The sensation of spitting out a hot mass of blood is always unpleasant.
The burning heat that feels like my throat is catching fire, and the metallic-sweet stench rising from deep within…
At this point, when I’m vomiting blood that’s supposed to stay inside my body, it feels pointless to worry about my feelings.
Hack… hack…
Contrary to my calm thoughts, my body kept expelling blood.
Whether it’s coughing up blood or spitting it out, there’s no way to see it as a normal condition.
In fact, even though my body looks fine on the outside, inside it’s nothing but a mess, like mush.
I’m going to die…
I’m used to enduring pain.
In the back alleys where might is right, a little girl, especially a girl, is the weakest of the weak.
I couldn’t show I was in pain, so I always had to swallow it down.
However, the pain that was rising now was something I could hardly get used to.
What had started as a faint pinprick of pain had now transformed into a sensation like a knife slicing through my insides, sprinkled with salt for good measure.
My briefly flattened body curled up tight once again.
H-How should I handle this…? Right! Selin! If it’s Selin…!
Through my fuzzy vision caused by the pain, I caught a glimpse of Da-eun’s determined expression.
“Kana, just hold on a little longer. I’ll bring Selin.”
Her words were filled with the hope that Apprentice Saint Selin would be able to heal me.
Finally, when Selin arrived with the party and began to pour her Holy Power into me, Da-eun’s expression was soaked in expectation.
However…
“…..”
“…Selin? What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can heal you, Kana.”
“…Huh?”
“Of course…”
Realizing the inevitable outcome from the start, I staggered to my feet.
With the red sword that vanished with the dispelling of the blessing, I leaned on a simple-looking longsword instead.
“This isn’t just an ordinary wound…”
It’s the result of the mana of a red dragon notorious for its ferocity.
I suppose… trying to explain it in words is vague.
It wasn’t so much that there was an actual wound, but rather that my body was in a state of overload from taking on too much pressure.
So it was only natural that Selin’s healing magic wouldn’t work.
“I get it! I get it, so stop talking! The blood is still coming out…!”
Da-eun held me back, wiping my mouth with her sleeve.
Bright red blood stained her white sleeve.
“Ah.”
That’s why I felt like something was continuously flowing; I guess I didn’t notice it while talking and bleeding.
Clumsy as always.
“I thought it was drool for a second.”
Da-eun said I reacted too casually and mistook it.
But whether it’s blood or drool, if it’s flowing from my mouth, doesn’t that just make me look foolish regardless?
“There’s a clear difference! No, more importantly, I told you to stop talking while in pain!”
A soft cloth brushed against my mouth, and Da-eun’s other sleeve was now red as well.
It’s a pain to wash out blood from white clothes.
While I was dazedly thinking about the sight of my blood on her sleeve…
“Oh, wait.”
“Kana?!”
“Kana!”
Just a moment ago, I was looking ahead, but suddenly my vision was directed at the floor.
Clang!
Hearing the metallic sound of the longsword I was leaning on fall to the ground made me realize what had happened.
‘Oh, I fell.’
I thought the ground was too close for some reason.
Thank goodness. It’s not that I shrank, I just tripped.
The sounds around me felt muted, like I was submerged underwater.
My hazy vision began to fade away.
‘…I might have exerted myself a little too much.’
With that thought, my faint consciousness faded to black.
*
Is this what it feels like to wait for a family member in the operating room?
For Da-eun, who always played the role of the patient, this experience was quite new.
Tap, tap.
The sound of footsteps and the biting of fingernails filled the short hallway.
Creek.
The sound of the firmly shut door creaking open.
It was a small sound that could easily be missed, but Da-eun, tense and alert, did not let it slip by.
Perk up!
Like a rabbit, Da-eun perked her ears and scrambled toward the open door.
“…!”
“How is it?! Is she okay?”
Selin, who had just opened the door, was taken aback by her rush.
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
Seeing the flustered expression on Selin’s face, Da-eun finally realized her mistake and stepped back.
“It’s okay. I completely understand.”
After a brief moment of awkwardness, a warm smile returned to Selin’s face.
An hour spent with Kana and Da-eun.
A few weeks had been enough time for Selin to get to know them well.
It was impossible not to notice Da-eun’s gentle gaze towards Kana, who often acts all grumpy but shows softness only towards her.
‘It’s natural to worry since that precious girl is lying unconscious in a hospital bed.’
…It’s a nice scene.
With warm jealousy, closer to envy, Selin shook her head as she looked at Da-eun.
“I’m not a doctor, so I can’t provide an accurate prognosis, but… Kana seems to be fine physically.”
“I see…”
Da-eun’s expression wasn’t particularly bright upon hearing Selin’s words.
The idea that there’s nothing wrong with her body could be seen as relief, but it correlated with Selin’s inability to heal.
