EBCP 24

Chapter : 24

It wasn’t really all that far from the capital, so it was possible he’d be here, but—

‘Why is he in that state?’

At that moment, Arno forced out a strained voice.

“…Could you please help me?”

“Helping you isn’t the problem.”

He was collapsed against the wall between two alleyways.

“No, Sir Arno. How did you end up here like this?”

There wasn’t even an attendant priest with him, nor was he wearing clerical clothing.

It really looked like he had come alone on personal business.

“Cleric?”

But then—

“Sir! Sir, wake up!”

Before I could ask anything, Arno’s head fell limp onto my shoulder.

[Arno, Grade A, Priest of the Elbenard Empire]

The heat radiating from him was intense—one touch and his body felt like a furnace.

“Sir Arno! Sir Arno!”

I slapped his cheeks and shook him hard, but he didn’t wake.

‘What do I do?’

I looked around, but no one who might be with him appeared.

And of all places, this was a deserted alley in a quiet village. There wasn’t even a passerby.

[Opening Condition: Raise Arno’s “Sorrow” to at least 70%.]

Sorrow? Why is that the control condition this time?

Holding Arno in my arms, I checked the time again.

“The heroine’s school ends at six, and it’s four right now.”

I didn’t have time to sit here.

Right. He’s not going to die anyway.

After all, Arno was one of the male leads—and one of the few A-rankers.

I couldn’t personally control him, and he wasn’t suddenly going to drop dead here.

Meaning either he’d wake up on his own, or someone would come help him soon enough.

Just ignore it. Walk away.

I was already busy enough—I couldn’t waste time here.

I propped Arno up against the wall and quietly got to my feet.

And just as I tried to walk past—

“Your Highness… please… help me…”

He must have seen my face at some point, because Arno suddenly grabbed my hand.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

I cursed my luck—but only for a moment.

Then it hit me.

Did he just call me Your Highness?

Arno recognized me.

In that state—how did he identify me so quickly?

“Why are you so tall anyway?”

After finally making it to the inn, I dropped Arno onto the bed.

Good thing it was close by.

If not, I really would have left him on the street.

“Do you have two rooms?”

“No rooms left tonight. You two look like lovers, so just share. Price is the same for two anyway.”

Unbelievable—of all times, there’s no room.

He won’t die. A good night’s sleep and he’ll be fine.

I couldn’t guard Arno forever.

I needed to move before school let out.

I placed a cold cloth on Arno’s forehead and was about to leave when—

“…Ugh.”

“Sir Arno? Are you all right?”

He suddenly let out a ragged, choking breath.

I hurried to check—and he looked even worse than before.

“It’s tight… I can’t… breathe…”

“Sir Arno? Can you hear me?”

Curled up on himself, he kept muttering how suffocated he felt.

Then he ripped the towel from his brow and clawed at the wall like he meant to tear it apart.

“Hah… hah…”

As if that wasn’t enough, he yanked open the front of his shirt, buttons flying.

Seriously? Don’t destroy your clothes now.

His sharply defined torso spilled out through the torn shirt.

Priest or not—he had an impressive body. But that was not the problem!

“Sir Arno, can you hear me? What happened to you?”

My head was starting to ache. What was I supposed to do with him?

“…!”

Suddenly he reached out.

“Arno!”

The hands that had been clawing and ripping now went for his own throat.

I grabbed his wrists instinctively, and he glared at me.

“…Let go.”

His eyes were wild—sick with fever yet frighteningly sharp.

Wait—does he have some kind of berserk episode too?

I asked Irak inside my head.

I’d seen so many male leads go berserk or suffer curses that this wasn’t shocking.

Some had caused far worse chaos.

But as far as I knew, Arno didn’t have anything like that in his settings.

[Located related outcome: “May suffer episodes of panic-induced breathing attacks or delirium.”]

“Panic disorder?”

Now that I thought about it—Arno was from the Bontec region.

I knew he’d been abused at a Bontec monastery, but that was just basic backstory.

He’d never shown visible trauma.

Even in the novel, he always felt fake—but he never showed weakness even to the heroine.

I had never imagined he’d have this side.

Can you find a treatment method?

[Located from Arno’s memories: “It’s okay, Arno. Pat, pat.”]

What’s that supposed to mean? Show me.

A crackling image shimmered into the air.

[Playing “Summer at Age Seven,” sourced from Arno’s memory.]

— Aren’t you afraid of me?

— Of what?

— The abbot said I’m possessed by a demon. He said I can’t go to the Grand Temple like this. That the nightmares I keep having are all…

— It’s okay, Arno. A dream is just a dream.

A young priestess held Arno’s hand.

She, like him, looked like a child raised in the temple after being chosen.

— It’s okay, Arno.

Someone who existed only in his memories.

Who is she?

She never appeared in the original.

I had never seen her before.

— Just believe me, sleep, and you’ll be fine.

I really knew far less than I thought—I only knew the original.

“Let go of me!”

I felt strength return to Arno’s hand as he struggled.

Tch.

I tightened my hold and gently patted his hand.

“It’s okay, Arno.”

“…!”

[Additional result found: “Gently stroking the head is also effective.”]

His head? Good grief.

If he suddenly snapped, I was dead—but Irak’s recommendations never failed.

“You—!”

“It’s okay, Arno.”

I brushed his sweaty hair back and soothed him. He flinched slightly.

“It’s okay. Just sleep and you’ll feel better.”

“Hhrm…”

I was copying the priestess from the memory, but I wasn’t lying.

He would be all right.

“Nothing’s going to happen. Just believe me.”

“…”

“It’s okay, Arno. Everything will be fine.”

I held his gaze without looking away.

Slowly, his eyes slid shut, and his breathing steadied.

Once he was sound asleep, I slipped out.

“Hey, where’re you going, leaving your boyfriend behind?”

“Oh—he’s not my boyfriend. He’s my cousin. He’s sick, so I’m getting medicine.”

The innkeeper chuckled knowingly.

“Really? Earlier some temple knights were asking if a pretty young man had collapsed nearby.”

A pretty young man on the ground—definitely Arno.

“They could only think of him. But you two came in together, so they figured it wasn’t. Right?”

“It… wasn’t us. When did they come by?”

“If you go now, you’ll probably catch them. They just left.”

I considered chasing down the temple knights—but shook my head.

“I see. Well, it’s not us. When he wakes up, we’ll come back, so please tell them to wait.”

Considering Arno’s condition… leaving him quiet was best.

“And if possible, please bring him some food, water, and fever reducer.”

I tipped extra coins into her palm. She nodded eagerly.

“Of course. Happy to help.”

“Oh—Bontec Vocational School is nearby, right? Is it carriage distance?”

“No need for a carriage. Just follow the main road—you’ll see it soon enough.”

Following her directions, I stepped onto the main road and checked the time again.

The heroine and that man…

I absolutely have to meet them!