Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: A Worried Heart
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***
“Han Cheon-seong!?”
Even as I registered the woman approaching me, my mind was a haze.
‘Mill...ia?’
I belatedly recalled her name, but my body was completely drained of strength.
It seemed I was once again reminded of the fact that a person can never truly get used to pain.
“What on earth happened? What is this... why do you look like this...?”
Looking at Millia as she approached and spoke to me, my resolve slowly began to weaken.
‘Now...’
Maybe it's okay to let go.
The concept of piercing and twisting a single point—not wanting to forget that sensation I had just barely grasped, I desperately clung to my will, again and again.
I forced my body, which yearned to lose consciousness from the excruciating pain, to hold on, trying somehow to recapture the feeling of that moment.
And.
I thought I had, at least to some extent, properly mastered the sensation of that moment.
Just by enduring this grueling pain... I had held on long enough.
My resolve was crumbling... I could no longer control it.
Thump!
“Han Cheon-seong!? Right now, I'll...”
As Millia filled my vision, a foolish laugh escaped my lips.
‘What a relief.’
I wasn't collapsing all alone. It seemed I wouldn't have to spend the night lying on the cold ground.
Amid thoughts that even I found to be utterly irresponsible.
“......”
I couldn't stop my eyes from slowly closing.
***
The next day dawned.
The warm morning sunlight slowly illuminated the earth, beginning to embrace the buildings, the greenery, and the countless people in its gentle warmth.
And that same warm light soon shone through the window of an infirmary.
“...”
In the academy infirmary, a woman with emerald hair stood watch over a student who lay unconscious in bed.
They were Adelia and Cheon-seong.
Click.
The infirmary door opened, and a woman with short black hair entered.
“Instructor Adelia. I've brought the healing aids.”
Adelia smiled faintly at Millia's words.
“Thank you. You can just leave them nearby... I'd like to say you can go back now, but you won't, will you, Student Millia?”
As Adelia asked calmly, Millia replied cautiously, but firmly.
“...Instructor. I'm really fine.”
“You may be fine, Student Millia, but I'm not fine with it.”
Adelia let out a small sigh but accepted Millia's decision, and Millia carefully took a seat beside her.
And both their gazes naturally turned to Cheon-seong, who lay on the bed, breathing softly.
Cheon-seong was quite disheveled, but he had clearly recovered compared to before he lost consciousness.
“Student Han Cheon-seong will wake up soon. There were no major issues with his body, so we can assume it was just overwork or severe exertion.”
“Instructor Adelia. I'm sorry to ask, but... is there really nothing wrong with Han Cheon-seong?”
“Yes. There's really nothing wrong.”
Adelia answered assertively, looking at Millia with a gentle gaze.
Then, she suddenly recalled the events of last night.
…
After Cheon-seong collapsed, Millia had urgently carried him on her back to the infirmary.
Fortunately, Adelia's assistant, Efre, was still there. Efre contacted Adelia, who rushed back to the infirmary to treat Cheon-seong.
Throughout the night, Adelia had repeatedly told Millia she could leave, but Millia had remained by Cheon-seong's side. That was the gist of what had happened.
"..."
Looking at the resolute Millia, Adelia let out a faint sigh.
At first, she had considered sending Millia back by force, but in the end, she had allowed her to stay.
‘She looks so... earnest.’
Seeing Student Millia still gazing at Student Han Cheon-seong, she just couldn't bring herself to send her away.
“Student Millia. I'll go brew some tea.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
As Student Millia immediately bowed her head, Adelia slowly gave her some space.
Somehow, it felt like she shouldn't be intruding on them in this strange atmosphere.
Click.
A faint smile formed on her lips as she walked.
‘Does Student Millia have feelings for Student Han Cheon-seong?’
She couldn't be certain of the student's feelings, but she suspected that might be the case.
To give up on your own tasks, and even sleep, to stay by someone's side... that requires a much bigger heart than one might think.
Clink.
As she prepared tea for herself and for Student Millia, another question arose.
‘What on earth caused Student Han Cheon-seong to collapse?’
She had been shocked when she first heard that Student Han Cheon-seong had been brought to the infirmary unconscious. And seeing his utterly haggard appearance in person had put her on high alert.
Gurgle.
Even as she used her mana to heat the water to the perfect temperature, she still found it hard to understand.
When she had healed him, she hadn't detected any major abnormalities. His body was severely tense, with knotted muscles all over, and there were significant signs of lingering fatigue, but that was about it.
Of course, that alone wasn't to be taken lightly, but compared to the serious injuries she had been expecting, it was relatively minor.
Swish. Clink.
Placing the teacups on a tray, she started walking back and saw the back of Student Millia, who was still gazing at Student Han Cheon-seong.
Her gaze had been fixed on Student Han Cheon-seong all through the night.
A small laugh escaped at the sight of the student.
After spending day after urgent day on the battlefield, being here at the academy sometimes made her feel numb to emotions.
The reality of the battlefield, where a sense of crisis permeated one's entire being, was so different from the reality of the academy.
After facing death every day and seeing people cry out in great pain, looking at the bright and energetic students—even when they were injured—felt completely different.
My heart... can accept it more lightly, more warmly.
It felt as if my utterly exhausted heart was being healed just by watching students like them.
Clink.
“Student Millia?”
“...Yes.”
