Sweet Belated Surprise!
I blinked awake in my bed, rubbing my sleepy eyes.
"Hmm... right now..."
A yawn escaped me as I checked the clock—10 AM. A little late, but at least my routine was still intact.
"Yawn... Haaah."
I stretched, splashed cold water on my face, and brushed my teeth. Wow, I was wide awake now.
All right, I was going to make today count. No naps today, either.
"Shall we start the day with a light breakfast outing?"
It felt perfect—breakfast and lunch in one, then time at the training grounds.
I opened the front door with that in mind.
"...Huh?"
"...Ah?"
Shin A froze solid the moment she saw me. She had been about to knock on my dorm room door.
"Oh my, who is this? Miss Shin? What brings you all the way here on such an early morning?"
"Good morning, Siona. This is..."
"No, it's fine. Good morning, Shin A."
She couldn't quite finish her sentence. The words got stuck in her throat.
Wait. Could she actually be here because of my Mana Storage Deficiency Disease?
"...Siona, there is something I wish to say to you."
"Huh? You mean... you think I have Mana Storage Deficiency?"
"H-how did you...!"
Shin A’s eyes went wide, and she took a step back.
Ah, her reaction was the sharpest of all.
I should tease her just a little more.
"...Haaah. You came all this way to comfort me, Shin A. But it’s all right. After all, I’m not a man who will live long anyway. I don’t want to take up any more of your time."
"Don't say that!"
Shin A’s face twisted in distress as she grabbed my hand tightly.
"I... I will never give up on you, Siona. No matter what, I will save you. Whether it’s my own strength, my family’s power, or anything else I can use—I will use it to save you. So please, don’t give up on yourself so easily."
...Oh. I was just planning to play a harmless prank with a fake revelation of my sickness, but she hit me with this emotional line instead.
Shin A really does have that innocent charm.
I was about to confess the truth when...
"Here, please take this."
She handed me a small bundle.
"What's this?"
"I-it just so happened that I saw it and thought of you. I heard it’s a herb that’s good for the body."
She avoided my gaze, speaking casually as if it were nothing.
"Go on, open it."
"Understood."
I didn’t need to activate **Nature Realm**—Shin A couldn’t possibly have brought me something dangerous.
I was curious, so I slowly unwrapped the bundle.
Then I froze in silent shock.
'...This is Belgamor.'
Belgamor was an extremely rare and bitter herb. It could even save someone on the brink of death and was said to break through the user’s limits.
In short, it was so precious that even rich people could barely get it...
'...Why does she have this?'
Even as the daughter of the Astorius family, Shin A wouldn’t easily obtain Belgamor.
It grew in the deepest forests by absorbing pure mana for a very long time. Without direct gathering in the wild, it was almost impossible to acquire...
'...No way. Is it because of her older brother?'
If it was Megan Astorius... it made perfect sense that he would have a couple of them on hand.
Did she actually beg her brother for herbs?
"...Shin A."
"W-what is it? You’re not eating it yet."
"Where did you get this from?"
"I-I saw some herbal shops on my way today..."
She really couldn’t lie at all. Her face practically screamed ‘I’m lying right now!’
For me, no less. She’s so kind...
But there was only one problem.
'...This won’t work on me at all.'
Belgamor didn’t suit me at all.
The herb’s power relied on the pure mana absorbed from the deep forests. When consumed, it would accelerate mana circulation and expand storage capacity. If I was truly lucky, it might even cure Mana Storage Deficiency Disease.
But I didn’t have the disease. My mana organs themselves were just garbage—they couldn’t function properly.
Eating Belgamor wouldn’t fix anything.
"......"
Shin A’s steady gaze felt a little heavy.
Me eating this would be pointless.
"...Shin A. I have one confession to make."
"What is it?"
"I’m actually healthy. I don’t have Mana Storage Deficiency."
"......... "
Hmm? Shin A didn’t react at all. That was strange. I thought she would be the most dramatic of all...
