"I'll move my heavy ass." Did I hear that right? The first thing I feel when I wake up is a series of light blows against my side. A few seconds later, my brain finally processes the image of someone kicking me. That someone is the princess.
"How is it that treating you badly is what finally wakes you up? Are you into that kind of weird stuff?" She keeps giving me little kicks to my side. Her tiny kicks feel more like she's repeatedly pressing her finger against my body.
"What are you talking about?" After several long seconds, my brain finally decides to start working properly. I still haven't fully processed everything that's happened.
"I tried waking you up gently several times before, but you didn't react at all. I thought you had died. The only reaction I got was when I started talking to you rudely and kicking you. I didn't know you were into those kinds of fetishes." This time I can hear the laughter she's trying to suppress.
"Don't be ridiculous." I sit up on the bed and notice a small bucket filled with water. I take the opportunity to wash my face so I can wake up properly. Sure enough, the lukewarm water does the trick. The world becomes much clearer after splashing my face several times.
"When did I fall asleep?" I ask curiously.
I remember that after finishing healing everyone, Cokue escorted me to Brendu's small tent. The princess helped me change my clothes, and while we were talking about something, my eyes simply closed.
"Somewhere in the middle of confessing your love to me, you fell asleep." She brings a finger to her lips. "You had just reached the part where you were saying I was the most beautiful and wonderful thing in your life... or something like that." The serious tone in her voice almost makes me believe her.
I don't react at all. I simply stare at her face without making the slightest expression, maintaining my usual poker face. It seems my response worked, because she quietly returns her attention to the papers on her small desk.
"Your grandmother contacted me a little while ago. She decided to call a real responsible adult because her sleepy little grandson wouldn't answer." I know Brendu's voice well enough to recognize that tone. She only uses it when something important has happened.
"In short, everything went well. Apparently there weren't any major complications during the negotiations with the Escamus named Edupe. In fact, it went even better than expected. They had prepared themselves for hours of back-and-forth negotiations, but everything was much simpler than anyone imagined. Your brother thinks it's thanks to you. Edupe wouldn't stop talking about the kid who pushed him to his limit despite being an entire rank below him."
So everything went well?
I let out a long sigh after Brendu finishes speaking. During every spare moment, I couldn't stop thinking about how the negotiations were going. During every other moment, my mind was working at full capacity just to keep any of my patients from dying.
"They still need to finalize a few details regarding the attack on the ogres, but both sides agree it should happen as soon as possible. News of the alliance could leak sooner or later, so it's best to take advantage of that surprise and deal them a decisive blow."
The princess keeps talking without pause. I completely agree. In situations like these, it's always better to strike before the enemy has time to prepare. I also have a few things I need to take care of as soon as possible before going to see Eisty.
"We've already been given permission to return if we want. There's not much left for us to do after your incredible work as a doctor. Most of the personnel can now return to their normal duties, and more reinforcements are already on the way along with the people responsible for planning the construction of the future town."
I look up at the ceiling of the small tent. So Brendu and I will be the only ones returning. Cokue will most likely stay behind as the chief guard of this place. Joaki and Murill will probably hold positions of equal importance to keep everything running smoothly.
"By the way, the future town already has a name." I lower my gaze toward Brendu. She's wearing a radiant smile. "After discussing it with Edupe, they reached an agreement. The new town will be called Mape, using the first two letters of your name and the last two letters of his. Your father, grandmother, and older brother all send you a big hug to thank you for everything you've done for the territory."
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
So the next town will carry part of my name... and part of the monster who fought me and used to rule this territory.
I can't help letting out a quiet laugh. Just a few hours ago, we were trying to kill each other. Now the new town will bear a combination of our names.
"I'll call them tonight once everything settles down. I want to hear every detail." I get out of bed, crack every joint I can, and stretch my body to finish waking up.
"They'll be happy to talk to you. By the way, you've become incredibly popular among all the guards once again. Everyone's talking about how you healed every last one of them even when your eyes were about to close and your body was begging you to stop. You even used your very last drop of mana. Everyone in this camp has enormous respect and gratitude for you."
