Chapter 199: Teacher (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 199: Teacher (3)
I couldn’t move.
My arms shook uncontrollably. My mana was so depleted that I couldn't even manifest a spark.
Blood poured from my mouth like a waterfall. My thoughts were a jumbled mess. Before I knew it, my vision blurred, making it impossible to tell one thing from another.
Yet, I forced my body to move, hurling elemental magic at the enemy who remained unscathed.
The enemy was the Land of Oz, The Floating Island, Cavallion the Earthshaker.
The ground was flooded with flowing lava. Countless human heads emerged from the molten heat, taunting me with their laughter. Gritting my teeth, I drew upon every last drop of my mana to unleash my magic, yet that infuriating laughter persisted.
If this continues, we’re all going to die.
I can’t save Dorothy.
I screamed until my throat felt like it would burst. It was nothing more than a desperate tantrum, but I felt like I would go insane if I didn’t.
As I fought on in that frantic state, someone cried out my name.
"Isaac."
I regained my senses and stopped abruptly. A gentle touch caressed my cheek.
Dorothy appeared before me, her body covered in black spots. She smiled faintly and whispered to me.
"Isaac."
"Thank you for coming to save me."
"...I’m sorry."
Dorothy squeezed out the meager amount of mana she had recovered and sent my body flying away.
A cluster of stars floated around us. My body drifted helplessly away from The Floating Island.
I yelled for her to stop immediately, screaming Dorothy’s name. But she didn't cease her magic.
Soon, a radiant glow emanated from her body.
A beautiful explosion of vivid colors swallowed the Land of Oz.
At that sight, I couldn’t help but scream, weeping tears of blood.
Suddenly, a cozy energy wrapped around my body. The scene before my eyes turned to ash and vanished.
Bathed in that comfortable sensation, I soon felt myself returning to reality.
"...Ah."
I opened my eyes. Only then did I realize I had been dreaming.
Perhaps because I had finally fallen into a deep sleep for the first time in a while, memories of the Trial of Sandstone had replayed vividly in my mind.
It was a dream I had often. It was also the reason I rarely got a good night's rest.
By the way, am I lying in bed right now?
Wait...
For some reason, something soft and plush was pressing against half my face.
My rational judgment wasn't fully functioning yet due to the lingering fog of sleep, but I felt a profound sense of psychological comfort.
What is this?
Curious, I reached out to feel what it was.
It twitched suddenly.
I felt the texture of fabric, and beneath that, the sensation of an incredibly soft mass.
"Uh..."
Following a soft, stifled sound, I realized I definitely shouldn't be touching this anymore.
I snapped to full attention.
I pulled my hand away from the soft object and lifted my head. I saw Luce’s face, flushed red and pouting, glaring at me from inches away.
"...Isaac, you pervert."
Luce narrowed her eyes. Her tone was irritable, but her whispered voice sounded enchantingly ticklish to the ear.
Luce didn’t show much resistance, though. I could tell from her demeanor that she wasn't actually repulsed.
Who’s the pervert here?
"Sorry... But what were you doing?"
"It seemed like you were having a nightmare."
"Ah..."
I see. That was kind of her.
I sat up, stretching my stiff neck, and Luce followed suit.
"Thanks for that. You’re right, I was having a nightmare."
"What kind of nightmare?"
"...It's unfortunate."
"What is?"
"Sadly, I've already forgotten."
It was the memory of failing to save Dorothy.
During my first round, I didn't have Daikan, the Primordial Beast of Ice. Because of that, I never thought of using the mysterious cellar key to gain the power needed to defeat The Floating Island.
In the end, Dorothy had self-destructed along with The Floating Island using [Last Light of a Dying Star].
For a long time after that, I fell into a slump, living in a state of constant self-blame, haunted by the void Dorothy left behind.
I was a foolish, pathetic guy back then.
Still, it was good that I had properly regained that memory. The more I thought about it, the more it drove me to struggle forward without compromise.
I never wanted to repeat such a failure again.
"Thanks for the hug. I might smell a bit right now, though..."
"It’s okay. I actually liked it."
My scent?
Luce leaned in close and sniffed me. Then, looking into my eyes with a gentle smile, she spoke in a soft tone.
"I like the way Isaac smells."
I doubted I smelled pleasant. I really couldn't understand Luce’s sense of smell.
"Is your nose okay?"
"Huh? It’s fine."
"Never mind..."
I guess that was that.
I got out of bed and turned toward the window. It was still the middle of the night. Only the lamp on the desk cast a soft glow in the dark room.
I still felt exhausted, likely due to the nightmare and the lack of quality sleep. I scratched my tousled hair.
