Chapter 170: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat
Chapter 170
Suddenly, I woke up.
The first thing I felt as soon as I regained consciousness was an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.
It felt like every ounce of energy had drained from my body.
Not even after a grueling fully-equipped mountain march had I felt this drained.
Muttering inwardly, I forced my heavy eyelids open.
An unfamiliar ceiling greeted my eyes.
Seeing that, I panicked, wondering if I’d been kidnapped again, and tried to force myself up when I heard someone’s voice from beside me.
“...If you’re awake, stay down. Don’t push yourself, patient.”
I turned my eyes toward the familiar voice and saw a blonde boy with a frown, looking more tired than usual.
…Dwight? Don’t tell me he’s the one who kidnapped me this time?
The thought crossed my mind briefly, but the strong scent of disinfectant and the sound of people murmuring around me made me realize that this was a hospital ward being used as a shelter.
Given my illustrious record of two past kidnappings, it was sad that I couldn’t help but suspect abduction every time I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
Lamenting my situation, I glanced down to check my arms and legs.
Except for my left arm, which had always been a prosthetic, everything was intact.
From that, I could guess who had brought me here.
It must have been Yoon Si-woo who brought me here after I passed out.
I remembered getting help from him reattaching my limbs.
I also recalled having a conversation with him while reattaching my limbs, though I couldn’t quite remember what we talked about.
…Well, maybe it’s not important if I can’t remember.
I was probably too exhausted to think straight anyway.
Setting aside those trivial concerns, I decided to focus on the immediate matter of talking to Dwight.
“...Thanks for worrying, but shouldn’t you be resting? If you’re here, that means you’re a patient too, right? Judging by your condition, you don’t look okay.”
Honestly, Dwight’s state was concerning.
He told me to stay lying down, but he looked like he might collapse any second himself.
He looked paler than his usual tired appearance, and I asked out of worry, but Dwight just shook his head slightly as if it was nothing.
“...No need to worry. It’s just magical exhaustion. I was withdrawn from the fight after being deemed combat ineffective.”
Magical exhaustion meant he had used up more mana than his limit.
I was a little startled by his words and asked him again.
“...You’re suffering from magical exhaustion? Did you run into any high-level monsters? Even if you were protecting civilians, you shouldn’t be struggling against something like that.”
I couldn’t help but be surprised at the mention of magical exhaustion because, despite his nerdy appearance, Dwight was treated as Yoon Si-woo’s rival in the original story.
In terms of strength, he surpassed most elite heroes, and his innate mana reserves were comparable to those of Martina, the strongest mage alive. For him to be drained fighting against a few mid-level monsters? That would be impossible unless he was doing something crazy like breaking a barrier from the inside.
Dwight looked at me like I was missing something obvious and replied.
“I thought Si-woo might have told you, but I guess not. To explain, it happened while bringing Yoon Si-woo into the city. Forcing the teleport gate open against the interference of a magic circle wasn’t easy.”
…Although I didn’t fully grasp what he was saying, if Dwight was in this state because of bringing Yoon Si-woo into the city, then it might be my fault?
Feeling a bit guilty, I asked hesitantly.
“…Anyway, you’re okay, right?”
“I did cough up blood a few times from internal injuries, but it’s nothing serious.”
Wait, coughing up blood isn’t serious?
A wave of guilt washed over me.
…But then again, should I really be feeling guilty here?
If anything, Yoon Si-woo should be the one apologizing to Dwight.
Sure, Yoon Si-woo did it to save me, but pushing Dwight to the point of collapse was too much. He better apologize later.
…I mean, I survived thanks to him, so it’s not like I’m in any position to complain!
As I muttered to myself, Dwight let out a bitter smile.
“Compared to what Yoon Si-woo went through, this is nothing.”
I was mentally criticizing Yoon Si-woo when Dwight’s words made me freeze, prompting me to ask.
“…What happened to Si-woo?”
“He lost all his limbs coming through the forcibly twisted gate. They grew back quickly, but still.”
Those words hit me like a punch to the gut.
“…What?”
“It must have been the power of an artifact imbued with ancient magic. It likely used his lifespan or soul as a price to regenerate his body. I’m sure it came with significant pain, but he didn’t even blink, insisting he had to hurry to save you. That’s what a true hero does—someone willing to sacrifice for others. I realized I still have a long way to go.”
“…I see.”
…Forget it, I take back what I just thought—‘Yoon Si-woo doesn’t understand people’s feelings.’
Did Yoon Si-woo really go that far just to save me?!
You idiot! Take better care of your own body!!!
…
…I didn’t know any of this, and now I felt a crushing sense of guilt for thinking what I had.
