The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

The person waiting for us at the castle in Mearaq was the potion-drinking queen.

At first I was a bit taken aback, but considering the circumstances surrounding her and her country, it was understandable.

After casting a healing spell on her, we introduced ourselves once again and were in front of Master Norn as before.

"I am sorry for being so rude to you.

"No, it's a situation, and we don't mind.

Mr. Norn's face has changed from the exhausted expression he had earlier to a look of contentment.

Perhaps the healing magic had worked, for although he still had some dark circles, the tired look was completely gone.

"But I was blinded by the healing magic. I never imagined that it would be so beneficial. ...... I wonder if I could keep working without sleep or rest if I had it?　When this mess is over, I'm going to gather some healing wizards and ......"

"You can heal the body, but you cannot heal the mind. No matter how much you can move your body, if your mind is too tired to support it, you will eventually collapse.

The healing magic may be kind to the body, but it is not kind to the mind.

If we continue to work without sleep or rest, forcing our bodies to heal with healing magic, we will lose our minds.

The queen looked disappointed at my words and played with the potion beside her with her palm.

"I thought I didn't need to rely on potions anymore, but I guess I still do..."

"Master Norn. You should first stay away from the potions rather than look for the healing wizard."

The maid standing behind Master Norn gave him some advice, but he did not listen to her at all and put the potion in his pocket with great care.

Is this man seriously addicted to potions?

It seems to me that it's too late for her to put the potion in her pocket instead of putting it down.

"Now, you are the messengers from the Kingdom of Lingle, right?

Yes. Yes. We have come to Mearaq for a specific purpose. ......Well then, Mister Usato..."

At Mr. Aruk's urging, I take out a letter from my pocket and awkwardly hand it to Mr. Norn.

She opened the letter, looked it over silently, and let out a small sigh.

"...... the Demon King, huh?"

Perhaps, for once, it will be impossible to get him to cooperate. Not because they will refuse, but because this country is not up to it.

However, I thought I should let them know that the threat of the Demon King was approaching, so I handed them the letter.

"A boy in white will come to visit you. ...... He was right, wasn't he?"

"...... what?"

"I'm going to hold off on this answer."

Withhold?　You're not gonna say no?

My guess was that he would refuse right away, but I wondered what his intention was in putting the offer on hold.

Looking at the person next to me, Mr. Aruk seemed to be confused.

"We are facing a crisis in Mearaq right now. It is no coincidence that you have come at such a time. You came here by choice. And I knew you would come.

"......!"

"But I didn't believe it. How could anyone think of going into Mearaq now that he's out there? If they had, they would have been iced to death by now.

The way she said it, it sounded like she expected us to come before we came here.

And it sounds like she didn't anticipate it herself, but someone else.

"And yet you have come this far. That's why I have to tell you that you have come this far. The beginning of the disaster that befell this city, the tragedy that suddenly befell the man with the dragon's power..."

After saying these words, Mr. Norn continues to weave his words.

"The one who is raging outside used to be a knight of Mearrak. His name is Karon. ...... From the look on your face, you've already heard this story from her, haven't you?"

Her?　Oh, you mean the maid.

I nod in agreement with Norn-sama.

"So you've already given me a rough explanation. Then let's talk about him in detail first.

She nodded and resumed her explanation.

"He was just a young man who did not have the dragon's power like that until recently.

"You mean you were a normal human being?"

That's not true. He was no ordinary man. He may have been just a young man, but his origins were complicated.

Complicated?

That's a vague way of putting it: .......

"He was a good knight. He was a skilled warrior, thoughtful, and could have been one of the city's bravest men. In fact, there was a great deal of noise about which of the two candidates, he or the other chosen one, would be honored with the name of hero."

Is this where Leo's statement that he was supposed to be a brave man came from?

But if he was that good, why did he go out of control?

While I was tilting my head, Mr. Norn spun the next words.

"At that time, something happened to him---he held his head as if he was enduring something, and he became so delirious that he injured a knight who was nearby.

And you were thrown in jail?

