Chapter 54: He’s Actually Quite Stubborn
Tillisa remembered nothing else. She only remembered that eventually her brain couldn’t even think, all her will focused on maintaining one principle: she couldn’t surrender.
Until the pain numbed her nerves and some change occurred in the arena—the sound of an arrow, bringing a warm, refreshing wind that lifted her hair.
The noisy sounds stopped abruptly, but she had already lost consciousness. She couldn’t feel anything anymore. The ground rushed up in her vision, her eyes went completely black, and she knew nothing more.
When she regained consciousness, an unfamiliar ceiling greeted her eyes. She was in a bright, clean room, lying on a soft, pale yellow bed. Sunlight streaming through the window cast glittering golden sand on the floor, and golden cloud flowers by the window swayed gently in the breeze, carrying a trace of fragrance on the air.
The room’s architecture and furnishings were all in warm tones, creating a pleasant atmosphere.
Tillisa didn’t recognize this completely unfamiliar place. She clearly remembered she had just been in the divine maiden arena………..
“………..” Her brows furrowed slightly. When Tillisa tried to move her body, she pulled at unhealed wounds, and the burning pain made her expression change slightly.
“You can’t do that. You can’t move around yet.” A gentle hand softly pressed her back onto the bed.
Following this unfamiliar voice, Tillisa saw a blue-haired girl in a uniform skirt.
The girl had clear, stream-like eyes, beauty beyond human reach, and those characteristic elven ears.
“………..Who are you?” Tillisa was certain she had never met this blue-haired elf girl. She moved slightly and discovered she was wrapped in many bandages.
“Facing an unbeatable opponent and refusing to surrender to the death—Miss Tillisa is truly brave.” The blue-haired elf girl sat on a long chair, one hand supporting her cheek, crossing her legs wrapped in student black stockings, speaking with genuine admiration.
“However, excessive and irrational stubbornness feels somewhat like showing off.” Miss Bliss pushed the glasses on her nose bridge.
“Miss Bliss? Why are you here?”
“I had no choice. I learned from your instructor that you don’t have many friends at the academy, and that divine son student responsible for you couldn’t be contacted.” Miss Bliss shrugged, then said with some dissatisfaction.
“Not coming to watch his own team’s divine maiden compete, and when she’s injured and sent to the infirmary, he can’t be contacted either. Your captain is quite irresponsible.”
“……….I think the divine son must have something urgent to attend to, which is why he couldn’t make it.” Tillisa was very clear in her heart that her divine son certainly wouldn’t come. It would be strange if he actually showed up.
“Am I in the infirmary?” Tillisa smoothly changed the subject. She had heard of the infirmary—a place similar to a school nurse’s office from her previous life, though Coleman Academy’s ‘nurse’s office’ was obviously far more professional than any school from her past life.
Students’ daily expeditions and combat training created high demand for medical supplies, so Coleman Academy hired excellent trauma physicians and high-level alchemists from the medical arts at high salaries.
“Isn’t that obvious?” Miss Bliss said irritably. “With your suicidal tactics, did you think you wouldn’t end up in the infirmary? Don’t do such reckless things in the future, understand?”
“I know you’re eager to prove yourself, but this was just a drill for data collection. Winning or losing didn’t matter at all. What if you had developed some lasting injury? Why show off like that? You really don’t treat your body seriously.”
“I’m sorry.” Tillisa lowered her head in apology. This wasn’t her trying to show off. Actually, she found it strange too—after stepping into the arena, her entire mindset had changed.
At first, she had only wanted to go through the motions, planning to give up when things got difficult. But once she stepped in, a spirit of not wanting to lose, of refusing to accept defeat, took over.
It wasn’t really about being defiant. Tillisa felt that rather than calling it backbone, it was more accurate to call it pride.
This pride compelled her to never bow her head to any enemy.
If they wanted her to kneel and surrender, they’d have to break her kneecaps first. Otherwise, don’t even think about it.
And so, she ended up in the infirmary.
“So, who is this elf lady?” After touching her ears and confirming her crescent crown was still properly in place, Tillisa relaxed and turned her gaze to the unfamiliar elf girl sitting by her bed.
“Me? I’m here representing the academy to offer comfort to the injured.” The blue-haired elf showed pearl-like dimples, taking two bottles from her bag that sparkled with orange-red light, contained in exquisite glass bottles. Just from the packaging and appearance, you could tell they were extremely valuable.
“The academy?” Looking at these two bottles of medicine, doubt flashed in Tillisa’s eyes. “The bandages wrapped around me prove the academy has already treated my injuries, doesn’t it?”
“But recovery would be very slow that way.” The elf lady tilted her head cutely and playfully. When interacting with humans, she always unconsciously maintained some sense of distance, but with this blonde girl, she felt no such awareness at all—she even found herself unconsciously drawn to her, which the elf lady found very strange.
“With this type of recovery potion, your external injuries would heal completely in no time.”
“……….Elf lady, this medicine wasn’t given by the academy, was it?” Tillisa understood something about alchemy. Looking at this quality, it was definitely an extremely high-end alchemical medicine. If they gave these out to every injured person, even with Coleman Academy’s wealth, they couldn’t afford it, right?
Miss Bliss looked helplessly at the elf girl, who also sighed softly.
“Ah, you’re right, but it doesn’t really matter. Please just consider it a gift from the academy.”
“Was it that lady named Astrid who asked you to deliver this medicine to me?”
“……….” Seeing the elf girl’s surprised expression, the answer was obvious.
“……….Um, indeed. How did you know?” Since she’d been found out, the elf girl stopped pretending, but she couldn’t help asking.
“Then why go through such roundabout means?” Tillisa didn’t answer directly, posing another question instead.
“Ah, mainly because I was afraid you wouldn’t accept it if you knew……….” The elf girl smiled awkwardly. “Since Miss Tillisa has already guessed, please still accept these two bottles. Otherwise, I won’t be able to report back to my lady.”
“………I understand.” Tillisa looked away. The Crown Cup was imminent and very important. She really needed these two bottles to quickly recover her condition, so she didn’t insist on refusing. But knowing these were gifts from someone else, she felt an awkward sensation in her heart………..
“Tell your lady that I’ll pay her back.” Tillisa reluctantly accepted, using her hair to cover her face as she spoke, feeling an embarrassing shame about accepting others’ items without compensation.
“There’s no rush……… Oh, by the way, please don’t mention to your divine son that you received these two bottles. Please.”
“? Why is that?”
“My lady said that while that Divine Son Dirin seems quite easygoing, he’s actually very stubborn in personality. If he knew she sent them, he definitely wouldn’t accept them.” The elf lady explained.