◈ 297. [Side Story] Overwork (2)
The first dream I had was the familiar scenery of the chat window.
– brother!
I’ve seen it so many times that I feel like I’m about to memorize it now.
– He’s really great. how did you break this?
The first chat someone gave me on my broadcast that no one paid attention to for half a year.
Although there was no voice, it was just a knock with a few lines of type.
It was an intense experience.
It’s like a visitor giving a bouquet of flowers to an uninhabited island where no one visits.
– I’ll enjoy it. Will you broadcast again next time?
So, I still dream of this day.
still… … I am regretting it.
***
The problem was the next dream.
A spacious, red, unfamiliar room.
‘I’ is lying on the bed and breathing heavily. As if he had a fever, his body was hot, but the air he felt on his skin felt like it was freezing.
at that time.
softly.
A cool, soft hand caressed his forehead.
The hand sweeps away the sweaty bangs of ‘I’, and ‘I’ desperately moves my overheated body, which I can’t control properly, and rubs my cheek against the touch.
– Mom… … . don’t go… … .
When a thin sob escapes from ‘I”s mouth, the owner of the hand whispers warmly.
– are you okay. My lovely Bonheter.
I thought it would stop, but I felt the soft touch of slightly dry lips kissing my forehead.
– Mom will always be by your side.
‘I’ opens my eyes with difficulty.
OK-
The face of a woman with a kind smile, somewhere haggard. right in front.
The woman smiles broadly and kisses ‘my’ forehead once more-
– I promise you, Ash.
so, said
***
Suddenly, open your eyes.
“… … omg!”
After a while, dry breath drips from the corners of your mouth.
“Huh, huh… … .”
Fortunately, the familiar ceiling is visible.
Crossroads lord’s bedroom. The ceiling is covered with old-fashioned wallpaper (Evangeline painted pink and then restored).
“Ugh… … .”
I managed to raise my creaking body, but I felt a heavy sensation on my legs.
what? let’s look down
“Drreung… … Pooh… … .”
“Cooooo… … .”
For some reason, I found Evangeline and Damian sleeping well with their heads resting on my legs.
‘… … What kind of situation is this?’
My legs are numb as if these guys have been cutting for quite some time. I slowly removed my leg.
Evangeline and Damian toss and turn, cut their arms and continue to sleep.
Let’s look out the window. It’s sunset time.
Only then did I get a rough idea of the situation.
‘I must have collapsed earlier, I.’
After the defensive battle was over, he suddenly collapsed as if fainting.
I’ve been sleeping a little less for the past few days, and I’ve been rolling too hard, so I wonder if my body can’t stand it.
I didn’t think he was such a weak character. My physical stats are low, but… … .
Anyway, that’s why they transported me, who passed out, to the bedroom here, and these two guys, who were attached to me as nurses, must have slept peacefully, exhausted from the heavy work for the past few days.
“… … .”
I carefully raised my upper body. The wet towel that had been placed on his forehead fell off.
When I put the back of my hand on my forehead, I feel a slight fever. It was painful.
‘Reflection on the unintentional overwork will come first, but before that.’
what was that dream?
Reminds me of an image I saw a moment ago.
Obviously, the first dream I had was a dream that I had as a ‘classics virtuoso’.
My guilt that often catches up behind me. Debt I shouldered. A familiar nightmare involving a wish I would risk my life to fulfill.
But what about the second dream?
‘That dream is not my memory.’
Chew on a clear image.
Undoubtedly. The detached palace where I stayed when I went to the ecliptic. and… … It is the face of the woman I saw in the frame.
Ash’s mother.
In other words, the dream is Ash’s memory.
——————
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‘But why… … How could I have recalled that memory?’
When Ash was ill as a child, Ash’s mother nursed him.
I have never seen or experienced such a scene. However, such a figure appeared openly in my dream.
‘Memories left in this body? or not… … .’
or not… … what?
I’m lost in my thoughts and I’m staring,
kiik-
The door opened cautiously, and Junior and Marherita entered.
The two of them were surprised to see me awake (and the two people stretched out) and hurriedly ran inside.
“Your Highness, you are conscious!”
“I will check my condition again right away. Come this way… … .”
Fortunately, it wasn’t a serious illness, it was just overwork.
“No, you rested well during the festival. Does it make sense to collapse right away like this after a few days of overdoing it?”
When I mumbled, Marherita replied grimly by hanging a pack of what appeared to be sap next to my bed.
“Have you really been resting?”
“uh… … ?”
“Your body is honest, Your Highness. The fact that you collapsed from overwork is just the result of the steady accumulation of overwork.”
As Marherita waved her hand, a thin tube of divine power was connected between the sap pack and my arm. This town doesn’t use injections.
“I guess you must have worked during the festival as well.”
“no… … I can’t just play, so of course I took care of the lord’s work… … ?”
To play is to play. In the middle of the day, I took care of the main work and made plans for the future at night. Isn’t this natural
“Since it was like that, fatigue has been accumulating ever since I was appointed here.”
It was Marherita who had been struggling in front of me for the past few months. When I became a patient, I became strict at once.
“I repeat, the body is honest, Your Highness. You collapsed this time because your body sent you a signal. If you overdo it, I will die.”