"Yes, it took a long time to lock him up, even with several men to hold him down, but we still managed to get him into the sturdiest cage in Mialak. But that cage was ultimately only a ...... stall."

Exactly two weeks ago --- if he has been imprisoned for a month, that means that in half a month Mr. Karon has escaped from Mearaq.

"He escaped from the prison and went to the treasure room as if he had been drawn there by something. There he picked up the treasure of Mialark-the strongest and freest weapon in the world, with power and potential comparable to the sword used by the heroes who overthrew the Demon King.

"Equivalent to the weapons of the brave ......!"

He unconsciously puts his hand on the small sword of the brave man at his waist.

Nowadays, I know how to use it for cutting fruits or stabbing a grudge in the forehead, but I know how the original users fought with it.

The battle between a brave man and an evil dragon shown by the spirit of Samaritan.

The previous hero strengthened himself by sticking a small sword into his body. Moreover, for some reason, he had shown such a monstrous power that he surpassed the power of the evil dragon in its prime with just that much reinforcement.

Does Mr. Karon have a weapon that displays such extraordinary power? .......

"Is that what that axe is? ......"

"That's not an axe. When he uses it, it is transformed into the shape of an axe, but in its original form it is just a stick. The maker says ---<

"Not an axe, but a staff."

So the form of the axe is the most suitable form of armament for Mr. Karon now.

With that kind of power, it makes sense. The blow of the axe, which was more forceful than a half-baked sword or spear, chilled me to the bone.

"It's great that he can handle a weapon that is normally reserved for the wand's chosen bearer, but it's hard to be happy when he's in such a state. On the contrary, things have gotten out of hand."

"So he froze the water around Mearaq?"

Mr. Norn nodded in reply to Aruk's question.

He could freeze such a large mass of water. I'm glad he didn't send it out when Leo and I were fighting. We would have gotten away with it if we had been hit by something of that magnitude head on.

...... No, maybe that was the snowstorm-like attack that was unleashed after Mr. Karon's body transformed?　But it would not have been powerful enough to freeze the lake.

"It was he himself who froze the area around the city. But that's just the result of his unchecked power overflowing. He would never have been able to wield that much power while he was running amok. ...... if his power is not unleashed to the next level."

"...... that ......"

"Well, he estimates he has about half a month to spare, so we should still be okay."

Norn-sama smiles at us and we look at each other, as if to say, "Don't worry.

Maybe when he was fighting me---he grew horns and a tail, which can be seen as the next stage of his liberation. It makes sense that the blizzard wasn't powerful enough to freeze the water around us because he was shooting a lot of icicles at us before that.

...... but it's very hard to say.

It's very awkward to tell her that she had been so exhausted before I cast a healing spell on her, and that Mr. Karon has already awakened to the next stage of his life.

Say it, Usato.

"Usato, tell him."

"Usato-sama, please."

It's hard when my friends throw themselves at you at the critical moment.

I understand that Mr. Aruk says that I should report to him after the fight, but Nair and Amako seem to be completely bothered by it.

"Norn-sama!"

"Yes?　What is it?　Usato, you look so mysterious.

Mr. Karon has already awakened. He now has horns on his head and a dragon tail on his waist. So I think that ...... is a pretty bad situation."

"...... what?"

Norn-sama, frozen in place, his voice shaking sadly.

"Have you awakened already?"

"Yes.

I nodded, and she held her head.

"Calm down, calm down, Norn. "Calm down, calm down, Norn. It's not out of control yet. If we can deal with him by then, we can still get back on our feet. ......

Norn-sama began to mumble something, and a strange melancholy seemed to be in the air.

But it was not only her, we were in trouble as well. Whether we stay in this country or leave it, a conflict with Mr. Karon is inevitable.

When that happens, will I be able to stand up to him who has awakened to a higher level?

In addition, he has a weapon in his hand that is equal to the weapons of a brave man.

I also have a weapon of a brave man, but it is meaningless because I am not the bearer of it.

No, there are more unclear points in Master Norn's story.

Where does Mr. Karon's power come from?　His magic is beyond the range of a single person's magical power. His magic power to cause a blizzard and freeze all the water around him was more than even Inukami-senpai and Kazuki, who are out of the standard that I know of.

