It was true that she'd agreed to do this. But the quest began without even giving her a chance to catch her breath.
“Are you hurt somewhere?”
“No. I'm not.”
“Then why are you here….”
That was strange. Hadn't the system clearly said 'two patients'?
[System]
Surprise Quest: 'Two Patients Behind the Curtain'
The patients' conditions have been diagnosed to ensure smooth nursing care.
Opening medical records.
─
[Patient A] Valentin de Arcane
[Diagnosis and Symptoms]
Withdrawal Syndrome
-This patient is somewhat hysterical because he has not seen you for several days.
Paranoia
-This patient strongly suspects that there is something going on between you and Tristan Loch.
[Prescription]
Make him understand the current situation and dispel his suspicions about you.
[Caution]
Must be kept separated from Tristan Loch.
─
[Patient B] Tristan Loch
[Diagnosis and Symptoms]
Attachment Disorder
-This patient craves only your attention and experiences excessive anxiety.
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI)
-This patient has extreme tendencies. Take care to prevent a recurrence.
[Prescription]
The patient requires absolute rest. He is easily agitated, so avoid provoking him.
[Caution]
Must be kept separated from Valentin de Arcane.
─
[!] Care for both patients simultaneously so that they can remain calm. Neglecting either one will disrupt the balance.
[!] Keep the two patients separated.
Be careful. Additional penalties may occur if they become aware of each other's presence.
Simply put, it was a battle between 'suspicion sickness' and 'attention sickness.'
Somehow, the difficulty suddenly felt like it had shot through the roof.
Elysia immediately regretted her hasty decision.
The only thing separating the two patients was a single thin curtain.
For now, at least, Valentin was still by the entrance, so there was some distance between them.
Rustle.
The curtain in the inner corner shifted slightly. Elysia's gaze immediately snapped toward the source of the sound.
Oh my God. It was the bed Tristan was lying in.
Valentin also briefly glanced toward the back before meeting Elysia's eyes again. Then, with a gentle smile, he answered her earlier question.
“I was passing by and saw the lights were still on this late. I thought I might say a prayer for the patients.”
“Ah, how compassionate of you. Then shall we pray together here before you leave?”
“No.”
Elysia tried to steer him into finishing at the entrance and leaving, but Valentin was surprisingly firm.
“A prayer shouldn't be so perfunctory. I should offer a blessing for each patient's recovery, one at a time.”
He was already holding a rosary for prayer.
She already knew he was naturally the kind of bastard who cared about no one but himself. And now, all of a sudden, he was talking about praying for patients. Did that make any sense? He was definitely plotting something.
Elysia lowered her voice as much as possible and whispered.
“I'm sorry, but outsiders aren't allowed in right now.”
“I was told this was a place that provides relief to the poor and is open to everyone. Was that incorrect?”
Those were the exact words Elysia herself had used when she'd shown him around the infirmary. She should've just given him some half-assed explanation. Why had she made it sound so holy?
“That's true, but it's still not open at this hour….”
“A priest isn't exactly an outsider here, is he?”
He replied calmly. There was no getting through to him. His voice wasn't loud, but he didn't seem to have any intention of lowering it either. Elysia couldn't stop worrying that the attention-starved lunatic behind the curtain could hear every word.
“I'm curious why you're going so far to stop me.”
“I'm not stopping you. I'm in charge of the infirmary tonight, so I'm simply explaining the rules. You might go in there and catch something….”
“A nun is working this hard so late at night. A priest can't be afraid of the sick. Let's put our faith in the Goddess's protection.”
If the Goddess had been protecting me, would you bastards have made it all the way here? She desperately wanted to demand an answer, but that wasn't the problem right now. The color was steadily draining from Elysia's face.
“Still… this place is far too shabby for someone as distinguished as you.”
“Is that so?”
Valentin raised an eyebrow and added,
“Then you shouldn't have been here in the first place.”
Granted, she had also been making excuses on the fly, but the response she got was such an unimaginable piece of sophistry that it left her speechless. Valentin couldn't have cared less about Elysia's mounting panic and strode deeper inside.
Should I trip him? I could break his leg and turn him into an actual patient. Then he wouldn't be able to make it over there…. A vicious impulse seized her, but she was in a dangerous situation where she couldn't afford to let Valentin's Affection drop.
