Chapter 87
Chapter 87
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: The Dam That Was Blocked Bursts (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I had a dream.
In the dream, I was sitting across a table from Roman, talking.
It was a scene from my memories.
During the days when battles were a daily occurrence.
It was around the time our forces had completely broken the enemy's spearhead, and the war had entered a lull.
In fact, aside from that period, I rarely had the chance to sit down and chat leisurely with Roman.
Especially not without our swords.
Peaceful days, for the first time in a long while.
As we sat facing each other and talked, a minor disagreement arose.
Though, to be honest, it was more like I was getting a one-sided scolding.
In any case, the reason I, who was constantly being nagged, protested that day was because Roman's reason for being angry was so absurd.
‘You’re too tense.’
‘You never look at your surroundings.’
‘You’re obsessed with efficiency.’
‘Once you set a goal, that’s all you think about.’
After chewing me out, the reason he gave was that I was too diligent.
‘When you have a goal you must achieve, your vision becomes too narrow. You tend to ignore everything outside of that goal. In the long run, that’s never a good thing.’
In other words, he was saying my personality, running with blinders on like a racehorse, was the problem.
From my perspective, his words made no sense.
‘Isn’t it better to get things done quickly? Can’t I just do everything else after the work is finished?’
Naturally, I protested.
Because if there’s a job to do, getting it done swiftly is far more efficient.
‘What if that goal is something that can’t be achieved in a short time? What if it’s a goal that takes at least ten years, or even a lifetime?’
At that moment, his words sounded as if he was saying my entire life, dedicated to the single-minded pursuit of becoming a knight, was wrong.
‘A genius like you wouldn't know, Master. Ordinary people like me live like this. If I get distracted, I won't even accomplish what I can. I have to work this hard just to have a chance, so what kind of nonsense is... Ack!’
*Thwack.*
Of course, the ill-tempered Roman didn't even pretend to listen to my protest.
‘Even the most diligent farmer doesn’t spend his entire life with his back bent, staring only at the ground, and even the most adventurous sailor doesn’t seek stormy seas all year round.’
After saying that, Roman asked me a question.
‘Battle preparations, combat, post-battle processing. Besides war-related tasks, what have you done recently?’
‘What else is there to do when we came here for a war… And speaking of which, the post-battle processing is something you should be doing, Master, but you pawned it off on me… Ack!’
‘Even the war fanatics in Yanick’s warband drop their swords and run to the tavern after a battle, but you never part with your sword, even when you sleep.’
‘That’s because you don’t know, Master. Those guys fight in the tavern all the time… Ack! You hit the same spot again!’
‘Stop talking nonsense.’
Roman, looking at me with a displeased expression, gave me an assignment that day.
Find something to do that wasn’t related to war or the sword.
But I couldn't complete the assignment before the war, which had been in a lull, resumed.
What did Roman say when he saw me then?
‘A stubborn fool who won't change unless he dies and is reborn.’
…….
…….
Ah.
* * *
“*Gasp*.”
I shot my eyes open to a familiar ceiling.
“Again. I'm in the infirmary again.”
How many times had I been carried here unconscious?
It wasn't even surprising anymore.
*Fwip.*
The sight of Professor Yuria, startled by my waking, hiding her blood-drawing tools was no longer anything special either.
“...I was struck directly by lightning.”
I unconsciously touched my face.
Almost every part of it, except for my eyes, nose, and mouth, was covered in bandages.
And it wasn't just my face.
Every visible part of my body was wrapped in bandages.
“Huh?”
Only then did I recall the situation before I lost consciousness.
Professor Dieter Liesner had come looking for me, and then…
‘*CRACK-RUMBLE-BOOM!*’
The sound of thunder echoed like a phantom in my ears.
“Kiiieeeeeek!”
Startled, I let out a scream.
“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. I admit your current appearance is misleading, but it’s not actually that bad.”
What nonsense.
That was not something you say to someone wrapped head to toe in bandages.
There was no way I could be fine after taking a direct lightning strike.
“Right. You shouldn't be fine. But you are. That’s why I wrapped you up. In bandages.”
I froze, my hands still cupping my face as I groaned.
“Because it’s not normal.”
“Is that true…?”
“What would I gain from lying to you? Look.”
As she spoke, Professor Yuria gently unwrapped a bandage to show me my bare skin.
She wasn't lying.
The skin revealed beneath the bandage was pristine.
There wasn't even a minor scratch, let alone a burn.
Awkwardly, I slowly lowered the hands that had been covering my face.
“When Professor Dieter Liesner first brought you in, I honestly thought he’d brought a half-burnt corpse from a crematorium.”
Apparently, Professor Dieter Liesner, covered in burns himself, had carried me on his back and rushed to the infirmary.
“That’s how bad your condition was.”
Well, having been struck directly by lightning, it would have been stranger if my condition had been good.
“That Dieter fellow is a high-ranking knight in his own right, and he happened to have a blessing related to lightning, so I wasn’t too worried about him…”
Oh. The fact that Professor Dieter Liesner had a blessing related to lightning was new information.
“The problem was you.”
As I filed away the new information, Professor Yuria’s explanation continued.
She said I was so covered in burns that it looked like I could stop breathing at any moment.
That’s why she had almost given up on me.
“My precious research material—I mean, a cadet—was in that state, so you can imagine how shocked I was. My heart shrinks just thinking about it now. Really.”
I felt like an inappropriate word was slipped in there, but I decided not to protest this time.
“You should know how hard I worked.”
“Thank you.”
I simply bowed my head and offered my thanks.
