By Zephyria 
Now that I had stopped, I had room to think.
I wanted to check Rubel’s condition. I wanted to meticulously examine him, to see if he was injured anywhere. But seeing the small pebbles falling with a ‘tuduk-tuduk’ sound from above, I judged that my current location was not safe.
If I tried to climb up, I’d fall. It would be better to find a path below.
Also… I’d have to treat it, wouldn’t I? If I neglected my arm in this state and couldn’t use my left arm, that would be a major problem.
Trying not to startle Ruben, who was sniffling continuously, I carefully modulated my voice.
“…Are you done crying?”
“…”
“I’d like to see your face for a moment.”
“…”
Ruben, still hidden in my embrace, rubbed his face dry.
This was possible because I had wrapped my arms around him, holding his entire body within mine, lest he injure his hands. Seeing him squirming in my arms, I felt a tickle of joy in my chest.
“…Why my face?”
“I want to check if you’re injured. We’re… quite high up right now, and to avoid falling, you’ll need to wrap your arms tightly around my neck. Can you do that?”
“…Yeah. I can… do it.”
As the child adjusted his position, a ‘tuduk’ sound, like something snapping, came from my left arm. Cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck. I let out a hollow laugh. Even in this state, I couldn’t stop laughing; I was truly like a madman.
Rubel carefully draped his arms over my shoulders, leaving a gap between our chests so I could see his face.
Ah.
I bit my lip hard to suppress my laughter. Still, I couldn’t stop my shoulders from trembling.
“Why did you cry so much?”
“…Because you…!”
“I can endure this much. I thought you knew that.”
“…”
Ruben glared at me, looking sulky, after seeing me smile. He was incredibly lovely.
His eyes, his cheeks, everything was a mess of red. His slender eyes were swollen and puffy, and the tip of his sharp nose kept sniffling. Every time his hot, panting breath touched my face, I felt a laugh bubble up. I wished I had two more arms. I was desperate to pinch his pathetic cheeks.
Knowing I was looking at him, Ruben also tried to check my condition. His fingers, fumbling through my hair, felt around my scalp, searching for wounds. It was amusing. As my head drew closer, I felt a little awkward. When I subtly averted my gaze, the child’s cheeks flushed red. That, too, was amusing.
As Ruben was about to examine my left arm, I spoke first.
“Please look down for a moment.”
“…Down?”
Ruben glanced down over my shoulder.
“The ground is unstable, so we won’t be able to climb up and rejoin the others. I’m planning to go down from here… I’ve… injured my arm.”
“…”
“Ruben, you’re not afraid of heights, are you?”
“…No.”
“So, I’m thinking of switching to my right arm for support. Is that okay?”
Ruben gritted his teeth. But no matter how fiercely he glared, it wasn’t scary at all.
“Of course…!”
“Yes. Then… hold on tight.”
Ruben tightened his grip on my right shoulder. I planted the hand that had been supporting the child onto the cliff face. Quak. As the strength left my left shoulder, my forearm felt like it was on fire. A burning pain spread from the tip of my left middle finger, sending a throbbing sensation through my entire upper left body. My heart pounded.
It seemed my nerves weren’t dead yet. It was truly astonishing, the human body.
I continued speaking in a calm voice.
“Now… there’s one more thing I need Ruben to do.”
“…”
“Don’t cry. Okay?”
“…I can, I can do it…”
“Yes. I believe you.”
Without a word, I offered my mangled left arm to the child. Ruben, his face turning bright red from crying, still managed to find what he needed to do.
He cut away the tangled clothing on my arm, removed any visible small, broken bone fragments, poured the water I had brought for drinking to wash the wound, removed the activation pin of the Healing Artifact, and then pressed the buttons in sequence. A bright light enveloped my arm.
After all, Ruben had always been a strong child. I felt a deep sense of pride, as if I had raised him myself, filled with affection and admiration.
I watched with my own eyes as the flesh slowly knitted together and healed. The pain hadn’t subsided, but I felt immensely relieved. Though it still felt numb, it was nothing compared to the joy of regaining the arm I had almost lost.
I clenched and unclenched the hand on my healed left arm, only to be scolded.
“Don’t move!”
“…Ah.”
“You can’t move it right away, Mika. This is a Type 5 Joint Recovery Device, but it contains multiple Magic Formulas, so its stability is low. Moving it right away will not only hurt but could also worsen the wound…!”
“But we have to go down now.”
