Felix spent the night dozing in bed, never fully falling asleep. Outside, the streets of Tara still burned fiercely. It wasn't until a light rain at dawn that the flas finally began to die down. Only then did the Victorian fire brigade arrive—late—and begin deploying personnel to suppress the remaining fire.
Degenbrecher and Senomi rested in the adjacent room. No one besides them knew that they had infiltrated the Tara district the night before and rescued a Tara child. Felix had instructed them to rest early and conserve their strength.
Muelsyse, too, was likely resting. Controlling her water clone and utilizing Originium arts from a distance had consud a great deal of her energy. Felix owed her a favor and planned to repay it once they returned to Columbia—perhaps with a few als, or sothing else thoughtful.
He awoke in the early morning to a sky colored in shades of gray—the kind of sky that follows destruction. From the room's window, he could see charred, crumbling buildings in the distance. Victorian officers road the area, setting up cordons and shouting commands to the crowd, though their voices didn't reach this far.
Mandragora was still unconscious. Her fever had lessened slightly, but her forehead remained warm. Felix decided to take her to the local hospital. Although he carried so dicine with him, it would be best to get a proper diagnosis and the right treatnt for her condition.
As for whether the Victorians might recognize Mandragora as a Taran... Felix wasn't sure. There were no visible marks of slavery on Tara children, nor were there any major physical distinctions between them and Victorians. Perhaps the only noticeable difference was in their accents when they spoke.
It was like comparing southern and northeastern accents—if two southerners and two northeasterners beca college roommates, they'd eventually all speak with a northeastern dialect.
So long as Mandragora remained quiet, there shouldn't be any issue. Still, to be safe, she would need to wear clothing that resembled what Victorian children wore.
Senomi and Mandragora were roughly the sa age. But Mandragora, thinner and more delicate, reminded Felix of how Senomi looked when they first t her in the slave market. Since then, Senomi had been eating three als a day, traveling with them, and exercising under Degenbrecher's guidance. Her figure had beco strong and well-balanced.
Degenbrecher woke up early that morning. Though logically she knew no one would connect them to last night's events, her warrior's vigilance kept her alert.
"Degenbrecher, buy so Victorian-style clothing for Mandragora," Felix instructed. "Her condition is still weak—getting her to a doctor is our top priority."
Degenbrecher nodded. She had already been thinking along the sa lines. Walking over, she briefly compared Mandragora's height and build, then turned and left without a word.
Twenty minutes later, she returned, carrying two bags filled with fresh clothes.
Felix stepped out of the room to give Degenbrecher space to change Mandragora's outfit.
Senomi, now awake, spotted Felix standing in the corridor. She rushed over, grabbed his hand tightly, and lowered her head.
"Master... Master, will Mandragora be okay?"
"She'll be fine," Felix said gently, wrapping an arm around her waist and whispering his reassurance. "As long as we're here, Mandragora will be okay."
After a quick breakfast, Degenbrecher carried Mandragora—who was still burning with fever—in her arms, while Felix took Senomi's hand. Together, they made their way to the hospital.
---
There weren't many patients in the hospital, which was strange by any reasonable standard. After a fire of such scale, the place should have been overflowing with burn victims. Yet, the only ones around were a few yawning doctors on duty and so Victorians with mild colds and coughs.
Then again, dead people don't need treatnt or IV drips.
"Hello."
"You're... the ssenger. How can I help you?"
A Feline doctor stood up and addressed them politely.
"My sister has a high fever, and I don't have the right dicine with ..." Felix said, hesitating for a mont.
The doctor stepped forward and looked at Mandragora. His eyes scanned the Victoria-style children's clothes she wore, then moved up to her flushed cheeks and faint moaning.
"I'll take her temperature. Please wait a mont."
Degenbrecher remained silent, observing the doctor's focused deanor. anwhile, Senomi, standing beside her, let out a quiet breath of relief.
"The doctors here are very good. Mandragora will definitely get better."
Felix and Degenbrecher exchanged a glance but said nothing. Neither of them told Senomi what had happened the previous night. It was a secret the two of them would carry alone. They had no desire to taint Senomi's innocence with such grim truths.
As her "guardian," Felix accompanied the doctor into the ward. Mandragora lay on the bed while the doctor carried out a basic temperature check and physical examination.
