Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior – Chapter 120

“Hop Harvey, please escape from the battlefield and return home.”

Zion requests to be excused from the final battle against the Demon King that will decide the fate of the world.

“…….”

It’s not that I didn’t understand what Zion was saying, but I couldn’t help feeling bitter.

“It’s not that I think you’ll be a hindrance, or anything like that. You know how I feel, right?”

“I know. There’s no way Zion would think that.”

I trust Zion more than anyone else in the world.

I know well that Zion doesn’t think of me that way.

Still, the bitterness I feel comes from my own helplessness.

My lover is heading to the battlefield risking her life, and I’m supposed to just go home and pray…

“Are you really going to be okay? Even if we’re apart?”

I wanted to be by her side, even if it was just for the sake of taking care of her.

It was hard for me to accept that just after we finally reunited after months apart, we were going to be separated again.

“I’m fine, Teacher. Just a moment. I’ll finish this quickly and come back.”

Zion steps forward, putting his hand on his chest, taking a step closer to me.

I leaned down slightly and gave him a light kiss on the lips, and Zion smiled contentedly before taking a step back to return to his original spot.

“I have so much I want to talk to you about, Zion.”

“Me too. I never thought I would get to see you again like this.”

“Weren’t we supposed to not see each other again?”

“Ugh. But thanks to that, I’ve gotten what I wanted, so I like to think it was a bit of a back-and-forth.”

“A back-and-forth? Like a little…?”

Just a word that made his face turn pale.

“If we do that back-and-forth twice, someone might really die.”

“What? Hop Harvey, you’re not hiding something again, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Really?”

“You still don’t trust me?”

“Come on~ Just checking.”

We exchanged meaningful smiles in a light-hearted manner.

As we created a horizontal barrier of space at an appropriate height and sat on it, Zion also sat beside me.

“Oh! This is a real transparent chair.”

“Convenient, right?”

“True, but it would be nice if there was a backrest too.”

“Then I’ll make one. Since I just made it, get ready.”

“Really? Oh, it actually works!”

Zion comfortably sat on the barrier that I made in the shape of a bench.

Though it was the hardest seat in the world, seeing him sit there quite contently made me want to play a prank.

I reconnected the space only on Zion’s side and removed the transparent chair.

“Wah!”

Of course, Zion fell to the ground.

“Ow…”

It seemed he got quite a shock in his defenseless state, pressing his hand on his waist, looking in considerable pain.

“What are you doing?!”

“Haha, I’m sorry, Zion. You looked like you were enjoying it too much.”

“Ugh, I feel like I can’t trust this person.”

“Ah….”

I knew he was joking this time, but the comment about being untrustworthy hit me hard.

“Zion, can we not joke about trust?”

“You’re saying that after knocking someone down to the ground?”

“I know that’s true, but it still stings a bit.”

“Sigh… you’re really a difficult lover.”

Zion sighed as he brushed himself off, and laying down a spatial seat next to me again, he gestured for me to sit.

Zion silently sat next to me again.

Since we were facing north, I could see the black pillar that split the sky.

The gate that I had seen endlessly.

Zion probably didn’t know how many times we had challenged the Demon King to close that gate.

“Zion, if I said I’ve never lied to you, would you believe me?”

“What?”

Zion tilted his head in confusion at my sudden confession.

“…….”

She bowed her head for a moment and pondered, then said, “I will trust you no matter what, but to trust unconditionally is to give up understanding the person.”

She responded earnestly, revealing her feelings on my words.

“If you’ve never deceived me, then what is your truth? We’ve spent two years together, but it seems we still don’t really know each other. So let’s talk slowly. We leave for battle tomorrow morning. We still have plenty of time.”

The day we had been given.

Tonight was also our first night together after a long separation.

And we welcomed that night by talking.

Talking about things we hadn’t said to each other.

How I was a time traveler, how I lost and regained my memories, the many past lives I had experienced, how I met Zion and found meaning from her, and what kind of person Zion had been until now…

Zion seemed surprised to learn I was a time traveler, while she listened intently to my experiences with her.

It must feel strange for her to hear about herself from my perspective, experiences she had never encountered.

“I saved you, didn’t I? Abandoning the world.”

“Do you not believe it?”

“It’s not that. When I first arrived at the gate earlier, I pursued Mirae, not the Demon King.”

Zion continued with a bitter smile.

“It’s just sad to know that I’ve been abandoned so many times. I fight for the world, but in the end, I’m always left alone and broken.”

