The Good Healer (3)

The next day. For the first time in a while, I donned my crow mask and headed alone to the merchant guild’s dormitory. It was located in the upper reaches of Civitas Square, a high-end residence provided by the Merkur Merchant Guild to its lead researchers and their families. Currently, it was being used as a temporary shelter for our scholarship students.

I stepped into the four-story stone building. High ceilings, wide windows, and a well-maintained interior. While it wasn't on the level of a mansion in Sanctum Hill, it was an environment incomparable to the clinics in the Limbus Pit.

'Freya will be able to find her way here, right?'

I had told Freya to come separately this afternoon.

Director Shun and Julian Nihilit had to be different people. That was why I had decided to avoid situations where we both moved together as much as possible. 'Now that I've committed to separating my identities, I can't afford to be careless.'

I walked down the hallway and arrived in front of the room. I knocked on the door. Knock, knock.

"It is Director Shun."

I heard footsteps from inside. They felt too frantic to be Valeria’s. It was likely her mother. 'Come to think of it, is this my first time meeting her mother directly?'

As I was thinking that, the door opened. A woman in a black priestess's habit appeared; she looked neat but somewhat exhausted. The moment our eyes met beneath the shadow of my fedora, my body stiffened.

'...It's that person.'

She was the priestess who had assisted me on the day I cured Freya’s Devil's Disease. I had lived on, forgetting about her after hearing that my father had taken measures to ensure silence regarding that day’s events. I never dreamed our paths would cross again in this way.

'The world is truly small.'

To think the priestess I met that day would turn out to be the parent of a scholarship student. It seemed I wasn't the only one surprised. She was staring intently at my face, which was hidden in the shadow of my hat.

"D-Director. Please, come in."

"Excuse me, Mother."

Fear toward me seeped through her voice. I understood. Even if other professions were different, the status of Director Shun among healers was by no means low. Furthermore, since I was the sponsor for her two daughters, it was only natural for her to be this nervous.

"As I mentioned in my prior contact, I have come for a visit. Would it be possible to speak with Valeria now?"

"Yes, it is possible, Director."

The stiff, frozen mother looked at me and asked, "H-have we perhaps met before?"

My heart sank for a moment. But I feigned composure and answered naturally. "What a coincidence. Perhaps it is because I have heard so much about you from Valeria and Ayla, but it doesn't feel like we are meeting for the first time. Have the two children talked to you much about me?"

"Hmm… is that so?"

'As expected, Recognition-Impairing Magic cannot do anything about a sense of déjà vu.'

Recognition-impairing magic was a spell that prevented others from clearly perceiving the subject's facial features. You could understand it as magic that hindered one from connecting a voice, physique, or way of speaking to a specific person. At this point, the magic only prevented them from reaching the certainty that 'Julian = Director Shun,' but it didn't completely block the sense of familiarity. That was in the realm of intuition rather than recognition. It was a part that was still difficult to handle even with magic.

'Well, as long as I don't take off my hat right in front of her, it shouldn't matter.'

However, that sense of familiarity would never lead to certainty. Not unless I revealed my identity right in front of her or she caught me with some undeniable evidence. So, there was no need for me to get anxious on my own and reinforce her suspicions.

"Since it has been shortly after a major incident, I am worried about Valeria's condition. May I ask about her state before I meet her?"

"Thank you for your concern, D-Director."

Fortunately, the mother's suspicions did not deepen. Her worry for her daughter had quickly covered her doubts. "V-Valeria is fine. She is a little tired, but she doesn't seem any different from usual."

"Does she not sit alone in a daze, or have trouble sleeping?"

"She doesn't do that. Rather, she says she must study harder while school is out, and she won't close her books even when I try to stop her. I'm worried, so could you say a word to her, Director?"

"I understand."

Following the priestess's guidance, I entered Valeria's room. In the room with the curtains half-drawn, Valeria was sitting at the desk beside her bed, her textbook spread open. Just as her mother said, she was studying. When I entered, she closed her book and corrected her posture.

"Director. How do you do?"

"How is your physical condition, student Valeria?"

"I am fine. I wasn't particularly injured either." Valeria answered, neatly tying back her disheveled hair.

"I would like to check your condition for a moment, would that be alright?"

