My Healer Is Doing It Again!
The girl was radiant.
Everyone who knew her respected and loved her.
She had a gentle nature and a powerful physique.
She never boasted about her achievements from her teenage years. Instead, she trained herself with unyielding diligence.
She had always taken care of her older and younger disciples while her wandering master was away, and she was the only one who truly listened to the child's words.
“Here you are.”
“Eek…”
In a deserted prayer room tucked in the corner of the temple.
The child lay sprawled across the row of chairs there, his face flushed with confusion as he met the emerald eyes staring down at him.
“Master is looking for you. He asked where Ahin went.”
“…He said he’s dead.”
“Dead? But you’re here breathing and fine.”
She lifted the child from the floor and helped him sit back in the chair.
“Jina is looking for you too. She asked where the seniors went—”
“…Jina is scary. If I fall asleep, she’s suddenly right next to me…”
“That’s because Ahin is too mature. That’s why Jina relies on him too. Don’t take it the wrong way.”
“…I saw her rattling the doorknob at the bathroom door and calling that ‘relying.’”
Her face twisted in shock, but to her it was nothing more than something amusing.
She gathered her gleaming blonde hair neatly and answered with a faint smile.
“Is the journey hard?”
“…”
“It must be. Master’s training is tough.”
“…If you’re sane, you wouldn’t tell a ten-year-old to climb a cliff.”
“Oh, that’s basic, isn’t it?”
“…”
Sometimes the child would treat his juniors like monsters.
Whenever he shrugged at them, he would mutter,
“I just want to live a thin and long life. Being a priest… especially a Holy Knight… isn’t suited for me.”
“Mm, thin and long. That’s what Ahin meant by eating rice that day?”
“It feels like it…”
“I hope he doesn’t go down that road.”
“…”
She took the child’s hand in hers and gazed into his beautiful golden eyes.
“Ahin was born with that ability because it’s something he must do. Not anyone else—it’s his path.”
“But…”
“That’s why Master is training you. To protect yourself amid the coming trials.”
“…I can’t even deal damage anyway.”
“Oh, what’s the problem with that?”
She smiled brightly.
“I’ll be right by your side.”
What could he say to his junior disciple like that.
He had no desire to deny or refuse her. He knew that refusing her would mean drifting farther from the life he wanted.
Yet somehow he remained silent and only fidgeted with his feet.
Every time she gently stroked his messy hair with her warm hand, and he would grumble but never push her away.
Until the day his youngest junior disciple found them, causing a ruckus because she was trying to take her senior away.
Their master, cigarette dangling from his lips, let out a faint smile.
That ordinary life had once seemed like it would go on forever.
Until that day.
Their master was a respected figure even within the Church.
So there were countless tasks for her to handle.
Sending out young disciples to assist her was hardly strange.
That day, exceptionally rare, had been a mission backed by the Church’s full resources.
Leading elite Holy Knights and wiping out a Black Magic user hiding in an unseen place.
A mission she and her master had completed many times before.
Her plan to forge her young disciples into seasoned fighters in real combat had been shattered in the worst way.
“Master, I’ll stay behind.”
To her words, what had the boy said?
Had he been angry? Or pleading for her not to go?
She remembered her face clearly, even if the words were fuzzy.
“Master, I’m sorry. I have to postpone retirement.”
Why didn’t her master stop her?
A woman this strong… why let her ruin herself with nothing more than a broken sword?
There had been no choice.
To stop the swarm of Chimeras flooding in from Black Magic.
To keep the Church’s forces intact for the future.
A small number had to guard their backs. They had to sacrifice.
And it had been only her.
Her master could not be broken at that moment.
“I can’t replace Master.”
Her master could have led the isolated temple forces out in one piece.
And the young disciples and junior disciple who still needed her master to grow.
The place where those children would live could only be created by her master.
That was why she alone could do it.
To protect Master’s back that no one could replace, she raised her sword and shield.
“Ahin, look after Jina. She’s still too weak, so help her out.”
She added with a usual smile, as if nothing had happened.
As if she had promised to stay by his side.
As if she had promised they would always be together.
Why was she leaving?
“Ahin, live a life without regrets. The freedom you want.”
That was the will of God.
That was his destiny.
As she smiled, she fastened the Rosario around the child’s neck.
“I’m sorry, Ahin. I couldn’t keep my promise.”
