v3 Chapter 2: What a Healer Sees

Without a word, Haru gathered several tubs and used magic to fill them with warm water of just the right temperature. When that was done, she ran upstairs and came back carrying unused sheets and towels.

Amidst this, Shouko calmly asked Dred, who was panicking, unable to do anything, “The circumstances of the injury.”

Dred knelt beside Lyla, his hand hovering uncertainly, unsure whether to touch her, and began speaking haltingly.

Meanwhile, Shouko examined Lyla's wounds and applied temporary closures to the gashes. The bleeding was severe.

“Lately, with so many monsters, I think we'd become a little careless,” Dred explained. “Just when we thought we should head back a bit early today, we encountered a pack of Purple Thorn Lizards.”

“Just the two of you?”

“Fortunately, we had just regrouped with Leon and Falco. Leon and Falco used swords, I used magic, and Lyla thinned the pack with her bow from slightly behind. Though it was a large pack, it wasn't more than the four of us could handle. But then, we heard Lyla scream...”

Dred's hand, frozen mid-air, trembled, and he pulled it close to his body with his other hand.

Okay, the temporary closures were done. She wouldn't bleed any further now. Three wounds ran diagonally across Lyla's body, clearly inflicted by a large lizard.

“It wasn't a Purple Thorn Lizard,” Dred continued. “A solitary Blue-Winged Saurus—one that has wings and shouldn't appear in the forest often—was right in front of Lyla.”

“Judging by the wounds, it was over two meters long,” Shouko assessed. “Large, but I can't imagine Lyla couldn't defeat it.”

“Normally, yes. I think she was distracted by the pack and neglected to watch her flank. If she'd been fighting with a sword, perhaps... In that split second, I imagine it took all her effort just to face the monster.”

Shouko nodded. Fortunately, perhaps, the wounds were deep but hadn't reached her organs, and they ran diagonally. Across the room, she sensed Haru preparing food and drinks at the table.

Shouko placed her hands on Lyla's body and began carefully healing the wounds, starting from the lowest one on her body. She mentally divided the injured area into four sections, addressing them one by one. Perhaps because the wounds were still fresh, the soul's memory remained intact. As if filling in the missing pieces, she drew soul energy from the goddess's source and added it.

When only one section remained, Falco came up from behind and placed a hand on her back. Dred was holding Lyla's hand before she knew it. Just a little more, but her magic power felt like it was about to run out.

“Here, Shouko. Tea with plenty of sugar,” Haru handed her the sweet tea, cooled to the perfect temperature. It wouldn't work immediately, but it was welcome. If she really ran out of magic power, there were also potions. For Lyla, of course.

She slowly healed the final wound. Done. Shouko opened her closed eyes and let out a sigh.

“The injuries are healed. But she's lost a lot of blood, so let her sleep soundly, and when she wakes up, she needs to eat plenty of food.”

“Oh, Goddess of Creation, I thank you!” Dred exclaimed, leaning protectively over Lyla. Falco and Leon also looked relieved.

“Okay,” Shouko took charge again. “We're going to clean her up, so please go somewhere else for a bit. Dred, bring a change of clothes.”

“I'll clean her...”

“We'll be quicker, Dred.”

“...Understood.”

Shouko and Haru quickly wiped Lyla's body clean, received clothes from Dred, and changed her.

“Okay, carry her to a room and keep her as warm as possible.”

The men carried Lyla upstairs, and Leon and Falco came back down. Dred seemed to be staying by Lyla's side.

Shouko stood before the two men, who had collapsed onto the sofa looking exhausted, arms crossed, standing firmly.

“Hey.”

“We're sorry,” Leon apologized instantly. Haru watched from behind, looking anxious.

“If we'd coordinated properly... no, if we'd at least noticed sooner...” Leon started.

“Because I left Mom completely up to Dred,” Falco blamed himself. Both hung their heads.

“That's not it,” Shouko's words were stern. Both Falco and Leon looked like they didn't know what she meant. “Hey, why didn't you use potions?”

Their faces said they hadn't even thought of it.

“I was taught properly at the Guild right from the start: if used correctly, potions heal injuries!” Shouko lectured. “What are those potions attached to your belts for?! If you'd used one right away, Lyla wouldn't have had to suffer while being carried!”

Both looked down at the potions on their hips, hanging their heads. Since living with Shouko, they had almost stopped using them. Come to think of it, they might be quite old.

“I'll tell Dred later too, but you two better reflect properly on this!” Shouko shouted this, then ran upstairs. The sound of a door opening and slamming shut was heard.

“We got used to Shouko being around, and I just instantly thought it would be faster to have Shouko heal her than use a potion...” Leon made excuses to no one in particular. Falco stared blankly up the stairs leading to the second floor.

Haru was worried about Shouko, but first, she remade tea for the two men and handed it to them one by one. Then, she quietly began clearing away the towels and sheets that had been prepared for Lyla's healing.

“Ah, I'll help too,” Leon offered.

“It's okay. You were both worried and anxious too, right? Drink your tea and rest.”

“Thanks, Haru. I didn't expect Shouko to get that angry.”

“Of course she'd be angry,” Haru also spoke with unusual sternness. “If someone important gets hurt, and you could heal them but don't.”

“Because I know that depending on how you use them, potions can leave scars.” Haru remembered how she hadn't been supplied enough potions, and had scars left on her body until Shouko healed them.

“Dred probably wanted Shouko to heal Lyla properly so she wouldn't be scarred, I think,” Haru guessed, glancing towards the stairs. “It's not just about that, but, how should I put it...” Haru wondered how best to explain.

“Shouko, you know, when she wished for power from the goddess, she asked for the power of healing without hesitation.”

At that, strength finally returned to Falco's gaze.

“I haven't heard the details,” Haru continued, “but I think Shouko hates fighting and hurting anything. That's why her favorite job is gathering medicinal herbs.”

“That's right,” Falco recalled. “At first, she even hated holding a sword, wrinkling her nose.”

“Yeah,” Leon added, “and she asked the High Priest if slimes have souls.”

Haru nodded, understanding Falco and Leon's words. It was an anecdote typical of kind Shouko.

“That's why, honestly, seeing injuries is really painful for her.”

“Eh, even though she's a healer?” Leon was surprised.

“She's kind,” Haru explained. “She feels the pain of injuries as if it were her own. Lyla's injuries were severe, right? I'm sure seeing that was incredibly painful for her.”

“Shouko... Without even realizing that, I...” Falco put down his tea cup, stood up, and rushed upstairs.

“We were completely relying on Shouko, who can do work far beyond that of an apprentice healer,” Leon realized.

“Yeah, probably,” Haru confirmed. “Try not to get injured, and if you do, use potions properly, okay? I'll gather lots of herbs.” Haru snorted determinedly. She was good at gathering herbs.

“Eh, kya!”

“Haru, you're worried about us!” Leon exclaimed, scooping her up.

“W-well, I am worried, but you don't have to put me on your lap...”

“Haru!”

Leon, moved and pulling Haru close, wasn't listening to a word she said. Well, maybe just sometimes is okay, Haru thought.