༺ Nursing (4) ༻
Fortunately, things didn’t escalate into some hellish situation where everyone stayed in the infirmary all day, planning some shit together until I regained consciousness.
Dame Indra, who oversaw the medical corps, was a middle-aged lady with an ardent personality.
She was a kind-hearted person who always prioritized the students’ health.
One could tell just how steadfast her resolve was by the fact that she rushed to my infirmary the moment it became too noisy and chaotic.
“What do you think you’re doing in a patient’s room? He needs rest. Get out!”
It would be an understatement to call her bold, considering that she was dealing with a group consisting of both the Lady Tristan and THE Saintess herself.
“…However, Dame Indra. We are making an important decision right—”
Despite that, even Eleanor didn’t dare to blatantly object or disobey her, but rather did it with a polite tone.
Unlike normal professors, people in charge of specific facilities often had achievements and authority comparable to Deans. Even lads of high status like her couldn’t speak carelessly towards them in the academy.
That was why the Dame dared to utter her next words.
“I’ve been lenient enough, Lady Tristan. One more word and I’ll ban everyone here from entering, understood?”
“…”
“If you want to visit him, come back tomorrow. Visiting hours are over, so get out right this instant!”
Faced with such a stern warning, everyone reluctantly left the infirmary with dissatisfied expressions.
Goddess. She was a true Goddess.
No objections, I’ll have none of it.
“…I survived.”
As I saw those people leaving the infirmary with disgruntled faces, I couldn’t help but utter such words.
[How about you taking this opportunity to get discharged early? That way you won’t need to choose.]
“…That won’t work.”
Because Dame Indra wouldn’t allow it.
She had already sternly advised me to rest for at least two days.
Even Lady Tristan was chased away by her. There was no way she would listen to my requests or pleads.
[So, what’s your plan then? They’re definitely going to make a fuss.]
“…”
True.
Judging from the current situation, it wouldn’t be strange for their jealousy to twist in strange ways, influencing their Corruption Value.
‘Nursing’ itself involved me spending a long time in close contact with one of them.
So…
“…You see, the fact that I need to choose a nurse is the problem.”
[Huh?]
“No matter who becomes the nurse, that’s a path of no return that I’d need to take.”
Just looking at what Eleanor tried to do proved it.
If the Saintess hadn’t come…
I would have been eaten on the spot.
“It feels like things have become even more dangerous after the Seal was developed…”
Sure, the limit of the Fallen’s Seal was lifted and now it could contain the Aura of all Devils, that was good and all.
But at the same time, it felt like I had unintentionally gained other attributes I didn’t wish for.
Like, it felt like Devils and their Vessels lost their self-control easier than before when they were around me…
[What does that even mean?]
“So, previously, they just wanted to monopolize me…nowadays, the fact that I’m in front of them would make them more ‘aggressive’…”
[…]
Just look at Eleanor.
Her obsession towards me was always there, but now, even though she was filled with ‘guilt’ or whatever, she still acted this way towards me. Strange, wasn’t it?
Whenever I was hanging around those Vessels, the probability of something ‘dangerous’ happening had increased significantly compared to before.
[…Is that why that Yuria woman did what she did?]
Caliban asked after hearing my words.
What was he even talking about?
[Well… Normally, she wouldn’t say such things herself. Things like how she enjoys being hit or asking to be walked on a leash.]
“…That’s probably why?”
[…Well, you’re fucked.]
“…Agreed.”
I thought nothing could be worse than what had already happened…
But the blatant masochism that Yuria showed might just be the beginning.
Basically, it suggested a terrifying future where all sorts of fetishes that the Devils held could be unleashed one by one.
In that regard…
“Among them, is there even a single one of them who wouldn’t cause trouble if they stayed with me all day?”
I would rather entrust a fish to a cat, you know?
Caliban seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding in agreement.
[Yeah you’re right. There’s not a single one you can trust.]
“…”
Sadly, it was true.
I couldn’t trust Yuria, nor Eleanor, nor Seras, nor anyone.
“But on the bright side, I still have an option.”
[What option?]
“There’s one relatively safe person.”
There was just one.
The sole person free from the problems plagued the others.
The next day.
A tense silence filled the infirmary, as if the air itself was walking on thin ice.
To be more precise, everyone was extremely displeased with the ‘nurse’ I chose.
“…Is this how it’s done?”
Eleanor asked in a cold voice, offering cleaned utensils for patient use.
Seeing that, Faenol Lipek replied with a bright smile.
“No, Lady Tristan. It might be better if I just do it myself.”
“I would like for you to tell me which part I did wrong—”
“This part here, here, and here aren’t properly cleaned. You can’t give such unsanitary utensils to a patient.”
“…”
“Mhm, since this is the case, I can’t fulfill your request for ‘nurse substitution’. Your skills are far too lacking.”
The first one to get knocked out was Eleanor.
Considering her status, it was natural that she wouldn’t have the chance to do or even learn how to do such a trivial task.
“Ah, it’s time to clean.”
When Faenol stood up, Yuria and Lucia stopped her.
“We have already done that.”
Lucia, with her strict and ascetic religious lifestyle, and Yuria, who lived in the wilderness for a long time, were more accustomed to this kind of task than Eleanor.
However…
“It’s a mess, though.”
