Bab 63: Chapter 63: The Stubborn Rookie
Chapter 63: The Stubborn Rookie
The first snow of winter wasn't particularly heavy, but it draped the entire forest in a silver coat, making it exceptionally beautiful under the sunlight. Alex leaned against the carriage door, gazing at the scenery outside. He yawned as the carriage swayed continuously.
Although Clark had prepared the best carriage in Sweetwater Town for Alex, it was still a small place. This carriage, said to have been used by the town's mayor for generations, certainly had a sense of history about it. Judging by how the carriage was shaking left and right... well, at least it hadn't fallen apart yet, which was something.
Thinking of this, Alex glanced at the young girl sitting beside him. She appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, with golden curls and fair skin, looking as cute as a doll.
At this moment, she was clasping her hands tightly at her chest, earnestly saying a morning prayer. She was praying for those who had died in battle, hoping that their souls would find eternal peace.
After a moment, the girl sighed deeply, then opened her eyes and looked at Alex with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Alex... Did I disturb you?"
"No, Miss Fina."
Hearing her question, Alex shook his head with a smile. He had introduced himself to her the day before. This girl was named Fina Carlsdottir Nathalie, a novice cleric on a pilgrimage.
The so-called pilgrimage was what Alex considered "going into the countryside," but clerics were treated much better than novice paladins. After all, being a cleric wasn't a combat-focused profession, so someone like Fina didn't have to wander around like Alex, fighting cultists or the undead.
Instead, wherever they arrived, clerics would stay at the local temple and perform tasks within their capabilities, such as preparing medicines or treating the sick.
However, Fina's pilgrimage had become a bit too thrilling for her.
"You don't seem very happy. Is something bothering you?"
Perhaps out of boredom, Alex asked curiously. He had noticed that ever since Fina woke up, she had seemed a bit down, as if something was on her mind.
"If you don't mind, why not talk about it?"
"It's nothing serious, really..."
Faced with Alex's inquiry, Fina forced a bitter smile and sighed helplessly.
"I just think... I'm too stupid..."
"Stupid?"
Alex couldn't help but be surprised by this response. He had assumed she was still mourning for the fallen, but he couldn't understand why she would suddenly bring up this topic.
"Well..."
Fina shrank back, lowering her head deeply.
"Wasn't what I did yesterday really foolish? If I could be more like you, Mr. Alex, those soldiers wouldn't have had to suffer so much. And... in the previous battle, if I had thought more carefully, I might have been able to save more people..."
"Uh..."
Hearing this, Alex was momentarily stunned. Although Fina didn't elaborate, he could guess why she was feeling down. If Alex's guess was correct, this novice cleric had made a common rookie mistake—obsessive perfectionism!
She was probably the type who wouldn't switch targets until she had fully healed them.
"Have you... always done things that way?"
"Yes..."
Fina lowered her head even further, looking like she wished she could bury herself in a hole.
"Because I can't bear to see them suffer. Every time I see the wounded, I can't help but feel that I have to heal them completely..."
Are you a Libra? This is classic perfectionism.
"Don't be so discouraged. How should I put this... It's a common mistake for rookies."
Alex wasn't sure what else to say, so he could only offer a few words of comfort. He didn't notice that when he mentioned "rookies," Fina's expression changed slightly. She then looked up, surprised, at Alex.
"Is that really true, Mr. Alex?"
"More or less... I've seen it happen to quite a few people."
Alex had indeed seen plenty of obsessive healers in games, but encountering one in real life was a first for him.
"I see..."
Fina's expression turned somewhat complicated after hearing Alex's response. She seemed a bit downcast, yet there was also a hint of relief, mixed with a touch of sadness. But then, she suddenly shivered and sneezed softly.
"Achoo!"
"Are you cold?"
Noticing how the girl was rubbing her pale hands together, Alex paused for a moment. While the carriage spared them the hardship of a long journey on foot, it was quite old and drafty, with wind seeping in through every crack.
Alex wasn't bothered by the cold due to his Zerg-enhanced physique, which could probably withstand freezing temperatures in space. However, the girl was clearly struggling. Without hesitation, Alex took off his coat and draped it over her.
"This... I can't possibly... Mr. Alex..."
Fina quickly waved her hands, a bit flustered, trying to refuse the coat. But Alex didn't seem to mind these formalities.
"It's no big deal. I'm not cold anyway, so it doesn't matter whether I wear it or not. Besides, you fainted from exhaustion yesterday. It's better not to push yourself. If you get sick, it'll be troublesome."
"Ugh..."
Fina puffed her cheeks in defiance but couldn't argue back. The freezing carriage was an undeniable fact, and she was indeed feeling weaker than usual after fainting the previous day. After glancing at Alex and confirming that he didn't have any ulterior motives, unlike some people she had met before, Fina hesitated for a moment before taking the coat.
"Thank you... I'll borrow it for now."
As she put the coat on, Fina's eyes widened in surprise.
She noticed that shortly after wearing the coat, her previously cold body started to warm up. But this wasn't a magical garment, was it?
In this world, many magical items existed, and even middle-class people could afford basic ones like crystal lamps or magical heaters for light and warmth. However, more advanced magical clothing, tools, and weapons were reserved for the wealthy, simply because they were prohibitively expensive.
To draw a comparison, it was like how in Alex's original world, most households had electricity and gas, but more luxurious electronics were beyond the reach of average families. Even a garment inscribed with a temperature-regulating magical array was something only the nobility could afford. For common folk, it was an unattainable luxury.
If it had been a magical coat, Fina wouldn't have been too surprised, as she had seen plenty of noble heirs with such items at the temple. But the odd thing was, she couldn't detect any magical aura from this plain coat. There were no signs of magical inscriptions either. By all appearances, it was just an ordinary coat.
Seeing Fina's astonished expression, Alex smiled slightly and leaned back against the seat.
The clothes Alex was currently wearing weren't the ones he had when he first arrived in the world of Edge of Tomorrow. Those were dirty and torn, and after his body had been remade, they no longer fit due to the difference in his height. So, he discarded them.
In fact, the clothes he was wearing now were custom-made in the world of Edge of Tomorrow.
Although that world had been devastated by alien invaders, its technological development was still ahead of the world Alex had originally lived in. So, finding a clothing store and getting a full set of custom-made clothes wasn't a big deal. Moreover, these clothes were made from lightweight nanomaterials, offering physical protection, incredible durability, and resistance to water, fire, and cold. Of course, a suit like this wasn't cheap, and Alex had spent a considerable sum on it.
What? Where did Alex get the money, you ask?
Haha, it wasn't stolen or anything like that. Alex would never resort to such means. He simply opened the vault of a certain Parisian bank and helped himself to a little reward.
You see, in RPG games, isn't it standard practice for the hero to open chests in NPCs' houses?
"Err..."
Just as Alex was watching Fina and about to say something, the carriage suddenly slowed to a stop. Then, a voice came from outside.
"Sir, Miss Cleric, something seems off up ahead."
(End of Chapter)
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