As to why he was receiving such treatment, the answer was surprisingly simple. At least, that was how Dennis explained it while casually walking through the brightly lit hospital corridor as though escorting promising young men through hospitals was part of his daily routine. The man moved with an ease that made Henning nervous. Every nurse they passed greeted him politely, and even the doctors lowered their heads slightly in respect. It painted a very clear picture of the influence the Crimson Sun Guild possessed. Meanwhile, Henning followed behind him in silence while holding the warm currant buns Dennis had shoved into his hands earlier. The smell alone nearly made his stomach ache. He had spent so long scavenging for cheap meals and stale bread that something as simple as fresh butter almost felt luxurious. Still, despite the comfort of warm food, his guard remained high. People in the adult world rarely gave kindness for free.
"As for why you are getting this treatment," Dennis said calmly, "the first reason is because we do not want other factions trying to snatch you away before you officially sign with us. We are fairly certain several groups have already hacked parts of the app to investigate our testing process. They want to know what we measure and who we recruit." He spoke casually, but the implications behind those words were enormous. Factions spying on one another had already become common only weeks after the System descended upon Earth. Governments tolerated it because every faction represented future military strength. "Although," Dennis continued with a faint smile, "that is not the real reason. If another faction attempts to recruit someone we personally selected, we can simply pressure them politically. Europe is small, and causing trouble for the Sonnebergs is not something most factions are willing to do."
The smile on Dennis' face reminded Henning of a predator lazily observing prey. It was not cruel exactly, but it carried a confidence that only powerful people possessed. Henning tightened his grip on the food in his hands before speaking. "Then who wants to apologize to me?" he asked, unable to fully hide the venom in his voice. The question came out sharper than intended, but he could not help it. His entire life had taught him that apologies from powerful people usually came attached to conditions.
Dennis glanced at him briefly before sighing. "The Bingen family," he answered. "After my father saw you leave the forest, he realized there was probably more to your story than what appeared on the surface. We followed you to the hospital and saw your sister. From there it did not take long to uncover her medical history." His tone remained calm, but Henning felt his chest tighten with every word. "We also found records showing you once traveled all the way to Germany to seek treatment from the Bingens. That alone was strange enough to attract attention. Their rules normally forbid turning away patients with unique conditions. Especially children."
Henning froze mid-step.
"If you had truly met a member of the Bingen family back then," Dennis continued, "you would have been introduced to some of the best doctors in the world within days. Your sister's condition is far too rare for them to ignore. That is why they investigated immediately after hearing about you. According to them, they already reached a conclusion after only one day of examinations."
Henning stopped walking entirely.
"What do you mean?" he asked hoarsely. "Are you serious? My sister… she can actually be cured?" The emotions erupting inside him were difficult to control. Hope, disbelief, anger, relief, hatred, humiliation—they all mixed together so violently that he felt dizzy. For years he had carried his sister from hospital to hospital while enduring rejection after rejection. Doctors either ignored them or dismissed them as hopeless charity cases. Now suddenly someone was telling him there had been a solution all along?
"Yes," Dennis answered quietly. "But it would be better if they explained everything themselves." As they want to apologize to you and your sister for turning you away, I hope you can forgive them, said Dennis.
For several seconds Henning could not speak. His throat burned painfully as memories resurfaced one after another. Rain-soaked streets. Endless hospital corridors. Nurses looking at him with pity. Doctors refusing to spare even five minutes for two starving orphans. The humiliation of begging strangers for help while carrying his freezing sister in his arms. All of it came rushing back so fast that he nearly lost control of himself.
Eventually, however, he let out a long exhausted sigh.
"I will try my best," he muttered bitterly. "Most doctors never saw the point in wasting resources on a pair of orphans anyway."
Dennis' expression softened slightly. "That is exactly why they want to apologize. And… try not to be too harsh on the boy responsible. Trust me when I say he is already suffering more than enough."
Henning frowned immediately. "What do you mean?"
He had assumed this entire apology was merely political theater because he happened to possess enough talent to join the Crimson Sun Guild. If he had failed the test, nobody would have cared about him or his sister. That was simply how the world worked. Connections determined everything.
Dennis suddenly laughed softly before reaching over and rubbing Henning's head like an older brother dealing with an overly cynical child.
"You still have much to learn about adults," he said. "The elders you are about to meet are people who take the Hippocratic Oath extremely seriously. This is not an empty apology. The boy who turned you away may look perfectly healthy from the outside, but doctors can be terrifying when they truly want to punish someone. There are ways to make every inch of the human body hurt without leaving behind a single visible injury."
Henning visibly shivered.
Unfortunately, he could imagine that quite easily. Over the years he had encountered all sorts of doctors. Some had genuinely cared about their patients, while others only kept their jobs because of family connections or money. The competent ones were usually trapped doing low-level work while influential families monopolized resources. It was a rotten system. One that had nearly cost his sister her life.
"Okay," Henning finally said quietly. "I will go easy on him."
For the first time in years, he felt something strange settling inside his chest. Not happiness exactly. But perhaps relief. Someone had finally listened to him.
A few minutes later Dennis stopped before a large meeting room near the upper floors of the hospital. After knocking once, he casually pushed the doors open.
"Good morning everyone," Dennis announced cheerfully. "I brought the patient's brother with me, so say what you need to say quickly. We still have to initiate him into the guild today."
The atmosphere inside the room immediately felt heavy.
Several older men sat around a long gray table covered in documents and medical scans. Every single one of them radiated the same suffocating pressure powerful people always seemed to possess. At the center sat Fabian Bingen himself. Despite his age, the patriarch's sharp eyes immediately locked onto Henning with startling intensity.
"Good morning, Dennis," Fabian said politely before shifting his attention toward Henning. "And you must be Henning. Please, sit down."
Henning obeyed cautiously.
Fabian folded his hands together calmly. "First, let us address the matter you care about most." He gestured toward a young man standing beside him. "Give him the documents."
As the young doctor approached, Henning immediately understood what Dennis meant earlier. The man's face was pale, his posture stiff, and his entire body trembled faintly with pain. He looked utterly miserable despite the lack of visible injuries. The moment their eyes met, the young doctor lowered his head in shame before handing over the papers.
Henning silently accepted them.
"We are confident your sister suffers from a rare Physique related to cold and ice," Fabian explained calmly. "That is why her body temperature remained abnormally low for years. It also explains why her condition worsened after mana entered the world. The System awakened her physique prematurely, but because her body was severely malnourished, it could not survive the strain. Her body essentially forced itself into unconsciousness to preserve her life."
Henning stared blankly at the documents in his hands.
"We have already begun treatment," Fabian continued. "Using a newly developed nutritional compound, we are supplying her body with far more energy than should normally be safe for a human. Fortunately, her constitution absorbs it remarkably well. Her vital signs are improving steadily."
He paused briefly.
"If recovery continues at this pace, we estimate she will regain consciousness within one month. After that, approximately three more months should be enough for her body to stabilize completely."
Silence filled the room.
Henning's hands trembled violently as he lowered the papers. For years he had prepared himself to hear nothing but despair from doctors. He had convinced himself that hope was dangerous. Yet now, sitting in front of one of the greatest medical families on Earth, he was finally hearing the words he had dreamed about for so long.
Your sister will live.
The realization shattered the final wall inside him.
Tears immediately spilled down his face as he covered his mouth desperately to stop himself from breaking apart completely.