, but I’m not thick-skinned enough to say such lines in broad daylight like this.
“Come on, come on.”
Rin released my crossed arms and snugly entered my embrace.
Although I was perplexed, I thought I should do it quickly when there were no people walking around, so I spoke swiftly.
“I, I…… will protect you.”
“Yeah, thank you.”
Rin hugged me tightly and buried her face in my chest.
I was baffled, wondering if she was smelling me, but her whisper echoed throughout my entire body.
“I will also protect Daniel.”
For a moment, a chill ran through me that couldn’t be described simply as goosebumps.
I was startled and unknowingly tensed up, but when Rin raised her head and made eye contact with me, her expression couldn’t be more innocent.
‘Did I sense it wrongly?’
No, but there’s no way I could have misperceived something like this.
“Ah, that was nice. I’ll get going now!”
Rin released her hands and ran away to hide her reddened face.
As I felt perplexed watching Rin’s back running down the corridor, at that moment.
“Hmph?”
A voice came from behind me.
It was clearly different from before, but it definitely pierced my back sharply.
“You two seem close.”
A dizzying feeling sank heavily in my chest.
I immediately turned my body and made excuses to the elf who looked quite displeased.
“No, it’s not like that. Since she worked hard this time, we just had a simple hug to express my gratitude……”
“Yes, sure.”
Ah, this is bad.
She’s definitely upset.
“I still haven’t forgotten that someone confessed to me and I’m waiting, remembering it. It seems human emotions burn up and cool down quickly, huh?”
“No, that’s not it!”
“No, it’s okay. I did reject your confession. Of course, I did tell you to confess again after sorting out all the things you were involved in.”
“……”
Eris asked, blinking her eyes.
“Don’t tell me you really thought it was a rejection?”
“Th-then, of course!”
I remembered Hayun also advising me that I still had a chance with her.
“Le-let’s make it clear, Daniel!”
Eris suddenly shouted.
Startled by her vigor, I immediately nodded, and Eris took a few more steps and stood in front of me.
“I’m waiting for you, Daniel. I’m even making various preparations in the forest and telling other elves that even a guardian can d-date a human.”
“……”
I felt my face turn red for a moment.
I didn’t know how to react to this, but for now, I realized that keeping my mouth shut was an act of reciprocating Eris’ courage.
“I know you have complicated circumstances! So! Uh, that’s……”
She seemed to get tangled up in her thoughts while trying to say something, and Eris eventually spoke as if grumbling.
“Just don’t make me wait too long.”
***
Blankly looking at the red-haired female student, Arnie Duratan, who had fallen asleep next to him, Ares Helias was lost in thought.
His right hand resting on top of her head.
He thought he would never be able to hold a sword again in his life, but the old woman Daniel McLean brought had reattached his hand.
She said that if a little time passed, he would be able to move it as before, and indeed, his fingers were slowly moving and he felt sensation.
And on the back of his hand was engraved the mark of Helios.
Ares couldn’t help but feel troubled.
Even now, when he looked at the mark, the face of that monstrous mage who had cut off his hand came to mind.
“Why?”
He thought he had lost his power like that.
He thought the power of the sun god had left him, and while he felt regretful, he also felt a bit relieved.
He took out his left hand that he had been hiding tightly under the blanket.
The same mark was engraved on the back of his left hand as well.
The day after his right hand was cut off, looking at the mark that appeared on his left hand, Ares now felt a little fear.
‘What does this mean?’
Whether his hand was cut off or the mark fell off, it had no effect on Helios’ choice.
What was the intention of this god?
What did he want from him?
Ares couldn’t help but delve deeper into his thoughts.
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