The Academy’s Doomed Young Lord Dies Ten Thousand Times

Chapter 57 - Midnight, and What Lies Beyond (2)

Thud.

As Rain's body gave way to gravity and collapsed to the floor, Serene finally pulled herself together.

“Mister Rain...!”

Then, she rushed over to check Rain's condition.

'The poison is spreading from the dagger lodged in his chest. I have to do something, quickly...!'

She could tell his condition immediately. The typical symptoms of poisoning were appearing on Rain.

“Remove the sword, and use mana for temporary treatment...”

With trembling hands, Serene removed the dagger, the source of the poison, and then infused her mana to counteract the poison as much as possible. She finished by stopping the bleeding.

By the time she had quickly finished the most standard first aid for dealing with a deadly poison.

Clack, clack-!

“What happened!”

She came face to face with the security personnel of Archenia Academy, who had rushed into Ailton Hall after detecting the anomaly.

“...He's seriously injured. I've administered first aid, but he needs to be transported quickly.”

Serene said so, trying to steady her trembling voice, and the security personnel, having grasped the situation, immediately transported Rain to the infirmary.

The situation was thus resolved for the time being. Rain's condition was critical, but fortunately, the treatment was successful, and the opinion was that his life was not in danger...

“He's past the critical stage, but due to the patient's rather frail constitution, he has not yet regained consciousness. As for when he will wake up... it's hard to say for sure.”

The attending doctor said so. He looked tired, as if he had been suddenly called in at dawn.

“...I see...”

Everyone who heard the story had a downcast expression. From Yuna to Khan, Elwin, Serene, and even Arien.

Though it was somewhat hard to distinguish Arien's from her usual expressionless face.

The attending doctor said that rest was the top priority and sent the students who had come to visit away for now.

Time passed, and it was now midday of the day after the incident.

The tragedy that had occurred just yesterday was already being processed into a piece of gossip among the people and was being talked about.

Even if a word without feet travels a thousand miles, wasn't this a bit too fast... Serene just kept her silence.

The news that Rain Enlight was in critical condition had also already spread far and wide.

Rain Enlight. Hearing that name again, Serene muttered.

“...Mister Rain, I wonder if he's okay.”

Rain was still unconscious, but regardless of that, Serene had her own life.

Lectures, assignments, training, things like that.

After living her own life, it was only after noon that Serene could go visit Rain.

It was originally time for lunch, but her feet naturally moved towards the hospital room instead of the student cafeteria.

“It's room 102.”

Following the nurse's guidance, she could see Rain resting in a private room.

Was it because he was a critical patient, or was it the influence of someone else? In any case, it was a relief.

“...There are a lot of gifts.”

Inside the hospital room, there were quite a few get-well gifts. Flowers, fruits, drinks, snacks, and so on...

Seeing that, Serene couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

It was a mixture of relief that his environment had improved so much compared to the treatment Rain had received in his middle school days, and the pain for the humiliation Rain must have suffered in those days.

“...”

She had come to visit, but there wasn't much to do.

It was natural. The person she had come to visit was in a coma, and there was no one to talk to.

The only thing to do was to look down at Rain, who was unconscious.

But, Serene found that her feet wouldn't move.

She felt that even if her body left this place, her heart would still be here.

There was no way she could get through the day properly like that.

And, as a result of those thoughts...

'Should I skip?'

Serene reached the conclusion of skipping.

After all, even if she forced herself to go do something else, she wouldn't be able to concentrate, and even if she attended a lecture, she wouldn't be able to hear it.

With this logic, Serene experienced her first time skipping in her life.

Considering that Serene had never missed a single lecture or class, including her elementary school days... this had a high probability of becoming a hot topic.

'It doesn't matter, though.'

On an afternoon with warm sunlight pouring in, Serene sat at a table set up on one side of the hospital room... and continued to watch Rain.

There was a boy who gave a frail and somewhat decadent impression, but who seemed to have a strong core.

“...As always, you try to take responsibility for everything by yourself.”

Serene would occasionally mutter to herself and just keep watching Rain.

***

While Serene was in Rain's hospital room, quite a few people came and went, and the first one she encountered was Yuna.

“Ah. M-Miss Serene. You were here...”

“Yes, since I was with him, I feel a sense of responsibility.”

Serene replied to Yuna's words with a bitter expression. That wasn't the whole reason she was staying here, but that's what she said.

“...Maybe I should stay here too.”

Serene looked at Yuna, who was muttering so.

'Is she... the closest friend Mister Rain has made since entering high school?'

The relationship between Yuna and Rain had spread far and wide.

Not only was it a noticeable combination, but it was also because it was frequently consumed among students who liked gossip.

A commoner with no connections, a despised illegitimate son. It was the perfect background to attach ugly rumors to.

Even that had been dispelled as the two proved themselves.

'He did smile with a relaxed heart.'

The smile Rain wore while with Yuna looked much more at ease. As if she was someone he could be comfortable with.

“What will you do?”

Serene asked back with a smile.

“Umm.”

And, after a moment of thought, Yuna-.

“...I think I have to go.”

That was what she said.

At those words, Serene tilted her head.

“Um... If you're uncomfortable with me being here, I can step out for a bit...?”

“Eh, no, no!! That's not the reason!!”

