No matter how much of a hero someone is, broken bones and torn flesh don’t heal overnight.
The harder they were, the more difficult it is for the wounds to heal.
It’s just a matter of covering it up with overwhelming recovery ability and magic.
“His arm and even the bones in his fingers are shattered. How did he even fight?”
“That’s just how Darion fights.”
He grinds his opponents into pieces.
Darion’s basic fighting style is to engage in close combat with a shield, specializing more in smashing and blocking rather than cutting and slashing.
He’s perfect as an assault leader, but if you faced him as an enemy, you’d wonder how to deal with him.
“Have an apple.”
“I’m fine.”
“Eat it.”
“…”
With a slight hesitation, I opened my mouth.
As the crisp apple entered my mouth, I chewed it up.
“It’s delicious. Sweet.”
“It’s a specialty of the East. They use honey in the cultivation process or something like that. That’s why I had you try it.”
“…”
What about the other fruits next to the apple?
I glanced at the shelf next to Epherna, which had apples, pears, bananas, grapes, and so on.
The apple was served because it’s a specialty of the East.
What’s the reason for feeding me the other fruits?
As I thought about this, I noticed Epherna skillfully peeling a pear.
When did she practice?
Her fingers are uninjured, so it doesn’t seem like it was recent practice.
“Mister, try this too.”
Even though I wanted to stop eating, Epherna showed no signs of stopping.
As I ate the fruit quietly, a deep smile appeared on her face.
Seeing her, I thought,
‘As long as she’s happy, that’s what matters…’
*****
Epherna obtained the Sun’s Mark and a diary titled “Eternal Resting Place” from the Eastern Principality.
The diary is written in ancient hieroglyphics, so it needs to be decoded, and it’s currently with scholars.
As a result, we have to stay in the Eastern Principality until the diary is decoded.
Well, even if not, I’d be stuck in the hospital for about two weeks anyway.
“By the way, what about the Academy?”
“What about it? I’ll have to be absent.”
“If you’re absent, you might face disadvantages later.”
To avoid any issues.
“What’s more important to me than scores is that you’re injured.”
It’s a bit concerning.
I initially thought I’d have extra time.
Even without counting the time spent traveling, I had less than an hour to look around the castle.
I thought there would be plenty of time to finish my tasks and still take a leisurely tour, but since I got injured, time has become tight.
It seems Epherna is also unable to leave the hospital because she’s worried about me.
‘I need to recover quickly.’
So many things are going wrong because of my injury.
If it were in the past, I would have completed the mission without including myself, but now I have someone who values me.
I channeled mana into my heart.
One method for rapid recovery is a vision passed down from the dragon clan.
A method of enhancing natural healing taught by Lea.
Though it’s not magic, it requires mental energy throughout the day, so it’s a method I’ve avoided.
I lightly activated the draconic power and circulated mana throughout my body.
Dragon Clan mana is a bit different from regular mana.
While regular mana has distinct operational methods for knights and mages, dragon mana is almost the same.
It’s also why I can assume both roles of knight and mage.
Dragon mana naturally possesses high healing capabilities.
Just circulating it heals most minor wounds. Though it doesn’t help with the consumption of vitality.
Anyway, if I continue circulating it steadily for two days, the broken bones should heal.
Epherna is also casting recovery magic whenever possible, so I might recover within a week.
‘It’s not about not knowing, it’s about doing it.’
I can’t make Epherna wait for a week.
If I cut down on sleep, I should be able to move within three days.
I focused and began circulating mana.
*****
Three days later.
Ern, who had focused on recovering his legs, was now able to walk reasonably well.
Having been in the hospital for over a week, his body felt stiff.
Using this as an excuse, Ern went out with Epherna.
“Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine, really.”
Though his hands and fingers were still bandaged, he had no trouble moving.
“Is there anywhere you want to go? Since you’ll be at the academy in a few days, you should enjoy yourself until then.”
