Chapter 268: Treating the Pain
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 268: Treating the Pain
There were two weeks until the next race.
The venue, as expected, was the Bestialis Academy.
Her competitors would be the same ones who, like Miro, had passed the first preliminary round. It was obvious the race would be more intense than the last.
She had overexerted herself in the first round, swept up in her emotions. If she controlled her power properly, she was confident she could easily pass the preliminaries.
Miro had the talent for it, and the power from her contract with Karami was immense.
But could she win the championship by holding back? Could she surpass those monsters, surpass Lua Swift?
When she asked herself, the answer was always a resounding NO.
They weren't opponents she could beat by holding back.
She had to find a solution, whatever it took.
More important than training was curing this mysterious illness. With that in mind, the first person Miro sought out was, for some reason, the Saint in a slave’s body, Elize.
“You’re asking me to cure an illness?”
“Yeah. Last time, you were able to heal my little brother even though you didn’t know what was wrong with him, right? Do the same for me.”
“If you wish, shall I give it a try?”
Elize snapped her fingers, and Miro’s body briefly shimmered with light.
“Eh? That’s it?”
“Yes, well. Would you like to check?”
Doubtful, but with a flicker of hope fluttering in her chest, Miro took a light jog—and promptly face-planted.
She rolled on the floor, whining.
“It huuuuurts! It’s not healed at all!”
“A pity. Then it seems it isn’t an illness.”
“How can it not be an illness when it hurts this much?”
“Who knows? But if the blessing of God, which can cure even fatal diseases, doesn’t work, then it’s definitely not an illness.”
In the end, she had been no help at all.
“If even the Saint who can cure the dying can’t fix it, what am I supposed to do?”
But it was too early to give up.
The next person Miro went to see was Alfia.
“Elf-unni! Please heal me.”
Elves, who called themselves a superior race, tended to look down on other races, and it was said they particularly disliked beastkin and dwarves.
This wasn't just a rumor; it was true. However, the slaves Karami raised were less prone to such exclusionary behavior.
Alfia only called Rin a beast because she didn't like her; she didn't indiscriminately hate all beastkin.
“You want me to heal your illness?”
“Yeah. I heard the water spirits that elves command are incredibly good for the body. They said the water in that bath is spirit water, too. Can you help me?”
“I can help, but why do you need to be healed?”
“Because… it hurts?”
“Isn’t it good to be in pain?”
“?”
Miro tilted her head, and Alfia tilted hers in the opposite direction. They exchanged glances, neither understanding the other.
“Anyway, you’re asking for help, right?”
“Yes!”
“Well, it’s not difficult.”
Alfia waved her hand, and a stream of incredibly clear water undulated in the air.
“Open your mouth.”
“Ahhh~”
She guided the stream right into Miro’s mouth.
Miro gulped down the spirit water.
She felt life returning to her, like watering a wilting plant.
“This water is amazing. I never knew water could taste this good.”
“I’m in charge of my darling’s water, you know. I wouldn’t be qualified if it wasn’t at least this good. So, how’s the pain?”
“I’ll try running.”
There was no way this wouldn’t work.
Excited, Miro broke into a full sprint.
And then.
“Huuuuhhhng. It huuuuurts so muuuuch!”
“…”
“Stop looking at someone rolling on the ground in pain with such envious eyes!”
The spirit water hadn’t helped much either.
Having failed twice, the last person Miro sought out was Mirabelle.
“Mirabelle, fix my illness!”
“By illness, are you referring to the pain in your back?”
“Yeah, you can fix it with magic too, right, Mirabelle?”
“That’s true, but… I can’t heal it. Because it’s not an illness.”
“You say that too, Mirabelle…”
Miro sighed in resignation.
Just as she was about to give up, her eyes lit up.
“Even if it’s not an illness, can’t you find out what’s causing the pain? You’re supposed to be an amazing witch, right? I heard there’s nothing in the world you don’t know.”
“Um… that’s also true, but…”
“What could it be? Please tell me!”
As Miro clung to her with a desperate gaze, Mirabelle averted her eyes, looking troubled.
Having treated Miro before, Mirabelle knew the source of the pain that tormented her. The only reason she didn’t let on was because of Karami’s orders.
—If Miro asks about the pain, you must not tell her.
—Why not?
—Because it is a trial she must overcome herself. Do you understand?
Karami had come to her personally. To run her mouth now would be to disobey a direct order. For a slave, that was nothing short of a sin.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know either.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Really, really?”
“…Really, really.”
“Really, really, really?”
“Really, really, really.”
Since Mirabelle insisted, Miro let out a deflated sigh.
Another dead end.
What was she supposed to do if neither the Saint nor the witch knew? Miro’s expression darkened.