"Yes, that is fine."

I checked Valeria's pulse and asked her various other questions. Whether she was sleeping well, whether the events of that day kept recurring in her memory. As a result of checking several things, Valeria did not seem to have any particular problems.

"I am a little tired since that day."

"That is a normal reaction that appears immediately after escaping a state of extreme tension. If you rest well here and sleep soundly, you will get better soon."

"Thank you, Director. From saving me that day to providing a place like this."

"However." I pointed to the book Valeria had closed. "May I ask why you are studying this hard?"

Valeria pondered for a moment, then opened her mouth again. "Actually, that day… when you saved me, I felt it. That if I don't succeed, I cannot protect myself, nor Ayla and my mother."

"So that is why you were studying this."

The book she had been reading was a first-year major textbook for the Hero Course — Monster Studies. To my memory, Valeria was scheduled to advance only up to the high school division and work as an accountant at our merchant guild. Was it because of the era? The timing for the accounting course to be learned in high school and then entering practical work was faster than I thought. She had changed her path because of this incident.

'Certainly, the Hero Course is easier to succeed in.'

Other departments had a strong nature of inheriting the family business. For a commoner with nothing, the fastest way to advance to the nobility was to apply as a Hero and accumulate military merit. Many new noble families were born that way. It seemed Eri was aiming for this as well.

"The Hero Course. I never imagined student Valeria would do this."

"I am sorry, Director. Of course, I have not forgotten my promise to the merchant guild. Naturally, I will work as an accountant at the guild. However, I will attend school during the day, and at the guild at night…."

"There is no need for that."

"Yes?"

"I will coordinate that part, so student Valeria, please focus only on your studies."

If she did both, she would end up doing neither well. Originally, when one studies, one must focus only on studying. It was the same when I was in medical school. The tuition for medical school was so expensive, to say the least. Private university tuition was so expensive it would break a family's back. That was why some of my friends worked part-time jobs and studied hard simultaneously to cover their tuition. How heartbreaking it was whenever I saw such friends. Because of that, one of my bucket lists was to donate scholarships so that such friends could study with peace of mind. I died of overwork before I could even start earning money in earnest, though.

"I also want to see student Valeria shining as a Hero. Since student Valeria is good at calculations, you will be able to achieve greatness as a Mage as well."

Valeria stared at me blankly. She stared at me blankly for a while, then carefully opened her mouth.

"… Director, why are you being so good to us?"

"It is the responsibility of an adult."

"Responsibility, you say?"

"I believe that if you have started to show favor once, you should not take the responsibility that arises from that favor lightly."

Giving the scholarship was my choice. At the time, it was a lighthearted decision. But because of that choice, the children had come under the name of Director Shun. And as a result, the children had been exposed to danger. That was why I wanted to take responsibility. Now that I knew the Inspection Office wouldn't even protect their secrets, I wanted to help the students navigate this harsh world on their own.

'Backing out now, saying I know nothing… that really isn't very cool.'

If one is a protagonist, one should not be ashamed before anyone. It was a belief I had established since I possessed the protagonist. — "If they are that precious, you should at least raise them until they can protect themselves." Perhaps that was what my master meant when he said that.

"So, student Valeria, do not worry and focus on your studies. Instead."

"…."

"You must take care of your health. Studying is something you should do when it actually enters your head. Now is the time to rest."

"… Thank you."

"Then I will talk to your mother about the rest, so student Valeria, please rest."

Valeria bowed her head deeply. I nodded satisfactorily and rose from my seat. "Oh, I told Lady Freya about this place. She will come in the afternoon."

"The Head of the Disciplinary Committee? By any chance, were you two acquainted?"

"The Nihilit family are grateful people who invested in the merchant guild even before I made Quinine. As the major shareholder of our guild, they are still continuing that connection today."

"Ah… no wonder the Head of the Disciplinary Committee had such deep pockets…."

"Then please rest until the young lady arrives."

Leaving Valeria, who was convinced, behind, I left the room.

When I came out to the living room, the priestess was preparing tea at the dining table. Ayla was sitting next to the priestess. Ayla looked at me and smiled brightly like a sunflower.

"Director! Did you see the letter?"

"I saw it well, student Ayla. I am always grateful for the sunflowers."

