The Weight of Expectations
It had been a while since I lost my arm, so I visited the hospital today for a long-overdue checkup to ensure there were no lingering complications. After finishing the various tests, I headed to the consultation room to discuss the results. I found the doctor staring at my chart with a grave expression, muttering to himself.
"Hmm... This is strange. This shouldn't be possible... Oh, it’s been a while. Please, have a seat."
I caught a glimpse of the chart he was holding; my name was written at the top. It seemed he was looking at my test results. Given the doctor's unusually grim expression, I felt a surge of anxiety and cautiously asked, "Um... is there a problem? Has my condition worsened since last time...?"
My guardian, a leading authority in the medical field and one of the people who essentially "built" my current body, had given me a grim prognosis—at most, I had three years left. I was prepared to hear that my condition had deteriorated, bracing myself so I wouldn't show any shock. However, contrary to my expectations, the doctor shook his head.
"Worsened? Not at all. In fact, your physical condition is better than it was before. Even with the prosthetic arm, your overall bodily functions have improved, and most importantly, your healing factor—which was my biggest concern—is significantly better than it used to be. Of course, that doesn't mean you can go around getting hurt recklessly... but at this rate, you won't have to worry about needing to rush to the hospital for every minor injury you sustain during daily life."
Even as he told me my condition had improved, the doctor wore a subtle, perplexed expression. It was the look of someone who was happy but couldn't quite wrap their head around the facts. I was debating whether to ask why he looked so conflicted when he seemed to sense my hesitation. He gave a sheepish laugh.
"Haha... My apologies. This is such a unique case that I’ve been quite unprofessional in front of a patient. I’ve been a doctor for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a rapid recovery in such a short period. Even if the bodies of superhumans are different from ordinary people, this is truly baffling. Haha, you must have been eating something good since you were discharged."
I had been eating well since I started staying at Sylvia’s house, after living off nothing but Sookju (bean sprouts) for so long... Could it really be because of that? As I nodded, feeling a bit dazed, the doctor laughed again.
"I knew it. Regular meals are the most important thing for health. Even if you're busy, please make sure you don't skip your meals."
He offered the advice with a joke, though, judging by his own appearance, he seemed to be the type to skip meals quite often himself.
"I'll be sure to do that, but you should take care of your own health too, Doctor... You seem to have been very busy lately, and you really need to look after yourself."
It might have been overstepping, but perhaps because of recent events, the doctor looked far more haggard than the last time I saw him. It was obvious he wasn't getting proper rest. When I said that, the doctor offered a strained smile.
"Haha, don't worry about me. We were swamped for a few days, but we've finally caught a breather. Compared to our friends in the psychiatry department, our workload is nothing. In that sense, I’m actually working quite comfortably."
Usually, people compare who has it easier and feel envious, but the reality where one had to compare which department was more of a living hell just to find comfort was simply pitiful. By the way, the situation in psychiatry must be truly dire, as even the exhausted doctor looked toward the door with eyes full of compassion.
"Some of them are actually lying in beds alongside the patients now, having collapsed from overwork. It’s a good thing Eve came to help... otherwise, it would have been a real disaster."
Come to think of it, while I was in contact with Mei, I had heard in passing that while the Academy was closed, Eve was using her illusion magic to treat people. So she was working at this hospital... As I debated whether I should drop by to see her while I was already here, the doctor added,
"Come to think of it, you're an Academy student, right? It’s almost lunchtime, so you should have enough time to chat for a bit. She cares deeply for the students, so she’d be happy to see you."
"I... I can't get rid of the feeling of my son's body turning cold in my hands..."
A man with a face full of darkness muttered in a raspy, broken voice.
"Do you... do you know what that feels like? Even if it wasn't my will, I killed my own child with my own hands. In that moment, I wanted to die... I even considered following my son... but I couldn't do it, thinking of my wife and the second child in her womb..."
The man wailed, staring at his own trembling hands. It was a heart-wrenchingly sad voice, as if the tears he had shed so much that they no longer flowed had turned into sound.
"Ever since that day... every time I try to sleep, my son appears in my dreams. Asking why I did it... saying he's in pain... asking why I killed him like that... Even when I tell him it wasn't me, every night, every night... endlessly... I feel like I'm going insane... I know I shouldn't be like this, thinking of my wife and child... but that voice won't stop..."
The man clutched his head in agony. Then, someone gently took the man's hand and asked in a small voice.
"What is your son's name?"
"Jamie... Jamie..."
"Jamie was a good boy, wasn't he? I'll help you talk to Jamie properly, so please, get some good sleep. He surely knows that you didn't do it because you wanted to."
With a sharp snap of her fingers, the man's eyes slowly closed. After a moment, a small voice leaked from the lips of the sleeping man.
Jamie... I'm sorry. I really didn't want to do that... Ah... you know that it wasn't Dad's fault...? Are you forgiving me? *Sob*... No... It's all because Dad was a failure that you died... I'm sorry, Jamie... Wait... just wait a little longer... Dad will be a little late because of Mom and your younger sibling... You can wait without crying, right...?
