Chương 37: Returning to the Academy

As I stepped out of the Cathedral, a sea of eyes tracked my every move. I was likely one of those rare, anomalous cases that a mana slave could actually be free again. Henry and I still had a mountain of issues to discuss, particularly regarding Rachel and her sister. But I was currently exhausted, and he had his own duties to attend to, so we agreed to meet at his office in two days.

"Take good care of Sophia," I said before boarding the carriage back to the academy.

"And make sure Rachel knows her sister is safe." Returning to the Griffin estate was no longer an option; I had effectively and officially burned my bridges with the family. Since Jullius was of little use to me now anyway, severing ties like this might actually make it more convenient to orchestrate his downfall. By the time I arrived at Imperia, classes had long since started. I headed straight for the dormitory and collapsed onto my bed.

After waking up dozens of times on freezing dirt floors, the simple dorm mattress felt miraculously soft and warm. In less than three seconds, I drifted off like a robot whose power had been cut. Perhaps because my brain recognized it was finally in a safe place, bizarre dreams began to surface. They were a chaotic blend of truth and fabrication, making the slumber far from peaceful. I dreamed of my first Isekai life, back when I was just a kid desperate for validation.

I hadn't dared to say "no" for fear of offending anyone. I felt happy even when tasked with the most tedious chores, because it proved I was still "useful." The dream shifted to Earth. I saw the six months I spent locked in my room, feeling as though life held nothing left to wait for. Then I saw the small studio apartment I had finally bought for myself - a place I hadn't even lived in for half a year before being dragged to this world again.

That was likely the closest thing I could call "home" after my mother remarried and moved on with another man.

"Asher? Asher? What's wrong? Are you having a nightmare?" Someone shook my shoulder vigorously, their voice jolting me awake. It was Han, my roommate. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and sat up, glancing out the window. It was already dusk. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"When did you get back to school? You weren't in class this morning, so the teacher went to ask Jullius. He said you were home sick?" I rubbed my eyes, still feeling the lingering weight of exhaustion.

"Yeah, I'm sick. But I didn't want to stay at the estate, so I came here." Han clicked his tongue.

"You really do look terrible. Do you want me to head down to the infirmary and grab some medicine for you?"

"Oh... thanks." I felt a flicker of genuine touch at his concern.

"Is there anything for anemia? Or maybe some iron and zinc supplements?"

"Iron and zinc...? I think you'd have better luck finding those at a blacksmith's forge than an infirmary, but I'll ask." With that, he ducked out of the room. I downed a large glass of water to soothe my parched throat, seriously considering skipping dinner to go back to sleep. However, the moment I laid my head down, the door creaked open again.

"Asher?" Huh? Why is that a girl's voice? I had barely sat up when a figure rushed toward me and pulled me into a tight hug. Man, how long has it been since I was hugged by a girl?

"Alice?" Alice pulled back, her eyes rimmed with red from worry.

"I thought... I thought... you just asked me about that the other day, and then today I heard Jullius say you couldn't make it to school..."

"Ah, I'm just a bit under the weather. Sorry for making you worry." I'm sorry, Alice. In reality, exactly what you feared happened. Alice hadn't come alone; Lealia was with her as well. The herb-obsessed girl asked feverishly, "How do you feel? Fever? Cough? Runny nose? Oh, you're so pale. This looks exactly like symptoms of anemia. Do you have a history of it?"

"Something like that. Can herbs cure anemia?"

"Of course! I have a very effective remedy. I'll bring it over for you tonight, okay?"

"Thanks." Just then, Han returned. Seeing the two girls sitting on my bed, perched a bit too close for comfort, he hesitated.

"Uh... am I interrupting something?" I shot him a look.

"No. They're just visiting a sick friend. Is that a crime?"

"Men can't step foot in the women's dorms, yet women drift in and out of ours whenever they please. The school rules are so unfair," Han muttered, waving a small glass vial.

"The infirmary only had some general tonics. Drink up."

"As long as it doesn't kill me. I'm starving. If you're heading to the canteen, bring me back something to eat."

"Wait, since when did I become your errand boy?" Han's eyes widened. Lealia spoke up, "I'll go. You just stay here and rest." Alice added, "I have to head back too; my lady's carriage is waiting outside. Take care of yourself, okay?" Han watched the two girls leave, then looked back at me, his voice tinged with jealousy.

"Since when did you become so popular with the ladies?" I laid back down and replied, "There's a lot you don't know about me." After finishing the dinner and the herbal tonic Lealia brought over, I felt significantly better. Sleep came gently and peacefully shortly after, and strangely enough, I didn't have a single nightmare that night.