I'm Fine
Hngh... Are you okay? You fell instead of me... Eeek?!
There's a branch stuck in your knee and you're bleeding...?!
*Sob* Waaaah!
Please don't cry.
*Sniffle* Huh?
I'm fine. It doesn't hurt.
But... there's a branch stuck in you...
It just needs to be pulled out. Like this.
Huh...? You... pulled it out with your bare hands...?
Even if it doesn't hurt... that's...
*Gasp*
*Huff* *Huff*
...It was a dream.
While stopping by a general store, I spotted a familiar face.
Hey, Lugh.
Hello, Captain. What brings you here?
...I see. Shopping for daily necessities.
Hmm? Me?
I'm here to shop as well.
...Silence followed.
What are you buying?
Vitality Potions and chocolate bars.
Energy boosters and sugar are essentials for surviving overtime.
The sack on the top shelf looked bigger than Lugh's entire torso.
You bought food for your team too?
No, these are personal supplies.
R-right! Guess that's a month's worth?
A month...?
I'll be eating them today...
...More awkward silence followed.
...I don't want to pry, but...
If you eat that much... you might—
Captain, living beings expend a great deal of energy.
Especially glucose.
Without enough sugar, your brain slows down, and you can't focus on work.
If you want to make efficient use of limited time, sugar intake is essential.
You imply that this is a lot, but I disagree.
With frequent field operations on top of paperwork and overtime...
I need at least this much to keep my body functioning.
And regardless of my weight, I always maintain a healthy body.
Strictly.
Perfectly.
At all times.
...So I did hit a nerve.
And there's something you don't know.
No matter how much I eat, all the nutrients go to one place.
Have you noticed?
One place...?!
That's correct.
My hair.
That's it?!
...? Is there somewhere else?
Surely you didn't think I meant my stomach, thighs, or arms?
Captain, answer me.
I.
Want to hear.
A detailed answer.
A cold sweat trickled down my spine.
We stepped outside with her purchases and my own.
I'll carry my own things. Please hand them over, Captain.
...Didn't a monster bite my arm last time?
I'm fine. It's completely healed.
As I mentioned before about my family’s inherent traits, we also heal faster than most.
So I...
...Huh?
A... reward?
You saved me from that monster, remember?
Anyone would have done the same.
It wasn't done expecting a reward.
Still, thank you for helping me.
If you put it that way...
Very well. I'll accept your reward, Captain.
Heading straight to the office?
Yes. I still have work to finish.
Because of the incident on the day we first met, my team and I have been working overtime.
Judging from the scale of the explosives planted, we suspect there's a larger force behind it, and we're investigating.
Sounds like a lot on your plate.
Hey, watch out! Run!
I turned toward the voice, and saw a car barreling down the pedestrian path.
Waaah! Help!
Kyaaah!
...Excuse me!
Just before the car could hit the sisters, Lugh threw herself in its path.
I-it stopped...
Who drives that reckle—
Wait, there's no one in the driver's seat... H-how is that even possible...?
In the empty driver's seat of the wrecked car, there was a sheet of paper taped to it, scrawled with jagged letters.
Humanity must be punished. Deactivate the Divine Barrier!
Hey, look...
This says the same thing as the NOA Plaza Faction!
Weren't they all captured...?!
Th-thank you... We almost—
Kyaaah?!
Y-your leg...! It's bent the wrong way...!
Are you okay, Miss Observer...?! Hngh...!
I'm fine.
*Sniffle* Huh?
This is nothing.
Kyaaah?!
I'll request support from the town guards. Please keep the scene secure.
Any other casualties? Is everyone safe?
I'm sure I saw... her leg bend really badly...
...?
But how can she be so calm...?
She set the bone herself...
It's a little...
creepy.
...!
Hey! Is that any way to talk to your savior?!
I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!
Are you hurt?
Huh? Oh, no! Thanks to you...
That's good news.
Captain, let me take my things.
There's follow-up work to be done, so I'll be heading back first.
But Lugh...
It's just a dislocation. I'll be fine as long as I don't overdo it.
Then, until next time.
She bowed slightly, then walked off with a limp.
Only the sound of car horns echoed nearby.
The plaza fell silent.
...That was creepy.
...Huh?
It's creepy...! Why are you acting like nothing's wrong?
Your leg's bleeding... You should be crying!
Why isn't your expression changing at all? Why?!
As I said, I can't feel pain, so...
I-I gotta go... I feel sick...
...Me too.
...
Creepy...
...Is it?