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“Are you telling me to discharge now?”

I let out a hollow laugh, incredulous at the absurdity of it all.

“Excuse me, Saint. This is the Intensive Care Unit. I even have to wheel my IV stand to go to the restroom right here. Without it, I can’t even step outside.”

It’s true my condition had improved, but that was only compared to when I was wheeled in. I’m still getting IV drips every day. I can move around, but if I want to be practical, I have to use the IV stand as a makeshift cane.

But seriously, what the heck do they mean by discharge?

However, Veronica was unfazed, picking at her ear with her pinky finger while chewing through my words.

“At this rate, you’ll be perfectly fine to go. Who told the Colonel to walk to the hotel? Come on, get out quickly, we drove here.”

“No, no matter how you put it, in this state…”

I trailed off, my gaze dropping. At the end of my sight lay a hospital gown that screamed, “Hey, I’m a patient!”

It’s standard to wear a patient gown in the hospital. My suit, which I wore to the department store, had long ago turned into a rag and ended up in the clothing donation bin.

Sure, I could contact my unit or family to bring me clothes, but it’s the middle of the night. If I called at this hour, asking for a change of clothes while being holed up in the ICU, they’d probably think, “Oh, this guy has finally lost it.”

“I’ll ask for something suitable once the sun’s up. You go ahead and…”

“I brought you clothes.”

“What?”

“I brought a suit for the Colonel to wear.”

Veronica, dressed in her priestly attire, opened a large bag she’d brought from somewhere and pulled out a suit.

With an air of confidence, she held out the suit to me with a smile that seemed a bit too bright for this situation.

“I asked my sister. She got you one that fits your usual size. The shoes are here too.”

“…Which sister?”

“Francesca.”

“Oh.”

I was at a loss for words, feeling like I had just been hit on the head.

Ignoring my dazed state, Veronica placed the suit and shoes on the bed and urged me.

“Hurry and change. We need to get out before everyone heads to work.”

Episode 9 – Old Fashioned

Discharge happened in the blink of an eye.

Normally, you need the attending doctor’s permission to be discharged, but fortune smiled on me; my attending physician was on duty.

The doctor got the news through the intercom and, along with the military chaplain, jumped up from the on-call sofa and dashed down to the first floor.

And then, they face-planted.

The doctor was flabbergasted at seeing me standing on my own, while the military chaplain fainted at the sight of my thumbs still attached.

I had no clue why they were acting like this, but Veronica poked me in the side and pulled my arm, forcing me to leave.

“This is ridiculous…”

“You’ve been babbling weird stuff since a while ago. Stop the nonsense; it’s cold, let’s head back in.”

Thus, bypassing all complex procedures, we wrapped up the discharge and headed straight to the hotel.

*

Welcoming foreign guests is traditionally an important event in diplomacy.

And every time such visits occur, there’s always a petty argument about “Which hotel is the guest staying at?”

There’s the ‘Hyatt Hotel’, favored by past U.S. presidents due to its proximity to the Yongsan U.S. military base.

Then there’s the ‘Lotte Hotel’, with roots in both Korea and Japan, always the choice for the Japanese Prime Minister.

And of course, there’s the ‘Shilla Hotel’, rich in history and symbolism, trusted by the Chinese President and Prime Minister due to its recognition in the Chinese market.

These hotels were where leaders from America, Japan, and China stayed during their visits to Korea.

All are five-star hotels, equipped with exclusive spaces for state guests, and share the commonality of political and historical significance.

The hotel provided by the Government of Abas was no different.

“It’s really spacious.”

The hotel was vast and grand.

Boasting a long history, it had hosted countless heads of state starting with President Patalia, and even the Emperor of the Kien Empire had once stayed there. It used to be operated by the Government of Abas specifically for state guests.

Moreover, it was a favorite among foreign dignitaries and well-known individuals visiting Abas, so the hotel’s historical significance was beyond description.

But the people currently staying there were not just simple political figures or celebrities.

“…Huh?”

As I passed through the hallway, Camila’s eyes met mine, and she jumped back in surprise, shouting.

“Uh… what are you doing here—no, when did you arrive?”

“Just now.”

Camila naturally spread her arms wide upon meeting me. I, too, opened my arms, interpreting it as an invitation for a hug.

…Such grandeur.

We embraced briefly before letting go.

Camila looked at me with a bewildered expression, as if still processing something.

