039 The Bonus Uncle Returns
And then I woke up, packed my things, and received the bill.
I went deadpan when I saw the ridiculously high cost of the medicines used.
On top of that, for some reason, Higaki’s medical bill was added to mine, so I tried to physically protest with a “What the hell is this?!” but the doctor told me that everything up to this point was actually orchestrated by the Bonus Uncle.
And so, I stormed into the Adventurer’s Guild with Higaki, where the uncle was.
“Unclllle! What’s with this 63 million medical bill?!”
“Oh, kid, well, you see, I was the one who went to gather the materials for the medicines. It’s only right that the person who received the treatment bears the cost.”
Apparently, when the uncle heard that Higaki and I had taken each other out, he gave the hospital the materials he had on hand and demanded that I, who was practically dead, receive proper treatment.
Then, he went outside the walls on quests to gather the materials needed for the treatment, doing his best for both Higaki’s and my recovery.
It’s only been about a week since we collapsed, but he’s been going back and forth outside the walls multiple times? Is “Sword Saint” just another name for a one-man army?
“I thought if you died, you died, but if you’ve come back to life, then all the better.”
The uncle said, laughing as he took a swig of his drink. And he told me that the medical bill could be paid back on an indefinite, interest-free payment plan.
Well, the uncle went to the dangerous outside world multiple times for my sake and gathered high-quality materials, so even though he knew I could be revived in the Netherworld, there’s no doubt that he’s my savior.
I’ve been in his debt many times since long ago, and considering that I also swung my sword out of personal resentment, I don’t mind paying the medical bill itself.
However, I would like an explanation as to why the amount is so ridiculously high and why I’m being charged for Higaki’s medical bill as well.
Just as I was about to tell the uncle this, Higaki, who had been cowering behind me, saying that it was “hard to face him,” timidly stepped forward and opened her mouth.
“Um, sir. I am responsible for this incident. So, I will pay the full medical bill…”
“Huh? That won’t do, Ao-ojou. I can’t accept money from you.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Well, it all started with you, ojou, and if we’re talking about who’s at fault, it’s you. So, if we’re talking about where the responsibility lies, it’s with you, ojou.”
“Then all the more reason…”
“That’s why I said I won’t accept it, ojou.”
The uncle had his usual smile on his face, but his eyes were very cold, and Higaki, who was on the receiving end of that gaze, seemed to understand the meaning of his words and fell silent. I also understood it and furrowed my brow.
“Th-that, I, I…”
“Do you understand, ojou?”
“…Yes.”
He wouldn’t accept Higaki’s actions to take responsibility. He wouldn’t let Higaki take responsibility.
In other words, he wouldn’t even allow her to apologize.
No matter how much she regretted it, no matter how much she reflected, no matter how much she tried to apologize, he wouldn’t forgive her.
What must Higaki’s inner feelings be, having been so clearly confronted with this by the uncle she revered so much?
I had no way of knowing, but seeing Higaki lower her face with a pained expression and shrink back, I was under the illusion that she had become a size smaller… and I let out a huge sigh.
“Haaaaaaah!”
“Oh? What’s wrong, kid? Why are you suddenly letting out such a big sigh?”
“Well, if I’m shown a scene like this, I can’t help but sigh. Haaaaahhhhh!”
So that everyone could hear, and to change the heavy atmosphere.
To the uncle, who was tilting his head in confusion at my reaction, I let out another sigh without holding back.
As far as I was concerned, I had provoked her as revenge for being beaten to a pulp, and even though it ended in a mutual kill, I had taken her life, so after being apologized to in the Netherworld, I held almost no grudges.
Experience points in the future are more important than past grudges, and while I might use it as a joke in the future, I’ve settled it in my mind as “we’re even.”
And I spent several months with Higaki in the Netherworld, and I have a certain understanding of her personality.
That’s why I’m convinced that if this “not even allowing her to apologize” situation continues, Higaki will surely explode again somewhere in the future.
If she explodes, I’ll naturally be affected… so I decided to speak up to the uncle. I have no intention of saving the perpetrator, I decided to speak up for my own sake.
“Well, it’s true that a disciple I taught the sword to caused a stupid incident for a super selfish reason. The uncle is also a victim in a way, so it’s fine for you to interfere with whether or not to forgive her. Not charging Higaki for the medical bill is also a way of thinking that if you’re going to cut ties, you should do it thoroughly, right?”
If anything, the indefinite, interest-free payment plan for my medical bill is practically a transfer.
On top of that, if he doesn’t accept money from Higaki, she’ll probably think about finding a way to give the money she earns to the uncle through me.
But if the uncle doesn’t accept the money Higaki earns, that money will be held in my place for the time being. I have a feeling that’s what the uncle is aiming for.
In short, it’s like a consolation payment.
The amount that Higaki will aim for is 63 million, which is the combined cost of my and her medical bills. This will be Higaki’s monetary compensation to me.
And the punishment that the uncle himself is giving is the severing of ties, a complete expulsion.
I predicted that this was probably what he was thinking.
When I told him my predictions, the uncle crossed his arms and stroked his chin, urging me to continue. I also voiced my opinion in response.
“If you understand that much, what do you want to say, kid?”
“Even if she doesn’t deserve to be forgiven, I don’t want you to take away her right to apologize, or it’ll become a pain again.”
I don’t intend to defend her, but knowing the character of Higaki Ao from the original story, I don’t think that the reason why she has twisted her personality and passion to this extent is solely her fault.
