Visiting the Sick (4)
The appearance of a single man made everyone in the room hold their breath.
The man who exuded an overwhelming presence simply by showing up was Jeron Flame—the person I had to defeat.
Why was that man here?
Leaning on a cane in his left hand, he slowly approached me. The fedora on his head and the luxurious coat made him look like an ordinary middle-aged man at first glance. But the moment I saw his face, cold and hard as forged steel, my body instinctively stiffened no matter how hard I tried to stay relaxed.
Step. Step.
The man who had entered the hospital room spoke.
After saying that, Jeron glanced around the room and continued.
Then he turned his gaze toward Elisha, who stood beside me.
I couldn't stay silent forever, so I reluctantly opened my mouth.
At that, Jeron stroked his chin and began scanning the room. First he looked at Elin with her striking pink hair, then at Lucy with her rose-red hair, and Silia with her obsidian-black locks. After that, he swept his gaze over Ron, Lloyd, and Ian standing beside me.
It felt like he was sizing them up, trying to gauge what kind of people they were. His eyes carried that habitual, condescending glint, paired with an expression as blunt as a hammer. He truly seemed like a man forged from cold steel, utterly devoid of warmth.
Seeing him in person confirmed that my expectations had been spot on—
Or so I thought.
As if mocking my inner thoughts, Jeron relaxed his stern face and offered a very gentle, warm smile as he introduced himself. The smile he wore was far warmer than anything I had imagined. Seeing that kind, benevolent expression left me momentarily stunned.
In the game, he had always been portrayed as a man of cold steel—a ruthless, bloodless tyrant who removed anything that stood in the way of his goals. I had never met him directly in the game, but the information from surrounding NPCs and newspaper tidbits had seemed reliable enough. Yet here he was, capable of making such an expression.
Perhaps it really had been arrogant of me to think I could understand a person through words alone.
That aside, why had he come here? There was no way he had truly come just to visit a sick patient. Was it because of something he couldn't obtain at the academy? Or had I interfered in too many matters and created variables even I didn't know about?
Whatever the case, there was no way for me to know right now. Only Jeron himself would know the answer.
So all I could do was try to get through this situation as smoothly as possible.
As I watched him closely, the others—who had been frozen by Jeron's sudden appearance—began to open their tightly shut mouths one by one.
Jeron smiled warmly at them.
I asked him directly.
He stepped right up to me, placed a hand on my shoulder, and said,
As soon as he spoke, a doctor and nurses wearing white coats appeared from behind him. So that's why they hadn't come in earlier—they had been with Jeron. The one with the shiny bald head and advanced age looked like the director of this hospital. But the way he was sweating profusely didn't look good at all. What on earth had he talked about with Jeron to make his face turn that pale?
Well, the Flame family held considerable influence even on the mainland. It was only natural for the hospital director to be flustered by a sudden visit from the family head.
Anyway, the doctor who approached me placed his fingers on my right wrist and began checking my pulse.
The already uncomfortable atmosphere grew even heavier because of my explosive remark. Elisha looked at me with worried eyes. Elin seemed flustered by the sudden situation and was visibly tense—perhaps simply because a noble was present. Lucy watched quietly. Silia kept glancing back and forth between me and Jeron with a slightly bewildered expression. It was surprising to see even the usually prickly Silia look so unsettled. Was it because this involved my father?
Ron and Lloyd simply kept their mouths shut. Ian raised his right eyebrow and stared directly at Jeron.
In that moment when no one seemed to know what to do, a loud clap rang out.
Clap!
One by one, they began to leave the hospital room. Even as everyone filed out, Elisha lingered by my side, reluctant to go.
"..."
"Vern..."
It's okay, Elisha. It's nothing serious. He didn't come here to kill me. He must have come to deliver some kind of message. This is the academy city, and this is the only hospital in the city. The room and treatment fees are all being covered by the academy, so he can't lay a hand on me here. Therefore, I'm fine.
But I couldn't say those words to her. All I could do was look into her eyes. Fortunately, it seemed she understood my intention. She gave a small nod, then turned to Jeron and spoke.
With those final words, Elisha quickly left the room. The other doctors and nurses followed her out. Now, only Jeron and I remained.
The moment he said that, he lightly tapped the cane in his hand on the floor. A thin membrane of mana spread across the hospital room. It was hard to see, but if you looked closely, you could make out the mana barrier. It was a simple barrier that allowed people to enter, but it blocked sound.
"..."
"..."
"..."
I know. That's exactly why I want to change it. Even if Vern's fate is already decided, I want to change the ending. I want to live. I want to live and see them smile. So I will stop you.
"..."
…This son of a bitch?
Hearing those words from him somehow made me furious. I wasn't sure if the emotion was entirely mine or mixed with Vern's, but hearing him insult my friends made my chest feel tight and my head grow hotter.
I ripped out the IV needle stuck in my arm and walked toward him. I grabbed him by the collar and glared straight into his eyes.
It was fine if he insulted me. It was fine if he mocked me or looked down on me. I could endure that. But the moment he insulted the connections I had made here—the friends I had gained—rage boiled up inside me like fire in my veins.
But Jeron casually ignored my words and continued speaking as if nothing had happened.
With those final words, Jeron easily pried my hand off his collar. He dispelled the barrier that had been cast over the room and leisurely walked out of the hospital room.
Soon after, as if to hint that the events to come would not be smooth at all, a light rain began to fall from the clear sky.