Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Organization Meeting (4)
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A few more days passed, but I was still confined to my hospital room.
I'd thought my condition would recover quickly enough to leave the medical center, but as expected, my inability to sleep at night held me back.
I tried to make up for it by sleeping during the day, but I couldn't fall into a deep slumber. My appetite had vanished, and I could barely eat.
The accumulating fatigue began to show on the outside.
It would have been strange if my mother, who was always by my side caring for me, and Grain hadn't noticed.
I'd gone and worried them again.
I opened the window, letting the cool night air into the room.
The mild fever that had started in the evening hadn't subsided yet, and surprisingly, the cold air felt good.
I tried to get some sleep somehow, but it seemed impossible.
It was tormenting to feel heavy and drowsy yet unable to drift off. At a loss, I eventually picked up a book.
In that way, I ended up reading every book on the shelf.
The medical center at midnight was incredibly quiet. It felt like I was the only one awake.
Probably.
I turned up the small lantern's flame a bit.
Gathering mana to create light also drained stamina, so I'd stopped doing it long ago. My condition was so poor that even that much energy felt precious.
It was fortunate that no more seizures occurred, but if things continued like this...
I leaned on the windowsill and gazed at Prion's nightscape stretching out beyond the medical center.
Even with my head foggy from the fever, sleep wouldn't come.
Maybe it'd be better if I just passed out from exhaustion.
"...Lib?"
I blinked and turned at the familiar voice from behind me.
Grain stood in the doorway, his face shocked. He was even in casual clothes.
"Why aren't you sleeping? It's late."
Grain closed the door and came inside.
Ah, I see.
Because I'd left the room lit, Grain, who was heading home, had spotted me.
"...I can't sleep. I'll sleep soon."
Probably around sunrise?
I tried to brush it off with a light smile, but the sharp Grain saw through my lie immediately.
"Don't tell me... you haven't been sleeping properly at night this whole time?"
"Well, since I sleep during the day..."
I knew it sounded ridiculous, but when Grain's face turned serious, I found myself making excuses anyway.
Grain let out a deep sigh and strode over to me.
"You can't sleep at night, so your stamina isn't recovering, Lib. Come here. Your fever..."
I obediently sat on the bed and waited as Grain placed his hand on my forehead to check.
"If it stays like this, it'll get worse by morning. You need deep rest for the fever to break."
Grain closed the window and tucked me in with the blanket. As he picked up the scattered books from the bed and shelved them, he stared at the edge of the bookshelf, seemingly lost in thought.
"I'm fine..."
"No, you're not. I need to stay and watch over you."
Grain set down his bag and began removing his coat.
I sat up in surprise.
"No, you don't have to..."
"Just for tonight. I was already debating going home this late anyway. This works out perfectly."
Grain pulled up a chair, sat down, and laid me back in bed.
"Don't worry about anything. Just relax and sleep. That way, your fever will be gone by morning."
Grain pulled the blanket up to my chest and took my right hand.
Warm life force began flowing slowly into my hand.
A cozy warmth gradually enveloped my entire body.
Holy magic never worked well on me before. But I was so exhausted that even this small amount took effect right away.
My eyelids grew heavier, and my vision blurred.
Feeling my consciousness sinking, I looked up at Grain.
"But... won't you get tired too, Grain?"
"I told you not to worry."
Was he really okay? He wasn't planning to use holy magic on me all night, was he?
Those worries didn't last long. I was swept away in an instant by the wave of sleep that came surprisingly fast.
Warm sunlight poured down from above at midday.
I woke up with a clear mind for the first time in ages.
No sleepless midnight, no painful dawn—just straight to midday.
Instead of birdsong, my mother's bright voice greeted me.
"Hello. Did you sleep well?"
My mother smiled beside me, as if she'd been waiting.
Grain was nowhere to be seen.
Thanks to the deep sleep, my fever was completely gone, and the heavy fatigue that had built up for days had eased considerably.
I definitely needed to thank Grain when I saw him again. I thought this while eating what was both breakfast and lunch.
My condition had been fine even up to midday, but in the afternoon, my body grew heavy again, and I dozed on and off.
Apparently, one good night's sleep wasn't enough to shake off all the accumulated fatigue.
At this rate, I'd probably be sleepless again tonight.
And Grain couldn't hold my hand every night...
As I worried, my father and Grain visited the room late in the evening.
