Chapter 98

Chapter 98. Overheating (3)

The Treatment Center located within the Reynaldo Hero School.

A place mainly used by high-grade candidates who often get injured due to frequent duels and combat classes. Inside, there are private treatment rooms available for use upon paying a certain donation (referred to as hospitalization fees).

Among those private treatment rooms, the most expensive one requiring the highest donation.

A luxurious treatment room that even imperial nobles, high-ranking clergy of the Holy Kingdom, and wealthy families of the Republic hesitate to use.

“Da, Dale Han!”

A woman with pink hair hurriedly opened the door and entered.

Iris.

More famous by the title ‘Saintess’ than her name, a woman said to have received the blessings of seven gods.

“Gasp!”

Upon seeing Dale lying on the bed, Iris paled and covered her mouth.

“Da… Dale Han…”

Swollen lips and unfocused eyes.

Rapid breathing as if it might stop any moment, and red liquid splattered around his mouth.

“Ah, no! Pull yourself together!”

She knew he possessed the ‘Blessing of Resurrection’ that allows him to revive even after death.

But seeing him lying there with a haggard face, all thoughts of the Blessing of Resurrection vanished from her mind.

“Who on earth did this to Dale Han…”

Iris, holding onto Dale, sobbed.

Perhaps hearing her voice, Dale, who had been limp, trembled and pointed to one side.

“That… damn… bird…”

In the direction his hand pointed was a giant nearly 2 meters tall.

Iris frowned as she looked at Berald.

“…Why Mr. Berald?”

“Haha. Don’t worry too much, Sister Iris. Brother just overdid his training and collapsed from exhaustion.”

“His condition seems too bad for just simple exhaustion.”

“Don’t medicines often make you feel worse right after taking them? He just took some medicine, so don’t worry.”

“…Is that so?”

Finally seeming less worried, Iris let out a sigh of relief.

She glared at Dale lying on the bed and spoke.

“By the way, exhaustion… How exactly did you train to end up like this?”

“Well, it’s not because of training…”

I tried to explain the situation with a look of injustice, but Yuren cut me off before I could finish my pitiful excuse.

“Hmph. What do you mean it’s not because of training? Dale, you haven’t been sleeping properly and have been staying alone at the training grounds until 2-3 AM every day, right?”

“Un, until 2-3 AM?”

“Yeah. And then you come back at 6 AM? Every single day without fail.”

“……”

Iris’s eyes turned cold.

She looked at Yuren and Berald and spoke.

“Sorry, but could you all step out? Dale Han seems to need some intensive treatment.”

“If it’s intensive treatment, shouldn’t we call a healer…”

“Oh my, have you forgotten who I am?”

Iris smiled sweetly with a charming wink.

“Ah.”

A low exclamation escaped Yuren’s lips.

Even though the healer stationed at the Hero School was renowned across the continent, they couldn’t possibly compare to the Holy Kingdom’s ‘Saintess.’

“Um, alright. Then I’ll leave Dale to you.”

“Huhu! If it’s Sister Iris, we can trust her! Take good care of Brother!”

Yuren and Berald left the treatment room.

“……”

“……”

Silence fell over the Treatment Center.

Iris looked down at me with cold eyes.

“Uh…”

“Shut your mouth.”

“Yep.”

As I awkwardly tried to speak, Iris’s low voice cut through.

She clenched her fist, trembling, and bit her lip.

“Really… Do you know how shocked I was when I heard Dale Han had collapsed?”

“……”

“And what? Exhaustion? You’ve been holed up in the training grounds until 3 AM every day?”

Bang!

Iris slammed her fist into the shelf next to me instead of me.

“I told you before, didn’t I? To take better care of yourself!”

“……”

I cautiously reached out to Iris, who was tearing up.

“Sorry.”

Even if I didn’t know about the fatal flaw in Ash Fire, it was undeniable that I had been overworking myself lately.

“You really… Sigh.”

Iris sighed deeply and shook her head.

She gently placed her hand on my forehead.

A soft sensation spread through my forehead.

“You have a high fever.”

“I’ll be fine after some rest.”

I said to ease Iris’s worry, but I had no idea when this ‘overheating’ state would recover.

‘But at least it seems better than before since I’ve been resting.’

Though better than before, I was still too weak to even get up from the bed.

“I’ll cast a healing spell that’s good for fatigue relief.”

“No, it won’t have much effect.”

After eating the tonic(?) Berald made, the school healer came and cast a healing spell, but the ‘overheating’ didn’t improve.

“But you never know? Maybe the ‘Saintess’s’ healing spell will be different.”

“Well… maybe.”

Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes.