"Hehe. Next time, I'll grow them even prettier and send them to you!"

It was a feeling of being healed the moment I saw that smile. Is this how men feel when they get hooked by a romance fantasy heroine? Maybe it's because the world is dry. Such pure smiles often felt uniquely attractive. Of course, I mean attractive in terms of humanity, not as the opposite sex.

I sat opposite Ayla and the priestess. I received the teacup, took a sip, and brought up today's main topic.

"Mother, I would like to make a proposal."

"… Yes. What kind of proposal is it, Director?"

"I heard that student Ayla has awakened her Holy Power."

"…."

"So, I would like to make this student my disciple."

Today's visit was also for a medical check-up, but it was to formally make Ayla my disciple. The priestess's eyes widened. Her pupils shook as if she were having an earthquake. Then, the priestess suddenly bowed her head. She stared at the teacup without a word for a while. Eventually, she opened her mouth.

"To be honest… I want to refuse. Just because she was a scholarship student, my eldest daughter was attacked. If she becomes a disciple… won't she become even more dangerous?"

I did not refute. This woman's fear was natural. Being a target of a Dark Mage was a heavy burden even for a noble. Let alone for a priestess who was an ordinary citizen.

"Director. I was just an ordinary mother who hoped my daughters would live quietly and safely. But big secrets keep appearing around them. Honestly, I don't want to handle what will happen if I accept that proposal."

The priestess put strength into the hands wrapped around the teacup. "However." The priestess caught her breath. "I have seen how you have treated Valeria and Ayla until now, Director."

The priestess looked at me. "Director, you want these children to be able to protect themselves, right?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"If so…." The priestess looked at Ayla. "I will leave it to Ayla's choice."

"…."

"As a mother, I don't want to block my child's dream."

The priestess held her younger daughter's hand tightly. "Ayla. What do you want to do?"

"Mom…."

"Don't think about Mom."

The priestess smiled with difficulty. "It's okay. Mom is now a decent intermediate priestess. I really want Ayla to do what she wants."

Ayla bowed her head for a moment and thought. It was not a short silence. And when she raised her head, the little girl said in a bold voice.

"Mom."

"Yes."

"I want to be a healer like Mom and Director Shun."

It was a statement that contained many meanings. 17 years old. The weight of the words of a child who now knew the world to some extent was by no means light.

"I definitely want to become a great healer and heal my sister, Mom… and sick people myself."

The priestess closed her eyes. Perhaps, as a mother, she knew better than anyone that her daughter's talent could not be confined to a petty bourgeois life. No. If she were a priestess, she would have also known the meaning of blooming sunflowers. It was just that she had been blocked by the realistic walls of tuition and a master, and had quietly folded it away until she met me.

"… Alright."

The priestess opened her eyes and looked at her daughter. And she turned her gaze to me and said, "Please take care of my little child."

"Yes. I will definitely make student Ayla a healer who will surpass me."

The mother who heard those words gave a bitter smile. It seemed she didn't believe it. But I wasn't saying empty words.

'Eventually, one day, this child will surpass me.'

There are many people like that who are originally professors. Just as the head of a martial arts sect wants their disciple to surpass them and raise the honor of the sect, just as noble families want their children to inherit vision magic and shine the family name, the final goal of such people is always for the disciple to stand on their shoulders. I am no exception. Just dreaming of the future where my disciple inherits my teachings and develops medicine makes me feel excited.

"I promise, Mother. Student Ayla will definitely surpass me."

I have no Holy Power. Ayla has Holy Power. Modern medicine cannot regrow a severed arm. Holy Magic has the technique to sever and fix an arm. The ceiling is incomparable.

"So, Mother, please believe in Ayla as well."

At those words, the priestess also nodded with a determined expression.

After the parent-teacher consultation was finished and Ayla returned to her sister's room, only the priestess and I remained at the dining table. As the priestess changed the cold tea for new tea, she carefully opened her mouth.

"Director. May I ask you one more thing?"

"Yes, please go ahead."

"… By any chance, may I ask… why you have to hide the secret of young master Julian?"

I was a bit surprised. I didn't know that question would come up. And even more so that she would ask it directly. Of course, I was surprised in a good way. I felt like I knew from whom Valeria and Ayla had learned their uprightness and honesty.

