The Heart potion dramatically enhances my physical abilities. However, it also exacts a definite price. People may be deceitful, but the body is always honest—if you've done the work, the feedback inevitably comes.
But who am I? The magician of defaulting on debts. I'm an expert at substituting or delaying repayments. Having always lived deceiving others, it seems I've even become able to deceive my own body.
"Heave-ho. My body feels refreshed."
"Hey! Put your arm back in first before you say that! Your shoulder is dislocated!"
Huh? I glance and see my right shoulder is about half a span lower than my left. I try to lift it but it won't budge. It seems my shoulder is completely dislocated.
But whatever. This is cheap for the price of the Heart.
"What's this? If I used that much force, a dislocation is natural. Just pop it back in and it's fine."
"Aren't you going to use qigong? If you just infused a little qi into your shoulder, it wouldn't have dislocated!"
"I don't have that much qi. You know I can't use qigong properly, don't you?"
"Ah, right. You barely had any qi."
'What I'm saying is I can't figure you out at all. You have so many skills, I naturally thought you could use qigong too. No, come to think of it, it's really strange. Gathering qi is also a skill. You have every other skill but no qi—that doesn't make sense, does it?'
You've seen my weakness multiple times and still overestimate me? This is my full power—and even that's pushed past my limits. Don't assign me this kind of role anymore.
"Well. Thanks to Jizan, I saved my life several times."
"Woof! Woof woof! Me, woof woof woof!"
"...And Azi helped too."
"Woof!"
Azi puffed out his chest with a proud face. No, you shouldn't be proud. You were supposed to fight the wolf, but I helped you, so you should be thanking me.
Anyway...
"Azi!"
"Woof?"
The Regressor urgently called Azi. Azi, suddenly called by name, looked at the Regressor with round eyes.
It's a reaction no different from usual. But the Regressor opened his mouth with difficulty.
"Azi, did you... just become a little faint?"
"Woof?"
Azi tilting his head had the same clueless face as always. But the Regressor's senses had clearly seen it.
Azi's figure becoming semi-transparent, even if just for a moment.
"Hughs... did you see it?"
"Yes. I saw it."
"Why... is Azi trying to disappear?"
The Regressor knows the reason too. Yet he asks because he wants to find a reason for Azi not to disappear.
"It's not that strange. The King of Beasts is a being that represents one species. But Azi gave up being the King of Dogs and instead made the wolf a complete wolf. Right now, Azi represents nothing."
"So that's why he disappears? That's weird! He was perfectly fine until now, but he disappears just because he handed over the crown...!"
"Listen to the end. It's the opposite."
"Huh?"
Actually, I don't know either. But Azi hasn't disappeared yet, which means there must be a reason he won't disappear.
"If he was going to disappear, he should have disappeared the moment he handed over the crown. But since then, Azi still exists. Right now, Azi is representing something, though I don't know what."
"Then why did he become faint?"
"Well? Is he representing something faint?"
"Something faint? What's that?"
"How would I know that? Shei, don't you have any ideas?"
"I don't know. For Azi to be like this..."
'Even when we helped Azi kill the Wolf King, Azi just remained the King of Dogs and helped humans. I don't know if this change is good or bad at all... But this is certain. This didn't happen in previous rounds.'
Hey, come on. "For Azi to be like this"? What do you mean by that, Regressor? At this rate, you'll soon reveal that you're a regressor too.
Right. Just reveal that you're a regressor. I don't want to walk on eggshells while reading your thoughts anymore. Just openly announce it and let me ask you directly!
'Ugh. But I can't explain the previous rounds either. Not believing in regression is a problem, but believing in it is also a problem. The moment they know about my regression, the focus will shift to my regression rather than the world.'
But that doesn't mean I can show that I've noticed the regression. The moment I'm conscious of mind-reading, you'll hesitate to think in front of me. Right. Since it's come to this, let's go with earning the Regressor's trust entirely.
It was while I was paying attention to my own business for a moment. I had seen Marquis Rapaheno's army arrive, but having heard the news, I wasn't paying much attention.
So when an armed conflict broke out, I reacted a bit late.
"What, what's that?! What's that crazy bastard doing?!"
