Chapter 19: A Free Man's New Life

The next day Meta, Fettuccine, Mercury, and Rebecca arrived at the GranEssex. When asked why she was coming with, Rebecca replied that she wanted to see her old friend, even if she was nervous about it. Understanding this, the entire group allowed her to come along and of course, Erhard and Kurabe were waiting for them at the front of the ship when they arrived.

"Sensei, I'm back!" Meta waved towards his mentor as he ran up to her.

Kurabe smiled. "I see that. Welcome home."

The youth then turned to Erhard. "Well, Erhard. How does it feel to be a free man?"

"It feels good. Of course it's only been a day, I still have a lot of adjusting to do."

But that wasn't all that the puff was told. There was one other thing he was told on the way back to the ship by Kurabe.

"So, you're going to be the head doctor here then?"

"Yes, it was Kurabe's suggestion." The doctor then looked at Fettuccine and shook her hand. "Thank you."

"It's not just me you should thank, you should also thank Meta. Honestly, I probably would have been dead if it wasn't for him."

Erhard nodded in understanding after a moment of silence. "I see. I was already going to thank him, but I wanted to thank you first."

She giggled in reply. "Well, thank you for thanking me first then."

"What do you mean when you say that you would have been dead?" Kurabe asked, an aura of concern now emanating from her.

"I'll tell you about it later, sensei. But right now, there's someone that wants to meet you, Erhard." Meta said.

"Really? Who?"

It was then that he noticed Rebecca, who looked at him nervously. "Hello, Erhard..." She uttered in a voice that really did show how she felt about the situation.

The man's eyes widened. "...You're alive...you're actually alive. When I regained my memories, I was so sure you would have been gone, just like the doctor. It's truly good to see you again, my old friend."

The woman hugged him as she began to cry. "It's... so good to see you, too."

"If I could cry, I would be doing so..." Despite these words, his voice made it sound like he was and after a moment, he spoke once more. "I take it you helped them free me?"

His friend nodded. "Yeah, it was my testimony that helped you."

"Thank you."

"It's not a problem. I'm just happy that you're no longer locked up. I hope you can live a happy life now."

"I believe that won't be a problem." He smiled.

"I'm glad!"

"What will you do now, Rebecca?"

"Honestly... I'm not sure. I think I might go back to being a doctor. It's the most I can do to make up to those who died because of my brother and step uncle."

"Well, you can always work here if you'd like." Kurabe offered quickly.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll do it at a later point."

"Well, the offer is always open. Can never have enough doctors."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind."

"Will you be staying for the day at least?" Erhard asked.

"At least long enough for you to comfortably move in." She then chuckled. "Which might be more than a day, knowing how you are."

"Very true."

"Besides, I want to catch up with you after all these years."

"As do I."

The two smiled at each other before walking into the ship leaving Meta, Kurabe, Mercury, and Fettuccine.

"Now Meta, what happened?" Kurabe immediately asked, slightly startling her student with how sudden it was.

"Fetty's life was in danger twice. The first was an assassination attempt that was easily thwarted. The second time, Fetty was stabbed with a poison dagger by Wade Forde. She would have died if I didn't use my lighting magic to slow the poison down while Rebecca worked on the antidote."

Both of them seemed to noticeably blush at the last sentence. Instantly, Kurabe picked him up in a hug.

"I'm proud of you, Meta. You did the best you could and saved two lives. Be proud of yourself."

"I... thank you, sensei..."

With a smile, she let go and turned to the interrogator. "Now with that settled, Fettuccine, Reedy sent me a message. He says you can stay here for one day, but you must return to him first thing in the morning tomorrow." The warrior said.

Fettuccine smiled. "I understand!"

"Good, because while you are still here you are still technically under my supervision. I have a mission for both you and Meta."

"What's that?" Both of them asked.

"The two of you, and you too, Mercury, will be showing Erhard around the ship. I'd do it myself, but I'm needed for a meeting with the General."

Her student tilted his head in questioning. "What does the general want?"

"Monthly check in about the budget, our division, etc. Boring stuff that is necessary to get through." She then smiled as she looked directly at Meta. "Don't worry, I'll have plenty of time to make you chicken parmesan for dinner later."

"Alright, I'll look forward to dinner then."

Kurabe only smiled.

"Well, should we get going then?" The youth asked his friend and the vice captain.

"You're free to join the tour if you wish, Rebecca." Mercury said.