“Ugh, uhm.”
“If you ignore these signals… … Something bigger could happen.”
The saintess’ threat, which was not a threat, was gentlemanly, but it was terrifying. She involuntarily got goosebumps and shook her shoulders.
“For the next three days, put down all your work and take a good rest.”
“what?! Could that be possible?!”
“it’s possible. In fact, I have already told others about it.”
Marherita chinned to the side.
“Don’t you have competent subordinates? Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
Evangeline and Damian, who were standing next to my bed, nodded in unison. No, the two of you wipe the saliva from your mouth first!
“majesty. He is an indispensable person here in the city.”
Marherita left my room with only one last word.
“So you have to take care of yourself. Don’t overdo it in the future.”
“… … .”
Looking at the back of the saintess as she left the room, I licked my lips bitterly. And I looked around.
“Thank you for taking care of me and taking care of me.”
I said calmly to the party members who were looking at me anxiously.
“But today is the day to organize the defense battle, so I’m sorry but help me.”
“Just leave it to me!”
Evangeline said eagerly, rolling her arms. Seeing that they fell asleep on my leg earlier, they look tired too, but let’s share the burden.
“first of all… … What about Lucas?”
“Uncle Lucas is arranging the corpses of monsters outside the castle walls! It’s something that needs to be addressed first… … .”
I chuckled. Still, it seems that Lucas is conscious as the acting commander. I know what to do while I’m down.
“Damian, go to Lucas and help him with his business. Cleaning up the monster’s corpse requires purification of holy power… … Let me know if I woke up.”
“yes!”
“Junior. Go to Lily and get the Artifact Status Check Report. Look at the Artifacts with your own eyes to see if they’re all right. As a wizard, you might be able to do better than me.”
“Leave it to me, Your Highness.”
“Evangeline. You take care of the preparation of the victory banquet and the banquet speech. Because I don’t think I’ll be able to attend the banquet today. request.”
“Oops! I really wanted to do it all!”
As each task was assigned, the three hurriedly came out of the room saying they would understand.
Standing in front of the door, the three looked back at me and nodded.
“You need to get some rest, Prince! Don’t really do anything else and have a good time!”
“The report will be delivered tomorrow morning. There will be nothing wrong.”
“Because I will be in charge of the banquet! Senior, take your medicine and sleep well! Got it?!”
I waved my hand at the three nagging at each other, telling them to leave quickly.
The three of them kept chattering until the end, only to disappear after a while.
“… … .”
In the barely quiet room, I leaned against the back of the bed and thought with my mouth shut.
I worry about how well the city will function without me. and.
– I promise you, Ash.
… … Ash’s mother.
It was about the smile of the second Empress Dustia that she had seen in her dream.
‘Why?’
she is irrelevant
Even with the existence of the country, and… … As for my purpose toward clearing the game.
however. I had a hunch that I couldn’t explain logically. It was good to say that it was my intuition as a gamer.
It is related.
Everything is related.
Everything encountered on the way to the true ending is related in some way.
It is no coincidence that I dreamed of her. It’s just that I haven’t found the link yet… … .
“… … .”
I ignored Marherita’s words to get a good rest, and frowned in thought.
About all the things I encountered and experienced after I fell into this world.
Trying to find a seemingly invisible connection.
***
That night.
The corpses of the Skeleton Corps were scattered all the way from the outpost to the front of the Crossroads Wall, so it took quite a while to collect and incinerate them.
It was the time when the moon was in mid-heaven when Lucas took care of all his business and came to visit Ash.
If Ash was sleeping, he was only going to post the report, and if he was awake, he was thinking about asking after him.
So I walked in front of the manor house with a bunch of reports-
“oh.”
At about the same time, the wagon from the Wintersilver Merchants arrived at the entrance of the mansion and stopped.
Serenade pulled herself out of the carriage and smiled awkwardly. Lucas also awkwardly nodded in a cold sweat.
“… … Serenade girl.”
“Sir Lucas.”
In a subtle atmosphere, the two exchange greetings.
Both were spherical. They were old friends, but they were never close friends.
As a child, in the palace of the second Empress Dustia… … Growing up with Ash.
Between the two of them, there was always Ash. The relationship between the two was all from Ash.
Even if there was no such time gap as saying hello after several years, it would have been awkward from the beginning if the two had to meet and say hello separately.
“… … You have changed a lot. Serenade girl.”
That is, in other words.
“The one who was called Wintersilver’s Cold Sea because of how cold it is. You smile as brightly as spring here. Looking forward to seeing it… … It’s embarrassing.”
“… … .”
The days when Ash in the ecliptic was ruined as trash.
The two people who are frozen in each other’s memories of that time.
“You’ve changed a lot too, Sir Lucas.”
clearly.
I don’t get along well.
“To think that the person who used to be called ‘the mad dog of Bonheter’ has now become a decent knight. It’s amazing.”
Serenade responded softly with a soft smile at Lucas’ bony words.
“No, it’s been a while, so I can’t remember properly. therefore… … Was it ‘a mad dog that bit its master’?”
“… … .”
The two stare at each other without speaking.
There was no hostility in his gaze, and his voice was soft.
wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
… … For some reason, it seems like a desolate cold wind is blowing between the two.
