“So, how was the play? L’Eclipse Noire, was it?”

The bed next to me creaked as Richard turned my way. His body was wrapped in bandages in more places than mine. Despite the wounds that must be searing him in pain, Richard was smiling.

“It was the best play I had ever seen,” he said. "It was the greatest thing under the sun. You can tell me that a band of ducks is performing a sonata, and even that would be less epic than the play. You should see it. Ah, too bad. The actors are all dead or imprisoned. You can never see something that good.”

Inside the hospital room lit by sunlight, a basic human instinct was rekindled within me—the instinct to want to punch the daylights out of a person.

“You shouldn’t have gone off, Ethan. Ahak…”

“Bastard, you are making me curious about the play on purpose! It was bad, right?”

“I said only the truth.”

I glared at Richard, and he stared back at me. We both broke into a smile and started chortling until the pain made us both stop. Now that the adrenaline had run out, the pain was even more intense than before. I had used up all my mana, and it would take at least a week before I was back in good condition.

A time far longer than others, thanks to my insane mana pool.

Richard wasn’t any better off. His injuries were severe, but apparently, he alone had saved almost a hundred people in Glorenstein. People were hailing him as a hero outside the city.

The grand night when the city burned had passed us. There were casualties, but the civilian deaths could be counted on one hand. This was largely thanks to Richard and, along with him, a second group of people running about—Professor Barnum, Professor Jim, Student Jeremy, and even Jackie the coachman.

Naturally, news spread not only throughout the city but also throughout the Empire. Everyone had heard of the attempted attack on the city where all the scions of the world had gathered.

Such an incident would usually be something that could cause a lot of trouble for the Empire. But there was still a saving grace here.

“Hey, it's your turn,” Richard said, handing me the newspaper. I flipped it open with one hand and placed it in front of me.

Right there, on the first page, was the sensational headline.

“Level 10+ Behemoth obliterated in Glorenstein. The Empire’s Soldiers at their strongest after the war…”

Shockingly enough, under the headline was a photograph of Gladwin holding the Behemoth’s magic stone. The article was all about how the civil servants had done everything around Glorenstein, including beating the behemoth with some minor help from a faculty member—a language professor—telling them the location of the enemy.

How humorous.

There were a bunch of other articles about Richard and about Jeremy’s sudden popularity increase in the Bezark Empire after the incident.

The door to our room suddenly opened. Richard and I turned heads. At the door was a brunette with a soft smile and sharp eyes that resembled knives. Her fashion was quite different, but her face hadn’t changed.

It was a familiar face—one that made my jaw drop. I almost sat up and said something, but Richard beat me to the punch.

“Shirley!”

“Richard…”

Wait…

The ring.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

The lover. It couldn’t be—

“You’re injured, you look terrible.”

“I am sorry. I know I said we’ll have a date today, but—”

“No, no. Shut up! What do I care about that when you're hurt? I am just glad you’re ok.”

Shirley, the same criminal I had helped escape from the caves, was here. She immediately ran and embraced Richard, tears glistening in her eyes. She went on and on about how scared she was when she heard he was hurt and how ‘Richard-like’ it was for him to jump into danger.

I agreed with that last bit.

I could only watch in surprise. Richard's back turned toward me, which made the girl meet my eyes. She winked at me.

“Shirley, I have to introduce you. This guy here is Professor-Major Ethan Kalenice. He’s the friend I mentioned in the letters.” Richard then turned to me. Ethan, this is Shirley, my fianceé.”

No shit. The coincidence was quite insane. So Shirley’s double identity was being Richard’s fiancee? That meant she was lying to him? No, the tears in her eyes were quite genuine.

Confused as I was, I knew to act.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Lady Shirley. It is an honor to finally meet you.”

“And I of you,” Shirley said with a soft smile. “Thank you very much for all the help you’ve given my Richard.”

“Not at all. I have been the one receiving help.”

Shirley smiled brightly. “You’re just like he said, professor.”

“Get used to him, Shirley. We are going to see Ethan a lot.”

“I have a feeling we will,” said Shirley. “Quite a bit.”

I was caught off guard, but this wasn’t bad. Shirley was a good person, I had assessed that much, and there was no need to say anything about Richard. If they would be the same with demons was something still to be seen. That was why, until I was sure, my true goals weren’t going to come out.

For now… it was fine to keep going. I watched them with a smile as Shirley and Richard started to catch up.

They held hands and talked about things of barely any importance, but both of them seemed to enjoy nothing more than the other’s presence.

A smile spread on my face. This, too, was a reason I wanted to change things in this accursed world.

Slowly, I placed my head down on the bed again and covered my face with the newspaper so as not to disturb them.

It was a great feeling to have someone to look after you during times of illness. I vividly remember it—memories that I didn’t particularly want to think about now.

I tried to close my eyes and drift into sleep.

“PRO-FES-SOR!”

The door to the room snapped open once again, followed by a loud voice.

“H-hey, stop! This is a hospital.”

“You can’t rush in like that, Princess Iaso!”

“I knew it!”

I moved the newspaper away. Right in front of my bed was Iaso, her teeth and ears trembling as she sniffled.

“I knew you’d go and get hurt…” Iaso raised her fist and smacked me.

“Ouch! Why are you hitting me then?!”

“Stupid! Stupid professor! Even though last time too!”

Iaso kept whining until Student Seren and Student Elara stepped in to stop her. The time when she was cornered by her old knight and the general was similar; the girl had already lost everyone close to her once.

I may have been the only one around, but the fact that she valued me so much naturally pulled another smile out of me. I looked at the students, and the entire Black Rose classroom came up to visit me.

“Professor, we are glad you are fine,” said Yuliana, the saintess candidate, with a smile.

“Not me, in particular. But it would be troublesome if we couldn’t go and attack more clubs.” Rosentea flapped her fan.

“Hey, lady Rosentea, do you have to be like that?” and Argent was snappy with a response.

“Professor… you’re ok…?” said Ken, and next to him, Zacka nodded.

I noticed Atlas at the back trying his best to stop Quizzy Quinton and Lutey Luke from annoying the rest of the class out there.

They all started to talk and thank everyone. They had even brought me and Richard a get-well-soon gift.

Lumine had somehow found her way next to me and was standing quiet, but close. On my other side, Ier knelt down and whispered in my ears.

“How in the hell did something injure YOU?”

“Read the paper? I’ll tell you all about it later.”

“No way, that thing?”

In no time, the door opened once more, and more people streamed in.

Prince Jeremy and the other Graduate students, alongside Enna and her friend.

“Prof, you ok? We’ll have to have a comeback party for you now.”

“Oh, party, Enna, we have to go this time.”

“Of course, I won’t miss prof’s party for the world.”

Then, I entered the three stooges who had sold me the camera, and with them, Professor Denadis.

“We got hustled, professor. But not as bad as you.”

“Maybe I’ll stick to fortune-telling next time.”

“Hm. Hm.”

Of course, that wasn’t all. The kids who picked a fight with the class, the students of Red Dahlia, entered as well.

“Glory! Glorious!”

““Glorenstein!””

Professor Jim, Professor Laura, and Professor Barnum were with the kids, too. Eventually, the principal and the rest came in with some gifts and wishes.

Right… someone to look after you when you were injured. It truly was a blessing.

A blessing that I still had.

***

A few days passed, and Richard and I were both discharged. Instead of going back to my room, though, I made my way to the academy's administrative building.

To the top floor, a place I had only sneaked into before.

I slowly stopped in front of the only door on the topmost floor and knocked lightly.

“Come in.”

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