Chapter 279

The touch inspecting my shoulder was still unfamiliar.

Every time a specific area was pressed, the small muscles trembled, which didn’t feel very pleasant. I forced myself to hold back my grimace and endured it.

“Hmm… this side is…”

“…it’s painful.”

“How much does it hurt? Is it hurting more than last time?”

“It seems… a bit better than last time.”

“Huuh… That’s a relief.”

Moritz-sensei, who had been bending over, straightened up, and sweat was glistening on his forehead.

After slowly patting my back, Moritz-sensei glanced at my shoulder, which I was adjusting my clothing around, and continued speaking.

“The condition of your shoulder is improving little by little… but it’s not at the level of being completely healed. To put it simply, it’s recovering very slowly.”

“Is it the same as before?”

“That’s right. It’s the same as what I told you before. There’s no significant difference beyond this, but at least you don’t have to worry about it getting worse from here.”

Should I be thankful that there is no other lower floor beneath this one?

I definitely felt better compared to a year ago. Back then, I often felt pain in my shoulder even without using divine power, which caused me quite a lot of trouble.

Recently, I hadn’t felt any of those issues at all. It could be because I had refrained from using divine power too much, but the fact that I didn’t feel pain during my daily life was already a substantial improvement.

The problem here was that the progress in my shoulder’s condition had halted at just that level.

I could somewhat mimic normal human activities, but ultimately, I couldn’t improve beyond that.

Having healed this quickly after a year, it was rather hard to accept that the natural healing rate suddenly slowed down… but I had no words to express.

For several years, Moritz-sensei had seen my face every month, so he understood the state of my shoulder better than anyone. I trusted him.

“It’s the same as before. It’s wise to be cautious when doing work that requires strength. Preferably, it’s best not to do it at all.”

“How much weight should I limit myself to…?”

“There isn’t a specific weight limit. However, if you lift something and think, ‘I can’t do this,’ then don’t lift it. The external injury has completely healed, but the injured muscles and nerves don’t recover easily.”

“…I understand.”

“Even if it used to be something you could easily lift, you need to be a bit careful.”

Even if I were to exert myself, it would only involve moving delivered bread to the church’s kitchen or carrying class materials and books.

Having done such simple tasks numerous times in the past year, I shouldn’t have any problems going forward.

“I’ll prescribe a somewhat weaker painkiller than what I previously prescribed. You might not feel much difference, but if you’re not overly sensitive to it, it should have similar effects to the previous medication.”

“Should I take it whenever I feel pain?”

“Yes. Take it whenever you feel discomfort.”

“Thank you.”

The bitter smile didn’t leave my face. The emotional wounds had healed to some extent, but the deep-seated injuries within me continued to torment me.

Even when divine power circulated within my body, it still irritated the injured muscles and nerves. Moritz-sensei said that it was healing naturally, albeit slowly.

There’s hardly anything that won’t eventually yield to time. Not even the seemingly solid imperial palace or the academy in the city can guarantee certainty a thousand years, or even a hundred years into the future.

Buildings made of processed stone will weather over time due to wind and rain, and if they aren’t maintained, they will eventually collapse. Water patiently erodes stone.

So, when will I be able to escape from these wounds? One year? Five years? Or maybe ten years?

I’ve already been living in this world for eleven years by the calendar. A ten-year wait wouldn’t be impossible, but if there was a way to heal more swiftly than twiddling my thumbs, I wouldn’t hesitate to pursue it.

And yet, the medicine of this era extends no saving hand to me.

‘It can’t be helped.’

I wasn’t as desperate as before. I couldn’t tell whether it was because my emotional wounds had healed somewhat or if I had resigned myself to the fact that there was nothing I could do on my own.

“And… if you wish to see more improvement in your shoulder, it would be beneficial to consistently perform the massage I will explain from now on.”

Moritz-sensei stood up and began to move. I blankly followed his demonstration of massaging specific areas of the shoulder, absorbing the movements.

It wasn’t particularly difficult, but it felt alien.

“Sensei, if I consistently do this massage, will it really have an effect?”

The reason I asked this question wasn’t due to a lack of trust in Moritz-sensei; it was simply because it felt strange to me.

Moritz-sensei smiled warmly.

“It might be hard to expect significant, magical effects… but yes, it will definitely help.”

While it didn’t feel refreshing, I was in no position to be selective. Even if I’ve gained some mental composure, it’s still wise to eliminate any elements that continue to torment me. Nodding my head, I finally stood up.

“Antorelli.”

Moritz-sensei’s words halted my steps. I turned my head slightly to look at him while holding the doorknob.

