novelraw Chapter 279
Chapter 279
Chapter 279
I shoved Leo aside without a thought and ran. The lock on the door was unfamiliar, so I almost got caught, but thankfully I didn't. Elias, who was waiting outside the room, ran after me.
“Luka?!”
“Stop that bastard!”
“Huh?!”
“Lukas! Where are you going!”
What does he mean, where am I going? He’s the one who’s gone nuts. I’d try to talk if it seemed like he'd listen, but who asks someone to drink 30ml of blood without any explanation? If I've expressed my refusal this strongly, he should get the hint and stop chasing me. I don’t know why that guy is also running at full speed.
Just the sight of blood is nauseating now. Now that I know what kind of situation I'm in, it's impossible not to find it repulsive. Besides, isn't that blood most likely human blood? Why won't he answer me?
Elias, chasing behind me, turned his head and shouted.
“Leo, what did you say to Luka!”“You stay out of it!”
“You always tell me to stay out of it! That’s so mean! I’m going with you!”
‘What is he talking about!’
I could hear Elias whining. This was not the time for that. I shouldn't trust Elias. I pulled the wand from my waist and twirled it between my fingers.
Kwaang—!
I slammed the staff behind me to support myself and stomped my foot. Red magic power and divine power erupted together, and the floor in front of Leo shot up.
“Oh!”
“Ah.”
I practically fell down the stairs. I couldn't go into the hallway or stop here. Leo would already be going down the other staircase. The problem was that my bones were creaking all over from lying down for so long. I cursed inwardly and thought.
‘I was able to warp a bit earlier.’
Should I try it? Of course, it uses a lot of divine power, and going outside in a hospital gown doesn't seem right, but if I go to the hospital….
Kwaaang—!
“…!”
A plant stem from a crack in the ceiling grabbed my leg.
At the same time, light blue magic power exploded in front of my eyes. I felt a pain in my chin as it hit the floor. My head was ringing. Even in the midst of it all, plants grew from all directions, covering my arms and fingers and continuing down the hallway. Light green leaves sprouted all over my field of vision. It felt like I had fallen face down in the middle of a botanical garden.
“Lukas.”
Leo, catching his breath, stood in front of me, trying to speak in a calm voice.
“This is my home. Did you forget?”
“…Right…. It’s pretty hopeless to fight on someone else’s home ground. Thanks for demonstrating that for me.”
The fact that it wasn't just a home ground but his actual home showed that I wasn't in my right mind. Thinking that, I quickly checked my surroundings. Leo knelt down on one knee in front of me and said.
“Right? I hope it was a good experience.”
“What good experience?”
Kwaang—!
I put strength into my arms, tore off the plants, and swung my wand. Leo, his eyes widening, quickly ducked to avoid the attack. At that moment, the plants tightening around my legs wrapped even tighter. Leo, looking startled, clutched his chest, put up a barrier in front of him, and said.
“You’re already caught, why are you doing this? You scared me….”
“I’m too annoyed to help it.”
“……”
I think this unique ability is a real cheat. Realistically, my first thought would be that it's good for science or horticulture, but as expected, those crazy about combat magic have a different way of thinking.
I pressed my face against the plant stems that densely covered the floor and closed my eyes. The smell of grass was nice. It would be great if the human in front of me would just go back upstairs.
“Lukas.”
“I’ve already expressed my dislike quite vehemently. Stop it and go.”
“Right, you can't possibly like it yet.”
“Yet? Does that mean it will be different later?”
My voice came out sharp on its own. Leo didn’t answer and just shrugged. There was no emotion in his eyes. I wonder if he was deliberately trying to erase his revulsion. It seemed as if I was feeling all the revulsion he should be feeling.
“…I don’t know what kind of blood this is, but whatever it is, thank you for preparing it. But humanely, I don’t think asking me to drink blood is right.”
“No, you have to drink it.”
“……”
Why?
I have an inkling. But, why? I’m perfectly fine like this now, and, like anyone else, I don’t want to drink blood.
Silence followed. Leo was quick to act. I grabbed both of Leo’s arms, who was trying to shove the bottle into my mouth, and pushed him away. Leo was also pushing back with considerable force.
