Chapter 23
Chapter 23
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Looking After the Wounded
-----------------------------------------------------------------
23
11
"Ow, ow, ow..."
"Stop making dying noises every time you take a step."
"But it hurts, so what can I do?!"
Ethan shouted brightly as he was supported.
No, if you're beat to hell, don't shout like that.
Leon, supporting Ethan's other shoulder, just gave a wry smile and didn't say a word to stop him.
"Anyway, if you're that beat up, you should've pulled back sooner."
"But you were the one who asked me to buy time?"
"There's a thing called 'moderation,' you know, moderation. I did tell you to do it, but it was dangerous."
If the sunset had been just a bit later, or if Luena had pushed harder, who knows what would've happened to Ethan.
The fact that he had no visible external injuries was practically a miracle.
"Who charges in like that just because someone asked them to?"
"You asked me to. And we weren't late. The shield we picked together was tough enough, so it's all good!"
He said it so refreshingly...
Sigh, if he's fine with it, what can I do.
I glanced over, but Leon was just smiling, no help there.
Talking to him wouldn't get through anyway.
That hardcore justice maniac...
Anyway, dealing with Luena is the knights' job, not ours.
Since we'd secured the relic, our goal, we all exited the warehouse together, and there was cigarette smoke wafting up.
"You guys finally out, you delinquent students?"
Jin, cigarette in mouth, wagged his hand lazily by the warehouse.
His natural gesture made my face twist involuntarily.
When did this guy get here?
"Who're the delinquents?"
"You guys, you guys. Skipping school on a weekday to go get into knife fights."
"You're the one who let us go."
"Then I guess I'm a delinquent guard too."
Casually calling himself a delinquent.
He seems... seriously messed up, doesn't he?
"Anyway, you all look fine."
"Where do you see fine in this?"
One guy's being carried, another's beat to hell, and blood's dripping from the wound on my side.
But Jin stubbed out his cigarette butt and cracked a joke.
"As long as your limbs are still attached, that's fine."
This guy's off the rails.
His way of thinking is totally different from ours, huh?
"Anyway, did you find the thing that caused all this mess?"
I pulled the relic from inside my robe and shook it.
Jin glared at the small rune-inscribed relic and rubbed his chin.
"With that, we're all good."
"More importantly, is the academy side all cleaned up?"
"Yeah, cleanup's done. I came here to wrap this up too... but you left the stuff in the back for me to handle, huh."
"Time to work. Guard duty."
"You cheeky punk."
Jin shrugged and stuck a new cigarette in his mouth.
He wasn't lighting it, just holding it there.
"This time it was special circumstances, so I let it slide, but leave it to the adults from now on."
"We're adults too..."
"Who said anything about age? It's about position, position."
Fair enough, academy students shouldn't be stepping up.
Still, getting all heated in his rebuttal was a bit...
"If something like this happens again, we'll leave it to you."
"No, leave it to anyone but me. I hate hassle."
Jin waved dismissively as he entered the warehouse.
Acting cool then bailing because it's a hassle.
His laziness is on another level, seriously.
"Oh, by the way, what the hell are you?"
Jin asked out of nowhere.
Not getting his intent, I tilted my head slightly.
"What's that sudden question?"
"You're the only one who's mostly unscratched besides that graze. Can't blame me for being curious what you are."
Fair point. In the fight with Luena, I'm the only one without any real injuries.
Couldn't jump in before sunset, and after, it ended in a flash.
But seeing blood from my side thanks to Jeist and calling it just a scratch.
This guy's not right in the head either.
Naturally, Ethan and Leon's gazes turned to me amid the silence.
I pondered what to say... then decided to bluff.
"I'm a failing student."
"That so?"
As expected, he hated getting dragged in, so Jin didn't pry and entered the warehouse.
12
"Oh! You two here to visit the patient?"
Esterro Academy's infirmary is top-notch too.
When Ethan, lying on a bed that looked better than most regular ones, greeted us like that, I almost mistook it for a hotel.
The problem wasn't that.
"We just parted ways."
"That's that, and this is this!"
What the hell does 'that's that, this is this' even mean.
I had no clue, but seeing Ethan all wrapped in bandages, I decided not to press.
"How's the injury?"
"Just a minor fracture, should heal in a few days."
"That's a relief."
Leon nodded.
Ethan asked us then.
"And you guys?"
"Student council statements are done. They'll come check details with you soon."
Ethan had the worst injuries, so we left him at the infirmary.
Meanwhile, since we had to explain the incident, the relatively fine me and Leon gave statements at the student council.
Thanks to that, I'm beat.
I just want to rest...
"All done then! Oh, want an apple? You must be hungry."
Ethan twisted his body.
There was a neatly peeled apple on the bedside drawer.
And for some reason, Choco was there too, munching on an apple.
