Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Regret (3)
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The imperial palace, equipped with the finest facilities in every regard, naturally boasted the highest caliber of medical personnel as well.
It was only natural, given that the emperor himself—the ruler of the empire—had been a patient suffering from an unidentified illness until just recently.
And Beringham took pride in being one of the more experienced and skilled doctors among that elite medical staff.
Which was precisely why he was so deeply dissatisfied with the current situation.
In the world, to relegate someone who stood head and shoulders above his peers among renowned physicians to mere duty in the infirmary?
-Well, I accepted a request from someone it was hard to refuse.
-What kind of request...?
-Someone asked me to have a highly skilled doctor on standby in the infirmary because they'd need one soon.
-....
-...They weren't in their right mind, but that's how it is. I'm assigning it to you because you're capable, so please handle it.
It sounded like he was being told to stand by because it was predetermined that the requester would get hurt. What nonsense.
If the person who had awkwardly made such a ridiculous request hadn't been Prince Theodore, Beringham would have dismissed it outright as absurd.
'What do they think someone of my stature is?'
Grumbling to himself like that, he pulled infirmary duty for several days.
Then Beringham found himself in a dire predicament.
His hands trembled as he gazed at the patient lying on the operating table before him.
A man with a penetrating wound to the abdomen. And something had been "injected" through it, causing putrefaction to spread throughout his entire body in a horrific manner.
Compared to his usual confident demeanor, he looked unreliable now, but there were extenuating circumstances.
He had handled countless patients with wounds this severe, but at least...
"Save him. Somehow."
He had never before treated someone while the hero—clearly out of her mind—held a blade to his throat.
He had heard that the hero's temperament was severely fractured, but even accounting for that, his current position was unbearably precarious.
The hand gripping the sword trembled violently, and her gaze darted about erratically.
"If you can't save him, if you can't—"
Even the way she continued speaking bordered on outright madness.
They said the hero herself had transported the patient here, and it was clear her urgency went far beyond the ordinary.
And it didn't stop there.
Before entering the operating room, both the prince and princess had earnestly implored him to save the patient, and there had even been word from Grand Duke Chasefield.
To top it all off, the Gray Cardinal herself stood silently beside her, glaring at him.
As if she wouldn't let him off the hook if anything went wrong.
Felix seemed just as intensely anxious about it, chewing on her pipe—though she couldn't bring herself to light it with a critical patient present.
Then, with her sunken eyes, she scanned Beringham's condition.
His face pale, Beringham wiped the cold sweat dripping from his forehead. His legs shook.
"...Tch."
Felix clicked her tongue and rose from her seat.
As Beringham tensed even further, she approached Gray and gripped the hero's shoulder firmly.
"Gray, that's enough."
"-"
Gray's wildly fluctuating eyes turned to Felix, but Felix remained resolute.
"Enough. This isn't helping at all."
"..."
While Beringham stared at Felix in a daze, she spoke again.
"Doctor. I'll be straight with you. This guy's precious to me too. I'd like you to do your utmost to treat him, but like this, you won't even be able to focus."
"Y-Yes?"
"Look at yourself."
And it wasn't wrong—Beringham was on the verge of panic from the extreme tension.
He had witnessed countless times, while working in the palace, what happened to those who mishandled such valuable patients.
The life of this patient now hung not only his own life but Beringham's as well.
Visions flashed before his eyes of colleagues who had suffered gruesome fates after irking the wrong power holders.
But toward him, Felix uttered words utterly opposite to what he expected.
"We trust you, and no matter the outcome, we won't harm you. I promise."
"..."
She was an extraordinary person.
The thought suddenly crossed Beringham's mind.
She didn't look any steadier than anyone else here despite her own state, yet she clung to her sanity and managed the situation.
"The Gray Cardinal promises. You won't come to harm. Calm down."
"...A-All right."
"You're a skilled doctor. You can definitely save a patient like this. Believe in yourself."
"..."
As he absorbed those words one after another, Beringham's condition rapidly stabilized.