In the ga, there's a main class called "dic." Felix had once played a side character with that class, but honestly, playing a dic didn't an one could beco a doctor in real life. Healing people on a battlefield, or restoring HP by attacking enemies—sure. But performing actual surgery or saving patients in a hospital room? That was a different matter entirely.
There were so players who worked as doctors in real life and had chosen to play doctors in-ga, too. But most of them gave up quickly. As they said: they played gas to relax—not to work overti.
After all, who wants to be a doctor both in real life and in the ga world?
Fortunately, Mandragora's condition wasn't serious. She only needed dication and rest. The doctor explained the precautions clearly—what to eat, what to avoid—then nodded politely and left.
Felix paid extra to get her a private room with a single bed.
When Degenbrecher and Senomi entered the ward, they saw Mandragora receiving an IV. Senomi rushed forward with wide, worried eyes.
The two adults ca over, both wearing somber expressions.
"I just read the Oak Grove County morning paper," said Degenbrecher. "There were more than a thousand people in the Tara district. Over 800 bodies have already been confird…"
"In a situation like that, we couldn't save everyone." Felix exhaled deeply, gently patting Degenbrecher's shoulder. His voice carried a weary frustration. "The Caster's Originium arts accelerated the fire... We tried our best."
"I'm not blaming you, Boss. We did what we could."
"I know... of course I know," Felix murmured, shaking his head. His voice lowered. "But don't you think there's just too much injustice in this world? Too many things that make people angry? The Tara people only wanted to live. That's all. They weren't asking for much—just the right to survive. But even that was taken from them by the Victorians."
"Boss…"
Degenbrecher looked at Felix closely. He wasn't speaking out of blind rage or hatred. His expression was calm—painfully calm. And in that calmness, she saw clarity. He wasn't consud by anger—he understood exactly what he was saying.
Though her face remained expressionless, Degenbrecher's own fury simred just beneath the surface, no less than Felix's.
Over 800 lives, lost in a senseless tragedy. And the number was still rising.
"Degenbrecher, there is no land in this world that is truly clean. Kazimierz is consud by the shadows of capitalism. Ursus crushes the infected under despair. Columbia's scientific community is rotten to its core. The echoes of Leithanien's past still linger, and Yan faces several significant problems, including political instability, developnt inequalities, and the lingering threat of the Sui.… In the future, we'll face more and more injustices that will make us angry, make us lose our minds."
"I'm not asking you to suppress your anger. I'm just saying… hide that anger, and your compassion, deep in your heart. Turn them into strength. Strength to keep moving forward. Don't be afraid of pain and darkness, Degenbrecher. Don't be afraid of suffering and darkness."
Degenbrecher had originally intended to comfort Felix, but instead, she found herself being comforted by him. The corners of her lips lifted slightly, and she nodded.
"Boss… your words carry strength."
"How else do you think I survived those endless talks with the cold-blooded people from the Chamber of Comrce?" Felix chuckled and glanced at her before sitting down beside the bed.
"When Mandragora recovers, I'll leave her in your care. She's more suited to becoming a Caster—you just need to help her train."
"Understood."
Mandragora was fed so liquid food and, just before dinner, finally regained consciousness.
Her golden eyes, still a bit dim, fluttered open to the sight of a strange ceiling.
"You're awake. How do you feel? Are you still in pain?"
The voice struck Mandragora like a thunderclap to the heart. Her body trembled faintly. She blinked, forcing her tired eyes to focus on the figure beside the bed, the one watching her with deep concern. Her lips moved slightly.
"Pioneer… Brother?"
"It's ."
"Brother Pioneer…"
"I'm right here."
Mandragora reached out her hand. Felix gently took her small hand in his, his palm wrapping her in warmth.
Feeling that familiar warmth, Mandragora's eyes quickly turned red.
"Dad… Mom…"
Felix fell silent, bowing his head.
At first, Mandragora seed overjoyed to see Felix, a faint smile forming at the edge of her lips. But the mont she thought of her parents—how they had still been calling out to her in worry before the flas swallowed them—she could no longer hold back. Her tears fell, and her voice broke.
"Our ho… It's gone. My ho is gone…"
Senomi's eyes filled with tears too. She turned away and stared out the window, saying nothing.
Felix only held Mandragora's hand tighter.
"The people of Tara… Tara Street is gone. Grandpa Jack is gone… Aunt Norma is gone… Uncle Boris is gone..."
Mandragora wiped her tears, trying to hold back her sobs, but her small fra trembled.
