Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Treatment and Service
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"Do you have any family, Joo-ho?"
"...I did."
We sat side by side, carrying on a conversation.
We didn't need to talk for long to sense each other's sorrow. We couldn't carelessly pry into the deep grief we'd each endured, but just knowing there was someone else to share the mourning with brought a measure of comfort.
"You did, huh. Sounds like we're in similar boats."
"No brothers or sisters."
"Oh dear, must've been lonely."
Rophuk handed me a photo. I took the worn old thing and peered quietly into it. The strikingly handsome features of his alien species left quite an impression.
"That's me on the right, my little brother on the left. We got along pretty well, actually. My kind has this stereotype that siblings don't get on, but ours was decent—on the better side, I'd say."
"Same with us. People usually say they're distant."
"Haha, universal, huh? Anyway, he was a good kid. Caused a bit of trouble now and then, but he was solid enough to work as my assistant."
He fell silent after that, not continuing. He seemed to be mulling over how to phrase what came next.
When he finally spoke,
even his nonchalant tone couldn't hide the resentment and longing woven through his words.
"Eh, everyone's got the same story, right? We ended up on this planet by some fluke, and in the end, scrambling to survive and running for our lives—"
Rophuk paused a long moment before finishing his sentence.
"He died. That's it. End of story."
Now he stood from the bed, extending his empty hand. I placed the photo back in it and offered a brief word of condolence.
"I'm really sorry about your brother."
"..."
"I'm sure he's cheering you on, too. Don't give up."
Rophuk hesitated, still looking down at me even after taking the photo back.
He still had more to say.
I waited a moment to give him space to speak freely, but...
"Boy, kindness is poison. Fix that personality of yours."
Rophuk blurted it out as if embarrassed himself, then vanished beyond the door.
"No matter how kind you are, the world's not. It's especially harsh on boys like you who can't even get properly mad."
For a second, I wondered if I'd said something wrong,
but after that talk, Rophuk grew even gentler with me.
"Alright, patient boy. How're we feeling today?"
"Much better."
Rophuk put his own skills to use helping treat me. His technical prowess was flawless; alongside the monitors tracking my vitals, he even crafted medical tools to aid the process.
"The muscles below your knee joint still aren't fully knit. Walking around like this is downright foolish. If it hurts, say so from the start. We can't know unless you speak up."
"I thought it was just soreness."
"Good grief. Didn't you say you studied living creatures? Then you ought to recognize abnormalities in your own body."
"Sorry. I've never dissected myself. And we have doctors for that sort of thing anyway."
It was like the laser therapy used in rehab,
though the tool's design and principles differed greatly from what I knew. Still, it clearly eased the pain and sped recovery.
"Remarkable."
The tissues linked to Alraune began trembling with joy. They vouched that Rophuk's treatment was helping me—and clamored for more energy while they were at it.
"These... plants spread throughout your body. I first thought they were some kind of parasite, but now..."
"Symbiosis. Strictly speaking, I get more out of it."
"Then let's call it a blessing outright."
As Rophuk treated me, he shared knowledge I hadn't known, too.
Especially about my eyes.
He used the positive term [blessing] for the others, but eyed my blackened right eye with clear wariness.
"The structure here's different."
I hadn't meant to bring it up.
No point hiding it now that he'd noticed.
"Joo-ho, does it hurt?"
"No pain. It's fine."
"I figured you were just one of those heterochromic species, but looks like it changed after you got to this planet, right?"
"Yeah."
Rophuk voiced genuine concern. His helping hands were nothing but gentle.
Our growing closeness was undoubtedly a good thing. Rophuk had become a tremendous ally.
Even though every man who'd helped me so far had met a bad end,
Rophuk didn't seem the type to abandon me, get hurt, or collapse.
"I'll look into it more. If you want it back to normal, just say the word. I'll do my best."
But a small problem cropped up in an unexpected spot.
...Well, honestly, not that unexpected. I'd just been ignoring it by looking away.
"Hoo..."
While we focused on treatment,
Nephyr—who'd already recovered—paced restlessly, stamping her tail. No feet, so tail-stamping it was?
Her displeased face kept drawing my eye. She looked like a ticking time bomb about to blow.
"Hurry up and finish so you can go—"
But muttering it loud enough for everyone to hear wasn't like her.
She had this subtly girlish side,
shooting unkind glares at Rophuk for interrupting our alone time with this chit-chat she couldn't join.
"Ahem..."
"Nephyr, I told you not to say that."
But if I said something back,
"L-Lord... th-that's not...!"
she'd go pale, tremble, and not know what to do with herself,
and I'd end up sighing despite finding her cute and pitiable.
At night, only Nephyr and I remained.
Rophuk left us for his own [work]. Apparently, to keep the [curse] from breaking free, he retooled parts daily—and repaired the entrance wrecked by the sandworm and me.
Hearing that, I wondered if [curse] was code for [fingers],
but I'd see the truth with my own eyes soon enough, so no rush.
"Lord..."
For now, I had to tackle the problems right in front of me. Wallowing over what I couldn't handle wasn't wise.
"If you keep blocking me like this, it's a problem...! A real man has to vent his lust every three days to keep fluids from building up...!"
"I said no! That's baseless superstition! L-Later, okay?!"
First things first: fend off Nephyr's nightly advances. She clung relentlessly, begging to perform her [service]. Honestly, in my current state, women weren't on my mind.
Not that I'm impotent or anything! Sure, her mature body stirred me sometimes, but my situation wasn't leisurely enough for sex.
"Why reject me so coldly? Don't you trust me? N-No...?"
"No, calm down first... We don't even know where the others are or what they're doing. Can't just jump into it out of nowhere! These things need the right mood, the right timing...!"
But my refusals seemed to wound her deeply.
"Jenny's probably out foraging, and that succubus slipped back to her lair at the first chance! What's there to worry about?!"
Well, she'd been blaming her own incompetence all along, so maybe not surprising.
"I know how you see me now, Lord. Let me repay this huge debt, even a little. Please!"
And she'd eavesdropped on my talk with Rophuk, giving her the one way to solidify her place.
Ah, he sees me as a woman!
If I serve him devotedly, he won't cast me out!
"No, really, it's fine..."
Nephyr finally tugged down my pants and reclined diagonally on the bed. At this point, pushing her away felt wrong, so I lay back reluctantly—but honestly, I wasn't thrilled.
When my head's a mess, lying still and sleeping helps. This kind of sex...
Slurp—
"Ah..."
Sexual pleasure should interfere with problem-solving...
right?
Nephyr's tongue—longer and softer than a human's—lavished my sensitive spots with utmost devotion, feeling even better than I'd imagined.
I'd lain back just to get it over with,
but her desperate caresses brought joy far beyond my expectations.
Maybe a little more wouldn't hurt.
Once it started, I set my burdens aside and relaxed, my mind lightening.
"J-Just a bit gentler... slowly..."