"I think I'll be naturally joining you because I want to spend more time with my friend."

"Then let's get moving. We'll start with the most important place first." The vice captain said.

The two looked at each other before nodding and following the group.

"What is the most important place, Mercury?" Erhard asked.

"The cafeteria."

"...well, I guess that's a bit obvious for Star Warriors." Rebecca said.

"...It was Mercury that called it the most important place." Meta mumbled.

"I thought that it was Star Warriors who ate a lot..." Erhard nodded in agreement.

"We're soldiers. We also need food for energy, it has nothing to do with enjoying eating. If we're not training or sleeping, we're eating to refuel." Mercury explained.

"I guess that is true."

"There's no guessing. The three most important places are the cafeteria, the training room and the infirmary. But everyone needs food, even for crew members that don't fight."

"I think we get it now."

"Besides, Erhard, when was the last time you had a proper meal anyway?"

The man took a moment to think about it. "...over 100 years ago, I think."

"Then that's another reason to go there first."

"As long as it's better than the food in prison, that'll be enough for me."

Mercury chuckled. "Don't worry, the food here actually has flavor."

"I see..."

The rest of the group seemed to chuckle at that reply.

In a few minutes they arrived, the cafeteria was as busy as ever.

"I've never seen so many people in one place, besides that tournament." Erhard said in surprise.

"Well, there's a lot of people in the combat division. It's one of the largest in the Organization. Not only that, but this place is also almost never empty. There's always a group of people here at all times."

The doctor seemed to look at Mercury in a questioning manner. "Is there any reason for that?"

"People returning at various times for food."

"What do your soldiers do then?" He then asked.

"The usual schedule for them is train, eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep. The only time this gets disrupted is when there's a mission, but even then, the first thing people usually do upon returning is either eat or sleep."

Rebecca gave a sad look at that reply. "...that sounds like a sad existence."

Mercury shrugged. "Not really. Everyone here is allowed to do whatever they want. Some people only train for a few hours, some not at all. A lot of people tend to spend a lot of time just relaxing. Kurabe lets everyone, with a few exceptions, make their own schedules."

"I assume Meta is one of those who trains a lot?" Erhard asked.

"I am. I have to be strong in order to protect everyone."

"Anyway, our soldiers' training regimen aside, it's time to eat."

The group nodded.

"So, what's being served today?" Meta asked.

"It's buffet day. Meaning just go and pick whatever looks tastiest." Mercury replied.

While Meta and Fettucine looked happy, Erhard seemed to look nervous.

"What wrong?"

"I'm not sure what I want..." He uttered shyly.

"Oh, is that all? Just pick something at random. Here, try this egg roll." Mercury said, handing him one.

"But there's still so much food..."

"And? Just eat man, this is your first meal as a free man. Pig out a little."

The doctor only continued to look nervous.

"Mercury, I think I understand what's wrong." Meta said. "He's not used to having so much choice."

Mercury smiled. "I know, but Erhard, that's why I said pick stuff at random. Don't think, just act. Enjoy yourself."

"But still... I'm not sure..."

The woman sighed. "Then I'll make a plate for you, but only this once. You need to relearn how to be independent."

He silently nodded. The female Limet stepped away for a moment and returned with a tray of food.

"Here, take this plate." She said, handing him a stack of food.

"Ah, thank you." He replied as he sat down at the table with the rest of the group. "What all is it?"

"I don't know, I picked at random. I know I grabbed some mac and cheese, that's always the first to run out of stock."

"I see..." He said as he took a bite.

"So, what do you think?"

"I'm not sure if this is just because I'm so used to prison food, but this is really good."

"I told you the food here was actually good."

"It is."

"Well then, keep eating, Erhard. You've earned a good, real meal."

"...It's been far too long. I honestly forgot what real food tasted like."

"And just think, you'll be able to eat food like this every day now."

"I think I like the sound of that." He replied with a smile, something he's been doing a lot more often. It made Meta himself smile as well. "Shouldn't you be eating a bit more, Meta?" The doctor then asked.

"...I'm saving room for dinner."

"Ah, I see."

Mercury giggled. "It's because Kurabe's going to spoil him."

"Ok." Was all Erhard could say, seeing as he had no clue about what kind of relationship Kurabe and Meta have.

The woman seemed to notice this and explained. "Let's just say Kurabe can sometimes be less like his teacher and more like his mom."

"I see."