"Yes?!?!?!?"
No. She just reacted a beat late from shock.
"H-how can you say that? Siona."
"Haha, that’s exactly what I mean. I just have a minor issue with my mana organs that makes it hard to raise my star rank. That’s all—I don’t have Mana Storage Deficiency."
"In that case..."
Shin A’s eyes filled with tears as she looked up at me.
"Yes. I’m not going to die."
"Thank goodness...!"
"Cough!"
Shin A squeezed her eyes shut and hugged me tightly.
What can I say? I once heard a male student in the hallway say that his dream was to die in Shin A’s arms.
To that boy, my words right now would be...
"H-help me...!"
Shin A’s hug was strong enough to easily choke a 1-star ability user.
Ah, my waist...
"Ah, I’m sorry. I got too excited and let go."
Just before boarding the boat of the black reaper, Shin A hurriedly released me.
"Haa... I was about to leave first without worrying about your Mana Storage Deficiency. Are you the type who crushes things if you can’t have them?"
"N-no. I’ll be more careful from now on."
"Oh? So that means you’ll hug me often in the future?"
"W-why would it mean that?!"
Ah, this is the kind of reaction I wanted. Shin A was back to normal. The whole Mana Storage Deficiency drama was over.
"Haha, just kidding. Anyway, Shin A."
I smiled lightly and changed the subject.
I handed the bundle back to her.
"It seems the owner of this herb isn’t me."
"Huh? No. It’s real—Odah bought it. You can eat it without hesitation..."
"Hmm, that’s odd. When did Belgamor start appearing in street-side herbal shops?"
"I-it’s not like that. Siona, how would you know..."
Shin A’s eyes went wide as she stared at me.
Her cute reaction made me smile softly and continue.
"This is a herb I’ve seen in books. It grows by eating pure mana from the deep forests. How did Shin A come to possess such a precious herb?"
"I-I..."
Shin A blushed faintly and answered in a small voice.
"I... I asked my older brother for a little. A lot, actually."
Shin A pouted like a child. I wanted to see it more. I was a little envious of Megan Astorius.
"...Shin A. You’re too careless. You were going to give someone else this priceless herb? Shin A is..."
"...Not someone else."
At that moment, Shin A muttered.
"Huh?"
"Siona... you are not someone else to me. The most precious, incredibly precious first friend. I would give anything—including herbs like this—to save such a friend."
...She really knew how to charm people at the worst times.
"I’m moved, Shin A! But... I’m grateful for the thought, yet I can’t accept this Belgamor."
"Huh? Why?"
I scratched the back of my head, smiling awkwardly.
"I have a problem with my mana organs. Even if I eat Belgamor, it won’t do me any good. The person who truly deserves this herb... is none other than Shin A."
If Shin A consumed Belgamor, her already sky-high potential would only rise further.
It would be far better for her to have it than for me to force myself to eat something that does nothing.
I didn’t even have any intention of selling it anyway. I wasn’t short on money right now. Why would I sell such a rare treasure?
"But..."
"Don't refuse. It would be a benefit to all humanity if Shin A were to take the Belgamor!"
"Even though you’re praising me like that..."
Her lips trembled as if she was secretly happy despite the words.
"I understand. Since you insist, I’ll eat it."
Shin A carefully took the Belgamor from the bundle.
It was a beautiful herb glowing with a wondrous blue light.
The herb entered her mouth and was finally chewed.
Then...
"Guueeeek..."
Shin A’s expression crumpled completely.
"It’s... it’s so bitter..."
"Haha, the medicine that’s good for the body is always bitter, right?"
That was the second reason I didn’t eat Belgamor.
This stuff was insanely bitter.
"S-Siona? You didn’t... on purpose...?"
"Ah, of course not. Since it’s a precious food, you have to chew it properly."
Shin A chewed the herb with a scrunched face.
Ah, what a good show.
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