Ugh, I need a shower.
"I feel gross. Luce, have you showered?"
"I did this morning, but not since. I couldn't because I was holding Isaac."
"Sorry. I’m going to shower first, then. I want to wash up quickly."
"Do you want to shower together?"
"...?"
"It’s a joke. Don’t get your hopes up, pervert."
I was momentarily taken aback.
Luce laughed playfully, hopped out of bed, and slipped into the bathroom.
Wait a minute.
"Hey, I said I was going to shower first...!"
"If you have a problem with it, come in with me."
Luce peeked her head out of the bathroom door and gave me a mischievous smile.
As I frowned and glared, she waved her hand as if saying goodbye and closed the door.
It was cheeky, but since she had been holding me all night out of concern, I had to let it slide.
The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. I heard splashing and the sound of scrubbing, which inevitably made me imagine Luce showering on the other side of the door.
I don't know how to feel about this...
I sighed and hung my head. That’s when I noticed my clothes had been changed. It seemed Luce had rummaged through my magic pouch, found a change of clothes, and dressed me.
It was fortunate that I had entrusted Kaya with the Cloak of Disguise before coming to Hegel Magic Tower. If I hadn't, irrefutable evidence of me being the Nameless Hero would have been embarrassingly exposed.
The clothes I had been wearing were draped over the desk chair. Tucked inside the collar of the shirt, Hilde was hiding in the form of a small wisp of mana.
"Hilde, was everything alright?"
[Nothing happened.]
...?
Her voice seemed to quiver subtly.
What happened?
[Really, nothing! This old one just felt a bit of excitement for the first time in a while. Heh heh.]
Is that so...
Hearing her call herself "this old one" in such a delicate, young voice was quite strange.
Anyway, even without further explanation, I felt I understood the sentiment. It probably wasn't anything significant.
Perhaps Luce had uttered some crazy romantic line while hugging me during my nightmare—something that could even excite a thousand-year-old white dragon.
"Ugh..."
Regardless of what Hilde heard, I was just exhausted.
I'll ask her next time.
I flopped back down on the bed. Despite having just woken up, the fatigue wouldn't leave me. It was likely the result of skipping sleep and overtaxing my brain. Whatever energy I had left seemed to have vanished after my first use of [Icebolt].
Anyway, there was only one bed.
I had already figured out that Aria maliciously crammed us into one room, but I didn't expect there to be only one bed. How were we supposed to sleep?
Soon, the bathroom door opened, releasing a cloud of humid air. Luce emerged in a bathrobe, steam rising around her.
Her rose-gold hair was damp. I couldn't help but notice how alluring she looked. I swallowed involuntarily.
"...Why are you staring like that?" Luce asked, avoiding my gaze. She clearly knew why.
"I'm not...?"
It was a feast for the eyes. She truly was my second favorite character.
I barely suppressed the urge to hug her right then and there.
I brushed past Luce and entered the bathroom.
After a refreshing shower, I donned a bathrobe and stepped back out. The room was now filled with the scent of herbs.
Luce, still in her bathrobe, had just placed a warm cup of herbal tea on the desk. She had timed it perfectly for my exit.
While I was showering, Luce seemed to have applied a bit of makeup. Her face was beautiful even without it, but it appeared she had done it with me in mind.
"Isaac, here. This should help with your fatigue."
"Oh, thanks."
I cooled the tea with a bit of chill and gulped it down in one go before placing the cup back on the desk.
My head was barely functioning. This was the first time I had felt so refreshed yet so deathly sleepy at the same time.
It might have been a side effect of using [Icebolt] for the first time. Regardless, I wanted to sleep as soon as possible.
I sat on the edge of the bed. Luce, who had been sipping her tea at the desk, glanced at me and then quickly looked toward the window, deliberately avoiding my eyes.
It made things awkward for no reason.
"Luce, should I go sleep in the lab?"
"Why?"
"There’s only one bed."
"No, sleep here with me."
Luce’s response was calm and firm.
I was fine with it. I was relieved there was no hesitation or discomfort on her part. Since I liked Luce, as long as she was okay with it, I didn't mind.
"Alright, then..."
My eyelids were heavy. I couldn't fight it anymore.
I lay down on the bed. It was large enough that two people could sleep comfortably without a problem.
"I'm going to sleep first."
As soon as I closed my eyes, my body relaxed. I knew I would be out in seconds.
Ah, just one more thing before I drifted off. Luce had pulled me out of that nightmare, after all.
"Luce."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for hugging me. Really."
"...Yeah."
Feeling Luce’s gaze on me, I immediately fell into a deep sleep.
And in my dreams, I savored a feeling of warmth and gentleness.