Karl waited in the cafeteria while the others went in for their analysis that morning, and watched the mood change every time someone got good or unexpectedly bad news.
Dana and Ophelia went in one after the other, with Ophelia going first and coming out with a positive attitude to give Karl a thumbs up.
“Well, we’re good to go. They cleared me to fight, and said that these issues with my berserker rage trying to take over were all sorted out. As it turns out, I just wasn’t embracing the bear fully enough, and it was the sparring session with the Golem that set things back in balance.” She explained.
“Weren’t embracing the bear enough?” Karl asked.
“Yeah, you know how I’ve usually got some sort of self-control in battle? That’s not how it is supposed to work. I thought I was better at the Berserker Rage, but I just wasn’t fully activating it. Those partial activations were causing a mental imbalance, as the berserker side and the sane side of my mind were trying to merge, and that’s just not possible without going insane.”
Karl nodded. “That makes sense, the whole point of Berserker Rage is to let go and just go wild, right? I’m glad that you got it all sorted out. It’s not going to mess with your combat too much, is it? Like, you won’t have to start training all over?”
Ophelia shook her head. “Nope. It’s all instinctive, so I’m unlikely to attack known teammates. Well, no more likely than an angry bear is to attack her own instead of the enemy. That should be fine in combat, and the way that Berserkers train imprints our skills in our subconscious, so we will still use them when we’re in a rage.”
As they were talking, Dana came back out as well, with a more cautiously optimistic smile on her face.
“Well, I’m cleared to leave, but they want me to avoid intense battles for a while. I know that’s not really possible, but that’s what it is.” She informed them.
Karl pulled her in for a hug. “Of course, we can avoid the more intense battles. Only small scout group eliminations with supervisors and reinforcements until it’s time to go find more refugees or something to keep Tessa from getting in trouble with her goddess.”
Dana laughed. “If you’re going to make up a lie, at least make it a good one. I don’t think that any of us would be happy just slacking off. But seeing what happened to Tori, I wasn’t ready for that.”
The mood turned sombre at the end, but they understood.
“It’s fine. I will get them to transfer us away from the main lines, where we’re more likely to see allies die.” Karl assured her, but Dana shook her head.
“I think that we should join the main group. It might help if we can thwart a few direct attacks, you know? Save some lives where we can actually see them.”
Ophelia nodded. “That sounds good. We can socialize, and build up some of that reputation that we’re supposed to have with our peers. I mean, I didn’t socialize much because everyone but the Berserkers is afraid of the only female Berserker. But you two were barely at the Academy at all, and now you’re powerful, so you might as well go get them to put some respect on your names.”
From Karl’s left, one of the other patients laughed. “That’s right, they’d better put some respect on the monster man’s name. Who else here could use half their class skills to defend their group while taking on a solo duel against a Royal Rank Frost Giant?”
Karl smiled at the man, whose hand was halfway regrown and held in a brace, so he didn’t damage the forming portions.
“Don’t forget, that idea got me here with you. I don’t recommend it.”
While they were chatting, Morgana, Jill and Dave all arrived in the cafeteria.
“We got the good news from the doctors when they finished the morning assessments. You might as well get something to eat, and then we will head over to the Cathedral for the night. They want to test everyone before you head out again, just in case.
We will be leaving for the border tomorrow morning, but no more hospital nights for you.”
“I should go change, after lunch, I guess. Finally, the hospital can get their stylish short-sleeved outfit back.” Karl joked.
The kitchen staff laughed at that. The short-sleeved hassock was unique to the hospital for people who needed injured limbs accessible at all times. Normally, if you had a cast, it would fit under the sleeve, and you would just roll it up for checkups.
With Karl’s, they were constantly looking for discoloration or other issues, since there was a high risk of infection by Frost Giant blood. None had appeared, much to their surprise, as there was very little chance that Lotus had even tried, much less managed, to get all the Giant blood off the severed limb.
The two species were about as far from compatible blood donors as it was possible to be, so the body would normally treat it as a toxin and go into overdrive trying to expel the blood.
When Karl returned to his room to get his gear, there were fresh robes waiting for him, the standard ones from the Cathedral, with the Cathedral’s property tag on the inside, so he didn’t have to change when he got there.
That was convenient.
His roommates were still out, but Morgana came in a few seconds after Karl had the new robes on.
“Ready to roll out? Where is your pack?” She asked.
“In the locker. I never unpacked anything in it, so it’s still good.” Karl explained.
“We can restock it at the Cathedral. The hospital doesn’t have mission supplies.”
Karl shook his head. “I meant that literally. I haven’t unpacked anything from it. It’s still fully loaded and ready to leave. We had three priests who could cook and Rae making the shelters on our last mission, so I never actually opened my main pack for anything.”
The Witch Doctor shook her head as she grabbed the pack out of the locker. Karl was a bit startled that she could heft it around with one hand like that. His pack was quite heavy, as the weight didn’t mean much to him, but she was a magic user, and they usually couldn’t use strength items.
“Alright, take that and let’s go. They’ve got a surprise for you at the Cathedral.” Morgana informed him with a wink.
“Did Lotus adopt a Warbear? Because I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Goddess, I hope not. But that’s not the surprise I’m referring to.” She muttered, making Karl laugh.
She led him outside and down a cobblestone path that led into the side of the Cathedral, where Tessa and Lotus were waiting for them, along with Bob and Doug, who now had teacher’s badges hung on chains around their neck.
“No way, they made you guys teachers?” Karl laughed.
“Substitute teachers for the remainder of the school year, technically. Not all of the Academy’s teachers are well suited to combat, and they needed a few extras. We’re both Commanders, and we have more than a little experience with the Hill Giants that roam into the Nation, or appear during the monster spawns.
What do you think? Does it suit?” Bob replied.
“Definitely. I think that you two will be great teachers. You even volunteered to look out for me during my first proper solo mission. Teaching might just be your calling.” Karl agreed.
Morgana gave them a curious look. “What are you supposed to be teaching, anyhow? Don’t all teachers have a subject?”
The brothers smiled back at her. “Wilderness Survival.”
The Witch Doctor rolled her eyes. “Of course you would get a class that doesn’t involve actually knowing how to read.”
The brothers laughed, and Karl put on his best innocent questioning look.
“I didn’t know that you knew each other.”
Bob laughed. “We met a few times on missions, while she was still in school, but for the record, I can read. I won’t make any guarantees for Doug.”
Doug reached into his robes and pulled out a hymn book. “I will have you know that once you have memorized all the songs, you don’t need to know how to read anymore.”
Morgana sighed while everyone else laughed, so Karl patted her on the shoulder.
“You get used to them, but they’re the sort of people you want on your side when things go wrong in the wilderness.”
