Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior – Chapter 32

“Ugh…”

“You’re awake?”

Morning of the third day of the Holy Federal Kingdom business trip.

I greeted Zion, who was waking up in bed, holding his head.

“Hop Harvey? What happened…?”

“Nothing to worry about, Zion. You just fell asleep in the dining hall yesterday. Do you remember?”

“In the dining hall yesterday…”

Zion looked down, lost in thought.

He was probably trying to recall what had happened yesterday.

“I fell asleep just like that?”

“Yep.”

As Zion looked back up at me, his eyes were filled with anxiety.

“Is that really true? I didn’t do anything strange, did I?”

“No, you didn’t do anything. So relax.”

“I didn’t scream or throw a fit, or grab you and hurt you, or make anyone else uncomfortable…”

“Zion!”

I had to stop him before his thoughts went off the rails again.

Zion was getting flustered, so I moved closer and firmly held her shoulders with both hands to steady her.

Now was the time for a firm stance. I needed to show her that I was a reliable presence she could lean on.

“I said nothing happened.”

“Hop Harvey…”

“Relax. Really, nothing happened. You just fell asleep, and Hanamana and I brought you here. You can ask Hanamana later.”

“…….”

Like we were having a staring contest, we locked eyes without blinking.

The silence in the room lingered. After a moment, seeing that Zion seemed more stable, I gradually backed away and released my grip from her body.

“Zion. Everything is fine. Nothing happened this time, but even if something did happen… I’ll always be here, so it’ll be okay. It’s been that way until now. That’s why I’m here. So please don’t stress. It’s best if you’re not anxious, alright?”

Thankfully, after my somewhat strong encouragement, Zion nodded, seeming to understand.

Today was the day we would finish our schedule and return to the kingdom.

We’d briefly stop at the center to watch Hanamana treat the patients one last time before heading back through the Magic Tower in the evening.

“Good morning, Zion. And senior.”

As we entered the clinic room, Hanamana greeted us cheerfully.

She was busily preparing for the day, moving diligently.

“Hanamana. You said you’d show me Recover, right?”

“Oh! Right! Is it possible now?”

“Today is the day I cast it on Zion. She’s okay now, right?”

“I’m fine too.”

Though it was at Hanamana’s request, showing the spell wasn’t complicated or a big deal.

“Okay then…”

I placed my hands on Zion’s body and cast the spell.

“Recover.”

A light of sky blue briefly surrounded Zion before fading away.

This spell would slightly, almost imperceptibly, recover the stats that the target had lost. This was the magic known as Recover.

“All done.”

“This is…”

Hanamana squinted and furrowed her brows, looking serious.

What’s wrong with her? Did she sense something weird about the spell?

“Did I see it wrong?”

“What? Is something strange?”

Maybe my question didn’t register, as she continued to look around Zion with a serious expression, thoroughly inspecting her.

“This magic isn’t from either the Nature or Holy categories, is it, senior? There was definitely a sky blue light, right? Is that normal?”

“Yes, that’s how this magic is.”

“Sky blue. Sky blue, but it’s a healing magic? How can that be?”

Hanamana was referring to the two categories of the magic. Normally, Nature magic emits green or light green light, while Holy magic emits yellow.

“I thought since the name was similar, it might be similar to ‘Recovery’, but it’s completely different.”

Recover is a high-level healing spell that heals wounds quickly and immediately during battle.

I wasn’t a doctor or a high-ranking cleric, so it was magic I couldn’t use.

“How could I possibly use something so difficult? Plus, that magic works on wounds or injuries, not on disabilities or aftereffects.”

“Making a spell to treat disabilities or aftereffects is even harder than that, in Hanamana’s opinion. I can’t even understand it or learn it.”

After a while of examining Zion, Hanamana finally lowered her head with a defeated look.

No matter how skilled Hanamana was, identifying a spell’s nature just from one instance was probably unrealistic.

“I’ll also look for the magic book for Recover. Since you have aptitude for all magic, you’ll learn it quickly if you find it.”

