560 – Soothing (5)

We checked on Luna’s health continuously, focusing especially on her mental aspect rather than her physical one.

Even people who appear normal on the outside can suffer severe scars when they experience psychological trauma. PTSD isn’t something that exists for nothing.

And the first person to step forward here is Kara. Since she has been through war, she will probably be of some help.

“Are you having trouble sleeping at night or anything?”

“No? I was tired so I slept well.”

“Then do you sometimes think about that time?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“I don’t know… Excuse me for a moment.”

At her answer that she still didn’t know, Kara cautiously approached her side.

Then he looked around and took a handkerchief out of his pocket. It was a handkerchief that looked like it was made of quite good material.

Then he rolled up the end and made it sharp. I had a rough idea of ​​what he was going to do with it.

-Swoosh

“Eww?!”

When I put the pointed end of the handkerchief into Luna’s ear, she gasped in surprise.

If I was just surprised, then it wouldn’t matter, but the problem is that I threw my fist automatically.

Kara seemed to have expected this as well, dodged lightly and opened her mouth slyly.

“It’s something like this. The body reacts on its own because of trauma. This is only a mild symptom, though.”

“Well, I think you’d be surprised even if it wasn’t trauma?”

“Well, wouldn’t a normal person just touch their ear and cringe rather than make a fist?”

Luna also showed a slightly convinced expression at Kara’s reasonable words.

PTSD is often acquired through various accidents, not just combat or torture.

Even though Grace is feeling better now, she still suffers from the symptoms. She still can’t sleep without me by her side.

Anyway, Kara advised me to stop that kind of training for the time being. If I was not careful, my muscles would eventually stiffen up and I wouldn’t be able to perform at my best.

They say that even if you don’t know about moderate intensity training, this kind of high intensity training will only be counterproductive. They are right.

“Then what kind of training should I do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the Academy will teach you this kind of thing?”

“I heard there’s something similar. I heard it’s usually done in the second semester of the second year······”

I’ve heard the gist of it. If things were as they were, this would have been training that should have been done a long time ago.

It is a period of about a month of non-stop training. It is a training method often used by special forces.

Usually, the internship is over in a week at most, but this one took a whole month. It must be tough both physically and mentally.

Most people here are physically strong and can use mana, so they can hold out well.

Of course, since sleep is a person’s greatest desire, many people fall for it. Magicians in particular will have the hardest time.

“I’ve heard that too. Isn’t it basically a final exam?”

“Yes, but you know we’re not in perfect condition, right?”

The problem is that the Eastern episodes are longer than planned, causing problems. The professors also say that this is a problem.

But, considering that afternoon training has been replaced with autonomous training for the time being, it seems like they will implement it somehow.

Starting from the third year, you will be deployed in real-life situations such as fighting bandits, so it is not an option but a necessity.

“Professors also know this and are somehow extending their breaks little by little. This is probably why they don’t tell us anything.”

“You seem to know quite a lot, considering you didn’t tell me anything?”

“It’s just a rumor. Well, those who noticed would have noticed.”

The problem is when will the training be conducted? It is difficult to agree on a time frame.

If you do it too quickly, your body won’t be ready and it’ll be hard, and if you do it too late, you might end up finishing right before the holidays.

The silver lining is that you don’t have to worry about balance. The practice is all about fitting into a framework.

It’s not a team fight, it’s more like training. I think I can do it with peace of mind.

‘Is it inevitable that I’m hungry?’

You’ll know when you get there. From then on, we’ll keep giving Luna advice on this and that, and we’ll be apart from each other······

“By the way, I’m curious. Is it really possible to experience something like that?”

“Can I ask you a favor just this once? I’m curious too.”

······We decided to go find Seolhwa without any trouble. To be exact, we invited her to Grace and I’s lodging.

After all, since Seolhwa lives in a female-only dormitory, it would have been strange for me to go and visit her in person.

Luna listened to us, thought for a moment, and then nodded. It seemed like it didn’t really matter.

‘Can I do it too?’

I’m curious about this. Is it possible to have an experience like virtual reality?

If possible······I wanted to see it just once. Memories of the Earth era that were now almost starting to disappear.

Especially, my parents’ faces are becoming increasingly blurred. Even if I forget their names, I don’t want to forget their faces.

‘There’s a high chance it won’t work, though.’

I’ve mentioned this before. I don’t know who it is, but there’s someone inside me.

Considering that it even blocked the snow, there is a high probability that it is a purple being. And purple is associated with the devil.

“What would you like to ask, Mr. Shivar?”

As I was returning to my lodgings with those thoughts in mind, Grace asked me.

She looked slightly expectant, probably because of the virtual reality experience she was about to experience.

I hesitated whether to tell the truth or not, then shrugged my shoulders and lied.

“I don’t know. I’ll just do as I’m shown. What about Grace?”

“I······ um······”

Grace’s face, which was troubled, gradually turned red. It seemed as if she was trying to suppress it, but it couldn’t be helped that it was noticeable.

It seemed like he was just imagining something cheeky on his own, but I could tell what it was.

“Do you think it’s strange?”

“Hey, is that a weird thought?! I never wanted to kiss or anything······! Hmph!”

Grace, who was so flustered that she unconsciously revealed her true feelings. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but it was too late.

I stared at her like that and then put my hand on her head without saying anything. It meant that I understood.

