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“Hah, hah…”

“Director Hop?”

It seems I was so excited that I was breathing heavily without realizing it.

The princess tilted her head in confusion and looked over here.

I didn’t mean to let it show, but it’s impossible not to be excited at something like this…

“It’s… it’s okay. I was just a bit surprised.”

“Well, if you hear that’s Zion… anyone would be surprised.”

Fortunately, it seems the princess didn’t notice anything strange.

“Nao. Who is this person?”

“Hop Harvey. He’s the director of the kingdom’s rehabilitation center. Have you heard of Zion?”

“No.”

Zion’s voice, barely a whisper, was void of any strength or will. It felt so empty, I wondered if she was even curious about who I was.

No, calling it a voice might be too generous; it felt more like air carrying words.

What she was uttering… was it really something coming from a human’s mouth?

Words carry meaning, which is imbued by will, and will arises from life.

While I had an inkling of Zion’s condition, hearing her voice confirmed my suspicions completely.

Not only was her body incapacitated, but her mind was utterly broken too.

There was no sense of hope or meaning in life, hence her words had no will behind them.

In my experience as a rehabilitation specialist, I’d never seen someone so completely destroyed in both body and mind.

“They say rehabilitation medicine is the best emerging medicine these days. He might be able to heal Zion.”

I see. Is that why I was brought here? To show me Zion?

Just like on the first day when she showed me her condition, to let me see how she was doing?

“……”

Zion, upon hearing my introduction, slowly raised her head to look at me.

I too steadied my racing heart and met her gaze.

And the moment I faced her hollow, crimson eyes,

‘It’s not about showing Zion to me… They brought me here to show me to Zion.’

I couldn’t help but realize that the princess’s intention was the opposite of what I had thought.

Her purpose was to introduce me, the leading expert in rehabilitation medicine, to completely broken Zion.

Perhaps, this might give Zion some hope for recovery… but is her heart shattered as well?

“Nao.”

“Yes?”

Zion, who had been gazing at me for a moment, turned her eyes back to the princess as if I didn’t matter.

“It’s hard to stand. I’m okay, so don’t push yourself.”

Huh? What’s this expression on Zion’s face…?

Until now, I hadn’t felt anything from her, but just now, I sensed genuine concern from her.

“Ah~ this? Thanks to diligent rehabilitation treatment, I can walk a little now! Want to see?”

The princess leaned slightly forward, shaky but determined, and began taking steps forward with her crutches.

So that’s why she stood up to come all this way to show this. But right now, the condition of the princess’s legs…

“Your Highness, please don’t overdo it…”

“It’s fine. Just this much…”

Was she really planning to walk like a normal person? As she handed the crutch towards me and took a step, suddenly,

“Uh, oh no!”

“Your Highness!”

“Nao!”

The princess, who had handed me the crutches, lost strength in her legs and stumbled forward, and I quickly caught her.

Given her leg condition, this was an obvious outcome. I anticipated this happening, so I was able to prevent her from crashing to the floor.

“Nao!!”

Somewhere, a maid rushed back, pushing a wheelchair.

“Nao, sit down quickly. Here…”

As I handed the princess over to the maid, she swiftly helped the princess sit in the wheelchair.

“Director Hop. Help Zion, please. Quickly!”

“Yes?”

Since the princess urgently requested, I turned around to where Zion was.

There she was, sprawled on the floor, trembling after having fallen from her wheelchair.

“Oh no!”

Was Zion trying to reach out to help the princess too? How difficult must it be for her to lose her balance like that?

I carefully approached where Zion had fallen, extending my hand to help her back up.

“I’ll help you.”

“Don’t touch my body!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“What?!”

Just as my hand was about to touch Zion’s shoulder, she yelled so sharply that I couldn’t help but jump back in shock.

‘Hero Zion… shouts like that?!’

In the stories, she never complained or lashed out at anyone. Yet here she was, yelling like that?

The princess, having barely regained her posture in the wheelchair, seemed just as flustered and quickly rushed over to Zion.

“I’ll help you. Director, please step back.”

In this situation, I only had to comply with the princess’s authority.

“Zion. Are you okay?”

“Nao…”

“Come on, get up quickly.”

Zion squinted her eyes tight, lowering her head while tremblingly lifting her arm, managing to clasp onto Nao’s hand in the wheelchair.

“Ugh…”

Holding the princess’s hand tightly, Zion kept her eyes and mouth shut, letting out a pained scream as she dragged herself up to collapse into the princess’s embrace.

“Hah, hah…”

“Zion…”

Zion, panting heavily, was held in the princess’s arms for a moment before she was gently placed into the wheelchair.

Before my eyes, two figures were facing each other, both injured from the war — the hero who saved the world and the mage.

And there they were, confronting their helplessness in front of their fallen comrade’s grave!

At this moment, I was experiencing an intense thrill I might never feel again in my life.

‘Ah, what will they say next?! How do they comfort one another’s wounds? Or will there just be silence? Could it be… will they cry? If I could just see either of them shedding tears… ah!’

Keeping this feeling from spilling out was a Herculean task, and thinking about grasping this feeling made me dizzy, but for now, I was relishing every moment of it.

If I didn’t firmly embed this scene in my mind, I would be missing out on something monumental.

“Hop… you said?”

“Oh, yes.”

Lost in my daydreams and delirium, Zion’s voice brought me back to reality.

She had calmed her breathing and returned to her original expressionless state as she looked up at me.

“I’m sorry for yelling earlier. I didn’t mean to…”

Was that an apology I just heard?

“It’s okay. I’m used to it.”

“Really?”

“It’s my job to treat those whose bodies are damaged. It’s strange for someone with a broken body to have a clear mind.”

“……”

In reality, such a sharp reaction like that isn’t common even in a rehabilitation center, so it wasn’t something I was familiar with.

This was just a white lie to reassure the patient; it’s comforting to know that others share the same pain and struggles.

But what on earth happened to Hero Zion to end up like this?

The princess Naо, being a mage, was hurt in the final battle by the Demon King’s attack, injuring her legs.

Yet for Zion, while she too sustained major damage in the final battle, there had been no mention of her suffering lasting effects.

There had to have been scenes where they conveyed the good news after the war or even had Iris’s funeral, but why…

“Hey, Zion. How about having dinner together after a long time?”

“……”

The princess’s unexpected yet refreshing suggestion made Zion lower her head silently and then lift it again to look at her.

“This person too?”

“Yes. The truth is, I brought Director Hop here so that Zion could also receive rehabilitation treatment.”

I had anticipated this flow ever since I first checked Zion’s condition, so it wasn’t surprising that the princess brought me here with the intention of recommending rehabilitation therapy for Zion.

“Zion… let’s find a way to improve together by talking with the director. I have to stay in the empire, but Zion could go to Norden if need be, right? The kingdom’s rehabilitation center has numerous success stories, and most importantly, if Director Hop is looking after you, you will surely be able to recover. Okay? What do you think?”

Hero Zion’s rehabilitation? If she agreed to go to the kingdom’s rehabilitation center as the princess suggested…

‘Does that mean I could witness such a sight every day?’

Zion Laurel, the broken hero, undergoing rehabilitation training daily!

Seeing the strongest swordswoman Zion, who could split dimensions and break sound barriers, trembling while practicing using chopsticks or struggling to take steps, clinging desperately to rehabilitation equipment while gasping for breath every single day…

“Nao.”

Zion slowly opened her mouth. If she accepted, those dreamy days would soon become a reality…

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

‘Ah.’

It seems this was not something that would unfold so easily.

 

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