By Zephyria 
Jin Gi Do In involved clearing the Qi and blood of an opponent whose internal energy circulation was not smooth. It usually involved placing one’s hand on the Palm Center of an opponent sitting in a Lotus Position and circulating energy. In very urgent situations, the patient might be laid down, and the hand placed on the Dantian to circulate energy.
In contrast, Acupressure and Blood Manipulation was a method of directly massaging and striking the body to strengthen it. It generally referred to the act of a martial artist with high skill using their hands and internal energy to shape the body of a person lying flat on a bed, making it suitable for martial arts.
A body suitable for martial arts was a robust and strong body. When I realized Asdel had fallen ill, the first thing that came to mind was Acupressure and Blood Manipulation, and when I realized Ruben lived a life of constant fatigue, Acupressure and Blood Manipulation was also what I thought of.
Originally, it would have been right to use acupuncture or medicinal herbs to achieve more dramatic effects, but although I understood Qi and blood, I had no expertise in medical arts, so I couldn’t attempt such things.
Still, there was no one in this world who knew Ruben’s Qi and blood and the condition of his limbs and veins better than I did. Because Ruben practiced Dynamic Qi, the energy circulating within his body was pure without needing separate time for Breathing and regulating energy, but that was all.
Spending all day writing meant his shoulders and back would stiffen, and his legs would swell; it was only natural. Even if Ruben couldn’t spare time for separate training, couldn’t I visit him during my free time like this?
Ruben, who had ended up lying down as I pushed him and was listening to my explanation verbatim, calmly asked back.
“…So, you’re just going to give me a massage…?”
“Mm. It will be a bit different from the massage I gave you last time. I’ll be inserting Qi intermittently… No, you’ll understand once you experience it.”
“Then, my clothes….”
“You can change into sleeping clothes, or this is fine too. I won’t be pressing too hard.”
“…I see.”
“Yes. Your shoulders and back seem to be the most uncomfortable, so it would be best to lie on your stomach. I’ll finish quickly and just watch until you fall asleep.”
“…Okay. Thank you….”
Until this point, I had believed it was improper to visit Ruben’s bedroom for trivial matters.
However, it was fortunate that Marianne had advised me to take advantage of this brief free time to give Ruben a massage before he slept and to act affectionately. It seemed such actions were not forbidden in Sierren.
There were times I resented being the same gender as Ruben, but now, it was a great relief that I could sit and wait in his private chambers without anyone suspecting anything.
Of course, the massage I gave him before was a bit more… impure.
As a wicked thought began to surface, I quickly turned my head away. I could tell why Ruben was looking at me with a puzzled expression. Fearing I might cause any unnecessary misunderstanding, I preemptively stated clearly.
“I won’t be climbing on you, so you don’t need to worry.”
“…No, uh, I figured as much….”
“Please lie down a little closer this way.”
“Okay….”
I tried to set aside any personal feelings as much as possible and carefully examined Ruben’s body.
It was natural that I felt he had become thinner in my absence. His broad shoulders, built on excellent bone structure, remained the same, but the muscles that were originally well-defined had slightly receded. After pressing a few times to help him relax his tense body, I decided to press on the acupoints, as it would be problematic if he writhed.
“…Huh? Wait, Mika. Your body….”
“It’s just that you can’t move. You can make noise, but… it’s better to endure it. Breathe easily.”
“Ah, I understand, but….”
“It will hurt a little.”
“What?”
I squeezed the back of Ruben’s thigh once, then took a breath.
Where should I start? I needed to finish as quickly as possible and get Ruben to sleep.
Filled with such determination, I didn’t even feel embarrassed.
…
Did I do it right?
After Ruben, who had been fussing for a long time, finally fell asleep from exhaustion, I let go. I asked Marianne to bring a Clean Artifact and used it to quickly wipe away the bodily fluids Ruben had shed. Although I had released the blockages in his acupoints, Ruben, sleeping soundly, did not wake up.
I gently laid the child, who had been lying face down, in the center of the bed and covered him with a blanket. It was fortunate I had the Clean Artifact. I should have told him to change into sleeping clothes from the start. I worried he might wake up uncomfortable, but I didn’t have the courage to undress Ruben at all.
As I worked on Ruben’s body this time, I learned that stimulating muscles by briefly cutting off True Energy seemed to be more ticklish than I had imagined. If I hadn’t pressed the acupoints beforehand, I would have given up halfway through, succumbing to Ruben’s pleas to be let go.
Just once, just a little. As I coaxed him like that, shaping his body well, I felt a great sense of accomplishment.
There was a time when I felt sorrow that I had no elders in my past life to do this for me. Now, thinking that I could help the children around me in various ways, I felt immense joy.
Now, I would return to my lodging, practice lifting and pulling distant objects with Telekinesis, and then go for training after breakfast. It seemed I could make good use of the remaining time before the expedition.
❖ ❖ ❖
Lunch was usually eaten by expedition teams.
This was due to concerns that using the Imperial Palace’s rapid transport to travel to the Second Prince’s Palace might compromise Imperial Palace security. More importantly, Ruben had been very busy lately, often eating only a few sandwiches for lunch, and I didn’t want to disturb him.
