The Last-Seat Hero Has Returned

Chapter 39

39. Interlude – What a Relief

Inside the infirmary located on the grounds of the Hero School.

The infirmary, mainly used by cadets who were injured or fell ill during training, had private recovery rooms that could only be used by paying a certain ‘donation’.

Though called a donation, it was practically a usage fee, so not many cadets used the private recovery rooms.

And now, I was lying in one of those ‘private recovery rooms’, wearing a patient’s gown.

‘Never in my life did I imagine I would use a private recovery room.’

An immortal monster that comes back to life even after dying, and a private recovery room.

Could there be a more mismatched combination?

“Sigh.”

I let out a deep sigh and turned my head towards the woman sitting on the chair beside the bed, humming a tune while peeling fruit.

Pinkish hair, a sharp nose, a slender jawline, and delicate eyes.

And above all else.

The overwhelming size of the ‘blessing pouch’ that covered about half of my view as I lay down.

Even just by her appearance, it was clear that the saintess had received the blessings of the seven gods. She seemed to sense my gaze and stopped peeling the fruit.

“Where are you looking so intently?”

“The blessing pouch.”

“…Pardon?”

“Oh, sorry. I was staring at Iris’s chest.”

“W-What did you say?”

Startled, Iris hurriedly covered her chest with her arms.

She glared at me with narrowed eyes.

“…You pervert.”

“No.”

How could I not see it when it covers half my view?

Unless I talk to the back of my head, I can’t help but see it.

“Hehe. So, Mr. Dale, you were pretending not to be, but you’re just a guy after all?”

She was only startled for a moment before she smirked and slowly revealed her chest again, which she had covered with her arms.

My vision darkened once more.

I averted my gaze from Iris’s chest, which seemed to overflow with the blessings of the seven gods, and sat up in bed.

“Where are you going?”

“I should get going. My body is all healed.”

To be precise, my body had been fine since Iris forcibly put me in the recovery room.

“Tsk. I told you to rest.”

“That’s why I’ve been lying down for the past few days.”

“No. You need to stay a bit longer.”

Iris shook her head firmly.

I let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“You saw back then what kind of blessing I have, didn’t you?”

“That is….”

The ‘Blessing of Resurrection’ that brings one back to life in an instant, even from death.

Iris had witnessed me resurrect countless times during my battles with Ashtaroth.

“But, but you were in so much pain back then!”

“That’s because I died too many times in a short period.”

Even if the body is revived by the Blessing of Resurrection.

The consumed mana and mental strength do not return.

No matter how many deaths I had experienced, if I went through more than a hundred deaths in less than ten minutes, I couldn’t help but collapse like that.

“So you need to rest even more!”

“I’ve rested enough.”

“But, still….”

Iris, who had trailed off, tugged at the collar of her patient’s gown and continued.

“Just one more day. Can’t you rest for just one more day?”

“Hmm….”

Honestly, there was nothing more to rest for.

Seeing Iris on the verge of tears, I couldn’t bring myself to shake off her hand and leave the recovery room.

“Sigh. Alright. I’ll rest until tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you? By the way, how much was the recovery room fee… I mean, the donation?”

“I paid for all of it, so don’t worry.”

“But still….”

“Ah-ah. Patients should focus on recovering quietly.”

“Ugh.”

I told you there’s nothing more to recover.

“By the way… will it be alright?”

“What?”

“Hiding Professor Morpheus’s identity.”

After killing Ashtaroth.

I asked her not to tell anyone about what happened there.

That Professor Morpheus was the Archbishop of Dreams, and that I killed Ashtaroth.

‘So the school was informed that Professor Morpheus fled the school grounds immediately after the incident.’

Thanks to the dreamlike veil cast by Ashtaroth, there were no other witnesses.

It was possible because Camilla, Father Antonio, and the orphanage children who were within the veil lost most of their memories due to Ashtaroth’s illusion magic.

“I told you. If this fact gets out, we’ll be the ones to suffer.”

