Pretending To Have A Girlfriend?

"Huh...?"

Everyone noticed that something was wrong with Starchis, who let out a bewildered noise.

Cold water was poured into the atmosphere of joy that arose when he woke up.

"Why is this happening...?"

Starchis, who never easily despaired in any situation, had a futile expression.

The medicine he had to take as soon as he woke up was too bitter.

Gritting his teeth and exerting force several times, he shook his arm in frustration.

But there was no change.

"...Starchis?"

Lily, who had been waiting for him to stroke her head beside him, gently took his hand.

Starchis's hand, unlike before, was warm. It was exactly the same as his original hand.

Starchis also felt Lily's warmth. He could sense it.

All his senses were intact, but his hand still didn't move.

"Starchis, what's wrong?"

Starchis, who was rarely flustered, was taken aback. So, Lily, herself became scared, but she continued to play the role of Noona and tried to calm him down.

"Noona...my hand...my hand doesn't move."

Starchis continued to exert force, but there was no change.

-Creak!

At that time someone rushed into the room. It was Stion.

"Starchis!!"

He ran over and embraced Starchis.

Without thinking, Starchis let go of Lily's hand and received his brother's hug.

"You...really..."

"Hy...ung..."

"I heard you were about to die?! I thought I had some time left, but your heart stopped...! Ha, I'm glad... I'm glad."

"But, Hyung, my..."

"Is there anything uncomfortable? Are you feeling dizzy or anything?"

"My hand… doesn't move."

Stion, who was holding Starchis tightly, froze.

Stion's face, after gradually releasing the embrace, suddenly became serious.

"What are you talking about?"

Stion asked, but Starchis was just as startled as Stion upon learning this new information.

Starchis slowly raised his left arm between himself and Stion.

He frowned and gritted his teeth, trying to exert force, but his hand still didn't even twitch.

He looked at his left hand as if asking his brother for an answer.

But Stion had no words to say.

****

"It's because of mana."

The doctor, wearing a slightly guilty expression, said to me.

"Mana?"

"Yes, mana."

I couldn't believe it.

"But the demonic mana has been purified, right? If not, the wounds wouldn't heal..."

"We have purified it all."

I felt frustrated to the point of dying.

I couldn't understand what she was saying.

Moreover, the fact that my body didn't move as I wished was more frustrating than I could imagine.

Without this arm, my combat ability would drop by more than half.

Not only the B-rank that I finally reached, but I might have to be cautious even with C-rank and D-rank monsters.

No, I probably won't even be able to do anymore ‘hunting’.

Which meant, I would no longer be able to reach Hyung’s level.

After all, even if some miracle were to happen, it would be impossible to reach A-rank if one hand doesn't move.

"What are you talking about?"

"Starchis, please calm down. I will explain everything."

"Tell me quickly. My chest feels so suffocated right now."

The woman doctor, who seemed quite old, looked closely at my chest and understood that the situation was suffocating. She spoke to me.

"Just by looking at your arm, you can see it. The wounds have been treated, but there are significant scars, right?"

I looked at my arm upon her words and saw a scar that went from front to back.

The scar spread out as if the skin had been burned around the pierced area. It was quite grotesque.

"Mana is the same. It has been purified, but it left scars inside your arm. It’s because it couldn't be purified on time, and the demonic mana penetrated too deep. In simple terms, you suffered internal injuries."

"...I haven't heard of anyone experiencing such aftereffects from being affected by demonic mana."

"It's rare, and most of them died before experiencing such aftereffects."

The doctor looked me straight in the eye.

"I, too, had only heard about injuries caused by demonic mana. This is my first time seeing it myself."

Just like what Hyung said, I seemed to have been in quite a serious situation.

Except for the fact that my arm doesn't move, I thought I was fine because I didn't experience any symptoms like fatigue or dizziness. But it seemed that wasn't the case.

The doctor bowed her head deeply without saying anything.

"Starchis, I'm sorry."

"Why is this happening?"

As a fleeting suspicion crossed my mind, wondering if it was her fault that my arm stopped working, she spoke.

"...Honestly, I thought you would die. That's why I told your acquaintances to say their final goodbyes."

Vienna, Luss, and Lily Noona's faces came to my mind.

They must have cried a lot. It wasn't intentional, but it seemed like I did something unforgivable.

Suddenly, the voices of those girls who kept talking to me came to mind.

Even after hearing such words from the doctor, they didn't give up on me and continued to talk to me.

Despite the doctor's words that should’ve hurt my feelings, I felt warmth in my chest.

"...Is that so?"

"Yes. It's an excuse, but you have a very rare blood type that is difficult to find for transfusion. It's a very, very rare type of blood."

"...When I woke up, I was receiving a transfusion from someone. Whose blood was it?"

"It was vampire's blood."

"...What?"

"That was thanks to your brother's efforts. We were also trying our best, but we couldn't find the same type of blood until the end. Eventually, your brother managed to find vampire blood somewhere, making the transfusion possible."

"If I received vampire blood for the transfusion, will I also become a vampire?"