Brendu's voice is filled with unmistakable pride. She's genuinely proud of me.
"They don't need to thank me. It's part of a doctor's duty to save everyone within the limits of their abilities." Those words were drilled into my head by Ogine's father.
The only thing I never wanted to inherit from doctors was their personality. They always looked grumpy while doing their work... I remembered getting irritated with several soldiers simply because they had too many injuries or were on the verge of death.
Memories of my time at the clinic resurfaced. In the emergency department, I was always hearing complaints from every direction. Have I become something like that? At the very least, none of them ever stopped giving their absolute best. That good habit seems to have rubbed off on me as well.
"Shall we head back? I really want to get some more rest. My Cube has taken quite a beating after fighting at my limit and squeezing every last drop of mana out of it." One good night's sleep probably won't be enough, but it'll certainly help.
"I told you not to push yourself so hard. You weren't the only one who ran out of mana..." Glia's voice echoes through our connection. She sounds exhausted as well.
"I'm sorry... I went a little overboard. Thank you for lending me your mana." I send my gratitude through our connection.
"I deserve some good monster cores and a proper rest once we get back." She tries to sound indifferent, but I can still feel faint waves of happiness through our bond.
"Whatever you want. You deserve everything you ask for and more. You're always there for me." The moment I finish speaking, Glia cuts the connection again. She wants to get some more rest.
"Yes, it's time to head back. I need a proper bath." Brendu stores all of her papers and important belongings inside her storage bracelet.
She contributed more than anyone else during the battle, constantly fighting on the front lines while simultaneously reinforcing the weakest points to keep the formation from collapsing. Her monstrous trees put on an extraordinary performance. Their powerful poison and wooden attacks carried much of the burden while Cokue fought the Escamus leaders.
At the same time, she came away with the fewest injuries—not only because of her incredible defenses and exceptional battlefield awareness. Her poison was the true key. It's what she's been practicing tirelessly throughout our training inside the dungeon.
She can use her poison affinity to slowly heal her own wounds. She's spent countless hours over many days practicing that technique. Her older brother is a specialist in that field. He's famous both for wielding a poison capable of breaking through multiple defenses and for using that same poison to heal himself.
Brendu is still far from reaching his level, but she's already started walking that path. She can now heal herself during battle, and although it isn't life affinity, it's still remarkably effective because it's her own mana. She's becoming more and more of a monster.
Who would win right now? Areci or Brendu? If the maid hasn't kept up with her training, she's going to be in for quite a surprise when she reunites with the princess. Knowing that woman, she's probably been training like a madwoman as well.
As we leave, I can feel countless eyes fixed on my back. Everyone has stopped what they were doing just to watch us. Brendu stores the campsite tent inside her storage bracelet. She notices everyone staring at me and lets out a quiet chuckle.
She walks over to me. "I told you you're even more popular now... but why are those three women staring at you so intensely?" I follow her gaze and recognize the three girls I healed immediately after finishing with Cokue and Murill. They'd all been on the verge of death.
"They're just grateful patients." I shrug.
She narrows her eyes slightly. "Well, say goodbye. I hope you have some sort of speech prepared. I'd like to fly back home already." She grabs my shoulders and turns me around until I'm facing everyone.
"Thank you all for your incredible work. Every one of you contributed to achieving this great milestone for our territory. I hope I can continue counting on all of you in the future. Thank you—from both me and my entire family." While Brendu and I were talking, even more people had gathered around us, as though they'd quietly spread the word among themselves.
"Not bad. You still need more practice." Brendu steps up beside me. She gives a much longer—and far more impressive—speech. Everyone applauds. Some cheer, others whistle at the same time. I definitely need to improve my speaking skills.
The two of us quickly rise into the sky, waving goodbye as we fly straight toward Talar. It's finally time to go home, take a proper shower, and get some real rest. The outcome I achieved today turned out far better than I ever expected.