ALL NOVEL Chapter 198
※ The 198th episode that was available until yesterday has been deleted. It seems that a different timeline’s story was mistakenly uploaded.
Please read the new 198th episode. I apologize for the confusion, dear readers!
―――――――――――
A halo of light rises from the darkness.
The Holy Sword lying beneath the fallen Jinzou.
“…Charles.”
Unintentionally, her name slipped out with a hollow breath from my lips.
No.
Calling her by that name now would be inappropriate.
Hero Lishe.
The name of the hero who sacrificed herself and perished with the Demon Race for us, for the citizens.
“Lishe.”
I knelt before the Holy Sword, now a mundane piece of iron, having lost its light.
No matter how much I stroked the blade, I felt no sensation.
…It felt like losing an old friend.
Maybe I thought of it as the very embodiment of a powerful mystery.
I never expected it to leave so suddenly.
…I felt a bit dazed.
Even though being a doctor is a profession that brushes closely with death, and despite having witnessed countless deaths of colleagues, this truly felt like the end.
Thinking that this was really the last time made something hot rise within my chest.
Although I had many complaints about the world and a detached demeanor like I had given up, she was undeniably a fine hero in her final moments.
“The treatment isn’t over yet.”
Thanks to you, my medical career has taken a hit.
I still have a pocket full of potions I prepared because of you.
A message appeared on the status window.
―――――――――――
No. 073: Vampire’s Night 62% → 0%
Three endings deleted.
―――――――――――
Seeing the deletion message for the three endings that involved being defeated by Jinzou, I regained my composure.
‘This is an opportunity given by Lishe.’
I vowed not to waste it again.
I took out a vial from my robe. It was a liquor I intended to give to Lishe after defeating Jinzou.
I generously poured it to cleanse the blade of the Holy Sword.
I held out the now-clean sword to Lishe.
She carefully accepted it.
“…It’s empty.”
Lishe gripped the sword tightly, barely holding back tears.
“Teacher, she… sacrificed herself for us.”
Lishe couldn’t finish her sentence. I nodded in agreement.
“It was my mistake. If I had known that creature could use aura, I should have devised another plan rather than entrust it to Charles.”
“She would have acted the same regardless.”
Lishe tightened her grip on the Holy Sword.
“She was a much greater hero than I ever was.”
“You both are great heroes.”
I replied while patting Lishe on the back.
Lishe chuckled.
“…She always complained. She said not to call her when things got troublesome during battles.”
Lishe smiled bitterly.
“Honestly, I didn’t acknowledge her deep down. It felt strange for someone with such skills to dislike fighting as a hero. I couldn’t believe I could become like her.”
Lishe gazed at the Holy Sword she was holding, her expression hardened.
“I understand now. She was certainly just like me. I don’t plan to become like her, but I will never forget.”
―――――――――――
No. 014: Unbinding 8% → 0%
No. 042: Hero’s Last 16% → 0%
No. 010: Holy Sword Destruction 12% → 0%
Eight endings deleted.
―――――――――――
Was Charles’ demise the catalyst for Lishe’s growth? A significant number of bad endings related to her were deleted.
For now, that was some good news.
“Hero.”
Acella approached us.
“I commend you for your achievement in defeating the Demon Race. Gothberg, attending physician, you too.”
I bowed my head with Lishe to show respect to Acella.
“Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”
Click, the gaze of Lishe, who had drawn the sword, became steely.
After briefly watching her walk away, Acella poked me in the side.
“You ran off again, didn’t you?”
“Oh come on, if you want to prevent that, put a leash on me.”
“Are you serious about that?”
That didn’t sound like a joke, and it scared me.
I also checked the state of Tanya, who had fainted.
Surprisingly healthy considering she had been infected by Jinzou’s soul.
All symptoms had vanished. Thanks to her inherent toughness, she had sustained almost no injuries from the battle.
“Moonlight Palace, I will return. Prepare for any sudden attacks.”
At Acella’s command, the knights moved forward.
At that moment, a message popped up on the status window.
[The side effects of the Giant Potion are activating.]
“Huh, Your Royal Highness.”
“Uh-huh?”
“Could you lend me your shoulder?”
“What? Hey…!”
I leaned against Acella, releasing my strength. I felt my muscles paralyze throughout my body.
Acella, perplexed by having to support me, desperately braced herself.
*
The next day, a crowd surged outside the temporary residence prepared for the Moonlight Palace.
“Is Gothberg the doctor here?”
“Let me greet him for a moment!”
As the people were bustling about, several guards came out from inside, pulling back a tent for crowd control.
“Oh, finally!”
“Please relay a message. It was you, Gothberg, who rained down the healing potion from the sky yesterday, right?”
“Here, let me give you a token of thanks.”
“Me too!”
Some among them were those who had become Jinzou’s minions during yesterday’s turmoil.
Rumors had spread far and wide that they would never have returned to being human without Dr. Gothberg’s healing potion.
“I am Count Vender of the Kingdom. I would like to start a transaction for medicinal goods.”
