I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 127: When Reality Sets In

"Ouch, Mom! I can explain! Ouch! Stop!"

Liam quickly moves out of Miranda’s range. They’re in a closed area in Arvion General Hospital, specially provided to examine dungeon survivors. Not many people pass through here.

Liam and his friends are the only dungeon survivors being examined. They’re waiting inside a room for the medical team to do further examinations. Since their conditions aren’t critical, they’re given time to reunite with their families before being separated again.

Leila and the others can hear what Liam and his family are talking about and can’t help but smile at the exchange.

"You don’t need to explain anything! I know you went with that Aldriana! Uncle Maurice saw you go with her!"

"Okay, first of all, yes. I did go with Aldriana. But Mom, we weren’t alone! Arthur was there with us too!"

"And before you hit me again, just let me explain why Aldriana was there with us," Liam adds quickly, trying to calm his mother’s rising anger.

Miranda doesn’t say anything. She just stares at him.

"I’m going to take that as permission to continue," Liam says carefully.

He takes a deep breath, then speaks in a calmer voice.

"Yes, I was with her and Arthur. We went to find the missing Julian. And we did find him, along with another survivor. And Mom, you need to understand something. I’m not exaggerating. Arthur, Julian, and Maeve would all say the same thing."

"If Aldriana hadn’t come with us, there’s no way the four of us would’ve survived."

Silence falls.

The curtain separating Liam and the others is pulled aside.

Arthur stands there, his expression serious.

Miranda and Claudia turn to look at him.

"Liam is right, Aunt Miranda," Arthur says. "Aldriana saved all of us. That dungeon was even more dangerous than the Beachwalk dungeon. My skills were nothing there. We wouldn’t have survived without her."

Leila steps forward and pulls Arthur into a hug.

"Then we need to thank her properly. Where is she? Why didn’t she come out with you?" she asks.

"She wants to stay in the shadows," Arthur answers. "And after everything she did to save us, the least we can do is help her stay there. Right?"

He looks at the other three.

They immediately nod in agreement.

Maurice, who has stayed quiet the entire time, blinks. He’s the kind of man who observes more than he speaks. And what he sees now is clear.

The relationship between the four of them is different from before they entered the dungeon.

He hasn’t officially met Maeve yet, but he can already see it.

She belongs to this group.

And Arthur is their leader.

Maeve watches all of this, feeling a little envious. She has no one waiting for her. Yes, she has colleagues and a teacher, but her relationship with them isn’t as close as this.

As she watches, her breathing grows heavier. Ever since she stepped out of the dungeon, her body has felt heavier, like she’s carrying extra weight.

Theo already warned them this would happen, so she treats it as natural. What she forgets is that her stamina is the worst among the four. And she hasn’t really rested.

Her body feels heavier. Her eyelids too.

"Maeve?" Julian notices.

Maeve slowly closes her eyes and collapses onto the bed.

"Maeve!" Julian jumps off his own bed and rushes to her. Arthur and Liam follow immediately.

Arthur steps out of the room and opens the door, flagging down a doctor.

The doctor arrives quickly and examines Maeve. After a moment, he exhales and turns to the three pairs of worried eyes.

"Don’t worry. Ms. Collins is simply exhausted," he says with a reassuring smile. "Her body shut down because she reached her limit. I suggest the three of you do the same. Rest."

"My team will come in a few minutes to draw some blood and run a few tests," he continues. "That can be done even while you’re sleeping."

"Once that’s done, we’ll move all of you to your rooms." He glances at the chart in his hands. "I see here that you requested to be placed in the same room?"

He looks up, mildly surprised. Patients usually prefer privacy.

"Yes," Arthur answers without hesitation.

"That can be arranged," the doctor nods. "In fact, according to this chart, it already has been. Please wait a few more minutes."

He steps out.

The other three settle back onto their beds and wait.

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"What do you mean I can’t enter and see them?"

Chief Stille’s nostrils flare with anger as he’s stopped at the reception desk.

"Don’t you know who I am? I am the Chief of the Arvion DEU. I’m here on official duty. I need to see the survivors from Mt. Helene. Several people are still missing, and those survivors might hold information that can save them!"

Spittle sprays as he raises his voice.

"I know who you are, Chief Stille," the nurse replies calmly. "But you are not permitted to see them. Not without permission from the doctor in charge. He has given strict instructions that these patients are not to be disturbed."

"I’m sorry." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Who is the doctor in charge?" Chief Stille snaps. "Call him. I want to speak to him. Now."

"It’s Dr. Lucas Montgomery," the nurse says evenly. "I’ll see if I can contact him. Please wait, Chief Stille."

Chief Stille freezes for half a second.

Dr. Lucas Montgomery.

They don’t get along. At all. The dislike is mutual, and Dr. Montgomery doesn’t even bother to hide it.

Worse, the man is notoriously strict and almost never overturns his own orders.

And to make things even more irritating, Dr. Montgomery and Arthur Montrose go way back.

He had once been part of Arthur’s dungeon exploration team, along with Dumar of the Zarathun Desert and another infamous member known only as Madison. Chief Stille never managed to dig up much information about her. Only that she, too, had once been part of Arthur’s merry band.