Saying this, Faenol picked up the nearby cleaning equipment and swiftly tidied up the area.
She did it so quickly that it was almost as if she was using magic. When she was done with it, the area shone much more brightly than what the Sisters had done.
“This should be the minimum standard to say it was clean, shouldn’t it?”
“…”
“…”
Yuria and Lucia stared blankly at the result of her work.
Their looks bore the question, ‘Is this truly the work of a human being?’
In the blink of an eye, Faenol knocked three people out, before leisurely turning her head.
Seras, who was watching the scene with a dazed expression, was the next one on the chopping block.
“Do you also wish to request a nurse substitution? If you do, then you should have something you’re better than me at.”
“…What exactly is nursing?”
“…”
Just leave. Why the hell were you even here?
Even in the game it was shown a few times that this girl was a failure in everything except assassinations.
“Alright, everyone, listen to me. Since it seems like I’m the only one capable of nursing him properly, I’d have to ask you all to leave.”
“No, but…!”
“We’re the ones who can take care of Mr. Dowd best…!”
Following her words, she then promptly chased the others, who were yelping in discontent, out of the infirmary.
Although the others wanted to voice their complaints, the stark difference in performance that was just demonstrated made it impossible for them to even voice their objections properly.
“…Thank you for your hard work.”
“What hard work? This is nothing.”
In response to my compliment, the person who swiftly defeated the other Vessels grinned broadly.
‘…This girl has no choice but to be good at something like this.’
Faenol’s original profession involved taking care of the weak in nursing homes and orphanages.
Basically, it wouldn’t be strange to call her a professional nurse.
And most importantly…
She was immune to my ‘Fatal Charm’ skill.
Unlike the other Vessels, the likelihood of her causing some kind of trouble was very low.
As I was recalling her backstory, a system window popped up before me.
System Notification
[ You have chosen ‘Faenol’ as the Nurse. ]
[ Assessing the target’s status… ]
[ ‘Favorability Level’ has not been unlocked yet. ]
[ An event to unlock the target’s Favorability Level will occur soon! ]
System Message
[ Emotional changes in the targets who had failed to be chosen can be intensely observed! ]
[ There is a high likelihood that these may become variables in the upcoming Main Quest! ]
“…”
Seeing such messages made me break out in a cold sweat.
Whatever, I’ll worry about that later.
Choosing anyone else would get my limbs torn apart. It would be better to leave this shit to the future me rather than facing certain death now!
“…But this is a bit unexpected.”
In the quiet infirmary, Faenol spoke as she pulled a chair in front of me and sat down.
“It is rare for someone to know about my ‘human’ days. How are you aware of it?”
[…This certainly is absurd.]
Caliban murmured in a low voice.
[To think that someone who is both a Devil’s Vessel and affiliated with the Heretic Inquisition used to volunteer in her past life. It sounds more ridiculous than a serial killer making donations.]
“…”
I couldn’t help but give a bitter smile at Caliban’s sharp words.
Though it was definitely not a strange judgment for him to make just based on what she had done…
‘…I already told you, Caliban.’
As I already mentioned…
‘She’s a pitiful woman.’
She was somewhat similar to Valkasus, a victim in her own right.
While she appeared as a Final Boss of a chapter, she wasn’t someone who deserved such an end.
Rather…
She deserved better.
“…Since you could know even that, I believe you remember what I had said before.”
She propped her chin on her hands and spoke.
“Time keeps flowing, Dowd Campbell.”
When she spoke, her expression was so devoid of any liveliness that it seemed like she didn’t have any emotions.
It was like looking at a mannequin or a doll.
“You haven’t forgotten the one-month deadline I gave you, have you? If I can’t ‘die’ within that time… Who knows what will happen?”
“…I am aware.”
Yeah, of course I remembered.
It was part of the reason why I collapsed from overwork in the first place.
I sighed and responded to her.
“But there’s one thing I’d like to correct.”
“…Excuse me?”
When she tilted her head in confusion, I let out another sigh.
“Faenol Lipek.”
Her request was good and all.
But at the very least…
I needed to make it extremely clear to her about the part that I was displeased with.
“I do not want you to die.”
The fuck she meant she was going to die?
I hated to hear that.
“…Excuse me?”
Her eyes widened.
Of course, I knew the reason why she said those words.
“There’s the Red Devil inside your body, which has forcibly revived you, and that being is just waiting to leap into the Material Realm soon by using you as the host. You feel you have a month left, so you want me to kill you within that time frame, right?”
“…”
She opened her mouth but no words came out.
After all, she probably did not expect me to know about any of this, much less list it right out to her.
But then, she slowly closed her eyes before looking up at me again.
“…If you know that, then doesn’t the situation become so much simpler? If I do not die, a disaster will soon fall upon the Material Realm.”
Then…
A self-deprecating voice followed. But…
“…It could be sad that you’re removing the very seed of disaster, Dowd Campbell. You do not need to feel any—”
“No.”
That was why…
I needed to make it crystal clear to her.
“Awakening your emotions is one thing, but that is not my goal, nor is it my purpose.”
The reason why I was fulfilling her request was…
“I am going to make you happy, Faenol.”
To give her a happy ending.
“And you do not have the right to refuse.”
“…”
After hearing my words, her pupils shook.
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