Chapter 69: Awakening in Arcaviya

After the lunch break, Richen arrived at work and checked her attire in the probationary therapist’s changing room. She hastily retied her disheveled hair, which had become messy from changing quickly, and adjusted the askew ties of her medical tunic. Her hair, devoid of any luster and quite frizzy, seemed to float untidily around her head due to its curl. Richen found some hair oil her colleagues had left and subtly applied it, hoping to tame her hair. Yet, her stubbornly curly hair refused to settle; instead, it only appeared greasy and matted. Displeased, Richen dampened a towel and wiped the oil away, which naturally meant she had to tie her messy hair back up again. Emerging from the changing room after her inspection, Richen felt exhausted, despite having only just started her shift. It was understandable. She had been on duty until dawn, and then, at home, she hadn’t managed to get any proper sleep while looking after her younger siblings. Richen, dragging her weary body that held not a hint of vitality, made her way to the reception desk. She was in the midst of sifting through the charts of the patients she was assigned to care for that day.

“You look tired, Richen. Didn’t you get any sleep?”

The therapist, who had been sitting and organizing charts, spoke with concern. Richen merely offered a faint smile and a shrug.

“Have you eaten? I brought some bread from home; please have some.”

“Thank you, Kina, but I don’t feel like it.”

Richen politely declined. Though she’d only had corn soup, she had no appetite. Suddenly, she looked around and realized that the other therapists, who usually gathered loudly at the reception desk around this time, were nowhere to be seen.

“By the way, where is everyone? Have they gone for lunch and not returned yet?”

Kina snorted in response.

“Hardly. I only just learned yesterday and today that those kids could eat so quickly.”

Richen tilted her head, not quite grasping Kina’s meaning. However, she wouldn’t need to ask Kina to understand soon enough.

“Therapists, have you come here to sightsee?! Is a patient an attraction?”

A loud shout had erupted from the second floor. It was the bellow of the clinic director, who habitually preached silence within the treatment center. Having apparently performed theater in her youth, the director’s vocal projection was on another level; even a slight raise in her voice made it seem as if the entire clinic would shake.

“It must be because of the patient in Room 5.”

Richen clicked her tongue knowingly. Kina chuckled.

“Well, it makes sense. Is that patient quite handsome? Such a looker is rare even in Arcaviya. Everyone’s making a fuss, wondering if he’s perhaps a fairy.”

“Handsome? I wouldn’t know.”

Richen simply shrugged.

“I truly don’t understand your standards for handsomeness. Isn’t he quite a dashing man? I’ve never seen such pristine silver hair. I think Judge Tiarnel’s silver hair is incredibly beautiful, but how should I put it? If Judge Tiarnel’s hair is like silver spun into thread, then this man’s is like the pure, chilling silver light seen on a snowy field on a cloudy day.”

‘She might as well write poetry.’

At that moment, a second thunderous roar erupted. Richen ignored it, roughly sorting through the charts of the patients she needed to check on.

“By the way, I heard he’s a mercenary, but is he really? I always thought mercenaries were all burly, macho men. Though he’s well-built, his appearance, it’s more like a nobleman or a knight from a book, don’t you think?”

Kina, apparently captivated by the new patient’s good looks herself, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Richen, having never seen a mercenary, let alone a noble or a knight, merely shrugged.

“I’ll go check on the patient.”

“Everyone envies you. The patient in Room 5 is your charge, after all.”

Richen twisted her face into a strange expression. ‘She couldn’t fathom what there was to envy. He was simply another patient, part of her duties.’ Reading her expression, Kina burst into louder laughter, shaking her head.

“I truly don’t know your standards for men.”

Leaving Kina behind, Richen ascended the stairs next to the reception desk. In the second-floor hallway, four therapists stood in a line, heads bowed low, receiving a scolding. Clinic Director Eleanor was about to deliver another reprimand when she spotted Richen and softened her expression.

“Oh, Probationary Therapist Richen. Is it already time for your shift?”

Richen offered a slight bow of her head.

“Hello, Eleanor.”

“Did the patient in Room 5 not wake up last night?”

“He hasn’t stirred once.”

“How strange. All his external injuries have been treated, and there are no issues, so why hasn’t he woken yet?”

“Since there are no other problems, I suppose he’ll wake when he’s ready.”

Richen bowed again, then walked past the clinic director. The other therapists twitched, as if they had something to say to Richen. Without looking back at them, Richen went directly to the patient rooms and checked on her charges. Her job was simply to confirm the patients’ conditions and report back to the specialized therapists. When she emerged into the corridor to go to Room 5, they had already vanished. In Room 5, which could accommodate four patients, only one person lay in a bed. Richen approached the solitary patient. The water pitcher she had prepared, in case he woke up thirsty, was still full. Richen performed a quick check of the patient’s condition. Truthfully, there wasn’t much to see. His external injuries had been perfectly treated by four specialized therapists upon his arrival, leaving only the task of waking up, which he still hadn’t done. Richen pulled a small feather from her pocket and held it beneath the man’s nose. She then conjured a candlelight-sized glow at her fingertip and used her forefinger to gently open his eyelid, checking for pupil response. As expected, there was nothing unusual.

