240-234 The true nature of troublesome things




 When I put an extra heel on Mr. Bazak, who was like a representative of Ebiza, and put his missing arm back on, the reaction and response of the people around me changed at once.
 The scene was similar to the adventurer's guild of old, and it felt nostalgic.

 However, after entering Ebiza's town, I began to feel a number of gazes that seemed to be looking at me again.
 As if sensing this, Mr. Bazak said a few words to me apologetically.
'Don't think too badly of the residents. It's been a few years now, and with the Imperial soldiers attacking the town and stealing from us, we haven't had much time to relax.
'I see. I knew it was an overreaction, but that's what happens when you're close to a war zone.
 I served as if I didn't care, but Lionel had a look on his face that I hadn't seen before, and it was enough to make me hesitate to talk to him.

 Looking back, the only reason I was able to live in Meratoni City was because I had become a healer, but if it wasn't for the encounter with my masters, I would never have gone to the Holy City, and I would most likely have been complete in Meratoni.
 If I was an adventurer I would be able to leave this town, but the residents who don't have the strength to fight the demons would always risk their lives if they moved.
 When you think about it, it's probably a tougher world than I thought.

 Walking further down the central street of the town, the Adventurer's Guild and the Healer's Guild were built in pairs.
''This is the center of the town and is the square. In this central square are the buildings of each guild.''
 After hearing Mr. Bazak's story, if one looked back at the road they walked down, there was a merchant guild and an apothecary guild that existed in the same pair.
 Also, this central plaza was very nicely maintained, and it didn't seem like a town that was very close to the war zone.

 As I was looking around the town, I suddenly met eyes with Estia.
 Come to think of it, there might be someone in the Healer's Guild that Estia knows, so we might have something to talk about.
 I thought so and suggested to Estia.
'Estia, if you know someone in the Healer's Guild, you can go and talk to them.
Thank you. But I'm fine.
 When I called out to her, Esther made a smile and refused.

 But that smile didn't seem to be unconcerned, obviously.
 Since the adventurers had welcomed Estia, I thought she would be welcomed in the Healer's Guild as well, but maybe it was different.
 Come to think of it, Estia could use holy attribute magic, but she couldn't use it a lot, right?

 It's possible that a staff member may have made fun of Estia and the dark spirits are angry and erased her memory.......no, no way, as expected.
 ........I decided not to think about it any further, and decided not to mention Estia in depth either.
''I see. If you feel like going, you can always tell me.
Thank you, sir.
 Esther smiled sadly.

 Well, let's get back on track.
 Now that I have trouble with the Empire coming up, I'd rather not have any new trouble, and to be honest, it's a hassle to bargain against it.
 I've just come to the center of the town, and I decided to ask Mr. Bazak directly.

'So, Mr. Bazak, you've been showing us around earlier, are you showing us to the inn?'
''I would like to have Master Luciel the Wise to heal the wounded here.
 I'm pretty sure the adventurers who moved ahead of me said something about gathering those who need healing.
 It seems that there are quite a few injured people to heal in this central square.

 However, the answer to Mr. Bazak's request for a request had already been decided.
''I decline.''
May I ask why?
 My words were unexpected, and I saw a bit of impatience on Mr. Bazak's face.

''The Healers Guild is there, and there's even a Healing Institute. Besides, the reason I cured you was so that you would know that we are not hostile to you. We won't go out of our way to take the work of the Healer's Guild.
 In the past, without guidelines or legislation, there were cases where healers would invoke advanced magic that they didn't need and enslave patients who couldn't pay for their treatment. So to repay the adventurer's guild that had helped me, I would invoke my recovery magic.
 There was a time when it was named the Day of the Whimsy of Holy Change, but now I don't do it unless I'm asked to do it by my master or Grants-san.
 Besides, I couldn't help but like this semi-compulsive feeling.

