The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

The next day, we were on our way to a nearby village to get some food to share.

Aruk-san was walking with his horse a little behind, Burlyn, Amako and I in front of him, and I thought that our journey would continue as usual today, but ...... today was a little different.

"......!"

"Mister Amaco?"

What's wrong?

Suddenly, Amaco puts his hands over his ears.

I wonder if his beastly ears, which are so different from human ears, caught something. I, too, put my hands over my ears and focus my attention, trying to hear the distant voices.

>

A woman ...... No, a girl's voice?

I stop and listen more closely. Then there is a rustle in the trees and a voice that sounds like a scream...

<>

Usato!

I know!

You hear a girl scream for help, and you start to run.

I don't know what's going on, but I know it's an emergency. If we all move together, it will be too late, so I, the fastest, go ahead to help her. Amako and the others can come later.

We climbed up the gentle slope surrounded by trees at full speed, and at the end of the slope, we saw several figures. I looked into the distance and saw a girl of about the same age surrounded by a group of people wearing tattered clothes.

"There they are!"

They don't seem to have harmed her yet, but from the looks of the people around her, they don't seem to be normal people. They have pale skin and lifeless eyes.

If we don't help them as soon as possible, we don't know what they will do to us.

Get down!

I say to the girl who notices me running toward her and tries to call for help, and I throw the magic bullet I've created at her with all my might.

The magic bullet flies straight at the man surrounding the girl and hits him directly, engulfing about two people and blowing them away.

I reached the group while they were still in the air, and I took the girl in my arms and fell back at once to make sure she was safe and sound.

"Are you okay?　Are you hurt?

Are you hurt? What happened to ...... that ...... just now?"

A girl looks up at you with dazed eyes.

She has shoulder-length brownish hair and beautiful amber eyes. She was frightened, so she gazes at me with moist eyes, and I gasp.

"......!"

I don't know what happened, but I fell in love with her.

I'm not the type to fall in love at first sight with a girl I just met. Am I losing my tolerance for normal girls because I've been involved with too many women with strange personalities?

Shaking off the evil thoughts, I set the girl down on the ground.

"Stay behind me. My friends will be here soon. ...... I'll take care of these guys."

Yes, yes. ......

The problem is the group in front of me.

They are not bandits by the looks of them, nor are they monsters of any kind.

Their clothes are as tattered as a hobo's, and their arms are slung over their heads. And lifeless eyes staring at you through the gaps in his bangs.

So you're a pervert. ....... There are perverts in every world, aren't there?

"Why did you try to attack her? ......

Ignores attempts at dialogue.

The ones who were hit by the healing magic bullets are standing up as if nothing happened.

...... threaten them.

"Those guys are ........."

"I don't know what you were trying to do to this girl, but if you get any closer, you're going to get your arm ripped off. If you don't like it, tell me why you were going to attack this girl, and if anyone was planning to do it... be prepared, you scum."

"......"

"...... hmm?　What is it now?

"Nothing, nothing, nothing."

When I turned around, I saw a girl with a pale face shaking her head.

It seems that I had threatened not the group in front of me but the girl behind me.

On the other hand, the group in front of me was not intimidated by my words, but instead came closer to me.

"huh ......"

Exhaling a sigh, I make the gasping girl back up and silently put healing magic in my fist.

"Ugh!"

"I can't help it. ...... Don't feel bad!　You back off!

Hi ...... yes!

With an eerie roar, he grabs one of the perverts who attacked him by the arm and pulls him back as hard as he can, striking him in the gut with a fist covered in healing magic.

He swings his fist lightly and punches the pervert five meters away. He slowly readjusts his outstretched fist as the pervert slams to the ground, rolls around, and goes limp and quiet.

What do you think ......?　It's a gentle blow. It should be enough to knock him out.

"What do you mean ......?"

Behind me, there is a girl who is very upset, but I guess she is surprised at the power of my fist.

I look at the guy I punched away, feeling a little sad that I've gotten used to that reaction.

......So hard, was he hiding a steel plate or something?　Sorry to say, but it didn't feel like hitting a person.

Feeling the discomfort in his fist, he turns his attention to the rest of the guys ......, but is surprised to see the guy he punched get up with a slithering motion.

"You're up,......, you're sturdy, aren't you!"

His abdomen is caved in!

Why?　I didn't put that much power into it. And my healing magic can't have worked.

No, wait! How can you even stand up?

Ugh!"""Ugh!"""

"d*mn ......"

The suspicious people who had been standing eerily still attacked us in numbers.

