Chapter 28: The Bandage and the Blade

“Ugh…”

Bisus slowly opened his eyes.

An unfamiliar ceiling.

He’d expected to wake in his own room, but the ceiling above was one he didn’t recognize.

“Are you awake?”

He turned toward the voice.

“Sofia.”

“Yes, it’s me. This is the recovery ward. Your injuries were healed by the academy’s priests.”

“Injuries? Oh.”

“No need to worry. They weren’t minor, but I used my finest potion to ensure no scars remain.”

“You used a potion?”

Potions were like extra lives, and top-grade ones were so rare they were practically priceless, something most non-nobles would never see in their lifetime.

“Of course. It’s only natural for my savior.”

Sofia placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest, hoping he’d appreciate her gratitude.

“You used a potion for someone you barely know? Thanks.”

“No, I’m the one who should be grateful.”

Sofia straightened, adopting a formal posture.

“I’m Sofia di Rubellion. I’m sorry for attacking you without knowing the truth. And thank you for risking yourself to save me despite that.”

Her etiquette was impeccable, as expected of a high-ranking republican.

“Then let’s call it even.”

“Even? That’s all you want?”

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”

He’s the savior of Sofia di Rubellion, daughter of the republic’s governor, with every right to demand more, yet he suggests we call it even?

Bisus could’ve asked for much more.

Sofia was prepared to draw a line if he went too far, but she hadn’t expected him to ask for nothing.

“Besides, I chased that beast into the bathroom, so it’s partly my fault. If I saw a random guy barge into the women’s bathroom, I’d react like you did.”

He knows I’m Sofia di Rubellion and still doesn’t care about my status?

To Sofia, who was used to people approaching her for her position, her father’s influence, or scraps of her power, Bisus’s indifference was refreshing.

“That beast was killed by your strike. Its remains are in the disciplinary office.”

Creatures corrupted by demonic energy from the demon realm turn into beasts ferocious, irrational, and violent.

Such creatures were to be eliminated immediately, especially at Lichten Academy, where the continent’s elite gathered.

Beast…

Bisus thought to himself.

It’s definitely different from my world.

Beasts exist there too, but they feel distinct from the ones here.

Maybe it really is another dimension, like I thought.

“Ugh, the disciplinary office?”

“Why that face?”

Sofia looked puzzled.

“Oh, nothing. Don’t worry.”

This is trouble.

I’ll get scolded again if I get caught.

In this world, Bisus muttered so softly Sofia couldn’t hear.

That reaction.

It’s clear.

This Bisus is different.

He doesn’t know about [Eclipse].

Having partially merged with this world’s Bisus, he could glimpse its memories and thoughts.

This Bisus thought Jenice was male, unlike the possessed Bisus who knew [Eclipse]’s lore.

Maybe I’m mistaken about being a possessor.

Perhaps I’m just one of many Bisuses.

He sat up fully in the recovery ward bed, checking his condition.

“I feel healthier than before I got hurt. Thanks to your potion, Sofia.”

“No need to thank me again.”

“Bi… sus…”

A clear voice rang from the ward’s entrance.

“Having the time of your life, huh?”

Jenice leaned against the wall by the door, staring at him.

“J-Jenice!”

“What? You went after that beast without reporting to the disciplinary office?”

As Jenice approached, Bisus floundered.

“Again, again, again! What if you’d died rushing in alone like that?”

“But it was urgent. It was a spine-shooting beast. If I’d let it go, who knows what havoc it would’ve caused in the academy.”

“That doesn’t mean you go alone! You got badly hurt last time too!”

So, in this world, Bisus is part of the disciplinary team with Jenice, maintaining academy order.

Bisus pieced together the situation from their conversation.

“Enough. This man is my savior. I can’t stand by and watch this.”

Sofia stepped in front of the scolded Bisus.

“Sofia di Rubellion?”

“You know me?”

“Who doesn’t in this academy? But why are you with him?”

Savior?

Jenice shot Bisus a look demanding explanation.

“Haha, well, I got tangled up with her while chasing that beast. She brought me here to recover and used a potion on me.”

“A potion? Now you’re romancing strangers?”

Jenice glared at him disapprovingly.

“No, it’s not like that!”

“It’s always ‘not like that’ with you!”

“Well…”

This guy’s so frustrating.

Watching this world’s Bisus bumble through the conversation with the two women, Bisus felt like he was watching a rom-com protagonist flounder with heroines.

Come on, speak clearly!

Unaware that he wasn’t much different in reality.

…Wait. Sofia saw all this in the dream. Does that mean…

She knows Jenice is a girl?

Or even knows a lot about Jenice?

Late at Night

Jenice stood in the training ground, staring at a straw dummy.

“Bisus has gotten so strong. I can’t stay stagnant.”

Her friend’s recent progress sparked a sense of urgency.

Both Bisus and Sofia, by his side, far surpassed her in skill.

She was talented for her age, but compared to those two, she felt inadequate.

“Maybe I’ve been too arrogant.”

She’d never met anyone her age stronger than her.

She’d seen Naber Schreig’s skills and thought he was beneath her, assuming Sofia, rated similarly, was the same.

But recalling her spar with Sofia, who’d sought her out alone the previous day, Jenice realized her mistake.

She was that strong?

Was I just a frog in a well?

Thud

Jenice removed the tight bandage binding her chest.

“Phew. Now I can move better.”

She gripped her sword and focused on the dummy.

At that moment—

“Jenice!”

“Bisus! No!”

“Nooo!”

Boom!

“Kyaa!”

Fragmented scenes flooded her mind, accompanied by searing pain.

Jenice collapsed, clutching her head.

What… what are these visions?