“Were you not hurt badly? What on earth happened? I heard you were hospitalized, but there was no way to contact you…”

“Oh, it was a tough place to communicate from. I couldn’t even reach out to my family.”

“Did you get hurt badly?”

“Now, it’s all good! You can’t tell I’m perfectly discharged, can you?”

“Thank goodness! I was quite surprised.”

After exchanging greetings, Camila chuckled lightly. It was a smile that seemed to say she finally felt relieved.

While I was happily chatting with Camila, I suddenly felt a sharp gaze from the side.

At the end of that line of sight was Veronica, looking at me with suspicion-filled eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Since when did you two become so close…?”

“…Huh?”

Camila retorted as if to say, “What’s that supposed to mean?” While Veronica narrowed her eyes and shot me a strange glance.

I pondered why this person was acting like this out of the blue, and then it hit me that she was a noble from the Empire.

While hugs are accepted as greetings in the global community, in this neighborhood, unless you’re family or as close as friends, hugging is pretty rare. And especially for nobles who value etiquette, it’s even less likely, not to mention a commoner.

Of course, these days, people do hug as a light greeting. But Veronica was far from being that kind of person. What kind of lunatic would dare ask a saint for a hug? Not even the Pope would do that.

So, it was only natural for Veronica to react like this.

“Oh, you don’t know, Saint? It’s just a greeting.”

“…You two aren’t even opposite sexes, and you’re hugging?”

“Uh… It’s a greeting in England, you know?”

“…Now even foreigners are civil servants?”

Is that your polite way of saying, “Are you an Abas or a Brit”?

Veronica softened her words. In reality, it’s not England; it’s Korea.

I shrugged my shoulders, diverting the topic, and moved on.

After that, I knew exactly who I would meet next.

“Welcome! I received word that you had departed, but I’m sorry I couldn’t come to greet you earlier.”

“No worries. It’s been a while. Administrator.”

“I’m glad to see you as well. Colonel.”

Francesca smiled gently.

She greeted me with an overly kind attitude, smoothing down her suit jacket with her fingers.

“I’m relieved that the suit fits well. I was worried since I got it in a hurry, and I wasn’t sure if the measurements were accurate… Seems like my concern was unfounded.”

“Thanks to your good eye, Administrator.”

I lightly shook hands with Francesca and then turned to someone else.

“Saint Lucia, it’s good to see you. Have you been well?”

“I’ve been fine. How’s your wound recovering? Don’t overexert yourself…”

“Oh, I’m all good! Can’t you see I’m discharged and perfectly fine?”

I chuckled awkwardly at Lucia’s concerned question.

The doctor didn’t even say I could be discharged, and if we’re being honest, it was more like Veronica just took me away on her own accord, but hey, I seem to be in one piece, so it looks like there’s no problem.

And with two saints around, what worries could I possibly have? I mean, Veronica might be another story, but Lucia wouldn’t just sit by and watch a patient suffer.

Lucia left me with a reminder to come see her if anything unusual happens, and I promised her I would get checked up someday as I grasped her outstretched hand.

“Huh? Your fingers…”

“Huh?”

While we were shaking hands, Lucia suddenly murmured, sensing something odd.

That’s when I raised my right hand to show my companions.

“Oh, this? Thanks to Saint Veronica, it’s all better now.”

“Is that so? No wonder I felt the divine touch…”

“You really can tell, huh?”

I exchanged pleasantries with Camila, Lucia, and Francesca as we talked about what had happened during my hospitalization.

Ah, it felt great to be out of bed.

“I was so depressed lying in that hospital bed all day, but being out feels amazing! Seriously, why did you take so long to come?!”

“Blame the Ministry of Defense. Or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

She says to vent at the workplace. They say if you have no one to listen to you, even the president can be a target of your grumbling, but it felt a bit iffy to complain about work, just in case someone was secretly eavesdropping.

So, I just laughed.

“Alright!”

Veronica clapped her hands to grab everyone’s attention and changed the mood.

“Everyone’s just standing around here, let’s head inside! The Colonel is here, so let’s have a party!”

“You could just say you want to drink.”

“Who would say that directly? Just pick up on it, you know?”

“Ah, sure…”

I mumbled quietly to Veronica as I stepped into the room with the four others.

*

While we were in the middle of enjoying drinks with my companions…

I received a call from Colonel Clevenz.

 

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