The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

The night of the day I strolled the streets of Mearaq with Bullein on my back.

After the afternoon training with Mr. Aruk, I rested myself on the sofa in the center of my room and thought about today's training.

My training is going well.

The evasion that I had practiced with Leona was not so difficult since I had already established the foundation for it. However, it takes a lot of time to correct my posture and fighting style during battle, and I will not be able to learn it overnight.

For sure, you will not be ready by the time you fight with Mr. Karon.

Up to now, my body has been able to follow the movements I imagined in my mind, but when the technical aspect is added to this image, the difficulty will increase dramatically.

In the long run, we are making good progress, but it is almost impossible to learn in a short period of time.

Let's not be too hasty in our training.

"Now, we need to strengthen our lineage.

After seeing Leona's lineage enhancement, I was reevaluating my own lineage enhancement.

I had been practicing for a long time since I left the Kingdom of Lingle, and I had become much more stable in the past few months.

I was able to keep my magic power in a dense state, and my hands were no longer covered with scratches.

"I'm almost finished, I should be ......"

But I was not aware that this was an enhancement of the healing magic system.

Something was different.

My healing magic is not the beautiful green healing magic like Olga's that I saw at the clinic in the Kingdom of Lingle. The color is much closer, but something is missing (・・・・・・・).

I light the light of healing magic in my palm and stare at it.

"I asked Leona-san about it, but she didn't give me an answer.

Today, I asked Leona about lineage enhancement.

When she saw my inexperienced training, she was depressed and said "I'm going to lose my confidence ......", but when I asked her how she practiced training, her face turned blue.

>

It doesn't matter at this point that Leona's straightforward words made me a little depressed.

According to her, strengthening one's lineage is something to be learned with utmost care, not something to be practiced forcibly with the help of healing magic effects like I do.

To tell you the truth, it's a little too late for that, I said with a wry smile, and Leona gave me a look as if she was looking at something unidentifiable.

In the end, Leona did not know what she was missing when she saw my enhanced lineage of healing magic. In fact, from her point of view, my enhancement of my lineage is almost (...) working, but I am not convinced.

"......I'm still far from being on my own."

In my mind's eye, I see my mentor in the Kingdom of Lingle.

I am only half a member of the group to Rose, and I have yet to become her ideal healing wizard.

Recognizing and acknowledging this fact once again, I raise myself from the sofa and give her a hard slap on the cheek.

I have to work harder!

It's not like me to be weak.

If there's one thing I've learned at the Lifeguard Corps, it's to stay positive.

I have survived my training with the paradoxical idea that there is peace after hell, and this level of adversity is nothing to me.

"I think Usato is trying too hard. ......"

"Hm?"

A voice from behind startles you.

I turn around to see Amako standing in front of the door behind me with a dazed look on her face.

"You startled me, didn't you? You should have at least knocked. ......

I did. It was Usato who didn't notice.

You were so absorbed in your thoughts that you didn't notice the knocking.

Anyway, he gets up from the sofa and lets Amako into the room.

"So, what's going on?"

"I was a little worried because I thought you were acting a little strange ...... but you seem to be all right now."

I'm sorry I made you worry.

Amako sits in her chair as she did the other day, and I am a little glad to hear her say that.

Well, nothing can start if you keep worrying. I just decided to do what I can do for now. Like working out."

"I'm not sure why you work out when you're just trying to do what you can. ...... but yes, that's typical of Usato."

"What do you mean by 'just like me'? ......"

I wonder what kind of perception Amako has of me.

Laughing awkwardly and swallowing down the question that was about to come out of my throat, I turn the conversation to another topic and we engage in conversation.

Amako seemed to have come to check on me, and when she realized that I wasn't worried, she relaxed her shoulders and made some casual chitchat with me.

"So, Leona, are you all right?"

Amako asked me unexpectedly during our conversation.

Her eyes widened at the unexpected question, and I asked her what the question really meant.

"Are you okay?"

"She seems to be having a hard time too. ......"

Oh, tough.

He's certainly been plagued with a lot of problems.

About Mr. Karon, about the brave man, and ...... she is suffering more than I think.

"Falga-sama said that Leona will be killed by Kalon if things continue as they are, I don't know what's wrong with her now, but I think it's something that shouldn't be ...... ignored."

"......"

I remember the warning that Miss Falga gave to Leona in the basement of the castle.

"You are a knight who depends on others for the meaning of his existence and cannot affirm himself. You must understand that if you cannot acknowledge your own existence, you will die a horrible death.

A deep, haunting voice.

A knight who cannot affirm himself.

I'm sure that's Leona who can't admit she's brave. .......

"...... I don't think I can do anything about it."

I am a healing wizard, and I do not have the power to solve people's problems or heal their wounds.

For some reason, I am often asked for such advice and stories in my travels, but I have never been able to solve them with my own agenda.

"I don't think you have to try."

"What?"

I couldn't help but ask back at Amako's words.

"Usato is best as he is."

"Amako ......"

I should just be me.

I felt as if he had said this to me in words, and I was somewhat moved.

I see, I am the best as I am. .......

