The air had been thick with the scent of an impending duel, but as Evangeline collapsed, the tension shattered into a frantic medical emergency.
"Wait—h-hey! What's wrong?! Evangeline-san?!"
Negi scrambled toward her, hovering anxiously as she lay unconscious in Chachamaru's arms. Of course, being dead to the world, she wasn't in any position to answer him.
"Axel-sama, Negi-sensei," Chachamaru said, her voice calm despite the circumstances. "Forgive me, but I must carry Master to her bed on the second floor. Might I ask for your assistance?"
"Ah, right. Of course," Negi stammered.
"...Well, I guess I'm in," I sighed.
I followed them up the stairs, trailing behind Negi and Chachamaru. I'd been to this house several times, but this was my first time seeing the second floor. As we stepped into Eva's private quarters, I found it surprisingly... normal. Aside from the bookshelves and the bed, it looked like any other girl's room—at least, until you noticed the corner of the room that was entirely floored with traditional Japanese tatami mats for tea ceremonies. It was a jarring, mismatched aesthetic, like a Western dollhouse forced to share space with a Kyoto tea room.
"She... she looks like she's in so much pain," Negi whispered, looking down at Eva as we tucked her in.
"It is to be expected," Chachamaru replied. "Due to the curse of the 'School Attendance Hell,' Master's mana has been severely depleted. In this state, her physical condition is no different from that of a normal ten-year-old girl."
"Wait, really?" Negi's eyes widened.
I was equally surprised. I knew the seal had weakened her, but I hadn't realized her physical resilience had dropped all the way to 'average child' levels. No wonder a common virus had managed to get a foothold in her system.
"Axel-sama, Negi-sensei," Chachamaru continued, "I must head to the university to procure a specialized, high-potency medicine from a contact of mine. Could I leave Master in your care while I am away? ...I also have to go feed the cats."
That last part was barely a mumble under her breath, but I caught it. It seemed Chachamaru was slowly being corrupted by the eccentricities of Class 3-A.
"Ehh?! You want us to look after her?!" Negi squeaked.
"Yes. I have determined that you are both trustworthy enough for the task."
"But wait, Evangeline-san and I are...!"
"I'm counting on you," Chachamaru said, completely ignoring Negi's protest as she bowed and exited the room.
"...What do we do now?" Negi turned to me, his face a mask of pure anxiety.
"Well, we were asked to help. Might as well do it."
"I-I guess. But I've never actually nursed a sick person before."
"Same here. But we'll manage. I've seen enough manga and dramas to get the gist of it."
"Oh? You read manga, Axel-kun? That's actually a little surprising."
"Is it? I'm just a normal—"
"Cough! Hack!"
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"