334 Recovery First
Soon enough, the door leading to the room burst open, revealing an army of beautiful girls with their expressions covered in a mix of worry and joy.
"Master!"
Although it was Ember who called my name first, the one who reached my side the fastest was none other than Fang. Her head was buried deep into my chest, hugging me tightly.
"Leader, leader, leader..."
She kept on repeatedly calling me, her tone slightly nasal, as if about to cry. I was slightly taken aback but quickly patted her head, with her usually perky ears lying flat against her head.
From my perspective, I was only asleep for a short while, but to them, I had been in a vegetative state for over a month. I could only guess how worried they were about me.
One after another, the others entered the room.
Ember looked no different from that day. Igni has the aura of a soldier around her. Fina, with a relieved smile on her face. Fatima, with tears rolling down the corner of her eyes. And lastly, Judy and Yorm, who... were, as usual, completely uninterested in me.
"Everyone... long time no see?"
I said it jokingly. Nobody found it funny, however, as their expressions showed exasperation.
"It's not funny, My Lord! We honestly thought you were just going to stay asleep until you die!"
Igni roared angrily; a mixture of reprimand and worry could be seen in her expression. Tears were threatening to overflow from her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.
"It really had been a while, Will."
Fatima, finding a reason to smile, wiped the tears off the corner of her eyes using her finger.
"It's been so long; I got accustomed to not using my gun form for a while."
When I turned to her, scanning her state from head to toe, I quickly realized how the energy pathways on her right hand were still in disarray. I guess nobody was able to heal her since it's not really easy to tamper with the energy circuits, especially one that got extremely tangled like this one.
"Did Goddess Blanc not offer her help?"
I asked the obvious, but Fatima simply smiled.
"She did, but I refused. I only want you, and only you, to heal my energy pathways."
09:56
"..."
"She did, but I refused. I only want you, and only you, to heal my energy pathways."
"..."
Well, it seems like it was her personal choice then. After hearing her words, I waved for her to come closer. Fang was still hugging me from the front, not willing to let go, so I let Fatima sit by the side of the bed, where I could easily access her right arm.
Given the long time that passed, her circuits had almost started to "get used to" their current form. If that happened, then healing her would become a deadly, painful endeavor.
"Are you ready? I'll start."
As soon as I got her permission, I started to let my energy enter her system, letting it circulate once to ascertain the actual flow of energy. After that, I started to slowly undo the tangled circuits, trying to return them to their natural positions.
Fatima bit her lip, bearing down the discomfort from the procedure. As expected of her, she could maintain her consciousness despite the intense pain she was feeling.
The entire process lasted about five minutes. I didn't force everything to return to their normal positions yet, since some were extremely convoluted and needed several more treatments before they could return to normal.
"With this, you can probably access a few forms. However, it's not completely back to normal yet."
*Cough!* *Cough!*
I couldn't hold back a cough as soon as I finished. With my weakened body, I probably wouldn't make it even if I tried to fix everything in one go. Fang's ears flickered worriedly, her eyes peeking up at my face while she maintained her tight hug.
Thinking that I was probably having a hard time breathing, she slightly lessened her strength, loosening her hold on me.
As I lowered my body, lying down on the bed, the girls came closer, surrounding me. It's a little rare to see everyone gathered together like this. If not for my ailing body, I might've gone a little naughty, but I held back. I need to get back into shape first.
From that point until dinnertime came, the girls continued to tell me stories of their daily lives while I was in a coma. For example, Fang and Igni worked hard at the frontlines, killing demons and honing their battle strategies and skills.
Ember, on the other hand, did the opposite. She delved into her research, trying to recreate the "artifact" cellphone that I gave her before, the one I bought for a hefty price. Apparently, she was already halfway into decoding everything.
Fatima was unable to fight, so she went and helped Guren and Lady Luo make policies to recover from the last battle. As a former god tamer of ancient times, she did have a lot of knowledge when it came to management, so she was extremely helpful.
Fina and Hekate went through strenuous training, trying to raise their battle power even a little. Judy and Yorm were both dragged into it, participating in the training.
Lastly, there's Minerva, who was working on the frontlines too, but as support instead of a fighter. She would protect those who were wounded or at a disadvantage against demons before pulling them back to the camp for prompt healing.
The story event went on to the succubus girls, whom I employed before the start of the battle. Those who had fallen were compensated properly and were even awarded medals of honor, giving benefits to their families. Those who survived received proper rewards and medals too, just a bit different from the departed.
After that, they even told me stories regarding the god tamers. God Zeshion was the same as usual, but Vermeil and Ajax increased their time at the frontlines, wanting to be stronger even just a little.
If not for their limited mental capacity, they would've tried to gain more tamed monsters!
When Blanc came into the room, calling us to have a meal, everyone went together. I was gently supported by Igni and Fang as we went down to the dining hall.
Unlike the others, I was forbidden from eating anything solid, so I had to make do with the specially-made porridge by Blanc. Its taste was heavenly, so I had no complaints.
While there, I was greeted by the familiar faces of the nuns working in the church. Seeing how they already opened up to the girls made me realize how frequently they must've visited.
I let out a soft sigh, taking in the peaceful sight before me.
Yep. Peace really is the best.
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