Confused, I responded with my fists covered in healing magic, but they were all unusually hard and fragile. It is as if I am punching a tree trunk.

Are these guys magic-incapable?　Are they not human but some kind of creature?

Either way..,

"Healing punches don't work: ......"

"Geez!"

I was shocked as I hit one of them who jumped at me with a healing punch.

I never thought my technique would be blocked in such a way. .......

An enemy whose healing magic doesn't work, and can't even be stunned.

"I am ......

"Ugh!"

He kicks two of them together with a spinning kick, grabs the arm of one that tries to grab him from the side, and swings him around, knocking him to the ground.

"What should I do? ......"

"Aghaah!"

As soon as he releases his grip on the arm, the magic bullet generated in his palm strikes the face of the other one that is attacking him from behind. New technique, Healing Eye Blindness, --- he delivers a fist to the target, who is blinded by a gentle blinding blow to the eyes with a healing magic bullet, and crashes it into a nearby tree.

"...... no effect of healing magic can be seen, or ......."

I watch them all get up in unison, sighing for the second time today.

Healing Punch...... no, I didn't think an attack with healing magic could be broken so quickly. What in the world are these guys? Are they some kind of race?　Either way, it's still creepy.

"Why don't you just hit him!　Are you stupid, Usato?

"No, I know, but... ......"

"Geez!"

Amako, who was knocked down to the ground by a suspicious person who jumped at her with a sword, yelled back at her, her breath coming in shaky gasps.

I'm not obsessed with the healing punch, so there are plenty of ways to do it. The healing punch is just a punch that I can hit with a certain amount of force and the opponent will still be safe, so if you care about the opponent, you can just restrain him or knock him down.

"You've done it again with a bang. ...... Usato-sama."

"Yes. Huh..."

I hear Mr. Aruk's troubled voice when he sees the scene in front of him and exhale in relief.

I have learned from fighting them that they are strong in arms but slow in everything else.

They are not like demons or humans. They seem to me to be ravenous beasts, grunting and lashing out, just trying to get a bite of the prey in front of them.

Who are these people?

"......Usato-dono's healing magic doesn't work, and their bodies are in shambles,...... I've never seen them before, but perhaps they are--"

Injured, but not bleeding, they get up again and again.

Mr. Aruk looked at them and said one word, a name that could be applied to them.

Zombie.

It was the name of a famous monster in my former world.

"Zombie, is it? ......"

"A corpse that moves even after death. No matter what wounds it sustains, it continues to move, and although it is slow, it has a strength that exceeds the limits of humans.

Demons, not humans.

I know a little about zombies in this world. I know only from the text, but zombies as monsters are dead people who are summoned by a specific monster and controlled by it as a puppet.

There is no such thing as infection and of course a scratch or a bite does not turn you into a zombie.

"So, if this guy is a zombie, then there is a being somewhere controlling ......?"

"Probably."

Either way, it makes sense why healing magic doesn't work. Since zombies are mediated by dead humans, it is only natural that healing magic that works on living creatures would not work on them.

I release the healing spells on my limbs.

No further healing magic is needed. The only thing left to do now is to sink them through purely physical combat.

"Their effective means of attack are attacks with holy power, such as Kazuki-sama's light magic, and..."

Aruk-san, who had stepped in front of me, drew his sword and unsheathed it.

A line of flame runs from the blade and strikes the zombie in front of me, causing it to burst into flames.

This is a flame magic. He lit a magical flame at the tip of his sword and released it at the same time he drew his sword. ....... Cool, I guess this is what a stylish sword drawer looks like.

While I was secretly admiring Aruk-san's technique, the individual who was directly hit by the flames and the zombies around him changed their expressionless faces and started to moan as if they were shivering in fear.

"Geez, ah......aaaah!"

"They are weak against fire. Leave the rest to me."

"...... please."

The zombies' faces are distorted with fear as they run away like spiders from the fire that Mr. Aruk has just unleashed.

Are zombies vulnerable to fire because they are zombies? Well, they certainly felt like dead wood, so it can't be helped that they are easily flammable. ......?

"Well, anyway,...... Amako, is the girl all right?"

"Yeah,...... I don't think she's hurt."

"Guar."

She turns around and asks Amako and Bulrin, who were protecting her, if the girl is safe.

I mean, Amako, I knew you hide your face with a hood when you are dealing with people other than us. Well, it's better that way in order not to cause unnecessary friction in the current situation.

"Thank you for rescuing me from a dangerous situation ......, my name is Nair!　Thank you for the ......!"

