Does Spring Come Even for a Dying Esper

“What?”

“I’ll receive treatment.”

Lucas, who had finally obtained permission from Iberis, unknowingly clenched his fist tightly. A thrilling shiver ran up his spine. Is this how it feels when a porcupine with its quills raised finally accepts one’s touch? The corners of his lips lifted involuntarily with a strange sense of satisfaction.

“Regarding the treatment method, I’ll try to follow your words as much as possible.”

“You’ve made a good decision.”

A faint smile appeared on Lucas’s face at the satisfactory result. As his smiling lips were followed by a graceful curve in his deep eyes, his stern face softened.

“…I’ll be in your care from now on.”

Iberis, momentarily captivated by the unexpected smiling face, cleared his throat softly and extended his hand. It was quite impressive to see warmth seeping into his indifferent face.

“I’ll do my best.”

Iberis felt a strange sensation for a brief moment as Lucas grasped his hand without hesitation. There was no sign of reluctance yesterday or today. Perhaps that’s why the clear warmth transmitted through their joined hands made his chest feel strangely cozy.

* * *

Tap, tap.

Left alone in the quiet infirmary after Iberis’s departure, Lucas rhythmically tapped a white paper with his pen. It was something he did when he had concerns or needed to organize his thoughts. After doing this for a while, he began to write.

Iberis Hyun

Lucas wrote Iberis’s name on the paper and recounted everything that had happened so far. Body damage rate, internal mana contamination level, mana circulation rate, muscle mass, blood test results, suspected PTSD symptoms… He wrote down everything he had learned about Iberis over the past two days.

“Hmm.”

Lucas paused and fell into thought again. He had planned a week’s worth of meals with the nutritionist and made an appointment for a detailed examination at the nearest military hospital. He had also received all the combat footage and mission records kept by the unit from Brenda. All that remained was to draw up a specific treatment plan.

However, he hit a wall right from the start. He had treated many Esper patients before, but he had never seen anyone with such readings. That’s why Lucas had to approach this carefully.

“The most serious issue is the body damage rate…”

Scratch. Lucas circled the body damage rate and let out a small sigh. Naturally, the closer the body damage rate is to zero, the better. However, it’s difficult for an Esper who uses their ability every day to have no damage at all. If they don’t receive timely guidance, that number increases even more.

The normal range is below 10%, and anything above that is classified as mild, moderate, or severe depending on the number, with further subdivisions within each category. Usually, rates above 50% are considered moderate, and above 60% severe, but Iberis’s body damage rate exceeded 70%.

“How on earth did he endure with this body…”

Either he has very strong endurance, or this level of pain is familiar to him, or perhaps both. Lucas frowned, increasingly appalled as he learned more. Then he recalled what Iberis had said yesterday.

‘You know, when a person is in constant pain, at some point it becomes hard to gauge just how serious it is.’

What was his expression like then? Lucas recalled Iberis muttering with a bitter face and sighed softly.

“He said he felt cold since he was very young… even before awakening.”

That means he has been suffering in pain for the past 25 years. The intensity may have varied, but for Iberis, life had always been a cold winter. Thinking about it this way, he could understand the cause of Iberis’s listlessness. When living becomes too painful, it’s natural to think that dying might be better. Yet, the fact that he had struggled on until now meant either he lacked the courage to take his own life or he had a strong sense of responsibility.

“Probably both.”

Lucas recalled how Iberis had wavered when Brenda and the families of deceased comrades were mentioned, and added his judgment about this. He planned to occasionally remind Iberis of their existence whenever he showed reluctance towards treatment. If the will to live didn’t arise on its own, he needed to stimulate it, even if it meant stirring up guilt and responsibility.

However, this was only a temporary measure. Ultimately, Iberis himself needed to develop the will to live. The problem was that this wouldn’t be easy.

“He needs to develop some motivation…”

Lucas crossed his arms and fell into contemplation after putting down his pen. He predicted that the outcome of the treatment would vary depending on whether Iberis wanted to live or not.

It’s unlikely that he has absolutely no passion for life. If that were the case, he probably would have given up everything long ago. But Iberis had persevered even in desperate situations. That meant there was still hope.