"Isn't it also because he's her star student?" Fettuccine asked.

Mercury stared questioningly. "...No? For all purposes she is his mother, she did adopt him after all and would be his legal guardian."

"She's my mentor. That's it." Meta replied bluntly.

"Don't need to be a lie detector to tell that's a lie." Fettuccine smirked.

"Enough about me, we're here for Erhard and making him feel comfortable."

"Well, having conversations with him will make him feel comfortable, isn't that right?" Rebecca asked.

"Then change the topic." He grumbled.

"Ok, what would you like to talk about, Erhard?"

"What is the purpose of this division?"

Mercury immediately answered that quick reply. "We're the muscle of the Organization. We do escort missions and anything that requires fighting."

"And how many doctors do you have?"

"Depends. We have 6 people who can perform medical treatments, but they also do other chores. We don't have a dedicated doctor."

"You do now."

"And we're grateful for it."

"I'm the grateful one. I can do what I want as a free man now. It'll be strange sleeping in a place that's not a fridge, though."

Mercury chuckled. "I mean, you can change the temperature of your room if you want."

"That's not really the point I was making, but yes that's true."

"Plus, you have an actual bed now."

"That's another thing to get used to."

The group nodded.

"I have a question, will Erhard be forced to participate in battles?" Rebecca asked, concerned for her friend.

"He will be required to have some form of self-defense training in case the ship is invaded, but he will be specifically relegated to treating the ill and injured."

"So, he's going to be safe from conflict for the most part?"

"Yes. Again, he'll need self-defense training, but he won't be sent into battle."

"Then that's fine."

"I assume he's fine with self-defense training then?"

"Yes, as long as he doesn't get sent out to fight in a war. He's a healer."

"He won't. It's only in case of invasion."

"Then I have no objections, but what do you think, Erhard?"

The man took a moment to think. "...as long as I'm not required to fight, it'll be fine."

"You won't be forced to fight. Only those on the ship designated as knights and warriors will."

"I see. Thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome."

The group then continued to eat in a comfortable silence.

In a few minutes, Erhard was done with his plate. "Thank you for the meal. I quite enjoyed it."

Mercury smiled. "You should say that to the chefs then. But that can be later, now we have to take you to our next destination."

"And where is that?" He tilted his head.

"The infirmary. That's where you're probably going to be spending most of your time at."

"Indeed. I'd expect to spend the most time there."

"Then let's get moving. I'm sure you're excited."

He nodded and followed after Mercury.

"So, Erhard, how skilled of a doctor are you?" Mercury asked.

"I believe I'm quite skilled."

"In what fields? Like your specialties?"

"Surgery. I'm very good at surgery."

"That's an understatement and you know it. My father always said you were the best surgeon in the galaxy!" Rebecca commented.

"You're the best!?" Meta asked in awe.

Erhard's entire body turned pink. "I'm... I'm not that good..."

"Yes, you are, and you know it."

"N-no, I'm not..."

"Well, at we least we know he's modest. Erhard, do you any fears or phobias that we need to be aware of?" Mercury asked, hoping for a way to make him feel comfortable.

"Not that I know about..."

"You mean nothing that can be controlled, don't you?" Rebecca added.

"Yes."

The entire group instantly knew what they meant by that.

"I see..." Fettuccine was the one to break the brief moment of silence.

"It's fine. I have no phobias, or any allergies or anything that will require special assistance."

"I see. That'll make things easier." Mercury nodded.

"I would ask the same of you, but I guess I'll find that out when I do your patient intake form."

"I suppose you will. Are you a licensed psychologist, too?"

"Yes, I am."

"I see. I'll keep that in mind..."

Erhard tilted his head in curiosity. "Do you need my help for something, Mercury?"

"Maybe, but that's a topic for behind closed doors..." The woman replied, lowering her hat to cover her eyes.

"I see. I would be happy to have you as my first patient."

"Hey, Metty, what is she talking about?" Fettuccine asked innocently.

"...Sorry, but that's not something I should reveal lightly. You should ask her yourself."

"Oh... hey Mercury, what are you talking about?"

Mercury glared at her, but quickly looked away. "PTSD. That's all I'm telling you."

Fettuccine looked at her for a moment but just shrugged. "Probably just bullying..." She thought.

Meta seemed to notice this. "Did Reedy not tell his crew about what happened?"

"Now, should get we back to moving?" He was broken out of his thoughts by Mercury.

