Chapter 195: After Death Part 3

When I opened my eyes in the morning, Lobelia who had been beside me was gone.

Had she already been discharged? She’s really diligent, even early in the morning.

Well, I guess sharing a room for too long would be uncomfortable anyway.

“Haah… Guess I’ll walk around a bit too.”

It was a rare moment of rest, but unfortunately, that’s just how my life is.

I’d left the matter of my ability to Lobelia, but there were still the problems of the World Tree sapling and Mastema.

And I also had to figure out what to do about Monia. So it was probably time to head to Andvaranaut.

Dragging my tired body, I went straight to see the doctor.

“Would it be possible to get a pass to leave for a bit?”

“Nope.”

“…You were always so eager to discharge me, but now that I want to step out, you say no?”

“Orders from Her Highness, the Third Princess Lobelia. For the time being, no one in your group is allowed to leave, be discharged, or receive visitors.”

“Wait, that was for the others because they were pushing themselves too hard while injured, wasn’t it?”

“And you think it’s okay for you to go out in your current condition?”

“…Fair point.”

Not a word of that was wrong.

Why did I assume I could just waltz out and get a pass, even though I’m not in normal shape either?

Damn it, I’ve been infected by this damn Cradle mentality.

“If you understand, then go back. Oh, and let me say this now: don’t even think about doing something reckless.”

“And if I do think about it?”

“Then you’ll find out firsthand how I’ve been dealing with rampaging patients like you all this time. With that body of yours.”

“Ah. Got it.”

Turns out the doctor, despite always looking tired, wasn’t like Professor Georg. He was someone who’d seen real action on the front lines.

I never really noticed because of his constantly exhausted expression, but I guess there’s a reason he survived.

“I’ll be going, then.”

“Yeah. Take care.”

Better not get cocky.

***

In the end, getting impatient doesn’t change anything. I decided to just relax in bed and enjoy the downtime.

Yeah, it’s a rare chance to rest. Gotta take it when I can.

I was zoning out, analyzing the patterns on the ceiling, when it happened.

“This guy’s living the good life, huh?”

“Hmm?”

Someone had come in through the hospital room door. It wasn’t the doctor. And it wasn’t Lobelia, either.

“…Professor Georg?”

“What’s with that ghost-sighting look? People will think something happened to me.”

“No, it’s just… I heard visitors weren’t allowed. I was wondering how you got in.”

“You think they treat students and me the same?”

“Oh.”

So teachers are an exception?

Well, in a way, Professor Georg is connected to the medical field, so I guess it’s not that strange.

“Is something the matter?”

“Does a teacher need a reason to visit a sick student?”

“Honestly, we’re not exactly close enough for that, are we?”

“True enough.”

“Is this about Monia?”

Professor Georg and I kept a respectable distance.

We were friendly enough, but not so close that we’d want to be any closer.

I had no choice but to keep my distance. If I got any closer, I’d end up being dragged straight into the university and graduate program track.

You could say we were acquaintances who looked out for each other on occasion, the kind of people who’d attend each other’s events or send regards when necessary.

And if someone like that had come all the way here, it was obvious why.

“Actually… yeah.”

Monia was officially listed as dead. I thought that was for the best. It was the only way to give her a real chance at a new life.

To live as someone new, she would have to erase every trace of who she once was.

“I just can’t help but wonder if there was something more I could’ve done.”

“It’s better not to dwell on it too much. Thinking about each and every little thing like that will only make it harder on you.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Professor Georg let out a bitter sigh, a faint smile crossing his face.

Even if they hadn’t been especially close, he must have felt something over the death of his student.

“As you know, I’m not exactly what you’d call a good teacher. Truth is, I knew Monia was in a dangerous state. But I didn’t know how to approach her, so I just pretended not to see it.”

“I understand.”

“Looking back now, maybe there was something I could have done. Some advice I could have given, or a way I could have helped.”

In reality, Professor Georg’s identity was closer to that of a scholar than a teacher.

He was talented in so many fields and highly capable, which was why he’d been hired as a teacher in the first place. But his focus was always on research.

So it was only natural that the distance between him and his students was greater than that of other teachers.

