A few days have passed since Acella’s magical incident. In the end, she never told me what spell she used that day.
Since I didn’t really feel any changes in my body, I decided to let it go.
Seymour’s strategies seemed to be working, as Acella was excitedly practicing magic every day. Her mana circuit was in better shape than before, and she was brimming with vitality.
Like a fish that had been trapped in an aquarium returning to the river, she was hopping around everywhere.
I used to think Acella’s magic was inherently dangerous, but now that I knew she wouldn’t use it to destroy the world, I guess it’s not so bad.
If she’s happy, that’s a good thing, right?
“Oh, come on.”
“What’s wrong?”
Tanya asked me, perhaps noticing how strange I looked alone, clearing my throat.
“Just… I think people’s thoughts do change.”
“Endlessly,” she replied.
I never expected my attitude toward Acella to change this much.
“And the Royal Princess has changed a lot too.”
Tanya seemed to catch the meaning of my words right away.
As we were about to leave the palace, Bruno’s large figure caught my eye.
There were three others by his side—the Elf Guards.
“Oh, Doctor!”
Valen rushed toward me, his face a mixture of indignation and eagerness, looking like he wanted to vent some opinions.
However, his mouth was stuck for quite a while because he was too busy shoving a bunch of roasted corn and other street food into it.
“Would you like to speak first, or eat first?”
“Om nom nom.”
Valen gestured for me to wait, then dumped all the food on Bruno before standing in front of me again.
Perhaps he felt dissatisfied, as he took another bite out of some fried potatoes.
“What’s this, the Central Square Market? Look at this! There’s endless delicious food spread out! Unbelievable!”
The Elf, who had just emerged from the forest after hundreds of years, was utterly captivated by human civilization’s wisdom.
“Have you gone up on that castle wall over there? You could shoot arrows from there and hit a griffon right on the forehead!”
Bragging about it, Valen suddenly tilted his head, sensing some discomfort.
“Wait a minute. Did those high elves see this and fall into depravity too…? Hey, Doctor, are you up to something?”
This is amusing.
It feels like I’ve spilled the first ink on a blank canvas.
“Haha, no way. Since you’ve guarded us on a long journey, I was hoping to return the favor. I’m glad you enjoyed the sightseeing.”
“Uh, return the favor. Right.”
Valen, who looked rough around the edges, surprisingly had a pure heart—a fun elf, indeed.
“Make sure to let us know when it’s time to return. We need permission to use the teleport gate, you know.”
“Return… right, we have to.”
Valen sneaked a glance at his snacks and licked the salt off his lips.
“When do you expect to leave? In about a week?”
“Hmm. That’s about how long I was thinking.”
Pamhelm, who had been listening, answered instead.
“Next week then.”
Valen crossed his arms, looking disappointed, accepting there was no other choice.
Now’s the time.
“Well, if you enjoyed the Empire that much, you could stay a little longer.”
“Really?!”
Valen’s eyes sparkled at my suggestion.
“Of course. We have a custom of treating guests with care. How about six months? It’s not much different from a week, right?”
“Six months, huh. That’d be fine.”
Valen glanced at Pamhelm, who didn’t seem to oppose the idea either.
Bruno, sensing something odd from the conversation, tilted his head in confusion.
“Then let’s impose upon you just a little longer.”
“Yes, feel free to stay as long as you like.”
“Well then, let’s do that.”
Valen couldn’t hide his excitement as he perked up his long ears.
“But where are you guys headed now?”
“There’s a big event happening in the square right now. Would you like to come watch?”
“An event? Sounds good! I noticed there were more people today than yesterday. Pamhelm, let’s hurry up!”
Valen was all fired up as he led the way.
Bruno glanced at me and quietly asked, “Six months?”
“Elves aren’t in a rush.”
“Hm. The Thunder Tribe wasn’t like that.”
“Well, isn’t that a relief?”
If Gishta had the same sense of time as an elf, she might still be stuck in the north.
We headed toward the Inner Palace.
The building stretched between the Central Square and the Imperial Palace area, taking the rooftop of the Inner Palace as the perfect spot to see the square.
It seemed the word had gotten out because doctors and healers had rushed to gather in droves.
“Doctor! Look, I’ve saved you a spot!”
Thanks to Chloe, we had an excellent view of the square and the castle ramparts.
“There are so many more people now. What kind of event is this?”
Bruno replied to Valen’s question.
“It’s a parade. When a knight order achieves a great feat outside, the Empire’s people welcome them back like this.”
“Huh, did they catch a dragon or something?”
“Not a dragon, but apparently a hydra.”
“…Really? That’s a disaster-level demon!”
Valen and Bruno couldn’t ask more questions as the cheers of the Empire’s people deafened them when the gate to the castle ramparts opened.
The seat was meant for just one person.
I once even raced up to that back area to fight the Emperor, Acella.
As the Emperor revealed himself, countless subjects bent low, paying their respects.
His figure at the official setting was so firm it could be considered the Empire itself.
It was hard to imagine he was a body that needed 24-hour care from attending physicians while bedridden.
As he vigorously raised his arm, the brass band began to play.
Before long, cavalry knights started coming into the square one by one.
The Second Division, under the Moonlight Palace.
