v2 Chapter 3: The Healer’s Anger

"Not only did you take a child on a hunt, but you also left them unattended?! What were you thinking!"

The moment the healer saw Haru’s condition after she was brought to the town’s church, they were livid.

Magicians fought differently from hunters. They relied on long-range attacks and group tactics, ensuring they didn’t get injured in the first place. Because of this, healers in the Lake Country primarily tended to townspeople. Seeing an injured magician—let alone a child—was unprecedented.

"Where are this child's parents?!"

The usually quiet healer’s voice rang out in anger. The magicians who had brought Haru exchanged uncertain glances. None of them had ever paid attention to her. Desperately, they tried to recall.

"She’s… an orphan."
"What about a guardian?"
"W-We don’t know."
"Then bring someone who does!"

The magicians had no choice but to contact the academy’s headmaster.

"More trouble…"

The headmaster sighed.

That child had been abandoned in front of the academy—a liar, a nuisance. The academy had taken her in. She should be grateful for that much. Cleaning up after the Plains people was an absolute hassle.

Still, there was no avoiding it. After finishing his duties, the headmaster begrudgingly made his way to the church.

"Technically, I am responsible for this child."

The healer swallowed the bitter words forming in their throat. And what exactly have you been doing all this time?

"The treatment was delayed, which means the healing is incomplete. Her right leg will likely recover, but her right arm may never fully regain function."

"As long as she can stand and use one hand, she’ll still be useful."

The headmaster sighed in relief. At least she won’t become a burden. That thought was written all over his face, and the healer was horrified.

There was no concern, no remorse.

There was no way they could send a child back to a place like this.

"In that case, this child will not be returned to the academy."

"What are you saying? I am responsible for her."

"You took in an orphan, failed to provide a guardian, sent a child into a dangerous battle, and left her unattended until she was too injured to receive proper treatment. Headmaster."

The healer fixed the headmaster with a piercing gaze.

"If you couldn’t care for her, why didn’t you entrust her to the town in the first place?"

"Because she has immense magical power. Those with strong magic belong in the academy. That is obvious."

"Whether they go to the academy or not is for the child and their guardian to decide. Some with magical talent choose different lives. The academy has no parental figures. I will find her a proper guardian within the town."

"That would be a problem. This child is now essential to our monster hunts."

"As bait?"

"Yes."

"This conversation is over."

The healer clenched their jaw, holding back the futile rage threatening to spill out.

But they had to say one more thing.

"Regarding her shoulder and collarbone—there is a groundbreaking treatment being developed in Deep Forest. By the end of summer, the hunting season should be over. I intend to invite a master healer from that country to examine her."

"There’s no need to go that far."

"Any parent or guardian would do the same. If you insist on keeping her, then you may simply provide the payment for the healer’s travel expenses."

"But—"

Of course, medical treatment itself was free.

But when requesting a healer from another country, the cost of travel had to be covered.

This healer was young, but they had once trained under a master in Deep Forest and even traveled to the Rock Caverns to gain experience. It was only upon leaving the Lake Country that they realized just how isolated and strange it was. But they had never imagined it was this corrupt.

"If word of this spreads to the other regions, the Lake Country will be condemned as a place that does not value its children. Are you prepared for that?"

"And yet, it was the Plains that abandoned this child in the first place."

"Then send her back to the Plains. They would surely be grateful to receive such a talented magician."

The headmaster fell silent.

The Lake Country did value its children.

This child had been given food, clothing, and shelter. There was no reason to be criticized.

Whether they kept her or sent her back, it made no real difference to them.

Monster hunts wouldn’t be as efficient, but that was all.

Then send her back.

If she was no longer at the academy, it was none of their concern.

Now, they simply had to find a new bait.

Which of the young ones had the most magic power…?

The headmaster had already lost interest in Haru.

"Then do as you please."

"Until then, she will remain in the church's care."

And so, Haru was placed under the church’s protection.

For the first time, she gained a quiet, uneventful life.

A peaceful life.

An empty life.

The healer sighed.

The Lake Country had always valued magicians.

If they ever stepped outside their borders, they would quickly realize that relying solely on magic was inefficient—especially when compared to hunters.

Even within the country, anyone who worked alongside hunters could see it.

Despite its isolation, the Lake Country did not abandon the sick or injured, nor did it trouble other nations. Because of this, it had been allowed to flourish as one of the four major territories, accepting and training young magicians with exceptional talent.

But lately, its missteps were becoming too blatant to ignore.

Suddenly increasing the number of hunters—only to later insist on handling everything with magicians alone.

Something was off.

The Plains, too, were becoming suspiciously unstable.

If possible, the healer would have left for Deep Forest, trained once more under the master healer, and lived among the hunters—who, while rough, were at least straightforward.

But they couldn’t abandon their homeland.

Healers were already too few.

"Dred should be in town. His partner is a hunter from Deep Forest. I should ask them for help."

Ever since Dred began traveling to Deep Forest, he often visited the healer.

And every time, he would say:

"Adjust my body."

He made sure to take care of himself before exhaustion or injuries worsened.

It was a nostalgic kind of treatment—one the healer had learned under their master in Deep Forest.

And with him always came his beautiful partner.

Lyla, if they remembered correctly.

The healer sent for Dred immediately.

Even if they did nothing, he would likely visit within a few days.

But if they were to request a master healer, the sooner, the better.

Dred arrived soon, bringing his beautiful partner along.

"The child is an orphan, correct? Do you know their name?"

"I believe it’s Haru."

Dred exchanged glances with Lyla.

"Haru, huh?"

"I know that name. I've seen her before."

"Then that makes this easier."

The healer sighed in relief.

"I’d like to meet her."

"She’s only asleep, but—"

"That’s fine."

Lyla entered the room where Haru lay, Dred following behind.

"Shou..."

"Even looking at her again, she really does resemble her. But she seems thinner than last year."

Lyla gently stroked Haru’s hair.

Dred frowned.

Shou was always so full of life, running around.

Haru looked just like her.

But why did she seem so utterly drained?

Hadn’t she been doing well last year?

Watching these two gaze upon Haru with such sorrowful expressions, the healer felt certain.

They can be trusted with this child.

"I examined her body during treatment. She has many old wounds—injuries that didn’t heal properly due to insufficient potions. And of course, she is far too thin. She may have had shelter at the academy, but she had no guardian. No one who truly cared for her."

The words tumbled out before the healer could stop them.

"Unbelievable. I had assumed she was a pampered orphan, given food and lodging, allowed to live comfortably."

"Oh, she was treated specially alright. Her job was to act as bait."

Dred’s head snapped toward the healer.

"Bait?!"