‘Dragon mana, huh…’
I had thought it was an extraordinary item since it belonged to a country’s national treasure, but I never imagined it would be that significant.
Remembering how Kana had defeated Grumo, who was burning down the village without allowing even a strike, Da-eun trembled.
But with great power comes great consequences.
The girl who struck down shadows had collapsed, her already pale face now whiter, and even after several hours, she still hadn’t regained consciousness.
“Looks like we have no choice but to wait…”
Kana is a strong girl, so I’m sure she’ll wake up soon.
Da-eun tried to comfort herself, yet her anxious heart remained unsettled.
‘She looked like she was in a lot of pain.’
Kana put on a brave face, pretending to be alright, but still…
Da-eun could clearly see through her act.
The way Kana bit her lip to endure pain, the cold sweat on her forehead, the strangely unfocused gaze, the tightly drawn brows, and her voice dripping with pain.
There were a few other signs indicating Kana’s state, but in the end, she couldn’t bear the pain and collapsed, so there was no need to mention more.
“How’s her condition…?”
“Nothing specific has changed.”
Atysha returned after a brief absence.
The shadow of Chromo’s attack caused significant damage to the village.
Many buildings were destroyed, and there were numerous casualties, leading to a lack of places even for those who’d just return home for the night.
People were crammed into what little shelters remained intact.
In such a situation, Atysha willingly offered her official residence, one of the safer places, to Da-eun’s party.
Da-eun felt grateful yet uncomfortable with Atysha’s kindness.
“Are you sure it’s alright for us to use such a large space?”
In this situation, it felt hesitant to occupy a place that could house dozens of people all by themselves.
She had already hinted several times, but Atysha’s resolve remained firm.
“Gifts must be repaid…”
A benefactor who saved the village shouldn’t feel regret over something so trivial as an official residence.
There was another reason for her decision.
“Having monsters around won’t do any good for the patient…”
Even if the village was already teeming with magical energy, there’s a difference between existing in the same space or not.
It could be fine when everyone was in good health, but now that Kana had lost consciousness, it was Atysha’s stance to be careful.
“Hm… if that’s the case…”
When Atysha mentioned Kana’s health, Da-eun reluctantly stepped back.
“If you need anything, just let me know… I’ll help in any way possible…”
“Nothing’s needed right now. I’ll let you know if I think of anything else later.”
“Okay… oh!”
That wasn’t why she came to speak…
While Atysha had been having small talk and asking about their well-being, she clapped her hands softly.
“I almost forgot to tell you this… please don’t go outside for the next few hours…”
“Eh? I wasn’t planning to go out… is there a reason?”
“Monsters are rumored to be approaching… If it was the usual case, it would be fine with the barriers…”
Atysha trailed off, glancing outside.
Her black eyes reflected the sight of the wrecked and burned village.
“As you can see, it’s in bad shape… so please stay here… There might still be some lurking about that we haven’t dealt with…”
“Monster groups, you say?”
“Yeah…”
We hadn’t even dealt with the aftermath of the shadow’s attack, and now there’s the threat of monsters too.
It truly was a situation where trouble piled upon trouble, and Da-eun cautiously spoke up.
“Do you want some help?”
“There’s no need… Even if it’s a group of monsters, it’s not that many, and we can handle it ourselves…”
“Well, that’s a relief, but… it feels a bit odd.”
Da-eun suddenly recalled something she had heard before.
I think it was Heinrich’s law.
It’s a statistical law stating that before a major incident occurs, several minor incidents and signs from the same cause happen.
For events to occur consecutively like this…
Isn’t it an omen that a bigger disaster might be coming?
Da-eun felt a swell of unease.
But she wasn’t clueless enough to outright express such concerns to someone who had already suffered a disaster, so she subtly changed the topic.
“Why now of all times?”
“Who knows… They might think it’s an opportunity…”
Unlike Da-eun, who was anxiously biting her lips, Atysha remained calm.
She even licked her lips, relishing the thought.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had meat… so this works out well…”
“Ugh….”
Hearing Atysha’s words, Da-eun made a strange noise.
Monster meat…
For someone like Da-eun, a resident of Earth, monster meat was difficult to get used to.
She knew it tasted good, but it felt wrong to just pick it up and eat it…
Feeling the curious gazes directed at her, Da-eun cleared her throat.
“…I really hope it’s nothing serious.”
“It shouldn’t be anything serious.”
“Is that right?”
“Why are you looking at me while you say that…?”
“Hmm? Who else would I look at if not Atysha?”
Da-eun said, not concealing her confusion.
Atysha silently gestured with her chin.
It was an action that suggested to look over there, causing Da-eun’s eyes to dart around.
“…Huh?”
The firmly shut door was wide open.
And through the gap of the opened door, a small girl peered in, half leaning against the doorframe.
“Bugs are drawn to bright lights…”
Kana, who looked just as fatigued as Atysha, spoke up.
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