Aer shifted uncomfortably. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when they had begun watching her so closely, or when they had started treating her with such peculiar attention.

Ah, so this is how Awakened ones treat Healers.

Aer swallowed a bitter laugh at the attitude of Awakened ones towards Healers, which she had only seen in novels or glimpsed at the Academy. She ignored Ian’s hand as well and walked past.

“I’ll manage on my own, so I’d appreciate it if both of you could stop concerning yourselves with me.”

Aer went up to the floor where the treatment room was without waiting for their response. She heard footsteps following her from behind, but she ignored them.

At this moment, what Aer was most curious about was Louis’s well-being. She wanted to hear his story directly from him, safe and sound.

And she wanted to tell him she was sorry for lying to him too.

She could easily find the treatment room where Louis was likely to be. Professor Javier and his assistants were standing in front of it.

Aer hurriedly approached the professor. Seeing Aer, the professor spoke.

“You came because you were curious, but he hasn’t woken up yet.”

“…Is he badly hurt?”

“Hmm… There’s no problem externally, but he’s not waking up.”

“….”

“Aer, you also bear some responsibility for this incident. The test results showed that a liquid that excites magical beasts was found in the boots you were wearing. Do you have anything to say about this?”

Surprised by the professor’s unexpected words, Aer looked bewildered for a moment before answering seriously.

“…Do you think I would do such a thing to myself? That would be no different from desperately trying to commit suicide.”

“Haha!”

Jose burst into laughter at Aer’s words. Although there was no evidence, her words were very reasonable.

“Of course, that’s true. But according to the testimony of the Healers who were with you, you’ve been trying to get attention from Kai and Ian.”

Aer could only gape for a moment at these absurd words.

“But it’s not just Healers who have eyes. My assistants think differently.”

“…If I wanted attention, I would have acted differently. Why would I try to get attention in such a suspicious way, and with a method that could endanger other students as well? This is really unfair.”

“Yes. I understand well. Now, go back to your dormitory and rest.”

“…Will Louis be alright?”

“Don’t underestimate an Awakened one’s vitality. There’s a reason they’re praised as Awakened ones.”

“Yes…”

Unable to think of any other way after being blocked by the professor, Aer had no choice but to turn around. However, she was still worried about Louis and couldn’t easily take a step.

After swallowing several sighs, she reluctantly moved her feet.

***

Louis opened his eyes wide with the sensation of falling into a deep abyss. There was nothing in his hand that he stretched out as if to grab something.

“….”

“Hey, are you awake?”

He sat up without responding to the voice calling from beside him.

“Huh, after all the trouble we went through to save him, we don’t even get a word of thanks?”

“His brain was completely mush… You didn’t fix him a bit short, did you?”

Louis tried to get off the bed, ignoring the conversation between the two unfamiliar people. But it didn’t go as he intended.

Something was blocking his body.

“You’re not fully healed yet, if you move around recklessly, it’ll be troublesome for us.”

It seemed to be an Awakened one’s ability. Something invisible tightly bound Louis’s body.

“Professor! He’s awake!”

At the healing Awakened one’s shout, the treatment room door burst open. Jose swallowed a bitter laugh as he saw Louis awake and glaring at him.

He didn’t know Louis would have such a nasty temper, like some street cat. How had he been hiding such a personality during classes?

“Good work. You should rest too.”

“Yes, I’m completely drained.”

“I’m going to meet my Healer. I feel like I’m dying.”

“Right. You’ve been focused on healing for almost half a day, so you’ll need healing yourselves. Go find your Healers quickly.”

“Yay~”

“Yes, yes, thank you.”

Despite their impolite attitude, Jose quietly sat down in front of Louis. He didn’t care about the Awakened ones’ personalities. As long as their abilities were good.

After everyone had left, Jose spoke.

“Louis, no, Your Highness the Prince.”

Louis couldn’t hide his surprised expression at his address.

“You must listen to what I have to say. We don’t have much time.”

“…What is it?”

Louis no longer used honorifics with Jose, who had discovered his identity.

