The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

After reuniting with Master Lucas and Eva, we joined Kazuki at the inn and rested for tomorrow until Welshy and Sigurth returned.

We were not physically tired because of our travel experience, but we were a little mentally exhausted. After all, I had met so many people in one day, Prince Kyle and Princess Naia of Calm Helio, Mr. Lucas and Eva in succession. I needed some time to sort out some information.

However, as I was gathering my thoughts in my room, I heard "Usato, I've come to visit you! like a high school boy storming into his classmate's friend's room.

I was a bit surprised at the fact that he never changes no matter where he is, but I realized that I might have been too nervous in front of an important meeting, and suggested to him that he should invite Kazuki, too.

So the three of us gathered in one room and talked about nothing else until the sun went down and Mr. Welshy and Mr. Sigurth arrived at the inn.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen. I will explain the details of the meeting that will take place tomorrow.

And now, after a rather unaccustomed and lavish dinner, we were gathered in a room with chairs and tables prepared in advance, and I, my senpai, Kazuki, and Mr. Welshy were explaining our plans for tomorrow's meeting.

"Today, the representatives of the Kingdom of Calm Helio, the Kingdom of Nirvarna, the Kingdom of Samaritan, and us, the Kingdom of Lingle, are here. With all the participating countries present, it has been decided that the meeting will take place tomorrow."

Although I have loosened up somewhat, I still feel nervous when I hear that an important meeting is about to take place.

"As I told you before, this meeting is intended to be a meeting between you and your representatives, so please behave in a manner befitting your title.

"Yeah, I know. Hey, Usato.

Yes, of course. I'll be in commander's mode at tomorrow's meeting.

I agreed with Kazuki's words and smiled with an air of grumpiness on my face. Then Ms. Welshy gave me a twitchy smile and nodded her head.

The senior asked her a question.

"How long do you think the meeting will be?"

"It depends on when the meeting will end. ...... probably won't be over in a day. The number of reinforcements that will join the kingdoms in their fight against the Demon King's army. We will have to discuss and decide on the details of the expected burden and damage.

I see. It is true that we cannot just ask for help and be done with it. We have to think about what happens after the battle with the Demon King's army.

I thought it was a little surprising, if I may be so rude.

"Ah, you seem to be a little bit like the student council president now, don't you?

"I was student body president in my original world too. ......?"

"Now it's a complete dead set, isn't it?"

"Hey!　I could be the student body president if I put my mind to it!"

Even though she was wearing a catsuit, she was actually the cool and beautiful president of the student council.

Now she is a cool beauty, though she is a comical, emotional and fun senior.

I'll continue the story. So, ...... it was suddenly decided today, Usato-sama.

Yes?"

"During the meeting, he would like you, who have experience fighting alone with the commander of the Demon Lord's army, to explain the situation at the time of the battle."

"...... what?"

In a meeting with representatives of all nations, I'm going to explain the situation when I fought the Khooga?

That was an extremely difficult task for me, as I was not used to speaking in front of so many people.

This would be the perfect opportunity for a senior who was the president of the student council.

"We offered to explain the situation, but the two representatives of the kingdoms of Nirvarna and Calm Helio insisted on hearing it from the mouth of Usato-sama. ...... I'm sorry."

"Oh, please don't apologize!　But I can't talk about what happened in Hinomoto ...... the land of the beastmen. ......"

The civil unrest in Hinomoto could have been a major incident that could have affected the human realm if not handled properly. There is no guarantee that if the representatives of the nation, let alone those who do not know much about the beastmen, were to be informed of this, they would not change their attitudes toward the beastmen to a more extreme one.

"No, we explained it in such a way that we thwarted the Demon King's army's attempt to ask for the Beastmen's cooperation.

"Then I guess it's going to be all right."

I'm not lying.

It is true that the Demon Lord's army, the Kogas, negotiated with Mr. Jinya, the chief of the Beastmen tribe, to ask for his cooperation.

To stop them, and to save Amako, we had to fight against the Kogas. ....... The process is complicated, but the result is true.

"What Usato-sama describes is not what led up to the fight with the corps leader, but his incredible fighting ability. To be honest, only Usato, the knight Alc, and ...... Rose have experience in battles with demons of the Legionnaire's class."

Rose too?　Could it be Nero Agence, the demon who injured his right eye?

...... No, that's not something to worry about now.

But, am I allowed to explain it to you as a healing magic user?　Isn't the perception of healing magic still not changed in other countries?

"You don't need to worry about that. The kingdoms of Samaritan and Calm Helio also recognize you, though in a different form. And the Kingdom of Nirvarna ...... will probably be fine.

"Yes, why?"

The only thing about the Nirvarna kingdom is that it sounds a little strange. .......

"The people of the Kingdom of Nirvarna are, how should I put it,......, people who are strong in both good and bad ways, so I was thinking that Usato-sama would be fine."