"Usato may be thoughtless, insensitive, and a little bit insensitive, but that's the good part as well as the bad part of him.

"You're ruining it!"

What's the good part?

How can you find the good in the words "thoughtless, insensitive, and insensitive"?

You said the other day that I'm insensitive, but you added thoughtlessness and insensitivity to that!

"?"?"

"Yes. Why do you look so curious there ......?"

Amako's expression twitches as she looks at me shivering and wondering. I wonder if she has already decided that I am an unthinking, insensitive and insensitive man.

I have to explain to her and change her perception of me. .......

I cough deliberately and turn to Amako to start a conversation.

Just then, however, there is a light tap on the door of my room.

Who could it be, ......Nea or Mr. Alc at this hour?

"Are you there, Usato-sama?

the maid's voice.

I open the door, startled by her panicked voice, which is out of character for her calm personality.

"What's wrong?"

Oh my God!

At the other end of the door, I see a maid who is a little out of breath.

What in the world could be so serious?

What is the matter? Is something terrible happening?　But I don't hear anything from outside. .............

Despite my confusion, she took a small deep breath, calmed down, took my hand and came closer to me.

"No, no, no......"

"Go on?"

Is he going to ride something?

I tilted my head at the out-of-breath maid's words.

"Master Norn has collapsed!"

What?

The Queen of Mialark, Master Norn, has collapsed.

The collapse of Master Norn means that the wards that have protected Mialark from Mr. Karon until now will disappear.

If the wards disappear, Mr. Karon will come here.

If that happens, we will have to fight a decisive battle unprepared.

Having come to this understanding, I asked the maid to guide me to the place where Master Norn was.

I asked the maid to lead me to the place where Master Norn was.

When Amako and I learned that Lady Norn had collapsed, we rushed with the maid toward the hall where she had collapsed.

I should have called Leona, but the time was critical, so I went to help her as soon as I could, but...,

"You know what, you're overreacting just because you fell down. ......"

When we arrived at the hall, we found Master Norn holding his forehead with a stunned expression on his face.

I had heard that he had collapsed, and I had been surprised to see him sitting on his throne with a carefree expression on his face, as I had thought he was in a critical condition.

"I'm glad you're worried about me, but could you at least listen to what I have to say? ....... I mean, I fell down, but I only stumbled a little, and you've already turned bloody and called for help ......."

"I'm sorry, too. ......"

As it turned out, the maid was mistaken when she said that Master Norn had fallen down.

The maid, who happened to see the scene, misunderstood that Norn-sama had fallen down due to overwork, and hurriedly called me, a healing magician, for help.

"I apologize for the trouble, Usato-san and Amako-san."

"No, I am more relieved to hear that Norn-sama is all right."

"I don't mind either."

The maid bows deeply and Amako and I wave our hands to the side. We had expected the worst, so we were glad that she was safe, even if it was a wasted effort.

Besides, even though she tripped and fell down, she has been maintaining the warding for days without sleep or rest. It doesn't mean that she just stumbled by carelessness.

In fact, Norn-sama looks pale.

Her healing magic should have cured her of her physical problems, but she looks somewhat gaunt. It is not because of his physical condition, but because of his mental exhaustion that he looks so thin.

I think I should put a healing spell on her at ....... It would only be a consolation.

"Norn-sama, shall I cast a healing spell on him?　I can heal you if you are only physically tired. ......"

"......, right. May I ask you for a favor?"

Norn-sama gave his hand to me with slow movements.

I touched his hand as roughly as possible and applied healing magic to him. The green light of the healing magic enveloped her body and healed her tired body.

Master Norn, whose complexion had improved somewhat by the healing magic, opened his mouth somewhat awkwardly when he saw the maid still looking worried.

"You can go back to your work now. I'm fine, I mean, I'm sorry for worrying you.

"!　Yes!"

The maid replied with a smile, bowed politely, and walked out of the hall rather quickly.

After seeing her back silently off, Master Norn spoke to me standing beside her as if muttering to himself.

"She does most of the work in this castle."

"...... most of it, sir?"

"Not all of them, of course, but they certainly do the minimum necessary to keep the castle running. Besides ...... her, everyone who has stayed behind in the castle has been there for me when I tried to defend the country alone."

I tried to protect my country alone.

I can't even imagine how determined he was.

It is no small feat of strength to spare no time for sleep and to continue defending our country even now.

"I didn't want them to stay in the castle. Or Leona, for that matter."

"You were going to fight alone?"

"I knew better than anyone that it was impossible. I am not a fighter, no matter how well I can use the magical tools that Falga-sama gave me. I couldn't hold a sword or a spear, so I had no choice but to simply create a ward here and continue to maintain the status quo. ......"

Looking at the staff in her hand, Lady Norn smiles a self-mocking smile.

Her shoulders slumped, and she let out a listless sigh, leaning back further against her throne.

She looked more like an ordinary woman than a queen.

"If this is what it's going to be like, I should have studied harder or practiced swordplay a little more. I didn't think I'd regret not taking the castle's super tedious education later on!"

"Yeah, yeah. ......"

I don't know how to answer you like a student before an exam like that.