From the state of my body, I already knew that wouldn't be the case, but I couldn't help but worry and ask.

"Once purified, vampire blood becomes compatible for transfusion with anyone. It's considered an A-rank item, so not many people know about it..."

"I see."

I felt relieved that it was okay. I also felt grateful to my brother, and my heart felt at ease. 

He always saves me no matter what happens. He hasn't changed since we were children. 

I'd thought once I finish the B-rank mission, I can shoulder some burden and repay my brother.

But in this state, with my arm immobilized, I felt overwhelmed by how I could ever repay him.

The doctor continued speaking.

"I apologize for giving up. Although I knew that using vampire blood could save you, I decided to give up on it because I thought it would be faster to find a compatible blood donor with the same blood type. I gave up on vampire blood. I even gave up on the patient before my acquaintances... It's a disgrace to be a doctor."

She stood up from her seat, bowing her head deeply. I also stood up and supported her by holding her shoulders, using only my right hand since my left hand couldn't move much.

"Please stand up."

An A-rank item…

I almost died while collecting a B-rank item, and now an A-rank item was used on my body.

Most people rarely get to see such an item.

Even the largest medical institutions wouldn't have the capability to store an A-rank item.

Even if someone used it to save others, the patients would never be able to repay them.

Nobles would be a different story. They would probably have all kinds of A-rank items at home. So, it made sense for her to give up on saving me.

As I recalled the events that took place when I collapsed, I didn’t get particularly angry.

"Even I would have done the same. In the end, as long as I'm alive, it's fine, right?"

"No... Still... I'm truly, truly sorry."

I scratched my head.

"... If that's really the case, then please do me this one favor."

Finally, the doctor raised her eyes which were filled with doubt, and looked at me.

"Vienna is helping out here, right? She's a member of my party, so please take care of her a little more."

Vienna is quite delicate. If someone dies here or if she receives any insults, she will probably be sulking for a long time. 

Since this doctor also worked here, I just wanted her to look out for Vienna in such times.

The doctor blinked at me for a while.

"... Is that all?"

"Yes. That's enough."

She smiled as if surprised and sat back.

"So, about Vienna..."

"Yes?"

"Never mind."

The situation seemed to be settling, but I still felt uneasy.

What bothered me the most was that apart from the fact that my arm doesn't move, there is nothing different about it.

The senses are still intact, and I can feel the strength that could be released if I exerted it with my left hand-Like a wild horse that can run again with just a command. But my arm refuses to obey.

I let out a deep sigh.

Suddenly, the doctor caught my attention and spoke.

"Mr. Starchis, focus from now on. I wanted to tell you from the beginning, but... that arm can be fixed."

".. What?"

My heart raced.

My mind turned cold, and my heart started burning.

My entire body rose on the rope of hope.

She took a sip of water and spoke.

"It's not just Mr. Starchis who has experienced the aftereffects. This is the first time I've seen it, and it's definitely a rare aftereffect considering all the people who have been affected by the demonic sword. But there are quite a few who have experienced it and managed to overcome it."

I held my left hand, which was motionless, with my right hand.

"Does it mean that my left hand can move again?"

"It's not completely impossible. But if it does happen, it's purely a matter of luck. The person would need to have the talent of a mage."

I raised an eyebrow at her words.

"A mage? What does that have to do with it?"

"Mostly, mages have been the ones to overcome the aftereffects. Even if they can't fully control the demonic mana itself, it seems they can manage the scars left behind by it."

I blinked my eyes.

"I don't quite understand what you're saying. So, it means that as long as I can manipulate my body's mana, it will be fine?"

"I can't be certain. As I mentioned earlier, people who have experienced the aftereffects are extremely rare, and those who have overcome them are even rarer. But what I can tell you is that everyone who has overcome the aftereffects was a mage… Do you know any mages around here?"

Lily Noona immediately came to mind.

"Yes, there is one. She's quite skilled."

As she mentioned that a mage might be of help, I commented on Lily Noona's skills to see if it would help.

"You'll need to seek a lot of help from that person. Also, ask her to examine your internal mana. They might even discover things that I'm not aware of."

Although the mention of being able to use my arm made me excited, the doctor's words were not over yet.

"And learn how to control your internal mana from her. It's something you can't do alone."

She spoke with a firm smile.

"Mr. Starchis, I must emphasize that even if you learn to control mana, it doesn't guarantee that your hand will move..."

"But there's no other way, right?"

She shook her head.

"With my limited knowledge, that's the only method I can think of."

"I understand. May I excuse myself now?"

I couldn't wait any longer with the hope I had just obtained.

I wanted to go see Lily Noona as soon as possible.

"Yes, we're done talking."

As soon as she finished speaking, I rushed out of the room.

Outside, three women and my brother were waiting.

"What did the doctor say?" Vienna asked with caution.

Just as I was about to respond, a realization struck me once again.

The doctor mentioned that if I could manipulate my mana, there was a possibility that I could regain movement in my arm.

I don't know if it’s possible, but assuming everything goes according to plan and I successfully gain control over my body's mana.

Does that mean I can become a mage?

– – – End of Chapter – – –

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