“No, I said no… you bastard. Don’t be stubborn….”
“Stop resisting and just drink…! I drew it for your health. You have to drink it, what will I become if you don't?”
“It's yours? What do you mean, what will you become?! Who asked you to draw it?!”
A hollow laugh escaped me. I felt like I was going to collapse from high blood pressure. That last remark almost made me throw up everything in my stomach. I'm grateful that His Highness the Crown Prince did something for someone else's sake, but to say he drew it, wasn't he talking about drawing human blood of all things? Blood? Human blood? Leo’s blood at that? Is my brain perhaps thinking of something else as blood? This is crazy. It'll go down so well.
Leo, whose arms were caught by me, barely managed to close the bottle cap and snatched his arms away from me.
“Alright, I thought persuasion wouldn't work, so I told you to drink it first, but that won't do. I'll explain.”
“What do you take me for?”
Leo ignored my words and placed a hand on my back. It was the area where the core was, the area that would mean instant death in a duel if I gave it up, so for a moment, my hand holding the wand tightened. Leo glanced at my wand and said.
“Look. Are you absorbing my magic power right now?”
“……”
“You stopped absorbing after you woke up. Fortunately, when you’re conscious, the ability to absorb magic power doesn’t activate. It’s definitely a relief, but at the same time, you know what possibility this implies.”
I heard someone's footsteps approach and then turn back. It must have been Elias. While I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath, Leo continued in an increasingly subdued voice.
“The next time you absorb someone's magic power, it will be after you've lost consciousness, just like at the cathedral. Your core is still growing, even now as your growth period is ending, and it needs that much nourishment.”
“Then I can just absorb magic power myself.”
It’s not about elixirs. The principle of elixirs is different, so it's impossible to replenish magic power with them. His words now seem to mean that I have to make ‘someone else’s’ magic power my own for my growth, but elixirs are made of artificial magic power and are more about boosting my core’s state to allow the magic power I already have to circulate smoothly throughout my body. In other words, enhancement through elixirs is achieved using the materials I originally possess.
“If not through blood, you’ll be attacked just like other people. I’m telling you, even in a natural state, you can’t absorb magic power because of your self-preservation instinct. No, actually, the fact that you can absorb magic power without getting hurt by going through blood is a wondrous thing in itself. It’s a situation where we should say we’re lucky to have such a means.”
“…It’s not logical.”
“So what. The you I’ve seen has never been logical.”
“……”
“It’s better to replenish a little at a time in advance to match the speed at which your core’s magic power capacity increases, rather than not drinking and having problems. Try to adapt, at least until we make a medicine.”
I let out a weak laugh for a moment.
Let's be honest. Just the thought that I might willingly seek blood like other Pleromas makes me want to end myself with my own hands. The Pleromas I’ve attacked with my own hands until now, I’ve become one of them. I might end up doing things no different from them. I might start craving other people’s magic power without even realizing it, lose my mind like during the mass, and maybe next time I’ll even be slitting people’s throats and drinking their blood. This is the reality.
Try to adapt, he says.
No matter how positively I try to think, I can’t erase the confusion of my identity, and the reality is that I can’t fully return even if I turn back time, that I have to hide the truth and entrust myself to my friends’ kindness. Does he even know that I can’t erase these thoughts? I know well what the pun about having to become Ahura Mazda myself to break Zarathustra’s worldview means, but nevertheless, a human cannot stand alone apart from society, and unless I make a constant effort, my consciousness is bound to be swayed by conventional wisdom.
But Leo is also telling me to drink blood now to help prevent the worst from happening. In the face of such goodwill, I can’t say anything more to him.
I want to go back to the Extra Chapter. It was good that I could at least forget. It was good that I only had to focus on finding information.
Kwaang—
I slammed my fist on the floor, tearing the plant stems with magic power, and sat down heavily on the stairs behind me.
“…It’s a lot, so you’re repulsed, right? I had to compare it with Elias's blood, so it couldn't be helped. We already experimented with a small amount, but we could barely feel a difference. …If you do end up drinking blood, a time might come when a little won’t be enough, so I wanted to do a proper experiment this one time. The amount and type of magic power we each put in are different, so drink this first and let me know.”
