Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior – Chapter 3

“I’ve been waiting. Director Hop Harvey.”

The first experience of space movement went surprisingly smoothly.

This place is the Magic Tower of the Empire. I just closed my eyes for a moment in the Kingdom’s Magic Tower, and suddenly, I found myself within the Empire’s territory.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Princess.”

“I’m glad to meet you too. I’ve heard plenty about Director Hop’s reputation!”

“Hearing such words from the princess of the world’s largest empire leaves me at a loss for words.”

And the person waiting to take me to the palace in the wagon is none other than Now Troiat.

I had been warned countless times about the princess coming to greet me.

Moreover, this meeting held a slightly more special meaning for me; Now Troiat is the third princess of the Troiat family and…

‘The most reliable companion of Hero Zion. The mage of the hero party. This is what it feels like to meet her in person.’

She was part of the hero’s party that drove away the Demon King, closed the gate, and ended the war.

The reason she appeared here might be simply because she’s a mage who’s convenient for entering and exiting the Magic Tower, right?

I don’t think the reason is that simple. After all, Princess Troiat…

“Please forgive me for the breach of manners not to rise from my seat.”

“That’s alright. There’s no need to go that far for me.”

She was seated in a wheelchair.

“Let’s get in the wagon.”

“Yes.”

Since the princess had trouble moving, I opened the wagon door first and jumped in, waiting for her to enter.

The maid pushing the wheelchair stopped it in front of the wagon and tried to lift her inside, but…

“It’s okay. I’ll get in by myself.”

The princess rejected the maid’s help and firmly grasped the handles of the wheelchair.

With a burst of strength, she lifted her body up, her straightened legs trembling momentarily as she balanced herself, then quickly reached for the wagon’s handle, adopting a haughty expression, and heaved herself into the seat as if throwing herself inside.

‘Wow, to see this right after arriving in the Empire.’

To think that a princess, one of the top ranks in the entire Empire, who is both stunningly beautiful and a powerful mage, struggles like this just to get into a wagon! Seriously…

‘Guess it was a good idea to become an expert in rehabilitation in this world!’

“Hah, hah…”

Finally seated in the wagon, the princess leaned forward and took several deep breaths, managing to straighten her back to face me.

“I keep showing you unfavorable sights.”

“I keep saying, I’m fine.”

“What did you think? My earlier performance.”

I almost replied, “It was utterly enchanting and breathtaking.” If I had said that, I might have lost my head.

“You’re asking for my opinion as a rehabilitation expert, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. In fact, I showed it on purpose.”

Is that so? The mage of the hero party, the third princess, Now. She sustained severe leg injuries during the final battle against the Demon King.

I already knew that from the conclusion of the novel.

The reason she came to greet me must be that she wanted to show her body to me first, being the world’s only expert and authority in rehabilitation medicine.

“It’s impressive that you can get into a wagon at this height on your own. Your mobility recovery is remarkable. Quite promising.”

“Oh, recovery? Do you know what my condition was?”

“Ah…”

I slipped and mentioned something based on the novel’s conclusion.

At that point, Now’s legs were utterly wrecked, rendered completely immobile by the Demon King’s attack.

“Well, at that level, it’s easy to tell.”

“Director Hop is certainly different.”

I’m grateful to have a unique position in this field.

“Even though I’ve become like this now… I fought alongside the hero against the Demon King. Can you believe it?”

The third princess had traveled with the hero while concealing her identity, so while I knew what she meant, few others did.

“I have no reason to doubt you, Your Highness.”

“I’m glad you believe me. This leg injury was from the Demon King’s attack, and after sealing the gate, I haven’t been able to move at all. So really… I had a lot of dark thoughts. I even thought about just ending it all…”

That was a natural reaction. The emptiness felt by someone who has lost the function of a part of their body is beyond description. Even I, who have seen such people daily, couldn’t fully comprehend it.

“But one day, I heard the news about none other than Director Hop. There was a place in the Kingdom that treats people who got hurt in the war, including those made unable to live their daily lives. It felt like a miracle was happening… something like that doesn’t exist in this world.”

Certainly, when news about rehabilitation medicine spread, exaggerated stories about its effects circulated. Since this is a fantasy world, some believed new healing magic had been developed.

“Seeing hope in Director Hop is why I came.”

Huh? What is she saying all of a sudden?

“Rehabilitation isn’t about miracles.”

‘Ah…’

“Consistent exercise and training, ongoing healing and meditation—they’re all part of relearning the basics of living as if returning to infancy. The more I learned about the treatment process at the rehabilitation center, the more hope welled up inside me. I felt like I could definitely do it…”

This mindset is quite unusual.

Usually, people hoping for treatment want quick and definitive results. They wish for their pain to vanish, to be freed from suffering. For such people, rehabilitation training is hell.

Daily life becomes a struggle of repeating the same arduous tasks with an inconvenient body. They can’t even tell if they’re improving, and enduring this doesn’t guarantee they’ll regain their previous abilities.

But such people ultimately engage in rehabilitation because, regardless of discomfort, everyday life itself is hell. To live in a slightly less painful hell, they endure their suffering.

Yet this princess thinks in the opposite way. She believes that pain signifies a path to improvement.

It seems one must reach this level to play a leading role in a story that champions humanity.