“Will you come at this time next time?”

“…Yes, I’ll come at this time again.”

“You’ve changed a lot. In such a short time.”

“……”

His gaze seemed to pierce through me. There was a look in his eyes that held the weight of the years he patiently listened to my endless complaints and worked tirelessly for my ability to stand up again as if it were his own matter.

“Did something… good happen to you?”

“Good things….”

There had been many good things. Conversely, there were many things I had abandoned.

It felt like I had changed completely from my past self.

Like a siren and a bell, I had withdrawn from being a murderer and a traitor, and now I was back atop my own donkey. From now on, it’s a path I must carve out for myself. That much was clear to me.

As I held that thought in my eyes, I slowly nodded.

“It seems so.”

“That’s really… a relief.”

He sat back down in his chair with a bright smile. At his unspoken signal that I could leave now, I smiled gently and stepped out of the consultation room.

“I’m really… relieved.”

For a moment, I felt a word that went unspoken. I didn’t catch it properly.

In front of the consultation room, Sofia Sub-priest was waiting for me. With an obviously bored expression, she was swinging her legs, but as soon as she saw me, her face broke into a bright smile, and she jumped up.

“D-Did the priest say anything?”

“Yes. He said my condition has improved.”

It wasn’t a lie. Barely, just a little bit better than before, there was indeed progress.

Sofia Sub-priest clapped her hands in glee, as if it were her own achievement. However, it seemed she was being cautious about making noise, worried that I might be startled by the sound of applause.

I ruffled Sofia Sub-priest’s golden bobbed hair. She had a slightly flustered expression and hurried to follow me from behind to catch up with my stride.

The little chase continued as we exited the hospital.

A smile was on my face.

It was surely a dandelion blooming from the ashes.

*

In the early morning, during a leisurely time, and moreover, on a weekend.

The streets on Saturday mornings were usually quiet. Perhaps today, people would sleep in a bit longer, wanting to shake off the fatigue of the week. As someone who works at an office, I could understand that sentiment very well.

“It’s quiet.”

“There are probably a few restaurants open, though.”

A brief expression of unease crossed Sofia Sub-priest’s face, but it quickly disappeared as she looked at a restaurant that was wide open for business. Her change of expression was very dramatic.

“Is that the place?”

“Yes. It’s one I went to with Meijhem, and the food is quite good.”

“It’s not too expensive, is it…?”

“The prices are reasonable. Besides, I’ll be paying, so don’t worry too much about it.”

“Oh, you really don’t have to…”

While she said that, her mouth had already opened wide in anticipation. There’s no one in this world who doesn’t appreciate free food, at least not anyone I know.

It was clearly a restaurant located at the end of that busy street, and as Sofia Sub-priest and I strolled along the morning street, chatting, we soon arrived in front of the restaurant. The savory and umami-filled smell of food wafted out from the newly opened establishment.

“Well, I’m not too fond of seafood…”

“I’m not that keen on it either. I don’t dislike it, but…”

“Hm… then why insist on coming here?”

This was a restaurant I had been to once with Meijhem. It wasn’t the seafood teppanyaki place I had made a reservation for but the one Meijhem introduced to me in return.

So, as Sofia Sub-priest mentioned, there wasn’t a compelling reason for us to come here. On a typical day, I’d just grab a quick meal at a restaurant a little closer to the Academy, but today I wanted something a bit different.

Sometimes, I too find myself perplexed by my own decisions. I casually hinted to Sofia Sub-priest.

“They serve other meats besides seafood. Those are reasonably tasty as well.”

“Aha…!”

Her eyes suddenly lit up. Honestly, it was a bit burdensome.

“Now that I think about it….”

Did I hear about his third child here from Meijhem?

He said this was one of his favorite places. Though he hadn’t come here often since the war, it was still a place he used to visit frequently in his youth.

I also recalled how he once mentioned that he had dreamed of opening a restaurant there. My memories were neatly organized and intertwined.

Thinking of that, I wondered how Meijhem was doing. I was concerned about his well-being.

“Smelling the food… I’m getting hungry…”

“Let’s go in.”

Sofia Sub-priest and I stepped into the restaurant, thinking of seafood and meat.

Perhaps it was spring, but the interior of the shop had much more green than before.

Following the employee’s guidance, we walked inside the restaurant for a moment.

“…Priest Antorelli? Sofia Sub-priest?”

“Oh my, Priest?”

I turned around instinctively at the voice calling me.

“…Meijhem?”

There stood Meijhem and Mrs. Melisa.