Leo's words scattered in my ears.
I felt something surge up even before I drank. I can guarantee that everyone would have this reaction. It’s human blood. Not sheep’s blood, not pig’s blood, but human blood. And it’s not from a stranger, but from a close friend.
“……”
Is it okay for a person to do this? My vision blurred, and I couldn't see straight. I felt like a murderer even though I hadn't done anything.
But this was not something to be delayed. Even now, Leo was continuing to say something to persuade me.
I snatched the bottle from Leo as if robbing him and poured the blood down my throat.
“…! Ugh…!”
Of course, it was a failure. The blood spilled on the floor. The healing magic in the blood was going down my throat, but the refreshing feeling couldn't erase the revulsion of the blood. Crucially, the moment the blood passed into my esophagus, the magic power in my body pulled it in forcefully. That sensation was too unfamiliar. I retched a few more times until nothing came out. My vision was blurry.
“I’m sorry.”
“……”
“I know you prepared it with good intentions, but it won’t go down.”
I don’t know if I’m speaking clearly. A notification window about points or something popped up, but I wasn’t in the right mind to read that kind of thing. The blood dripping from my mouth was annoying. I lowered my head, and my hair fell, obscuring my vision, so I couldn't see Leo's expression.
A surprisingly calm voice came.
“It’s okay. Hmm, you still need time to adapt.”
“I don’t want to adapt.”
“……”
“Sorry, I must not be in my right mind. Pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“No, I understand. It would be weirder if you wanted to adapt to this, right? Your reaction is perfectly normal.”
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Crimson blood smeared on it. Even so, the healing magic seeped into the back of my hand. I could tell how much magic power he had poured into it.
“But if you don’t adapt, you’ll die.”
“……”
“This isn’t your fault. It’s just, your temperament. Or maybe what your brother did. Anyway, I know you don’t want it, so I’ll try to find a cure… but my mother never evaluated this phenomenon negatively. Other magic medical scientists would naturally think the same way.”
“…Hmm.”
“You have an ability that anyone would want if Pleroma didn’t exist in this world. And even in this world with Pleroma, if you were told not to mind conventional wisdom, anyone would want the ability you have now. Being able to become endlessly stronger without knowing limits is a blessing for most people.”
I snickered. It was closer to being forced to because I had no strength.
The Archbishop’s words, the words that might have been my own, were not wrong. I just need to keep my balance. Whether I make this ability my weapon or get stuck in the mud with it depends on my decision.
Thinking back to my experience with Retry, Leo is unlikely to evaluate this ability favorably. He would question why I was given such an ability. Nevertheless, the reason he keeps talking to me like this is to soothe me.
‘Right.’
Get a grip.
If it's necessary, I have to do whatever it takes. That's how it is for now. How many friends would draw their own blood for someone else to drink? Adrian Askanian probably hadn't anticipated this far. Now that Elias and Leo are trying harder for me than I am for myself, I can't stay confused forever. Thanks to trying to keep my balance, in my own way, before hearing the shocking words to drink blood, it was a bit easier to organize my thoughts. I just need to keep trying like this. I wiped my face with my sleeve and checked the remaining bottle.
“…Thanks. At least half is left, so I’ll take it to Berlin.”
Holding it, I let divine power flow and cast a cognitive distortion magic, and the bottle and blood changed to look like an elixir. Unless a divine power mage stronger than me appears, no one can break the distortion magic.
Leo said.
“Right. Lukas, before you go to Berlin, talk with the kids a bit. We’ll be going too, but there will be other friends there, so it’ll be hard to talk freely.”
“Well, yeah. That would be good.”
“And… what will you do in the next world? Will you tell Elias about your new trait?”
“……”
He must be asking because he thinks it’s better to tell him.
Considering Elias’s consideration, and my situation where there’s nothing to hide, it’s right to tell him. In fact, not telling him might be something to be more sorry about.
“If it's necessary, I’ll have to.”