“Thank you, senior. I’m really curious about what it contains.”

Before long, the Rehabilitation Center opened, and Hanamana’s treatments began.

Today was also a day without Zion’s rehabilitation training.

I decided to stay with Zion in Hanamana’s clinic and observe her treating the patients.

“Hanamana, you weren’t at the center yesterday, right?”

“What?! Has the rumor spread already?”

“You really should take a break. When we see you working, we all start to worry.”

“Thanks for your concern, but I rested well yesterday, so I’m all good now~”

Hanamana spoke endearingly as if she were playing with the patients.

It was kind of like a kindergarten teacher? It felt like she was playing with little kids?

Though Hanamana had a very petite and youthful appearance, she was actually over 200 years old, so maybe that’s how one could think?

“Then, you need to exercise as noted here at home, and come to the gym once a week to present your rehabilitation menu to the Cleric, and we’ll check your condition again in four weeks.”

Even amidst the busy flow of patients, Hanamana carefully examined each one and provided accurate treatments and prescriptions.

“Seeing all this makes Hanamana a proper doctor, after all.”

Watching Hanamana treat the patients, Zion was praising her with her words, but her face wore a bittersweet smile.

“It’s only me who can do nothing alone. Now, Naou and Hanamana are doing what they need to be doing, but only I…”

“Zion…”

I thought about reaching out to hold one of Zion’s hands or something, but decided against it.

Zion wasn’t trembling right now.

“Hop Harvey.”

“I’m here.”

“I’m really glad you’re here. I can’t do anything alone.”

Should I tell her that’s not true?

Should I tell her that she’s actually amazing and could succeed on her own?

Of course, I’ve seen Zion overcome a lot, and she is indeed an amazing person, but it didn’t seem like the right time to say that.

If I said she could be alright alone, it might sound like I was going to leave her and go somewhere.

That wouldn’t ever happen, but a patient with an unstable mind might misunderstand that.

I had to think from Zion’s perspective and always be careful to ensure she didn’t feel anxious.

“Before you showed up, every day felt like hell. It was so scary, lonely, and uneasy, and I didn’t even know why I was alive… But now, it’s different. It’s still hellish, scary, and uneasy, but at least I’m not lonely now. Because you’re here, and I have things I need to do and a goal to live for.”

Zion was still looking at Hanamana, not me.

No, it seemed like she wasn’t really looking at Hanamana either. She was just staring straight ahead.

What was Zion thinking, and what was she looking at? Was it something beyond this world, somewhere far away?

“…Zion.”

“Yes, teacher?”

“If you were to sum up what a rehabilitation expert does, what would you say?”

“Huh?”

When I asked and turned to look at her, she looked back at me, too.

Zion had a puzzled expression as if she was having a hard time figuring out the answer, tilting her head slightly.

“It’s about bringing people back to their daily lives.”

“Bringing people back to their daily lives…”

“Helping those who have lost their bodily functions, their mental spark, and their hope for life to return to their original paths. That’s what a rehabilitation expert does. So Zion, someday, you too will…”

Yeah, someday. Someday, Zion will return to her daily life.

I would complete Zion’s rehabilitation within the two years that the Demon King was prophesied to return.

And even after Zion returns to her former self, the Demon King won’t appear.

What then? What will happen next?

Will Zion come to despise me?

Will she resent me for having deceived her?

Or will she kill me, like she did when we first met, saying my lies had crossed a line?

After Zion’s rehabilitation is done, I have no idea what’s beyond that…

“I will definitely bring you back to your daily life someday.”

For now, I can promise this.

As Zion’s dedicated rehabilitation expert, I’ll help her while seeing her weaker side, but just as her beautiful and strong days are now in the past, so too must I put away the Zion I love in her current shattered state.

It’s only because it’s limited that I can cherish it.

“Hop Harvey.”

And Zion’s response after hearing my promise was…

“While it’s true that I envy Naou and Hanamana, who can live their own lives and are doing what they need to do…”

That was something I never expected at all.

“What I want right now… isn’t that.”