Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

“At least three months. Preferably ten months of hospitalization. The guardian has already paid for ten months of hospitalization costs in advance, so you can rest easy. …Dr. Oslo?”

“Pardon?”

“Your complexion looks bad. You should tell us if you’re in pain.”

I shook my head at the nurse.

“No pain. I’m fine.”

“Alright. For now, then, get some rest……”

With those words, the nurse left the room.

She left behind the advice to rest, which I had heard countless times today.

Left alone, I leaned my weight against the wall behind me.

Lying down and sitting up. Of the only two movements allowed to me, the latter was slightly better.

I sat quietly, taking in the view. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

It’s a cramped hospital room.

A wealthy person who could afford a private room would pour harsh criticism on this cramped room, but it was perfectly suitable for me.

After all, most of the spaces I had stayed in, from the Oslo family’s storage room to my research lab, were about this cramped.

People tend to feel at ease in environments similar to what they’re used to.

Thus, I could focus all my anxiety without having to deal with other sources of unease.

“December 8th.”

The beginning of winter and a time when the end of the year is vaguely visible. Even if I wanted to express it so poetically, only one thought circled in my mind.

The deadline for submitting the draft paper set by the Federation.

The end of the year was right around the corner.

Strictly speaking, there were about three weeks left, but considering the transport time needed, given that there’s no such thing as a telegraph that can cross the continent in the blink of an eye…

Is that all? Unlike professors, they’re not used to turning a blind eye to students who submit assignments just before the deadline.

They are fishermen with fishing rods, trying to catch the fish of political standing with the fishing rod that is me.

If the fishing rod not only fails to catch fish well but can’t even cast the line, the fisherman’s next action is clear.

Disposal.

In my case, I’d probably be sent to the Leslie National Research Institute.

“I need to write.”

I had to write the paper.

Not even a week. 

Today or tomorrow at the latest.

As quickly as possible.

They say the Research Institute needs manpower, but would they even welcome someone with severe injuries? Thinking about such things won’t improve the situation.

One way or another, Eugene Oslo from the Empire would be disposed of.

To avoid that, I had to write the paper.

Fortunately, while the impact of the accident may have crushed my hand and leg, it doesn’t seem to have scattered the knowledge in my head.

I remember the content of the paper. I just need to transcribe it.

The problem is that I’ve only completed about 70% of the paper.

And.

Right now, I have neither a pen nor a hand to hold it, nor a mana lamp for light, nor paper to write the draft on.

I can’t just sit still.

Feeling an unbearable nostalgia for my research lab, I thoroughly scanned the damn hospital room interior.

“Even a pencil would do. Paper just needs to be clean. As for the hand, damn it.”

I found the first two relatively easily.

On a side table three or four steps away from the hospital bed…

There was a stubby pencil and a few medical questionnaire sheets that the nurse had left.

The back of the questionnaire is clean white paper. It would make an excellent alternative. Then, for the alternative to my right hand…

“…I’m asking the obvious.”

To get the pencil and paper, I need to reach the side table. It would be good if I had my grimoire, but it’s placed on top of a pile of belongings in the corner of the room.

I changed my posture.

Using everything from the angle of my head to the position of my toes, I stretched my left hand as far as I could and…

In one go, I closed about three steps of distance.

“Reach it.”

The remaining distance is three hand spans.

Two hand spans.

“I can, reach it.”

One hand span.

My left arm is trembling. 

Perhaps because of that, the cool sensation touched the tip of my index finger and…

Simultaneously…

Tilt―

My vision flipped.

Bang. 

A fall. 

The support for my body changed from the hospital bed, which was quite soft despite being meager, to the unyielding hospital floor.

“Ack―”

Lightning flashes in my vision again. The visualization of pain. I experienced this during the accident too, but the difference is that I don’t have the same sense of elation now as I did then. In the cold hospital room, I was enveloped in terrible pain.

Nevertheless.

I achieved my goal.

