CH 42

My whole body was boiling. The breath I exhaled was infinitely hot, resulting in a dry mouth and a swollen throat. The sticky clothes clinging to my sweaty body made me feel uncomfortable. The fever was intense, making me feel hot, but then it would abruptly turn cold. My bones ached. The excruciating pain started in my head and spread throughout my body.

When I managed to open my eyes slightly, the world appeared to be shaking like a broken screen, causing dizziness. My heavy eyelids felt like hanging stones, and people moved frantically in my blurred and unfocused vision. Amidst their busy conversations, every sound that reached my ears seemed distant, like a buzzing. The words I heard felt as if they were coming from a faraway place.

Consequently, Nathan couldn’t discern who the people were talking to or what they were saying. He was afraid to fully open his eyelids. At times, the hands on his forehead appeared cool at first glance, but that was short-lived.

Even after that, Nathan would occasionally open his eyes. It was as if he were trying to say something while in a state of fever, but his swollen throat could only produce garbled sounds. Sometimes, as he closed his eyes and reopened them, he noticed that the people around him had changed, except for the familiar figure with golden hair, who seemed to faithfully stand by his side each time he awoke.

Kung─!

“Wol!”

One day, while drifting in and out of sleep, Nathan suddenly woke up. As a loud, terrifying ringing echoed through the room, he gasped and opened his eyes as if someone had grabbed his neck and jolted him awake.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

“…Amani?”

Rubbing his groggy neck, Nathan frowned. Then Amani, who had just stuffed his mouth with cake, opened his eyes and hurried to the bedside, holding a glass of water. Nathan used his trembling hands to prop himself up.

“Can you move?”

Nathan accepted the glass handed to him by Amani, cleared his throat, and nodded weakly. He glanced around, taking in his surroundings. This was Nathan’s guest room, and there were only two people in the room. Amani, who stared at him intently, suddenly exclaimed and rushed out the door.

“I’ll go get Sven!”

Before Nathan could say anything more, Amani disappeared outside in an instant. Nathan looked at the wide-open door, sighed, and leaned his back against the headboard of the bed. He still held the half-empty glass of water in his hand. Drinking the water, he felt his hazy mind clearing up. Nathan was aware that he had collapsed with a fever.

Now that he was somewhat better, he had been sitting up like this for a while. For the past few days, lying on the bed as if lifeless was the only thing he could do. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it had certainly been more than just a day or two.

It was the worst.

Pressing his still slightly dizzy head with his palm, Nathan closed his eyes. How many futile days had passed like this? He felt terrible that he couldn’t pinpoint the exact day of the incident, and he despised his own body for failing him at such a crucial moment.

‘I can’t go on like this!’

A familiar sense of helplessness threatened to consume him. However, thanks to his current condition, he felt more rested than he had expected. The heat and excitement had caused him to sleep more than usual without dreaming. Though his limbs still lacked strength, he had been lying in bed for quite some time, so his physical condition wasn’t entirely bad.

‘Well, I don’t know what might happen if I push myself too hard now.’

Nevertheless, Nathan could no longer stay comfortably in bed. During his illness, he occasionally opened his eyes, and each time he caught glimpses of memories that lingered in his mind like afterimages. He fumbled through the fragmented recollections and discovered that Amani had been in the room earlier, and the rest of the main group had taken turns keeping watch over him. In particular, the familiar figure with golden hair had always been there, standing by his side while others bustled around and changed.

Knowing that they had been confined to the mansion because of him made Nathan uneasy. He couldn’t resist stealing glances out the window, hoping it wouldn’t rain. However, the sky outside was ominously dim, as if it were evening or the approach of rain. It sent a chilling sensation through Nathan’s head. A familiar sense of foreboding crawled up from the depths of his being.

How much time is left now? Shouldn’t they go to the village and find the boy immediately? Did he need to search for the boss before doing so? But he had no idea how many bosses there would be in a village.

“If only I had asked someone in advance, knowing it would turn out like this.”

This was a beach village, where fishing thrived and trade by boat spanned across the continent. It was a bustling village that could rival a city in size. Finding people in such a place would undoubtedly prove challenging. Perhaps it was fortunate that it hadn’t rained yet? Such thoughts only fueled Nathan’s growing anxiety.

