漫画大王

Chapter 216

The fact that Harriet had swallowed her pride and sat by my side and comforted me because I had asked her to put me to sleep out of the blue said it all.

The next day, things got even more interesting.

It was a school day, but Ellen showed up at the recovery room at the crack of dawn with some chicken soup, telling me to eat.

“... When did you make this?”

“Yesterday.”

“Yesterday? Ah... I must have been asleep then.”

She must have brought it while the sleeping spell had been in effect. Somehow, I had expected to get a thorough scolding or even a beating, but instead, she brought food for me at the crack of dawn.

Knowing that she had cooked food for me when I was bedridden inevitably made my heart feel warm.

I tried to take a spoonful of the soup that she’d scooped out into a bowl, but as expected, it didn’t go well.

My hands were trembling so much that everything spilled. My whole body was in bad shape.

“...”

“...”

For some reason, Ellen kept staring at me for a long time, as if she was contemplating something.

In the end, Ellen silently took the spoon and began to feed me herself. Somehow, the way she did it without saying anything stirred something inside me.

‘What? Why does it taste so good? There’s no way she made this,’ I thought the moment I tried the first spoonful of soup.

“... Did you really make this?”

“...”

Ellen stared at me intensely in response to my question, which carried both suspicion but was also a strong compliment.

‘Well, would you look at that. She’s actually feeling proud of herself, huh.’

“I’m good at cooking,” Ellen snapped back, as if her feelings were hurt.

‘Since when did she become so good at cooking? She rarely even cooks!’

Despite her tone, Ellen continued to feed me spoonful after spoonful of the soup. Once she managed to make me finish an entire bowl, Ellen ladled out another bowl of soup from the pot.

“Eat more.”

“... Huh?”

‘Not “Would you like more?” but “Eat more?”’

“You need to eat a lot to get better quickly.”

Ellen force-fed me the soup.

It felt a bit like food torture, but in the end, I didn’t really mind.

*

Being sick had its perks. Harriet told me to call her whenever I needed anything, and Ellen not only made soup for me, but also personally fed me.

Still, I didn’t want any of these perks that came from being sick—I just wanted to get better.

I was in some serious pain.

I had missed four days of classes, and even after those four days of unconsciousness, just getting out of bed was a struggle.

The hardest part was going to the bathroom. I vehemently refused the help of the female priestess on duty who wanted to assist me, and insisted on using crutches instead.

I made it to the bathroom just fine, but I passed out on the way back.

Thank goodness I passed out on the way back, and not on the way there.

That would have made for a horrendous memory.

“Reinhart, it’s not embarrassing for patients to not be able to get out of bed.”

“Teacher...”

“Come on. Wear it. If you keep trying to move about on your own and collapsing, it’ll just slow down your recovery.”

“Please, just... please, no.”

I continued to refuse, and the priestess gave me a stern look.

“Hmm. You were unconscious for four days. Do you really think you made it through without one of these?”

Her remark caused me to flinch in shock.

It seemed like something bad had happened while I’d been unaware.

That’s right. I had already worn one of those things.

Although, for some reason, I hadn’t been wearing one when I’d woken up.

“W-Well, I don’t need it now! I don’t remember it, so it’s like it never happened!”

“What are you talking about? Just take it off! Or stay still, and I’ll help you!”

“Nooooo!”

We ended up having a lengthy scuffle over whether or not I should wear the thing.

Someone cleared their throat loudly. “Ahem.”

“Oh, Mr. Effenhauser.”

Mr. Effenhauser walked in through the recovery room door.

“S-Save me, Mr. Effenhauser! I’m too young to wear diapers!”

The priestess let go of the trousers of my patient’s gown as soon as Mr. Effenhauser entered.

Saying “too young” instead of “never” implied I’d wear them someday, which was a bit unsettling, but the words were already out of my mouth.

‘I suppose I’d have to wear them in the future—who knows?’

The on-duty priest shot me a look that promised she’d make me wear it later on and then left for her office.

“It seems like it’s not too serious, Number 11; you sound quite energetic.”

“Oh... no. I feel like I’m dying...”

“If you have enough energy to say such things, it can’t be that bad.”

Well, I really was in immense pain, but Mr. Effenhauser was right—if I was truly in a worse condition, I wouldn’t even be able to speak. So I had to shut up.

Mr. Effenhauser was his usual cold self, with a face almost completely devoid of emotion.

Mr. Effenhauser might have a cold demeanor and a cold attitude, but he wasn’t a bad teacher. He didn’t particularly scold his students nor pick on them for no reason.

Effenhauser wasn’t a bad teacher... But was he a good teacher?

That, too, was unclear.

He was sparing in both criticism and praise—although he had given me a merit point in my las endeavor.

Effenhauser performed the duties of a teacher in a very mechanical manner.

Did he have any affection for his students?

That was also unclear.

