The Second Saintess's Healing Touch
"Hello, you must be Kyle Berwen, correct?"
At Lana's greeting, I couldn't respond right away.
...Why?
Of course it was because I'd never imagined she would come looking for me herself. It was a moment beyond anything I had considered.
Just why...?
Why had Lana sought me out on her own? I couldn't begin to guess the reason. So I stood there, flustered and unable to form a proper reply, when—
"I heard about you from Julia."
At her next words, I finally understood. It seemed Julia had told Lana something about me. Though that, too, was just as unexpected.
"From the Saintess?"
Had the impression I'd left on Julia been strong enough for her to speak to Lana about me separately?
"Yes." Lana affirmed with a smile.
"What...?"
What exactly had she said about me, and why? That was what I desperately wanted to know.
However.
"Excuse me for a moment."
Instead of answering my unspoken question, Lana took a step closer. Startled, I reflexively stepped back.
"You don't need to be on guard."
Her voice was soft and reassuring.
"...Yes."
She was right. There was no reason to be wary of Lana, of all people. I stopped where I was, and she drew nearer without hesitation.
Then she grabbed my arm.
"...!"
As I flinched in surprise—
"Please wait just a moment," Lana murmured.
And soon after, a brilliant light burst from her hands.
I knew exactly what it was. Holy power. Lana was using her holy power. A warmer glow than Julia's enveloped my entire body. It wasn't merely visual. A pleasant warmth began to circulate through me.
What is this...?
I couldn't make sense of the situation. I understood what she was doing—she was healing me with her holy power. But I couldn't understand why. Why suddenly? For what reason?
The questions hovered on my lips, but I never voiced them. Or rather, I couldn't. Because before I could speak—
"It's quite serious."
Lana spoke first.
"Pardon?" I asked reflexively.
"Your physical condition, Sir Kyle," she added.
...Well, that's true.
Even amid my confusion, I had to agree. Julia had healed me with her holy power and improved my condition considerably, yet my body was still far below that of an ordinary person.
Moreover—
"Is this... poison? Or a curse?"
The traces inside me that even Julia's holy power couldn't erase remained stubbornly intact.
"I'm not entirely sure, but it's a remarkably vicious mark."
That made sense. In essence, it was the root cause of this body's wretched state. Even Saintess Julia had poured her power into it for a long time without being able to push it out, so its severity needed no explanation.
Eventually, Lana let out a small sigh and released my arm.
...It wasn't easy for her either.
It seemed erasing the traces had been difficult even for her. Her face looked slightly shadowed—perhaps it was just my imagination. The sight tugged at me, so I spoke.
"It's all right. I knew it would be difficult to remove, so please don't concern yourself..."
It probably wouldn't help much, but I wanted to console her in case she felt disheartened.
Yet Lana stared at me with wide, round eyes, as if she had no idea what I was talking about.
After a moment, she said, "Oh, no. The treatment was successful."
"...Pardon?"
Her answer left me speechless.
What...?
Successful? Then did that mean—?
"It was certainly vicious. But... not beyond my ability to erase."
At her following words, my eyes flew open.
"......!!"
Now that she mentions it...
The moment I heard her, I noticed it. My body had become incomparably lighter. I immediately examined my internal state and realized she was telling the truth.
The unknown traces that had lodged deep inside me, constantly gnawing away at this body, had been significantly reduced. They hadn't vanished completely, but their diminishment was undeniable.
I stared at Lana in a daze, forgetting to speak. Interpreting my gaze in her own way, she offered an even gentler smile.
"My holy power is specialized in healing, you see."
...I already knew that. The holy power of the Goddess Lure, of mercy and abundance, was specialized in healing. Among the three orders, it could be considered overwhelmingly superior in curative strength alone. And the holy power of a Saintess—the goddess's representative—surpassed that of anyone within the order.
In other words, Lana possessed the greatest healing power in the Lure Order, which already boasted the finest healers. I simply hadn't known it would reach this level.