Even if Iris is the Saintess blessed by seven gods, healing the overheated energy caused by the Primordial Flame wouldn’t be easy.

“Then just lie still.”

Iris reached out to me and softly chanted an incantation.

“Seven gods, please support your child who has fallen exhausted.”

Whoosh!

Her eyes turned rainbow-colored as a white aura seeped into my body.

It felt like drinking cool water, and my burning body cooled down slightly.

‘Huh? It’s working?’

I opened my eyes wide and looked at Iris.

I thought even Iris would have trouble healing this, but who knew it would actually work.

‘Is this the power of the Seven Eyes?’

I marveled inwardly as I looked at her rainbow-colored eyes.

“Phew.”

Iris’s eyes returned to their original blue color.

Perhaps because she used the ‘Seven Eyes’ for the healing spell.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

“How is it? Did it work this time?”

“Yeah, it worked.”

I said as I sat up from the bed.

A bit of vitality returned to my body, which had been completely drained earlier.

As I tried to get off the bed and stand on my feet.

“Ugh!”

My body swayed, and my legs gave out.

“Dale Han!”

Iris hurriedly supported me.

“Ugh… Still hard to walk.”

Though her healing spell slightly calmed the overheated energy, it seemed I still needed more time to fully recover.

‘Even after receiving a healing spell using the Seven Eyes, it’s only this much.’

Thinking about how long full recovery would take, I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Hmm…”

Iris laid me back on the bed and let out a short sigh.

After pondering for a while, Iris swallowed hard and spoke.

“Ah, by the way… Uh, ahem!”

She trailed off and coughed awkwardly.

Iris looked around as if she were stealing something and cautiously continued.

“There’s a way to increase the effectiveness of the healing spell.”

“What is it?”

“It’s… uh, ahem!”

Iris blushed and continued.

“The healing spell I use is special, so the closer our bodies are, the more effective it becomes!”

“…What?”

The closer our bodies are, the more effective the healing spell?

‘I’ve never heard of that in my past life.’

Well.

Thinking about it, in my past life, I didn’t receive healing spells to reduce her burden of using divine blessings without the ‘Seven Eyes,’ so I might not have had the chance to hear about it.

“Then, turn to your side.”

“…What are you planning to do?”

“I told you, right? The closer our bodies are, the more effective the healing spell becomes.”

Iris carefully took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed.

She hugged me tightly from behind.

“So, hugging Dale Han like this will make the healing spell more effective.”

“……”

I tightly closed my mouth and swallowed hard.

The unbelievably soft pressure from behind.

Her slender arms wrapped around my waist, and her slender legs in white stockings entwined with mine.

‘This isn’t about healing spells anymore.’

I desperately suppressed my rising desires and broke out in a cold sweat.

Even though we were lovers who had been intimate in our past life… No, precisely because of that, it was even harder to maintain composure.

“Then… I’ll cast the healing spell one more time.”

A whisper-like voice tickled my ear.

Soon, a white aura emanated from her body and flowed into mine.

‘Ah.’

It felt like taking a cool shower on a scorching summer day.

The overheated energy quickly cooled, and an indescribable warmth filled my body.

Along with the warm sensation, an irresistible drowsiness washed over me.

‘Well… At least with Iris here, I don’t have to worry about the aftermath of Ash Fire.’

With that thought in mind, I surrendered to the approaching sleep.

* * *

In the darkened Treatment Center.

The door opened, and a woman with long navy-blue hair tied in a ponytail entered.

“Saintess, it’s almost curfew time at the dorm. I know you’re worried about Dale, but it’s time to head back to the dorm…”

Camila, who entered the Treatment Center to call Iris, widened her eyes.

The sight of Dale and Iris clinging to each other on the bed.

Camila stood frozen with her mouth agape.

“Sa, Saintess?”

“Ah, Camila, you’re here?”

Iris rubbed her eyes sleepily and got up from the bed.

“Yawn. I didn’t mean to fall asleep with Dale Han. Using the ‘Seven Eyes’ really tires me out.”

“Wh, wh, what exactly were you doing?”

“Dale Han is still sleeping, so keep your voice down.”

Iris frowned and got off the bed.

“And there’s nothing for you to worry about. This was purely for ‘treatment.'”

“Treatment… you say?”

“You know, right? My healing spell becomes more effective when our bodies are closer.”

“……”

Camila’s expression twisted slightly.

“But doesn’t it just increase effectiveness by holding hands? There’s no need to hug like that…”

“Camila.”

At Iris’s low voice, Camila flinched and shivered.

“Shh.”

Iris smiled sweetly and placed a finger on her lips.