Chapter 127 - Overprotective

「Uuu……heavy」

I remember this feeling.

I open my eyes and check the surroundings.

Looks like I was put to sleep in the healing house’s bed.

When I look I see Firo is sleeping while leaning on me, and Raphtalia fell asleep while sitting in a chair.

This is still fine, but for some reason even Melty is sleeping with Firo.

Again huh. When I use Blutopfer it always ends up like this.

「Ah, you regained consciousness!」

Rishia just came into my sick room carrying a water bottle.

Unusually she’s not wearing the costume.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Thinking about it Rishia looked like this didn’t she.

She’s always wearing the Firo costume so I forgot.

「Raphtalia-san, please wake up. The hero of the shield regained consciousness」

With a sway Rishia shakes Raphtalia.

While watching that I checked my condition.

There don’t seem to be any wounds. The healing house’s people probably dealt with the curse too.

But, the lethargy following my body around nearly makes my eyes spin.

As expected, the stat reductions are having quite an effect.

「You guys!　Heavy!」

I moved Firo and Melty and got up.

「Nnya?」

「Ah, Naofumi-sama!　You woke up!」

「Yeah, I must’ve worried you」

「Of course I was worried!　Truly, you were so unreasonable」

I ignore Raphtalia’s grumpy scolding and look at Rishia.

If I obediently listened to this from the beginning the sun will set after all.

「What’s the situation?」

「Are you listening!?」

If I say no she’ll probably get angry…….

Well, I am not listening though.

But there’s no reason to start a quarrel.

「I’m properly listening. There’s a lot of other stuff I want to know」

「Eeeeto…one day’s passed since then」

One day……When I released Blutopfer before it took 2 days so it’s pretty fast.

As usual my condition’s bad, but it’s the kind of thing you get used to.

「The queen ordered your treatment to be of the utmost priority」

Which means, it’s probably safe to think I received expensive magical and herbal treatment.

There wasn’t even a place to give treatment in the castle town before.

「What happened to that turtle?」

「It’s life ended right before Melromarc was going to take casualties」

「I see」

While I was unconscious, it’s good it didn’t revive or something. It seems that method was right.

「Right now, they’re in the middle of disposing of the remains」

「Understood. By the way」

「Nn……」

「Why is Melty here?」

「Etto, Princess Melty heard the hero of the shield was seriously wounded and――」

「Wa, wa, waーーーー!」

Melty, who just woke up, yells in a loud voice to make Rishia, whose eyes are glittering, shut up.

Just what kind of situation is this.

Just as before, Melty still has a hysteric part to her.

「While I was still sleepy just what kind of made-up stuff were you trying to say!」

「I, I’m extremely sorry!」

Aah, when dealing with a princess Rishia is also unable to act strong.

Raphtalia and Firo are used to it after all. Rather she seems to dislike stiff attitudes.

「Then Melty, I’m already fine, so return to the castle」

「Is that the way you talk to someone who came to visit you worried!?」

「Oh, that’s right. While you’re at it call the queen. There’s a mountain load of things I want to ask her after all.」

「In the end it’s that!?　I got it already!」

Melty storms out at a pace unthinkable for a princess.

And then right after turning around, she stuck her tongue out and taunted me.

Like a child. No, she is a child.

Isn’t it an action fitting for her age.

「Just what are you laughing for. Stupid Naofumi!」

「Wait Melty-chan!　You sure do talk the talk. Your Lordship」

「Follow her and come back」

「Yeah」

Firo followed after Melty and left.

「Then……」

The noisy person disappeared.

However, even then there’s no need to stay on my side forever.

I get up from the bed and stand.

「Are you fine? Resting a bit longer would be……」

「The injuries are already healed so it’s stamina only. Right now I want to check the situation for myself」

I check the status.

……Uwaa. There’s only 30% of before I lost consciousness. My defense staying unchanged is the only relief.

While dragging my heavy body, I look outside from the healing room.

……I can see a shell as big as a mountain range is blocking out the sun.

Other than that, I can see guys doing repairs.

Losses ended up heavy. On the other hand, if it hadn’t been stopped there the castle would’ve been destroyed.

……That’s right. The wave is coming in 2 days.

Preparations need to be made.

With that thought, I focus on the hourglass floating in my vision to measure the exact time.

Huh?

The red hourglass’ number is still frozen.

And then, I’m able to confirm that the blue hourglass’ icon is still moving.

……Etto。

The number is 8?

I have a really bad feeling.

Just in case I check.

This time the remaining time in the blue hourglass is displayed.

Roughly……3 and a half months?

What’s happening?

If this is the time until the next wave, or alternatively, some seal dissolves then……it’s quite long.

No, if it’s preparations to fight a monster that caused that level of damage then it’s short?

I don’t know.

「Excuse me」

When I turn to the voice the queen enters the room.

Behind the queen there’s also the Allies’ top brass.

「How does your body’s condition seem to be?」

「Not that good」

「I have come with a message from an expert healer. You will need at the fastest 3 months to recover. Also even if you go with house rest, he wants that move to be prohibited until full recovery」

「Even if you say that, if I hadn’t used it the castle and town would’ve been annihilated」

「……I understand. Regardless, it’s the healer house’s healers’ appraisal that if you end up having to use it before you recover, you’ll definitely die」

「I see……」

There’s that large of a risk?　Well, even I knew it took a large toll.

To be honest, it’s not like I used it because I wanted to, and if I can avoid having to use it I’d prefer it as well.

「I got it. As expected I won’t use it」

I don’t want to use a skill that damages me anyway. From now on I’ll avoid using Blutopfer.

「Then, how about the repairs?」

「Yes, we took heavy damage, and the disposal of the upside-down turtle is holding us up」

「Can that thing even be disposed of?」

What can I say, it’s currently as if an actual mountain came to the castle.

「Right……According to the investigation squad’s analysis rather than dispose it’s better to leave it」

「That’s about right. It seems disposal is more getting rid of perishables such as the meat」

「Yes」

It’s true the disposal of that mountain-like monster’s body will be problematic.

However leaving it to rot until it spreads diseases would be a true problem.

「Currently, we’re in the middle of butchering the meat」

「Are you collecting the familiars and materials?」

「Yeah, the kind of things Iwatani-sama would want were in advance」

That saved me.

There’s the soul eater shield’s example.

The turtle’s shield will be really strong. Probably.

It seems’s I’ll also be able to absorb its heart and familiars.

「The rest I think I’ll explain at the castle」

「Aah……By the way it’s about the hourglass but」

「I know about that matter as well」

There were 2 days, so preparations are already finished by now it seems.

It’s really helpful the explanation’s fast.

「Then, guess I’ll go」

「Wouldn’t it be better to rest a bit more……」

says Raphtalia, who is worrying about my body.

I understand the feelings, but there are some stuff I might do at the very least.

It’s best to rest my body only after I’ve dealt with the troublesome stuff.

「No, either way I only have to talk. Since I’m only tired there’s no problem」

「……I understand. But no matter what don’t overdo it, okay?」

「Yeah yeah」

It’s true I’m exhausted, but not to the point that I’ll die. I’d prefer if I wasn’t treated like an invalid……。

Was Raphtalia always this overprotective?