By Zephyria 
Ruben fussed over me, as if I might fly away if he blew on me, or pop if he touched me.
Of course, I was a little sore when we came down the cliff. The pain lessened after the splint was applied, and my entire body would throb when I swung my sword. Didn’t I struggle for a long time, afraid of encountering monsters?
But I swear, it wasn’t as agonizing as what that quack had said.
I’d rather compare it to when I died in my past life… No, never mind. There’s no need to compare it to the wounds from the day I actually died. It was just a broken arm that healed. It was only natural that this time, with a fully formed arm, was a hundred, a thousand times better than that day in my past life.
Ruben cutting each bite of meat into bite-sized pieces and placing them on my plate was something he’d done before, so I let it slide. But the nagging that I shouldn’t move an inch while resting, even though we had dinner in my room, was utterly displeasing.
“…You’re telling me to lie down after we just ate.”
“You can’t put any weight on your arm. He said it’s best to keep it straight from shoulder to elbow to wrist.”
“But, Ruben.”
The child was resolute.
“Think about it, Mika. The Sun God said you are the only one who can harm the Ninth God’s Origin.”
“…Well, yes.”
“Then you’ll be at the forefront of battle. The Ranunculuses I sent will all return within a week, and then we might have to depart immediately.”
“…Mm.”
“It’s right to rest as much as you can when you have the chance, Mika. Don’t rely too much on magic.”
“….”
If Ruben had been a little less clever, I would have just said, “I know my own body,” and gotten up.
However, I had no intention of being stubborn in front of someone who only spoke the plain truth.
Swallowing back the sigh that was about to escape, I went to the bed and lay down obediently. The child scurried to my side, fussing over me again, making sure my shoulder and wrist were aligned, and tucking me in, his devoted face etched with a familiar sadness.
“Just bear with it a little longer, even if it’s boring, okay?”
“…You don’t have to coax me like a child. I understand.”
“…Are you angry?”
“Why would I be?”
Perhaps my answer sounded cold. Before I could ponder it, I clasped his hands. He flinched in surprise, and I hesitated for a moment but didn’t let go. I slipped his hands, which had tucked me in, under the covers with mine to warm them.
“I won’t have a moment to be bored. Because Ruben will be by my side.”
“…Mm.”
Still, I was relieved that the child found his smile again. Ruben, beaming, sat on the edge of the bed where I lay. Leaving my left arm, which had to remain still until the dull ache disappeared, hanging down, I watched him playfully squeeze and press my right hand from under the covers.
Then, a thought suddenly struck me.
“You said I wouldn’t be able to move for a week here, right?”
“Mm. Probably…?”
“Then….”
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should even say this to Ruben.
But who else could I ask such a thing?
“I would like you to get me some holy oil that I can use.”
“…Huh?”
“Your favorite scent, Ruben.”
The child shot up, startled. The expensive, comfortable bed didn’t shake. Ruben, flustered, stammered, unable to speak. I also cleared my throat, aware that I had said something embarrassing, but I didn’t take back my words.
If I had wanted just any scent, I could have grabbed any passing attendant.
But now that I knew how diligently Rubel took care of himself, I wanted to follow in his footsteps, even if I couldn’t be as perfect as him. Wouldn’t it be more accurate to ask him directly than to ask someone else?
Too embarrassed to look at his face, I instead focused on my right middle and ring fingers, which were barely holding onto one of Ruben’s fingers, and added,
“Of course, after you’ve rested a bit, Ruben… Take your time.”
“….”
“Will it be difficult?”
“…No… Uh-huh. I’ll look for it.”
He’s trailing off again. It’s amusing and cute. Ruben, his cheeks flushed, lifted the covers. I didn’t stop him from burrowing under my blanket. Ruben used my right shoulder as a pillow, snuggling close, and mumbled,
“Still… you know.”
“Yes.”
“I’m just… I’m fine like this.”
“…I know.”
Here, I didn’t have to worry about monsters. For the first time in a long while, I closed my eyes with a peaceful heart and drifted off to sleep.
Various worries swirled in my mind before settling like lees in sake. It was the first time in ages that I had spent time lying down without being on edge. A single nap was so sweet.
❖ ❖ ❖
Lying in bed sick for a long time is something only those who are used to it do.
I didn’t feel bored at all until I finished my meal, led by Ruben’s morning ministrations. My heart was busy enough suppressing the fluttering emotions that arose whenever Ruben whispered tenderly by my side.
Besides, what else could we possibly do in bed together? Feeling embarrassed by his proximity, I told him to sit a little further away, and he did, sitting on the sofa. I watched him for a while, wondering what he was doing, and then he called a servant and ordered this and that.