When I turned around at the commotion, I saw Grull fighting with Marquis Rapaheno, and Duke Erectus running toward us while holding his guard dog. I didn't know what the situation was, but it was clear a fight had broken out.
The Regressor reached out his hand.
"Hughs. Jizan!"
"Here you go."
"Goo... Kyah! Why did you throw it!"
"No. You said you needed it. You even reached out your hand to receive it comfortably."
The Regressor didn't even doubt that I would throw Jizan, or that he would catch it. He was so certain that, even while I was unsure, I ended up throwing Jizan to the Regressor.
Perhaps because Jizan's anger hadn't subsided yet, Jizan refused to be held by the Regressor.
"Ugh. For now, you hold Jizan! I'll try to manage with Cheon-aeng!"
"Just a moment. My right arm won't go up, so I'll hold it with my left hand."
"Your shoulder still isn't popped back in, what were you doing!"
"There was no time to pop it back! Shei, you do it for me!"
"I'll do it, so hold still!"
"Wait. I don't have any confidence when you say you'll do it. I'll do it myself."
"What's wrong with me?! I can at least handle a shoulder..."
'Come to think of it, have I ever popped someone's shoulder back in? There's hardly anyone around me whose arm comes out... Well, whatever, what's so hard about it? You just put force into it, right?'
"...Maybe I can?"
"I said no!"
While I was arguing with the Regressor, Azi suddenly tapped my shoulder. Unfortunately, it was the hurting shoulder, so I groaned and turned to look at Azi.
"Azi. This is my hurt shoulder, so be careful when touching..."
"Woof."
"Aaaaagh!"
Azi grabbed my shoulder and gave it a forceful twist. The sound of bones clicking echoed through my body. I screamed like a little girl and pushed Azi away with my right arm.
"Hey! That hurts! What are you doing!"
"Treatment!"
"What treatment does a mere dog... huh?"
My right arm moves? Did Azi just set my bone? Since when did dogs have that function?
The Regressor looked at my properly moving arm and said with disappointment.
"I could have done it too."
'It would have been a good experience to try setting it once.'
I'm not experience points!
"Enough. More importantly, let's hurry over there!"
Grull and Marquis Rapaheno were fighting. From the outside, it looked like Grull was moving quickly and pressing Marquis Rapaheno, but the actual battle situation was the exact opposite. Marquis Rapaheno, who left slash marks in space, was the natural enemy of the fast-moving Grull. The Marquis calmly claimed space and pressured Grull.
If it were just one Marquis, the Regressor joining the battle might turn the tide. But the problem was what came after.
"Wait. Shei. There's an army over there, right?"
The Regressor's eyes briefly tinted orange before returning to normal. With the Seven-Colored Eyes, using a bird's-eye perspective, the Regressor instantly estimated the numbers and clicked his tongue.
"Five hundred. All of them have learned qigong!"
"What do we do? Do we fight?"
"Let's try to stop them first! We can think about the aftermath later... huh?"
It was then. Duke Erectus, who had been running while holding the injured guard dog, spotted me and the Regressor and immediately ran toward us. Seeing him approaching while bleeding profusely from behind, even the Regressor turned pale.
"Damn it! Hey. Adventurer! Save Welsh!"
"What?"
"There's no time! Welsh is dying! Quickly, you must have some way!"
Naturally, the Regressor has the means to do so. But because of the image Duke Erectus had built up until now, the Regressor looked at him with suspicious eyes rather than helping.
"You're the one who brought the vassal state's army, aren't you?"
"No! You guys stopped me! Damn it, there's no time for that! Quickly..."
Duke Erectus's voice had become something like a scream.
It's regrettable, but the Regressor has no reason to save Welsh. As it is, many beastkin died or were injured in the fight with the wolves. Saving every single one of them is something even the Regressor can't do. Making healing medicine in a large cauldron and distributing it to the injured was the full extent of the Regressor's consideration.
Above all, the Regressor has to go stop Marquis Rapaheno. That's the path that prevents greater sacrifice.
"Quickly... please..."
Well, that's the Regressor for you. But I'm interested in this person.
"Shei. Go. I'll take care of this person."
"Huh? Okay."
The Regressor stepped forward without lingering regret, and I decided to stay and tend to Welsh. It seemed he had done some first aid, bandaging the wounds... but it was useless. So much blood had flowed that the bandages looked like silk woven from blood.