“More importantly, there’s a rumor that you might surpass the candidate of the Saint in the Kingdom of Law and become the Savior.”
“I even heard you’ve already received a revelation; is that true?”
“If it’s real, then please grant us a blessing…”
BANG!
A guard threatened with an axe above his head.
“Be quiet! The doctor is resting! Move aside!”
The crowd fell silent in an instant. Seeing the burly muscles of the barbarian guards, I thought it would be impossible to mess with them.
The Thunder Tribe guards pressed upon the crowd, causing them to gradually disperse.
Gishta huffed in a threatening manner, and eventually, they reluctantly left.
After completing the mission, Gishta walked down the corridor into her temporary quarters.
‘Something big happened to Lars yesterday.’
According to what Tanya told her, there had been casualties in the fight against the Demon Race, and Lars had also been injured and was bedridden.
To her eyes, he had come back nearly half-dead. The doctors of the Moonlight Palace and the troops of the marquisate were all intensely involved in his situation.
She had been protecting the Thunder Tribe and Neria all this time as per her mission. Ensuring none of Jinzou’s minions would lay a finger on her.
Although she wanted to fight alongside Lars like before, that was now her role.
She thought it would be nice to chat for the first time in a while about yesterday’s events. Lars didn’t seem to be in a good mood, so she thought he would appreciate the company.
As Gishta approached, she stopped at the sound of voices coming from Lars’s room.
“Come on, say ‘ahhh.’”
“What do you mean ‘ahhh’? Is there any patient who would let their doctor feed them?”
It was Lars’s voice. The other voice belonged to a golden-haired girl.
No, calling her a girl felt strange now that she had matured into a refined woman.
An otherworldly being emanating more potent magical energy and pressure than any demon. That was the first impression Gishta had when she saw Acella again.
With such a woman by his side, it was no wonder Lars didn’t seem to notice anything else.
Gishta shrugged and moved on to find Neria.
*
“I’m going to eat, you know.”
“Why? Are you unhappy with a meal fed by the Empire’s princess?”
Acella teased Lars.
“I honestly feel like a pet at this point.”
“Promises must be kept. I’ll prepare a leash for you.”
“Are you joking?”
Acella responded to Lars with a devilish smile. Lars, lying in bed, gave up as if he had resigned himself to everything.
He had been down for hours due to the side effects of the Giant Potion, and Acella had been keeping a close watch over him.
For Lars, that was overwhelmingly burdensome.
“Don’t feel pressured, Lars.”
Acella seemed to read his thoughts.
“You took care of me when I was sick like this.”
“Well, that’s my job. This isn’t your duty, Your Royal Highness.”
“It’s fun. Watching you like this, sprawled out like dried jerky, is enjoyable.”
“Well, if that’s what you think.”
Even though I answered that way, Lars could somewhat deduce Acella’s intentions.
This was her way of comfort.
In fact, Acella didn’t know exactly what had transpired during the battle with Jinzou yesterday. She also didn’t understand the conditions of Lishe and Charles.
‘Lars wouldn’t lean on me for no reason.’
Acella took this as a signal. Given the Hero’s unusual behavior, it was evident that Lars must have been cornered for some reason.
‘No, maybe it’s the opposite.’
Lars might have been hanging on the edge, finally seeing the ground beneath him.
Acella had always thought that was odd. Where did Lars’s composed demeanor come from?
Could it be connected to his childhood experiences that she wasn’t aware of?
Was it due to the medical society, the illness he carried, or near-death experiences?
She was curious about who had caused him to become the way he was now.
“Lars.”
“Yes, Your Royal Highness.”
“What are you most afraid of?”
At Acella’s question, Lars’s pupils flickered slightly.
He thought of Charles and clearly recognized once again.
This was the real last opportunity.
There would be no more regressions.
The people who had died this time could never be met again.
And if he died, that would be the end of it.
As a doctor, he always intended to remember how heavy the burden in his hands was.
But he realized how complacent he had been, how lightly he had viewed his own life due to the hundreds of regressions.
Fleeting memories he had long bottled up brushed against him.
“…Ugh.”
He barely held back the urge to vomit, covering his mouth. Lars turned his gaze away from Acella’s face.
“Lars.”
Acella had indeed concluded that Lars had sustained serious injuries from the fight yesterday.
Just as she was about to call in a healer, a guard entered and reported to her.
“Your Highness, a distinguished guest has arrived.”
“Tell them to come back later.”
“It is the Emperor.”
If the Emperor himself was visiting, it must have been a significant matter. Acella had no choice but to prepare.
Before long, the Emperor entered the room with a dignified stride. He was accompanied by Ambrosia.
He looked somewhat weary, as if he had exhausted quite a bit of mental energy during yesterday’s incident, yet his eyes burned with life.
“Third Princess Acella, Doctor Gothberg.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“Your contributions in defeating the Demon Race and treating the people to prevent great chaos and slaughter cannot be expressed in words.”
“You flatter us.”
After praising the accomplishments of the two, the Emperor made an unexpected remark.
“Gothberg, I have a favor to ask of you.”