Name: Leon Cosmodeous
Age: 26
Marital Status: Married
Diagnosis: Mild concussion
Cause of Injury: Rubber bullets... rubber bullets?!
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Martin stood at the foot of Leon's hospital bed, staring in disbelief at the medical chart.
"How does this even happen?!" he exclaimed. "Rebecca, did you actually lose control and try to kill the Captain?"
Rebecca, who was lounging comfortably on the hospital bed with a leisurely air, took a crisp bite from a green apple she had taken from the fruit basket meant for the patient.
"Don't look at me," she said casually. "The Captain told me to shoot at his head. Not my fault."
"Then... why is the Captain the one with a concussion," Martin asked, his exasperation growing, "but you're the one lying on his hospital bed, eating the fruit I brought for him?"
Rebecca simply shrugged. "A mild concussion is nothing for the Captain. For someone like him, even a common cold would be worse! Right, Captain?"
She turned to Leon, who was sitting in a chair nearby. His head was wrapped in a bandage, and he looked slightly dazed, with a faint ringing in his ears. The first official practice of his new Hyper-Sense technique had been a complete failure.
The cost of this failure? Several hundred gold coins in medical expenses. Although the hospital offered to waive the fees as a courtesy to a hero, Leon, in his unwavering integrity, insisted on paying the full amount.
His strong sense of justice had left a noticeable dent in his wallet.
Meanwhile, Rebecca had comfortably commandeered both his bed and his fruit basket. "These apples are my rightful reward!" she declared smugly.
— A Lesson in Priorities —
"Captain," Martin said, still struggling to understand, "why on earth were you letting someone shoot rubber bullets at your head?"
Leon sighed and patiently explained the reasoning behind his Hyper-Sense training.
After listening intently, Martin shook his head. "Even so, you didn't have to start with your head! Couldn't you have practiced on your legs or shoulders first?"
Rebecca immediately leapt up from the bed, her twin tails bouncing with energy. "Wrong, Martin! The Captain always says the head is the leader of the body! If you can dodge an attack to your head, you can dodge anything else!"
Martin groaned, his patience wearing thin. "He wasn't that dramatic five years ago..."
Rebecca waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, the doctor said it's just a mild concussion. He'll be fine after a bit of rest."
The incident taught Leon an important lesson: patience. He had been too eager to master this new technique, ignoring the importance of a gradual approach. Unlike the lightning magic he had trained in the past, Hyper-Sense required a completely different mindset and could not be rushed.
— Unexpected Visitors —
"Leon!"
A sweet, familiar voice called out from the doorway.
Leon looked over to see Sister Sharon standing there with Teacher Carolyn, who was carrying a small fruit basket.
"Sharon? Teacher Carolyn? What brings you here?"
"We heard you were in the hospital, so of course we came to check on you," Sharon said, her voice filled with concern. "What happened? Are you seriously hurt?"
"It's nothing," Leon assured her, waving his hand. "Just a mild concussion. I'll be fine after some rest."
He paused, narrowing his eyes slightly. "By the way... how did you find out I was here?"
"Uh..." Sharon hesitated, but before she could answer, a commotion erupted outside the room.
"Leon Cosmodeous! How's your recovery going?"
"Mr. Cosmodeous, could we get an exclusive interview once you're discharged?"
"Our publishing house sent this gift basket and banner! Wishing you a speedy recovery!"
Leon sighed heavily as a swarm of well-wishers and reporters gathered outside his hospital room, their voices echoing down the hallway.
Before being admitted, Leon had specifically asked Nacho to keep his hospitalization quiet. He did not want visits from officials or any public fuss. While he trusted Nacho to handle things discreetly, Leon's fame in the Empire was simply too great to stay hidden. News of his injury had spread like wildfire, and every reporter in the city seemed to want the story.
— A Firm Nurse's Warning —
The chaos was finally interrupted by a stern nurse, who stepped into the hallway and addressed the crowd firmly.
"This is a hospital. Please be quiet!" she said sharply. "Mr. Cosmodeous will not be receiving visitors until after he's discharged. If you don't disperse, we'll call security."
Her no-nonsense tone quickly silenced the reporters, who shuffled away reluctantly. The nurse then turned to Leon with a kind smile.
"Thank you for your patience. Let us know if you need anything."
"Will do," Leon replied with a grateful nod.
— Sharon's Curiosity —
"Leon," Sharon asked eagerly once the noise died down, "who was it that injured you? It must've been someone incredibly powerful to hurt you! Was it a dangerous creature?"
"Uh... no."
"A Dragon King?"
"No."
"An Imperial remnant?"
"Nope."
"Then who?"
At that moment, Rebecca could not resist. Standing proudly, she placed her hands on her hips and grinned. "It was me! One perfect shot, and boom! Down went Leon Cosmodeous!"
Leon clenched his fist, muttering under his breath. He could only hope Rebecca would not blurt out this embarrassing story to Rossweise someday. His dignity as a father and husband depended on it.
— Reflections on Family —
After spending some time chatting, Teacher Carolyn and Sharon bid Leon farewell, explaining that they needed to return to the orphanage to prepare dinner for the children. Watching them leave, Rebecca suddenly turned to Leon with a thoughtful question.
"Captain, have you ever thought about looking for your biological parents?"
The unexpected question gave Leon pause.
Before he could form an answer, Rebecca smiled softly. "I mean, aren't you curious about your origins? What if you're the heir to some noble family? Or maybe your parents were powerful sorcerers living in hiding? Or maybe—hear me out—you were born into a poor family with thirteen siblings, and your parents had no choice but to leave you at the orphanage?"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Leon interrupted, laughing at her wild imagination. "You're getting carried away. Who has thirteen kids?"
Rebecca blinked innocently, then looked him over with a suddenly calculating gaze.
Leon instinctively leaned back in his chair. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Well," she said with a mischievous grin, "most people couldn't have thirteen kids, but if anyone could..."
"...Who?"
"You!"
"WHAT?!"