Mirabelle secretly watched Miro’s face.
Karami had told her never to tell, but turning a blind eye to someone suffering when she knew everything made her feel guilty.
As long as I don’t tell her, it should be okay to help, right?
That way, she wouldn’t be breaking her promise to Karami, and she could still help Miro.
Mirabelle nodded to herself.
“I can’t heal you, but I think I can reduce the pain for you instead.”
“Really?”
“Really, really.”
“If you could do that, I’d be so grateful! Thank you, Mirabelle. Let’s be friends forever!”
Mirabelle was taken aback.
“F-Friends?”
“Yeah, friends. Why? You don’t want to?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, but…”
The only people around Mirabelle were her Master, the other slaves, and the maids. There was no one she could call a friend.
There was Rin in her child form, but she wasn't exactly someone Mirabelle wanted as a friend on a personal level. Besides, it was just a disguised form.
In a way, this was Mirabelle’s first friend.
Friend.
The word had a strange, wonderful ring to it.
“Friend. I’d like that.”
“Hehe, nice to meet you.”
Mirabelle cast a spell on Miro.
Now, she wouldn’t feel much pain even when she ran. But this was strictly a temporary measure. Overcoming it was still up to Miro.
So, as her very first friend, she decided to give Miro a little help so she could overcome her trial.
“A caterpillar endures for a long time before shedding its skin to become a butterfly and soar into the sky. Someday, Miro, your day to fly will come too.”
“But I’m not a caterpillar.”
“It means it’s all about how you think of it, Miro. To put it simply, you could call it growing pains.”
“Growing pains…”
Miro didn’t fully understand Mirabelle’s intent, but she figured it was her way of cheering her on.
*
Thanks to Mirabelle’s pain reduction spell, Miro could run faster.
However, it seemed the spell couldn’t suppress the pain completely; when she pushed herself close to her full power, it still hurt a little. Fortunately, it wasn’t unbearable.
The second preliminary round arrived quickly.
Unlike the first round, there were no monstrous opponents, so she easily took first place and was able to bring back her fourth younger brother.
Only one preliminary race remained.
If she placed in the top four there, she would advance to the finals.
The real competition was about to begin.
Until then, Miro didn’t stop practicing.
The academy track was the best place to practice, but it was only for students, so she had no choice but to run elsewhere. That place was Rin’s Dream Garden.
The Dream Garden was an illusory space created by Rin’s magic. She could change the space as she wished. For Miro’s practice, she had transformed it into a track with a grassy field.
Miro ran laps around the track.
Rin lay in mid-air, her chin propped on her hand.
“Why must I help a competitor?”
“If you don’t want to help, then don’t. It would be quite a sight to see you, blinded by competition, refuse Master’s request. Wouldn’t it?”
“You’re just here to spy, so why are you being so snarky? Instead of doing this, why don’t you go train your own racer?”
“Spying? I am merely a medical doctor, here to treat Miss Miro if she gets injured. Besides, my Iris is so exceptional she doesn’t need to practice.”
While the two bickered, Miro and Narsha rounded the corner and crossed the finish line.
“Good work. You’re definitely more stable than before.”
“Hah, hah, hah… Well, I’ve been practicing constantly.”
Unlike the panting Miro, Narsha showed no signs of fatigue. For Narsha, who spent all day sitting in a chair, running with Miro was a pleasant change of pace.
Narsha wasn’t a suitable competitor, but it was much better than running alone.
It sparked a competitive spirit, and more importantly, if she ever succeeded in catching up to her, horse racing would feel like nothing. Though that was still a long way off.
“Are you all finished?”
“Yes, Master.”
“You’ve worked hard. Narsha, you may go about your business as well. The rest of you, please leave us for a moment. I have something to discuss with Miss Miro alone.”
Once everyone had left the Dream Garden, only Karami and Miro remained. He handed a bottle of water to Miro, who had plopped down on the grass.
“Thanks, Trainer.”
“Don’t mention it. How is it? Is the running manageable?”
“So-so? At this rate, I might actually win, don’t you think?”
“I am genuinely aiming for you to win.”
Miro chugged the water and wiped her mouth.
“Phew. It won’t be easy, though. There are too many monsters out there. You saw them too, Trainer. Those monsters.”
“If you work hard, Miro, you can beat them all.”
“You’re too optimistic, Trainer.”
Miro grinned.
“So, what did you want to talk about? I hope it’s not anything serious.”
“If I had to say, I’d call it good news.”
“Good news?”
At the words “good news,” Miro’s ears perked up to listen more closely.
“I’ve decided that threatening you with your family is not good for motivation. Regardless of the race results, I will bring all of your siblings back to you.”
“Huh?”
“So from now on, don’t worry about your siblings. Just run with a clear mind.”