“Ugh······”

Perhaps because I had revealed my true feelings too openly, Grace lowered her head when I placed my hand on her head.

It’s a bonus that he covers his burning face with both hands to hide it as much as possible. It’s amazing to see something like this.

That she, who never lost her elegance, became an innocent girl whenever she was associated with me.

He hasn’t even lost his childlike innocence. He still consistently recommends fairy tales to me.

‘I gave you a storybook in the Matra Empire language recently, right?’

He kept urging me to learn the Matra Empire language, saying that there was nothing easier to learn a language than storybooks.

It was actually true, so I read it steadily without complaining. Grace also usually worked out hard.

So when we got to the hotel, I called Grace, who was still embarrassed.

“Grace.”

“······yes.”

“Put your hands away and raise your face. I have something for you.”

“······Phew.”

Grace removed her hand at my words and slowly raised her head. Her bright red face still showed no sign of calming down.

It seemed like she was quite embarrassed that she couldn’t even make eye contact properly. I waited until she looked me in the eye.

“······why······”

Finally, she looked straight at me.

-side!

I gave Grace a light kiss. Not just on the cheek, but on the mouth, to be precise.

Then Grace stood there with a dumbfounded expression as if she had been struck by lightning. She seemed unaware of what had happened to her.

I had a wild imagination, and if it’s something I can make happen, I should make it happen. I think that’s right.

“I’ll prepare dinner. Wash up first.”

I pinched Grace’s cheek, who was blankly staring, and moved away. I could feel Grace staring at me blankly from behind.

“······Huh.”

I heard a laugh that didn’t suit the Duke and Duchess at all. If I looked back, I’d definitely see her smiling like an idiot.

I pretended not to notice because I thought Grace might get even more embarrassed if I just stared at her. Dinner was more important right now.

Since we have decided to have dinner with guests including Seolhwa, it would be a good idea to start preparing now.

‘If it’s going to be like this, should I call Dan Ye-rin too?’

It’s not a bad choice. I prepared well in case Dan Ye-rin came too.

Even if he doesn’t come, I’ll just eat it. As time goes by, when everything is ready,

“We’re here.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

Luna and Sulwha came first. But Luna’s hair color is strange.

Until just a moment ago, it was clearly divided into egg white and yolk, or rather, white and yellow.

But now it was as bright yellow as before. Is this also Seolhwa’s ability?

“I’m here.”

“I don’t know if I should come here.”

Soon, Kara and Dan Yerin arrived. Dan Yerin came right away, ready as soon as she was called.

When I saw the story, I was a bit taken aback, but I just let it slide.

“Did Shivar do all of this?”

“huh.”

“As time goes by, my cooking skills improve. And it tastes good too.”

“There’s nothing you can’t do. I’m greedy.”

“Yerin?”

“I’m only talking about ability.”

Dan Ye-rin made a remark that was barely over the line, but it barely made it through.

After enjoying a cozy dinner, the virtual reality experience of Sulwha took place.

Seolhwa herself seemed not to mind the bothersome matter and readily accepted our request.

“Instead, I wish you would listen to what I have to say. I am far from being a servant.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to spend time with other people, not just Luna. I wonder what the differences are between Luna and me.”

“Hmm······”

Instead, the conditions were stricter than expected. The cohabitation period was approximately three days.

I accepted the condition of three days, not even a week. It was a good condition compared to experiencing the desired reality.

The first person to receive help from Sulwha was Kara. She gave Sulwha a hand with an expectant expression.

As time passed, the virtual reality ended.

“Okay.”

Surprisingly, tears welled up at the corners of Kara’s eyes. It was a reaction that was completely different from her usual image of a strong-willed person.

Naturally, people like me were surprised. What kind of experience could have brought tears to my eyes?

“That······Ms. Kara? What happened to you?”

“Ah. It’s just… It’s been a long time since I saw my mother’s face. She passed away when I was young, so I don’t remember much.”

“ah······”

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I think I’ve gotten some relief.”

Kara expressed her sincere gratitude to Sulwha. Judging from the fact that she even bowed her head, her sincerity was evident.

Seolhwa also smiled happily as if she had read her true feelings. That must be why she is treated as a true god.

Afterwards, each person was given a virtual reality experience, and the storyteller showed off all of his abilities.

“There are those who have had wicked imaginations.”

“Ahem······”

Grace’s face turned even redder. The problem is the same for Dan Ye-rin.

It’s fortunate that I managed my expression well, but looking at the back of my neck turning bright red, I don’t think… I guess it wasn’t really necessary.

“Finally, you······”

The last one left was me. I approached Seolhwa with a strange sense of anticipation.

But Seol-hwa’s reaction was quite strange. She frowned and then shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but it’s going to be difficult.”

“Yes? Why?”

“Infiltration itself is impossible. It seems like it’s that guy again.”

It was impossible to even get into my head. I’ve felt something similar before.

Her remarks made her acquaintances look at me with questioning faces. There was no point in talking about it······

“Is it because Shivar is associated with the color purple?”

······I thought it was going to happen, but someone dropped a nuclear bomb.

Luna, who was famous for her usual chaotic speech, turned her gaze towards her at that remark.

Luna tilted her head as she noticed something strange after seeing people’s reactions.

“Ah. Right.”

He soon showed a reaction of “Oops.”