Neutral Ground
"You don't seem very hostile even after seeing that my master is from the modern world."
"Uh... weren't you from the modern world too?"
"No. I am a mage whose life was saved by my master."
"Ah... I see. Honestly, there's no perfect way to tell modern humans and mages apart, so I thought you were both from the modern world. Anyway, the reason we aren't hostile toward you is because you're heading to the Neutral Saint's hospital, of course."
"Does that mean people heading to that hospital, whether modern humans or mages, won't fight each other?"
"That's right. The Neutral Saint's hospital. Literally a place of healing where modern humans and mages alike must never fight. That's the unspoken rule of that location. If anyone breaks that rule and draws a weapon, every person there supposedly becomes their enemy."
"That doesn't sound like a simple problem. The person who first created such a place must be remarkable. To establish something like that in less than three months."
"That's why people around here call her the 'Neutral Saint.'"
Lara Tiasia asked Rion, the man who had introduced himself as the party leader, various questions and gathered information about the current state of the world she didn't know. Meanwhile, Ju Joyeon was also getting along well with the people who had joined their journey.
"Excuse me. How old are you?"
Ju Joyeon spoke to the girl in a black nun's habit who looked much younger than him. The girl glanced at her companions in surprise before answering.
"I-I'm... fifteen..."
"Wow~ Do adventurers in the magic world start this young? Ah, I'm twenty. Is it okay if I speak casually?"
"Y-yes... Adventurers can start as young as twelve or thirteen... I've only been at it for a year now..."
"If you've been traveling for a year, you must have fought plenty of monsters."
"Yes..."
"Have the other two also been at it for over a year?"
Ju Joyeon directed the same question at the remaining man and woman, who looked to be in their mid-twenties.
"We've been at it for ten years. Luna is a new adventurer who joined our party recently after our previous healer left. And this is Neisila, our party's mage. She's a full-fledged D-rank mage."
"I'm Neisila. The big guy over there is Mugido."
'D-rank? Is that good?'
-Master, mage ranks are divided the same way as skill ranks. However, since mages themselves aren't very common, a D-rank mage in a small party like this is quite valuable.
Jack supplemented the information his master lacked after Mugido and Neisila introduced themselves.
'Right, he did say mages only make up ten percent even in the magic world.'
"My name is Ju Joyeon. Uh... I was just an ordinary student."
"It's my first time meeting someone from the modern world. Mind if I ask something I'm curious about?"
"Of course. It'd be weird if only I got to ask questions."
"This might sound a bit rude, but I heard there are no slaves in the modern world. So why are you wearing those?"
Mugido asked while looking at the massive iron balls on Ju Joyeon's feet. Neisila, standing beside him, frowned and pinched his side, apparently thinking it wasn't something to ask upon first meeting. Still, Ju Joyeon answered without much concern.
"Ah, these? Right after the worlds fused, I was basically living like a slave. I got caught while carelessly exploring a bandit hideout from the magic world."
"Bandits? How did you escape?"
"Hmm~ How should I put it... Their boss thought I seemed useful and spared me."
"And then you escaped?"
"No. I just said I wanted to leave, and they packed travel supplies for me and told me to have a good trip."
"...???"
"...???"
-Master, I think you're explaining this far too vaguely...
'Was I?'
"They figured it would be better to exchange information with me rather than just kill me since I was their first modern human. So instead of remaining slaves, we became business partners of sorts. But they said this cursed item can't be removed. I plan to go to a temple or something when I get the chance."
"A cursed item..."
"Come to think of it, Luna, you're a priestess, right? Can you remove it?"
Luna shook her head vigorously at Ju Joyeon's question, looking startled as she emphasized that it was impossible.
"I can use Cure, but I can't remove something like this..."
"Really? Well, nothing to be done then. Even if I could remove it, I don't have money to pay for the service right now. Ahaha!"
"That must be really inconvenient."
"I've gotten pretty used to it. Using mana manipulation makes it not so heavy."
"Mana? Can you use magic?"
"Uh..."
-Master, it would be better to keep that hidden. You became able to use magic through very unusual circumstances, but almost no modern humans should be capable of it.
"No, I only know mana manipulation. It's necessary to reduce the weight of the iron balls."