I realized belatedly that my body felt incredibly light.
The fatigue that had built up from the nightmares and my sessions with Professor Navian was completely gone.
Except for the bandages, I was in much better shape now than before I was struck by lightning.
With a little exaggeration, I felt like I could fly.
“No need for thanks. I didn’t really do anything.”
“...?”
Her contradictory statement left me staring blankly, so she elaborated.
She had tried to save me, but my recovery wasn't her doing.
“Your condition suddenly improved. Your mangled skin just peeled right off, and new skin grew in its place. It was like you were molting or something.”
“I was?”
“Yes. You.”
It was unbelievable, but since she said she saw it herself, I had no choice but to believe her.
“And the stench was awful. I’ve never smelled anything like it in my life.”
Come to think of it, the infirmary was filled with an unidentifiable medicinal scent I’d never smelled before.
It seemed she had used some strong chemicals to get rid of the foul odor.
“This isn't entirely unprecedented, you know. But the precedent is so ridiculous.”
Her words reminded me of something as well.
Skin peeling off as if I were shedding it.
New flesh growing underneath.
And a foul stench.
“There’s no way the ‘Metamorphosis’ that only knights who’ve reached at least the 7-Star level experience could have happened to you. Even if you took the Gaecheondan.”
“Ahahaha. Right. I’m not even a knight.”
“Exactly.”
“...”
“...”
As an awkward silence filled the air and I let out a string of nervous laughs, Professor Yuria clapped her hands together.
“So! For that reason, let’s just keep the bandages on for a while. You don’t want to deal with troublesome things either, right?”
“...Thank you for your consideration.”
“You can thank me for this. It was a real pain cleaning your body and getting rid of the smell.”
“Professor, you cleaned my body?”
“Yep.”
“All of it?”
“Yep. Every nook and cranny. Didn't miss a spot.”
At her cheerful reply, I turned my head to look out the window.
I didn't know what to think anymore.
Whatever happens, happens.
“Oh, right. A lot of things came out during the treatment process. I was thinking of using them as research material…”
“A lot of things?”
“Hmm. Do you really want to know?”
“...No.”
Professor Yuria nodded as if I’d made the right choice.
“Just one week. I can make up some excuse with my reputation for that long.”
Anyway.
For that reason, I had to remain in the infirmary for a while longer.
And that turned out to be much more arduous than I had thought.
“I'm so restless. So restless. So restless.”
Lying still in bed, wrapped in bandages, was absolute torture.
My body was more energetic than ever, and my mind was clearer than ever.
“I want to move. I want to move. I want to move.”
For a moment, I considered sneaking out.
It wasn't like anyone was going to visit me, and I didn't think disappearing for a bit would cause any problems.
But my desperate desire for escape had to remain just a thought.
More people came looking for me than I expected.
“At this rate, I wonder if we can even keep attending the Cradle.”
“If we’re unlucky, our squad might lose two members.”
“I heard from Professor Yuria that we don’t have to worry about that. She said she’d take responsibility for fixing him up and sending him back.”
“The White Knight of the Yurendel family really is something else.”
I had been thinking that Lian and the other kids from Squad 3 might visit at least once, since we were in the same squad.
“Don’t worry. My uncle got covered in molten iron, and he’s living a perfectly fine life. Well, maybe not perfectly? But he got married and has kids, so let’s just say he is.”
Angelo came by as well.
That was as far as my expectations went.
“Adversity makes one stronger. You must overcome this.”
Amelia from the Trial Knights Division, who offered encouragement with a clenched fist.
“Tsk.”
Bern from the Vigete family, who I had no idea why he came.
“Overcome this and let’s have a rematch.”
And the sniper from Squad 2, who had been burning with a one-sided rivalry ever since we faced off in the flag-keeper match, were all unexpected guests.
The visit from the nameless professor who had stormed into the Rose Garden of Worms, along with other professors I’d briefly met during the entrance exam, was equally surprising.
Not knowing what to do, I just pretended to be asleep the whole time.
“Our little guy is surprisingly popular, isn’t he?”
“I doubt it.”
I just shrugged at Professor Yuria’s teasing words.
I had no intention of placing any great meaning on these perfunctory, empty visits.
A week passed like that.
“You know what to do for a while, right?”
“Yes. Act moderately weak. Act like I’m still recovering.”
Just in case, I only unwrapped half of the bandages.
But things in life rarely go as planned.
I had forgotten.
There was someone right next to me who could never be fooled.
“You’ve shed your skin.”
Professor Navian’s eyes scanned my entire body.
Her clear gaze paused for a moment at the top of my head before moving higher.
Toward the sky far above.
“Something is coming in and out.”
Her eyes widened as if she’d never seen anything like it.
“I’ll have to check.”
She put some distance between us and raised her sword, aiming it at me.
She gave me a nod.
My original plan was to just observe for a day or two, using my physical condition as an excuse.
But I couldn't keep up the pretense after seeing the look in her eyes.
I had no choice but to stand before her, sword in hand.
And the moment I gripped my sword and took my stance.
The crown of my head flared with heat.
*Tap.*
Almost simultaneously, Professor Navian's sword lunged forward.
An attack I normally wouldn't even be able to react to properly.
But this time was different.
*Thump.*
My feet had already kicked off the ground.
I extended my hand.
The sword shot forward.
*Swoosh.*
Following the exact same trajectory I had once seen in a dream.
Without a single millimeter of error.
“...!”
The strike that had earned Roman the moniker, the Knight Who Makes Stars Fall.
It was the moment that sublime swordwork first revealed itself to the world.