Hearing such assured, resolute statements restored his rationality.
"Good, feeling calm now?"
"Yes, th-thanks to you."
"You can do it, right? What's the survival chance?"
"..."
Beringham sharply assessed the patient's condition.
"...Everyone please step back for one hour. I'll do what I can."
"So you can do it?"
"Yes."
Felix nodded. She seemed satisfied with the response.
"Good."
The Gray Cardinal said with a bright smile.
"And I just changed my mind. If you can't save him, you die."
"..."
"Save him, even if it costs your life. Got it?"
Beringham shot Felix an incredulous look, but she was already dragging Gray out of the room.
Fortunately, having already endured one peak of extreme tension and release, he had no time to dwell on it.
Instead, he turned his gaze to the man groaning on the operating table.
"Doctor..."
The man said, breathing laboriously.
"Her personality's always been a bit of a bitch, so... please forgive her..."
"..."
What kind of person worries about others even in this state?
As if caring for others over his own life was etched into his very instincts.
"If you want to live, shut up and stay still. You're interfering with the treatment."
Well, maybe that's why such people inspired that level of devotion from those around them.
"...And please survive, no matter what. It feels like no one else can rein those people in but you."
As a favor.
Survive, and don't let people like that run wild.
Hold on to the end, you...
"...Can't I just die right here?"
"Not a chance."
Beringham sighed and donned his gloves.
"You're my patient now. How could I let you die?"
It was the movement of a veteran physician.
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Carlyle Bellfast was a man driven by a strong experimental spirit.
In other words.
-System Log
▶ The target's trust in 'Gray' has risen dramatically.
▶ The target's trust level has changed from 'Interest' to 'Bond'!
▶ Trust level has reached a certain threshold. The target's 'Special Ability' is additionally unlocked!
▶ 'Special Ability: Rage of Loss' is added to the target 'Gray'.
▶ If you are in danger, the target's stats will receive a temporary boost!
If something like this popped up before his eyes, it only made sense that he wouldn't be satisfied until he tested just how effective it was.
The results were astonishing!
Even if it was the lowest-rank baron-level, the sight of a noble-rank demon getting beaten like a dog on a hot summer day by a young lady was clearly far beyond her usual capabilities.
[But you nearly died for real this time.]
The holy sword grumbled curtly.
Well, this one had opposed the idea from the start when Carlyle expressed his desire to 'experiment' with it.
With his body already in tatters, adding such a severe injury on top—who knew what might happen.
'But I didn't die, did I?'
[....]
Crazy bastard... The holy sword muttered something like that.
[...That demon must feel incredibly wronged. I wonder what reaction it'd have if it knew it got beaten that badly just for an ability test.]
'I'll probably get a chance to ask.'
Surprisingly, Astarion—the demon whose head Gray had severed—was still clinging to life in that state.
It wasn't called a noble-rank demon for nothing; its vitality was tenacious. Its subordinate Hydra had been reduced to dust from a single blow from the hero.
Which meant there was plenty he could 'ask' that side about.
'Of course, that's one thing.'
There was something even more urgent right now, without a doubt.
Carlyle broke out in cold sweat as he surveyed his surroundings.
His legs were numb, but even so, he couldn't move his body.
On his left leg, Gray had rested her head and fallen asleep. On the right leg, Felix was in the exact same predicament.
...This had been the situation since he regained consciousness at dawn; he couldn't budge.
[They watched over you anxiously all night while you slept.]
The holy sword added that explanation.
[...Both completely out of their minds.]
"..."
Carlyle nodded silently and gazed at the window floating before his eyes.
-System Message
▶ The target 'Gray's emotional state is highly unstable.
▶ The target 'Vespa's emotional state is highly unstable.
▶ The target 'Felix's 'Regret' and 'Obsession' states have surged.
▶ The target 'Panhima' has detected your anomaly.
▶ The target 'Black Whale' has detected your anomaly.
So.
Gathering data on the new ability was great and all.
'...I'm fucked.'
How was he supposed to clean this mess up.
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