45 - The Victim of the Academy

Chasing the Rabbit (3) When Ariel opened her eyes, she realized she was lying on a bed. "A dream?" The unfamiliar sensation, coupled with the effects of transcendental sickness that left her mind hazy, made Ariel tilt her head in confusion. But soon, Ariel understood that none of it was just a dream. "..." Though the room looked somewhat tidied up, the signs of devastation were apparent. Broken furniture, half-cleaned bloodstains, and medicine bottles were scattered around. "It wasn't a dream." Ariel rose from the bed in a disheveled state and sat on the edge. It wasn't a dream. Johan had risked his life to save her. He had told her to live, declaring that he needed her. She was happy about that fact. “Hmm…” Now understanding that it wasn't a dream, Ariel felt a pang of resentment at Johan's absence, but it was soon replaced by relief. "Ugh!" Ariel buried her face in the sheets. Even though no one was around to see her, her face flushed uncontrollably. It was as if she had been in a daze the entire time, dreaming while awake. In that dream, the boy spoke. "He asked me to live." Johan had come to her, covered in blood, and saved her. He had pleaded for her life. "He said he needed me." Thud. Ariel collapsed back onto the bed wrapped in the sheets. Her head spun. "He said he couldn't do without me." He hadn't actually said it that strongly. However, lost in a dream with eyes wide open, Ariel sadly couldn't tell illusion from reality. Eventually, the illusion began to seep into reality, distorting Johan's image in her mind. "Ugh.” Bang! Bang! Ariel pounded the bed with her small fists, thrashing about. The fantasies kept compounding on themselves, and even though she was aware of it, she found it hard to combat. At least Johan's reassuring smile, which she glimpsed in the final moments of her dreamy haze, was real. He had always been an aloof person, wrinkling his brow in irritation whenever she spoke to him. Such a person had smiled; it was a smile she had never even imagined. Ariel wasn't so foolish as to be unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. “This is a disaster…” But even knowing this, she found it difficult to escape from her fantasy. The thought of escaping didn't even cross her mind. Ariel was stricken with a sickness. One for which there was no cure. * * * When I opened my eyes, I realized I was lying on a hospital bed. Becoming somewhat familiar with the ceiling, I turned my gaze elsewhere. “Multiple contusions over your body, four fractures, and symptoms of anemia. We’ll need to monitor you for at least three days.” There was the doctor. “Just minor injuries then.” “More or less.” And Robelia was there too. Minor injuries, really? How could these possibly be considered minor? Have I lost my mind? I don't even know how to process this strange world anymore. “Oh, Johan. You’re awake?” “Yes, Your Highness.” “Feel free to remain lying down.” “Thank you, Your Majesty.” “That peculiar form of address never gets any easier. So, Johan, how much do you remember?” “…It’s blurry.” Where did the dream end and reality begin? Did I manage to persuade Ariel? I must have hit my head too hard on the flying furniture. Or perhaps as the doctor said, it’s because I lost too much blood. “Hmph. Well, in any case, we’ve pieced together most of it on our end. Something happened to Ariel, and you saved her. Am I correct so far?” “That seems right.” Now, there was no need to hide that Ariel had been suffering from transcendental sickness. It was resolved now, after all. I knew she tried to keep it hidden because she feared being a burden to Robelia. Of course, unless Robelia directly asked about it, I had no intention of speaking up. And she likely judged it better to hear it from Ariel, as she didn't inquire directly. “Thank you. Thanks to you, I didn’t lose my friend. Ha… I really was a fool, thinking I understood fully even after your advice.” “What? My advice?” Did I offer any advice? I’m not sure. If that’s how Robelia interpreted it, then so be it. “Now you must be curious about what happened afterward.” “Yes…” There’s nothing strange about me being in a hospital. After getting beaten up that badly, of course, I’d need to be admitted. But I'm curious about the in-between. To put it simply, who brought me to the hospital? “It was I who found you first. There was so much noise coming from Ariel’s room that I grew concerned and went to check. Everything, including the door, was smashed...” Robelia shrugged and sighed. “Thinking about the aftermath made my head spin. Johan, it’s rude of me to say this, but you should have considered the aftermath.” “...Ahem.” “Not to mention that barging into the girls’ dormitory and knocking out the dorm manager wasn’t the best choice.” “…Did I?” “Did you think it was me?” Something felt off. Now that I think about it, it was strange how I encountered no resistance when entering the girls’ dormitory. Did someone else enter besides me? If so, wouldn’t that have caused a commotion? Judging by Robelia’s words, there didn’t seem to be any other victims… ‘It must have been Yuna.’ She cleared the way for me, ensuring no one interfered with my actions. The fact that she acted as if she could read my thoughts was one thing, but her approach was rather aggressive. For her, this may have been the quickest and most definitive method. It’s hard to blame her for that. “I did manage to handle things on my end. Ariel is my friend, and you saved her. The least I could do was take care of that.” “Thank you, Your Majesty…” “Though, it seems our acquaintance has deepened as a result.” “…Please don’t say that.” “Don’t be so serious. Did I say anything wrong? It’s hard for me to dismiss you now.” “Turning a blind eye might be the best way to help me, Your Highness.” “That won’t do. I have my honor and authority to consider. Abandoning someone who saved my friend… that's not an option.” “If a monarch cannot even respond in kind, can they truly be called a monarch?” “Handling the aftermath is more than enough.” “It’s not for me.” “No, but…” Did I do something wrong? Why is she clinging? What is she planning? “I’ll come visit with a nice gift soon. Look forward to it.” “...” “Aren’t you going to express your gratitude?” “No, I’m not.” “That’s unfortunate.” With those words, Robelia offered a bright smile and left the hospital room. * * * I dreamt again. Blue flames blazed before me. In front of the dancing blue flames, the boy staggered back. Too young, the boy couldn’t fathom the meaning of it. The sudden arrival of death in his peaceful life was too foreign. What thoughts occupied the mind of the person engulfed by the flames? What expression did they wear? Amidst the roaring flames, stars shone. Countless stars draped the sky, painting a Milky Way. I was captivated by the starlight. Stretching out my hand slowly toward the beautiful Milky Way, which remained vibrant even against the blue sky and the sun's harsh glare, I reached for those stars. And still now, I’m gathering the stars of that Milky Way one by one. * * * Perhaps because I had just resolved a major issue, I had a rare dream about the past. “Huh…” My head throbbed. Though I should have slept well, it felt like the fatigue was weighing down my entire body. I wanted nothing more than to lie back down and rest… but, “Clear out your room.” “Doctor, I think your attitude toward patients is a bit off.” “I don’t let patients with minor injuries occupy a bed for more than three days.” “Come on…” Why am I considered lightly injured? At other places, they’d call this serious, and I’d lie here a month! “Your bones have healed, and your bruises have faded, haven’t they? Isn’t youth a wonderful thing? Now you can just take your medicine and bear with it, right?” “Typically, isn’t discharge only when fully healed?” “Not with us. Get out.” “It’s free, so I’ll tolerate it.” And that’s how I got kicked out of the hospital. I really hate this place. “Ugh.” My whole body ached. What annoyed me more was that, despite feeling exhausted, I didn’t actually feel pain. This place only employs the best medical staff and equipment. Though I genuinely struggle, my body signals that it’s alright—there’s no one to address this frustration. “Whew... Perhaps I should head back to the workshop and gather my things.” Originally, my aim was to persuade her with medication, not to risk my life against supernatural forces. Consequently, most of my belongings were still at the workshop. “Congratulations on your discharge, Johan!” “Yeah, it’s been a while, Yuna.” Walking along the road, a familiar pink-haired figure approached me. It was Yuna. She grinned as she offered me some tofu. It’s not like I'm on release from jail, why tofu? Still, I accepted it. “Oh, right. Yuna, it was you who overpowered the dorm monitors, wasn’t it?” “Sure was! It’d be too pathetic if you, all serious for once, got stopped at the entrance!” “I see.” I was worried an outsider might have been involved, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Peace reigned again at Yoram. How long has it been since I had peace? Having concluded my dealings with Ariel, I meant to just take a breath from now onwards. As Yuna and I reached the workshop, something did catch my attention. “Is someone inside?” Could Professor Georg have returned to pick up some teaching materials? I opened the door without much thought. “Oh... Is that Johan?” I stood shocked at the sight of Professor Georg, looking almost like a corpse. He was at my seat, mixing various solutions, deep in his experiments. No way... “I, uh, I’m back. Professor Georg. Everything went well.” “Was just taking a brief moment—oh, came back early? Just two hours?” “Seemed so. Yes, thankfully, the persuasion went smoothly, so I returned early.” So he hadn’t left the position since I left after entrusting him with research? Had he really been in here, not moving, for all three days? This dedication is what it takes to teach at Yoram… “Hey, check this out? Look at what I’ve achieved in just two hours… I’m this good.” “...” “That’s odd? I calculated it’d take about six hours to complete the reaction. What’s going on…?” “I think you’re just tired. Why not rest while I continue the research?” “Oh, maybe I will? Well, glad you’re alive, though. Now you can take it easy. We’ve dealt with the urgent issues.” Realizing that pursuing alchemy might not be ideal, I decided it was best not to end up like him. "I think I’ll tidy up today and head home," I said, considering to steer clear from the workshop for a while. Clearly, something unhealthy resided here—it’s cursed, no doubt. “Oh, perhaps I’ll rest and join the afternoon class." Thus, Professor Georg staggered to the sofa. Even if he toppled over asleep right there, it wouldn't be surprising. While waving a hand into the air, he asked, “Ah, Johan. Have you named the medicine yet? Even if it’s only a partial cure, you’ll need to submit a report eventually. Considering the budget you used wasn’t small.” "Ah." Come to think of it, I had completely forgotten. I wasn’t particularly interested in making a name by naming it. It wasn’t something I paid much attention to. I decided to contemplate the name for a moment. “There’s got to be some kind of trigger or inspiration, right? Just go with that.” This medicine represented one of my long-held wishes. Since I had returned to complete something I’d given up on halfway, it held significant meaning for me. Then, suddenly, an image came to mind. “Chasing the rabbit…” I recalled the sight of Ariel clutching her hat. Someone from a world different than mine. As I watched her fade away, I instinctively reached out. I donned a hat that didn’t suit me at all and followed her. By doing so, I ended up here. I experienced countless scenarios that were unlike me and risked my life numerous times—all because of Ariel. Yes, while chasing the white rabbit… “Let’s call it ‘Wonderland.’” I had drifted into a strange world, one different from my usual reality.