“If you leave this treatment room now, you’ll be seized and dragged away by the imperial knights waiting outside.”

“…People have already come looking?”

“Of course. They sent you to the Academy thinking you were a prince without any abilities, but now they know you have proper abilities.”

“…Whose knights have come?”

“Fortunately for you, Your Highness, it’s His Majesty the Emperor’s personal guard.”

“…I see.”

Jose hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Your Highness, did you know?”

“…That I’m an Awakened one?”

“No, that you’re a Transcendent.”

Even without specifying who, they both understood. Louis couldn’t hide his expression for a moment at Jose’s words. He peeked into Jose’s inner thoughts.

From his words, which contained not a hint of lie, Louis realized that he was truly a Transcendent.

“I’ve never communicated with animals.”

“Ah, how could we reveal the true abilities of Transcendents to students? That was just wordplay by the headmaster.”

“….”

“To be precise, it’s a mental ability. Whether it’s animals, magical beasts, or humans…”

Jose trailed off before continuing.

“The true ability of a Transcendent is to control minds. Your Highness, do you know? How to use such an ability?”

Of course, he knows. It’s something he’s been doing naturally since birth.

Of course, rather than controlling minds, he could understand their thoughts and occasionally brainwash them to control them, he thought.

His ability was amplified solely thanks to Aer.

Her comforting healing enhanced his ability and stabilized his mind.

So he wanted to meet Aer as soon as possible.

“We don’t have much time. The reason I’ve been waiting for Your Highness is to tell you about the precautions when using mental abilities. Also, to properly use your abilities, you need to train your body first.”

Louis couldn’t ignore Jose’s words.

The fact that he regained consciousness here meant that he couldn’t handle his own ability.

“…Go on.”

“Yes, you can’t control multiple targets from the start. You need to gradually increase the number to avoid straining your body. And you need to learn swordsmanship to protect yourself. It won’t be easy to maintain your ability when injured. Also…”

Jose began to explain in detail and meticulously how to systematically handle mental abilities and how to enhance them, like someone who had made up his mind.

“Of course, I can’t say what I know is accurate. I’m telling you based on the results of scholars who have been curious about and researched Transcendents.”

“Do you really believe I’m a Transcendent?”

Louis had never thought or wished that he was a Transcendent.

He wished he had a more definite ability to protect Aer instead of this useless ability.

He felt like he was going crazy not being able to see Aer right now.

Since when?

Since when had it been so painful without her?

Louis’s heart was racing with anxiety.

“Your Highness, listen carefully. There’s a study that only His Majesty the Emperor can enter. I’ve heard there’s a record book passed down for generations there.”

Jose revealed all the rumors that had spread secretly.

He desperately hoped that the Transcendent who had appeared after hundreds of years wouldn’t disappear for political reasons.

“…You’re telling me quite a lot.”

Louis, who didn’t particularly want to become emperor, responded gruffly, but he understood exactly what Jose meant.

After all, he had been hearing Jose’s thoughts clearly all along.

‘He doesn’t know I can hear thoughts.’

Seeing his sincere attitude, Louis decided to seriously consider his future.

His heart, which had been beating irregularly from not seeing Aer, slowly found stability.

“The knights waiting means they intend to take me away the moment I leave this treatment room, right?”

“…That’s right.”

“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”

“Yes, please command.”

Louis forced open his lips that wouldn’t part and said to Jose.

“I hope the fact that I’m a prince doesn’t spread in the Academy.”

“Yes, the students won’t know.”

“There’s someone I especially don’t want to know. I hope you can watch over her until I come back.”

“…You mean Aer?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’ll come back to take her.”

“…Alright, I will.”

Jose couldn’t know exactly, but as an Awakened one, he understood well what Louis’s words meant. The obsession Awakened Ones have for Healers is unimaginable to ordinary people.

How much more so for him, a Transcendent?

“Please, just tell her that I’ll definitely see her again.”

Louis decided to think of her safety first.

He resolved never to put her in danger again due to his own greed, like this time.