Chapter 20: In Nordam

"It’s the Black Wolf."

"Black Wolf…"

"The Black Wolf has arrived."

"Now things will get easier."

Murmurs filled the church. Black Wolf? Shou glanced at the Master Healer, who in turn looked toward Falco. Falco?!

Shou looked up at him. His expression was terrifyingly blank. Uh-oh. This was not the time for that.

Shou exchanged glances with Alfie before both turned to the Master Healer.

"Shou, Alfie, there are more injured than expected. Switch to Plan Two."

"Yes!"

Let’s explain.

When Shou had been invited to join, they had discussed what to do if there were too many injured due to an excessive monster outbreak.

"It’d be fine if Nordam’s town was well-organized, but they tend to be surprisingly haphazard. For better or worse, they’ve grown too accustomed to the summer hunts. If there are more wounded than usual, what should we do?"

"In that case, we have to categorize them by severity."

"By severity?"

"If we heal them at random, it won’t be efficient. We should separate the lightly injured and have the apprentices or potions handle them, while the Master Healer and the fully trained healers treat the serious cases. That way, we won’t run out of magic power."

"Prioritizing the severely injured first… Shou, that’s smart."

Thus, they had decided:

• Plan One: If the number of injured wasn’t overwhelming, heal as needed.
• Plan Two: If there were too many injured, prioritize efficiency.

The injured were lined up.

Shou and Alfie used minimal magic to examine each one.

"Hey, is it really okay to have kids doing this…?"

Some muttered, but Falco’s chillingly blank stare silenced them immediately. Grumbling, they fell in line.

Shou and Alfie took turns holding the hands of each patient and flowing magic into them.

"Upper right arm—mostly healed, but slightly lacking. Apply another potion."

"Next, back injury. It seems priority was given to the leg wound, so the back wasn’t fully healed. Go to the healer for treatment."

As expected, everyone had received some level of healing, but none of it was complete. That was why they were stuck here instead of returning to their duties.

The number of injured was large, but there were no critical cases. They quickly sorted through them.

"Next… Hmm, your wounds are healed, but you’re malnourished. Have you been eating properly?"

"Uh, well… no time for that…"

The young hunter looked embarrassed.

"They’re not part of a town group," an older hunter explained. "They came alone after responding to the recruitment call. Probably too exhausted from hunting to bother eating."

"But at this level of malnutrition, you won’t be able to fight properly. You need to eat well."

"Yeah, but… the inns don’t serve proper meals. If you’re late, there’s nothing left. Food prices in town have gone up, too."

Shou turned to Gale in shock.

"The food shipments from the plains are running a bit late," Gale admitted.

"What about medicinal herbs?"

"Also in short supply."

Shou sighed in exasperation and looked at the Master Healer, who gave her a look that said, “We’ll deal with this later.”

"Even if it’s a bit expensive, make sure you eat properly. If you collapse from exhaustion, it defeats the purpose."

"Yeah… you’re right. Got it."

"We’re healers from the Northern Town. If possible, come see us every day for a check-up."

"But…"

"No need to hesitate. Letting injuries build up is worse. Besides, other healers will check on you too. Even at night, don’t hold back from coming."

"Thank you… um…"

"Sain," the Master Healer introduced himself.

"Master Sain… and?"

"I’m Shou, and this is Alfie."

"Shou, Alfie…"

The young hunter smiled warmly and left.

The sorting had finished faster than expected. Now, they turned to the exhausted healers of Nordam. When Shou extended her hands, the local healers looked startled.

"Alright, let’s see… Just fatigue. You need rest more than potions. But I’ll channel some healing magic just in case."

"Ah… That’s warm… Thank you. I feel a little better."

Do Nordam’s healers not take care of each other?

"Nordam only has three healers?"

"There are more, but they’re all part-time. Their main jobs take priority. Few towns send healers, so this year, we’re overwhelmed."

"Hmm. Gale!"

Hearing the conversation, the Master Healer called out. Gale, who had been observing, rushed over.

"Yes, Master Healer?"

"As you can see, there’s a food and herb shortage. The healers are exhausted, and there are already many injured hunters. If this continues, the system will collapse."

"This has never happened before. Nothing is running smoothly, and we don’t know what to do…"

"Pull yourself together! Send people to buy food—not just from the plains, but from Iwadou and the Central regions too. Buy in bulk; we won’t have excess at this rate. Send the younger hunters to safer areas to gather herbs. Gather all available healers and assign them shifts to check on the hunters nightly. But make sure they rotate so they get proper rest."

The Master Healer rapidly issued orders.

"Master Healer, can Black Rock Lizards be eaten?" Shou asked.

"They can. Shou, that’s a good idea. Gale, since the food supply is delayed, why not have Nordam consume them instead?"

"You’re right. There’s more than enough this year. Even if we feed the town, we’ll still have plenty left to sell. Alright, let’s distribute them to the inns."

With the plans set for tomorrow, they finally returned to the camp. Large tents had been set up, and the delicious smell of Goldo’s cooking filled the air.

Falco had returned to his usual, gentle expression.

The summer hunt began the next day.

Despite the busy schedule, Falco was in an excellent mood.

Every night, Falco went to bed early with Shou, but he always woke up before her. He loved watching her sleep. Shou always mumbled softly in her sleep, letting out small breaths. Eventually, she would wake up and reluctantly go help with the cooking.

Every morning, she would yawn widely and rub her eyes. At that moment, Falco would pretend to be asleep.

Why?

Because when she thought he was still sleeping, she would gently tuck the blanket around him and pat him softly before slipping away.

If Leon was also pretending to sleep beside him, she would do the same for him, too. That’s why Leon sometimes pretended to be asleep as well.

They didn’t care if the others gave them unimpressed looks.

Falco also loved hunting.

Fighting at full power alongside Gaius and Leon was exhilarating. The hunters from the Northern Town had their backs, and Shou was watching from a distance.

Afterward, Shou would check his condition.

Falco watched over Shou as she worked in the church, carried her back to camp when she was too exhausted to walk, and never complained.

He spent more time with Shou here than he ever did in the Northern Forest or Northern Town.

"Once Shou grows up…"

Leon mused one day.

"She’ll be an incredible healer. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to travel together."

Traveling with Shou…

Sitting side by side in a carriage. Eating Shou’s delicious cooking.

During hunts, Shou would watch his back. Sleeping together. Waking together.

That sounded… wonderful.

"But in that case, we don’t need you, Leon."

"Like hell! I was there when you found Shou!"

"That never happened."

"I’m definitely going with her!"

"Not happening."

Smack!

"…Gaius?"

"Don’t talk nonsense without asking her first. Besides, you should focus on not making her hate you. Look."

Shou was watching them with an ice-cold stare.

Ah.

"Even that side of her is cute."

Gaius sighed in exasperation, shaking his head.