Beidou rushed forward in tears, pulling Kael into a tight embrace, stopping him from harming himself further.
"No... This isn't your fault!"
"Those people came for our ledger. The deals we've made recently hurt Snezhnaya's interests. They must've been sent by Snezhnaya."
"It's not your fault; you don't have to blame yourself."
"If there's anyone to blame, it's me—the useless captain."
"I should've anticipated this earlier. I should've known they'd send someone to attack."
"This is all my responsibility."
Kael felt Beidou's tears slipping down her cheeks and dripping onto his neck.
Beidou's words eased his guilt slightly, but the pain in his heart didn't diminish at all.
Even if it wasn't his fault, his loved ones were still gone.
He had lost them forever.
Kael hugged Beidou tightly, letting out heart-wrenching cries.
The two suffering souls drew warmth from each other, as if doing so could grant them the courage to move forward once again.
After their tears subsided, Beidou gradually calmed down.
She gently wiped away the tears from Kael's face.
"Many of them had no family left. The Crux Fleet was their only home. I'll handle all the arrangements for our fallen crewmates."
"Is there anything I can help with?"
Kael desperately wanted to do something for those who had passed away.
Beidou reached out and ruffled Kael's hair softly. "Right now, your most important task is to recover. The Crux Fleet can't go on without you. Everyone is waiting for your return."
Kael looked down at his paralyzed lower body and let out a bitter smile.
In his current condition, could he even return to the Alcor?
Even if he did, wouldn't he just become a burden to everyone?
But he didn't want to worry Beidou any further, so he simply answered softly.
"Alright."
After Beidou left, Yanfei came back into the room.
She had deliberately stepped out earlier, thoughtfully giving the two some private time together.
After the tragedy aboard the Alcor, Yanfei knew both Beidou and Kael needed space to let out their emotions, so she had quietly exited the room.
When she returned, she saw Kael staring blankly at his legs.
"Hmph, you chatted with Beidou for so long just now—you're clearly violating our contract!"
Yanfei sat down beside the bed, pretending to be annoyed. "How do you plan to compensate me?"
Kael saw through Yanfei's intentions; she was deliberately trying to distract him from his sorrow. He played along with a smile. "I brought you a present from Mondstadt. I wonder if that'll be enough as compensation?"
"Really?" Yanfei's eyes lit up. "What is it?"
"It's a flower..." Kael suddenly recalled that he had pressed the Windwheel Aster between the pages of the ledger.
And now, that ledger had surely been taken by the orange-haired man.
The forced smile on Kael's face vanished instantly. "That gift was probably taken away as well."
Seeing Kael's expression, Yanfei guessed that it must be related to the attack on the Alcor and quickly changed the subject.
"Oh right, I'll be leaving Liyue tomorrow for a bit. I'm going to find someone who can heal you. It'll take me a few days."
Yanfei gazed at him with determination. "Don't worry, they'll be able to cure your legs. You'll definitely return to the Alcor."
Yanfei stayed at Bubu Pharmacy, taking care of Kael until late into the night.
Even though Yanfei was half-adeptus, several days of sleeplessly watching over him had left her visibly exhausted.
Only after Kael insisted did she reluctantly agree to go home and rest.
Kael saw that it was late at night, meaning there was no reason to waste any more attribute points maintaining physical activities. He said to the system:
"Switch to Text Mode."
[Understood. Switching to Text Mode now.]
[A sudden sharp pain pierced your mind. Your vision darkened, and you collapsed unconscious onto the bed.]
[You remained unconscious, completely unaware of how much time passed. Eventually, a shadowy figure appeared in your room.]
[It was Baizhu, the doctor from Bubu Pharmacy.]
[He approached quietly, softly calling your name: "Mr. Kael...? Mr. Kael...?"]
[Noticing your tightly shut eyes and unresponsive state, he gently lifted your eyelids and found your pupils dilated—typical symptoms of someone deeply unconscious.]
["Oh?" Baizhu murmured softly, an amused smile appearing on his lips. "How interesting."]
[He carefully checked over your body again.]
[He confirmed that your current physical condition was extremely poor. Logically speaking, it should've been impossible for you to wake up at all.]
[Remaining unconscious was what truly matched your condition.]
[So, what exactly had made you regain consciousness earlier?]
[Just as quietly as he'd arrived, Baizhu left your room, deciding he'd return tomorrow morning to investigate further.]
Hmm?
Baizhu seemed to have noticed something unusual about his body?
"System, Baizhu won't find anything weird, right? He won't discover my consciousness?"
[Please rest assured, Host. The system will provide the most reasonable explanation through its calculations regarding your character's sudden awakening. Characters within the Life Simulation will not detect any abnormalities.]
"That's good, then."
[After the night passed, at the first light of dawn, Yanfei arrived at Bubu Pharmacy.]
[Before leaving Liyue, she wanted to confirm your condition once more and say goodbye.]
"Switch to Sensory Mode."
[Understood. Switching to Sensory Mode now.]
Yanfei saw Kael still asleep, eyes closed peacefully. She couldn't bear to wake him, so she merely stroked his hair gently and whispered, "Kael, I'm leaving now. I'll be back as soon as possible. Take good care of yourself while I'm gone, okay?"
With that, she left with a heart full of reluctance.
Not long after Yanfei's departure, there was a soft knock at the door.
Hearing the sound, Kael opened his eyes.
"Come in."
Kael struggled to sit up from the bed.
He felt a splitting headache, accompanied by waves of dizziness.
Everything before his eyes spun uncontrollably.
His arm buckled under him, and just as he was about to tumble off the bed, a pair of strong arms caught him firmly.
Looking up, Kael saw Baizhu smiling gently, staring at him with interest.
"Mr. Kael, you're awake?"