"Oh, oh ......"

The zombies are gone and the fear seems to have faded.

Her dazzling smile made me involuntarily avert my gaze.

"Are you the girl who lives in the nearby village?"

"Yes."

The girl who was almost attacked by a group of zombies, Nair.

She is a resident of a nearby village, and she was in that situation when she encountered zombies outside the village in search of medicinal herbs, and we were lucky enough to save her and she survived.

Now she wants to thank us for our help, so we are guiding her to the village.

Surprisingly, this girl was not afraid of the Bulgarian people. The students in Lukvis were so scared of him that they would have been scared of us if they saw him, but Neah did not show any sign of fear, in fact she even smiled.

......They may have the audacity to go outside the village by themselves, and they may also have a lot more guts than we thought.

Usato, you have great magic, don't you?

"Yeah?　Great magic ......?"

"I've never seen anyone who can make zombies fly so easily or make magic bullets fly so fast. Is it a physical strengthening type of magic?　Or are you using the wind system to increase your speed?　No, is it a rare magic of the gravity system?

Is it correct to assume that I am being told that I am inhuman in a roundabout way?

"Pfft......"

Amaco, did you just laugh?

Amako, who hides her face with the hood on her head and shakes her shoulders, glares at me once and smiles awkwardly at Mr. Nair, who turns his sparkling eyes on her.

The smile that reminds me of innocence is too dazzling for my dirty mind. .......

I'm a healer,......," he said.

"......... is?　Healing,wizard,...... but a healing wizard is not a magic that heals people,......"

"So, that ...... earlier was usually solved with just fighting, so I didn't use much magic."

When I say this, Nair rolls her eyes. I guess she had no idea that the magic she was using was the healing magic that is said to have no other function than to heal.

"I mean, ......, you just said ........."

"It's not hard to be surprised at all the magic-less meatballs ....... Usato is a brainy healing magician."

Patience, I'm in front of Nair. ......... I'll punish Amako later. .........

"Ha-ha-ha, you're right about him using magic in unconventional ways, but it's true that many lives have been saved thanks to him."

Nair came back to himself after Aruk-san's exquisite follow-up and turned his head to look at me, perhaps thinking that he had been rude to me.

"No!　I was just surprised. I didn't mean to make fun of you or anything!

"Ummm...yes. I don't mind.

I reply to Nair, who is getting upset when she comes at me with a desperate look on her face. For some reason, I can't make eye contact with this girl.

She is not as curious as Inukami-senpai, nor as vivacious and cheerful as Uluru-san. If I had to say something, I would say that she reminds me of an abandoned puppy.

At best, they are protective. At worst, it's mocking.

"Close, close, close."

"What!　I'm sorry. ......"

Nair realizes that he was close enough to breathe on her, and takes about three steps backward, his face turning bright red. I felt the heat on my face as she did so.

Hey, come on, you don't think this is ...... a little...?

"Hmph!"

"Ugh!　Amako, what the hell are you doing?

"...... Usato will be cheated by a woman in the future. I'm sure of it."

"Huh?

What the hell is that?　If someone else said that to me, I'd think it was jealousy, but if you said it to me, I'd be worried!　Suddenly, Amako kicks me in the shin with her foot-knife, and I can't hide my shudder at her words.

"You're too flirty. I can't stand to watch it.

"Oh, no, you don't. I'm more interested in whether or not the fact that I'm being tricked is foreknowledge.

"......"

Why did you stop talking there?

Nair smiles a little awkwardly, as if she has calmed down after seeing the exchange between me and Amako.

"I haven't met anyone outside of the village in a long time, so I might be a little excited.

"You mean there haven't been many visitors to the village in a long time?"

A shadow appeared on Nair's face at Mr. Arc's words.

After a moment of silence, Ms. Nair, who had been keeping her mouth shut, opens her mouth with a sad look on her face.

"That's right. ....... Zombies have started to appear and ...... we are also annoyed because of it."

I certainly wouldn't want to stop by a village with those creeps hanging around nearby. But then again, that would probably make life difficult for the merchants, too.

I should have guessed that when such an ordinary girl comes to pick medicinal herbs by herself.

I should have guessed that she went to pick medicinal herbs with reckless abandon. .......

"Do you know why the zombies came out?"

"...... No, we have no idea."

You don't even know why.

If we knew who was responsible for the zombie outbreak, there would be a lot of things we could do.

"We're at ......."

Nair's words brought me back to myself as I looked ahead.