Even after taking several rough breaths, the pain hardly subsided. The wound might have opened up.

On the other hand…

Streams of light fell from outside the window.

The stubby pencil was firmly grasped in my left hand, and because I had fallen, the side table must have toppled too, as papers were scattered everywhere.

Light. Pencil. Paper. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Those three things should be enough for a theoretical magic scholar to conduct research.

Squeeze.

I put strength into my left hand.

And I took a step with graphite footprints onto the untrodden snow field.

“…Eugene?”

Although the moon hanging in the sky has a soft golden hue, the light emitted by the moon is usually pale.

As if that weren’t enough, when it falls on an all-white hospital room, it almost looks blue.

My pupils contract at the sudden moonlight.

Looking into the hospital room through that gap, Julia suddenly thought. Perhaps there are only two color tones in this world.

Pale ash gray and…

“――!”

Vivid red.

Julia staggered but regained her balance.

From previous experience, she learned that if she sits down in panic, unlike others who can stand up easily, she can hardly get up. It’s like a fawn falling down.

She had a plan she once thought of. That is, deliberately taking off her brooch and falling into Eugene’s arms, it might be useful at such times, but it’s of no use in the current situation.

There’s no need to force strength into her legs. She can’t do it in the first place anyway.

“Ugh……”

Julia grasped the thread of reason and operated her unique magic. She desperately needed the help of her cane.

She just needs to endure a little longer.

Thud. and Rustle.

Two sounds rarely heard in a hospital room mixed several times.

Finally, her body collapsed beside Eugene, who was half-sprawled on the floor. Her loose clothes fluttered as she sat down abruptly.

Julia realized what Eugene was doing.

He was writing something. Without even noticing that she was watching from the side.

She looked at the writing.

Grotesquely complex equations and explanations. It must be part of his research.

Why now?

His leg, the bandage on his leg is bright red.

“What on earth are you doing?”

Only then did Eugene slightly raise his head.

She swallowed her breath.

There was no blood on those lips at all.

Although she knows well that human blood isn’t made quickly, with the pale moonlight added, he looks completely lifeless. He needs warmth.

Julia cupped Eugene’s cheeks with her slightly trembling hands and asked again.

“What are you doing, Eugene?”

He glanced down at his left hand and the paper before answering.

“The paper. I’m writing the draft paper to submit.”

“Why?”

“Why, you ask…? Well…”

Eugene suddenly dropped his head.

Julia knew best what that symptom was.

“Eugene. Stay still. Please, listen to me this time.”

His eyes were towards her, but the focus was oddly off. Symptoms of anemia.

Putting aside how he fell, for now, he needed to be put back on the hospital bed.

Julia roughly put down her cane and put her arms under Eugene’s armpits to lift his body. She pressed her chest against his back as if hugging him from behind, then lifted him up.

“Ugrgh―”

Is her strength lacking? That’s true, but an unconscious person was unexpectedly heavy.

Even changing her posture didn’t change the result. She couldn’t even lift him from lying down.

It felt like she was being told that her body wasn’t enough to take care of him.

“Ugh, ughhhh.”

Blood seeped into the hem of her skirt.

Just as the feeling of wanting to cry welled up in her heart…

The light of reason returned to Eugene’s eyes. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“…Sorry, excuse me.”

“Eh?”

Pluck.

Eugene reached out with his left hand and removed the brooch from her chest.

Crash. 

Julia, who sat down in a posture fitting such an onomatopoeia, opened her eyes wide in bewilderment, and then was surprised once more to find that she hadn’t torn her bottom.

Herself. Eugene. And the paper and pencil.

Everything in her vision was floating in the air.

“Ah……”

[Levitation].

Was it because the brooch, which boasted high efficiency worth its expensive price, had fallen into Eugene’s hands, or had his already genius-level skills improved even further?

Julia marveled at this wondrous sight until she gently sat down on the hospital bed.

And then, she got angry.

