16

PART 2

When I noticed, her voice sounded distant and I couldn't hear properly.

I didn't want to recall something that ate into me.

[My back curled into a ball.

[Wai… ou…. ineng? HEY?!]

[Ugh! Ah… kuh! Goho, gohoh!] (TN: He's groaning and coughing. I don't want to put 'Cough, cough!')

Probably to check my situation, she came near me and grabbed my shoulders, the pain shot throughout my body.

My field of vision is red.

[KYAAA!? WHAT IS THIS!? YOU, HAVEN'T THE DREAMING ILLNESS' SYMPTOMS SUBSIDED!!?]

The blood I spat out dyed her red.

My eyes are spinning. It was as if my surroundings were moving in circles.

From the shock that hit me, I knew that I fell from my wheelchair.

The floor,

I can see it──

Everything stopped.

Within my fading consciousness, I felt like I heard something.

Was it the sound of Rafael entering the room?

He's probably shocked, when he came to check things out inside, I'm vomiting blood and is collapsed on the floor after all.

My body is invaded by darkness.

What was fortunate for me was that, I couldn't feel any pain within the darkness.

The moment I thought I'd sink down into a place that's like an ocean floor, I could see sparks of light flas.h.i.+ng behind my eyelids.　

Excruciating pain runs throughout my body and my consciousness is awakened.

Even though I never wanted to feel it again.

[Ugh…. ah….]

[Sheryl-sama! Sheryl-sama….!]

My body is screaming everywhere.

There is a window beyond my thinly opened eyes, and since I can see outside, I mobilize my consciousness there.

Bloom.

Bloom.

Bloom.

Bloom into profusion.

I expanded the various spells I know to its maximum and invoked it outside the window.

I only wanted to shorten the activation time as much much as possible, but I ended up underestimating a small-scale elementary magic.

Since my only purpose was to consume a lot of Mana, I didn't use ice magic which I am compatible with. I chose to use the flower magic I used at the Fighting Tournament which efficiency is lower compared to a common magic.

After I finished the activation, the pain subsided quicker than I expected.

Even though the part of my body which caused the inflammation will not get healed immediately, only the pain has subsided.

[Sheryl-sama, how are you feeling?]

[The worst…. has gotten a bit better, I guess.]

Nicole who looks like he's about to cry looks at my face.

When I reached out my hand, he grabbed it.

Towards the warmth transmitted, I realize that I am still alive.

[Please have some water.]

I had my head lifted up and the cup was placed near my mouth.

I can feel the pain in my throat when swallowing, but it's unbearable.

[How about some lozenges?]

[I'll have it.]

Just when I was about to think I want to have it, Nicole places one in my mouth.

With this, my hoa.r.s.e voice will also probably get better.

[It looks like magic has been activated successfully.]

[Noe.]

Noe was on the opposite side of the bed from Nicole's. When our eyes met, he gently stroked my head.

[It might be hard to see it from here, but flowers of different attributes are blooming outside.

After being told that, I turned my eyes towards the window even though I know I couldn't see it,

The surrounding atmosphere was probably disrupted because of multiple attributes randomly appearing, small outbreaks of lightning can be seen.

[I want to hug you, but I guess it's impossible right now.]

[It's fine if you do it lightly.]

Because the Dreaming Illness' symptoms have subsided, I probably won't feel any pain as long as they don't hug me tightly.

As I loosely spread my arms, Noe immediately hugged me to his chest.

Noe's soft hair fall on my cheek.

[I'm so glad…. seriously…. ugh….]

As I stroked the back of Noe who has a tearful voice, I realized that the one who most likely to arrive first at a time like this is not present.

[Big Brother is….?]

[He is waiting outside the room. Bellom-sensei, too.]

[Bellom-sensei, too?]

Did he drop by the school by chance or did he went out of his way to come here?

When I was surprised, Nicole asked Noe to call Bellom-sensei over.

[We have urgent matters to talk about, so please don't let Jule-sama inside the room. We won't be able to advance in our conversation.]

[I understand.]

He guessed what Nicole implied with his words.

Something happened.

Other than me collapsing.

If it's for visitation, I don't know why my brother is excluded.

[Nicole…]

[I'm also feeling sorry, but please let us talk after Bellom-sama comes in.]

I can't take a guess at all.

Nicole really had a look as if he's enduring the pain.

Bellom-sensei who entered shortly after also has a sour expression.

[First of all Sheryl, I'm glad you're awake…. but even though I know you're not feeling well, I will ask you for something unreasonable.]

[Yes.]

[I will say it briefly. Rafael-sama has contracted the Dreaming Illness.]