“Doesn’t he even need to use the restroom? Why isn’t he waking up?”

Richen muttered softly, withdrawing her hand. As she turned to leave, a low groan escaped him. The man seemed to be having a nightmare. Thinking he might be about to wake, Richen cautiously approached and prepared to gently shake his shoulder.

“Excuse me. Patient? Are you alright?”

The man’s lips parted. Unable to hear what he was saying, Richen bent slightly at the waist.

“Patient? Have you woken up?”

“…What, I can do it too.”

‘What did he say?’

At that moment, the man’s eyes opened. His unfocused gaze, still heavy with sleep, lacked sharpness. Richen, feeling an inexplicable awkwardness, straightened up and took a step back. The man belatedly noticed Richen and furrowed his brow. Then, he slowly pushed his stiff body upright.

“Here is…”

‘He was likely about to ask where he was.’ However, the man couldn’t finish his sentence, interrupted by a cough as if his throat was sore. Richen put down the chart, poured a full cup of water, and offered it to the man. He drank it in one long gulp, then placed the cup on the shelf and offered a greeting.

“Thank you. Where am I?”

His voice was calm and polite. Suddenly, Kina’s comment about him possibly being a noble or a knight came to mind. But Richen quickly dismissed the thought. Recalling the instructions she’d received when assigned to this man, she began to speak.

“You must be Mr. Hay Styles, correct? I am Richen Noy, a probationary therapist. This is Arcaviya, a clinic located within Akashandra. We brought you here to treat the injuries you sustained while crossing the Mirror Labyrinth. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Hay looked dazed for a moment, then nodded.

“You’ve been unconscious for a full day and a half. I will report to Judge Demonic that you have awakened, so would you please wait here for a moment?”

He merely nodded slowly once more. ‘He must still be groggy from sleep.’

“If you need anything, please ring the bell by your bedside. I will go and report now.”

Richen bowed politely and began to withdraw. Just then, Hay waved his hand, stopping her.

“By the way, where is our child?”

****

After the therapist, who had introduced herself as Richen, withdrew, Hay examined his body. His rather severe injuries were completely healed. Not a single scar remained, as if he had never been hurt at all. Hay pushed himself up from the bed. He had supposedly slept for a day and a half, and perhaps because of that, he felt a little dizzy. It might also have been due to the significant blood loss in the labyrinth. He sifted through his memories. He remembered Stan, along with other mages, finding them. He also recalled Stan blasting Lana del Rond away with powerful magic, as if firing a railgun from a movie. However, that wasn’t enough to defeat Lana del Rond. Her body had shattered, but she quickly regenerated. From the beginning, Stan and the mages hadn’t aimed to defeat Lana del Rond. The moment Lana del Rond was blasted away, Stan grabbed Renki and sprinted, while two mages frantically supported Hay on either side and dashed off. It could only be described as a frantic scramble. Lana del Rond charged again, but they barely managed to leap through a nearby portal. The last thing he saw was Lana del Rond bombarding the portal, and immediately after, his vision was consumed by white. Beyond that, he remembered nothing. He seemed to have regained consciousness sporadically during treatment, but he couldn’t recall anything clearly. Hay touched the white tunic he was wearing. It seemed someone had changed his clothes after his treatment. He climbed out of bed and stood barefoot on the floor. The coldness of the stone floor crept up his soles. Hay walked towards the window. Beyond the window, white buildings were visible. They were Gothic-style structures, all appearing uniformly white, as if freshly painted. The clinic itself was a U-shaped, two-story building. In front of it, three horseless carriages were lined up. Just then, someone ran into the garden. It was Renki. He was sprinting directly towards the clinic building. Hay didn’t know where Renki had been or what he’d been doing, but it seemed he had rushed over immediately upon hearing Hay had awakened. His arm appeared fine. Someone else had arrived before him. Hay turned to Stan. He was dressed in his usual shirt and trousers, not his uniform.

“You’re awake?”

“Mr. Demonic.”

“You didn’t wake for so long, I wondered if something was wrong with your head. How are you feeling?”

“I’m perfectly fine, thanks to you.”

Hay shrugged.

“Renki will be here soon.”

“I saw him.”

Stan tossed two bundles he was holding onto the bed where Hay had been lying.

“Clothes and shoes. What you were wearing was all torn to rags, so we had no choice but to throw them out. These aren’t new; I brought some of my old clothes. They should roughly fit, right?”

Hay nodded and untied the bundles. Then, something suddenly occurred to him.

“By the way, where is Lorelai?”

Lorelai hadn’t been visible in the Mirror Labyrinth, nor was she now. Stan turned his head. His expression visibly hardened.

“She’s somewhere else. Just get dressed first. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I am.”

“We have a lot to talk about, but let’s eat first. I haven’t had lunch yet either.”

Then, something abruptly came to mind.

“Ah, that’s right, Stan.”

Hay suddenly approached Stan. Stan, who had been standing by the window, turned his head towards Hay.

Thwack—.

Hay’s fist struck Stan’s cheek. The blow wasn’t too strong, as he hadn’t put his full weight into it.

“Maybe I should’ve hit him after eating.”

Hay muttered softly, shaking his hand in the air.