That had been the last time she ever saw him.
That had been the end of the first love of the unripened child.
●
“It seems someone betrayed us. They sold the movements of the Holy Knights to the Black Magic users.”
If that hadn’t happened, could she have returned with him?
Even if asked, no one would answer that question.
Instead, they chose revenge.
Their smiling master had burned the roots of their enemies to ashes.
She had no expression on her face as she lost her favorite disciple because of her own shortcomings.
Since that day, smiles were impossible to find on her face.
Ahin was the same.
Since the day he had screamed at her for abandoning him, they had never once met eyes.
Ahin had not searched for his master.
Nor had his master searched for Ahin.
Time apart like that had slowly pushed them farther apart.
“Because of that, Ahin and Master’s relationship completely shattered… Ahin ran away from the temple the day before his adult ceremony and priest ordination, saying he couldn’t take it anymore.”
There might have been another reason.
Perhaps the image of her rising inside the temple.
Or because her weakness had driven him away.
Or because he had wanted to reach the secret his master had hidden.
“So I was surprised… they really do look alike, the junior and you.”
“…”
“Isn’t that so?”
“Well, the master never got angry, while you seem pretty emotional…”
Of course, she had been far weaker.
If she had been the one, she would have torn a werewolf in half without a second thought and laughed it off.
“…So you’re not similar at all?”
To Er’s question, Jina gave an ambiguous expression before shaking her head.
“No, we are similar.”
“In what way?”
“In being gullible?”
“…?”
Er fell silent at the words, and Jina, noticing her reaction, let out a chuckle.
The laugh sounded like she was mocking her, so Er tried to find a comeback.
“…So you know all about Ahin and still want to bring him along?”
In the end, she gave up and changed the subject.
Why did Jina, who knew Ahin so intimately, act this way?
To that question, she replied in a stiff voice.
“Ahin must stay with Master. Otherwise, the old ones in the Church won’t leave him alone.”
Someone had said that about Ahin.
A miracle of God.
“Ahin is better off not showing himself to the world. One day, when a gap appears…”
Few people knew about Ahin’s ability, but it wasn’t none at all.
An existence that brought chaos to the world simply by being there. That was why there had been endless debates inside the Church.
Of course, their master had crushed those debates with overwhelming force and had refused to hand Ahin over. Ahin had gained freedom, even if it was only half.
That was why the only shade that could protect him was his master.
“In that situation, you went out of your way to advertise your ability like that? Ahin, are you completely crazy?”
“…Whatever you say.”
Or maybe someone had wanted him to take the bait.
“…”
Was the reason he had come to Carpe?
Adventurer or not, did that have a reason?
The more she learned, the stranger he felt.
But Er couldn’t ignore her honest feelings.
“…Even if you don’t like Ahin, it’s better not to go.”
“Yo, why are you talking in such long sentences? I was trying to get you to cooperate!”
“I trust Ahin. I’ll just respect the choice he made.”
“…”
That strange tone in Er’s voice made Jina frown.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“…”
“I’ve been feeling it lately… you smell like me.”
“Me? Smell like sweat?”
“Are you saying you’re sweating right now?”
Jina was instantly on edge, but she quickly composed herself and answered in a flat voice.
“…Do you like Ahin?”
“…No way.”
“That’s not ‘no way’! It’s exactly the same thing you do!”
“We are the same! You’re more like him than I am!”
“…Maybe it’s better to remove you here and now?”
Jina muttered in a serious voice, and Er swallowed dryly while gripping her shield.
A presence stirred from beyond the cave.
The hairs on her neck stood on end.
She had seen the scene of the werewolf buried under stones with her own eyes.
Despite being a monster with strong vitality, could it have crawled out of the rocks?
What means did they have left?
Jina’s legs were broken, Er’s sword was lost.
All that remained were one cracked gauntlet and a nearly shattered shield.
Facing a werewolf with such meager arms—
Her eyes were blinded.
The eyes that had grown accustomed to the dark instinctively shut tight as a tear slipped out.
And at the same moment, a voice rang out.
“Er, Jina!!”
“Th-that voice…”
“Ahin!!”
Could they really hear their voices?
With hurried footsteps, a man holding a rock lantern appeared.
His blonde hair, still stained with blood, clung to his face, yet his golden eyes held only a handful of worry.
As they stood frozen in shock, staring at him.
“You crazy girls!!”