“Have some black tea. And it's not good for you to be so tense.”
As she carefully placed the teacup on the table,
“Ah, thank you."
I liked the way Student Millia politely bowed her head as she took the cup.
“Ah, and just to confirm again. You said you found Student Han Cheon-seong in the park last night, correct?”
“That's right. I heard a sudden groaning sound in the park, and when I went to check, Han Cheon-seong was collapsed there.”
Lifting her teacup, Student Millia's eyes clouded over slightly.
It was as if she couldn't understand it herself. I was feeling a similar sense of puzzlement.
At first, I wondered if someone with malicious intent had done something to him, but the more I healed him, the more I thought that wasn't the case.
Still, I checked again just in case. It can vary depending on a student's constitution.
“Once Student Han Cheon-seong regains consciousness, I'll ask him about the circumstances of his collapse. But for now, there are no signs that someone did anything to him. His condition isn't too serious, and he should be back to his usual self once he recovers his energy.”
I said this to alleviate at least some of Student Millia's worries.
“I... see. I suppose I spoke too rashly, just in case. I'm sorry, Instructor.”
“I understand. But you can relax a little now. Ah, Student Millia. You're taking Instructor Kalli's class, aren't you?”
“Yes, that's right.”
Looking at the student as she replied, I felt conflicted.
Of course, I would inform Instructor Kalli that Student Han Cheon-seong, being unconscious, would be absent from the morning lecture.
However.
‘What should I do about Student Millia?’
Seeing her so worried about him made me want to help.
Staying up all night to watch over someone is an incredibly taxing thing to do, something you wouldn't understand unless you've done it.
But it had only been a few days since I spoke with Instructor Kalli about Student Han Cheon-seong.
To ask Instructor Kalli to excuse another student from her class... wouldn't that be overstepping my bounds?
“Instructor Adelia. I will head back before the lecture begins.”
“...Are you sure you'll be okay?”
“Yes. I'm fine.”
Seeing Student Millia reply as if she had guessed my thoughts, I felt a pang of guilt.
‘Maybe I should just let her rest.’
Even though I was tending to her body with healing energy, I wondered if she was truly okay mentally.
No matter how much you endure physically, sleep has its absolute limits.
Even if it means losing a bit of face with Instructor Kalli today, it would be worth it to...
“Ugh...”
A sudden groan cut off my thoughts.
“Han Cheon-seong?”
Together with the startled Student Millia, I immediately checked on him.
He was slowly opening his eyes from behind his disheveled hair, and I used my energy to re-examine his condition.
“Student Han Cheon-seong, are you alright?”
***
As I came to, my head felt like it was splitting apart.
Still, I looked at the two people who came into my view.
“Student Han Cheon-seong. You need to rest first. I'll speak to Instructor Kalli about the morning lecture, so you can take it easy this morning.”
Hearing Adelia's gentle voice first, I met her gaze and nodded blankly.
"Yes... thank you."
All I remembered was seeing Millia last night and letting my guard down. Seeing Adelia here now, it seemed Millia had brought me to the infirmary.
“Thank you... Millia. And I'm really sorry.”
I started by apologizing to Millia, who was right in front of me.
I had irresponsibly left her to deal with the aftermath. How flustered must she have been?
“You don't have to be so sorry. I was just very surprised, that's all. So, are you really okay?”
“...Yeah. I think I'm okay now.”
A sense of embarrassment washed over me as I replied.
In my obsession to become stronger, I had used an incomplete concept and ended up losing consciousness.
Adelia had thankfully told me there was nothing seriously wrong with my body, but looking back on that moment, what I did was so reckless that it wouldn't have been strange if something had gone terribly wrong.
“I'm glad you're okay. Still, Han Cheon-seong, I hope you don't push yourself too hard from now on.”
“Yeah. I'm really... ashamed.”
I couldn't think of anything else to say.
I had even shown such a disgraceful side of myself to the girl I considered my ideal type, and even now, I was revealing my completely messy state without hiding a thing.
Honestly, if I could hide somewhere, anywhere, I would have.
“You know, you two... look good together.”
“...What?”
“Oh, it's just that watching you two students like this... it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy for some reason.”
Adelia's sudden words made my face flush even hotter.
Adelia, looking back and forth between me and Millia with a peculiar gaze, seemed like a child eager to play a prank.
“Instructor Adelia, you're being mischievous.”
“...Millia's right.”
Then, hearing Millia's calm voice, the heat in my face subsided, and I chimed in.
Hearing Millia's flat denial, I felt a great sense of disappointment inside.
‘Then again, there's no way Millia would like me.’
I might have had other ideas when she responded so kindly the first time I spoke to her, but thinking about it now, I had overlooked the fact that it was just her nature.
Millia was the type to treat everyone with kindness and gentleness, as one person to another.
In the original story, she was a character who was portrayed as being nearly as good-natured as Leonhardt.
So, the feelings I had back then were nothing more than my own misunderstanding.
“Hmm~ Anyway, I'm going to go talk to Instructor Kalli. You two rest for a bit. I'll have Efre watch the infirmary for me, just in case.”
“Yes.”
“Understood."
...As I replied blankly, my gaze slowly shifted from Adelia's departing back to Millia.
Come to think of it... it was strange.
'Why is Millia still in the infirmary?'
The bright sunlight announced that it was morning.