Chapter 37

It's been a while since I had a fever.

Due to the accumulated fatigue, battles, travels, and the tension of meeting the royal family, my body finally cried out, and I had a high fever for several days.

When I tried to casually heal myself with magic, Grandpa Sand scolded me severely. "When you're tired, you should rest your body! Your body is showing you it needs rest by giving you a fever. If you use magic to recover and keep working, it defeats the purpose!" He scolded me and gave me a lot of bitter medicine and sweet candy to soothe my mouth.

Lying in bed like this hasn't happened since I was a child, and it makes me feel uneasy. Kirito and the maids keep stopping me from getting up with scary faces. It seems Kirito and the other maids have become quite close, and they show excellent teamwork to make sure I rest.

By the way, the head chef of the royal castle is the son of the head chef from Kailat Street. His name is Narito. While his father was muscular, Narito is tall and slender. But he apparently eats a lot. Narito, who learned the cooking method for Zaros (rice) from his father via messenger magic, made a large pot of congee for me when I was running a fever. He apparently ate it all, claiming it was a taste test, saying, "It's delicious!" No one could stop him in the blink of an eye.

Later, he made another pot for me. It was a Western-style congee with chicken broth, and it was incredibly delicious. I understand why he ate the whole pot. Next time, I want to try it as a risotto with cheese and plenty of pepper.

Jin comes to visit me not just every day, but almost every hour. He even comes when I'm sleeping.

He said he wanted to stay with me all the time, but he's busy with work, so he gets caught by the scary-faced Barry and dragged away. "Work hard, Jin."

Others, like Prince Lute, Prince Alan, the king, the queen, Grandpa Sand, and Grandpa Zain, take turns visiting. The maids scold them, saying, "This way, Lady Shina can't rest properly," and chase them out. With so many people visiting, I'm no longer tense. It's lively and fun.

When I was in the Glass Forest, I was either with Kirito or alone most of the time, so it's embarrassing but nice to be taken care of. If I say that, they might all stay, so I won't.

I was dozing off, and when I woke up, Jin was sitting in a chair next to the bed, reading some documents. He noticed I was awake and started stroking my head. It was a perfect head massage. It felt so good.

"Wow, you've really improved, Jin."

At first, it was just painful, but now the pressure and the acupoints are just right...

"I've been learning from the maids."

What are you aiming for? Are you going to open a massage parlor, Prince?

"I'm bored, Jin. I've read all the books. I want to do something."

It's been a few days since my fever broke, and I think it's time to get up.

As someone who can't stand being idle, lying around for too long makes me uncomfortable. This life here is too comfortable! If I just mention something I want, it appears right away! Kirito and the maids happily prepare it for me! It's scary. What if I can't go back to a normal life?

"I want to get up. I haven't even seen the capital yet."

I play with Jin's hand, making a fist and then opening it, and try to be a bit demanding. Jin's eyebrows droop.

"Grandpa Sand hasn't given his permission yet. Once Grandpa Sand gives his permission, the maids, the head maid, the queen, and finally Kirito have to give their permission too."

Isn't that a bit excessive? Grandpa Sand is the doctor, right? Why are there so many layers of permission even after the doctor's approval? But it makes sense that Kirito is the last one. He's such a worrywart.

The king, Prince Lute, Prince Alan, and Jin gave me permission when I still had a slight fever. They were too lenient and got scolded by the queen. I'm sorry.

When I was able to get up and my fever had completely gone, Jin slowly explained to me.

The regeneration magic I created is not an evil magic. For those who have lost their legs or arms due to accidents or illness, it is a magic that brings hope.

Among the knights and soldiers, there are those who have had to leave the military, crying, after losing their legs or arms. For those who take pride in their work, their swords, and protecting others, being able to hold a sword and fight again is a source of happiness.

Of course, there are also those who, after losing their legs or arms, never want to return to the military. The fear of fighting monsters can be so ingrained that choosing to give up the sword is understandable. But for such people, considering their future lives, having their legs or arms restored is still a joyful thing.

Leading an army in battle means not only risking your own life but also taking responsibility for the lives of your subordinates. Sending someone who can't fight due to fear into battle is putting the lives of important subordinates at risk. It's the commander's duty to talk to their subordinates patiently and, if necessary, allow them to step back. It's the commander's fault if a soldier who was forced back into battle dies, not the fault of the regeneration magic.

Jin tried his best to explain it to me. He sometimes repeated himself or got off track, but he explained it in his own words multiple times.

Thank you, Jin.

To be honest, I don't think the guilt will ever go away.

It's true that some soldiers could have been saved without the regeneration magic. And in the future, soldiers in that country will continue to die because of the magic I created.

But it's not just that.

Thanks to the regeneration magic, some people are happy. In the future, more people will be able to be happy. That's also a fact.

I'm glad.

To know that the magic I created can bring happiness, not just misery.

If I had stayed in the Glass Forest, I probably wouldn't have realized that.

When I said that, Jin stroked my head.

If you're feeling down, tell me. I'll always listen. If you don't want to talk to me, you can talk to someone else, but don't keep it all inside and cry alone.

He's so reliable in these moments, but sometimes I wonder why he's so disappointing. It's a waste.

The research on regeneration magic is being led by Grandpa Sand and Ethan. They are recruiting former soldiers who retired due to injuries for clinical trials.

I used it on Prince Lute without thinking, but if I had thought about it, testing it on a royal family member first would have been inappropriate. When I turned blue, Prince Lute said, "If you had explained it beforehand, I would have been the first to volunteer for the clinical trial. That's the duty of a royal who protects the people." He's so cool.

Also, there's another child who wants to try the regeneration magic. I was surprised to hear it's the crown prince of the neighboring country, but since Marita Kingdom is a close friend, there's no need to worry. If, by any chance, Daido Kingdom was looking for me, it would be better to involve multiple countries to hide my identity. It's a lot of trouble.

The Crown Prince Kanon of the neighboring Naris Kingdom is only 8 years old and can't move his left foot from the ankle down. He's practicing walking with a cane. He has a cute face like a girl but is smart and competitive. He's a very good child, and I'm looking forward to meeting him.

I'm determined to convince the overprotective group, starting with Grandpa Sand, and get out of bed before Prince Said and the others return with Crown Prince Kanon!