"......"
Feeling my gaze, Choco raised a hand.
No, even if you greet so cheerfully...
You're eating the apple while greeting...
"You... how long have you been here."
"I peeled the apples, and next thing I know, he's here. You're that raccoon dude, right?"
Choco, mid-bite, poked Ethan with the hand he'd used to wave.
"That's not a tanuki, it's a raccoon. Hit you if you get it wrong."
And he's hitting him right now.
"Ahaha, sorry sorry! Raccoon it is. My bad!"
Ethan laughed heartily and gave him another apple slice.
Choco, holding the apple with both paws, finally seemed appeased and crunched away.
"Anyway... you're really okay?"
"Yeah, just a bit of stinging aside, I'm fine. I'm tough by nature."
Ethan munched his apple as he replied.
He's probably joking... but no major issues, so that's good.
I wanted to say something, but my lips wouldn't move easily.
Ethan wasn't badly hurt.
But he was hurt, that's fact.
Leon could excuse getting tangled in this as fate from the main story.
But Ethan got dragged in purely because of me.
So feeling sorry... is only natural for a human.
...Sigh.
I definitely wanted to live peacefully, uninvolved in any incidents.
How did it end up like this...
One thing's clear.
Incidents will blow up bigger from now on, so I can't just be careful—I have to avoid getting hurt altogether.
Enjoy a peaceful life...
And steer clear of events as much as possible.
"...Seeing you're safe puts me at ease. Rest up, we're heading out."
"You can stay longer."
"Infirmary's not a hangout. Let's go, Choco."
Choco shoved an apple piece in his mouth and hopped down.
Then he led the way to the infirmary door from my feet.
"Anyway, rest. Just focus on getting better."
"Hope you heal quick."
We left Ethan waving from his bed and exited the infirmary with Leon.
Click. As the door shut behind us, an odd silence enveloped us.
The academy main building after sunset was eerily quiet.
"You don't need treatment?"
As we started down the hall, Leon asked.
I wasn't badly hurt, so I just tilted my head, and Leon pointed to his own side.
"You got hurt fighting in the main building."
"Oh, right."
I hadn't dodged Jeist's attack fully and got grazed.
Adrenaline had me forget... and compared to Ethan's, it was nothing.
"Just wrap it in my room. Not a big deal."
No risk of it tearing if I don't overdo it.
I'd even forgotten it hurt until Leon mentioned it, so no issue.
"By that logic, you're pretty beat up too?"
"Almost no injuries. Just fatigue."
Hmm, Leon's rarely wrong about that.
Still, he was breathing pretty hard...
"Even so, better get checked at the infirmary just in case."
I absentmindedly went to pat his shoulder.
But Leon swatted my hand away like a ghost.
Then he avoided my eyes with a 'whoops' look.
"Hey."
"What."
"Go to the infirmary nicely?"
Leon didn't answer.
After a bit of tussling, I lifted his robe to check his shoulder... yeah, hard to even describe.
"This is just fatigue?"
"......"
Leon's shoulder, exercising his right to silence, was red and inflamed.
Bruised badly, skin torn, clothes soaked in blood.
No matter how I recalled, Leon hadn't been hit.
So these injuries piled up from swinging his sword alone.
"Sigh..."
What fatigue?
This guy's definitely got stress fractures coming.
"Worry about yourself before others."
"I'm fine. Used to it."
"That's exactly why it's not fine."
Getting used to patching yourself up solo is the most dangerous.
Reading Leon's mind isn't hard.
He thinks Ethan's worse, so let him rest, while he handles his own.
Sure, he's used to getting hurt and treating alone.
The premise is all wrong.
Doesn't matter who's worse.
If you're hurt, you're hurt—no ranking in this.
"Go back to the infirmary nicely, I said."
"I'm fine."
"Turning your shoulder to mush and calling it fine?!"
My voice rose without thinking.
Leon froze, eyes wide in surprise.
Unexpected, but... means no pointless arguments.
I grabbed Leon's hand.
Wanted to shove his shoulder, but can't touch the injury.
Since we hadn't gone far, we headed straight back and opened the infirmary door.
"I..."
"Shut up and get in."
I shoved the protesting Leon inside.
Waited a bit to ensure the door stayed shut, then leaned against the wall.
"Sigh..."
That guy, seriously...
My head heated up.
Choco climbed my shoulder and wrapped his tail around my neck.
Petting him a bit brought back calm.
Of course my head's hot.
Ethan's one thing, but Leon especially.
If that guy gets hurt bad, the world's savior vanishes.
He thinks he's worthless, and that pisses me off most.
"Both these guys undervalue themselves way too much."
Value yourselves higher.
Muttering that wouldn't reach inside the infirmary.
After standing guard a while, I finally made it back to the dorm.