Chapter: 98
After some time had passed since losing my arm, I had received a call from the hospital asking me to come in for a routine check-up, just to make sure my body wasn’t experiencing any issues. Today, I found myself returning to the hospital where I had been admitted a while back.
After completing various tests, I headed to the consultation room to discuss the results. I noticed the doctor staring at the chart, mumbling to themselves with a serious expression.
“Hmm… This is strange. It shouldn’t be like this… Ah, it’s been a while since we last met. Please, take a seat.”
As I glanced at the chart the doctor was studying, I saw my name written at the top.
It seemed like he was reviewing my test results.
The doctor’s unusual expression made me feel anxious, so I cautiously asked, “Um… Is there something wrong? Has my condition gotten worse since the last time…?”
Given that I’d received a terminal prognosis of around three years from one of my guardians, who also happened to be one of the leading figures in the medical field and the person who had constructed my body, it wouldn’t have been surprising to hear bad news regarding my health.
Mentally prepared to digest any unfortunate news, I focused intently, but contrary to my expectations, the doctor shook his head.
“Worse? Not at all. On the contrary, your condition has actually improved. Even with the prosthetic arm, your physical functions are better than before. Most importantly, your healing ability has gotten a lot better! Of course, that doesn’t mean you can go around getting hurt all the time… But at this rate, you shouldn’t have to dash to the hospital for every slight injury like before.”
While telling me that my condition had improved, the doctor looked somewhat bemused.
It was an expression of joy mixed with disbelief.
I felt curious about why he looked like that and contemplated asking, but before I could, the doctor chuckled awkwardly and said, “Ha ha ha… Sorry about that. Your case is so unique that I felt a bit rude in front of the patient. I’ve been practicing medicine for quite a while, but I’ve never seen such a rapid recovery in such a short time. Even if superhumans have different physiques from ordinary folks, this is truly a miracle! Ha ha, you must have eaten something nice since you were discharged.”
Having eaten better meals ever since I started living with Sylvia’s family after surviving on bean sprouts daily…
Could it really be because of that?
Dazedly nodding, the doctor laughed and said, “I figured as much. Regular meals are the most crucial for health. Even if you’re busy, make sure to never skip meals!”
…Although the way he said it, he certainly appeared to skip meals often himself.
“That’s why you should also take care of your health, Doctor… It seems like you’ve been very busy lately, but you should prioritize taking care of yourself.”
Maybe it was overstepping, but noticing how haggard the doctor looked compared to before, I couldn’t help but say something.
It was plain as day that he wasn’t getting proper rest.
When I said that, the doctor managed a weary smile and replied, “Ha ha, you don’t need to worry about me. We’ve been a bit swamped lately, but thankfully things are calming down now. Compared to the friends in the psychiatry department, our workload is nothing. If anything, I’m working quite comfortably.”
It was a pitiful reality where they compared who was worse off instead of who had it easier.
Speaking of which, the psychiatry department must indeed be having a rough time because even the doctor, appearing so exhausted, gazed empathically toward the door and murmured, “Some of them have collapsed from overwork and are lying down with the patients. It’s fortunate Eve showed up to help… or it could have been a big problem.”
Come to think of it, I had heard from Mei that during the academy’s vacation, Professor Eve was using illusion magic to treat people.
So she worked at this hospital…
As I contemplated whether I should at least show my face since I was already here, the doctor added, “By the way, you’re a student from the academy, right? It’s just about lunchtime, so there should be time for a quick chat. She cares a lot about her students, so she would appreciate seeing you.”
*
“I… I can’t shake off the feeling of my son’s cold body in my hands.”
A man, his face clouded with despair, muttered in a raspy voice.
“Do you know… what it feels like? I didn’t mean to, but I killed my child with my own hands. In that moment, I truly wanted to die… I pondered following my son to the afterlife, but thinking of my wife and the second child in her womb, I couldn’t bring myself to do it…”
The man looked down at his trembling hands as he cried out.
His voice, so profoundly sorrowful, seemed to express the tears he could no longer shed.
“Since that day… every time I try to sleep, my son appears in my dreams. He asks me why I did that… he cries out that it hurts… how could I kill him… Even if I say it wasn’t my fault, every night, every night… it drives me insane… I shouldn’t be like this for my wife and child… but his voice doesn’t stop…”
Grasping his head in agony, the man was consumed by his torments.
Then, someone gently took his hand and asked in a soft voice, “What was your son’s name?”
“Jamie… His name is Jamie…”
“Jamie was a good boy, wasn’t he? I’ll help you to talk to him properly. Just take a good rest. He’ll understand that it wasn’t your intention.”
With a snap, the sound of fingers clicking, the man’s eyes slowly shut.
After a moment, a small voice escaped from his lips.
“Jamie… I’m so sorry. I truly didn’t want it to happen…
Oh… you know I didn’t mean it…? Are you forgiving me? No… it’s all my fault that you died… I’m sorry, Jamie… Just a bit… please wait a little… your mother and your sibling are here, so I’ll be a little late… you can wait without crying…?”