“He needs a trigger…”

Lucas muttered in a low voice. From his perspective, Iberis seemed to have stopped expecting anything because he had constantly failed until now.

Lucas’s eyes narrowed as he recalled the face that looked like a pure white porcelain doll. The transparent eyes that seemed to embody ice flowers lacked any sign of vitality. What if those eyes were filled with various emotions and vigor?

“…He’d be much prettier.”

His broad shoulders flinched at the involuntary murmur. Lucas felt a bit perplexed. He couldn’t understand why his thoughts had strayed in that direction.

Tsk, he clicked his tongue softly and picked up his pen again. Lucas continued organizing his thoughts while checking the test results he had pulled out yesterday. While the body damage rate was the most serious, other issues were not trivial either.

“The mana contamination level is too high, and the mana circulation rate is too low…”

Lucas swallowed a sigh as he felt overwhelmed for a moment. Given Iberis’s damaged mana circuits, this was an expected result, but with not a single normal reading, he didn’t know where to start or how to approach it.

The one positive thing was that the guiding effect was very good. Lucas checked the simple matching rate test conducted a few hours ago.

63%

The matching rate had increased by 1% after just two guidings. Although this was a simple test and a proper examination would be needed later, if this figure was accurate, it was quite encouraging. If this trend continued, the matching rate would increase with each guiding session, quickly reaching the minimum threshold needed to form a pair with Iberis. Once that happened, the guiding effect would improve even more than it was now.

“As expected, the most urgent matter is preventing the Major’s body from deteriorating further.”

Tap, tap. Lucas, who had filled the paper with black writing, tapped it a few times with his pen and muttered his conclusion.

Guiding could repair damaged bodies, broken mana circuits, and eliminate contamination that had invaded the body, but for it to be maintained, Iberis couldn’t overexert himself as he had been doing.

“Even if we treat him, it’ll all be for nothing if he uses his ability excessively…”

To prevent this, it was best to significantly reduce the burden Iberis was currently carrying. Although his aide, Brenda, had promised to cooperate actively, that alone wasn’t enough.

After pondering for a moment, Lucas took out his phone from his coat pocket. Then, without hesitation, he dialed a certain number. It was Winfried’s personal number, known only to a select few, including Lucas.

– Hello?

“It’s me, Lieutenant General.”

Lucas immediately identified himself when he heard the familiar voice after a few rings. A slightly surprised voice responded.

– Captain? For you to call me first, the sun must be rising in the west tomorrow.

“When you say it like that, it sounds like I never contact you.”

– Well, it’s true that you don’t initiate contact. I remember calling you yesterday.

“…I apologize.”

Lucas meekly apologized, unable to refute the fact. It was true that he rarely initiated contact unless it was for something important. However, he felt a bit wronged. Often, the impatient Winfried would call him without waiting for Lucas to make contact.

– So, what’s the matter?

“Did you check the report I sent this afternoon?”

– I did. It seems Major Hyun has been pushing himself too hard.

Winfried muttered in a troubled voice. He hadn’t expected Iberis to be in good condition given his terminal diagnosis, but it was far more serious than anticipated.

– I should have taken better care of him…

“As I wrote in the report, a thorough examination is necessary. I’ve made an appointment at a nearby military hospital, but I’d like you to ensure that information about the Major doesn’t leak out. He seems very averse to his terminal condition becoming known.”

– Don’t worry about that part. I’ll take care of it.

“Even if we can’t avoid it this time, going to a military hospital for every examination is inefficient. We can’t rule out the possibility of information leaks. Therefore, I’d like to request medical equipment support.”

– I understand. Honestly, I was shocked by how poor the facilities were after hearing your report. I wonder if I should look into whether money is being siphoned off somewhere.

“Thank you. And lastly, I have one more request.”

Lucas, having obtained what he wanted without issue as always, brought up the main reason for his call to Winfried.

– A request?

“Yes, it’s crucial for the Major’s treatment.”

– Hmm? Go on.

“I’d like you to grant me additional authority.”

– Additional authority?

“Well…”

Though no one else was listening, Lucas’s voice naturally lowered. He quietly stated his requirements as if sharing a secret.