If it becomes known that Ashtaroth caused this commotion targeting Iris’s ‘Seven Eyes’, the entire continent’s attention would naturally focus on her.

Moreover,

‘Ashtaroth said that Iris’s eyes were an obstacle to breaking the seal of the demon god.’

In other words,

Conversely, it meant that with Iris’s ‘Seven Eyes’, the demons’ wish for the demon god’s resurrection could be thwarted.

‘If this fact becomes known among the demons, Iris will be in danger.’

For her safety, it was right to keep this matter hidden.

‘Of course, if the fact that I killed Ashtaroth spreads, it will be just as troublesome.’

Imagine if it became known that a mere candidate killed one of the six demons who reign over thousands and tens of thousands of demons.

‘The entire continent would be turned upside down.’

This wasn’t a matter of hiding my power or not.

The moment this fact spreads, it was clear that I would attract so much attention that normal school life would become impossible.

‘From others’ perspective, it would be like a baby who just started walking beating a fully grown adult to death with bare hands.’

No,

Considering how the name ‘Archbishop’ has instilled such great fear among the continent’s people, it would have an even greater impact.

‘Anyway,’

For Iris’s sake, and for my sake, it was better not to let this matter be known anywhere.

“Sigh. Okay. I’ll do as you say, Dale.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you? I should be the one thanking you. Dale, you… risked your life to protect me.”

“It’s a cheap life that revives quickly even if I die.”

“No.”

Iris shook her head with a stern look.

“Even if you have a blessing that revives you after death, that doesn’t make your life any less valuable.”

“……”

“Don’t ever say it’s a cheap life again.”

Iris cautiously reached out and stroked my cheek.

“For me… your life is more precious than any other life.”

“……”

Precious life.

It was the first time I had ever heard such words.

My life had never been ‘precious.’

Of course, it wasn’t.

No matter how many times I died and came back to life, the expression ‘precious’ didn’t suit it.

‘But, why.’

Why could she say my life was ‘precious’?

“When you were fighting Ashtaroth… you asked me why I didn’t just stay put, right?”

“…I did.”

“Well, honestly, I thought the same. I don’t know what kind of blessing you have, Dale. But seeing you come back to life so quickly even after dying, I thought at least you wouldn’t die.”

Yes.

As she said, I wouldn’t have died.

“Then why did you step in?”

“I don’t know. Seeing you in pain, my body moved on its own.”

“……”

It was an unwise choice.

An unwise decision.

An illogical action.

But.

“If the same situation came again, I would step in to protect you, Dale.”

“…Even knowing that I wouldn’t die?”

“Yes.”

“……Why?”

Questions tangled like a twisted skein of thread filled my mind.

Why, why, why, why.

Why did she sacrifice her life to save mine?

“When Ashtaroth stopped attacking you and came towards me… do you know what I was thinking?”

“…No.”

Iris lowered the hand that had been stroking my cheek and held my hand tightly.

“Thank goodness.”

She wrapped my hand with both of hers.

With a trembling voice, she continued.

“Mr. Dale, I’m so glad you’re alive… That’s what I thought.”

“…….”

“Hehe. Haven’t you heard that somewhere before?”

“Heard it where?”

I asked, tilting my head.

“Oh my, why are you pretending it’s the first time you’ve heard it?”

Iris poked my nose with a playful smile.

“When you first spoke to me, wasn’t that what you said, Mr. Dale?”

“…Ah.”

I coughed awkwardly, recalling the embarrassing moment from the first day I returned.

‘Come to think of it, I did run up and say I was glad, didn’t I?’

Now that I think about it, it’s quite an embarrassing memory, isn’t it?

“Alright, enough chit-chat. I’ll peel some fruit for you, so lie down.”

“Ugh.”

I swallowed my words and lay back on the bed.

Suddenly.

The memory of that day flashed through my mind again.

The day the sky turned red.

The memory of the day I heard her last words.