[Ha…]

The time within me stopped.

It's as if my ears are ringing.

Even though I can properly pick up sounds, my brain refuses to process it.

Just now, what did Bellom-sensei just say?

[Sheryl, it's the truth. Rafael-sama is currently suffering from the unbearable pain that you have just gone through.]

[Wh, y….]

[The cause is unknown. It's just that he seemed to have also collapsed the moment you collapsed.]

Why? How?

The same words keep repeating inside my head.

To do the treatment, why? Dreaming Illness? Who has──

[That's, impossible…]

For it to be Rafael of all people.

[Sheryl! Get a hold of yourself!!! This is an order.  It is His Majesty's imperial command! You are not allowed to refuse!]

My body froze from Bellom-sensei's vigour.

I have no time to get upset after noticing the seriousness of Rafael's condition.

[You can leave the responsibility of his life to His Majesty. It isn't something you need to concern yourself with. But I will say it again, this is an imperial order, Sheryl.]

[Yes…. I understand.]

After being told the same thing I heard from Rafael, I managed to renew  my motivation.

When I tried to get up, Nicole caught me and picked me up then put me in the wheelchair.

[Bellom-sama, I will hold this against you.]

[I'm sorry. I find myself, who can only ask Sheryl for help, pathetic. Rafael is placed in the room next door.]

[Next door….?]

Now that I look closely, I wasn't sleeping in my dorm room.

The familiar interiors are exclusive for the royal family.

When he said there's a bedroom next to mine, does it mean we're on the second floor?

I saw Big Brother on the scene where the wheelchair was being pushed forward. But there's no time to talk, as the scene changes from the corridor to the room immediately.

While being crushed by anxiety, I inspired myself to make it a goal to slowly talk with my brother later.

Camille is in the room when I entered, and he was stunned to see my face. I'm probably wearing a horrible expression.

Rafael's bedroom is apparently in the innermost part of the room.

After pa.s.sing through the door, a conspicuously huge bed can be seen.

Rafael is in the center of it.

[He has just lost his consciousness.]

While listening to the maid reporting to Bellom-sensei, I got off the wheelchair and went up the bed on my knees.

I moved forward while feeling as if my legs were going to sink within the soft fabrics and peeped into the center of the bed.

Pain is carved on Rafael's face, and groaning escapes from his mouth as he grits his teeth despite losing his consciousness.

I never thought of seeing such a scene in my dreams.

How could Rafael have it?

[I'm done clearing the people out. How is it? Sheryl.]

[He originally a huge amount of Mana so I can't judge the state he's in.]

This is the first time I used Mana detection on Rafael other than the time we first met.

Although the amount of Mana discharged has been decreased, it still feels a lot more than mine…. He can already discharge as much as this, why can't he still use magic?

I can feel the same sense of incongruity I felt back at Samuel's room

As I thought, am I misunderstanding something about the Dreaming Illness?

[Because of the high emissions, I can only see Mana covering Raphael like a cloud.]

In Noe's case, I was able to see the lump of Mana in his thigh. That's why I could focus treatment on that part, but in Rafael's case, Mana is overflowing from both inside and outside that it's difficult to identify  where the problem lies.

[Do you think you can do the treatment?]

[I can. I guess I need to drain it out first.]

Even though it is not directly related to the Dreaming Illness, it is confirmed by Noe that the method of diffusing it in the body and discharging it is effective.

Currently, there is only the symptomatic treatment, so there is only one thing I can do.

I concentrate the Mana on my palms.

[It might take some time.]

[I'll leave it to you.]

An imageof which the Mana is discharged from the whole body …… I will spread my Mana while imagining his being discharged from the pores in Rafael’s body.

I hold my hands over Rafael's whole body, trying not to stagnate Mana inside him.

[….. ugh….u]

When I started spreading the Mana, Rafael groaned in pain.

Seeing that Noe didn't feel any pain during treatment, it seems that Rafael's situation is quite bad.

I occasionally ask Nicole for water or fruit juice to drink while facing Rafael for a very long period of time.

Probably as a result of it, the color of pain has receded from Rafael's face, and the redness on his cheeks has returned.

Rafael's eyes trembled.

Seeing the familiar amethyst eyes open in front of me, I sighed in relief.

[Shery,l…?]

[Yeah, Rafael. How's your bod- ugh!?]

When I asked how his body is doing, Rafael who has been focusing on me stretched out his arms and embraced me.

He turned my body over and covers it.

Rafael, who's got me pinned down, roughly raised my clothes up and intruded underneath them.

[Sheryl…. Sheryl….]

[Ehh, Rafael, wait!]