I thought I'd have no choice but to use an elixir...
When I'd learned even Julia's holy power couldn't erase the traces, I'd considered searching for an elixir. But elixirs weren't items scattered along the roadside. Only a handful existed in the entire world. Fortunately, I knew some of the ingredients from the game, yet every one of them was nearly impossible for the current me to obtain.
I had been pondering my options when Lana swept all those worries away in a single moment. I couldn't help but be astonished.
Then she added, "It's not completely healed yet. You'll need two more treatments, I believe."
"Ah..."
Her words reminded me of something I'd forgotten.
"I truly appreciate it, but... I have nothing I can offer you right now."
The Goddess Church existed to perform good deeds, and the Lure Order was no exception. That didn't mean they offered holy power for free. Holy power was finite, and the value of healing had to be preserved. If they treated everyone without charge, people would come to take holy healing for granted. Injuries and causing injury would lose their weight. The world would fall into chaos, and those who truly needed treatment would be unable to receive it when the time came.
Therefore, the Goddess Church—including the Lure Order—required a modest donation for healing. The higher the rank of the priest providing the power, the greater the cost. Generally speaking.
Treatment from an ordinary priest was inexpensive, but receiving care from a bishop required a considerable sum. From a cardinal, it would cost several years of a commoner's living expenses at the very least.
Then how much would be required to receive treatment from a Saintess, bearer of the order's most noble and powerful healing? Especially if it required multiple sessions?
The exact amount was hard to guess, but one thing was certain: it was a sum the current me could never afford. Simply impossible. That was why I had to say—
"So I'm afraid I won't be able to receive further treatment. However, I will repay the cost of today's session as soon as—"
"No. There's no need for you to pay any fee."
Lana gently cut me off.
"To begin with, treating someone out of nowhere and then demanding payment would be no different from robbery."
"......"
When she put it that way, it did sound that way. Strictly speaking, I hadn't requested treatment; she had simply done it without me saying a word.
Still, I couldn't just accept it without reciprocating. Especially not from Lana.
"No, even so—"
I tried once more to express my intention to pay, but—
"I can't. If I accepted money, Julia would scold me."
Her additional words made me freeze.
"Could it be that Saintess Julia...?"
A single inference rose in my mind. The reason Lana had come to me on her own and suddenly healed me—was it perhaps—?
"That's right." Lana nodded. "Julia asked me to treat you, Sir Kyle."
"...!"
So that was it. Understanding washed over me, accompanied by a sharp pang in my chest. The knowledge that Julia had cared enough to ask this favor filled me with both joy and guilt.
...Even though I haven't done anything for her.
All I'd done was show her around the Academy. Anyone could have done that. Yet here I was, receiving such an enormous favor.
It hadn't been long since we'd parted, but I already missed Julia.
Still, I couldn't remain lost in emotion forever.
"Thank you."
I expressed my gratitude to Lana. Though it had begun as Julia's request, it was Lana who had accepted it and healed me. Honestly, even a hundred bows wouldn't be enough. For me, this was nothing short of a divine stroke of luck.
With this much...
I could feel it clearly. My body's condition was utterly different from before the treatment. The constant lethargy that had enveloped me, the fragility that made me feel as though I might break with the slightest strain—both had vanished completely.
Above all, the sensation of my mana had changed. Those traces had interfered with my mana control while devouring my body. With a large portion of them gone, the difference was night and day. My mana moved as I willed it, and I could sense the surrounding mana with far greater sensitivity.
At this rate, not only would my tasks become easier, but I could advance my plans even further.
"Please, you don't need to thank me so much. I only did it because I was asked."
Lana spoke lightly, but—
"No. I've received a great favor."
I had no intention of treating this lightly. Even if it had begun with Julia's request, I had still received grace from Lana.
"I will definitely repay this kindness."
I meant every word.
"You really don't have to..."
Lana looked at me with a slightly embarrassed expression, then soon added with a gentle smile,
"...Then, could I ask you for one favor?"