He did not do anything special when it came to discipline. If you crossed the line, you got a demerit; if you did well, you got a merit.

If something was permitted, you could do it; if it wasn’t, you couldn’t.

He didn’t let emotions interfere with his work.

Whether he was a good or bad teacher, I didn’t know.

Overall, though, I liked teachers like Effenhauser, since they did not offer any unnecessary interference.

He did not say things like “Are you alright?” or “I’m glad you regained consciousness.”

As usual, he merely said what needed to be said and did what had to be done.

“There will be a disciplinary committee meeting soon,” he said.

“... Yes.”

“You will be summoned to the disciplinary committee once you have recovered sufficiently that you can move around on your own. Be prepared.”

This time, I had crossed the line. Significantly, that is.

Mr. Effenhauser only conveyed what message needed to be conveyed, like a machine. He did not mention that it was wrong, or ask why I had done it.

In return, I did not try to argue that I wasn’t at fault, because I wasn’t innocent.

“What aspects are subject to disciplinary action?”

“Two unauthorized fights with members of another class, and using supernatural powers during those fights.”

Even though duels were permitted and could be arranged, unauthorized fights weren’t. And plus, I used my supernatural powers in that fight.

My ability was not inherently dangerous like Pyrokinesis or Electrokinesis, but it was still a supernatural power.

Using a supernatural power to attack was indeed a significant violation of school rules.

“Is there a possibility of expulsion?”

At my question, Mr. Effenhauser shook his head.

“That won’t happen.”

He seemed certain about that.

Perhaps the Temple would not expel a Royal Class student so easily.

“However, this isn’t an internal matter to be handled within the Royal Class. Orbis Class is involved, too. Besides you, two Orbis Class students are also subject to disciplinary action.”

I was at fault for initiating the fight, but those who retaliated were also at fault. Therefore, both Lilka Aaron and Oscar de Gradias were also subject to disciplinary action.

“If it were an internal matter, the disciplinary committee would be composed purely of faculty members from the Royal Class. Because it involves both classes, though, the committee will include faculty from both Royal and Orbis Classes.”

This incident was different from the previous ones as it couldn’t be handled as an internal matter of the Royal Class.

The disciplinary committee would be a joint committee made up of faculty from both Royal and Orbis Classes to deal with me, Lilka Aaron, and Oscar de Gradias.

I had a bad feeling about how this would go.

It was likely that the tension between the Orbis and Royal Classes was not only present among its students; it was very likely that the teachers looked at each other with disdain as well.

Still, the teachers would probably be required to follow the Temple rules to the letter.

No one has mentioned any consequences for me crossing a line when it came to royalty, so I didn’t know what the disciplinary committee’s decision would ultimately be.

What I did know was that, if I got suspended, whether for a fixed term or for an indefinite period, I would not be allowed to stay in the dormitory during that period of time.

I knew this because I’d written a scene in the original story in which Ludwig got into trouble and was disciplined. He and his friends got involved in a brawl outside the Temple, and got suspended when it escalated into a gang fight.

It would later be revealed that this was actually Vertus’s machination.

Anyway, during the suspension, Ludwig, Scarlett, Lanian Sesor, and Delphine Izadra would decide to take a short trip via warp gate, since they weren’t allowed to stay in the dormitory.

In other words, the suspension was merely an excuse to move the story out of the Temple because the internal storyline had stalled, and it was a forced plot point created for narrative convenience.

In any case, whether or not the events involving Ludwig would ultimately occur, I would still be subject to a disciplinary committee.

I wasn’t going to be expelled, but I still didn’t know what sort of punishment I’d receive.

Perhaps being suspended wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I had my own ways to utilize any spare time I got.

*

Despite spending all my time lying in bed, I had quite a few visitors. Even when I had hardly any energy to speak, they would sit beside my bed and chat amongst themselves.

Ludwig, who I did not consider a close friend, came by with a bunch of his friends.

‘You think of me as a friend, but I don’t see you that way. I’m actually pretty shy, you know?’

Regardless, Ludwig came, along with Lanian Sesor, and the latter even played some music on his instrument in an attempt to comfort me.

It was loud, but also quite pleasant to listen to.

Since I was the only patient in the recovery room, no one could tell the Class B guys to leave even when they caused a ruckus.

The priest on duty didn’t seem to care much either.

“Um... are you in a lot of pain?” Scarlett asked hesitantly in a formal tone.

“... Yes,” I replied, since I couldn’t exactly lie about it, and she simply stared at me with pursed lips.

I didn’t have much of a connection with Scarlett. We only shared Swordsmanship classes together in this second semester, and we sparred a bit occasionally, but we never really talked.

Still, she seemed to have a positive regard for me, despite her apparent unease.

‘Why is that? I sort of get it, but also don’t.’

Scarlett said a few words and wished me a quick recovery before leaving.