"I'm fairly excited. Which is saying a lot, I haven't felt excitement in such a long time." Erhard said.

"That's because you haven't had a reason to be excited." Rebecca giggled.

"Yes, that's true. Even the times I was let out of my cell weren't exciting, since I would be quickly put back in anyway."

"What, so you weren't excited when you heard we were going to prove your innocence?" Fettuccine asked with a pout.

"That's different. I was excited, but that kind of excitement was because of hope. My current excitement is that of getting to experience a new office."

"Besides, I think you can already tell he's not the best with emotions." Rebecca added.

"That too."

"Sounds like someone I know." Fettucine giggled.

"Who?" Meta asked.

She only continued to giggle, to his confusion.

Soon they arrived, Erhard getting a good look around, his face gaining a whimsical look.

"So, this is my new workplace."

"Yes, and you'll be able to decorate it however you like whenever you start."

"Decorate?"

"Yeah. Decorate. To make it more custom to you."

"I see. I don't know where to begin with that."

"Well, just put around books, plants, photos, whatever."

"That's not what I meant, but yes, that's true."

"What do you mean then?"

"I have no belongings. I need to buy items for decorations, but I don't know what I want."

"Oh, don't worry, Kurabe bought you a few things to get you started and you can collect more as you work."

"When did she get the time for that?"

"Online shopping..."

"...What's that?"

"She bought things on the computer and had it sent to the ship."

"It seems that a lot of technological advancements had been made while I was imprisoned."

"Yeah, especially in the medical field. So you'll have to read up on that."

"No, that won't be necessary. One of the few things they actually allowed me to do was to keep up with advancements in the medical field. They needed me to still be a skilled doctor, despite me being a prisoner."

"Good. Now I won't have to hear Kurabe whine about how she wasted money on the latest equipment for you..."

"Yes, that is good. What else did she buy me?"

"A couple of books to help you with diagnosis and some picture frames."

"That is very nice of her."

"If you have any other interests, just let her know."

"I will. I will need to gain some interests first though."

"Ok."

"Did you not have interests before?" Meta asked.

"I did, but it's been so long since I actually had interests. I don't know if what interested before interests me now."

"Well, we'll help you find some interests." Mercury replied.

"I'd appreciate that."

"Maybe reading would be a good place to start..."

"I'd rather not something related to my job. I'll have to do enough reading as is."

"What about cooking?"

"Where would I cook?"

"Realistically, you can use anything to cook, but we'll worry about thinking of interests for you later."

"Right."

Meta turned to Mercury. "Where are we going next?"

"The training room. While you're not a soldier, you still need to know where it is. Sometimes our soldiers get carried away with training, if you know what I mean."

"I understand. Lead the way." She nodded and left the room.

During the walk Erhard couldn't help but notice the looks people were giving him, or rather the lack of looks. He had gotten used to people looking at him with disdain, but there was none of that now. It felt, nice. Rebecca also seemed to notice this and smiled.

"It's moments like these that show me just how good it is to be free."

"And I'm happy for that." She replied.

"Alright, we're here. Go ahead and take a look around." Mercury told them.

The doctor nodded in reply and started looking. "And I thought the training facilities back at the school were impressive. The equipment here is truly extraordinary."

"Of course it is. The combat division is arguably the most important division in the Organization."

"Says who?" Fettuccine spoke up, slightly annoyed by that comment.

"No arguments please." Erhard quickly interjected.

However, the woman pouted. "I would like to know who said that!"

"I did, right now." Mercury deadpanned.

"No! Who said your division is the most important!"

"I said arguably. For someone who is supposed to be good at making people talk, you sure are bad at listening."

Meta rolled his eyes as an argument broke out.

"I said no arguments." Erhard said again, this time his gaining a dangerous edge to it that made them both stop.

The youth seemed to be slightly amazed by that.

"A good doctor must be able to control any situation." He explained.

"Indeed." Rebecca nodded.

"Is that why you two are always so calm?"

"More or less."

"And why you didn't seem bothered when treating Fetty's poison?"

"Yes."

"I see."

"That and after a while, you just get used to certain situations." Erhard added.

"Even people dying?"

"No. That's the one thing someone should never get used to."

Rebecca nodded. "Even if we seem to not be affected by it, it actually hurts us a lot to see a patient die."

"Once death no longer affects us, that's when a doctor loses their soul. That's what my teacher taught me."