"......"

He told me with a huge smile on his face.

Kazuki nodded his head in agreement.　Are the representatives of the Nirvarna Kingdom people who can tell the fighting ability just by looking at the muscles?

Or are they the ones who would recognize you if you fight a fistfight with them?　That would be easier to do. ...... No, no!　No, no!　I may look like Rose, but I'm a normal civilized person!　I don't have the savagery to make fists out of anything!　

"Oh, but don't worry! But don't worry, the representative was very cheerful.

"Ha,ha ......"

While responding vaguely to the information, which I did not know whether I should be reassured or not, I grew anxious for tomorrow's meeting.

I was anxious about tomorrow's meeting.

Early in the morning on the day of the meeting.

In the early morning of the day of the meeting, just after the sun had risen, I was doing my daily drill to drown my nerves for the meeting.

It was not my usual training routine for an important meeting, but I could forget my anxiety and nervousness by exercising my body.

What was a little unexpected, however, was that there were people other than me who were using the training site this early in the morning.

>

A skinny man has been training against a target in the training area since a few minutes ago.

In his right hand is a hatchet and in his left is a round shield made mostly of iron. From the outside, the man who was manipulating the weapons with tremendous speed and power seemed to be a man of considerable ability.

"And you used a club and a spear just now, didn't you? ......"

What caught my attention most of all was the fact that the fighting style varied greatly depending on the weapon being handled.

As I was running around the training ground, paying attention to the other trainees, I suddenly heard a voice calling me.

"Hey, boy!"

"Hmm?"

I turned around, wondering, and saw a fearless-looking man who had just been swinging an axe at a target waving his hand at me.

At any rate, he seemed to have been summoned, so I headed toward him.

The man, who looked to be in his early thirties, was at least a head taller than I was, and his body, which looked slim from a distance, looked quite well-trained upon closer inspection.

I talk to the man, who has short-cropped hair and a cut on his cheek, wondering what he is talking about.

"Can I help you?"

"I was wondering why you were training here, like me, so I just called out to you. Are you a student of Lecouvis?

"No, I'm not. I'm from the Kingdom of Lingle.

"Oh, from the Kingdom of Lingle ......."

A man with a hand on his chin and a thoughtful expression on his face.

Even I am wondering who the man in front of me is, but I wonder if he is a knight from ...... another kingdom?　I don't think that he would do something like me to tire myself out before an important meeting.

"Well, that's okay for now. ....... My name is Hyde, and I'm from the kingdom of Nirvarna.

My name is Usato Ken.

"Usato ......?　I see, he was talking about you.

Yes?"

"Yes?" "Oh, no, don't worry about it. I'm just gonna go to ....... Hmm. Excuse me.

"Whoa!"

He slaps me lightly on both shoulders and arms.

I am a little confused by the intimidating feeling, but Mr. Hyde immediately pulls his hands away and smiles broadly.

I think you and I are going to get along well!

"Huh?　Uh, yes.

I wonder what this mysterious muscle understanding is.

It's a personality I've never met before. I heard that he is from the Kingdom of Nirvarna, but I wonder if Kazuki and Welshy are really right. .......

Looking behind Mr. Hyde, we see the weapons he had just been handling in one place. Just from what we can see, there seems to be quite a variety, including clubs, spears, halberds, swords, and hatchets.

"Can you handle so many weapons?"

"I can handle many, but the less skilled ones are far from the best. But in our battles, we are sometimes expected to take the opponent's weapons. If you have your body learn how to handle weapons to a certain degree, you can anticipate the enemy's attacks and immediately treat the weapon you have taken as your own."

"I see. ......"

I never thought about that.

If you know how to handle a weapon, you know what to do when your opponent is using that weapon.

"Well, I mostly use axes and shields. Unlike the sword, the axe is not a star, but it has its good points. Can I tell you about them?

"Yes, yes, you may."

With such a twinkle in his eye, he asked, "Can I tell you about it?" I had no choice but to nod.

Mr. Hyde, nodding his head in satisfaction, moves away from me, picks up the hatchet and the round shield that he had left on the ground, and swings them lightly.

"They are strong and heavy, yet not prone to spills. In continuous combat, they are superior to swords.

"Yes, it is true that the axe is heavy with each blow and can smash an opponent's defense head-on if the wielder's strength is combined. ....... It would be more frightening if the blade were to spill over."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

He can see that.

I reminded him of Mr. Karon and told him honestly, and he seemed very happy to get a response.

"But a skilled axeman's weapon is not about power. It's about tripping them up.

"Hook?"

This is the part where you do it.

Mr. Hyde points to the sickle-shaped part of a short-handled axe.

"By hooking the opponent with this sickle-shaped return, you can seize the weapon, block his movement, or try to stop him. In this way--"

Mr. Hyde slammed the handle of the axe against the shoulder of the target, hooked the "return" and pulled it back with force, then hit the target with the edge of the circular shield he held tightly.