“They have returned!”
“The hero of the century has appeared!”
The Empire’s subjects cheered, throwing prepared flowers.
The marching knights slowed their horses, responding to the crowd.
During the procession, Chloe exclaimed, wide-eyed.
“Doctor, over there! There she is!”
“Oh, she looks healthy.”
Even from a distance, our doctor in white stood out clearly.
At the front, Hugo stood still as if carved in stone, tense for some reason. I almost burst into laughter and ended up smacking Chloe’s thigh.
“I heard this dungeon expedition was a pretty big deal.”
Tanya said.
“There was a dungeon break, and they suddenly had to fight dangerous demons. An entire territory almost got wiped out, but fortunately, they stopped the demons before they could escape.”
“Our doctor played a huge role too! There were no casualties at all!”
Chloe excitedly added.
A loud cheer erupted suddenly.
In the middle of the procession, proudly sitting on a snow-white horse.
Lishe waved her arms with a bright smile.
It’s been about a month and a half since I last saw her.
Lishe now exuded the aura of a hero, no one could deny she was in her prime.
She had protected the safety of the Empire with her extraordinary abilities, and the Emperor himself had come to commend her for it. Quite an honor.
Before entering the palace, the knight order briefly paused to wait for the Emperor’s command.
Every citizen gathered in the square was overwhelmed by the historical moment, holding their hearts with excitement.
It reassured the people while affirming to the outside world that the hero belonged to the Empire—a flawless event.
Though I couldn’t make a proper diagnosis from afar, Lishe looked healthy.
I was a bit concerned that she had been using only her left arm for a while.
The Emperor began a brief speech directed at Lishe and the knight order. His voice was amplified through an enhancement spell, reaching all the Empire’s citizens.
—“Hero, who brings safety to the Empire and peace to the continent. The Empire…”
In the midst of it all, as Lishe turned her head left and right, she suddenly beamed a smile.
Ah, actually, she locked eyes with me.
She abruptly hopped off her horse, abandoning the Emperor’s speech, and dashed toward the Inner Palace.
The crowd started to stir.
Reaching the first floor of the Inner Palace in a flash, she shouted toward the rooftop—toward me—with an thunderous voice.
“Teacher Gothberg! I missed you!”
Yeah, me too.
But not like this.
*
Returning to the Moonlight Palace, I received a brief report from Hugo.
It was a rather dangerous situation, but I thought it had to be a good experience for our doctors.
However, one thing was amiss. I checked the treatment chart for Lishe, who had sustained injuries from the corrosive poison while defeating the hydra, and it caught my attention.
“What will the hero do?”
Tanya asked me.
“Do whatever; Acella has given orders, so I can’t talk for long.”
“That’s true.”
“But I do need to do an examination. The medical staff mishandled the treatment, but they had no equipment to work with.”
“Will that be alright?”
“What do you think Acella will say?”
“Right. Now the people of the Empire know that the hero was looking for you first.”
Tanya shrugged her shoulders.
The square was quite a mess.
Still, I wanted to confirm the progress through counseling. I headed to meet the resting Lishe.
“Oh, Doctor!”
Lishe, swinging her legs while sitting on a makeshift bed in the break room, jumped up like a puppy seeing its owner return.
“It’s been a while, hero.”
“Really! Do you know how happy I was to see you?”
Lishe’s face, beaming with her teeth on display, looked significantly better than before.
Perhaps the outdoor activities had a positive effect; her condition was good, and her posture was poised.
[No. 010: Holy Sword Destruction 68% → 55%]
[No. 014: Unbinding 61% → 42%]
[No. 042: Hero’s Last 16% → 8%]
The probabilities of bad endings occurring for Lishe had also significantly decreased overall.
It served as ample evidence of her growth as a hero.
“I was happy to see you too, but I was a little surprised back there.”
“Ugh, I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold back… hehe.”
Lishe bit her tongue and scratched her head.
“Let’s see to your examination first. Your right arm is uncomfortable, isn’t it?”
“Wow, how did you know?”
“You were waving with only your left arm throughout the parade. You’re right-handed, right? The corrosive poison from the hydra must have damaged your biceps and deltoid. It seems the healing spell went in without proper initial response, causing it to twist.”
“Ehheh, Doctor always keeps a close eye on everything.”
Lishe shrugged her shoulders.
I chuckled lightly and asked her.
“Did you intentionally get hurt this time?”
“Oh, no! Really, really, I swear! I’ve reflected a lot… and I took the medicine you gave me properly.”
Lishe pouted with her lips, fingers interlocked.
Unlike before, she didn’t seem obsessed with [Sanctification] even when she was with me.
“Alright then. Let’s have a look at your right arm.”
“Okay!”
Lishe answered cheerfully. Her symptoms were indeed improving.
There wasn’t much I needed to do; she would surely grow into an excellent hero.
As Lishe sat on the bed and casually took off her leather vest, her healthy shoulder and collarbone came into view.
As I lifted her right arm to cast a spell, she suddenly grabbed my arm.
Lishe turned to me, a sultry smile on her face.
“Ras, I endured so well.”
No, it’s Charles.
“I want a prize.”
Sure, if it’s something I can give you, I have plenty.
I opened the [Alchemy] menu.
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