'Now that we are in the same boat, there is no reason I cannot tell you.'

Knowing the reason would probably provide motivation as well. After choosing my words for a moment, I opened my mouth.

"The treatment for the young master's Devil's Disease is still incomplete. If it is disclosed rashly in this state, the confusion will only grow."

"Yes?"

"The religious world or the nobles wouldn't leave it alone either. But personally, I am concerned that Dark Mages might abuse it."

The research presentation itself can be disclosed. I can just disclose it as Director Shun, not Julian. Now that I am Director Shun, I can somehow endure that much interest. However, this research has a high possibility of being abused.

"If incomplete information circulates, people who deceive others by calling it a cure for the Devil's Disease using that might appear. They could sell fake cures, or gather people under the pretext of treatment and use them as sacrifices for Dark Magic."

That is why I want to keep it a secret. It is because it is obvious that if I disclose it rashly, all sorts of cults will run rampant. My thought was that rather than creating countless misfortunes with incomplete research, I should make it certain before announcing it.

"It is for the young master's safety, but this is something that needs to be kept well for me, for you, and for the world. The arrows of criticism might be directed at us."

The priestess's complexion turned noticeably pale. The surface of the teacup shook as if there were an earthquake. Soon, she opened her mouth with difficulty.

"… Director."

"Yes."

"Actually, my stomach has been hurting a bit lately…."

She mentioned a few additional symptoms.

"… Could it be a serious illness?"

"Do you have a feeling of nausea?"

"Yes…."

"And does it get worse at night?"

"Yes."

"It is stress-induced gastritis."

Oh my. It seems it got worse because secrets were added on top of secrets. If I were her, I would have reacted like that if the President of the United States suddenly told me the nuclear launch button code via DM.

"I will send you some foods that are good for the stomach."

"Thank you, Director."

Somehow, I am the protagonist of the misunderstanding, but it seems the mother character took all the ordinary citizen roles. I felt like I needed to take care of her more, if only out of guilt.

A few days later.

"I'm off!"

The day promised with Director Shun had arrived. With a fluttering heart, Ayla boarded the cable car from Civitas Square to the Limbus Pit. While going down, a landscape she had never seen before unfolded. The very bottom of the city surrounded by high brass walls. The place where the Magi Smog settles the thickest. A place where adults, including her mother, strictly warned her not to even go near. However, to a girl who looked at this world ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with eyes without discrimination, even this sewer appeared as a mysterious and beautiful place.

'Wow….'

Leaving ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Civitas Square, on the way down to the Limbus Pit. There was a sign that particularly caught her eye.

<Civitas 3rd Sector — Merkur Cooperative Clinic>

<Civitas 7th Sector — Merkur Cooperative Clinic>

<Limbus Pit E-Sector — Merkur Cooperative Clinic>

Starting from Civitas to the Limbus Pit. Such clinics were lined up all over the capital. All of them were operated by the Merkur Merchant Guild. They conducted clinical trials of new drugs developed by the guild here, and provided medicine at a fraction of the price of general treatment centers. I heard that they even distributed medicine for free to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠people who had no money.

'This was all made by Director Shun.'

To think that one person's influence could be to this extent. Each clinic was built in the name of Director Shun. The vaccine, the Quinine, the Viagra. All the medicine made by this person was placed on the shelves of these clinics. While walking, Ayla recalled the faces of her friends from the seminary.

'Serin and Rena also said they wanted to get a job at the merchant guild later.'

Among the theology students who first awakened their Holy Power at the seminary, a dedicated healer of the Merkur Merchant Guild was a quite popular career path. Originally, there is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a limit to the Holy Power a healer priest can use in a day. Whether it is Refresh or Heal, once you use up the number of times, you can't do anything more that day. But once you belong to the guild, the story changes. While treating with Holy Power, if the Holy Power is exhausted, you can treat people while handling the guild's new drugs. Naturally, the income could not be compared to priests who only use Holy Power. That is why a dedicated healer of the guild is bound to be popular among young healers who have just graduated from the healing department. Of course, Ayla, for whom the world is just beautiful, interpreted the reason for that popularity differently.

'My friends also want to help people like that. I also have to work hard to learn from the Director so I don't fall behind.'