Will Elias, who hasn’t gone through the accident, be able to accept my trait? I’m not sure about that yet, so I’ll have to talk to him to find out.
“Right. Good. It’s better not to tell Narce.”
“Why?”
“He said he couldn’t give you blood. There’s no point in telling him.”
Leo gestured for me to follow. It seemed to mean he would take me to Elias. I got up from my seat and followed Leo.
Narce’s reaction is perfectly normal. I didn’t have any bad feelings about it. Offering someone blood to drink doesn’t sound like a normal thing to say.
Rather than that, I have a more realistic problem right now. I need to upgrade my Retry trait before time passes and the checkpoint is updated.
Retry Lv. 3
— My Previous Checkpoint: ‘Theatiner Church Eucharist Liturgy’
— One-time manual checkpoint setting within 6 hours (1/3)
— 2.0 points per use
— 6.0 points until next level
* Points held: 64.0 points
* 0.8 Luck until next point acquisition
64 points.
I have this much left because I barely used what I received as a reward before.
This is enough.
Retry Lv. 4
— My Previous Checkpoint: ‘Theatiner Church Eucharist Liturgy’
— One-time manual checkpoint setting within 6 hours (1/6)
— 2.0 points per use
— 8.0 points until next level
* Points held: 58.0 points
* 0.5 Luck until next point acquisition
‘Hmm.’
So I spent 6 points just to increase the manual setting opportunities by three. Of course, I'd be grateful when I've used all three opportunities, but I can't stop here. I used 8 points to upgrade to level 5, and when the desired function didn't appear, I used another 10 points to upgrade to level 6.
Tiring—!
Retry Lv. 6
— Checkpoint
* 1. ‘Theatiner Church Eucharist Liturgy’
* 2. ‘—’
— One-time manual checkpoint setting within 24 hours (1/6)
— 2.0 points per use
— 12.0 points until next level
* Points held: 40.0 points
* 0.5 Luck until next point acquisition
“…!”
Finally.
The checkpoint slot has increased.
‘…Yeah, I knew it would show up eventually.’
I spent 24 points, so it had to show up…. Besides, isn't it already level 6? Anyway, I can be completely at ease until the other one is filled.
“Go in.”
Just then, Leo's words broke my train of thought. I opened the door he was pointing at and went in. As soon as I entered, Elias and Narce stood up at the same time.
“Luka!”
Elias checked my complexion, put a hand to his mouth, and frowned.
“Ugh… looks like it failed.”
“If you’re talking about the blood, of course. It’s dirty, so go wash your hands.”
Elias went into the bathroom without a word, washed his hands, and came out to sit next to me. Now it was my turn to wash my face. When I returned, he leaned his arm on the sofa and stared at me, saying.
“Luka.”
“What.”
“You know what. I could accept it even if you suddenly decided to eat dirt as your main food.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. I can even get you the best dirt in the empire.”
After drinking blood earlier, now he’s talking about eating dirt here…. It’s nauseating, but he’s so serious that it’s hard to say anything. Elias smiled faintly at my expression, pointed at Narce, and said.
“Want to go to Italy to eat Sanguinaccio Dolce? With Narce and everyone. I know you don’t drink blood by your own will, but I thought it might help you adapt just in case.”
I let out a small laugh and said.
“I didn’t think those words would come up again like this.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
Elias snapped his fingers and said.
“I tried it the other day, and it was delicious. You’ll like it too, Luka. I personally liked the one made with dark chocolate.”
I didn't answer. As I just smiled, Elias slowly got to the point.
“You are you. This incident doesn't change the you I’ve known since last year. So, if there’s anything I can help you with, tell me anytime.”
“Suddenly?”
Elias grinned at my face.
“What do you mean, suddenly. I’ve been getting your help until now. So I have to pay you back.”
“What help did I give?”
“You don't know?! Nicolaus's very existence extended my lifespan! That's for sure. And without you, I don't know if I could have pursued my will like this. At least… not now.”
In the novel, it was after Elias became an adult that he started acting in earnest like he is now.
I nodded and, with my eyes on the floor, asked.
