Gwen gently shook his head and smiled.
This was not something Gwen had deliberately said; it came from the bottom of his heart—
Having suddenly arrived in such a completely unfamiliar and perilous world, how could he not feel a little reassured to have someone who genuinely cared about him?
An Ordinary First Meeting
"Thank you for understanding..."
Rita smiled and nodded, raising her evaluation of Gwen by a few degrees.
Suddenly appearing in a completely unfamiliar place with severe injuries, yet still being able to remain calm and even smile while speaking to others despite being restrained all over—Gwen had left Rita with a very good impression.
But such an obedient child... what kind of future would he have to face?
Looking at Gwen's face, which had regained a little color but was still pale enough to be called bloodless, Rita could not help but sigh softly.
Though she had not yet carried out many missions in the shadows, as an assassin who had received specialized training, Rita knew very well that Schicksal was not as glamorous as it appeared on the surface.
Though her heart was filled with mixed emotions, Rita knew she was merely an ordinary A-rank Valkyrie, incapable of swaying Lord Bishop's will. No unusual expression appeared on her face as she skillfully replaced the bouquet on the bedside table.
As a florist's daughter, Rita had dealt with flowers since childhood. She had done this sort of thing countless times.
Yet for some reason, Rita felt that the flowers in her hands seemed somewhat heavier than usual...
However, just as Rita was tending to the flowers, a voice interrupted her thoughts—
"Miss Rita..."
"Hmm?"
Hearing Gwen's voice, Rita immediately came back to herself, turned around, and looked at Gwen with a flawless smile.
"Is there anything you would like Rita to do?"
"May I ask... do you know anything about me?
I can't really... remember..."
On the hospital bed, the frail white-haired boy watched Rita with eyes that seemed to shimmer with light. His unease was plainly visible as he carefully asked the question.
Though Gwen had some guesses about his situation, he still wanted to gather as much information as possible.
Besides, Gwen's expression was not an act. A system that could only improve through training without adding points was useless to Gwen when he could not even move, and the Chat Group was equally useless without group members. Gwen was still deeply uneasy.
Though bright sunlight streamed through the window into the ward, Gwen's face was currently cast in Rita's shadow as she stood beside the bed, making his pallor and weakness all the more apparent, as though he did not belong in that sunny world at all.
"..."
Rita unconsciously thought of a stray cat that, after being abandoned, cautiously extended a front paw to test someone who meant it no harm. She met Gwen's gaze for a moment, her hands folded before her unconsciously tightening slightly. Her eyes lowered as she gently shook her head.
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Gwen. You are a survivor whom Lord You Lan Dai Er rescued during one of her missions.
As for your past... I'm sorry..."
"There's no need for that, Miss Rita."
Gwen blinked and smiled as he shook his head.
The fact that I was able to survive at all is thanks to all of you."
As he spoke, Gwen raised the likelihood that he was a survivor rescued from a Honkai incident.
"Rita, Gwen, I brought the doctor!"
After the two had exchanged only a few words, the door opened again, and You Lan Dai Er, who had just rushed out in a flurry, ran in while pulling a doctor along.
Hearing You Lan Dai Er's slightly excited words, Gwen and Rita exchanged smiles before both turning toward the door.
The doctor, dressed in white with a mask on his face and a blue cap on his head, followed You Lan Dai Er into the ward. Seeing that Gwen had awakened, his emerald eyes swept over the readings on the various instruments. Only after confirming that there were no problems did he smile and greet Gwen.
"Young man, how are you feeling now? Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable?"
Facing the doctor's questions, Gwen answered each one smoothly and, just as he had when questioning Rita earlier, stated that he had amnesia.
Though surprised, the doctor reassured Gwen that he need not worry. Perhaps it was merely a stress response from his brain in the face of danger, and he would recover after some time.
After questioning and examining Gwen, the doctor carefully checked and recorded the data displayed on the instruments. He closed the folder in his hand and said with a smile.
"Young man, don't overthink things. Your injuries aren't serious. With the medical standards here, you'll definitely make a full recovery.
Don't rush to recover your memories of the past, either. It's only a temporary stress response. One day, you'll remember.
Besides, while the past is worth remembering, the future is what deserves your attention even more."
"Mm, thank you, Doctor."
Gwen nodded calmly and accepted the doctor's advice.
After all, there was nothing wrong with what he had said.
Just then, the ward door opened again with a soft sound, making everyone instinctively look over.
When the newcomer entered their field of vision, You Lan Dai Er, Rita, and the doctor all froze before swiftly standing at attention and respectfully saying.
"Lord Bishop!"
"No need for formalities. I came to inspect this area today and happened to pass by. Please continue."
Otto, with blond hair, green eyes, and handsome features, wore finely tailored clothes that highlighted his extraordinary bearing. He smiled and waved a hand before turning his gaze toward Gwen on the bed.
However, Gwen was currently looking over the three people on either side of the bed, seeming somewhat at a loss.
When he heard the three address the man as such, Gwen knew Otto had arrived. His heartbeat involuntarily sped up, and he became nervous.
Realizing that this would not do, Gwen simply avoided looking at Otto. He turned his head from side to side, looking at You Lan Dai Er and the others with the expression of someone overwhelmed in the presence of an important figure. He avoided meeting Otto's eyes while doing his best to adjust his mindset in that brief moment, giving himself a simple form of self-hypnosis—
I'm just an ordinary nobody. I'm very nervous about meeting an important person like the "Bishop"... very nervous...
Though Gwen had no confidence that he could completely hide his emotions from an old fox like Otto, he could at least make them appear more reasonable.
