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Grisha's hospital.
Yuri, who had been missing for the entire afternoon, was currently lying on a hospital bed, eyes tightly shut in a deep sleep.
Two layers of bandages were wrapped around his head, and faint traces of blood were seeping out from where his forehead had struck a wall.
Rita sat by the bedside, quietly gazing at Yuri's face without saying a word.
Although her brow was still furrowed, her emotions were clearly much more stable than when she had gone to the guild earlier.
To the side, Weston and Precht were asking Grisha about Yuri's condition.
"Don't worry, he's not in any great danger."
"From what we can see for now, he just hit his head and sustained some external injuries."
"With his physical constitution, he'll be fine after a few days of rest."
After Grisha finished stating the results of the examination, he proceeded to explain to the others how Yuri ended up here.
"He was brought here this afternoon by several stall owners from the West Market."
"Supposedly, as he was passing through the market, he stepped on a patch of ground covered in soapy water. His feet slipped and he fell, knocking over several stalls in a row before rolling into an alley, hitting a container, and passing out."
"Because the scene was so chaotic at the time, the stall owners were busy tidying up their own goods and didn't notice him. They even thought he had run off after the collision."
"It wasn't until just now when the market closed that a stall owner passing by the alley found him unconscious inside and hurried to bring him over."
"Otherwise, given his situation, who knows how long it would have taken for him to be discovered."
Listening to Grisha's explanation of how Yuri fainted, Weston and Precht were both covered in black lines, helplessly face-palming.
"This guy... how is he always so reckless."
"We really owe you one this time, Doctor Grisha."
"It's just my job, nothing much. Though, those stall owners' losses..."
"That's not my responsibility!"
Weston quirked his mouth: "He didn't cause damage to the public while on duty, so it should be handled by Magnolia's enforcement team."
"Let's just wait for Yuri to wake up and have him negotiate the compensation himself."
Grisha nodded: "True enough."
As they spoke, a "moan" sounded from the hospital bed.
"He's awake!!"
"Doctor Grisha, Yuri is awake!!"
Rita called out loudly to the group.
Out of professional duty, Grisha hurried over to check the situation, while Weston and Precht remained standing where they were, motionless.
"Honestly, Rita is being a bit too nervous!"
"Think back to the battlefield, when Yuri was slashed by swords and blasted by magic, lying unconscious in bed for two days and one night, she didn't even panic. Today he just hit his head and bled a little, and she gets worked up like this..."
Listening to Precht's grumbling, Weston couldn't help but laugh out loud: "I heard they're almost engaged, so it's normal to be anxious."
"In comparison, I think Yuri is the one who should be blamed."
"Back then, he suffered such heavy injuries on the battlefield yet managed to persevere until the war ended; today he just bumped his head and actually fainted in the street. It seems his physical fitness has taken a nose-dive lately!"
Precht crossed his arms and snorted coldly: "Isn't that obvious!"
"You know, from the end of the war until today, he has placed almost all his life's focus on romance, and has slacked off way too much on magic and combat training!"
Weston rolled his eyes: "Does everyone have to be like you, soaking yourself in magic books all day doing research?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"...As long as you like it."
As companions, one must have enough respect for the lifestyle of others.
If one upholds the idea of "it's for your own good" and tries to "correct" someone else's lifestyle, that would be overstepping.
So even if Yuri spent all day busy with romance and neglected his magic training, Precht would at most occasionally remind him to mind his health;
So even if Precht spent all day busy researching magic, Yuri wouldn't tell him to put down his research and find a girlfriend;
So even if Warrod spent all day busy planting flowers and grass, providing free greenery for the streets of Magnolia, others wouldn't tell him not to do such thankless work...
Weston was the same.
He respected the lifestyle of every companion equally.
However, as the "Guild Master," he also shouldered the responsibility of guiding everyone onto the right path and co-managing "Fairy Tail," so his "boundaries" were more flexible than others.
It was during this conversation between the two that Yuri on the bed slowly woke up.
"Ugh..."
"Where is this?"
"Why am I here?"
Yuri clutched his head and sat up from the bed: "I remember, this afternoon..."
Perhaps because he had been unconscious all afternoon, his reactions were particularly sluggish, and he couldn't even figure out what state he was currently in.
"Yuri, you're finally awake?"
Rita's eyes were brimming with tears, her tone carrying unconcealed concern: "How is it, are you feeling okay?"
Hearing the voice, Yuri subconsciously turned his head toward the girl by the bed.
Just as his gaze fell upon Rita, an abnormal change suddenly appeared in his eyes.
This change was extremely complex, mixed with three parts disgust, three parts doubt, and four parts indifference.
"You're... Rita?"
"Where am I?"
"What's up with these cheap clothes you're wearing?"
Cheap clothes?
But these were already her best and most expensive clothes!
They had cost two months of her salary!
Thinking of her ordeal throughout the entire afternoon, Rita felt immensely aggrieved, as if a sincere heart was being trampled on the ground.
In an instant, two lines of tears couldn't help but slide down from her eyes.
"Yuri... you idiot!!"
Thud—!!
Rita gave Yuri a punch to the head, and with tears streaming, she turned and left.
Watching Rita's departing back, Yuri on the bed didn't reflect on his own fault, but instead grumbled in a low voice: "What's wrong with her..."
Seeing this scene, Weston and Precht were instantly enraged.
"Yuri! You went too far with those words!"
"Do you have any idea? Rita waited for you at the West Gate for over two hours this afternoon, then searched the town for another hour. As soon as she knew you were in the hospital, she rushed over immediately and has been guarding your bedside, and hasn't even had a sip of water until now."
Yuri lifted his head, his gaze sweeping over, and then his brow furrowed.
"Weston, Precht, what are you two loitering here for?"
"Leave at once, I am not going back to the palace with you!"
Huh?
Weston and Precht exchanged a look, confirming each other's thoughts, and then stepped forward to the bedside.
Bang—!!!
Thud—!!!
The two of them struck at the same time, each landing a punch on Yuri's head.
"I think you really did break your brain this afternoon!"
"Back to the palace?"
"Do you really think that just because you picked a 'Thunder Prince' skill in a card game, you're actually a prince?!"
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