Of course, it was also a good time for the members of Team 1 to get to know each other better.
Hugh Benson and Elvin Brooks, who usually hid somewhere during breaks, were not absent during lunchtime. Although they didn’t actively join the conversation, they stayed until the meal was finished, listening to what they needed to and answering when necessary.
Leon, who was initially embarrassed by his clumsy eating manners, seemed to relax with Mage Boulder, who ate even more boisterously, sitting beside him. He devoured a considerable amount of food, saying that all the Imperial Palace’s cuisine was delicious and suited his palate, sucking it up like sand through a Sandworm.
Mac Weaber and Samantha Andrei seemed to know each other from before, and they shared many stories from their past.
“Lord Andrei only spent two years in the Yuil Mountains before joining the Imperial Knights. I believe his first assignment was to the Third Princess’s Palace.”
“Yes. That was the most chaotic period of my life.”
“When I was ten. Right?”
“Haha, twelve. It was around that time. You all used to gather often to prepare for the Academy entrance exams. When the Third Princess fell while climbing out the window because she didn’t want to study, I ran and caught her.”
“Six?”
As far as I knew, Mac Weaber was the same age as Rubel and his peer. She counted on her fingers and told me.
“Prince Rubel, Princess Lucilla, myself, Justin Barret, Kelly Hawkins, and Matt Nico. Six in total. Hestia sometimes visited, but she was usually at the First Prince’s Palace, so she didn’t have much business with us.”
“Mm.”
“Since our residences were all adjacent to the Marquisate of Antines, the Empress often summoned us. There was always a lot of fun at the Imperial Palace, so we enjoyed it.”
Would it be appropriate to inquire about the prince in his absence?
Mac Weaber, sensing my hesitation, began to speak without being asked.
“Our prince was prim and aloof from a young age. When we were playing, he would be studying alone from a distance. Sometimes he would open his eyes like this… you know. The prince’s trademark. Sigh… looking at people with utter disdain.”
“…What? No, not at all….”
“You’ve never seen it?”
“…No.”
“Wow… He really is something. Anyway, the only time the prince would play with us was during swordsmanship training. That was also because Lucilla kept hitting the prince on the head with a wooden sword, so he started learning to block it.”
“…What?”
“Lucilla was dead serious about teasing Rubel. She said he was creepy for acting so adult-like.”
He must have had a tough time being bullied by his mischievous older sister. The story went that for every five annoying things Lucilla did, Rubel would bother Lucilla once, and their bickering lasted a long time.
In the midst of that, they would break up fights, eat meals together, and share snacks, and by the year before entering the Academy, the other four had also started talking to Rubel and having various conversations.
“At the Academy… I didn’t see you two attending together.”
“Lord Ernhardt, of course. Rubel followed Lord Ernhardt around constantly.”
“…What?”
“What was it… I remember laughing so hard when I heard he took the intermediate swordsmanship class three times. He got the highest score in the first class, but he took the second and third classes just to see Lord Ernhardt.”
“….”
“Matt Nico rolled around on the ground, saying he got goosebumps seeing him smile like that. Speaking of which, I wonder if Matt is doing well now. Didn’t he say he was dating Lucilla?”
“…Mm, yes. Probably….”
I felt a flush of heat rise in my neck, feeling awkward.
I had known for a long time that Ruben had loved me since he was young, but I never imagined he had already revealed such feelings to his friends. I felt ashamed for thinking he always went around alone because he had no friends. I now realized he had only sought me out because he wanted to play with me alone.
I also shared some less interesting, but more necessary, information than stories about young Ruben.
“Then, is Mage Boulder completely unaffected by Contaminated Mana?”
“Not completely unaffected. It’s just that there are no major restrictions on movement. If you think about it that way, Lord Ernhardt is truly my hero, muse, and benefactor. How could I have known I would be able to go so deep beyond the Yuil Mountains and still be fine? If it weren’t for the Hip-Circulate Method…”
Andy Spooner looked at Boulder with great envy and subtly offered.
“Would you like to learn it, if you don’t mind?”
“Huh? Me too? Really?”
“Yes. You won’t be able to master it in a day or two, but… even Mage Boulder, who is over forty, learned it, so Sir Andy Spooner should be able to take the first step with just two or three years of effort.”
“Is that… is that something you learn while sitting down and crossing your legs?”
“No, it’s not. That’s a different kind of thing… Mage Boulder knows more about the Secret Incantation, but I can check if it’s progressing well. If you train for about 30 years, you might be able to cultivate the Source of the Waterproof Forest as much as I have.”
“That’s not it.”
Mage Boulder quickly interjected with a reprimand. However, he also seemed quite pleased.
“Since the copyright holder has granted permission, I will help you very diligently. We only have three days left, so time is really short… but at least if you know the basics, you’ll be able to breathe for a few more seconds even if a sudden surge of Contaminated Mana occurs. Experimental data, no, uh, if there are any knights who volunteer, bring a few more.”
Can I trust Mage Boulder?
But I was already busy taking care of Ruben. Besides, Boulder was so enthusiastic.
When Andy Spooner asked again if that would be alright, I told him it was fine and to gather anyone who wanted to learn and receive instruction.