"And that's the reason why you were absolutely innocent, isn't it?"

"No, the reason I was innocent was because I didn't do it, but that is a good way of looking at it."

"Of course. You didn't do it because you couldn't have done it."

"Yes, that is true. Meta, what is your opinion on death?"

The youth became silent for a moment before replying. "Well... that's difficult for me to say. I came from a planet that was full of death and at first, I thought it was simply a part of life that I didn't think twice about. Not that it isn't a part of life still, just that it's not something people should be used to. Like... I don't worry about my own death if I'm completely honest, but I'm more worried about the deaths of the people I care about, if you know what I mean."

"That's very much like a doctor. The operating table is very much like a battlefield. We put everything on the line to save our patients lives. Our lives are of no importance, only that of our patients. However, that's only when on the battlefield. Make sure to value your own life when you can. You can't protect others if you don't take care of yourself."

"I see..."

"Let me put it this way. Say you lose a hand. You would still be strong, but nowhere as strong as you once were. Meaning you'd be worse at protecting. You need to value yourself just as much as you value others."

"Ok."

"Good. Now then Mercury, where to next?"

"Oh right, we need to show you your room."

"Very well. Lead the way." He said as he followed her out the door.

Due to Erhard's more delicate job, his room was very different compared to the bedrooms that the normal soldiers had. Inside his room, he had a desk and a mini-infirmary in his bathroom. He also had a softer bed than usual.

"I understand the mini-infirmary and the slightly larger desk, but what's the reason for the softer bed?" Fettuccine asked.

"Normal beds are specifically used to help our soldiers get used to sleeping on any kind of surface. Since Erhard isn't a soldier and we need our chief doctor to be at full throttle, Kurabe decided a more comfortable bed would be better." Mercury explained.

"But both me and sensei's bed are also really soft..."

"In your case, that's because your current room was a former guest room."

"And sensei?"

"She's the leader. Believe it or not, it's actually a rule made by the General that the captains and vice captains of every division have soft beds. Don't ask me why, not even Kurabe knows why that's a rule."

"...why do I have the feeling that was specifically meant for her...?"

Mercury shrugged. "As far as I know that's always been a rule, even before she became a captain."

"Certain members of the intelligence division are also exceptions." Fettuccine said.

"Like who?"

"Generally, anyone that use their brain a lot like me, Parmigiana, Granita, Minestrone, and Bicerin."

"Well, that makes sense."

"Yup!"

Erhard sat down on his new bed, feeling how comfortable it was. "It's been so long since I've sat on a bed."

"Now lay on it and see how it feels."

Erhard did so, staring at the ceiling. "Soft. I like it."

"Is it comfortable enough for you?"

"Yes, this will do nicely."

"Alright, is there any other place you want to show us?"

"Really only one area left that's super necessary. The meeting room."

"Come on, let's go." Rebecca said as she pulled her friend off the bed.

"Of course. Lead the way please."

His friend turned to Mercury and nodded.

"So, what do you think of the ship, Erhard?" Meta asked.

"I think it's quite a nice ship. Honestly not what I was expecting from a combat force."

"You have Kurabe to thank for that. She works hard to make sure the GranEssex is the best ship it can be."

"Yeah, it is. It's also not overly clean like the VictoriousArc, which is an extra bonus." Fettuccine said.

"How is that an issue?" Erhard asked.

"It's a bit blinding."

"I see. That's, strange."

"My older brother is strange..." Mercury sighed.

"Your brother is the leader of that division I take it. Why work here then?"

"Kurabe invited me and she's my best friend."

Erhard smiled. "I see."

"Yeah. I also just need a break from him at times."

"Why's that? Is it merely a sibling thing?"

Mercury stared at him for a moment. "Yeah. I lived with him for most of my life and, as much as I love him, he can be a bit overprotective at times."

"I get it. He views himself as your protector, or something like that."

"Yeah, because he has been my protector since we were kids."

"I see. It makes sense you would want to branch out. Like the cells of a body, they began in one spot, but spread out as time goes on."

"Indeed."

Soon, they arrived at the meeting room.

"There's not a whole lot to see, but take a look around if you want."

The room was the same way it was when Meta first saw it, but the doctor seemed to be particularly interested in the area.

"What's up, Erhard?"

"The ceiling. Oh, you didn't mean literally. I'm just remembering the lecture room at the school. The doctor's hour-long lessons and speeches. I can still hear them clearly."