Unless it was a Divine Physician, reviving Welsh was beyond my ability. But I'll do it. Because it's his wish.
Using the Blood Manipulation Technique to forcefully push blood back in, I remove the stitches and prepare to suture. Since he has a body that has learned qigong, his life force is strong, but there's no guarantee he'll survive my surgery. To anyone, he looks closer to death than life.
However, Duke Erectus, who had desperately denied the truth before his eyes, pinned his thread-like hope on me.
"You can save her, right?"
"Honestly, the chances are slim. I'm not even a doctor, and even if I were, could I heal wounds inflicted by a Master?"
"Is there no method?"
"There is, but... it's too precious to use on a mere dog beastkin."
At that, Duke Erectus's face flushed with hope as he cried out.
"What do you need? I'll pay any price! Just save Welsh somehow!"
"It's too precious... If it's a guard dog, it would be faster to just get a new one."
"Damn it, what are you saying! I told you to save Welsh!"
"Huh? Didn't you say any guard dog would do? Beastkin are just beings born from the Martial Empress's womb to serve humans. Welsh has served enough, so now let her go."
"How can that be?! Welsh has lived with me for nearly 20 years! She can't be replaced by something else!"
"If she was that precious, you should have treated her well normally."
My words flew like a dagger and pierced his chest. Duke Erectus gritted his teeth, but he didn't even think to protest or lay a hand on me. Because I was the one holding Welsh's life right now.
"Humiliating her in front of people, mocking her as useless, whipping her, and not even feeling grateful even though she died twice in your place. You've never saved her either, and now you're asking someone else to save her. You have no shame."
"I know that too! But... still, she's my guard dog! She's mine! If she's mine, I should be able to treat and cherish her!"
The best reason you could come up with is "she's mine"? Deep-rooted thinking really doesn't change easily. But...
"I need my guard dog much more than those kinds of people!"
At least his feelings are honest. I looked at him shedding tears and said.
"Your wish has been granted."
"What?"
"You wanted to find a human worth acknowledging. It seems you felt beastkin were too lowly to have value, but. Now that you're losing her, she's precious, right?"
He didn't treat the guard dog as human. Just as someone who keeps a dog doesn't live worrying about their dog's gaze, he treated them as if their evaluation didn't matter. That was true until he was being chased by Oghma, until he heard Welsh's heart while fleeing.
And only after becoming a fugitive himself did he come to see Welsh as a fellow human.
"You already had it. Someone who would look at you and acknowledge you. To think what you were looking for was right nearby. It's like a moralistic story from a classic fairy tale."
"Then..."
"But now you'll lose her."
"Huh?"
Hmm. This is beyond my ability. Unless divine power is used or a vampire heals her, she can't be saved. How regrettable.
I shook my head and stood up. At my gesture laden with much meaning, Duke Erectus's face was dyed with despair. It can't be helped. But at least you knew at the very end.
"Woof."
"Huh?"
As I was about to leave him behind, Azi barked while looking at Welsh and Duke Erectus.
"Do you want to save them?"
"Who. Welsh? I want to save her, but I don't have the ability."
"If you did? Would you save her?"
I'd do that much. If I had the ability, that is.
Everyone knows the method of moving a boulder to the top of a mountain. You just lift or roll the rock and climb the mountain step by step. But only a very few can actually do it, and even they wouldn't do it unless tremendous compensation was at stake.
So no matter how much you wish for her to be saved, I can't comply with that.
"Woof!"
Did he even hear my answer? Azi placed his front paw on Welsh's back. And then began to lick the wound furiously.
I understand the sentiment, but the healing ability of the King of Beasts is at best at the level of disinfectant. Azi's action is nothing more than licking up blood. It's better than letting it flow freely, but this won't bring Welsh back...
"Huh."
A miracle occurred. A white cluster of light glowed, and Welsh's wounds reverted.
"Welsh! Can you hear me? Welsh!"
"...Master."
"Yes. It's me! Damn it. Why did you intervene..."
A power closer to restoration than recovery. Azi, who performed the miracle, with blood on his mouth, stuck out his tongue and looked at me with a still harmless face.