“Are you a bit more conscious now?”

“Huh?”

“It didn’t even take a second to cast the magic. I’m glad you seem to have come to your senses. I’m glad, but……”

Julia pulled her legs up onto the hospital bed and looked at Eugene head-on.

She resented Eugene’s faint gaze for no reason.

“Do you know how worried I was?”

“Julia.”

“I, I was so worried. I asked you several times to stay still in case something went wrong with your leg. Wh-what did you do? You ended up breaking that promise. I can clearly see you’re brooding over something alone, you know?”

As she poured out the words she had been holding in for five days and raised her head, she saw Eugene’s eyes wide open.

Is he surprised? Why?

She soon realized the reason.

Large teardrops were falling onto the hospital bed.

“…I love you, Eugene. Enough to wait even five years. So please don’t worry alone and tell me. Is that so difficult?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I told you not to say that.”

Unlike those who habitually apologize in a clichéd manner, Eugene’s apologies always contain sincerity.

It hurt her heart every time she heard it.

Because it felt like their happy future was getting further away one step at a time with each apology.

Of course, even before that, Eugene Oslo’s poor language habit of not being able to have a conversation without ‘Yes,’ ‘Okay,’ and ‘I’m sorry’ was equally irritating.

It seemed she needed to stop that exasperating mouth.

Directly.

“Eugene.”

“What?”

“Will you tell me?”

A bitter smile formed on Eugene’s lips.

Even someone who had sold all his social skills seemed to have noticed.

He took a shallow breath and finally said:

“I love you, Julia.”

Ah.

That was enough.

Julia approached Eugene’s embrace with a tearful smile. His injuries are severe. She shouldn’t touch him carelessly, so she should only hug him lightly.

She kissed him.

She had no intention of teasing or playing with his tongue. Let’s postpone such things for later.

Right now, she just wanted to share her warmth with him.

Time passed with her heartbeat as the second hand.

All sadness came to an end.

Pop. 

Julia smiled brightly as she parted her lips. Even if it was an act.

Mimicking the smile from four years ago, Julia quickly wiped away her tears and said:

“You should have come to your senses now. Surely, you don’t need more?”

“Ah, no. It’s enough.” [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“Then please explain now. I’ve never seen someone writing a paper in a hospital room before……”

“―So, I need to write the paper by today. Do you understand?”

“I understand, but… I wonder if they would pressure someone with severe injuries for results like this.”

“They’ve done a lot to me. So I’m doing this just in case.”

“Indeed. But, Eugene.”

“Yes.”

“The handwriting.”

“The handwriting?”

“Ahaha, I can’t read it at all. They say geniuses are ambidextrous, but I guess that’s not always true. Don’t you feel sorry for the people who have to read this paper?”

“……”

“See, you really can’t do without me.”

“Haha. Yes… It seems so.”

“…Ugh. You’re being insincere again. Want to try holding the pencil? I’ll help you.”

“Please.”

“Okay. Leave it to me.”

Julia placed her hand over Eugene’s hand holding the pencil.

A moment later, they had to suppress silent laughter as the result was much more of a mess than if he had just written with his left hand.

“I’ll write now. Eugene, umm…”

“What should I do?”

“Could you pat my head? I, I worked hard, you know.”

This time, the opposite. Julia held the pencil with her right hand, and Eugene gently stroked her chestnut hair with his left hand. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

He probably won’t be able to use his right hand for the rest of his life.

Unlike legs, which have a relatively simple range of motion and muscle movements, the muscles of the hands are too delicate.

But, in other words, he should be able to use his legs somehow.

Just like she did in the old days.

Yes. When he’s discharged, that’s the first thing she should teach him.

Now, it was her turn to help him.

“Ah. It tickles.”

“How about this?”

“…That’s, yes. It’s nice.”

The two became one and wrote the paper.

Overlapping hands, leaning on shoulders, exchanging trivial conversations.

One letter at a time.

All through the night.