Eventually, the exhaustion overtook her, and she drifted back into sleep.
After another check, the doctor reassured them that Mandragora hadn't fully recovered her strength. More rest was all she needed for now.
They all remained in the hospital.
Later that evening, after dinner, Muelsyse stopped by. She examined Mandragora and confird that her temperature had nearly returned to normal. After a brief exchange with Felix and Degenbrecher, she left once more.
The next day, Mandragora awoke to the first rays of morning sunlight. The warmth in her hand had vanished, and panic welled up in her chest. She sat up abruptly, only to find Felix, Degenbrecher, and Senomi sleeping on the simple hospital beds nearby.
They hadn't left… They were still here.
Mandragora had been terrified of being abandoned. Ever since losing her ho, she had felt like a helpless wild animal, wandering alone, lacking the strength to defend herself or even forage for food.
Felix had saved her—but what if he cast her aside? He already had Senomi… Would he still want her? What could she do to remain by his side? Panic clouded Mandragora's eyes, and her body trembled. The fear of being abandoned again gripped her heart.
---
Later, Felix awoke naturally and saw Degenbrecher already awake, gently feeding Mandragora a porridge. After washing up quickly, he returned to the ward and approached Mandragora's bed.
"Mandragora, how did you sleep?" he asked.
"Thank you, Pioneer Brother. Mandragora feels very good now," she replied with a forced sweet smile.
Felix remained quiet for a mont. Then he reached out and ruffled her black hair.
"Don't wear that expression, Mandragora. You don't need to please ."
Her body flinched slightly. She looked at Felix, bracing herself for so kind of reprimand.
"I hope we can all express our feelings and thoughts freely," Felix continued calmly. "There's no need to always try to please one another. Being honest with each other helps us build real understanding…"
Seeing that Mandragora seed confused, he softened his tone further. "What I an is… family mbers don't need to please each other. Mandragora, everyone here is your family now."
He looked at her gently.
"Mandragora, would you be willing to beco a part of our family?"
The little girl stared at Felix in a daze. Slowly, tears of joy began to well up in her eyes. She blinked, and tears fell like tiny pearls.
"Yes… Yes, I do. I want to be Brother's family," she said, voice trembling.
"Then finish your al and focus on getting better."
Felix stroked her black hair again and chuckled softly. If Mandragora ever beca like she was in her past life, he thought, he would rather end his own life to make ands. It is said that if a child is not raised properly, the fault lies with the parent. Now that he had beco Mandragora's guardian, Felix resolved to teach her to beco a thoughtful, confident, and capable Taran—soone who could support his future endeavors.
She would not walk the path of the villain again. Perhaps, in this life, she would be soone truly beloved by many.
---
After Mandragora was discharged from the hospital, Degenbrecher and Senomi continued to live together. Felix had originally planned to rent a separate room for Mandragora, but she refused—unwilling to waste her Pioneer Brother's money. With no other choice, Felix allowed her to stay with them.
The day of their departure from Oak Grove County drew near.
Late one night, Felix heard the sound of a door closing gently. He opened his eyes and noticed that the bed beside him was empty.
He didn't wake Degenbrecher. Instead, he quietly turned on the desk lamp and operated the drone, guiding it to follow Mandragora's figure.
Felix found her in a deserted cetery on the outskirts of Oak Grove County. Clutched tightly in her hand was the staff he had given her—sothing she had never let go of. Shrouded in the darkness of night, she gritted her teeth and practiced over and over again.
Felix observed in silence. As the sky gradually brightened with the first light of dawn, Mandragora finally put away her staff. She dropped to her knees, panting heavily, resting there for a while before turning and running back in the direction of the hotel.
Once he saw Mandragora return safely, Felix closed his eyes again and allowed himself to fall asleep.
---
T/N: Hello everyone, Thank you for your support until now.
I just want to announce that this chapter might be the only chapter that i can release today, and tomorrow I can't give you a chapter update until Monday.
If you wondering why, it's because tomorrow i have Language Proficiency Test, and i want to study a bit tonight before resting my body and mind completely.
And one more thing, if you noticed in the recent chapters, I have tried to reduce Chinese glazing and related matters. Though, I still let so of them in which I think are still within reasonable limits. In the future, I will continue to try to improve the quality of my translations and try to reduce unnecessary Chinese glazing.
Sorry for the inconveniences, and thank you for your understanding.
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