The man clutched the small child, who was nodding with a bright smile, and muttered like that for a long time.
...Jamie, he must have been a good boy, just as his father said.
Eve, who had been watching the illusion projected into the man's dream based on his subconscious, confirmed that the man's expression was gradually becoming peaceful and stretched her arms.
"Phew. I guess that covers the patients I was assigned before lunch. Dwight, I'll leave the patient to you!"
"Understood, Teacher."
At Eve's words, her assistant, Dwight Nineheart from Class 1-B, who had been waiting by her side, carefully lifted the sleeping man with magic. Seeing him move the moment she spoke, Eve smiled slightly and thought:
Unlike his perpetually lethargic impression, he's such a diligent child.
When he had suddenly appeared and asked to work as her assistant because he wanted to watch her treat patients, she had been a bit skeptical, but now she felt like she might actually miss him if he weren't around. Thinking that one shouldn't judge people solely by their appearance, Eve called out to Dwight, who was laying the patient on a bed in the corner of the ward.
"Alright, let's go eat! You worked hard today, so Teacher will treat you!"
"You don't have to do that every time, but if you're offering, I won't refuse."
"Ahahaha, yes, yes! Teacher has plenty of money, so you don't have to refuse!"
Just as she was about to leave the ward with her student, laughing, there was a knock at the door. Eve beamed at the familiar face of a student poking her head into the room and exclaimed,
"Oh? I don't know what brings you here, but this is perfect timing! Let's go eat together, Miss Evande!"
"Ah, so you were here for your regular checkup, Miss Evande. I thought you came to ask for a favor, so I was a bit nervous! Anyway, it’s nice to see you after so long!"
"Ahaha... Yes."
I replied with a sheepish laugh to Eve's enthusiastic greeting. I had only stopped by to say hello, so being suddenly treated to a meal was a bit embarrassing, and it was even more so because there was another student there who I wasn't particularly close with. Why on earth was he with the teacher?
I glanced at the blonde male student who was silently picking at his side dishes with a lethargic look—Dwight Nineheart, the rival of Yoon Siwoo in the original story and a genius of magic. Eve seemed to notice my gaze, as she placed a hand on Dwight’s shoulder and said,
"Ah, you must be wondering why I'm with Dwight! He’s working as my assistant! Oh, looks like the food is here. I'll go pick it up, so you two chat for a bit!"
As Eve disappeared to get the food, an awkward silence settled over the table. Hmm... even if she told us to talk, I’ve never spoken to him before, so I have no idea what to say... As I was panicking, Dwight, who had been picking at his food, looked at me and spoke.
"Scarlet Evande of Class 1-A. Right?"
"Oh? Yeah, that's right... You knew my name?"
I was a bit surprised that he knew my name. As far as I knew, he was a hardcore magic geek who had no interest in anything that wasn't related to magic, so it was fascinating that he knew the name of someone he hadn't even talked to.
"The 'noise-maker' of our class keeps talking about you and a few others from your class all day long, saying she wants to be friends. She talks about it so much that my ears are practically calloused, so it would be strange if I didn't remember."
"Aha..."
At the mention of a "noise-maker," one person from Class B immediately came to mind: Flone Dolos. I could vividly imagine Dwight frowning at the sound of the pink-haired, twin-tailed girl, who had been clinging to me since our first meeting, chattering loudly. Having read the original story, he didn't feel as awkward as a complete stranger. After all, we had crossed paths a few times during training or while treating people controlled by monsters at school, so we weren't total strangers.
So, I cautiously asked him something I had been curious about.
"Hey, what's this about being an assistant? Are you just doing it for volunteer work?"
Honestly, "volunteer work" wasn't a word that suited Dwight. He wasn't a character completely devoid of a sense of justice, but in the original story, he was literally a magic-obsessed maniac. Intellectual curiosity about magic, the drive to uncover the truth—that was the Dwight I had read about. He wouldn't be the type to sacrifice his own magic training time to help others, so I was curious why he was working as Eve’s assistant.
At my question, Dwight replied bluntly, as if it were nothing.
"Volunteer work? I’m just working as an assistant because I want to see Teacher Eve use her illusion magic up close. And as expected, the more I see, the more I think supporting her was the right choice. Seeing it up close, I can't help but be in awe."
Seeing his eyes, which had looked so lethargic, light up at the mention of magic, I laughed to myself. Yeah, that’s the Dwight Nineheart I know. Thinking that, I asked him about Eve's magic.
"Teacher Eve's magic. I know it's amazing, but I'm not a mage, so I don't really know how amazing it is. Would I see something if I looked through a mage's eyes?"
"No, not at all. Even I, who watch from right beside her, have no idea."
"No... then what's so amazing about it...?"