 Seeing my response, it was Lionel who opened his mouth.
''Bazak, if you bring tactics instead of sincerity to Luciel-sama, you will only create misery.
''.........The people we need to help are those who were once examined by the healers in this town and deemed to be out of their depth. I had the Healer's Guild send a petition to the guild's headquarters, but we gave up without hearing from them.
So that's where I came in.
Yes, sir.
 I doubt it, but the church headquarters is a mess at the moment, and it may not be a lie.
 Maybe it's getting to the point where I'm losing my mind to question everything.
 So I decided to take an objective look at myself and do what I could.

'So where are these patients?'
You're going to see me?
'We'll make a decision after we see you. As I said earlier, we will only treat what the healers really spoon feed you.
 I really intend to heal them all, but I still don't want to get into any more trouble with the other healers over the treatment.

 Mr. Bazak raised his hand in relief when he heard my words and raised his hand on the spot.
 That may have been a signal, but people began to gather from all over the town to the central square.
 There were so many of them that everyone immediately shifted into a battle stance.

''Do you think all these people gathered here are patients?
''No, we have some injured people, and I would be grateful if you could heal them, but most of them can be healed in this town's healing hospital. It is the ten patients we need Master Luciel to heal.
 If most of the people in town will be like chaperones, then the person who wants to be cured may be of considerable character or in a leadership position in this town.
 Maybe the reason why Mr. Bazak said he was ruling this town was in place of those ten people.
 But the number of people trying to fill this central square was indeed unexpected.
 Everyone from adventurers to ordinary people had gathered here, and the sense of oppression had been elevated to something extraordinary.

 But if this was a strategy, it would be counterproductive for us.
''........Do you think that if I appeal to this number of people to heal you, I'll be frightened and let everyone recover with holy attribute magic?''
 Everyone quietly put their hands on their weapons.
 Maybe this is what "telepathy" is all about.
''No, no, not at all. Those gathered here must have just come to see those ten people especially the two representatives because they are worried about them.
 But Mr. Bazak buzzed and shook his head and immediately spoke out in denial.

 It would seem that Mr. Bazak is not lying, but....
 Both of us kept silent from that point on, but the silence was broken when the injured man was brought in.
 It wasn't me or Mr. Bazak that broke the silence, it was Lionel.

'Huh? Your Highness, Albert! And it's Melfina.
 Lionel's unusual surprise surprised me, and I was surprised, too.

 Lionel just mentioned the patient who was brought in as His Highness.
 Normally, one of those people could be an Imperial prince or something.
 But here's the question that arose in my mind.

 Would they, who were being bothered by Imperial soldiers, want to save ten Imperial soldiers, including two? You wouldn't normally think that.
 And yet, the fact that so many people are hoping for a good night's rest-- 

'Lionel, calm down and tell me who you are.
Ha! The two men being brought to the front of the line are His Highness Prince Albert, the First Prince of the Empire, and Melfina, known as the Saints of Prophecy.
 Lionel came to himself at the sound of my voice and told me about the two of them.
 Maybe this was a sign of trouble.

'Currently, you will be our leader and the saint of this town who disagrees with the strategy of the Empire.
 Mr. Basak added.

 As the stretcher was slowly lowered in front of me, I immediately recognized the symptoms, because the miasma was leaking from them.
 The miasma was leaking from them.

"Lionel, you need to decide if we should help or not.
Master Luciel, please.
 Lionel didn't hesitate to choose the treatment.
 I nodded and instructed everyone.
'Everyone get ready for battle. And catch the ones who have started to suffer.
What?
 I ignore Mr. Bazak's words and spin the words.
[Holy Healing Hand, Breath of Mother Earth, dispel the demon-fallen beings, the impure beings, as a wave of purification that swallows all, Purification Wave]
 When I activated the new magic I used at the church headquarters, a blue-white light spread out in layers like a ripple around me.
 I decided to leave it to everyone else if the demons appeared, and I decided to return the former highness and the former saint, who suffered from the Purification Wave, to human form.

 But as I was about to continue and cast a spell, that's when I saw the dagger fly towards me.
 A dagger flew toward me, and fresh blood danced in the air.