I too looked ahead and saw the entrance to a small village with a few old houses. Although small, it was larger than I had expected, and looked more like a rural village in my former world.

That's where I was born and raised. That is the village of Iava.

Nair's face showed relief, perhaps because she was finally able to return to her village.

A closer look around the village revealed that, unlike the Lingle Kingdom and Lukvis, the outer walls were only separated from the inside by a simple wooden fence, and the buildings did not look sturdy either, but rather like slightly old wooden structures.

"Neah!

An old woman came running toward us with a voice calling for Neah from the village. I looked at her, thinking that she was probably related to Mr. Nair, and she, like the woman, ran out of the place.

"Tetra-san!"

"Good. ....... We were very worried when you went silently out of the village. ......"

An elderly woman gently hugs Ms. Nair.

"I'm sorry, but ...... we are short of medicinal herbs. ......"

"I'm fine with medicine. ....... I almost sent the young men of the village looking for it. Anyway, I'm glad you're back safe. So, are those people back there ......?"

"They are the ones who helped me when I was almost attacked by zombies. Gentlemen, this is Tetra. They are like my ...... parents."

Nair breaks his embrace with the woman, turns his body toward us, and introduces us.

Tetra looked at us suspiciously for a moment, but when she heard that we had helped Nair, she immediately returned to her kind face and bowed to us.

Thank you so much for saving her. She is really a ballsy girl and it ...... must have been very hard for her. I don't know how to thank you ......."

"Hey, hey, Tetra-san!　You're talking about me in front of my guests!"

She tries to stop him, her cheeks turning red as he talks about Nair in a sad tone.

I was a little concerned about the word "parental figure" earlier, but after seeing their exchange, I thought it was nothing to be concerned about.

"No, we're just doing what we're supposed to do!

Oh, that line sounds so commonplace.

Rather, I was surprised at myself for being able to say it so naturally, something I would like to say in real life.

Let's go into the village for now. Let's talk about it first!

"That's true. The three of you, the ...... horse, and the blue grizzly bear's kid, right?　I think we should move those two horses to the stables in the village.

We enter the village with Tetra and Nair.

There were many villagers in the village, except for the two of them, who were tilling their fields or taking care of their horses and cows.

As Mr. Nair had said, it was unusual for people to visit here, and the villagers paid attention to us as we entered the village.

We are travelers. We would appreciate it if you could share with us some food and other things if possible. ......"

"Don't be shy. You look tired from your long journey. Why don't you stay here for a day or so?"

"No, I'm in a hurry. Besides, we don't want to cause you any trouble.

Tetra shakes her head slowly at Aruk's words.

Our task is to deliver letters to each country. We can't be bothered for a day, no matter how much we thank him for his kindness. Mr. Aruk is right, our feelings are enough.

It's better to rest when you can. You have a small child. It is better to be well rested and fully prepared for the trip than to collapse and be stranded at the critical moment.

"But ......"

"Besides, you'd better accept the kindness of your old hag."

Tetra smiles with a cheerful smile and Aruk smiles with a resigned smile.

Nair, who is standing next to me, is also smiling.

I guess age is always a strong factor no matter where you go in the world.

"I'm a little kid...... little kid...... I'm fourteen years old......"

Amaco is secretly shocked.

Well, I'm so small that I don't look like a 14 year old from the outside.

.......

"kookku......"

"...... Usato, did you just laugh?"

"No, no, I didn't laugh at all."

"......"

Amako is amused as she punches him in the back without saying a word.

I never forget the humiliation I have received at any time. ...... almost always!　And I will return it when I can ...... only to those who can return it!

I smile but sneer inwardly, and then Aruk-san speaks to me.

"Usato-sama, she's right that you're tired from your trip, so I'll let you stay with us for a day."

"...... my healing magic can cure physical fatigue, but not mental ones."

Even though I'm used to sleeping on the ground, it doesn't mean I don't get stressed.

I feel a little sorry, but I'll take advantage of Tetra's and Nair's kindness. I show my approval to Tetra, and she nods her head in satisfaction.

"Good, good. Well then, first of all, let me show you where the two horses and the blue grizzly bear sleep.

I've heard that good deeds can do more good than good deeds, and I may be wrong. I thought so when I saw Tetra-san with a kind smile on her face.

After taking Bulrin and his horse to the stables, we were invited to the house where Nair and Tetra lived.

The house was a large two-story wooden house, a bit spacious, and to my surprise there was enough room for the three of us to be assigned to different rooms.

I was left with a strong impression of Nair's slightly sad expression as she said this with a wry smile.