Following Jack's advice, Ju Joyeon lied smoothly, and the others found it easier to believe his lie than to suspect he could actually use magic.
"You've been through a lot in just two months too."
"I really don't want to remember right after the world fusion. I was shocked when the lodging on the outskirts of the village suddenly ended up between buildings."
"Me too..."
"Well, that's how it is. A lot happened."
While they were talking, the National Central Hospital came into view in Ju Joyeon's sight.
****
The hospital had changed significantly from what Ju Joyeon remembered.
"This is more than just remodeling, isn't it?"
The massive iron fence surrounding the hospital, seemingly to prevent monster invasions, looked sturdy as if crafted by an expert. The originally white exterior walls that clearly marked it as a hospital were now wrapped in blue plants like the surrounding forest, making it easy to mistake for ancient ruins at a glance. Still, Ju Joyeon could tell it was a hospital because the green cross at the top of the building remained unchanged.
Ju Joyeon and Rion's party headed toward the main gate to enter the hospital. Five people stood blocking the entrance.
"Who are they? Did they occupy it by force?"
"Should we subdue them, Master?"
"Wait a moment. They're probably guards protecting the hospital. I heard they check the identities of people coming to the hospital. Let's get closer first."
Following Rion's words, they cautiously approached. The guards raised their hands toward Ju Joyeon and his group.
"Stop right there. State your identity."
"We're an adventurer party heading to the Neutral Saint's hospital! And this person is a modern human we met on the way! We have no intention of fighting!"
When Rion stepped forward to emphasize they had no intention of fighting, the guards told Ju Joyeon and Rion's party to raise their hands and searched their bodies.
"How did you find out about this hospital?"
"We met a party during our travels who said they'd stayed here. They told us it was a place where anyone could receive help and that knowing about it would definitely be useful later. A man named Ronald."
At Rion's honest answer, one of the guards flipped through a register and nodded.
"Indeed, Ronald's party left here ten days ago. Are these all the weapons you have?"
After confirming two swords, one shield, and two staffs from Rion's party through the body search, the guard asked for confirmation, and Rion replied they didn't use hidden weapons.
"You can put them back on."
"Thank you. You don't confiscate weapons?"
"No. We only check. Anyone who wanted to could hide them in their inventory anyway."
"That's true."
"Good. You're welcome. Rion's party. This place is an absolute neutral zone, the Neutral Saint's hospital, that accepts anyone seeking help regardless of whether they carry weapons or have a criminal record. But remember this: the moment you draw a sword here, everyone becomes your enemy. Don't think you'll walk out alive."
The guard threatened them even as he allowed them entry. Rion's party nodded seriously at the warning. While Rion's party received permission to enter, Ju Joyeon and Lara Tiasia also underwent body searches.
"You don't have any weapons?"
"No, we don't."
"Names? Are you modern humans or mages?"
"I'm Ju Joyeon, and this is Lara. Lara Tiasia. I'm a modern human, and Lara is a mage."
"Ho~ A combination of modern human and mage. That's rare out there. How did you learn about this place?"
"I already knew about it. My mother works here. She's a nurse."
"Huh? A nurse? Your mother? What's her name?"
"My mother's name is Sia. Sosia. She's the head nurse here."
Shhh...
The moment Ju Joyeon mentioned his mother's name, the previously busy guards all stopped moving and stared at him.
"...Your mother's name is So. Si. A.? You're not lying?"
"Why would I lie about my mother's name? Is she not here? That can't be. She's worked here for over ten years. Her name isn't that common, so you'd know right away."
"...Hey, go inside and ask."
"Uh, uh! Got it!"
When the guard in charge of Ju Joyeon spoke to his colleague, one guard hurried into the hospital.
"Has something happened to Master's mother?"
Lara Tiasia stepped forward, wanting to understand the situation, and asked the guard. The guard shook his head while writing Ju Joyeon and Lara Tiasia's names in the register.
"It's not that there's a problem with her. If your mother's name is truly Sosia, then your identity is the dead son of the Saint that we've heard about until our ears are worn out."
"...Huh?"
Ju Joyeon and Lara Tiasia were shocked speechless by the guard's words.