“I hear the wheelchair was developed by you, Director? I’m very grateful.”

“If that’s the case, I’m glad.”

“Anyway, I’m rambling. I just wanted to express my thanks. Even though it was all guesswork and self-study, I’ve managed to move to the extent I showed you earlier, thanks to a year of diligent rehabilitation.”

Just a year for that level… Quite a significant achievement for improvised rehabilitation training.

“If you train at a proper center, you might be able to walk by this time next year.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s evident just by looking. It depends on your effort, but for you as a princess, there’s no doubt.”

“If Director believes that, it must be true.”

While receiving gratitude and compliments from the princess throughout the wagon ride, I realized we had arrived at the Empire’s palace.

In reality, I was supposed to head straight to the rehabilitation center to check how it’s operated, but since the Emperor also wanted to see me, I couldn’t avoid stopping by.

After briefly greeting the Emperor and moving to the accommodation prepared for me, I unpacked and spent the night.

On the second day of my trip, I headed directly to the Empire’s rehabilitation center to check on the patients and interns.

Surprisingly, the third princess I had seen yesterday was among the patients, undergoing rehabilitation training.

With her sincere character and diligent approach to rehabilitation, Princess Now’s presence greatly positively influenced the patients’ attitudes, though I found it slightly boring.

‘Hmm, the Empire really is running things properly.’

The rehabilitation programs tailored to the types of patients and the interns’ training process were all proceeding exactly as I’d shared in the manual.

It went so smoothly that I found myself with time to spare.

“Director Hop, could you please come over here for a moment?”

While checking the lists and evaluating the Empire’s center, I noticed the princess calling me from her wheelchair.

“What is it?”

“How is our Empire’s rehabilitation center?”

“True to its name, it’s well-run. It’s nearly operating perfectly to the point where I hardly have anything to do.”

“Is that so? I’m relieved to hear it. Would you accompany me somewhere?”

A sudden request. Was there something special to see?

“Yes, of course. But for what reason…?”

“There’s something I really want you to see.”

“?”

The princess signaled to the maid pushing her wheelchair, and the maid nodded and began leading her somewhere without a word.

The destination was the national cemetery located behind the palace.

“Please give me hydrangeas.”

The princess was buying hydrangeas from the small flower shop that naturally accompanies a cemetery.

National cemetery, hydrangeas… I was beginning to have an inkling of the destination.

As we entered the cemetery, the princess stretched out her hand as if asking the maid for something, and the maid handed her, surprisingly, crutches.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll go slowly.”

“Are you going to walk?”

With her legs hardly able to move, walking was out of the question, let alone standing. But why the effort?

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

“Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

“Of course…”

Though she had said she didn’t need help, after wedging the crutches under her arms, she hesitated for a moment before reluctantly extending the hydrangeas toward me.

“I won, but please hold this.”

“Understood.”

As I accepted the bouquet, I decided to ask a question that piqued my curiosity.

“But is there a reason for your effort to walk?”

“……”

The princess lowered her head, still trembling as she used the crutches to slowly advance.

“I don’t want to show anyone a painful sight.”

I had asked why she was going through this difficulty, only to hear she didn’t want to show a painful appearance. I understood what she meant but…

Where we were heading must be the grave of Iris Harmony, the former thief of the hero party, a street kid who lost her life in the final battle.

Was she unwilling to show herself in a wheelchair to her?

“Over there.”

How long did it take to match the pace of the princess’s slow movement?

I felt as if I was walking at the speed of a rock being moved in a performance with my mouth.

And what the princess pointed to was… not a grave.

‘Who is that?’

There was another wheelchair parked nearby.

A woman with slightly purplish long black hair was sitting with her head bowed, staring blankly at one of the graves.

The grave she was looking at, as expected, had a tombstone reading ‘Iris Harmony.’

“She’s always here at this hour.”

“That person, could it be…?”

“Do you know her?”

“I know, but I just wanted to confirm…”

“Haha, she has certainly changed a lot.”

So she didn’t want to show a painful sight, and yet, there she was, a person living who could truly see the princess.

Could the figure I had guessed actually be her? It seemed like it, but seeing it in person felt surreal.

Could she hear us? As she turned her head slightly toward us, the hazy expression on her face revealed her faintly glowing crimson eyes as she quietly spoke.

“Now…”

“You’re here again today, Zion.”

The name of the person spoken by the princess was exactly what I expected. That’s… the Zion?

Though I had never actually seen what Hero Zion looked like, I knew better than anyone what kind of person he was.

A hero who always conveyed hope amidst trials and hardships. Above all, he shone beautifully, possessed greater strength than anyone else, and exuded a presence akin to the sun that always shone on all.

A story’s protagonist, Hero Zion Laurel, possessed all the noble qualities a person could hold, such as justice, will, belief, and responsibility, yet here he was in this state?

‘This can’t be…’

Even someone like me could tell at a glance. The figure before me was utterly broken.

Not just his body, but his spirit was likewise completely shattered. Something vital to living… was thoroughly absent.

The most radiant version of him lay at the very bottom before my eyes.

And what was boiling up inside my chest as I looked at him was…

‘Ah, no…!’

It must never be revealed. This needed to be suppressed with all my might.