Healthy Body, Healthy Spirit? (1)
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!!"
Celestine screamed for a good long while before finally gasping for breath and peeling her face off the pillow. Then, with a dumb grin plastered on her face, she bowed her head, twisted her body wildly, and kicked her legs in the air. Her halo flickered madly in the process—anyone who saw her would've thought she was a rabid dog drenched in water.
The reason for Celestine's sudden freakout? All because of the guild administrator.
Back when the guild administrator fought that terrifying mage named Orlean in Elodi Village.
Celestine had been flung an incomprehensible distance away from him by some bizarre spell. Bibian, the captain, watched the flashes and thunderous booms of the battle erupt and said,
"We should head back and request reinforcements..."
"No time for that!"
Celestine bolted straight toward the distant clash where the administrator was fighting. He didn't bring me here just to stand around and watch with my hands behind my back. I'm the guild's healer—I have to support him from behind! I can't run away just because it's a fight against a mage!
Her purple cape fluttering, Celestine charged across the flower field as hard as she could. But the mage must've hurled her and Bibian so ridiculously far away that even after sprinting forever, the distance barely shrank at all.
Already bigger than the average woman and having packed on some healthy weight from all the good guild food, Celestine was soon heaving for breath up to her throat. Her legs slowed, then she staggered to a halt, one hand on her knee, the other clutching her side as she bent at the waist and panted raggedly. Sweat dripped from her brows and nose tip; a string of drool dangled from her mouth.
Forcing her head up, she saw the administrator still locked in fierce combat with the mage, sparks flying everywhere. The magic was so vicious that even from afar, every hair on her body stood on end.
Celestine tried to run again, but her vision went white, and she collapsed limply forward.
But instead of slamming into the ground, something grabbed her forearm and yanked her upright with force.
"Get up, Healer!"
Turning, she saw Captain Bibian looming over her, sword drawn.
"Run! We can't stop here!"
Bibian dragged Celestine along by the arm as they ran.
"Ughhh, I can't run anymore..."
"Run! If the healer dawdles here, the dealer dies!"
Celestine groaned and straightened her back. The administrator taught me how to slice people in half with a barrier and made me practice. He praised me, said bringing me into the guild was the best decision of his 'lifetime'! To me—not the halo!
She rubbed her chest hard with a hand glowing brilliantly with holy power. The Holy Blessing she cast on herself temporarily boosted her physical abilities.
"Guild administrator! Hang in there just a bit longer!"
Bibian shoved Celestine's back as she dashed forward.
"Head up, eyes ahead! Knees high, big strides! Two short breaths in through the nose, two short out through the mouth!"
That got Celestine to the battlefield. She'd never run that long in her life—her head spun like mad—but she gritted her teeth. For some reason, the administrator was frozen right in the mage's face, sword raised. The mage looked like he was about to unleash something utterly horrific.
Stay calm, Celestine! What did the administrator say? Narrow rectangular barrier... as fast as possible... make the edge like a blade... Then the mage gets bisected and dies? Blood exploding, guts spilling out? But so what? If it helps the administrator, I could do it a hundred times!
"Raaaaagh!!"
Celestine bellowed and deployed a holy barrier right at the mage's feet. He dodged back, and Captain Bibian charged in after. But the mage flicked a finger, and...
Off she flew.
"Celestine! Holy Blessing!"
"Yes, Guild administrator!"
After firing off the blessing at him, her memory got fuzzy. She vaguely recalled his strange sword turning pitch black and screaming. The sound was so wretched it nearly made her pass out.
When she came to, the mage's head was severed, body slumped, and the administrator had collapsed to his knees. Luckily, he wasn't badly hurt. They cleaned up the site and headed back to the village.
On the way, he said it again: Bringing me into the guild was the best decision of his 'lifetime'...
He looked radiant saying it. Hair tousled by the galloping horse, revealing a smooth forehead. Thick brows, deep eyes, straight nose, playfully upturned lips. The worn leather armor that looked all the more seasoned and cool, and that scary sword at his waist.
Was he always this handsome?!? He seemed like just a playful guy when we first met.
Bringing you into the guild was the best thing I've ever done in my life.
"Waaaah!!"
Celestine pounded the pillow with her fists. She hit so hard it burst—pop!—cotton spilling out.
"Gasp..."
Stuffing the fluff back in, she grinned like an idiot again. Guild administrator... The first person ever to praise me—not my halo. I'll be an even harder-working healer from now on!
"Raaaaagh! I can do it!!!"
The guttural yell echoing from upstairs made Leana jump, nearly dropping Dawn's Farewell.
"Phew, that was close."
Clutching the gem securely, she let out a long sigh.
"What's with that girl screaming her head off since earlier?"
"Who knows. Must've been quite the mental shock."
Nightrend's screams terrified even demons. Celestine had seemed fine earlier, but the trauma must've hit hard. Probably bottled it up until we got back to the guild, then it all flooded out.
"So this is that mage's gem, huh? Hmm."
Leana tore her eyes from Celestine and twirled Dawn's Farewell this way and that.
"Looks like a plain old sapphire. Though probably worth a fortune."
"No way, Leana. We're not selling this. Absolutely not."
"Why? We could get at least some gold coins for—"
"Nope. Not selling. Hand it over."
Leana smacked her lips regretfully and passed it back.
"Fine, if you say so. You worked hard today. Dinner'll be ready soon."
Following her into the kitchen, I spotted a massive hunk of meat roasting nicely in the iron oven.
"Whoa, meat!"
"You two had a long trip, so I figured."
"Mmm, nice. I'll go call Celestine. Ack!?"
I'd barely turned when I spotted her right behind me and yelped.
"When did you come down...?"
"Smelled something yummy. Oh!? Meat!"
Bouncing excitedly, Celestine suddenly drooped, head hanging.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I don't wanna eat meat..."
Leana whipped her head around at the bombshell.
"What?! No meat? You?! Why?!"
"You didn't lose your appetite from hearing Nightrend scream, did you?"
Worried myself, I pressed my hand to her forehead. No fever or anything, but you can't diagnose inner issues that way.
"Sit down first. Whatever it is, I'm starving, so let's eat and talk."
We got her seated and set the table. Leana brought out perfectly cooked steaks and a ton of sides. Thick cuts sizzling with fat, roasted onions, mashed potatoes, and all sorts of extras—she'd gone all out.
She always feasts us like this after big quests.
"Great work, everyone. Dig in yoong~."
As usual, Leana personally portioned food onto our plates with tongs and a spatula. She really does feel like a mom sometimes.
One bite of her sliced steak, and my cheeks hurt from how good it was.
"Delicious!"
"Eat plenty."
Her cooking had skyrocketed since I gave her those seasoning tips last time. Smart girl—teach her one thing, she figures out ten.
But Celestine? She just sat there, not touching the feast.
"Celestine. Try some."
"No thanks. I'll just have onions."
She munched on the roasted onions alone.
Leana eyed her suspiciously.
"Something up? Because of the administrator's sword screaming?"
"No."
Leana glanced at me, nodding toward Celestine—like, say something.
Celestine skipping meat was a major incident. Couldn't just let it slide.
"Ahem, Celestine. Why no meat all of a sudden?"
"Just decided no more meat from today on."
What the hell kind of situation is this? Why's she spouting weird crap out of nowhere?