It was a remark she had thrown out after seeing Yuna being strangely uncomfortable with her, but Yuna reacted strongly and denied it.

“I'm going to scold this guy when he wakes up. I went through the trouble of setting up a lecture schedule that suited him, so why did you skip it without permission - I'll say.”

The part 'went through the trouble of setting up a lecture schedule that suited him' was the point, as she said it in a gruff voice, as if imitating Rain.

“...Hehet.”

Though she herself gave an awkward laugh after saying it.

But, it was enough to lighten the mood.

“...I see.”

Seeing Yuna like that, Serene replied with a small smile.

After that, well, nothing much happened. Serene just saw Yuna off as she left the hospital room.

She was able to confirm once again that her thoughts on the relationship between Yuna and Rain were not wrong.

The person who came to visit after Yuna was a girl with a mysterious impression, with long, straight sky-blue hair and eyes.

It was about Arien Ortega, the top student of the Magic Department and the heir to the Magic Tower.

“Excuse me. A question, is this Mister Rain's hospital room.”

That stiff tone was still the same.

“Ah, yes. Miss Arien.”

Serene greeted her with a small smile and a nod.

“I see.”

Arien replied bluntly to Serene's answer. She then approached the bed where Rain was lying and looked down at him.

“Due to the poison, the mana in his body is not circulating properly. He will wake up once the circulation normalizes... but since his mana capacity is originally small, it will take time.”

“...Is, that so...”

Serene's eyes widened. To be able to tell that just by looking. It was because she felt it was an ability beyond her reputation.

“...For some reason, it feels like his total mana capacity has increased a little.”

She also left such an incomprehensible mutter.

Tap, tap.

After that, Arien silently paced around Rain's bed. With her usual expressionless face.

It was Serene who broke the silence and started a conversation.

Arien was also one of the people Rain had been getting to know recently, which was why a little curiosity had arisen.

“Miss Arien, how did you and Mister Rain become close?”

And at those words, Arien stopped walking and stood still.

“I don't know if we have interacted enough to meet the criteria of 'close,' but I will answer. It is because we took the same lecture.”

What a peculiar person- thinking that, Serene smiled slightly and continued the conversation.

“Hoho, is that so. It seems you two get along well.”

“Get along well...”

Arien tilted her head. The answer came a little later.

“In the sense that we give and receive what we each need, yes. I am being taught about human emotions by Mister Rain.”

“Human emotions?”

“It is a personal research topic.”

This time, it was Serene who tilted her head.

She didn't know much, but she could still tell that the aloof Arien felt some sort of familiarity with Rain.

After that light Q&A ended, Arien left the hospital room. Naturally, the reason was that she had to attend her lecture.

Even after those three, there were several others who visited the hospital room. To name a few, Khan, one of Rain's academy acquaintances, the Imperial Princess who was said to be close to him recently, Elwin, who he had helped the other day, the faculty members who were in Ailton Hall yesterday, his supervising professor, and so on.

In addition to them, several children of the Imperial Princess's faction came and went, and among them, there was one who had directly verbally abused Rain during his middle school days... which was a factor that surprised Serene.

***

Time passed again, and the sunset was now shining through the hospital room window.

During that time, Serene had spent her time talking with the people who visited the hospital room and studying in her spare time, but... the girl's primary interest was still on Rain.

And, she also felt something while watching the considerable number of people visiting the hospital room.

'You've changed a lot while I wasn't looking, Mister Rain.'

It was stating the obvious, but Rain was no longer the clumsy boy from his middle school days.

In the place where the clumsy boy had been, there was now a respectable knight.

There was no longer any room for doubt that he was living a life that was difficult to call the level of a student, both in terms of skill and politics.

At that sight, Serene felt a sense of unfamiliarity on the one hand, and that unfamiliarity reached its peak in the appearance Rain had shown yesterday.

The sight of him showing a hatred that was not just determined, but desperate, towards the intruder.

That sight was no different from the sense of unease that Serene had felt when she reunited with Rain in high school, manifested in a concrete form.

But how could she call him scary or say that he had changed?

Serene slowly approached Rain, who was lying in the hospital bed. To him, who was in a coma, his usual haggard and dark impression even more pronounced.

“You've... worked hard.”

The girl knew. The burden and darkness that shrouded his face were proof of the life he had lived fiercely.

The changed form of his life was because he had to become that way to survive until now.

To him, who had run a path that she could not even imagine how harsh it was... Serene could only offer words of comfort that would not be heard.

Grrr.

...The sound from Serene's stomach, who was lost in such sentiments, filled the hospital room.

“Ugh.”

There was no one else, but Serene's face turned red.

Come to think of it, she remembered that she hadn't eaten until now.

“...I should probably eat dinner soon...”

With that thought, she was about to go back to the dormitory... no, head to the student cafeteria.

Creeak-.

The door to the hospital room opened, and another person came to visit.

Tap, tap.

The person who appeared with such elegant footsteps was a girl with shining platinum blonde hair and burning red eyes.

“Oh my, there's a guest already?”

Serene knew about the girl who was talking to her with a bright smile.

Robelia il Enlight.

The Crown Prince's fiancée—that is, the future Crown Princess, the queen of the social world, the second child and eldest daughter of the Enlight family, and... Rain's older sister.