Hyperdimension Neptunia | The Bound Warrior

Ch.13 Iris' Interrogation

I give off a sigh as I lay down on the crude hospital bed. I feel as though I was in this hospital for well over a week but was told by Blanc, who is currently visiting, that it has only been two days since my admission to this room. I silently scoff into the pillow, twisting and turning around the bed as I am not allowed to stand up by either Compa's or Conner's command. I sit up on the bed, looking to Blanc, who was silently reading in a seat by the wall near the bed. Rom and Ram play on the other side of the room, chatting to themselves about what prank they should pull next.

I have been trying to train any moment possible, never allowing myself to relent in my training; although I was caught by Compa, who decided to check up on me, and informed the others about this. I went from being hospitalized to under house arrest basically, never allowed to be left alone. 

"What's it like? Being over three thousand years old?" Blanc suddenly asks, putting her bookmark in her book and turning to me.

I look at the sudden conversation from Blanc, but quickly recover from the sudden chatter. "To be this old? Well, to put it in a word: Hell." I answer. 

"Really? How so?" Blanc asks, pulling out a small notepad and pen, and rests them on her lap.

"I'm guessing your going to use this for that series of yours?" I ask, and get a nod as a response, causing me to shake my head. "After living so long, its awful, in all honestly, but overall, its tiring, but always painful." I continue to shake my head while answering.

"But why? Why is it so bad?" Blanc asks again, confused by my vague answer.

"If you live as long as I do, you just get tired of it all, its painful to watch as everyone else falls while I have to continue to stand, never allowed to stop, cause if I do, so does everything everyone else that stood by me has done." I explain, laying down in my bed and staring out the window, still able to see the eggplant farm from here; not much of it, but the purple dots are hazily visible from here.

"I see." Blanc narrows her eyes, partially worried about my words but writes down what I said anyways.

I sigh, starting to stand up, wanting to stretch my legs, but Blanc's hand lightly stops me; pushing me back down onto the bed. I allow her to slightly push me back onto the bed, and she sits back down. We continue to sit, staring at each other for the moment before I look down to my hands, unable to continue to hold eye contact.

"Jake, Neptune contacted me that Conner wants all of you to gather back at the hospital with Max." Noire Informs me, putting her phone down and gazing at me from across her office. I decided to check out what Lastation was like, feeling at home in the industrial city, same as Max would if he were here. 

I look to her, and nod, and stand up. Conner has told me that since everything seems to be going smoothly since the conflict with that traitorous ilk Luthic. I walk over to her desk, knowing that this is most likely the last time I will see the goddesses for a long time, if ever again. 

"I have to ask a favor from you, before I go." I tell her, standing at the opposite side of her desk. She briskly returned to her paperwork after informing me of Conner's invitation. She looks up to me, staring with a lack of trust, due to our differences. We haven't gotten along too well inbetween the last couple days. 

She gives off a scoff, and slightly leans back in her chair, able to get a better view and folds her arms in front of her chest. "What?" She asks, raising her eyebrow.

"Don't let Max be left alone. He. . . Changes when alone, and I don't mean with a friend, but I have seen some of what this world has to offer, quests and missions that he can go on, and I fear what happens if Max decides to go on one of them alone. And, please, dont bring this up to him, it'll only drive him away."