So, Ruben was now sitting with a desk pulled up to a spot where he could clearly see my bed.
Since I had to lie down, he couldn’t leave it behind, and given the current unstable situation in the Empire, he felt he had to receive reports. Thus, he had set up a makeshift office in the room.
The informants from Yulan maintained the same demeanor as those from the Nobility Almanac Management and Inspection Department headquarters. Without a trace of expression, they entered the room and quietly handed over documents.
The table the servants brought was quite large, big enough to comfortably fit a person. But the stacks of documents were so numerous that they soon covered the surface, hiding the wood grain with white paper.
Ruben repeatedly arranged the received papers in order, compared them with maps, and took notes, pondering over them in silence. Occasionally, the sound of a pen scratching could be heard. At first, he would glance at me with every document he read, but soon he became engrossed, his gaze fixed on the papers.
Since Ruben was watching, I couldn’t even sit up, and I couldn’t make a sound for fear of disturbing him, so time passed very slowly. I just watched Ruben, who was staring at the papers with a thoughtful expression.
When had he dressed so smartly again?
Today, Ruben was wearing a vest over a white dress shirt. A scarf with a jeweled pin, which he hadn’t worn at all during our journey, elegantly concealed his neat neckline. His hair, which had grown long enough to fall past his shoulder blades, was neatly brushed and left loose, but he tucked it behind his ear, revealing his pale cheek.
The way Ruben furrowed his brow… I saw it for the first time.
Ruben from his Academy days had a younger face, and his cheeks were plumper. Moreover, he usually solved most problems with a cheerful smile. He never furrowed his brow when reading.
Perhaps that’s why… the faint breath he exhaled seemed all the more heavy and unfamiliar.
I traced the lines of his neat face with my gaze for a long time.
Ruben folded the edges of a few documents, pushed them to the right, and opened his mouth.
“Here in Yulan, we can get news from the capital every 72 hours. I suppose it’s because it’s quite far, and the Yulan region isn’t considered that important.”
His slightly hoarse voice was enchanting. I listened blankly, not responding.
“…Mika? Are you asleep?”
Only after Ruben made a sound of surprise did I realize he had spoken to me. Startled, I felt immensely embarrassed. I cleared my throat and tried to sit up halfway, but he gestured for me to lie down, so I did.
“I thought it took us about 14 days to travel… but it seems it took longer. There was no sun, and our stamina was low, so we rested for longer periods several times in the early stages of the ordeal.”
“…Ah.”
“It’s already January 27th.”
The day we went to confront the black magician…
Before I could ask, Ruben continued,
“The day we saw the black magicians, the altar collapsed around 6 PM on January 5th. Almost simultaneously, all the monsters in the Duchy of Grimesbane were weakened. Especially the ones called specially enhanced mutants, the zombies.”
“Specially enhanced mutants?”
“Yes. That’s what they’re calling them. They all share the common trait of being enhanced, but the reason hasn’t been identified. I’ve given my father a general explanation, so the Magic Tower will examine it further, give it a new name, or provide another answer.”
The name wasn’t important. Was what crossed over to this land a fragment of the Thousand-Faced Devil’s soul? Or was it a complete soul? Did he have a physical body, or was he possessing something else? Various questions that the child couldn’t answer immediately flooded my mind.
It took me a long time to pick out a question the child could answer.
“Then, what happened with the territorial recovery?”
“As soon as the weakening of their forces was confirmed, they pushed forward and recovered about 90%. They seem to be trying to push the front line further up to secure a few key mines. They’re even talking about installing defensive magic circles… but it’s not easy due to the contaminated mana.”
“Because of the contaminated mana?”
“Precisely, it’s a battle of magic against magic. If the opponent were just monsters, it would be fine, but when it’s a battle between wizards and wizards, they know which core to break to dismantle the magic circle immediately, making it difficult to install fixed structures like magic circles. And besides…”
“Besides?”
“This is the last news I received, 78 hours ago.”
Ruben stood up and sat beside the bed where I lay. He held a piece of paper in front of me.
However, I couldn’t decipher it immediately.
It was standard practice for all documents used by the informant Sierren to be recorded in a special cipher. Wilton Roberts had even taught me some of them. But what Ruben was showing me now was slightly different in appearance and order from what I had learned.
No wonder he was calculating something while looking at the documents; he was deciphering them.
Instead of looking at the document, I quietly gazed at the child’s face. Noticing that I couldn’t read the document, Ruben immediately pointed to it and explained.
“It says, ‘Specially enhanced mutants have resumed activity.’ Exactly from 7:47 AM four days ago.”
“…Then.”
“It seems the escaped black magicians have succeeded in preparing a new altar that can control zombies.”