“If I hadn't collapsed at the Theatiner Church, and if I told you that I suddenly developed a strange trait, would you still be able to accept my story?”
“Suddenly? Hmm, of course.”
“Why?”
“Because there were already such rumors about you, so it wouldn't be very surprising if you really developed an ability now, and your brother always wishes for your downfall.”
I smiled in response to his words. Elias grinned and pulled Narce's hand.
“Narce thinks the same as me, right? If you have something you wanted to say to Luka, say it now!”
“…I'm glad you woke up safely, Lukas.”
Narce also looked a bit pale. But his usual inscrutable smile was still there. Except that it was a little gentler and a little more tired. He stared at me, used his insight, and then said.
“You heard from Leo. …I’m sorry, Lukas.”
“Why are you apologizing? Your decision is a logical one.”
“Am I illogical?!”
Elias, next to me, grabbed my shoulder and whined, interrupting. It’s actually good because it makes me think that I’m not the wrong one for rejecting the blood. Wouldn’t it be okay for one person to balance the scales? As I was thinking that, Narce smiled that inscrutable smile again.
“I can supply you with divine power anytime. Just come visit my room often.”
“Hmm, so it's possible on the premise that I go to your room.”
“Of course. But it’ll be better than nothing. You’ll have to drink less blood.”
“Thanks.”
In any case, Narce is also treating me like he used to. Honestly, this alone was lucky enough for me.
As silence fell, I brought up the topic I wanted to ask him.
“Narce. Who do you think is behind this incident?”
“It's true that Adrian Askanian knew about it. That's what I think.”
Narce answered and shook his head.
“This is the limit of my ability. I’m sorry.”
“With your ability?”
It was Elias's question. Narce answered with the same expression as before.
“Yes.”
“You don’t need to keep apologizing. Just the fact that you guys see me as before is enough for me to be grateful.”
“Luka, don’t say things like that~”
“What.”
“Just don’t~! Aaaargh! If you say it one more time, I’ll piggyback you for life.”
Elias raised his voice and clung to me. I know why he’s doing that. With the feeling of giving up, I pushed Elias away and got up from my seat.
“I should start getting ready to go. You guys are going too, right?”
“Yeah. I don’t know how the situation will turn out, but we can’t send you alone.”
Narce smiled and stood up.
Good. It seems he noticed that I'm going to find out my brother's next plan.
I went to the room Elias led me to, changed my clothes, and got ready to go to Berlin. The atmosphere got a bit chilly when Leo joined later, but it quickly eased up as Elias chattered loudly enough to burst my ears the whole time we warped across the border.
“You may go.”
After getting permission to pass at the Prissian border checkpoint, we warped to the Imperial Second Academy.
“Yay~ Berlin! As unappealing as ever.”
Elias said, swinging his bag around. Leo slapped his mouth. While they were doing that, I entrusted the letter I had written in advance in Bavaria to the campus post office. It was a letter addressed to the address on the letter my brother sent.
For international warp mail, the post office warps my letter to the checkpoint in front of the border, sends it to the Italian border checkpoint, and from there it’s warped to the destination, so it costs ten times the domestic warp mail fee. Depending on the purpose, you might need to get permission. But this wasn’t the time for that. It was right to make it arrive as early as possible.
I left my luggage in Elias's room and knocked on Ulrike's door.
[Yes~ It’s open. Come in.]
“Hello.”
I opened the door slightly and greeted with a smile.
“Huh?! Huh?!!”
Ulrike, who was rolling around on the bed, froze with a face like she had seen a ghost, just like Leo before, then realized the situation and shot up and ran over.
“You were definitely in Bavaria…! No, you collapsed…!”
“I'm all better. I'm fine.”
Why do I feel like I'm always having this kind of conversation.
Ulrike checked my complexion, then pulled me inside and sat me down. I smiled and said.
“I was worried you wouldn't be here, so I'm glad you are.”
“Why me?”
“Why? It’s only been three days, and I wanted to talk. How have you been?”
Actually, I need to grasp the situation. And to reassure my friends a bit.
“Hey, really… of all places, it happened in Bavaria, so I was so worried…. It’s a relief that Leo is good at separating public and private matters. I was surprised to hear they gave you really intense treatment in Bavaria.”