‘Was Iris thinking the same thing back then as she is now?’

I don’t know.

I probably will never know the reason for the rest of my life.

But.

Even if I can’t know, what does it matter?

“Mr. Dale, say ah~.”

I looked at Iris, who was holding out a fork with a piece of fruit on it, and gave a faint smile.

‘Thank goodness.’

That you are alive.

* * *

“…You’re saying you’re going back?”

“Yes.”

Under the crimson-stained sky.

Golden eyes flashed fiercely.

“Iris. Do you know what you’re saying?”

“I know.”

“You know, and yet you’re saying you’re going back now?”

Yuren gritted his teeth and glared at Iris.

“This is the chance Dale gave his life to create. If we don’t escape now, we’ll all die.”

“Yes, so I’ll go back alone.”

“That’s why! If you go back now, you’ll die too!”

“…….”

Iris fiddled with her black eyepatch and spoke softly.

“Then… what about Dale?”

“Dale….”

A short silence.

Yuren clenched his fist so hard it seemed it would break and spoke with difficulty.

“Dale… won’t die.”

“Of course. He has the blessing of resurrection.”

“So….”

“But if he’s captured by the demons, he’ll suffer unimaginable torment. He’ll wish he were dead.”

“That’s….”

“I can’t leave Dale behind.”

“You…!”

Yuren roughly grabbed Iris by the collar.

“Do you think…! Do you think I don’t know that? Huh? Do you think I want to run away and leave Dale behind?”

He cries out as if in agony.

“But you know it too! If we die here…!”

“Humanity’s hope will disappear, right?”

“…Yes.”

Yuren bit his lip harshly until blood seeped out.

“If you don’t come, I’ll drag you by force.”

“Ha.”

A cold sneer escaped between Iris’s lips.

“Do you know?”

“…What.”

“I have never once cast a healing spell on Dale.”

“……”

From noble mtl dot com

“No matter how badly he was injured, he would heal anyway. No matter how much it hurt, he wouldn’t die anyway.”

Rather than using healing magic to treat Dale,

It was ‘wise’ to use healing magic for others.

“Even if he dies! He’ll come back to life soon anyway!!!”

Not once.

Did I use healing magic for him.

“While he died hundreds, thousands of times, I… just watched.”

Therefore.

I couldn’t dare say to Dale that his life was precious.

Because his life shouldn’t be precious.

If his death could save even one more life.

That was the right thing to do.

“You know…? Every time Dale saves others, he always says something?”

“……”

“Huh? You know, right? Dale has saved your life several times too.”

“I’m glad you’re alive… he says.”

“Haha, yes. He always says that, doesn’t he?”

Even though he has died tens, hundreds of times.

Despite countless cries of excruciating pain.

He always says, “I’m glad you’re alive.”

Words he can never hear himself.

He says them with a bright smile.

“I will die in a month.”

“…Wait. What do you mean you’ll die in a month? What are you suddenly talking about?”

“Because I overused the divine blessing without the ‘Seven Eyes.’ It’s a miracle I’ve lasted this long.”

“……”

“I was hiding it because I didn’t want you to worry, Dale, but there’s no need for that anymore.”

Iris continued with a sad smile.

“Even if I die in a month, if I escape from here and heal people, I can save many lives. Many must have been injured in this war.”

“……”

“Hundreds… no, thousands of lives could be saved.”

But.

“I… I want to go back to where Dale is.”

“……”

“I’ve worked so hard until now… right? I’ve saved many people while turning a blind eye to the sight of him dying in front of me… I’ve become one of the last five heroes, the hope of humanity.”

So.

“Just once… before I die, just once… I want to save him. I want to tell him.”

Your life is precious.

More than anything.

Incomparably precious.

“……”

Yuren silently let go of Iris’s collar.

“…Yuren?”

“Go.”

Leaving only that short word, Yuren turned his back on Iris.

Gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist as if to break it, Yuren walked away desolately.

“……”