Ahin lunged at them, but his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the ground.
“Ahin!”
“Are you okay?”
“Shut up, you damn humans! Damn it, who told you to do that kind of stupid thing?!”
Seeing the two safe, all his concern had turned to anger as he shouted.
“I could have dodged that! Why did you do something like that right in front of me? Do you want to die?!”
“Ahin, your blood…”
Er reached out to touch the bloodstains on his face, but he quickly stopped her.
“Er, please. Don’t do anything dangerous because of me.”
On that face that looked so desperate, she could say nothing.
She knew he cared about her. And she knew he was relieved she was safe.
But was that truly the emotion he felt when he looked at her?
Or was someone else overlapping in his mind?
—You look exactly like him.
The voice lingered in her mind.
Philanthropist
Ahin’s Philanthropist skill has been activated. No damage can be dealt to living beings. Support and healing only.
The cave was silent except for the distant drip of water.
Ahin lay against the rock wall, his breathing shallow.
Er’s shield was cracked from the force of the impact, and Jina’s legs were twisted at unnatural angles.
But none of that mattered.
He was alive.
And he had come for them.
“Stay still. I’ll check the others.”
Er’s voice was calm, but her hands trembled as she touched his forehead.
Her touch was gentle, yet he felt the warmth that had always been there.
“Er…”
“Don’t talk. You’re still bleeding.”
She pressed a cloth to the cut on his forehead and bandaged it with steady fingers.
Jina, watching silently, finally spoke in her usual dramatic tone.
“Ahin, you idiot… I told you to stay behind.”
“I couldn’t.”
His golden eyes met hers for a moment, and something flickered there—something he didn’t want to name.
Then he turned to Er.
“Thank you. Both of you.”
Er’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she looked away quickly.
“Don’t thank us yet. We still have to get out of here.”
She helped him stand, her arm around his waist, and together they supported Jina’s weight as they began the long climb back to the surface.
The journey was silent.
Only the sound of labored breathing and the occasional curse from Jina broke the quiet.
“Ahin, you really are a half-wit,” Jina muttered, wiping blood from her lips. “You could have just run.”
“I had to.”
“And you call this running?”
He didn’t answer.
The walls of the cave seemed to close in around them, and the shadows stretched longer as they walked.
Er glanced at him sideways, her emerald eyes soft with something she couldn’t quite name.
Jina noticed, of course. She always noticed everything.
Her lips curled into a smirk.
“So, what now, little healer? Are you going to carry us all the way out?”
Ahin shrugged, but his steps were unsteady.
“I can try. But only if you stop being so dramatic.”
Jina laughed, a bright, cheerful sound.
“You’re such a big softie. Admit it—you like being needed.”
“Shut up.”
But the words lacked heat.
Because he was tired.
Exhausted.
The weight of the past pressed against his chest like the Rosario around his neck.
He could still feel the warmth of the girl’s hands as she fastened it.
He could still hear her voice saying she was sorry.
And now here he was, surrounded by the people who had once been everything to him.
Er’s fingers brushed his as she adjusted the bandage.
He didn’t pull away.
He didn’t know what to say.
He only knew that for the first time in years, he didn’t want to be alone.
Not when the world outside the cave was waiting, and the life he had chosen was still waiting too.
The trail up the mountain was long and treacherous.
Every step was a struggle.
Jina’s limp was worse than before, and Ahin’s strength was fading faster than he wanted to admit.
Er kept watch ahead, her shield raised, alert for any movement.
But the only danger they faced was exhaustion and the growing ache in their limbs.
When they finally reached the clearing where their horses were tied, Ahin collapsed against a tree.
His golden eyes were half-closed, but he still managed a lazy smile.
“See? Told you I could carry you. Barely.”
Jina snorted.
“You almost died, you idiot.”
“I know.”
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small flask of water.
“Drink. Both of you.”
Er took it first, her fingers grazing his again.
Their eyes met.
She looked away first this time.
Jina drank thirstily, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Finally. I thought we were going to die in that cave.”
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Ahin said, standing slowly. “We still have to reach Carpe before nightfall.”
He offered his arm to Jina again.
She hesitated only a second before taking it. Er watched them, her expression unreadable, but her hand stayed near her sword.
As they mounted the horses, Ahin glanced back at the cave entrance one last time.
The shadows still seemed to whisper his name.
