Chapter 13 Rebound
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(…I can’t get up…)
I just woke up, and I tried to sit up, but my whole body hurt too much to move.
When I managed to turn my head to the side, I saw Kazumi’s worried face there.
”Good morning… Does your body hurt?”
”Good morning, Kazumi. Yeah, turning my neck is about all I can do.”
”I thought so…”
”You thought so?”
”Rena said something earlier…”
Kazumi squeezed a towel in the basin next to my pillow and pulled back the blanket.
”Hey!”
”Just stay still!”
”No, I can’t move because it hurts!”
”Right.”
Kazumi didn’t hesitate to pull down my pajama pants.
”What are you doing?!”
”I told you, Rena said that the rebound from ‘Physical Boost’ is really strong!”
Saying that, she pressed the towel she just squeezed against my calf.
”Ah, that’s warm…”
”Mr. Rudolf said that you probably have muscle pain all over. If we use ‘Heal,’ it’s a waste because the pain is for your muscles to grow.”
”I see. It really puts a lot of strain on my body, huh…”
Kazumi quickly placed the warmed towel on both of my legs.
”Ah, wait, not there…”
”?”
No, the inner thigh is a bad idea, Ms. Kazumi.
”I have to warm this area too… right…?”
Then, Kazumi seemed to realize something and hesitated.
”Why are you getting hard?! You have muscle pain, right?!”
No, that’s not muscle.
”Sorry… I’m an 8-year-old in good health, so there’s nothing I can do about it…”
Yes, I would be accused of being a lolicon even if I were 23 years old, but right now I’m an 8-year-old. And my body is that of a late elementary school to middle school student in my previous life. There’s nothing I can do about it, right? I mean, a cute girl is touching my inner thigh?
Kazumi quickly placed a towel on both of my inner thighs and roughly covered my lower body with a blanket.
”I can’t believe it…!”
”I’m sorry…”
I can’t move because my body hurts, so I can only apologize.
”…Damn… It’s a kid, but it’s so big…”
I’ll pretend I didn’t hear Kazumi’s muttered comment.
”Come on! Next is your upper body. I have to warm up your arms especially.”
Kazumi’s treatment was gentle, even though she was still angry.
* * *
”Are you awake now?”
I hear Rena’s voice.
I turn my sore neck and look towards the door of the room, and Rena and Martina, who is in a wheelchair, are peering at me.
”Good morning. I’m sorry for sleeping like this…”
”You can’t move your body because it hurts, right? There’s nothing I can do about it.”
Rena comes to the bed while pushing the wheelchair.
”Um… Ms. Martina… right? Are you okay now?”
I’m a little concerned about Martina, who can’t move her body in bed.
”Yeah. I’m fine now. I can move my legs properly, but the doctor said I shouldn’t walk for a day just in case.”
Martina answered a little shyly.
”Uh… Big brother and big sister saved me when I was injured and collapsed… so… thank you!”
Martina said her thanks energetically, even though she was shy.
”Wll, big brother…?”
”? I heard that big brother and big sisters are 8 years old. I’m still 6 years old, so you’re my brothers and sisters.”
Sitting in a wheelchair, I feel a strange sense of discomfort when a woman, who is only about a head taller than me, calls me “big brother.” I guess it’s because I’m actually 23 years old inside.
”…So, are you going to take care of me here for a while?”
I only direct my gaze at Rena.
”Yeah. Papa and Mama said you’ll help out at the clinic.”
”…I’m a bit worried that Isaac and Roana aren’t here…”
Martina looks down a little.
”I see. It must be tough with all these strangers, but everyone is nice, so it’ll be okay… Ouch!”
Rena suddenly grabs my arm.
”Hm. It seems like the ‘Physical Boost’ effect is pretty tough on a kid’s body. I should have used it a bit weaker.”
Rena says this and puts my arm back under the blanket.
”Well, if I think of it as intense strength training…”
I grimace at the pain.
”But having to go through this every time is a bit much…”
Rena crosses her arms.
”?”
”Hiroya, do you want to learn to use ‘Physical Boost’ yourself?”
”Huh?”
”──When Rena uses it on you, it’s hard to control, and it’s too strong because of Rena’s magical power.”
Kazumi, who had stepped out to change the hot water, stands there holding a basin and said.
”Yeah, Hiroya. If you can use it yourself, you’ll be able to control your body better, so it’ll be just the right boost.”
She rolls back the blanket and quickly replaces it with a warm towel.
”Me using magic, huh…”
”It’s okay. I believe you can do it. You already have some martial arts training, and you naturally focused your mind to boost yourself.”
Rena’s approval makes me happy. I feel like I can do it.
”Also, Hiroya, when you use ‘Physical Boost’ during practice, it seems like your basic physical abilities go up.”
Saying that, Kazumi changes the towel on her chest.
”I see. So it means the load on my body gets stronger. Well then, can you teach me?”
”Okay! Leave it to Rena!”
Rena slaps her own chest.
”Now, next is the lower body. Rena and Martina, you two go outside.”
”Huh? Why?”
”For Hiroya’s honor.”
Saying that, Kazumi pushes the two out of the room.
”Well, see you later!”
Rena pushes Martina’s wheelchair as they leave the room. Yeah, it’s really embarrassing to be seen by 3 girls.
”Alright then…”
Kazumi rolls up her sleeves.
”Kazumi, if it happens again like that… please forgive me? It’s out of my control…”
I should apologize in advance.
”You’re a lively boy, so it’s understandable… Alright!”
Saying that, Kazumi lifted the blanket off my lower body with determination.
* * *
Thanks to Kazumi’s care, by early afternoon, the pain had eased enough for me to sit up.
”──Big Brother Hiroya!”
A girl rushed into the room and clung to me while I was sitting on the bed.
”Ugh!”
Just when the pain was finally easing…
”Hey, hey, wait!”
Kazumi pulled the girl away.
”Hiroya, thank you so much.”
Next, a man entered the room and bowed his head to me. It’s the guild master.
And the girl who clung to me is Ali-Ali, the guild master’s daughter.
”I couldn’t thank you properly last night.”
Saying that, the man pulled Jan’s hand and brought him to the bed.
”It’s all because of my stupid son… Look!”
”Really… I’m sorry… If you weren’t here, my sister would have been in big trouble because of my foolishness… So… thank you…”
Jan bows his head.
”Well, I’m glad we made it in time.”
”Even though he’s such a fool, please be friends with him.”
The guild master says this while grabbing Jan’s head and making him bow lower.
”Please be friends with me too!”
Alisa clings to my left arm.
”I said! Hiroya is still in pain, you know?”
Kazumi pulls Alisa away again.
”But to defeat that many goblins with just kids… You really are the lord’s son…”
The guild master grumbles.
”No, that was Rena’s magic…”
It was really thanks to Rena’s power.
”Plus, one of them was a high goblin, right?”
Ah, that big one.
”That one was taken down by this kid.”
I point to Kazumi, who is holding Alisa back.
”Huh? Oh, that was… just me copying Rena in a pinch…”
Kazumi looks confused while still holding Alisa.
”This is exciting for the future. The guild in Razia Village is safe.”
The guild master laughs while still holding Jan’s head down.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.