Then Ruben reached out a hand and braced himself against the cliff. Even with calloused hands, Ruben had never done anything that would damage his fingernails. It seemed like a futile effort to me. Ruben looked at me with a determined expression, his eyes still wet and red.
“That’s… I can carry you down.”
“No. Ruben can’t use his aura yet, and… he wouldn’t have the experience of climbing a cliff to carry my entire body. This is a matter of common sense.”
“That applies to you too!”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Ruben blinked. His expression was peculiar, as if he were thinking deeply. Seeing his determined look soften, I felt an irrepressible tickle in my chest, even though it wasn’t the time to laugh.
“Please hug my neck, Ruben.”
“…”
“I’ve done this many times. I can do it well this time too.”
“…Okay.”
Surprisingly, the descent was quick.
It looked deeper due to the stagnant dark mana, but it was more so because of the ledge, just wide enough to stand on, in a dark corner. After stamping my feet twice to confirm the ground was solid, I carefully set Ruben down.
As soon as Ruben found a place to stand, he tore off his inner garment and made a splint for my arm. I didn’t refuse, feeling the throbbing pain subside. I couldn’t afford to worry about his thin clothing when my own appearance was so disheveled.
Was this ground the right path? Did we need to go up or down to find the others? Were the remaining companions safe? I had so many worries. But I couldn’t show any signs of anxiety in front of Ruben.
The child seemed to be thinking the same thing, looking at me intently after a moment of silence. Then he said something amusing.
“First, let’s eat, Mika. Then we’ll think.”
“…Agreed.”
After all, if it was just the two of us, he was the brains, wasn’t he? I obediently followed.
* * *
Ruben’s suggestion to eat was a declaration to find a place to rest.
It was indeed the right thing to do. Ruben’s combat ability was weak, and I could feel a throbbing in my left arm even when using my right. My body wasn’t in good condition, so it was better to spend more time on physical recovery than to gain side effects that would last a lifetime.
I was concerned about the visible overflow of Contaminated Mana, but Ruben said it wouldn’t be a problem.
“Thanks to the Hip-Circlet, we’re constantly purifying the mana around our bodies. It’s actually good. If the amount of mana in your Dantian increases, it will help with recovery.”
“Mhm.”
“…I wish I were a Sword Master. Then you could also practice Circulating Qi…”
“Haha. You should have trained a little harder.”
“…”
I even made a lighthearted joke.
We walked along a narrow path, unsure if we were going up or down, using our Qi sense to scan for monsters.
The dried blood on the soles of my shoes hadn’t even completely fallen off. My entire upper body, let alone one arm, was constantly throbbing, making my whole body ache with every step.
Yet, why did I feel so elated, like a person filled with hot air, bursting into laughter?
I found it difficult to understand myself. Looking at the child’s dark head walking ahead of me, drawing his sword to protect me, I felt like I almost understood.
“…Does it hurt?”
“…It feels like it’s been a long time since we’ve been alone like this.”
“…Huh?”
“Since graduation…”
At least I had managed to protect one of the children I wanted to protect.
Perhaps it was because Benjamin had become a Sword Master, or because he had landed on the most solid ground at the end. Or perhaps it was because I had seen Marianne Memorize all sorts of Magic earlier today. Or maybe it was because I trusted Elvin and Hugh, who stood close to them.
Rather than worrying about the others, I was so satisfied with bringing Rubel into my embrace, completely unharmed. Like a well-fed beast, I leisurely followed the child’s pace and murmured,
“That’s why I don’t even feel the pain.”
Rubel stopped abruptly. I stopped too.
Why did he have that look of indignation and sorrow again? The spot where the child stood was higher than where I stood, so for the first time in a long while, I was looking up at Rubel. The child walked towards me with soft steps and wrapped his arms around my waist. He buried his head in my shoulder and gritted his teeth.
“…Not at times like this.”
“Mhm.”
“Even if you just say, ‘Let’s just be the two of us’…”
“…That, no, at that time…”
“I…”
Is he crying again?
I tried to peek at his face, but he scolded me severely. His voice, declaring he wouldn’t cry anymore, was so firm and resolute that my heart trembled.
I understood, I made a big mistake, and only after we promised, holding fingers, that we would go out and rest and play together for three or four days straight, was I finally able to break free.
I had thought about not wanting to be let go, but what could I do if it wasn’t up to me?
Still, it was fortunate that my sly intentions weren’t read.