"...are you ok?"

"I don't appear to have any physical abnormalities. Oh, you didn't mean it in that way. Yes, I'm fine. Just feeling... nostalgic."

"Are you sure?"

"You need to understand. I haven't felt nostalgic about anything ever since I lost my memories. Right now, being nostalgic at all is the greatest feeling."

"I know, but aren't you sad or emotional?"

"Emotional, maybe. Not sad though."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm happy. Happy to have a past to remember again. I know if the doctor was here, he'd be patting my back and telling me to celebrate."

"I see..."

Admittedly, Meta didn't really understand it. If something like this happened with his mentor, he probably would be unable to handle it.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm sad he's gone, but I already sorted my feelings about it before you all arrived. I'm fine, so there's nothing to worry about."

"I see..."

"Alright that's pretty much it. Meta, Fettuccine, you're both free to go." Mercury said.

"Ok. I hope you enjoy your stay here, Erhard."

The two younger soldiers left the room, with Rebecca following after them. Mercury was about to leave, but was stopped.

"Mercury, I believe we're behind closed doors now."

"There are better places to talk about it, Erhard." She replied simply.

"You're right. So let's head to my office, shall we?"

She froze for a moment before simply nodding.

"Then let's go."

Upon returning to the office, there was a brief moment of awkward silence.

"Let's not make this more difficult than it needs to be. Tell me, Mercury, what is troubling you?"

"This is difficult for me to talk about even though it's been probably a couple months at this point... but... I was attacked..."

Erhard looked at her, studying her body language. "By attacked, you mean to say someone, or something attacked your core."

"Y-yes..."

"A hivemind tried to assimilate you, am I correct with that assumption?"

She began to shiver. "Yes..."

"That explains everything then. You tried to hide it, but I noticed you've been wary around me. I take it you find it hard to trust other Limets?"

"That I'm unfamiliar with, yeah."

"Because you're afraid one of them might turn out to be another Hivemind, yes?"

"Of course! I never want to experience that again!"

"Of course, that's completely reasonable. However, I ask that you try to remain calm Mercury. Now listen, your fear is completely rational. But you cannot allow yourself to be a slave to that fear. It will get in the way of your daily life. If you wish, I can prescribe you some medicine to help you deal with this."

"I'm not a slave to it!"

"Oh really? Then are you saying you can walk up to a random Limet and talk to them without freezing in fear?"

"I can!"

"Mercury, calm down." He told her, making her snap out of it.

"I said I can."

"Then care to explain why you haven't been sleeping for the past few weeks?" He asked.

"How did you?"

"Kurabe told me."

She paused and then huffed. "I'll be fine now that we had this talk!"

"No, you won't." Erhard interjected. "It's obvious that this is still affecting you. Mercury, I am not your enemy. My job is to help you. So please, relax and tell me everything that's on your mind." He told her, his calm yet powerful voice making her listen to him

"...Are you sure you want to deal with all of that?" She asked him.

"I wouldn't be much of a doctor if I wasn't prepared to listen to my patient."

"I'm not a slave to it, though. Even Meta thought that and he was wrong."

"You may not be a slave right now. But you will be if this keeps up. ...Mercury, did you know that I had a sister? Like you, she was the victim of a hivemind attack. She survived, but the mental strain caused by it drove her insane and left her in a comatose state. She passed away shortly after."

Mercury was left speechless.

"My sister tried to act as if it didn't bother her. She tried to carry all of her baggage on her shoulders. She refused to involve others with her issues. Does this remind you of anyone?"

"...Me." She slowly admitted.

"Mercury, I don't want what happened to my sister to happen to you. Please, I'm only here to help."

She became silent. "...is that true?"

"Everything I say is the truth. It's my code as a doctor."

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"My family all died before my incarceration. Given that many of my family records were destroyed, that's not surprising. I didn't know I had a sister until I got my memories back."

"...what happened to your family?"

"My parents died from an incurable disease. What happened to them and my sister were part of why I chose to enter the medical field in the first place. Other than wanting to help people of course."

"I see..."

"Mercury, you can only get so far shouldering everything by yourself. Please, let me help you." He said, holding out his hand.

She remained silent.

"It's alright if you're scared of me. Honestly, I would be surprised if you weren't. But I'm just here to help. You may not trust me and that's fine, but I'm serious when I say I just want to help."

"I know..."

"Then please, take my hand."

