Akareal sighed while massaging her forehead. She'd finally managed to reach the abbey, far later than expected.
'Am I crazy? I could have made the Pope a eunuch!'
There was a chance that Holy Knights would be sent after her. After all, it was unimaginable that a mere mage from a foreign country had smashed the Pope's manhood with her knee. Akareal imagined that under normal circumstances, she, her family, and anyone related to her would have been imprisoned immediately, left to rot in some cell in between sessions of toruture for the rest of her life.
'Aah! I don't know and I don't care. We won't be meeting again anyway, not if I can help it!'
Though she thought as such, Akareal still hesitated at the entrance of the abbey, remembering Salem's words.
"How would the Hero react… if he knew the truth?"
"… It doesn't matter," she said to herself. "Thoma will believe me, but won't he be worried? Ah! This is so annoying! I feel so dirty because of that bastard! It's late, I'm tired, and now I'm stressed…!"
Akareal opened the door and entered the abbey. She was greeted by a single man standing stock-still in the foyer, arms crossed. Their eyes shined brightly, reflecting the moonlight that was flooding through the open door. Akareal was so startled by his presence that she nearly screamed, narrowly avoiding waking the entirety of the abbey. It took her a few moments to realize that it was just Oskal who was standing there.
"What are you doing?!" she hissed at him. "You scared me half to death. I thought you were a ghost. Hm? What's wrong…" she asked, noticing Oskal was acting strange. "Did something happen?"
Akareal looked around. The abbey was quiet, which made sense when one considered the time. The monks and nuns of the abbey, along with the children they cared for, were more than likely already deep asleep. Akareal couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when she noticed that Thoma wasn't with Oskal.
"Has Thoma already gone to bed?"
"Akareal." Oskal said, ignoring her question.
"Hm?"
"I want to ask for a favor."
'A favor?'
Akareal frowned. Thoma and Oskal hated asking for favors. For him to have gone through the effort of waiting for her meant… The only explanation was that there was a problem which neither Oskal nor Thoma could solve. Akareal was already beginning to feel anxious.
"A favor…? What do you need?" she asked.
"… I want you to examine Thoma's body."
***
Oskal quietly opened the door to Thoma's room. When the old door began to creak loudly, Akareal felt a tinge of panic. However, Thoma never stirred, and their infiltration ended up being much easier than she had expected. Standing over his sleeping figure, Akareal was surprised to hear how ragged his breathing was; the sound of sickly wheezing worried her. Oskal walked to her side, looking down at Thoma with equal concern.
"It's like he was knocked out or something." Oskal noted.
Thoma was shifting around restlessly on the bed. It looked like he was suffering through a nightmare. His body convulsed and spasmed. Even so, he didn't wake up. Rather, it was almost like he couldn't wake up. It was as if he was imprisoned within himself, suffering with no way out. Without warning, Thoma let out a piercing scream, sending Oskal running for the door in an attempt to shut it. Akareal jumped back in fright and held a hand over her mouth.
'T-Thoma? T-this is a lie, right? He was fine earlier! How could the Hero of humanity…!'
They had been laughing and sharing stories over drinks just a few hours ago, yet here he was seemingly on death's doorstep. It was a miracle that nobody had noticed his screams and moans and come to check on him. In fact, it was downright unbelievable.
Akareal turned around to look at the door, finding a paper charm covered in runes hanging on it.
"… It's a magic that blocks sound." she muttered.
Akareal was only barely able to stay standing—rather unsteadily—by leaning on her staff for support, her legs having lost their strength. It pained her to see this, to see Thoma struggling to keep his suffering a secret from everyone else..
"O-Oskal, just what's going on…!"
Oskal silently looked at the nightstand beside Thoma's bed. Following his gaze, Akareal saw an empty medicine bag and a glass of water. Oskal gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly, so much so that his hands were shaking.
"… He told me that he was barely sustaining himself with medicine for the time being. I thought that sounded suspicious, but for things to be this bad… Akareal, please examine him."
"Move!" she demanded, pushing Oskal aside and quickly approaching Thoma.
She clasped his hand while reciting her spell. Akareal poured all of her concentration into her magic, causing her to start sweating from the strain. Whether it was to double check Thoma's condition or to find some way to help him, she continued holding onto his hand for several hours. Unfortunately, as time slowly passed, she failed to find even a glimmer of hope. By the end of her extensive examination, a pale-faced Akareal's lips quivered, as though she were about to cry.
"Un… believable."
"…How is it?" Oskal asked, his voice strained. "Thoma's condition?"
"How is it?" Akareal glared at Oskal, taking out her frustration on him. "Did you seriously just ask me how he's doing? He's… this is impossible! His body is well beyond the help of any medication! His heart is beating erratically, his muscles are completely rigid, and his blood's barely even flowing! Because of that, the mana inside his body can't circulate properly. This… this isn't the body of a living person! A normal person would've died twice over by now!"
Akareal tightly gripped Thoma's hand again, burying her head into his palm..
'That's right. If this was an ordinary person, they… would have died after just three seconds in a state like this… Thoma's mental strength has pushed him beyond the limits of what should be humanly possible.'
He was the former Hero, after all. If anyone was going to surpass their limits it would be someone like him. But, be that as it may… even he would eventually succumb to his illness, no matter how strong his willpower was.
"Is there," Oskal hesitated, "no way?"
"Shut up!" Akareal shrieked at him.
She also wanted to believe that there was a way, but she knew Thoma's condition all too well now. Akareal was forced to admit that there was no way to treat him.
'A way? How could you possibly heal a person in this state!'
This was already at the level that even hundreds of priests and mages casting healing magic in conjunction would be unable to save him..
"Treatment… is impossible."
Oskal felt faint at Akareal's death sentence.
"Is… that true?"
She couldn't respond. In despair, Akareal buried her face in Thoma's hand once more.
'It's impossible. My magic can't help him! There is no way to save the hero…!'
Akareal suddenly raised her head as a new idea entered her mind. It was something that she'd known this whole time, but had subconsciously avoided even considering. Until now. '… Is there truly no way?'
"Immortality Magic."
Salem's repulsive voice began to whisper in her mind.
"I see. So it really…! Magic that can prevent aging, death, and illness! You're researching such a thing?"