Under the bright rechargeable lamp light, the aroma of warm instant noodles and fried corned beef filled the small room.
With a face full of satisfaction, Akane brought two bowls to the bed. She sat on its edge, facing Azlan.
"Now, let's eat, Azlan-kun."
Akane took a spoon from her own bowl. However, instead of starting to eat, she scooped some from Azlan's bowl, blew on it gently several times, then extended it to Azlan's mouth.
"Say 'ah~'."
Azlan furrowed his brow. "No need. I can still eat by myself. I'm not paralyzed."
"I know you can." Akane countered with a sweet yet persistent voice. "But the motion of scooping and lifting the spoon could pull the wounds on your shoulder and back. I saw you frown earlier when you tried to sit up. Let me help. Besides, you've worked hard today."
"I'm fine. It's just a little stiff." Azlan tried to reach for his bowl, but Akane quickly pulled it away.
"A little stiff? Azlan-kun, you have a deep cut near your shoulder blade! I'm the one who cleaned it, I know!" Akane's voice rose slightly, full of worry. "Please, don't be stubborn. Let me take care of you, at least for tonight. Didn't you yourself say you'd be more careful? This is part of being careful, letting yourself recover without forcing small things."
"This isn't a small thing, this is eating." Azlan felt his argument beginning to weaken in the face of Akane's logic and concern.
"Eating is very important for your recovery! And what if your wounds reopen because of unnecessary movements? I'll feel guilty again. Do you want me to constantly feel guilty?"
"No, but—"
"No 'buts'! Let me take care of you completely. This is my atonement for inviting you to ski today, okay?"
Azlan looked at her. Akane's anxious expression was so sincere and serious that he realized refusing the feeding would only make them debate for a long time, wasting far more energy than simply lifting a spoon.
He sighed deeply, feeling sudden mental exhaustion.
(Father, I now understand your feelings every time you gave in to mother. Truly, debating with women is very exhausting... Zombies and Titans are easier to handle than women.)
Vague memories of his parents, of his father who always nodded with a resigned smile when his mother imposed her will, flashed through his mind. It felt like he was now in the same position.
With a small surrendering groan, he finally opened his mouth.
"Fine, fine. But only for tonight."
"Of course!" Akane replied quickly, a bright victorious smile blooming on her face as the spoon containing warm noodles and corned beef that was no longer too hot finally entered Azlan's mouth. "How is it? Delicious, right? Even though it's just instant noodles."
Azlan chewed slowly, and swallowed.
"Mm. Good."
And he wasn't lying. That simple taste, given with full attention, felt more satisfying than many meals he'd eaten.
"Thank goodness. Now, next spoonful~"
Akane cheerfully took the spoon again, and the cycle repeated.
Azlan could only resign himself and feel slightly embarrassed, letting himself be cared for. In his heart, though reluctant to admit it, there was a warmth different from the warmth of food slowly filling his empty stomach.
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Although the menu was simple, that dinner felt very satisfying for both of them. The warmth of the food and Akane's attention managed to make Azlan feel slightly better and more energetic.
After finishing and cleaning up the trash, Akane didn't immediately return to bed. She walked slowly around the room they occupied, her curious eyes scanning every corner.
"What are you doing, Akane?"
Azlan who had returned to sit on the mattress, leaning against the wall. He looked at her curiously.
"Just observing this room. It seems to be a girl's room. Look, there's a doll over there, and lots of cosmetics on the vanity." Akane pointed to a doll sitting in the corner. She then picked up a face cream bottle whose brand she didn't recognize. "This is another world, but I don't feel any significant difference from my original world, except for these brands."
"I see."
Azlan seemed not too interested. He closed his eyes, trying to focus his thoughts.
Inside his body, he could feel the thin natural energy in the air of this mountain area, slightly denser than in polluted Tokyo. Gently, he tried to draw it in, hoping to speed up the healing of his wounds.
In the Senjutsu knowledge inherited from Albion, of course there were special recovery and healing techniques. Unfortunately, Azlan couldn't use them yet.
The requirements for his power level and energy control hadn't been met. He was like a student who had memorized the theory of complex surgical operations, but whose hands weren't steady enough to hold a scalpel.
The legacy of the Sage who was the previous Divine Dividing host was an entire bank of knowledge about Senjutsu. In it was not only Touki as the foundation, but also various high-level techniques: manipulation of five elements (fire, water, earth, wood, metal) plus Yin and Yang, the art of creating and reading magical formations or seals, support techniques to increase speed, strength, or defense, illusion techniques, and much more.
How could a Sage, a legendary Senjutsu expert who had been a Divine Dividing host, not have many skills and techniques? His legacy was a treasure trove of invaluable knowledge.
However, for Azlan currently, that legacy was like someone who had a pile of gold bars and precious gems, but was trapped on a remote island without markets or stores. He had wealth, but had no way to 'spend' or utilize it effectively because his basic power—the 'currency' needed—was still too little.
That metaphor aptly described Azlan's situation: rich in theory and potential, but very limited in practical application because the foundation of his power still needed to be built.
So, for now, he could only do the most basic thing: draw in as much natural energy as possible, purify it, and let it circulate in his body, hoping his body's natural healing process was slightly helped.
Meanwhile, Akane continued exploring that room, finding fragments of normal life that had vanished, a gentle reminder of what had been lost from this world.
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Suddenly, Akane's exclamation that was both joyful and surprised awakened Azlan from his meditation.
"Azlan-kun! Quick, look at this!"
"Hm?"
Azlan opened his eyes, seeing Akane standing in front of an old wooden wardrobe in the corner of the room, her face sparkling like a child who had found treasure.
Slowly due to his wounds, Azlan left the mattress and walked closer.
"What made you so surprised—"
His words stopped mid-air as soon as his gaze penetrated the wide-open wardrobe door.
The wardrobe's contents were ordinary: several winter clothes still hanging neatly, several layers of sweaters, and in the open drawer several sets of women's underwear with designs that could be called quite 'bold'. But Azlan wasn't interested in any of that.
His eyes locked on two objects lying among the pile of clothes, emitting their own soft light that contrasted with the dust and darkness of the wardrobe.
Two pale Light Orbs pulsing softly.
"Light Orbs?! Not just one but two!!!"
Even Azlan, with his usually calm and controlled nature, couldn't maintain his composure at this moment. His voice sounded higher than usual, full of disbelief and sudden excitement.
"Right? I'm not seeing wrong!" Akane exclaimed, jumping slightly in place with glee. "I was just casually opening the wardrobe, thinking maybe there were extra warm clothes! These two light orbs were hidden in the wardrobe! This is amazing, Azlan-kun! Maybe this is a gift from the world because we got through the difficult battle earlier!"
She looked at Azlan with sparkling eyes, full of hope and anticipation.
"Quick, touch them! I want to know what amazing things we'll get this time!"