Embracing the little boy who nodded cheerfully, the man continued to murmur for some time.
…Jamie, it seems you were indeed a good boy as your father said.
Watching the illusion projected into the man’s subconscious dream, Eve noticed that the man’s expression gradually relaxed, and she stretched her body.
“Ah, it seems I’ve wrapped up my patients before lunchtime. Dwight, please take care of this patient!”
“Understood, Professor.”
Responding to Eve’s words, her assistant, Dwight Neinhart from class 1-B, carefully lifted the sleeping man with magic.
Seeing him move immediately after Eve’s words, she couldn’t help but smile lightly, thinking,
He really is diligent, despite always looking a bit lethargic.
When he had suddenly requested to assist so he could observe how she treated patients, she had had a few doubts, but now she felt it could be a bit disappointing if he wasn’t around.
Realizing she shouldn’t judge people solely based on appearance, Eve yelled out to Dwight as he laid the patient on one of the beds.
“Come on, let’s go have lunch! Since we’ve worked hard today, it’ll be on me!”
“You don’t have to do it every time, but if you’re offering, I won’t refuse.”
“Ha ha, that’s right! I have lots of money, so you don’t need to hold back!”
Just as they were about to leave the room laughing, a knock sounded at the door.
Then Eve, spotting a familiar student who carefully poked their head inside, exclaimed, “Oh? I don’t know what brought you here, but it’s perfect! Let’s go have lunch together, Evande!”
*
“Oh, so you were here for a routine check-up, Evande. I thought you were here to ask me for a favor! Anyway, it’s nice to see your face after a while!”
“Ha ha… Yes.”
Feeling the warm welcome from Eve made me shyly respond with a nervous smile.
I had only wanted to drop by to say hello, but being suddenly invited to lunch felt a bit overwhelming, especially with a classmate I wasn’t all that close with also present.
What on earth was he doing with the professor?
I glanced over at the blond male student who was silently picking at the side dishes.
He was Dwight Neinhart, Yoon Si-woo’s rival and a legendary magical genius from the original story.
Sensing my puzzlement, Eve, noticing my gaze, placed her hand on Dwight’s shoulder and said, “Ah, I see you were curious why Dwight is with me! Dwight works as my assistant! Oh, it looks like the food has arrived, so I’ll go grab it. You two talk for a bit!”
As Eve went to retrieve the food, an awkward atmosphere filled the air at the table.
Hmm… She said to talk, but I had never really communicated with him, so what should we chat about…
Feeling anxious, Dwight then looked my way and initiated the conversation, “You’re Scarlett Evande from class 1-A, right?”
“Oh? Oh, yes… You know my name?”
I responded, surprised that he was aware of my name.
As far as I knew, he was a hardcore magic nerd who didn’t pay much attention to anything else, so it was quite astonishing that he knew the name of someone he hadn’t really spoken to.
“One of my noisy classmates wanted to befriend you and spent the entire day chattering about you and a few others from your class. It would be strange if I didn’t remember after hearing about it so often.”
“Oh…”
The term “noisy classmate” immediately reminded me of someone from class B.
Florene Dolos.
The pink-haired girl, who rushed at me eager to befriend me from the very first meeting, and the sight of Dwight furrowing his brow at her loud chatter was still vivid in my memory.
Having read the original work, it didn’t feel as awkward as if I were meeting a complete stranger.
After all, we had seen each other a few times during training or while treating people controlled by monsters at the academy, so it wasn’t like we were total strangers.
Thus, I cautiously asked him the question that had been nagging me since a while ago. “Um, what does it mean to be an ‘assistant’? Are you just doing it as a volunteer?”
To be honest, the term “volunteer” didn’t quite fit him.
Although he wasn’t entirely devoid of a sense of justice, the Dwight from the original work was nothing short of a magic fanatic.
His insatiable curiosity for magic, this irresistible desire to uncover the unknown.
Those were the traits that defined him in the novel I had read.
There was no way he would waste his magical training time to help others, so I was curious about why he was working as Eve’s assistant.
In response to my question, Dwight answered bluntly, as if it were nothing remarkable. “Volunteering? I’m just working as an assistant so I can see Professor Eve using illusion magic up close. The more I watch, the more I feel I made the right choice in becoming her assistant. Seeing it in detail just leaves me in awe every time.”
As soon as magic was mentioned, his normally listless eyes sparkled with excitement, and I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.
Yes, this is the Dwight I know.
With that thought, I inquired about Professor Eve’s magic, “I know Professor Eve’s magic is incredible, but I’m not a mage, so I don’t quite understand what makes it so great. Do you see something that I don’t see as a mage?”
“No, not at all. Even from right next to her, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.”
“Huh…? Then what’s so great about it…?”
His overly confident response left me dumbfounded. Dwight seemed confused and tilted his head. “The fact that I also don’t understand it after seeing it, that’s what makes it impressive!”