Once he returns to the Academy, Epherna will have no rest for a while. He’ll have to catch up on the missed 14 days of lessons, meet a summoner introduced by Solendril, and prepare for the imperial succession.
……
“First, let’s eat something. I’ve only been eating porridge lately, so I’m starving.”
*****
Another three days later, Ern’s legs were fully recovered.
He boarded the carriage to arrive at the academy on time.
For reference, his arms and fingers were still not healed.
He had focused the treatment only on his legs for faster recovery.
“Even when you get to the academy, don’t start classes for a while.”
Epherna said.
Since Ern’s fingers weren’t healed, he couldn’t attend classes.
Understanding this, Ern nodded.
Meanwhile, Epherna was reading the decoded portion of the diary found in the shack.
The diary, entrusted to the Principality’s scholars for the past few days, was about one-twentieth decoded, but further progress was limited by time.
Still, once they reach the academy, Epherna would likely be introduced to capable scholars by Solendril, so it should be fine.
‘When we go back, will it be quiet for a few months without any work?’
As she mentioned, when they returned, there will be many tasks that need to be done over time.
Learning summoning magic, decoding the diary, and improving her reputation among the students—all require a significant investment of time.
On top of that, he also needed to consider sending ‘this gentleman’ back, which is making his head ache.
“…”
The Knight Commander Darion.
A man who volunteered to escort us on our way back to the academy, even though he almost caused harm instead of protecting the princess.
While he is reliable, it makes one wonder what he’s up to.
Darion is a temporary figurehead managing the Eastern Principality.
Even as a figurehead, he holds significant decision-making authority, so being away from the Eastern Principality involves considerable administrative risks.
But I suppose he’ll manage.
Specifically, the civil servants working under Darion will handle it.
*****
The journey back was uneventful, and as a result, they arrived at the Academy with a day to spare before the next attendance.
This wasn’t unexpected. Epherna, anticipating that she would be tired, had deliberately scheduled their return a bit earlier.
“I’m exhausted….”
Epherna’s physical condition, though superior to that of an average person, pales in comparison to Ern’s.
Despite having a perfect body through constant exercise and diet management, it’s only natural that she would be less resilient compared to Ern, who endured several days of hardship without showing signs of fatigue.
“I… I feel like my body is so weak.”
“You shouldn’t compare yourself to me.”
Ern’s body has reached a level where it transcends normal human limits.
Even without using mana, his body can run for hours without tiring, and it’s sturdy enough to withstand breaking rocks without a scratch.
Epherna frowned, as if dissatisfied.
“Are you thinking of reconstructing your body?”
Just like a knight, a mage’s body also channels mana.
It is possible to reconstruct a body beyond ordinary limits, though it is challenging.
An example is the Grand Mage Bergamot, who reconstructed her body to a level comparable to a knight to endure the circulation of mana.
However, this requires consistent and strenuous effort, and even Epherna would face considerable difficulty. Ern worried that the additional stress of reconstructing her body might become overwhelming for her, who already had a lot on her plate.
Epherna shared similar concerns but believed there was a reason to undergo the physical reconstruction despite the stress.
‘…If I don’t build up my stamina beforehand, I might not be able to endure it later.’
This thought had occurred to her after dreaming about it on the way to the Eastern Principality.
Seeing the baby in Ern’s arms made Epherna consider even the earlier stages of this process.
Though she didn’t show it, Epherna had received continuous s*x education from Merien and Bergamot.
While she wasn’t fully knowledgeable, she had some understanding of male-female relations. She occasionally imagined that she might engage in ‘that’ in the future.
The dream she had about giving birth sparked this thought.
Having a baby meant that ‘that’ had occurred.
If she didn’t strengthen her body, she might face humiliation later.
Ern, being a superhuman hero with nearly limitless stamina compared to an average person, was a factor she needed to consider.
Of course, Ern had no idea that Epherna was contemplating such matters.
*****
Months later.
Time flowed on, and Epherna eventually succeeded in summoning magic after numerous failures.