I was dumbfounded by his confident answer, and Dwight tilted his head and said,
"The fact that I have no idea even after seeing it is exactly what makes it amazing."
Dwight continued,
"I'm not bragging, but I'm someone who's called a genius. I can grasp the method behind most magic after seeing it once."
He had used the term "genius" himself, but he had the qualifications to back it up. If any mage had seen his magical prowess even once, they couldn't deny his genius, as the story had described his immense magical talent numerous times.
"The illusion magic known to the public is just a curse-like ability that shows hallucinations or sends illusions into a target's dreams. But Teacher's magic is in a different league. Projecting the subconscious, manifesting illusions, and some illusions even possess physical force. It’s a mysterious ability that truly deserves to be called magic. Every time I see it, my awe only grows."
"I don't really know, but... it means it's incredibly amazing."
"Yes, I suppose it means the successor of the secret arts is different. I still have a long way to go before I can catch up to the vast amount of time Teacher has poured into magic."
Dwight nodded, looking genuinely impressed. As I listened to him, I felt something was off, so I asked,
"Hey, isn't it a bit rude to the teacher to talk about 'vast amounts of time'?"
"In what way?"
"Well, even so, saying that to such a young teacher..."
Dwight tilted his head and asked, "Young? Are you serious?"
When I tilted my head in confusion, Dwight made a rare, genuinely shocked expression.
"My god, you really don't know. Since such an ignorant student is attending the Academy, I have no choice but to explain it briefly."
Dwight's eyes sparkled at that. Sensing a familiar vibe from that look—I had a friend who would get excited and raise his voice whenever a favorite manga came up—I hoped the story would be short as I listened.
"Where should I start? First, the Great Hero Aegis founded the Academy about 400 years ago. He defeated the Witch of Gluttony with his comrades and brought peace to humanity. Among his comrades at the time was my ancestor, Violet Nineheart, who cast the barrier that blocks mana in this city, and Abigail, who was called the Illusion Archmage. Abigail, who handled illusions, took on the position of a teacher at the Academy at Aegis's request after the Witch of Gluttony was defeated. Since then, her direct disciples have traditionally served as teachers at the Aegis Academy. And the 5th successor of Abigail's secret illusion magic, who takes on only one disciple per generation, is Teacher Eve."
I listened to his long, breathless explanation, but felt a sense of incongruity at the last part. Wait? 5th generation?
"Hey, are you saying Teacher Eve is the 5th disciple in a line starting from that Abigail person? Isn't that strange? You said she was a person from 400 years ago."
Dwight nodded and said,
"As far as I know, Teacher Eve officially inherited the teaching position from the previous generation 80 years ago. I heard that she looked exactly like that even when my grandfather was a student."
"My god..."
I stared in shock at Eve, who was walking back to the table after picking up the food. To think such a secret was hidden behind such a youthful appearance...
Eve returned to the table, smiling brightly, and asked,
"Oh? You two seem to have hit it off? What were you talking about so intently?"
"N-nothing much! Just talking about magic!"
Even so, Eve was a woman, and I felt it was a bit inappropriate to say we were talking about her age, so I exclaimed in a panic. Eve laughed happily.
"Ahahaha, that's a conversation topic worthy of a Nineheart. Miss Evande, please understand. They've been serious about magic for generations. Come to think of it, Dwight really resembles the Ninehearts."
"I... is that so?"
At that answer, which carried the weight of an immense amount of time, I broke into a cold sweat. Having always practiced respecting my elders, I felt like I should be even more polite than usual, so I was eating while carefully observing table manners when—
"Wow! It's Yoon Siwoo!"
Yoon Siwoo? I whipped my head toward the sound to see people eating while staring at Yoon Siwoo on the TV screen in the cafeteria. That Yoon Siwoo guy, he's really popular. Just as I was about to continue my meal, I saw several people staring at the screen, hands clasped in prayer.
"Ah, Yoon Siwoo... please, avenge our family."
"Please defeat the evil witch..."
It was a strange sight to simply call "popular." The people praying fervently to Yoon Siwoo on the screen looked like members of a cult.
"What... what is that?"
When I asked in a small voice, Eve replied with a bitter smile.
"...I see people like that often these days. It's an expression of the hostility toward witches felt by those who lost their families in the recent incident. Like the hero who is said to have defeated the Witch of Pride in the past, or Aegis, who is said to have defeated the Witches of Jealousy and Gluttony. It seems they want Yoon Siwoo to take revenge on the witches who took their families."
"That's..."
"It just goes to show how much they hate witches. It can't be helped. It's the only way that hostility isn't directed toward the city or the heroes. The higher-ups also seem to be using Yoon Siwoo extensively for propaganda since they have no way to soothe the hearts of people like that right now."
Eve muttered as she watched the people praying to Yoon Siwoo with a troubled expression.
"I just hope this doesn't become a problem..."
Beyond Eve's muttering, the people's desperate prayers could be heard. Hero, please kill the witch.