A Will Sovereign Chapter 28: Chapter 28— Radahn's Hobby.

Read chapter 28 of A Will Sovereign by Sloche on NovelPedia.

---- Morning arrived quietly. Soldret woke to the familiar scent of medicinal herbs and distant birdsong. For several moments he simply lay there, staring at the pale blue sky as sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, scattering golden patches across the medicinal bath. Instinctively, he raised a hand to shield his eyes. Then paused. "..." His hand moved smoothly. Naturally. No pain. No stiffness. No lingering feeling of shattered bones being forcibly stitched back together. Soldret blinked. He slowly lowered his hand, flexed his fingers, then clenched a fist. The movement felt *normal*. Almost too normal. A strange expression crossed his face. The last thing he remembered was Radahn using him as a human punching bag. Both arms had been nearly crippled. His chest felt like it was caving in. Even breathing had been torture. Yet now… nothing. He sat upright. The medicinal liquid rippled around him as water and crushed herbs slid down his still faintly red-tinged skin. His eyes widened. Not only were the bruises gone — the constant soreness that had become his daily companion had vanished too. His muscles felt cleaner. Denser. More *whole*. For the first time since arriving at Martial Peak, he didn't feel like a broken object barely held together by herbs. He looked down at himself, flexing his arm, shoulder, then chest. Nothing. Only the faint memory of pain remained. Soldret reached up and touched the spot on his forehead where Zephyr had tapped him the night before. "…Could it be… Zephyr's doing?" The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. There was no way he should have recovered this completely overnight otherwise. He climbed out of the bath. The moment his feet touched the ground, he noticed another difference — his steps felt stable. Balanced. Natural. No limping. No hesitation. His body had finally caught up with the punishment it had been receiving. Soldret couldn't help a small smile. Then he quickly suppressed it. *No. Don't smile yet.* Knowing Radahn, being fully healthy probably just meant today's beating would be even worse. --- As he was considering that cheerful thought, a familiar voice sounded nearby. "…You're awake?" Soldret turned. The snake-eyed girl was approaching with several trays of medicinal herbs. Her golden slit pupils moved up and down his body, studying him with clear surprise. The two stared at each other. An awkward silence stretched. Soldret wanted to say something, but then realized he still didn't know what to call her. She looked younger than him, yet she was clearly a Primal Beast in human form — probably far older than he could imagine. Before he could figure it out, the girl sighed. "Medici." Soldret blinked. "Hm?" "My name." She shifted the trays. "You don't need to worry about how to address me either." Soldret froze. Medici looked at him calmly. "And yes. I know what you're thinking." He immediately felt embarrassed. "I can hear thoughts related to me," she added. "Only those. So you don't need to be especially cautious." Soldret wasn't sure whether that made him feel better or worse. After a brief silence, he asked, "Medici. Is Master awake already?" "He barely sleeps." She sighed. "He's currently indulging in one of his hobbies." "Hobbies?" Medici nodded and said nothing more. That only made Soldret more curious. Training? Meditating? Punching mountains? Drinking? Breaking waterfalls? The possibilities felt endless. After thanking her, he headed toward the courtyard. Behind him, Medici watched him leave, then finally failed to suppress her laughter. --- By the time Soldret arrived, he found Radahn beneath the bamboo pavilion. The old man sat comfortably beside a small stone table, a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other. Soldret stopped. Radahn slowly turned a page. Soldret stared. Radahn continued reading. Soldret stared harder. The old man finally glanced up. "What's wrong?" Soldret pointed. "That." Radahn looked at the book, then at Soldret, then back at th