If we’re talking about who’s at fault, then Higaki is the one who’s completely at fault, but I can’t help but think that the environment that led her to accumulate selfish dissatisfaction and explode also has something to do with it.
Because if that weren’t the case, there’s no way she would have deviated so much from the original story… she was originally quite attached to the uncle, but she didn’t twist herself this much.
On top of that, I absolutely don’t want to say that “it’s the uncle’s fault for not paying attention to Higaki.”
If this kind of situation continues, where it’s like, “You don’t even have the right to apologize, so do you know what you should do in the future? Figure it out,” then I’m afraid that Higaki will continue to narrow her vision, keep everything bottled up inside, and explode again someday.
In other words, it looks like we’re about to light the fuse of a bomb that I can see, so in order to avoid that and create an opportunity for Higaki to re-evaluate herself and her surroundings, I want the uncle to clearly state his conclusion regarding her apology. That will ultimately be for my own good.
“So, after she apologizes, you can say something like, ‘There’s no way I’ll forgive you! You’re expelled, expelled! Don’t ever show your face again, you shameless, rotten dream girl! You’re disgusting, you slut!’ It’ll be better for the uncle to get it off his chest, and it’ll be easier for Higaki to accept it as a turning point.”
“R-rotten dream girl… slut…?”
“She’s fundamentally very obsessive. If you don’t make things clear, she’ll keep being fixated on it, keep regretting it, keep punishing herself, and eventually explode again. And the closest person to the epicenter at that time will surely be me. So, in order to make her move on, at least let her apologize.”
“Hey, kid. After all that she’s done to you, are you still planning to associate with the ojou?”
“Due to various circumstances, I don’t have the option of not getting involved for the sake of my benefactor, and besides, Higaki and I have already settled things.”
In the first place, Higaki will probably get involved as compensation, and in addition, Higaki and I have to take care of Iris, who was entrusted to us by God Anubis.
There’s no option of not taking care of her, so even if I’m using Higaki’s debt as bait to shift the burden of care, it’s impossible to remain uninvolved. If anything, it will have a negative impact on Iris, who is regressing into infancy.
That’s why I can’t just cut ties now. And if I can see a ticking time bomb, I can’t just leave it alone. I really don’t want to get caught up in any more trouble.
“But, boy.”
“Since the final conclusion won’t change anyway, wouldn’t it be okay to change the process a little for me, the biggest victim here?”
“But Sakurai, then the punishment for me…”
“Higaki won’t be able to learn the sword from the old man ever again. And from now on, she’ll cooperate with my leveling until I’m satisfied. That’s enough as punishment, atonement, right?”
Just to be clear, I’m not sticking my nose in for your sake, but for mine, okay? I made sure to nail that point to Higaki.
If Higaki apologizes to the old man, and he states his conclusion, she will surely engrave this incident deeply in her heart.
And Higaki won’t forget those engraved words. If she doesn’t forget, Higaki will be faithful to those words, and that’s why it will help prevent a recurrence.
“Besides, compensation and stuff is something that should be decided between me and Higaki, the parties involved, right? If you start thinking about weird things like sliding the medical bill, it’s bound to get complicated, so stop it.”
“Hmm… Now that you mention it, maybe that’s true.”
“So, the medical bill will be paid in full. 63 million combined for me and Higaki. Of course, I’ll make Higaki cooperate, so that’s fine, right?”
“But Sakurai!”
I have no reason to listen to complaints from the person with the least right to speak, so I ignored Higaki’s protest, which was just her wanting to be punished.
So, Higaki will apologize, the old man will say he can’t forgive if he can’t, and I’ll use Higaki to pay back the medical bill I borrowed from the old man!
The rest is a matter between the parties involved, so no need to interfere! That’s the end! Yes! This conversation is completely over!
“If you say so, boy… Well, maybe it was a bit irresponsible and immature of me to just push away someone who wants to apologize. Sorry, boy, and you too, Miss Ao.”
“No, not at all, it’s me… I’m really… really…”
Ignoring Higaki, who started bowing her head repeatedly, I took a light breath and started rotating my neck and shoulders to relax and change my mood.
Seriously, the old man and Higaki suddenly started pushing the conversation in a troublesome direction, so I got tired from saying all sorts of things to forcefully settle it.
Anyway, I’ve said enough about the two of them. Now I have to think about the money I need to return to the old man.
“(I think I can earn a decent amount if I have Higaki collect the materials from the monsters I defeat while leveling, but I wonder if that will let me pay it back quickly enough.)”
Originally, leveling should be something you can do freely and without any regrets.
I’m not leveling as a means to an end, like ‘to defeat enemies’ or ‘to earn money,’ but I enjoy leveling every day with the act of ‘leveling up’ itself as the goal.
It’s not good at all when an unintended purpose arises, and I can’t help but avert my eyes from the situation.
Having to think about money efficiency while leveling is just extra stress, or rather, noise for me.
There are several ways to make money from my game days, but all the ones I can remember have little to do with leveling.
The dungeons that are efficient for making money are far away, and it’s difficult to enter them without getting a permit from the academy… Hmm.
“(It’s too painful to have to allocate my thoughts for leveling to making money. It’s stable to earn money steadily, but I want to do something big to earn a lot of money at once and pay it back quickly.)”
Damn it, if I could convert experience points into money, I could pull out a decent amount of money right here and now… No, why do I have to give up experience points for money? Screw that.
It’s no good, I won’t come up with anything good just standing here and thinking. I should quickly meet up with Iris, who should be coming here, and do some practice swings for now.
So, I’ll take my leave first. Good work, everyone!