I asked what she'd been up to for the past three days, and this is what she talks about? Anyway, Ulrike still seems to think that Leo and I are not on good terms. I expected that the medal wouldn’t be enough to end the discord rumors since it was issued in the name of the King of Bavaria. Still, we’ve been in the same compartment together, so I thought she’d accept that we’d gotten somewhat close, but it seems she still thinks we’re not on very good terms.
“What about Yulia?”
“She’s in Baden. It seems like a new mission will be coming up for Eschet, and it's not a normal mission, so she said she needed to talk to His Highness the Grand Duke.”
“Really? That's a shame.”
I talked with Ulrike like that for about an hour. Actually, I was able to talk for that long because Heike joined in the middle. Heike's reaction was also as normal as Ulrike's. To my other Eschet friends, this incident was also known as an accident, and the school's reaction, which I heard from them, was still not bad.
‘I got a lot of letters this time too.’
Just like Nicolaus.
I'm now holding the letters that the first-year students entrusted to Ulrike and Heike for me. Since my dorm isn't here, the letters meant for me were either received by my friends or went to the Eschet Operations Committee. Of course, the letters coming to my brother are not like that.
Kwaang—
“Luka.”
Just then, Elias burst open the door to Ulrike’s room and called me with a stiff face. Just by looking at that face, I could clearly tell what had arrived.
I moved to Elias's room and accepted the letter he held out.
[To my beloved brother]
It arrived. In less than two hours.
The handwriting was rushed, unlike usual. Is this also an act, or not?
[Dear God. I don’t know how many times I checked to see if it was really you, Luka, who sent the letter. I could only hear news of you through the newspapers, so just this morning I heard you were in critical condition. To receive your letter from Berlin like this, I feel like I’ve aged ten years from worry. It seems your health has deteriorated a lot after the terror attack, Luka. I know your good nature makes you loyal to the empire and its subjects. But what’s the point if your health is ruined in the process? As a Vice Minister of Magic who should prioritize the subjects, it’s not something I can say with a clear conscience, but I’m also a human, and I’m truly afraid of losing my younger brother in vain.]
“……”
[I was planning to introduce you to the Ministry of Magic officials I know when you arrived in Berlin, but it seems that’s not the priority. Just the other day, the Imperial Central Hospital contacted me, saying they would take responsibility for your health while you’re in Berlin, so I requested a detailed examination of your core and supplementary treatment this time. They will come to the school to pick you up soon. I know you’ve been sincerely trying your best until now, so I hope your health doesn’t hold you back now. My main concern lately has been all about your health. I hope to hear good news. I’ll write again.]
Requested a detailed examination?
Doesn't he know I was already at the Bavaria National Medical Center? Of course, the hospital he’s been going to since he was young might feel more trustworthy, but….
‘To me, it just looks like he wants to know the state of my core.’
Examine it a hundred times, see what you find.
I already know well how core examinations are conducted, and anyway, my core doesn’t absorb magic power when I’m conscious. If you ask if it wants blood, that’s not it either. What are you going to do about me spitting it all out?
He must be doing this in case I’m hiding something. Since I didn’t go berserk according to his plan.
The problem is… was my brother this kind of person? If this is his next move, isn’t it too simple and transparent?
‘…Perhaps the examination is an excuse, and the real plan is to forge the results.’
Bribing the doctors here would be no big deal. But the blind spot is that he can’t bribe the Bavaria National Medical Center.
‘What’s the plan.’
It can’t be that something like this is his next plan. For now, just thinking won't do. I first folded the letter and went to the Militia Headquarters to activate my Eschet communication artifact. After a few minutes, an employee handed me the artifact and said.
“It’s ready now.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’m glad you returned safely. I was just about to tell you that the Imperial Central Hospital just sent a message to Your Excellency, so that’s a relief too.”
Hmm.
That was just in my brother's letter. I asked without expression.
“They sent a message?”
“Yes. They asked if they could see you in 30 minutes.”
“……”
He said soon? Is 30 minutes soon?