I'm more troubled by the fact that I can sympathize with them as a former high school student.

"At that time, I didn't really know what it was like to be a queen, but when I became one, I was forced to understand ...... whether I wanted to or not."

What?

I have to protect everyone. It's like they say, when you change your position, you change your mind. I became queen half-heartedly, but when I saw the city of Mearaq from the castle, I finally realized the weight of my role as queen.

"The weight of the role ......"

I have had a similar experience, though from a different perspective.

When I was a member of the lifeguard squadron, the burden of the lives of the knights fighting on the battlefield rested on my shoulders.

I am sure that Norn-sama is in such a situation now.

"I was informed about Lady Falga only after I became queen.

"Oh, really?"

Yes, that's right. The existence of the Lady Farga is revealed only to the queen and those of special status. It is impossible for you, who are from another country, to meet him.

Certainly, a dragon with power equal to that of an evil dragon deserves to be kept in secrecy.

"When I first heard Master Farga's voice, I thought I had lost my mind. I was resting on my throne, just as I am now, when out of nowhere I heard a voice saying, .

"Ha-ha-ha, that's a surprise."

Out of nowhere? Does it sound like it's echoing in your head?

Whatever it sounds like, anyone would be surprised to hear voices like the ones I heard in the basement.

"But I've made it this far thanks to Falga's help. Whenever I felt like I was losing my mind while maintaining the wards, Falga would always call out to me, and I would later realize that all the harsh words she said to me were said for my sake.

...... convinced me a little.

I wonder how Master Norn was able to keep the wards in place until I came here.

Even potions have their limits. But still, she was able to keep it up because Master Farga was helping her.

"Usato, that's enough. Thank you."

Yes, how are you doing?

"I'm much better now, thanks to you."

I nodded at Master Norn's words with a thin smile and let go of her hand.

Although I have only cured her of her physical fatigue, some of the brightness has returned to her face.

"I've made you complain a little, haven't I?

"No, no, no, I was thinking about some things myself, and on the contrary, I was worried about whether I was the right person for you to talk to.

"No, it's not like that. Your healing magic is one thing, but just talking to you like this is helping me a lot.

Now that Norn-sama is doing his best to maintain the wards, the least I can do is to cast healing magic on him, or at least talk to him.

I'm glad it helped.

"Well, Amako, I think it's time to go back to my room."

"Yeah, I'm getting sleepy too."

Amako and I look at each other and exchange words.

I think to myself, "I'm going to sleep for tomorrow," and as I'm about to say goodbye to Master Norn, I notice that she is looking at me and Amako.

Why are you traveling with your beast girlfriend?

"With Amako?"

Suddenly, Master Norn asked me such a question.

I growl at his words, and I wonder what he was thinking, for a startled look appears on his face.

"Don't be offended, I'm genuinely interested in the fact that a beastman is traveling together with a human being.

"Oh, that's what you mean."

Certainly, a normal person would question the fact that Amako, a beast, and I are working together.

"Hmmm, Amako..."

"Okay, I'll talk to him."

Amako decided that it was okay to talk, so I told Master Norn that one of the purposes of our trip was "to go to the land of the beastmen to help Amako's mother".

When Norn-sama heard the purpose of our trip, he rolled his eyes in surprise, and a troubled look appeared on his face.

"The land of the beastmen. ....... I understand, but I wouldn't recommend it.

"Is it too dangerous for me, a human, to go there?"

"That's one thing, but the beasts are acting strangely these days."

Mearaq is the closest human country to the land of the beastmen.

The words of Master Norn, the ruler of such a place, made me a little uneasy.

"What do you mean it's strange?"

"The beasts that never left their own lands before have suddenly started to appear before humans.

"Suddenly ......?　You mean they showed up in a place where people live?"

"They didn't seem to interfere with us that much, but there were reports that they were looking for something."

They were looking for something?

If they were going to operate in human territory, knowing the risk of being caught by bandits or slavers, weren't they looking for ...... something more?

I crossed my arms and was deep in thought when Amako took my free hand in hers and brought me back to myself.

I was a little surprised and looked at Amako, because it was rare for her to hold my hand, although she often pulls the hem of my clothes.

"What's wrong Amako...... Amako?"

"......"

There was Amako, lying on her face, holding my hand.

I guess he didn't hold my hand because he was sleepy ....... His shoulders are shaking, and more than anything, his hand is tight in my hand.

Could it be that the beasts were looking for--

"...... No."

Now it's about Amaco.

It might not be a good idea for her to talk about the land of the beastmen.

"Master Norn."

Wait a minute.

"What?"

I was about to end the conversation for Amako's sake when Master Norn pressed his temples.

She closed her eyes and fell silent, nodding her head in agreement with what someone was saying. She was probably listening to what Mr. Farga had to say.

She opened her eyes, looked at me with a serious expression and opened her mouth.

"......usato. Falga-sama says that your armor is finished."

"......!?"

Norn-sama's lowered voice startled me.

The small sword of a brave man that I gave to Master Farga has returned as my own personal armor.

I wonder what shape it will take,

What kind of power does it hold?

Thinking about it once again, I felt more anxiety than anticipation.