“I brought Sven!”

However, Amani’s arrival with Sven interrupted Nathan’s spiraling thoughts. He was finally able to escape from his own musings.

“Sven mentioned something about the doctor.”

Convinced, Nathan remained still as Sven examined him.

“But you’re much better now. If you don’t overexert yourself and take some rest, you’ll be fine soon.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Thank you.”

Nathan nodded, accepting the medicine bowl brought by the maid. Sven said his goodbyes, urging him to rest, and left the room. Nathan swallowed the medicine in his hand, finding it

difficult to drink the liquid with its herbal scent. He couldn’t help but frown and shudder at the taste.

“Nathan, ah~.”

At that moment, hoping to hear something from the voice beside him, Nathan parted his lips slightly, and a sweet piece of cake slipped through the gap. The cream melted softly, counteracting the bitterness, leaving Nathan no choice but to move his mouth as Amani fed him.

“Do you want more?”

In response, Nathan shook his head and got out of bed. Stretching lightly, he made his way to the bathroom attached to the room. With Amani trailing behind, Nathan dismissed him at the door and quickly washed up. He had already made up his mind to go to the village, even now. Technically, it would be a waste of time to wash up, and he wanted to leave immediately, but after several days without cleaning himself, he couldn’t ignore the discomfort. He couldn’t afford to appear disheveled; he had to at least look presentable.

Nathan used magic to dry his wet hair swiftly and stepped out of the bathroom. Hastily rummaging through his belongings, he changed his clothes. Just as he finished buttoning up his sleeves, he called for Amani, who had been snooping around.

“Amani, where is Azar? And where did the others go?”

Come to think of it, it was quite puzzling. When Nathan had awakened earlier, he had called for Amani and Sven, but Azar was not present. This confusion led Nathan to inquire about the whereabouts of the people he hadn’t seen for a while.

“Oh, Azar went out for a bit.”

Standing tall, Nathan paused in his actions. Unaware of Nathan’s intentions, Amani moved his hand toward the cake on the table.

“Sven said that the medicine’s ingredients will run out soon, so Azar went to the village to buy them. Other than that, Ramiah and Remburton went along, and I’m here today to take care of you!”

While Amani spoke, he swallowed the cake with his mouth wide open, tilting his head in confusion.

“But it’s strange. Azar went out a while ago, but hasn’t returned! It’s about to rain now…”

Nathan’s face turned pale in an instant.

“That’s right! By the way, you asked me to tell you earlier, right? I completely forgot to mention it when you were sick! It’s going to rain tonight!”

With a self-assured smile, Amani made his prediction.

Nathan tightly closed his eyes. He had to calm down. If he appeared distressed for no apparent reason, it would be counterproductive. He exhaled slowly, attempting to ease his overwhelming emotions. Though he had buttoned up his sleeves and tried to appear composed, his mind raced. Nathan asked Amani while feigning composure.

“Amani.”

“Hmm?”

“How long does it take to reach the village?”

“About a 20-minute ride on horseback. But why?”

Nathan wanted to shout that he needed to go to the village immediately. But he had to choose his words carefully. Would Amani be willing to accompany him if he stated his intention to go to the village right away? It seemed unlikely. How could he leave someone who had just recovered from a serious illness alone? Yet, he couldn’t slip away unnoticed. That would only raise suspicion.

“Well… I was considering going to the village.”

Forced to force a smile, Nathan opted for frankness. It pained his mouth to contort it, but he couldn’t think of any other approach. So coaxing Amani into joining him and heading to the village seemed like the best course of action.

“What? What are you saying, Nathan? Where do you think you’re going in your current condition?”

Amani’s anticipated reaction poured forth from his words. The elf’s adorable face contorted in an instant. Amani shook his arms, swaying them in protest.

“I can’t allow that! Azar would scold me!”

“I remembered something really important. You know Professor Michael, right?”

“Professor Michael?”

When Nathan mentioned an unexpected person, Amani’s eyes widened in surprise. Face to face, Nathan sighed inwardly.

‘I’m sorry, Professor.’