The Hunter Mage

CHAPTER SEVENTY

"Well," Madame Rachel started to say but then she turned suddenly towards Bess and gestured that she explained.

"Um, At-at first I thought it was just a regular fever." Bess stuttered a little at the fact that all attention was on her. "But then I tried to heal you with healing magic but it didn't work and there's only one thing I can't restore, lost limbs and Mana. Therefore it is safe to assume you have mana sickness. It might be the Mana sickness or a type of it but that's the conclusion I came to."

"I tried to heal your sickness but that didn't work either." She continued on. "I was able to try something but it didn't make too much of a difference but at least it woke you up. The only thing I can tell you is to get enough rest to not try to use magic until you get better. I don't want to think of what will happen if you do." Bess ended with a sigh. Vernon could see she was very stressed out and worried.

"Get enough rest and drink lots of hot cocoa. For some weird reason, that apparently works and until I say so, you're not allowed to leave. Now, drink up before it gets cold." Madame Rachel added from where Bess left off. Of course, she did not forget to scold him while she was at it.

Vernon nodded his head vigorously and gulped the cocoa. He knew then and there he would drink all the cocoa in the world if it meant they would leave him alone or at least Madame Rachel, he didn't mind Bess's company.

He finished it in three gulps. Madame Rachel looked super pleased with him and she collected the mug from him a little too happily. However, she was not done and she gestured to the meal that lay on his legs.

Vernon sneaked a glance at the meal and regretted it almost immediately. He knew if he so much as tried to eat it, he would risk throwing up the cocoa he just finished drinking.

"Can I eat it later? I just want to sleep." He asked softly, hoping Madame Rachel would go easy on him as he was sick. She glared at him and he quickly added. "I feel really sick, if I try to eat it immediately after taking the cocoa I fear that I might throw it all up."

Her features immediately softened and she said, "Yeah that was a lot of cocoa you drank in one goal. Might be better if you gave it a bit of space before you eat that. Let me keep it safely on the table for you." With that, she picked it from his laps and returned it to the table.

Vernon tried not to smile, especially at the fact that she had made it seem like it was her idea that he should not eat the meal but he did not mind it as long as it got her out of his hair.

She covered up the food and said, "We will leave you to rest." She then went on to help him adjust back to his sleeping position.

She covered him with the blanket and Vernon said his thanks and watched as both of them left. He sighed in relief, he felt remotely better but his head was not ready to have any kind of conversation be it one-sided or not.

He cozied himself. He was not sure if he could go back to sleep but he would rather revel in the silence and hoped that his headache would fade than deal with anything at the moment.

He was worried though, they did not give him any concrete information on what exactly was wrong with him and how long it would take for him to get better. He could help but fear that it might take longer than he wanted.

It was not the fact that he was bedridden that annoyed him. After all, he could not deny that he was thrilled that he did not have to go to the courtyard today but considering how he felt he was not sure it was a fair exchange.

He tried to still his thoughts as he tried to get some sleep. One thing that was being repeated was he needed enough rest and what better way to get it than to sleep. Besides, his headache made being awake strenuous.

He closed his eyes and cleared his thoughts, almost five full minutes later, he opened his eyes in frustration. There was no way he could fall asleep this way. One thing was also sure, he was bored.

He rolled on his side and tried again, maybe he was sleeping on the wrong side and that was what the problem was. Less than five minutes later, he discovered that it didn't matter what side he slept on, he was not going to sleep.

He could not get out of bed either, not with the way his head felt. Just rolling on his side, he had needed a couple of seconds for the pain to decrease to normal. He knew he could not test standing up.

Not knowing what would help him sleep, he decided to count sheep. He did not get to fifty before he lost count. He growled and tried again but gave up by the time he got to twenty.

Tired of trying, he just let his thoughts roam, figuring that he would have an easier time that way than forcing himself to not think. He was genuinely worried, how long would he be bedridden? Would his mana get back to normal? It didn't help that it was supposedly unstable.

He was sad, stressed out, it didn't help that his magic was not any good, being stuck in the last level didn't feel good at all, and now he had Mana sickness. He could not think of anyone else that had ever had it. Maybe there was indeed something wrong with him.