He continued with his explanation.
“I’m not bragging, but I’m considered a bit of a genius. I can usually grasp the gist of most spells after seeing them just once.”
Despite claiming to be a “genius,” he had every right to say so. Any mage who had seen his capabilities would find it impossible to deny his vast talent, which had been mentioned multiple times in the narrative.
“The so-called illusion magic known to the public is just a curse-like thing that shows hallucinations or sends visions into a target’s dreams. But the professor’s magic is on a completely different level. It projects the subconscious, manifests illusions, and some illusions even carry physical power. It’s a truly mystical ability that could justifiably be called magic. Every single time I see it, my only response is awe.”
“Not sure what to say, but I guess that means it’s super impressive.”
“Exactly, it shows that the successor of the vision is different. Considering her long dedication to magic, I still have a long way to go.”
Dwight nodded as if truly amazed.
Listening to him, I noticed something odd and asked, “Um, but isn’t calling that a ‘long time’ a bit rude to the professor, given she’s so young?”
“Which part?”
“Um, still, saying that to such a young professor feels…”
Dwight tilted his head, clearly confused, and replied. “Young? Are you being serious?”
Seeing my perplexed look, he expressed genuine astonishment and added, “Oh my, you really don’t know. I have to give you a brief rundown.”
With that said, Dwight’s eyes sparkled.
Sensing a familiar vibe, I recognized it.
One of my friends would always increase their volume excitedly when talking about their favorite manga, and Dwight’s demeanor was just like that…
Hoping the conversation would be brief, I attentively tuned in to his words.
“Where should I start? It was about 400 years ago when the great hero Aegis founded the academy. He brought peace to humanity by defeating the gluttonous witch alongside his comrades. Among those comrades were my ancestor, Viole Neinhart, who laid down the protective barrier against demon magic in this city, and Abigail, who was known as the illusion magician. After she helped defeat the gluttonous witch, Abigail took on the position of teacher at the academy, due to Aegis’s request. Since then, it has been traditional for her direct disciples to become teachers at Aegis Academy. And the fifth successor of Abigail’s vision illusion magic is none other than Professor Eve.”
Listening to his lengthy explanation without a moment to breathe, I felt disoriented at the end.
Wait, fifth successor?
“Wait, are you saying Professor Eve is the fifth disciple who has continued from Abigail? Doesn’t that sound a bit strange? That was over 400 years ago, right?”
Dwight nodded. “As far as I know, Professor Eve officially inherited her teaching position around 80 years ago. I’ve heard that even when my grandfather was a student, she looked just like this.”
“Oh my….”
I gasped, staring wide-eyed at Professor Eve, who was coming back with the food.
I never imagined there was such a secret behind her youthful appearance…
Returning to our table with a big smile, Professor Eve inquired, “Oh? It seems you two have quite a conversation going! What were you discussing?”
“E-eh… nothing much! Just some talk about magic!”
Believing it would be a bit awkward to mention how we were discussing her age, I blurted out, feeling flustered.
Upon hearing that, Professor Eve laughed cheerfully, “Ah ha! Now that’s a quintessential Neinheart topic! You see, Evande, they’re all genuinely into magic through generations. Speaking of which, Dwight really resembles a true Neinheart.”
“D-Does he really?”
Given the significant weight behind that response, I sweat nervously as I replied.
Having always held deep respect for my elders, I felt compelled to treat her with even more formality today, adhering strictly to dining etiquette as we began our meal.
“Wow! It’s Yoon Si-woo!”
Yoon Si-woo?
I quickly turned towards the voice, seeing people in the dining hall gazing at the TV screen where Yoon Si-woo appeared.
Looks like that guy has really become popular, huh?
Just as I thought about continuing my meal, I noticed several people watching the screen, their hands clasped together in prayer.
“Oh, Yoon Si-woo… please avenge our families.”
“Please defeat the wicked witch…”
It was an odd sight to call it mere popularity.
Those fervently praying for Yoon Si-woo seemed like devoted followers of a cult.
“What on earth… is going on?”
I softly asked in disbelief, and Professor Eve answered with a wry smile, “Well… We’re seeing this type of thing more often lately. This is probably a manifestation of resentment from those who lost family members in the recent incident. They’re hoping that Yoon Si-woo will avenge their families, much like the heroes who are said to have defeated previous witches, like the proud Aegis who struck down the gluttonous witch. It seems they want him to bring vengeance against the witch who took their loved ones away.”
“Such…”
“Which just shows how much they hate those witches. I suppose it can’t be avoided. Unless that hostility can be expressed somewhere else, toward the town or the heroes, it seems the higher-ups are using Yoon Si-woo as a part of their propaganda since they have no way to soothe these people’s hearts at the moment.”
Professor Eve murmured as she watched the people praying for Yoon Si-woo with a troubled expression. “I hope this doesn’t become an issue…”
Beyond her murmur, I could hear the fervent prayers of the crowd.
“Hero, please kill the witch.”
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