Of course, I sent the letter to find out my brother's move, so there's no reason for me to refuse their visit. Before turning back time, I need to experience as much as possible.
I told Narce and Elias the truth on the way and went out to the main gate on time. Leo had returned to Bavaria, so there were only two people who could accompany me.
I contacted one person, but now I see there were three people here. Someone spotted me and greeted with a smile.
“Greetings, Your Excellency.”
“Are you the one who contacted me earlier?”
“Yes, that’s right. I am Andreas Friedman from the Imperial Central Hospital. I was asked to conduct a detailed core examination and came to pick up Your Excellency myself. These two here are our hospital's core specialists.”
The other two magic medical scientists greeted me. For them to come all the way here in person is a truly ridiculous sight from a modern person's perspective. Having a high status is really nice. I sneered inwardly and said.
“You must be busy, yet you came in person. Did my brother send you?”
“His Highness Georg Askanian sent us.”
“……”
I nodded. Andreas Friedman gestured to Elias next to me and asked.
“The ones next to you are His Highness Elias Hohenzollern and His Excellency Narce Farnese, correct? What about the two of you…?”
“We came to go with him? Why?”
“The examination must be conducted in confidence, so it is difficult for you to go together.”
“We’re going anyway?”
“……”
After that, Elias threw a tantrum, so we left 30 minutes late. The tantrum was made of quite reasonable arguments, but Andreas Friedman didn't bend his opinion. But since it was indeed a confidential examination, the one who lost the argument was Elias.
I held their hands and warped to the central hospital. The first place we warped to was crowded with people. If the examination results were to be forged, it would more likely be done in the records room than here, but in any case, it didn't seem like a psychologically good environment.
“There are quite a lot of people.”
“It’s always like this where the core examination rooms are. There are many people who want to be examined, and many examination rooms to go through. Now, please enter here first.”
Andreas Friedman led me to the room on the left. There was the same examination equipment I had seen in Bavaria. Two nurses adjusted my posture. I looked at one of the doctors who came with Andreas Friedman.
“The person next to you seems to use divine power?”
“You have a good eye. That’s right.”
“Is divine power also used frequently in treatment?”
“As a supplement, it’s undeniably good. Could you shoot out some magic power for a moment?”
I did as I was told and released my magic power. Red magic power spread on the silver tray. One of the doctors checked the number written on the artifact and nodded.
“No problem. Now we will infuse magic power into Your Excellency. We can determine the degree of damage based on the core’s reaction, so please wait even if it stings for a moment.”
“Yes.”
The other doctor took my arm, took off his glove, and blew magic power into my wrist.
“……”
I swallowed hard. It was someone else’s magic power. If I were unconscious, I would have absorbed this. No, is it definitely limited to the unconscious state? What if, just what if, the experiments Leo has been doing so far were wrong, and so I now suck this magic power into my core….
“No problem at all this time either.”
“……”
I slowly exhaled the breath I had been holding without realizing it.
The doctor let go of my hand, smiling as if it were strange.
“Your core condition is very good, it’s surprising.”
“Is there anything to be surprised about?”
“Normal mages don’t get numbers like this. As expected, Your Excellency Askanian is no ordinary person. To be this healthy even though you just woke up and need to recover….”
The doctor said with a hollow laugh.
Listening to his words, I focused my attention on the three doctors and two nurses here, and the sounds from outside. Now that the stage that required my attention was over, it was time to gather all the surrounding information. I could hear people waiting on the waiting chairs. It was still crowded outside.
As I lowered my arm, which I had rolled up, one of the doctors gestured to the door and said.
“Now, let’s move on to the next one. If you go out, there’s another room on the left….”
Tak—
“…!”
With the sound of a switch being flipped, the lights went out. The moment I moved my hand to my wand, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind.
Kwaang—
A sharp pain shot through my waist as if I had been electrocuted. I couldn’t move my body. The sensation reached me a step too late. I knew instinctively. It was an Old Human weapon. Not a New Human’s. If it had been a New Human’s, I would have been able to sense it. I felt something being injected into my arm.
I heard someone sigh.
“This won’t do.”