"Don't be alarmed, child."
Seeing that Gwen was somewhat lost but still relatively stable despite the uncertainty and slight alarm on his face when looking at him, Otto nodded inwardly. Outwardly, he wore a smile as gentle as a spring breeze.
"I merely came to see whether the doctors have been diligently treating patients like you.
If any doctor has done anything poorly, feel free to tell me."
"No, this... Lord Bishop, this doctor has been diligently treating me."
Although Otto's words and actions felt as gentle as a spring breeze, utterly lacking the schemer's air from Gwen's first impression of him, Gwen's vigilance did not relax in the slightest.
Yet on Gwen's face was an expression of nervousness tempered by forced composure, exactly like a child meeting an important person he had never seen before.
"It's good that you're satisfied..."
Otto smiled and nodded at Gwen. He took the folder from the doctor, gave it a brief inspection, and returned it, not forgetting to remind him.
"Mm, the examination was very thorough. Keep up the good work. You must do your utmost to treat every patient."
Otto, Master of Chicken Soup, Goes Online
Gwen's first meeting with Otto was not as thrilling as he had imagined. It could even be said to have been overly mundane.
It was as though Otto really had simply come to inspect the work and happened to pass by. After saying a few words, he left the ward.
After Otto left, the doctor also quickly departed from the ward.
"Phew..."
After the doctor left as well, You Lan Dai Er, who had been keeping a straight face, finally relaxed.
Likewise, Gwen's face showed an expression of relief.
"Gwen, are you afraid of Lord Bishop?"
Seeing this, the now-relaxed You Lan Dai Er asked curiously.
"A little..."
Gwen nodded honestly. With obvious relief on his face, he continued fleshing out his persona.
"A bishop sounds like a very important person, doesn't he?
Isn't it normal to be nervous when meeting someone like that without knowing anything about him?
What about you, You Lan Dai Er? It felt like you were a little nervous just now too..."
"Nervous... I suppose?"
Hearing Gwen's question, You Lan Dai Er scratched her head and voiced her thoughts.
"Lord Bishop feels very gentle. He isn't like some of those so-called important people I've met before, who act all high and mighty.
I only felt that I should act like a warrior in front of him, rather than a child..."
"She's still just a child..."
Hearing You Lan Dai Er's explanation, Gwen smiled inwardly, and his mood relaxed a little more.
Seeing You Lan Dai Er's adorable appearance, Rita's pretty face carried an even brighter smile.
Since Gwen was in fairly good spirits now, You Lan Dai Er and Rita were not in any hurry to leave. Instead, they chatted with Gwen for a while.
As a survivor, Gwen naturally wanted to understand the disaster he had experienced.
Though they were somewhat worried that learning about such things might cause Gwen to recall unpleasant memories, You Lan Dai Er and Rita also greatly admired his courage in facing his fears. They went along with it and gave Gwen a simple introduction to the basic knowledge of Honkai—
Before Gwen had awakened, You Lan Dai Er and Rita, as the only ones who knew Gwen's identity, had already been summoned by Otto. They concealed his status as a visitor from another world and agreed to refer to him as a survivor of a Honkai incident.
Originally, they would have needed to discuss this with Gwen himself, but his amnesia saved them some trouble.
You Lan Dai Er did not like lies, but compared to someone who had lost his entire world, the identity of a victim of a Honkai incident was clearly easier for people to accept.
Since they had only come to visit Gwen during their noon break, You Lan Dai Er and Rita left the ward after sitting with him for a while.
Once he was the only one left in the ward, Gwen looked at the ceiling above him and recalled all the information he had gained from meeting everyone today.
"Otto doesn't seem to care about me at all... Perhaps my earlier guess was wrong. Maybe I really am just a survivor of a Honkai incident?"
After thinking carefully for a long time, Gwen still could not determine his identity, owing to his utmost vigilance toward Otto—
You Lan Dai Er might not lie, but the problem was that Otto had the Feather of Dust package.
"Forget it. There's no use thinking so much. I still need to keep my guard up against the Feather of Dust package.
As long as I can endure until I'm discharged safely and get out of Otto's sight, I'll have a few years to develop. By the time Otto does something major, I'll at least have the ability to protect myself, or I can take refuge with the group members. If things go smoothly..."
With that in mind, Gwen, whose only goal was still survival, opened the Chat Group interface again and continued studying it...
However, unsurprisingly, Gwen's plans still encountered an unexpected turn—
"You're saying... I'm from that 'Caslana family'?"
On the hospital bed, Gwen looked at Otto before him, surprise appearing on his now healthy-looking face.
"That's right."
Otto smiled and nodded. The fruit knife in his hand paused, and a strip of apple peel fell in smooth spirals. He handed the perfectly peeled apple to Gwen.
"Thank you..."
Gwen thanked him and accepted the flawlessly peeled apple, his face still carrying the surprise from moments before.
"You seem very surprised?"
Otto wiped the juice from the fruit knife with a tissue, placed it back in the drawer, and smiled at the boy before him.
After a month of careful treatment, Gwen's body, which had originally required stabilization and treatment, had fully recovered. His complexion was rosy, though his build still appeared somewhat slight.
"Mm..."
Gwen had thought Otto had come while no one else was around to give him a Feather of Dust package. He truly had not expected Otto to bring up his identity. Taking small bites of the apple, he said.
"Although some of my physical features do resemble those of the Caslana family, according to what You Lan Dai Er and Rita told me, the Caslana family should all be physically strong and born with immense strength, while I'm the complete opposite of those traits..."
Before you continue