At that moment, her eyes landed on a sign hanging on the wall that read 'ABSOLUTE REST.'
“That's exactly the problem.”
The moment he moved away from the entrance, Elysia barely managed to step in front of him. Then she quickly pointed out the sign.
“The patients need absolute rest.”
“Absolute rest?”
A disbelieving smile appeared on his face. He looked utterly incredulous, but she couldn't back down.
“You can't just walk in here whenever you please. Everyone's supposed to be sleeping. If you truly care about the patients, please show them some basic consideration before worrying about prayers.”
Just then, ring. The sound of a small silver bell rang out.
It was a tool patients used to call for assistance, and the sound was coming from inside the exact bed where Tristan was lying.
What the hell does that bastard want now….
[System]
[!] Care for both patients simultaneously so that they can remain calm. Neglecting either one will disrupt the balance.
Goddammit, you attention-seeking bastard! I get it!
Anger surged inside her, but she struggled to remain calm.
“It looks like a patient woke up. Please wait right there for a moment.”
Leaving Valentin standing where he was, Elysia shot toward Tristan's bed like an arrow. She opened the curtain halfway and poked only her face inside. Without making a sound, Elysia mouthed:
What. Now. What.
Tristan was staring straight at her. Judging by his expressionless face, he must have recognized Valentin from his voice.
Don't come out.
If he catches us, we're both dead.
Elysia silently mouthed the words while gesturing at him.
Just save me this once. Okay?
Please.
Then she clasped her hands together and begged.
Tristan let out a faint sigh before pulling the blanket over his head with a stiff expression.
Elysia closed the curtain and turned around, only to nearly scream in shock. At some point, Valentin had come striding right up behind her.
Did he see? Or didn't he?
There hadn't been a penalty, so probably not yet….
Just then, Valentin tried to take another step toward Tristan's bed.
“…W-Wait.”
She reflexively tried to block his path and ended up crashing straight into him. Her forehead met his solid chest, and her arms automatically wrapped around his torso.
[System]
Strategy Target 'Valentin de Arcane' is intrigued by your proactive physical affection.
[Valentin de Arcane Affection +7]
It wasn't like she'd done it on purpose. But now she had somehow ended up embracing Valentin.
Fuck, what is this? Her face instantly burned.
“What's this about?”
For a moment, he looked down at her, as though confirming that Elysia was indeed clinging to him.
She could feel the firm chest beneath his immaculate priestly robes. In contrast to his excessively composed expression, Valentin's heart was beating fast enough for Elysia to feel it.
If his heart's beating like this… he is reacting, then?
“I'm worried about you. I'm afraid you might catch something and get sick.”
“And?”
“I'd rather you didn't go inside.”
[System]
Strategy Target 'Valentin de Arcane' is secretly pleased by your concern.
[Valentin de Arcane Affection +5]
…Did that work? Valentin stopped walking completely.
“That patient.”
“Yes?”
“He must be quite an ill-mannered person.”
Valentin muttered quietly.
“What do you….”
“He's being treated without paying a single coin thanks to the Goddess's mercy, yet he's acting fussy and ordering a nun around like she's his personal maid.”
He was openly insulting the patient behind the curtain.
He hadn't raised his voice, but they were close enough that Tristan could definitely hear him.
“Don't you think?”
And as if that weren't enough, he was now asking Elysia to agree with him.
Right now, she needed to raise Valentin's Affection to restore the balance, so it would probably be best to humor him a little. But the patient behind the curtain was a dangerous individual with a risk of self-harm, so she figured she should do it without making it too obvious.
“Well, that's a little….”
…Nod, nod.
She gave a vague answer, but Tristan couldn't 'see' her nodding anyway.
It was a choice meant to placate both sides reasonably well. Instead of finishing her answer, Elysia merely nodded with an uncomfortable expression, and a faint smile spread across Valentin's lips.
Just as she was beginning to feel slightly relieved, she heard the curtain being yanked open.
“Ah, so noisy.”
Elysia turned at the sudden sound and could only stare in horror.
“What is this, an infirmary or a marketplace? How am I supposed to get any rest?”
Because Tristan was standing there shirtless, glaring at them with a twisted expression.
[System]
The two Strategy Targets have become aware of each other.
Penalties will now be applied.