"What do you mean, 'It'll work just as well if Loa handles it'?"
Under normal circumstances, Zephyr would have given Ain a stern talking-to. Did she really think so little of him that she believed they needed Loa to solve the problem?
But since the medical examination after last month's battle, Zephyr had lost much of his confidence when facing Ain.
Her words were disrespectful, certainly. But wasn't she saying them because she cared about him?
Still, he couldn't collapse yet!
Zephyr said nothing more. He waved Ain and Binz away. The two exchanged helpless looks, but with their teacher refusing to budge, they had no choice but to leave the deck.
After a few steps, Ain stopped and turned back, still worried. "Teacher, the doctor said you need to smoke less."
"I know! Now get lost!"
Zephyr laughed as he snapped at her, then turned his gaze back to the sea.
Suddenly, a sharp pain seized his chest. His head spun, and he hardly dared draw a deep breath. It struck so abruptly that Zephyr lost his grip on his premium cigar, letting it fall to the deck.
He fumbled a bottle of spray medication from his coat, pressed the nozzle hard, and inhaled deeply. Only then did the color slowly return to his face.
His powerful body went limp. The mountain of an old man sank down against the deck railing and shook his head with a bitter smile. "No use pretending age hasn't caught up with me."
How could he not know the state of his own body?
He needed rest, yet he kept throwing himself into the front lines. Of course his body couldn't take it. But after so long at sea without finding any trace of that man, how could Zephyr bring himself to go