Actually, he had really struggled to make the decision back then.

He remembered the heavy friction in the labyrinthine chamber, even questioning his own motives in those fleeting seconds.

From their perspective, forcing them to give up on a legendary Golden Gate probably looked like an uncalled-for abuse of power, an E-rank nobody ruining their once-in-a-lifetime shot at fame and fortune.

Although he had acted to keep them alive, looking back, he had to admit he had been a bit arrogant. He had completely disregarded their own choices, forcefully imposing his judgment onto them because he knew better, regardless of what they actually wanted. He had simply decided they were too foolish to handle reality and took the wheel by force.

Yet, looking at the absolute verdict in the logs, a faint trace of relief washed over him. His forced intervention had pulled them right out of the jaws of a slaughterhouse.

With a final, relaxed exhale, Soren closed the translucent screens for good.

The blue light dissolved into nothingness, leaving the hospital room enveloped in undisturbed darkness.

He adjusted his posture slightly on the mattress, ensuring his right hand remained resting securely in Ethea’s warm grasp.

As the room grew completely quiet, a lingering thought surfaced in his mind.

How did his Authority know with such absolute certainty that they would die?

The log hadn’t framed it as a statistical probability. It stated it as a definitive fact, a certain annihilation.

For the interface to calculate the exact ripple effects of his intervention, it had to simulate an entire sequence of events that never actually happened.

Did... Did his Authority possess some form of foresight?

Could it calculate the future, or was it just mapping out the inevitable trajectory of their weaknesses against the specific variables of that Gate?

Moreover, the text felt incredibly calculated, adapting to his actions and grading his forced methods with specialized modifiers. It seemed intelligent, almost perceptive, operating with a precise logic that went far beyond a simple status screen.

’...Just what is an Authority?’

It was his innate power, sure, but what else could it do? Was it conscious? Or was it some kind of artificial intelligence woven directly into his soul? The depth of its calculations felt far too precise to be a mere passive mechanism.

Even after pondering for a bit, he could find no plausible answer, the mystery remaining entirely out of his reach. Giving up on the endless loop of questions, he finally decided to clear his mind and rest.

However, not long after he closed his eyes, the quiet click of the door handle echoed through the silence.

Two figures entered the room, forcing him to open his eyes and look over.

His gaze first landed on Miss Clara, whose eyes widened into a shocked stare the moment she saw him awake. Moving past her, his eyes settled on the second person, and his brow twitched with genuine surprise.

’Lady Seria?’

He instantly recognized the equally surprised woman standing beside Clara.

"Mr. S-"Just as Clara opened her mouth to speak, Soren recalled their current setting.

He quickly lifted his left hand, placing a single finger against his lips in a sharp, quiet shush gesture before turning his gaze meaningfully down toward the sleeping Ethea.

The two women caught on instantly, their expressions softening as they nodded in unison.

Stepping forward quietly, Seria tapped her fingers against the screen of her tablet, typing out a quick message before turning the device toward Soren.

[Congratulations on waking up, Mr. Soren. Are you feeling okay? Nod if yes, shake your head otherwise.]

With a faint, appreciative smile, Soren gave a slow, reassuring nod.

Seria smiled back, her shoulders visibly relaxing. She quickly typed another short sentence onto the screen and held it up.

[We will take our leave for now so you can get some proper rest. We will talk more later.]

Soren offered another small nod of agreement.

Watchful and quiet, the two women turned around and slipped back out of the room as silently as they had entered, leaving Soren and Ethea alone.

───────

As soon as the heavy wooden door clicked shut behind them, sealing the quiet sanctuary of the hospital room, Clara and Seria let out a collective breath. The tension that had held their shoulders tight for the past week seemed to dissipate into the sterile hallway.

They exchanged long, meaningful glances before beginning their walk down the quiet corridor.

"They are really devoted to each other, huh," Seria commented in awe, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she looked back at the closed door. "Truly a match made in heaven."

"I agree," Clara nodded, her mind flashing back to the silent intensity of the scene they had just interrupted. "Did you see the look in his eyes? The very first thing he thought of was her comfort."

"Don’t mention it," Seria chuckled softly, shaking her head. "No wonder Miss Ethea is so in love with him. Seeing how protective he is even when he just opened his eyes, it makes perfect sense."

Clara offered a small, knowing nod, quietly deciding not to share the full truth about the depth of Ethea’s meticulousness over the past week. Some things were better left unsaid, preserved within the privacy of the young couple’s bond.

As their footsteps echoed softly against the polished floor tiles, the lighthearted atmosphere shifted. Seria’s expression turned solemn, her gaze dropping to the tablet gripped tightly in her hands.

"But it’s quite shocking that he woke up this early," She murmured, her voice laced with professional intrigue.

"Huh? Isn’t that a good thing?" Clara asked, turning her head slightly, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Well, of course it’s a good thing," Seria explained, slowing her pace as she analyzed the medical data on her screen. "But what I meant was he was supposed to wake up in a month, or three weeks at the absolute earliest. His mana pathways were severely strained, and his physical baseline was entirely depleted from the backlash of that incident. Yet, he woke up just after a week."

A look of realization passed through Clara, her eyes widening slightly as the weight of Seria’s words sank in.

’That’s right, the doctor said something similar back then.’

"This indicates that his recovery speed is many times higher than that of an average second-circle awakened." Seria continued, her thumb idly tracing the edge of her tablet as she stared intensely at the erratic recovery charts. "It seems like I have to look into it more..."