She nodded silently and took his hand slowly.

Erhard smiled. "Very good. Now Mercury, I cannot make this decision for you, but I suggest you and I meet up once a week to talk about your issues. Will that be doable for you?"

"Yes."

"Then I look forward to working with you."

"Same."

Erhard then looked at the clock.

"My, would you look at the time. I believe today has been quite productive. Thank you for showing me around."

Mercury smiled. "No problem. I hope that you like it here."

"Yes, I think I will enjoy my time here, in my new home."

"I hope so." She then and walked out of the room.

In a few minutes, Rebecca entered.

"So, what will you do now?" Erhard asked his friend.

"I think I'll continue medical work."

"That's good. Will you be staying here, or will you travel somewhere else?"

"As much as I want to stay here, I think I owe it to those who died because of my brother and Veno to help their families."

"I see. That's very much like you. I hope you can come by and visit sometime."

"I plan on doing so."

"Good." He then hugged the woman. "Take care of yourself, old friend."

She hugged him back. "I will. You take care of yourself as well."

"I will. It was good seeing you again, Rebecca."

"It's good seeing you, too." She then chuckled nervously. "It's funny... I plan on staying here a few days but we're acting like we won't see each other again..."

"Well, it has been quite a long time since we've last seen each other. Though that might be an understatement."

"Yeah, I know... is it fine if we just spend some time together?"

"Of course." She then blinked. "Oh, right. I managed to get you something for your room. Do you want to go see what it is?"

Erhard blinked too. "Yes, I do."

She smiled and took his hand before walking out.

When they returned to his room, Erhard instantly saw what was different. There was a plant in his room.

"Yeah, I thought I would pick up a Christmas cactus for you. I remember you saying how much you loved it when dad's bloomed."

Erhard smiled at his friend and at his new plant. "I love it, thank you Rebecca."

"No problem. I just hope you have enough time to take care of it."

"Time management is one of my specialties."

Rebecca giggled. "Right, right. That's why you were my father's star pupil, anyway."

"You weren't too far behind you know."

"Yes, I know."

"Right. You're free to sleep in here if you wish. I can take the chair at my desk."

"No, there are open guest rooms. You deserve to sleep in a bed after what you've went through."

"Very well. But you can stay in here until it's time for you to sleep."

"Very well."

"In fact, we can both share the bed. I don't mind."

Immediately, Rebecca blushed. "Do... do you even know what you said?"

"That we can share the bed. Is there something wrong with that?" He asked, completely clueless.

"How can you not know if you're a doctor!?"

"Pardon? I don't see what being a doctor has to do with sleeping."

Rebecca facepalmed at how innocent and oblivious her friend was.

"Do you have a headache? Perhaps you should lay down."

"No, I'm fine. Thank you."

"No, I insist. You must be tired."

"I'll just head to my guest room then."

"Or you can sleep in here. This bed is more than big enough for two people, if you're worried about space."

"I know, but aren't you embarrassed!?"

"About what? It's not as if we'll be doing anything other than sleeping."

"I know but... it's still embarrassing..." She said, blushing even harder.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright? Your face is burning red."

"I'm just embarrassed, that's all."

"Why?"

"Just... being so close to you..."

"But we're close now, aren't we? I don't see much of a difference between standing next to each other and sleeping next to each other."

"It just feels more intimate..."

"Rebecca, I haven't slept in the same room with another person in decades. Please, just for tonight."

"...why are you so insistent?"

"Well, you said you wanted to stay with me for a little longer, yes? That's why."

"...is that all?"

"Do I need another reason?"

"That you simply don't want to be alone tonight?"

"I feel that better describes you."

"What about you then?"

"I wouldn't mind the company."

"...when you say that, it means yes." She sighed.

"I see. Fascinating."

"Yes, it is."

"Then shall we partake in the activity known as sleep?"

"Sure, you first."

Erhard nodded, laying down flat on his back. Almost immediately, he fell asleep.

"...he must've been more tired than I thought."

He could then be heard snoring, a sign that he was truly unconscious.

"...yeah, he really was tired." She smiled. "Not that I can blame him."

Sighing, Rebecca laid down next to him.

"Good night, Erhard."

As if knowing what she said, the man himself mumbled a "good night" in reply. Erhard smiled, for he finally was at true peace.

I thought it would be good to have a shorter and more lighthearted chapter after the last few. I hope you all enjoyed it.