“But now, it’s too late to try and make up for it. Still, I can’t help but wonder….was I being too selfish, even as a teacher?”

Among the staff of the Cradle, Professor Georg was on the weaker side.

About the same level as I had been half a year ago.

Or wait, did I actually beat him back then?

Anyway, unlike me, he hadn’t been able to escape from every incident or accident. But still, Professor Georg often ended up waiting in relatively safe locations.

“To be honest, for someone like you, it must’ve been hard to even say you understood the kids. It could come across as dishonest.”

“That’s exactly what I thought.”

The man really was ridiculously talented.

Potions? Equipment? Any field touched by alchemy, he was an expert in all of them. There was a reason the Cradle worked him both as a teacher and a professor.

That’s why he rarely had to step in himself and often wasn’t allowed to, even if he wanted to.

He was one of the top-priority personnel to be protected. That was the role he filled.

And so, he didn’t know.

He didn’t understand what went through the minds of the students who put their lives on the line to fight.

He couldn’t understand the failures, the frustration, and the despair that came with it.

How could someone who had only ever watched from a safe distance possibly claim to relate?

“I get it, because I’ve been in a similar position. I figured it was better to stay silent than pretend to know what I didn’t.”

But in the end, I had managed to close that distance with them.

Not by choice, but lately I’d found myself in situations where my life really was on the line and because of that, I started to understand, at least a little, the pain they’d felt.

Of course, I still couldn’t claim to understand them completely.

I hadn’t lived as fiercely as they had, so I couldn’t fully grasp the loss and despair they’d experienced.

Now, I think I finally understood the real reason Professor Georg had come to see me.

“So, what’s your take? You’ve been on both sides now. Was I wrong?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think this is something that can be divided into right or wrong.”

When it comes to human relationships, there’s rarely such a thing as a clear answer.

Just a year ago, my actions had infuriated Monia but to other students, they had stirred sympathy.

When people are driven into extreme situations, some might long for comfort, while others might simply want to be left alone.

What the right answer is depends on how well you know the other person and what that person truly wants.

“There’s no real solution except trying to understand them, is there?”

“You never seem to be sure of anything, do you?”

“I’ve been burned too many times by being too sure. That’s how I ended up like this.”

“That so…”

Professor Georg looked at me with a touch of pity, then handed me something.

“Coming to visit you in the hospital and all we’ve done is talk about gloomy stuff. Here, this is a gift for your recovery.”

“You really didn’t have to go this far.”

But if someone offers, I don’t refuse.

I decided to check what Professor Georg had given me right away.

“Oh.”

It was a sword. He probably didn’t just pick it up at some market. He must have made it himself.

And if it was crafted by a renowned alchemist like Professor Georg, it wasn’t just a weapon. It was practically a masterpiece.

“Ahem! Well, carrying something good around might lower your chances of dying, right?”

“Thank you. Really.”

So that whole grim build-up was just leading to this, huh?

With genuine excitement, I drew the sword that Professor Georg had given me.

– Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!

I immediately sheathed it again.

“……?”

What was that? What did I just hear? Why would a sound like that come out just from drawing a sword?

Damn it, get out of my head! Shax!

Stop messing with my senses already!

“…….”

I drew the sword again.

– Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!

Right in the center of the blade was a mouth, lined with sharp fangs.

“…….”

As I drew the sword a little more, five eyes snapped open and glared straight at me.

“I made it together with Zabir. It’s got a support function for swordsmanship. And the fangs in the middle? They act as a sword breaker during power struggles, snapping the opponent’s blade.”

“So when you say ‘they also act’ as a sword breaker… does that mean there are other functions too?”

“Of course!”

I’d been hoping that wasn’t the case.

If it had just stopped at sword breaker, I could’ve lived with that.

“The scream the sword lets out disrupts the flow of mana. The longer the battle goes on, the more unstable your opponent’s sword aura becomes. Naturally, your mana will be stored and remembered by the sword’s eyes, so you won’t have any issues.”

“Well… I see…”

Setting aside the visual, it was pretty effective.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that the moment I drew this sword, my allies might suddenly turn on me. And I was pretty sure that wasn’t just my imagination.