>

"...... hmm?"

A familiar voice echoed from the door of the hall.

Master Norn, hearing the voice, looked up from his prone position and let out a smile, as if welcoming the person outside the door.

"Come in."

I was a little confused when I saw someone quietly open the door and walk in.

From the sound of her voice, I thought it was Leo, but contrary to my expectations, it was a woman who entered.

She had waist-length, beautiful blond hair tied in a single knot, and eyes as sharp as a hawk's. She looked like a woman.

Dressed in light armor and a long skirt, she entered the hall, bowed politely and naturally, and walked up to us.

"Hu......"

"?"

She smiles, pats me on the shoulder, and walks up to the throne where Norn-sama sits and kneels down.

Suddenly, she taps me on the shoulder, and I tilt my head back, not understanding why.

I wonder why he is so friendly. It was as if I was greeting a friend.

Is that normal in this city?

"I'm glad you're back safe and sound."

"You're too kind."

"You are the only knight who can stand against Caron. If we lose you now, there will be no one left to fight him. Thank you for coming back. Knight Leona."

Your name is Leona.

She must be a very strong knight if she was fighting against Mr. Karon.

...... hmm?　Just a few minutes ago, Mr. Karon was fighting with me and Leo, I wonder if he was fighting too?

"He has achieved the awakening of his power."

"Usato told me. How strong is Kalon in your eyes?

"He is more ferocious than before his awakening, and his physical strength seems to have increased accordingly. I'm sorry, I was knocked unconscious in an instant immediately after awakening, so I can't give you exact information. ......"

"A knight of your stature can be ...... in an instant, and that's not good."

Norn-sama frowned when she heard Leona's report.

Leona, still on her knees, looks up and takes one look at me for a moment.

"I must be honest. I was about to be defeated by Kalon, who even before his awakening, had been forced to defend himself against me.

"Is he that strong?"

Yes, I'm standing here alive because of him here--Usato.

Hmm?

Why is my name popping out of Leona's mouth?

"What do you mean, thanks to him?　He is supposed to be a healing magician, so he should not have any means to fight. ......"

"No, he was able to fight Kalon with only his healing magic and his own physical abilities, and he even saved me when I was knocked out."

"......usato, is that true ......usato?"

Lady Norn was speaking to me, but my head, still confused, could not recognize her words.

With my confused head, I look at Leona.

She tilted her head to meet my gaze.

"Excuse me, Leo, you are ......, aren't you?"

"Hmm, what the hell, now..."

"You were a woman?"

"......"

The maid and the Norn in front of Mr. Leo froze in a daze.

Leo --- Leona's face went stiff with a smile on her face.

After a few moments of silence, Leo-san slowly approached me and grabbed my shoulders with all his might.

"Don't tell me you thought I was a man?　Until now?"

"Yes, you were tall, and your voice was muffled through your armor, so I thought ...... you were a man."

"You're tall ......, who called me Leo?"

"Well, I thought that was your name."

After saying this, Leo-san---Leona-san removes her hand from his shoulder without effort.

I tried to apologize to her first, but she shook her shoulders and squeezed my voice out.

"It's okay. Usato."

"No, um, ......."

"I'm the one who made the mistake. Yes, you did. He's taller than you, and he's wearing full body armor, so it's understandable that you'd mistake him for a man. And you have such an unfeminine tone and such a manly personality. ....... So no need to apologize. Yes, I was the only one who got carried away. I was soaring like a child at the age of 20."

I don't know what to say to Leona, who is looking down at an angle and smiling wickedly with a face like she is about to cry.

Sadly, I feel it is not my fault that this emotionally unstable reaction has convinced me that this person is Leo.

I feel as if the eyes of Mr. Norn and the maid have become stern.

If I look behind me, they look at me like >Nair and Aruk-san are giving me a look.

And then..,

"Amaco, you knew, didn't you?"

"Yes."

If you knew, tell me about it: .......

No, it's my fault for misunderstanding.

I was exposed to the stares of everyone here, and I was thinking about how I should apologize to Leona first.