Even now, Zion seems to understand the actions she took because she had also been abandoned and shattered.

Though I have accompanied many timelines with Zion while reversing time, in the end, Zion is still Zion.

Since everything is ultimately based on her choices, I doubt there are any unexplainable situations.

This Zion also had experiences that led to the same choice.

Is everything really predetermined?

Even I, who has lived beyond time, Cannot find the answer.

But I can only do my best in what I can do now.

“You weren’t left alone.”

“What?”

“I was always there for you. I promised I wouldn’t leave you alone.”

And now, what I must do is to soothe the somewhat dejected Zion.

My words to comfort Zion seemed to have an effect as she turned to me, looking happy, and smiled.

“I see. As long as I have that, it’s enough for me.”

Zion also shared her story with me.

About meeting Mirae and what kind of time she went through after hearing I had died.

She had suffered endlessly, felt resentment, cried, and regretted…

All the stories that led to her decision to give up being a hero were contained within it.

“So that sphere was taken by Mirae.”

“Yes. Because she brought this, I believed that you had truly died.”

“I thought you had taken it, as a way of telling me not to come find you.”

“Ah…”

Zion’s face became stunned as she processed the painfully twisted truth.

I was just as astonished.

“So it was like that. I couldn’t believe Hop Harvey could do nothing and just fall apart, but now I feel like I understand a bit. If I had thought that…”

“Zion, you must have been in so much pain thinking that I abandoned you, taking that as my memento…”

Imagining the suffering we endured during our separation was more painful than I could imagine.

I thought Zion had completely abandoned me, while she believed I was dead because of her actions.

To meet again like this, reminiscing about that time and discussing it was truly fortunate.

“It’s truly remarkable how many coincidences overlapped, but in the end, everything turned out well.”

It seems Zion was sharing a similar thought.

With a faint smile, she stared blankly at the gate in the northern sky.

The black path slicing through the night sky, where stars sparkled, felt ominous and threatening.

“I really didn’t know what was what. When I promised I wouldn’t see you again, I also promised I wouldn’t regret that choice. But when I heard you died, it felt like the sky was collapsing. No one can know the results of their choices, so before choosing, we must always make that promise. A vow that no matter what the outcome, we won’t regret it. But if that outcome is… the death of Hop Harvey, how can I not regret it? It’s really disheartening how powerless one becomes before an unknown future.”

It was a godforsakenly beautiful night sky.

So magnificent that even the gate rising to the heavens looked picturesque.

We sat side by side for a moment, gazing at the gate, organizing our thoughts before discussing our important future that awaited us.

“I’ll do as Zion says. I will return home tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Teacher. For understanding my intentions.”

“I just thought it was a rational decision. I can no longer regress. This is my last try. It’s better to eliminate any small variables in advance.”

In Zion’s case, my existence was the greatest variable.

Zion had countless opportunities to save the world but refused them all.

Because of none other than me.

“As I told Zion, whenever the world and I were on the scale, you always chose me. Up until now, there’s always been a credible reason for me to follow, but now that’s not the case. There’s no Mirae on the opposing side who can use space, and Zion is strong enough to handle space as well, not to mention there’s Keineu, who can replace me as a Space Mage. It won’t be necessary to enter the gate using space-movement… If Zion can fight even in my absence, then I should return to a safe place.”

I calmly conveyed my thoughts and determination to Zion.

Leaving Zion’s side would also require some resolve from me.

But it was for Zion, the world, and the future.

No matter how much I thought about it, retreating here is the right thing to do.

“Then it’s a temporary farewell.”

“Make sure to come back quickly.”

“Of course. Going to end this war is the very reason I dislike being away from you, Teacher. I can’t let that time be extended.”

After meeting Zion’s gaze and smiling, I gave her a light kiss, said my goodbyes, and returned to the tent, lying down on the bed.

Tomorrow…

I didn’t think the Unified Alliance’s full offensive would last long.

I guess it will conclude within just one day.

If they clash and can’t breach the Demon King’s castle, then only a future of despair awaits.

But I’m sure Zion will win.

I put everything on the line to make Zion who she is now.

Zion will surely…

“Hop Harvey.”

“?”

Zion suddenly popped in through the entrance of the tent.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just, um, how should I put it…”

As I raised my back from the bed to look at Zion, she awkwardly smiled and nestled closer to me.

“I don’t want to be apart. Can I stay here tonight?”