"You're awake?"
Alya pushed open the door and entered the room. Seeing Gauss sitting up in bed, silently reading a book in his hands, she exclaimed in delight.
"Sorry for worrying you," Gauss said apologetically. "How many days was I asleep?"
Gauss could clearly feel a dull ache in his body, and logically speaking, he shouldn't have been able to wake up so soon.
"Seven whole days."
Alya brought the porridge over to Gauss.
While Gauss had been asleep these past few days, she and the others had taken turns looking after him.
"Seven days? That's a little faster than I expected."
Gauss shrugged.
He was grateful he hadn't woken up to find that months, or even a year, had passed.
Seven days wasn't all that long.
"You make it sound so easy, but you scared us half to death," Alya complained, pursing her lips.
"Don't push yourself so hard again. If we run into an enemy who's too strong, we can retreat first."
"Mm-hmm." Gauss nodded.
Seeing Alya scoop up some porridge with a spoon,
he felt a little embarrassed.
"I can manage on my own."
Even though the slightest movement made his body ache, he wasn't spoiled, and he could endure this much pain.
"There you go again." Alya sighed, furrowing her brow.
"I just told you not to push yourself."
"You're a patient right now. Just lie still and let us take care of you."
"..."
Gauss gave a sheepish smile.
He had no choice but to accept her help.
"Ah, open wide." Alya blew on the porridge to cool it, then held the spoon to his mouth.
Gauss hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth and ate it.
His companions knew how much he could eat, so they'd added plenty of meat that had been