"Young lady, that is the entrance to D-Sector."

At that moment, the man who was walking in front interrupted her consciousness. He was a hyena Beastman with a fierce impression. He had long gray hair swept back, stubble on his angular face, and one ear was half-cut off. If you only look at his first impression, he looked like someone with a bounty on his head at the adventurer's guild. But Ayla knew how kind this person was. From the moment they left home until now. This Beastman uncle had answered all of Ayla's questions without missing a single one and answered kindly.

At first, I was scared because his impression was fierce. But from the way he spoke to his behavior. He was a friendly neighborhood uncle through and through. 'He even said he was close with Erika unnie.' Then he must be a good person. He must have had some circumstances that left him with many scars. As expected. There are only good people around Director Shun.

Seeing the shop owners talk to him every time this uncle passed by, he must be a good person who is popular in this neighborhood as well. Ayla was convinced of that. "This is the D-1 Clinic, young lady." The Beastman uncle stopped walking. Ayla raised her head and looked up at the building.

<D-1 Clinic>

The glass windows of the two-story stone building shone like new. Above the entrance, the Merkur Merchant Guild's emblem was engraved. The Beastman uncle looked up at the building with a deeply moved face. "Originally, this building was also a shabby boarding house, but it was recently renovated to be flashy."

Ayla entered the building with sparkling eyes. The inside was wider than it looked from the outside. A waiting room, a treatment room, a preparation room, and at the end of the hallway, a door labeled Operating Room could be seen. Several patients were sitting in the waiting room, and people who appeared to be healers belonging to this clinic were coming and going busily. 'This is where the Director works.' Her heart pounded. Starting today, I am learning here too.

That was when it happened. A person wearing a crow mask walked out from the end of the hallway with long strides. It was Director Shun. He, in a dress shirt, was washing his hands in lime water at the entrance. Ayla was just about to wave her hand happily when she discovered this. But Director Shun spoke first.

"Student Ayla. You've come. I'm sorry I couldn't guide you. An emergency patient was caught since the morning."

"No, it's fine, Director!"

"Oh, by any chance, do you know how to do a low-level Heal?"

It was an out-of-the-blue question. Ayla blinked. "Ah, no. I awakened my Holy Power yesterday… I can only use Refresh yet."

Director Shun nodded. "That is enough."

"Yes?"

"I was just about to perform a Craniotomy (*a surgery to open the skull cap) on a fall patient. If it's Refresh, I think I can try to stop the bleeding?"

Director Shun said, pointing to the entrance of the operating room with his beak. "If you want to observe—"

As if cutting off those words, a voice was heard from the operating room.

Director Shun said, raising his arms stained with lime water to his chest. "If you want to observe, come in."

Director Shun's back disappeared into the operating room. Ayla stood in front of the entrance and hesitated. Craniotomy. She was still a theology student who knew nothing about healing, so she didn't know exactly what kind of surgery it was. However, thanks to the ancient imperial language she learned at the seminary, she could roughly infer the etymology of that word. Cranio— a word meaning head in ancient imperial language. 'A surgery on the head?' In Holy Magic, which takes resection and healing as the basics of surgery, the head is a part that is difficult to dare touch. Because the head is a part that, if severed, goes to the side of the Lord before it can even regenerate. Director Shun said he would perform surgery on such a part.

Suddenly, the words her sister told her came to mind.

As her thoughts reached that point, Ayla's head was dominated by only one thought. '… I want to see it.' It is a story I am truly, truly sorry to the patient for. But to Ayla, it felt like an opportunity that had descended from the sky. "Yes! I will observe!"

Ayla ran to the entrance of the operating room. The bodyguard waiting at the entrance— Otto caught Ayla. "Wait, wait. Wash your hands first and go in, student."

"Yes?"

"It's the Director's instruction. Even under your fingernails. Meticulously."

"Yes!"

Following Otto's instruction, Ayla walked to the entrance and washed her hands in lime water. The hyena Beastman— Wangcho, who was watching that scene from behind, shook his head. "Ugh… why are healers so fearless?"

Wangcho turned his body. "They said there are no normal people among those who study magic. I couldn't do it even if I were told to."

Leaving behind his muttering, the hyena Beastman's back disappeared outside the clinic.