True to my resolve, I thanked Grain right away. He smiled, saying it was a relief.
"Grain told me about last night."
Father sat in the chair by the bed, his face stern as he spoke to me. I'd ended up worrying him after all.
I carefully adjusted my position.
It was something I couldn't keep secret forever. I just wished I could've gotten better and slept on my own before worrying anyone.
"Actually, Luwen was worried about that too. He said you were afraid of being summoned by demons in your dreams. I'm sorry we didn't pay attention, thinking you were over it now."
"No, it's just my problem..."
"It's a problem we solve together."
Father gently stroked my hair with his warm hand.
"That's why we've come up with a solution together with Grain. I'm not entirely sure if it's the best way yet..."
I couldn't understand what Father meant.
He sighed deeply, his eyes still troubled.
"What method?"
"You'll find out soon. Grain will watch over you while you're here at the medical center. Just focus on recovering your strength—no need to worry."
Father and Grain said their goodbyes for tomorrow and left the room, leaving me filled with confusion and questions.
Night fell once more in the silence.
As I fretted over how to get through it, a small rustle pushed open the door.
In the pitch-black darkness where nothing was visible, a silver ripple of mana shimmered, calling to me.
'Liberic.'
A familiar, welcome voice stepped right into my mind.
I jerked my head up from where I'd been leaning on the windowsill.
"Ash!"
A massive wolf padded silently into the room.
I jumped off the bed and hugged Ash's scruff right away.
Fluffy, soft fur and sparkling mana... it was definitely Ash.
"How? I heard you were locked up... What happened?"
'They decided to release me. Claus and... your father.'
"Father did...?"
I couldn't believe it. My father, who had been so stubborn, had decided to free Ash.
'Yes. But with conditions. To protect you from threats.'
A tiny pattern glowed on Ash's scruff.
Faint mana flowed from it. Some kind of magic was embedded there.
"What's this?"
'Claus's contract magic. Between me and your father. It was probably the best he could do.'
So this was the method Father had come up with.
Contract magic. It would have a strong effect on Ash, who lived off mana.
'He thinks I might harm you.'
"I never think that."
I smiled and hugged Ash tightly.
A certainty that only I knew, which neither Father nor Claus could understand. Maybe because he'd 'changed' too.
'Yes, I believe so too. But there's one thing I must tell you.'
Ash stepped back from me.
He gathered his paws, sat, and fixed his glowing eyes on me. They were red like a demon's, but carried a warmth no other demon had.
'I need mana to sustain my life. Normal demons harm humans to draw mana from their life force.'
"...I know."
I nodded.
'But I won't harm humans. That's one of the conditions of my freedom.'
"Then how?"
'As you know, you possess a very special mana. I plan to use that.
Just being near you gives me enough mana to live and act. You won't even notice.'
I blinked at Ash.
I'd never even considered it. That such a thing was possible.
'...It won't harm you at all. No need to worry.'
"I'm not worried."
I rubbed Ash's sleek, inverted-triangle face. The fur felt so good.
"But Father might worry unnecessarily if he knew..."
'Claus knows. He hasn't told your father, though.'
Ash nimbly pulled his face from my arms.
He shook himself once, then leaped onto the bed in a blur too fast to see.
'That's enough talk. Sleep.'
"What about you, Ash..."
'I don't need sleep. If you try crawling out in your dreams again, I'll bite the back of your neck and drag you back.'
The threatening tone was scary, but I burst out laughing. A huge sense of relief washed over me.
With Ash by my side, I could sleep without worry.
If Selena's dream tried leading me to the demons again, he could wake me up.
I crawled into bed. Before closing my eyes, I hugged Ash once more.
"Thank you, Ash."
He wriggled out of my arms in annoyance but didn't go far.
He settled quietly under the bed, apparently planning to watch me sleep.
Under that warm gaze, I gradually drifted off.
A week later.
Having recovered my health, I was discharged from Erban Medical Center.
I'd fully shaken off the aftereffects too.
Grain was confident there'd be no more sudden coughing fits or feverish seizures.
Everyone was amazed but overjoyed.
With Ash by my side, I no longer suffered sleepless nights, and my stamina built up steadily.
As I began studying Claus and imperial magic, I quickly learned mana control suited to my body.
Not long after I started living like any ordinary kid my age...
I realized a new option had appeared before me—one I'd never even considered before.