HDBMTD 83

~Chapter 83~

“Pair…? Ah.”

Bill nodded as if he understood. Even though he had been dragged here suddenly, his expression softened a little.

He must have assumed—since Nocturne was a combat type, then I must be a mental type.

Eshafe usually relaxed when they heard someone was a mental type, since mental-types were generally gentle.

Of course, if he knew I was S-rank, it might be different.

Fortunately, it seemed Bill didn’t recognize Aria’s face.

I looked at Nocturne. He let go of Bill’s arm and quietly walked over to me.

It was Nocturne who wanted me to meet Bill. Maybe he wanted to help Bill but felt awkward doing it himself—so he left the conversation to me.

Since Nocturne wants to help him, I should first find out what Bill really needs…

Trying to ease the tension, I spoke in a friendly tone.

“So… what should I call you?”

“Just call me Uncle Bill.”

“Uncle Bill, the truth is, I’m sick. I came to this city to rest. There’s a big hospital here, after all.”

That wasn’t a lie. I had been carried to the Imperial hospital after drinking poison. I was just putting it lightly.

“Ah, you mean the Imperial hospital.”

Bill answered with interest.

At first, I thought people might dislike the idea of a hospital being built on the old Cambiata Research Center site. But surprisingly, the citizens welcomed it. The slogan of ‘true healing’ seemed to work well. I could imagine how Padva must have promoted it.

“This city is really beautiful.”

I spread my arms to point around.

“And they say it’s all thanks to you, Uncle Bill?”

“…Thanks to me?”

“Yes. The Governor himself told me. He said you’re the guardian of this city.”

“Ah, no, that’s…”

Bill quickly denied it, then asked carefully,

“…Did the Governor really say that?”

I nodded firmly.

“When I arrived, I saw the Seri River—it was beautiful. The Governor told me the one who saved that river, and this whole city, was you.”

“T-that’s…”

“That’s why I wanted to thank you.”

Bill lowered his head, embarrassed.

As the conversation went on, Nocturne decided he didn’t need to restrain him anymore and stepped back.

He slowly walked behind me and lit a small fire to burn away the contamination clinging to Bill’s suit.

I heard the crackle of fire and turned instinctively, but when I looked, there was no flame left. Nocturne stood there as if nothing happened, his handsome face annoyingly calm.

I turned back to Bill and kept talking, asking about his daily life, about his family.

“Isn’t it lonely, living alone on the outskirts?”

“The Governor looks after me, so I manage.”

“That’s a relief. And… what about your family?”

“My wife and son…”

He hesitated. It seemed he had been lonely for a long time. Once I asked, he slowly began to open up.

But that’s when the trouble began.

“My wife and… son…”

“Sorry, what did you say?”

Bill usually spoke loudly, but when it came to personal matters, his voice dropped. With the gas mask on, his words were muffled.

And since he was standing nearly ten meters away—probably out of caution—I couldn’t hear him clearly at all.

“Could you… say that again… cough.”

I tried to ask again, but my throat dried from speaking loudly over and over. I coughed hard, eyes watering.

Looking tired, I turned to Nocturne.

“Duke, could you light a flame for me?”

“….”

“Uncle Bill’s mask makes it hard to see his lips…”

And—I couldn’t hear well from one ear.

Usually, I compensated by reading lips or using my psychic sense. But now, neither worked.

“…Fine.”

Nocturne reluctantly lifted his hand, a small flame glowing above it.

“Wow, thank you.”

I smiled at him, relieved. He clicked his tongue quietly, but I could see his profile in the firelight.

See? I’m sturdier than you think.

If I proved I could handle small things like this, maybe he’d stop being so overprotective.

People adapt. Even me. Back in the palace, I used to tremble just from looking at fire because I nearly died in it. But now? After seeing it so often, even using it myself—I had almost forgotten the trauma.

Still, to really reassure Nocturne, I need to take care of my health better.

The flame steadied my psychic sense. Suddenly, I could hear and feel Bill’s thoughts clearly.

“Ah, so you lived with your wife and son.”

Now I could follow what he was saying.

“The Governor said you were divorced…”

“Ah, that’s…”

Bill hesitated, then spoke.

“It’s the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

He sighed deeply.

“People think my wife and son abandoned me when I got sick. But the truth is… it was me who left them. They tried everything to stay with me. But I hid in a cabin deep in the forest. If the disease ever spread to them, I…”

His voice trembled with fear. I imagined him dragging his sick body to that isolated cabin, terrified of hurting his family.

“Loneliness and pain—I can endure those. But if someone I love suffers because of me, I could never forgive myself.”

At my words, Bill gave a sad smile.

“As expected of a mental-type Eshafe. You understand people well. My wife was like that too…”

Maybe he felt comfort in me, because his tone grew gentler.

“When I stayed in the cabin, eventually my wife and son left our home. They told me to come back, while they worked in another city. Said they’d earn money and find a cure.”

“And… then?”

“At first, she sent letters often. She said she was going from city to city, searching for a way to heal me. But…”

Bill stopped, sighing deeply.

“I realized it was only hurting both of us. That false hope was poison. So I asked for a divorce. I told her to live as if I were already dead… That was the last letter I sent.”

“…So it was your choice—for your family.”

Bill nodded, his face filled with gratitude and sorrow.

“Yes. They’ll live better without me. The war is over, travel to the Empire is easier now. As Eshafe, my wife and son could even emigrate. But with me—a Magi-poisoned man—by their side, they’d lose every chance. My boy is still so young… he shouldn’t be chained down by a useless father.”

“A child shouldn’t lose his future because of a broken man like me.”