The target was crushed in half by the tremendous blow.

"--It can be used as a stepping stone for the next attack. Just avoiding the edge of the blade does not mean that you have lost. A hit to the shoulder can disorient you, a hit to the wrist can drop the weapon, a hit to the knee can knock you off your feet, and a hit to the neck is a far cry. So when you are dealing with a skilled axeman, you not only have to avoid the blade, but you also have to take measures afterwards."

"...... I never thought about it before."

"As long as you are swinging with force, you are not a threat. The real wielder is more interested in making sure that he takes away the opponent's fighting ability than in power."

Before I know it, I find myself listening to Mr. Hyde's words.

Although I will never use a weapon, I find the countermeasures and such to be quite useful. Some of the soldiers in the Demon Lord's army used axes, so they are quite helpful.

Seeing that I was listening to him seriously, Mr. Hyde, who had put down his shield and axe on the ground, let out a cheerful laugh.

"Ha ha ha!　I haven't seen such a young man worth teaching in a long time. All newcomers nowadays don't even try to know anything other than the weapon they are handling, at all. ...... Even in a real battle you have to fight without knowing the system of your opponent. ......They are the ones who are fighting with a weapon they have never seen before. When you're fighting a makeshift battle, are you going to fight on the spot or ......?"

Excuse me, Mr. Hyde?

Hmm?　Yeah, sorry.

I wonder, is he an instructor or something in the kingdom of Nirvarna?

His explanations were easy enough for me to understand, and above all, he has an easy-to-approach personality that doesn't give me a sense of distance from people from other countries.

"Well, I guess it's about time.

Mr. Hyde looks at the sun, which has risen at a slight angle, and mutters to himself.

"Sorry to interrupt your training, Usato.

"No, it was a good time for me as well."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. I'm going to go now. What about you?

I'm going back to the inn.

Mr. Hyde nodded at my words, turned his feet toward the exit of the training hall, and started to walk away - but on his way he turned around and waved to me.

"See you at the meeting then, young healing wizard!"

"!"

Mr. Hyde walks out of the training hall with a lively laugh.

From his last words, did he know who I was?　Did he know I was a healing wizard just from my name?

Wondering about Mr. Hyde's words, I return to the inn where there is water to wash away the sweat I have worked up.

I was soaked in the water.

After meeting the mysterious Mr. Hyde during the morning training, I dressed well and headed for the large library where the meeting was to take place.

Mr. Welsey led me through the library, and I saw Senpai and Kazuki in their new outfits.

"I look the same as usual, but Senpai and Kazuki are dressed properly.

Unlike me, who is dressed in the typical lifeguard uniform, Senpai and Kazuki are dressed in white.

They wear cloaks extending from their backs and right shoulders, and ornately decorated light armor. They are dressed in "heroic" outfits, with boots that emphasize ease of movement.

There seems to be a difference between men's and women's costumes, but both are very cool.

"Yes, yes. And the overall color is close to that of Usato's outfit, so they look consistent with each other.

"But it's going to stand out a lot when it's all white like this. ......"

Kazuki puts his hand on his cloak and smiles wryly.

It's true that the three of us standing side by side would stand out quite a bit.

As we are talking about this, Mr. Welshy, who is leading the way, looks back at us.

"It will be very picturesque when you all stand side by side.

"Is that so?"

Yes, it's true. We are about to arrive at the auditorium where the meeting will be held, so please prepare yourselves.

Oops, it's closer to the entrance than I thought.

I was expecting to have to go up some stairs since it is called a big library, but it seems to be different. After a short walk, I saw what looked like the entrance to the auditorium, just as Mr. Welshy said.

At the same time, I saw several men and women standing there with their backs to me, looking at me. Kazuki recognized them, smiled a nostalgic smile, and rushed toward them.

"It's been a while!　Chief Warrior!

"Hm?　Oh, it's Kazuki!　How are you?

There were two men and a woman.

Kazuki's voice made me look back at the men's faces, and I was absolutely stunned.

He was much taller than me and had a fearless look on his face.

"No, but he is still thin. Eat some meat.

Haha, I think I eat more than others. Oh, I'd like to introduce you to some of my friends I told you about!

"Yes, I should say hello on behalf of Nirvarna.

He looked at me, noticed me, smiled, and raised one hand as if to greet a friend.

"Oh, it's been a long time since your morning training, Usato. Once again, I am Hyde, Chief Warrior of the Nirvarna Kingdom Warriors. Please take good care of me today.

<<< What? >>

Not only the seniors but also those who seemed to be Mr. Hyde's subordinates on the other side of the room let out a stunned voice.

Well, there is no way that I could have expected such a thing to happen.

Why am I meeting the representative of the Nirvarna Kingdom before anyone else from the Lingle Kingdom?