Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 104: The Price of a Miracle

"...But in this state, his life isn’t in immediate danger, right? He’ll wake up eventually?" Damien asked, clinging to hope.

"Yes, he certainly will."

Hearing this brought Damien a bit of relief.

If Theo would wake up someday, then he would wait for that day. However long it took—days, months, years—he’d wait.

"But," Sebas continued, and even that faint hope was shattered by what he said next.

"While converting life force into magic power yields vast energy, the reverse—turning magic power into life force—requires an enormous amount of magic. Right now, we’re barely maintaining equilibrium by using a magic device that supports his ability to absorb mana from the surroundings. But even with these magic devices, balancing the magic power and life force is all we can manage. To fully restore his life force could take years...or even decades. Frankly, as things stand, I fear he may not wake until he passes of old age."

"...No..." Damien’s voice was barely a whisper.

"We’re doing all we can," Sebas added. "Orders have been given to acquire additional mana-replenishing tools as swiftly as possible. Yet, these are rare artifacts, and gathering enough of them may not even be feasible."

Damien fell silent, his mind sinking as if trapped behind an impassable wall. It felt like the moment he’d first realized he was in another world, or like facing an endless, unyielding fortress. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

If he could deny this reality, he would.

"Even if the young master doesn’t wake up, you must know that your life and well-being will be fully ensured," Sebas assured him. "You needn’t worry on that account..."

"Don’t say that!" Damien burst out, anger flaring for a second, but just as quickly, it faded into despair.

"...Forget about me. Just...please, help Theo. I’m begging you...please...please save him..." His voice cracked as he choked back tears.

Sebas offered a respectful bow to the sobbing Damien, but he never uttered the promise that Theo would be saved.

As Damien sat weeping uncontrollably, the doctors suddenly began to move about the room with urgency.

"What’s happened?" Sebas asked, for once moving quickly, heading over to the doctors gathered around Theo. It was the first time since Damien had arrived at the estate that Sebas had seemed genuinely concerned.

Seeing this, Damien felt a chill of fear, and his flowing tears came to an abrupt halt. Something bad had happened to Theo—he could feel it. He wanted to rush over, but his legs wouldn’t respond; he couldn’t even manage to stand.

He had no proof, no real reason to think so, but the fact that Theo’s condition, which had been stable moments before, had deteriorated the instant Damien entered the room made him feel like his presence might be bad for Theo.

...Or perhaps he just didn’t want to see Theo like this, unable to smile or show any sign of life.

While Damien remained on the floor, Sebas returned to his side at his usual pace after speaking quietly with the doctors. The doctors, who had been checking the magical devices attached to Theo’s body, seemed calmer now, so it seemed that the worst had not come to pass.

"My apologies for the commotion," Sebas said, bowing slightly. "It appears one of the magic devices attached to the young master has broken."

"What? Isn’t that serious?" Damien asked, astonished.

After all, it was the magic devices that were keeping Theo alive. How could Sebas and the doctors remain so calm after saying one had broken?

Did they really even intend to help Theo?

"It was an old, rather weak magic device, originally attached as a mere precaution," Sebas replied smoothly. "It has no impact on his life support, fortunately. However, in our current situation, where we’re desperate for any devices we can get, it’s certainly not ideal. But it isn’t something you need to worry about."

Hearing Sebas’s words brought Damien a small sense of relief.

At the same time, he felt ashamed for doubting Sebas so readily, realizing how little self-control he had left.

"Sir Damien," Sebas continued, his voice gentle, "you still appear quite fatigued. Perhaps it would be best for you to rest in your room for a while."

"No way! I’m fine," Damien protested, his voice shaking. "Please, let me stay with Theo!"

He knew there was nothing he could actually do. He’d already realized he didn’t even have the strength to see Theo off, should the worst come.

But even so, he couldn’t bear to leave Theo’s side.

"Sir Damien, please forgive me," Sebas said with a tone of firm resolve, "but right now, we must eliminate anything that could potentially have a negative impact on the young master’s condition. Should his state improve, the situation may change. For now, I ask for your understanding."

Sebas’s words were like a bucket of ice-cold water dumped over Damien’s head.

Sebas was thinking the same thing he was.

Sebas also suspected that the broken device might have been due to Damien’s presence.

There was no proof, nothing concrete to base it on, but Damien was an unfamiliar presence from another world, after all. It wasn’t absurd to wonder if something inexplicable could happen around him.

After all, Damien himself was wondering the same thing.

As Damien tried to stand and leave the room, his legs trembled, barely able to support his weight. He stumbled slightly, but just then, Sebas clapped his hands sharply.

"Someone Outside?"

"Yes, you called for me?" a voice responded in a hushed tone. A guard entered the room—it was the same guard Damien had once accidentally kicked in a sensitive area. He glancing around the room cautiously, waiting for order.

"Master Damien need to return to his quarters to rest. You’ll escort him there."

"Understood," the guard replied with a salute to Sebas, before turning around to Damien and offering him a shoulder for support.

"Th-thank you," Damien stammered. He felt embarrassed, not only for having to rely on the guard but also for what he’d done earlier.