But he didn’t turn away.
He urged the horse forward.
Behind him, two girls followed—one with a limp, one with eyes that followed him too closely.
And for the first time in years, he didn’t feel like running.
He felt like he was home.
The sun was setting when they finally reached the outskirts of Carpe.
The city lights glittered ahead like a promise.
Ahin slid from his horse and stretched, his back cracking loudly.
“Home sweet home.”
Jina dismounted and immediately began complaining about her aching legs.
Er smiled softly as she helped her down, then turned to Ahin.
“You really saved us today.”
He shrugged.
“Just doing my job.”
But his voice was softer than usual.
Er’s emerald eyes searched his face for a moment longer.
Then she smiled—small, genuine, the kind that reached her eyes.
“Thank you, Ahin.”
He looked away, suddenly uncomfortable.
“Whatever.”
But he was smiling too.
Jina noticed.
Of course she did.
She grabbed his sleeve and tugged him toward the guild hall.
“Senpai, you’re buying me dinner tonight. No arguments.”
Ahin groaned.
“Jina, I’m broke.”
“Then you can pay me back with your life next time we fight monsters.”
Er laughed from beside them.
“You two are impossible.”
But her laughter was warm.
They walked into the bustling streets of Carpe together, the three of them.
The healer, the swordswoman, and the obsessive junior.
And for once, the world felt a little less broken.
Ahin glanced at the Rosario around his neck.
It was still there.
He touched it once, then let his hand fall.
Whatever came next.
Whatever trials the Church threw at him.
He would face them.
Because for the first time, he had people worth protecting.
People who had chosen to stay.
Even when he was weak.
Even when he was broken.
Even when he didn’t deserve it.
The street lamps flickered to life around them.
The city hummed with life.
And Ahin, for the first time in a long time, felt like he belonged.
Jina’s voice cut through the quiet as she pointed at a street vendor.
“Senpai, that food smells amazing! Let’s eat!”
Ahin rolled his eyes.
“Jina, we have actual problems to worry about.”
But he was already pulling out coins.
Er watched them with a gentle smile.
She had lost so much once.
But she had gained them back.
And she wasn’t letting go again.
Not today.
Not ever.
The three of them sat at the small stall, food steaming between them.
Ahin took a bite of the stew and sighed happily.
“Best in Carpe.”
Jina grinned.
“You’re just saying that because you’re tired.”
“I’m saying it because it’s true.”
Er laughed softly.
“You’re all ridiculous.”
But she leaned closer anyway, her shoulder brushing Ahin’s.
And he didn’t move away.
The night air was warm.
The stars were bright.
And for the first time since the cave, Ahin felt something he hadn’t felt in years.
Hope.
Not the fragile kind.
The real kind.
The kind that said tomorrow would be better.
The kind that said he had someone to come home to.
Jina was already halfway through her second helping.
“Ahin, you have to try this. It’s divine.”
He took a bite.
“It is.”
Er smiled.
“You really are hopeless.”
But her eyes were happy.
And Ahin, for the first time, didn’t feel like the burden he carried.
He felt like part of a team.
A family.
A future.
He looked at the two girls across from him.
The one with the shield and the one with the gauntlets.
They were both looking at him.
And for once, he didn’t feel like running.
He felt like staying.
The street vendor packed up his stall, but the three of them didn’t move.
They stayed there a little longer.
Talking.
Laughing.
Living.
Because today they had chosen each other.
And that was enough.
As the stars wheeled overhead, Ahin leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
He was tired.
But he was home.
And for the first time, that felt like enough.
Jina nudged him.
“Senpai, you’re asleep already?”
He opened one eye.
“Give me five minutes.”
She laughed.
“Fine. But only five.”
Er stood up slowly, stretching.
“I’ll head back to the guild. Tomorrow we report to the Church.”
Ahin sat up.
“I’ll come with.”
She looked at him, surprised.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.”
But he was already standing.
“Besides, someone has to make sure Jina doesn’t break more bones.”
Jina pouted.
“Hey!”
Er smiled.
“See you tomorrow.”
She walked away, her steps lighter than they had been in years.
Ahin watched her go.
Then he turned to Jina.
“Come on. Let’s go home.”
She grabbed his hand without a word.
And together they walked toward the lights of Carpe.
The healer and his two girls.
The world was still broken.
But for tonight, it felt whole.
And that was more than enough.