How am I supposed to repay this debt later…
I thought so hard my head hurt, but I couldn’t come up with a good answer.
Maybe I should just give him something like a wish-granting coupon.
As I was lost in those thoughts, I heard a surprised voice from the other side of the room.
“Oh! Miss Scarlet, are you hurt?! Waaah, are you okay? You’re okay, right?”
“Oh, Jessie…? I’m fine.”
“Phew, thank goodness…”
Jessie’s tearful voice trembled as she rushed over, grabbed my hand, and expressed her relief.
As I answered her, I turned to look at her.
And when I saw her appearance, I couldn’t help but catch my breath.
White and red.
Her body was wrapped in bandages stained red with blood, scattered all over her like some kind of decoration.
“...Jessie, why are you like this…?”
“Oh, these? Ehehe, I got a little hurt while fighting,” Jessie replied with an awkward smile, but it was far from “a little.”
Bandages were wrapped around critical areas, including just above her eyes and places where major organs were located.
If the wounds had been any deeper or if her luck had been worse, she could have suffered permanent disabilities or even life-threatening injuries.
“…You should’ve been more careful. You could have been seriously hurt.”
I scolded her, and she replied with the same awkward smile.
“…Hehe, I know. But—”
Jessie trailed off after that smile, then continued with an innocent, bright laugh.
“I couldn’t help it.”
Seeing that smile, I found myself at a loss for words.
“How could I hold back?”
I had thought that Jessie’s condition had been improving recently.
After consulting with Ms. Eve about various things, she no longer looked exhausted or like she’d been struggling with sleepless nights.
But now, hidden beneath her smile was a madness intertwined with deep sorrow, and I realized that she had only been holding herself back all this time.
“It wasn’t enough that they took my brother; now they want to take away more of my family, my friends, and other people’s loved ones. With the witch and the monsters right in front of me, how could I stop?”
Jessie, though small in stature, had a heart that was wide and kind.
She could empathize with the pain of others and grieve alongside them.
And that’s why the wounds of that day had left such a deep scar on her.
The day when many lost their precious loved ones, the day she lost her beloved brother.
A day that was too overwhelming to handle, too unforgettable no matter how much time passed.
“The others told me to stop, that I was too hurt and needed to rest. But I just couldn’t stop. So I kept fighting, over and over, until… Well, I got hurt a bit more than I should have.”
She fought until her body was battered, to the point where she couldn’t even feel the pain anymore.
The thought of that made me so sad and pained that I gripped Jessie’s hand tightly.
I wanted her to know that there was still a friend by her side who could share in her grief and pain.
There was a peculiar silence for a moment, and then Dwight, who had been watching Jessie with a sorrowful gaze, murmured.
“…At least you got pulled out before you got even worse. If you’d kept going, it could’ve been really bad.”
Jessie responded to him as if she didn’t understand what he meant.
“Huh? What are you talking about? I pulled back because everything’s over.”
“…Everything’s over?”
“Oh, I guess the news hasn’t reached here yet. Oh! Look! It’s on TV right now!”
Jessie pointed at the large TV mounted on the wall of the ward.
The people who had been murmuring around us had fallen silent, their eyes fixed on the screen.
I forced my heavy head up to look at the screen.
It showed a crude video, seemingly taken by someone fleeing the scene.
In that urgent moment, with monsters flying in the sky, looking like they might swoop down at any second…
A light erupted.
After the light vanished, the video froze.
The screen was now showing the sky, clear of monsters, after being swept away by that light.
From beyond the screen, a small but clear voice rang out.
[Rest assured. The wicked witch that invaded the city has fallen by my hand.]
There was a moment of silence, then someone whispered.
…The Hero.
Was it the voice of the man filming the video, or was it one of the viewers in the room?
Whatever the case, the emotions in that voice slowly spread among the people.
In that atmosphere, Jessie murmured.
“…Yoon Si-woo has defeated the witch. He’s our hero, all of ours.”
As Jessi spoke, her eyes reflecting the boy on the screen, the earlier sorrow was no longer present.
It was the same for everyone else in the ward.
The shadows of sadness and despair that had lingered were dispelled by that bright light.
Only I watched the scene with a sense of pity.
Because I knew that you, Yoon Si-woo, would have to bear an even heavier burden now.
So I closed my eyes and prayed earnestly.
I prayed that your shoulders would be strong enough to bear that weight.
And if that was the path you chose…
I hoped that you would shine so brilliantly that those who looked upon you would be blinded by your light.
----------------------
TL Note: Rate us on Novel Updates & Make Sure to Add This Novel to Your Reading List on Novel Updates so You Will Receive Notifications Whenever i Post New Chapters.
Mb gang I've been missing uploads
ReplyDelete