“And of course, the fangs do their job too! The moment you cut your opponent, the fangs on the sword will tear into their flesh! Twice the pain, twice the wounds!”

“……”

The more excited Professor Georg got while explaining the sword’s abilities, the more dreadful I felt.

This sword was a real cursed weapon.

It was clear. This should only ever be drawn as a last resort.

That much, I was certain of.

“And another thing…!”

Professor Georg went on to describe even more horrifying functions built into the sword.

Seriously, why wasn’t this man part of Ex Machina? I couldn’t think of anyone more qualified.

“Professor Georg. Please keep your voice down in the hospital.”

“Ahem! My apologies.”

Thankfully, a doctor making rounds managed to rein in Professor Georg’s madness. Honestly, since we were already at this point, I kind of wished they’d just escort him out.

“Well… it’s a fine sword.”

The doctor muttered, glancing sideways at the weapon in my hand.

I was seriously going crazy. Was I the only one who didn’t get the appeal?

Seeing how all the elites of the Cradle were praising it in unison, maybe I really was just a country bumpkin, out of touch with city trends.

“Wow, thank you so much.”

I had to make sure not to look like a bumpkin.

I forced a smile and replied.

***

– Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!

No matter how I looked at it, this just wasn’t my style.

I kept drawing the sword Professor Georg had left behind over and over again, only to end up tossing it into the corner.

Fine, I’d treat that thing as a lesson in what not to do.

From now on, I’d just make sure to resolve everything peacefully so I’d never have a reason to draw a cursed sword like that in the first place.

“Chirp! Chirp-chirp!”

“…You actually like that thing?”

Mastema, who’d been stationed on my shoulder all this time, hopped onto the sword’s handle and started chirping a little song.

Was it really just my sense that was off?

“What do you think, Mephistopheles? Does that honestly look good to you?”

“It’s an excellent sword. Clearly designed with the enemy in mind. Since your strength lies not in raw power but in using variables to wage psychological warfare, there’s nothing more fitting.”

“That’s not the kind of objective analysis I was asking for. I meant, what do you think of the design?”

“The design? Isn’t it obvious? It’s beautiful.”

“……”

Was this… demon taste?

Honestly, it looked exactly like the kind of thing someone like Mephistopheles would be into.

Ignoring both Mephistopheles’ nonsense and Mastema’s birdsong, I lay back down again.

I already had enough on my mind. I didn’t have time to waste worrying about things like that.

As I was trying to sort through my thoughts—

“Up we go! Johan, hey there! You weren’t too lonely without me, were you?”

Yuna came climbing in through the window.

That girl seriously preferred windows over doors.

It wasn’t even locked… come on.

“More importantly, how’d you get in here when hospital visits are banned, Yuna?”

“Do I need someone else’s permission just to see you?”

“Aha.”

So that’s why she came in through the window. She really carried herself differently. As expected from an assassin.

“Yeah, actually, you came at a good time. Yuna, see that? What do you think of it?”

“Huh?”

I decided to show Yuna the sword Professor Georg had left behind.

If she liked it, I’d just give it to her as a gift.

“What’s this, a pet? A bird with blue feathers? It’s pretty.”

“…Huh?”

Yuna smiled faintly as she looked at Mastema, who was perched on the sword’s handle, singing.

What the—? She could see it? No one else was supposed to be able to see it.

Was there something special about Yuna?

“Huh? This bird… Ugh!”

Suddenly, Yuna staggered.

I quickly got up from my seat and rushed toward her, but she regained her balance almost immediately and turned her head.

The look in her eyes as she stared at me…it wasn’t normal.

“Yuna?”

“…What did you do to me?”

“Huh?”

“Johan.”

She walked straight up to me and pushed me down onto the bed.

What the hell was going on?

Wasn’t Mastema’s power supposed to weaken people?

This felt different. Something was… off. What was this supposed to imply?

“This… you’re the one who seduced me, right?”

“What? How? Why? What did I even do? I didn’t do anything!”

No, seriously…. what the hell did I do?

***

TN: Don’t know whether the doctor is a male or female. I’m going with male for now. Will correct everything once I know