Leave a comment

We returned to Raum that very night. Of course, we also took Argus and Bauman, who waited for us behind, with us.

Seeing me all bloody and limp, the two glared blamingly at Maxwell. Since they didn’t know the situation, they assumed that he dragged a young girl into a dangerous assassination plan, and made her fight until she was all bloody and tired.

“Wait, I have not done anything like that.”
“Ya don’t sound so convincing.”
“This ruthless old man. I don’t wanna imagine what’d happen if we ran.”
“Yeah, better stay obedient for a while.”
“Nicole, my reputation is falling at an alarming rate.”
“…Like I care.”

Maxwell talked to me in grief, but I had other things to worry about.

The pain assaulting my body was gone, but it was replaced with extreme weariness and I couldn’t move my lower side. Heck, I couldn’t even move my arms properly. Even my vision was gradually narrowing down. This was a symptom of anemia.

As we reached Maxwell’s mansion, I dragged my body and plopped on the sofa in his living room.

It would have been hard to reach my home in this state, and more than that, I had to clean myself first.

“That aside, Maxwell. Can you take me to the bath? I can’t go back looking like this.”
“Hmm? Oh, that is true…”

Maxwell looked unusually troubled after hearing my request. His loitering eyes were proof that he was feeling perplexed.

“Umm, Nicole. Your request is certainly appropriate, however, I have no female helpers in this mansion.”
“Can’t you just do it yourself, old man?”
“You should start paying more attention to male gazes at your age.”
“I can’t go asking for too much this time. Besides, you’re still the better option compared to the other two.”
“Mgh…”

I couldn’t tell Argus and Bauman to wash me. Mateus was also a no by the same logic. And given the situation, I couldn’t call Cortina or Finia, so Maxwell was the only one left.

“Just think of it as some side perk. I don’t think you’d try laying your hands on your old comrade.”
“Well….sigh… I just know this is going to end up bad.”

And thus, I had him wash me and help me change. He washed off the dirt and wiped the water on my limp body with unusually tensed movements.

It was amusing to see Argus and Bauman drilling him with cold stares when we got out of the bath. I managed to get back at him for his daily teasing with that.

“So I take it this job is done?”

I addressed Maxwell while sitting on the sofa with a towel wrapped around me as I waited for my clothes to finish washing.

The two men had already been sent back to their detention place. They were notified that Maxwell had summoned them, so letting them go back like that was not a problem.

In case they decided to run away from Raum, Maxwell’s Geass with its insta-death level of pain would get in the way, so they couldn’t even do that.

Anyway, we were the only two people left in the mansion now. We could talk as much as we wanted about private matters.

“Right. I don’t think Klein could escape from that Meteor Crash. It should be fine to consider him dead.”
“Well, he fainted and was tied up. Blowing him away along with the mansion while fainted… I suppose that’s a nice way to kill someone without causing them pain, huh?”

I had my bouts with Klein, but if he died without pain, that was a fortunate death for him. It was a much better ending compared to Gideon or Tarkashire.

Hearing my reply, Maxwell sighed as if relieved, and then, he picked up a bottle of brandy from the shelf, dropped down on the other sofa, and chugged it down straight from the bottle.

“Hey now, you’re wasting a good drink like that.”
“And whose fault do you think that is? I would not be able to calm down unless I wash it down with alcohol.”
“Wash it down? What’s troubling you?”
“I am talking about you needlessly fighting against such a strong enemy.”
“What option did I have in that situation? I failed to escape from him.”
“I observed your situation through the familiar. It was truthfully a frightening sight for someone who could not do anything to help you. If I gained you some time, perhaps you could have escaped with me? When I stopped sharing my senses and rushed to your side, you were already in a bloody state. It would be unreasonable to tell me not to be terrified after that. You have always had that tendency to try overachieving things on your own. Do know that is a bad habit.”
“Even if you tell me that… This is just the way I am.”

Back then, Maxwell should have seen my state before the battle. But the familiar he used only had the strength of a beginner-level Adventurer. That was too inadequate for interfering in our fight.

Moreover, a familiar’s life-force was linked with the user. If Gideon had injured the familiar, it could have potentially rendered even Maxwell unable to fight.

When it came to spatial spells like Teleport, just seeing the place was useless — you needed to have visited the destination at least once before. Moreover, the mansion had a spell that obstructed the activation of spells inside, so he probably couldn’t even fly.

During that moment, he had no other means but to run to my side on foot. He happened to come across Klein on the way, so that resulted in a nice ending, though…

“Listen, Reid. You are no longer the same person who used to conduct solo assassinations. You have comrades now. Please rely on us some more.”
“Comrades, huh… Yeah, you’re right.”

As he said, I didn’t need to be so adamant to win that fight. I got flustered as Klein escaped, thinking I had to catch him myself, and that forced me to battle Gideon. My hasty pursuit of that goal had clouded my judgment. My current limp body was proof of that.

Maxwell was right, I had to rely on my comrades more. That has been a challenge for me even in my previous life.

“Right… You are dependable for me, Maxwell. So, let me have a sip of that brandy, will you?”
“That is a different matter. If you start drinking from such an early age, you will not grow any taller.”
“Ghhh.”

I knew I would get smashed with just one gulp, but I missed the alcohol. That desire had been easily crushed by one comment from Maxwell, however.