We rested for a while in the private room we were led to, and when the sky was darkening, Nair visited our room and told us that dinner was ready.

When I went downstairs with Alc and Amako, I found a table that could seat about six people with warm dishes prepared by Nair and Tetra.

When Mr. Alk, myself, and Amako sat down in that order, Tetra, who was sitting in front of us, tilted her head and looked at Amako. She was still wearing a hood to cover her ears.

"Well, why do you keep wearing the hood all the time, little girl ......?"

"......"

"...... Oh, ya ...... that's ......"

We've been together so long that I completely forgot that Amaco is a beast. Nair and Tetra tilt their heads in doubt as I and Aruk stiffen in front of the dining table.

Amako, however, silently removes her hood.

"Hey, Amako, you!

Amako, with her glossy blond hair and fox ears exposed, looks at us in astonishment and shakes her head as if to say there is nothing to worry about.

"They'll be fine. I saw them."

You saw? You had a premonition?

When I hurriedly looked at Tetra and Nair, Tetra's eyes widened slightly, and Nair held her mouth with her hands and looked even wider than Tetra's.

Anyone would be surprised if a girl with animal ears suddenly appeared in front of them!　And you....

"Ha ha ha ...... This is a surprise. I didn't expect such a pretty girl to be hiding."

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

Tetra-san, who laughed with a lively smile, made an unintentional sound of dismay.　

"Humans and beasts are the same, the only difference is that we have tails or we don't. I'm not so narrow-minded as to make a problem out of it, and above all, I'm not so ungrateful as to treat Nair's benefactor with disdain."

> he said, nodding at Tetra's words.

He is a bold person in many ways. I wonder if this kind of person is called aloof. Either way, it seems that Amako can spend her time without worrying too much while she is here.

"I'm really surprised that you're a beastman, Amako-san.

Nair looks at Amako with an exclamation of "Wow! There is no malice in his eyes, and it is clear that he is looking at Amako with genuine interest.

"When I came here, I thought Usato and Amako were very good friends. Now I see that they have a strange relationship. You don't often hear of humans and beasts working together."

"Well, I'm aware that it's unusual."

I've been called weird a lot in Lukvis.

But from our point of view, your reactions are more unusual. I haven't seen anyone who hates subhumans up close yet, so I don't know how much they hate them, but I know that your friendly reactions are different from the others.

"Let's talk about it later and have dinner first. The hot meal we just made will get cold."

"That's true, too. Please enjoy your meal!

The two of us extend our hands to our food as they recommend.

The warm soup was very tasty since I had only eaten this cold dried meat and fruits. Tetra told me that Néa had made this soup for me, and I knew that she would make a good wife for me in the future.

......, am I an old man?

Thanks for the soup. It was very delicious.

"No, no, you're overreacting."

When I finished eating and said this to Neah, who had cooked dinner for me, she turned her head down, her cheeks turning vermilion, as if she was not accustomed to being praised.

......It's something I'm not used to. The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you have a good understanding of what you are doing and how you are doing it.

There's Rose, senpai, Kiriha...... and Kara too. All of them had some kind of strong part in them.

"About those zombies, ......, when did they start appearing in this neighborhood?"

"They are ......"

While Ms. Tetra was cleaning up the dishes, Mr. Alk asked Ms. Nair about it.

What is it about zombies that bothers you?

Zombies are not naturally occurring monsters. They are monsters created by someone and their behavior is determined by their creator.

"Mr. Alc?"

"......"

Mr. Alk talks to Ms. Nair, who has fallen silent as if in a deep thought, as if to ask her a question. I have no idea what Mr. Alc is trying to say, but I know that he is not the kind of person who would be harsh with a girl.

I'll just leave it to him and keep my mouth shut.

"You really know, don't you?　Probably everyone in this village knows who created the zombies."

"......"

"Mr. Nair, I know you don't want to involve us in this, but can I ask you something?"

She was upset, and I realized what Mr. Aruk was trying to get out of her.

At first, when I asked her about the zombies, she replied that she . But that was a lie out of her concern for us, she really knew who created the zombies and probably knew where they were.

"...... and ......."

I noticed that Nair, who was lying on his face, was spinning his words in broken sentences.

Maybe if Mr. Aruk and I knew the truth, we might try to defeat him who created the zombies. ......No, I'm sure I would try to defeat him somehow or other even though I'm grumbling about it.

I don't want you to do that, Nair..,

"Please help the village, help us ......."

Her tearful voice pleading for help overlapped with Amako's next to her.