The Class B students each had something to say to me as well. Although the Magic Research Club hadn’t begun official meetings, Anna de Gerna, Cristina, and Louis Ankton seemed more comfortable around me, and we shared some conversation.

They seemed to be exceptionally friendly, especially since I was someone who had been reduced to this state by brawling with an Orbis Class senior.

Getting into trouble and then receiving comfort—my stuck-up life had taken quite an unexpected turn.

*

Time passed while I lay in bed.

Harriet offered to use a sleeping spell on me if I was in pain and needed to rest, and told me to call her whenever I needed help.

Olivia and Adriana occasionally dropped by, and surprisingly, even the little senior Rudina visited me and gave me an earful about causing trouble, acting like an adult despite being younger than me.

She wasn’t wrong. since I was older than her but kept causing trouble... so I didn’t have much to say.

‘Actually, I’m not just a year older than you. I’m a whole lot older. That’s even more embarrassing...’

Rudina stood there, hands on her hips, nagging at me.

“You’re even more of a problem now that you’ve somehow managed to succeed in utilizing Mana Reinforcement.”

“Why? Isn’t it a good thing? Well, I feel like I’m dying, but still.”

“You’re just going to cause even bigger trouble now, aren’t you?”

“No...”

“You fought a third-year, and then, just because you got a bit stronger, you picked a fight with a fourth-year. Are you planning to fight a fifth-year student next?”

“No, that’s not my intention at all!”

Of course, I was the one who had instigated the fight, but I had no plans to fight a fifth-year student.

Rudina continued to nag at me from the foot of the sickbed, shaking her head and wondering aloud how she’d ended up with someone like me as a junior.

While I hadn’t expected Rudina to visit, there was something I wanted to talk to her about.

“Anyway, since you’re here, let’s talk about something,” I said.

“About what? What’s there to talk about?”

“Aren’t you still running that Exodium club or whatever it’s called—mmph!”

Rudina covered my mouth, her face turning red with anger. “Shut up!”

Apparently, she still believed that revealing the existence of her middle-school syndrome club, of which she was the president, was highly detrimental.

“I’m not doing it anymore! I quit! So don’t bring it up!”

Apparently, being discovered by Charlotte and I had pushed her to step down as president of Exodium.

She removed her hand from my mouth, and I wondered aloud, “What happened to those other emotionally scarred friends of yours then?”

Rudina puffed up defensively, feeling that her friends were being insulted. “I-I passed the presidency on to someone else... a-and they’re not ‘emotionally scarred’!”

“Anyway, it’s good that you quit.”

Rudina has an unusual supernatural ability called No Casting, and because of that, she had entertained the notion that she could be a dragon.

I was planning to suggest this to her later on, but since she’d come by to visit, it seemed the right time to speak about it.

“We’re forming a Magic Research Club, primarily among the first-years. Join us.”

“... A Magic Research Club?”

Rudina tilted her head in response to my sudden offer to join a club.

No Casting.

Though her mana pool was small, it was undeniable that Rudina had immense talent. There was no harm in making her even stronger than she already was.

“Yes. It’s going to be way better than that Exodi—Okay, okay! I’ll stop mentioning it. Anyway, this Magic Research Club will actually be beneficial.”

“Wait, why are you telling me to join, rather than asking if I want to? Isn’t that disrespectful to a senior?” Rudina said with a deep frown, clearly annoyed by my tone.

Naturally, I didn’t react.

“Ask Harriet for the details. I’m honestly too exhausted to explain... Also, do you know sleep magic?”

“Sleep magic?”

“Yes.”

“Of course.”

I stated my request clearly to avoid any misunderstandings, like the one with Harriet.

When Harriet had suddenly begun to pat me gently, I thought I was going to lose my mind.

I hadn’t even felt like teasing her about it, because she looked like she might strangle herself right on the spot if I had.

It had been a really... a weird, ticklish feeling that was hard to describe. Not a bad feeling, but so oddly pleasant it almost felt weird.

“Can you cast a Sleep spell on me? I need to sleep...”

“... Is it that bad?”

“Yes, it’s that bad...”

Rudina studied me for a moment, then seemed to acknowledge the extent of my pain.

Of course, Sleep wasn’t a high-level magic spell.

And it wasn’t something that could force someone to fall asleep against their will.

If it could instantly and unilaterally put someone to sleep, it would be an incredible cheat magic.

For the magic to truly work, I had to give up my own internal resistance to the spell and let it draw me into sleep.

I understood that this involved giving up resistance, which was probably what Magic Resistance was about.

Everyone had some level of Magic Resistance—and in extreme cases like Scarlett’s, Magic Immunity—and that included me.

So, for the Sleep spell to work, I had to fully give in to it.

If the spell was too weak, it wouldn’t work no matter how much I tried to give in.

“Alright, I’ll put you to sleep.”

I prepared to sleep and closed my eyes.

Click!

And just like that, I slowly lost consciousness.