Erick: …
Sonetto: Erick?!
Mesmer Jr.: 6 minutes and 37 seconds. Consistent with the awakening trend on the monitoring device.
She jots down several notes in the medical record book.
Mesmer Jr.: Lie back down and don't move. I'll get the medicine.
They are left alone in the hospital room.
…
Sonetto: You've been unconscious for days... They thought you would never wake up.
Erick: Cough, cough... I was planning to visit Valhalla.
Erick: But Harald and those stinky old lice-ridden men grabbed my ears and said it wasn't my time yet.
Erick: That’s a bit—
Sonetto lays her hand on Erick’s.
Sonetto: ...Erick, I'm sorry.
Sonetto: Those letters... they weren't actually written by Harald—
She freezes, then gently shakes her head.
Erick: I understand.
Erick: Thank you for being honest, and for all you've done for me.
There is no longer doubt in her eyes.
Erick: How are those grown-ups I injured? I... didn't mean to toss them so hard.
Erick: They won't let me go back, will they?
Sonetto: Well...
Sonetto: The SPDM's management committee has submitted your transfer application...
???: What—?!
The bed frame begins to shake violently.
Two dusty little heads pop out from under the bed.
Erick: Hey, what are you two doing here?
Sonetto: I asked the instructor to bring them here. I thought it might help your condition...
But no one is paying any attention to her response.
Golden Key Sancho: Boss, you can't drop out!
Golden Key Sancho: I—I, I can bring out my precious Sharpodonty collection! The book I read said that staff and instructors always fall for that...
Erick: ...Sancho, don't.
Erick: Your critter has been waiting in Ms. NewBabel’s cage for so long...
Erick: Besides—(cough, cough...)
She hunches over, covering her mouth as if choking on thick smoke.
Sancho opens his mouth to speak, but he can't say a word.
Her coughing... is like a small wooden hammer pounding on their hearts.
Effie: Really... there’s no hope left?
Sonetto: Sorry...
Effie: ...If you leave, I'll never talk to anyone else ever again.
Effie: (Sob...) I thought I finally found a real friend... but it turns out all this effort was for nothing.
Effie: I knew it would end like this, yet I still planned so much with you...
Effie: "People delude themselves into passion in life, painting a portrait of themselves; but in the end, they are left with nothing but the portrait."
Effie: They were right... (Sob)
She lowers her head, her shoulders shaking. She wipes the tears and snot from her face.
Golden Key Sancho: Don't be like this, Eifer... The boss is hurting too.
Effie: (Sob...) No, she isn't; if you ask me, we've all been deceived.
Effie: What about the mountains of treasures? The monsters called "Emptiness" and "Vanity"? There's no such thing anywhere in the world.
Effie: If there were, you would have taken us to see it for ourselves!
Erick: …
Effie: You're so reckless, always getting us into trouble. Because of you, my semester badge got revoked.
Effie: You don't actually have a ship or any of those thrilling adventures. You just have a silly little wooden sword!
Effie: (Sob...) And what can you command with it? What can you cut with it?
She covers her eyes with her arms, but the tears keep falling and the snot keeps dripping.
"Drip, drip—"
Effie: I knew it all, everything—
Effie: Even so, we still followed you around.
Effie: But now, you don't care about us anymore (sob sob sob...)
Golden Key Sancho: The boss hasn't abandoned us—
She pushes away the tissue presented in Sancho’s hand.
She doesn’t even glimpse at Erick.
She runs off like a child soaked by the rain.
Golden Key Sancho: Hey, hey, Eifer—!
Erick: Sorry...
Golden Key Sancho: It's okay, boss... It's not your fault.
A nurse pushes in a medicine cart, followed by a familiar hat.
Golden Key Sancho: Look... I have to go too.
Golden Key Sancho: Get well soon, boss.
Erick: (Cough, cough, cough)
Erick: Wait...!
He too leaves.
…
Mesmer Jr.: Put out your hand.
Mesmer Jr.: Take a deep breath.
Mesmer Jr.: There will be momentary pain in your wrist, but after 1 minute and 28 seconds, your arm will be completely numb.
