Chapter 31: In the Name of Her Holiness! What Did You Do?!
A month later.
Nith had been sitting alone in Kyouka’s basement, his arms hanging low. Beneath them stood large buckets, their open mouths drinking his blood.
So much blood dripped down his arms that it would take at most an hour to completely fill the buckets.
This scene would cause many weak-minded people to lose consciousness, as Nith’s arms had deep lacerations cutting through his flesh.
In a few places, his bones peeked through the gaping wounds, and the metallic odor of blood hung in the air.
A moment later, the door opened, ushering in Kyouka and a tall man draped in white robes. The man seemed at least twenty years older than the brilliant alchemist, with short hair and a beard streaked with white.
A red scarf wrapped around his neck, which, in combination with his robes, betrayed his occupation—a healer from a church.
He wore a kind expression sculpted with reverence toward his goddess. That didn’t last long as Nith’s wounds came into view, stopping him in his tracks.
“In the name of Her Holiness, Saintess Evangeline, what in the world happened to him?!” he screamed at the top of his lungs.
Fortunately, Kyouka closed the door and pressed her back against it.
Awkwardly smiling, she said, “He had a few unfortunate alchemy experiments.”
“It looks to me like you’ve used him for your alchemy, Ms. Kyouka! As an ingredient!” the healer retorted, not too far from the truth.
“You’ve got it…” Kyouka turned her eyes away, whistling, “…wrong.”
“Have I?” The healer squinted at the woman, whose body language said more than her words and was far more honest than her lips.
Not pressing further, since it wasn’t his job to investigate what had happened to Nith, but to heal him, the elderly man approached and introduced himself while attending to his wounds.
“I’m Henrik, a devoted follower of Her Holiness Saintess Evangeline, as well as the patron of our capital’s only orphanage. Allow me to see to your wounds, for Ms. Kyouka’s sake.”
“Aren’t you already doing that?” Nith replied, staring at the healer, who was placing his arms on the workbench.
The healer had unrolled a scroll on the workbench’s surface beforehand. The intricate language written on the scroll didn’t get sullied by Nith’s blood. Even the paper seemed water- or perhaps blood-proof.
“What is this?” Nith asked, intrigued.
“It’s a script that helps me see into your wounds and focus my healing magic on the injuries, starting with the most urgent ones. These are severe, advanced wounds, which will take time. I also advise Ms. Kyouka to leave, as it will get dirty, smelly, and loud.”
“I’ll stay,” Kyouka replied.
The man kindly smiled before activating his healing magic. A gentle green light, tinged with golden sparkles, blossomed from within Nith’s wounds on both arms.
A few breaths later, black pus oozed out in abundance, as if Nith’s lacerations had turned into volcanoes.
The smell of blood was overshadowed by the dense odor of the pus. The scroll beneath Nith’s arms absorbed it, but so much of it constantly leaked out that the disgusting smell still hung in the room.
“FUCK!” Nith screamed, his eyes narrowed and eyebrows knitted. His grim expression became even more devilish as the excruciating pain assaulted him. He perspired heavily, and his chest heaved.
Kyouka supported him, lending a hand and wiping away his sweat. She seemed prepared, wearing a mask over her lips and nose. That said, anyone could tell she worried a lot about Nith.
What if something went wrong, and he’d never be able to use his arms?
‘That would be karma, and I’d take care of him for the rest of his life,’ Kyouka thought, not as concerned as she appeared.
Henrik whispered, “You used potions, didn’t you? Potions fall short with severe injuries and leave behind too many impurities, which in turn prevent the immune system from doing its work. You stubbornly wanted to cut corners, didn’t you?”
This time, the man pierced Nith with his stare.
Nith gasped and forced a smile. “That much was required for us to come closer to creating a healing potion beyond high grade! Ugh! Fuck! For fuck’s sake! Heal me faster!”
“If healing were this effortless, I’d have much more free time. Since you brought this upon yourself, I’d appreciate it if you kept the insults and demands to yourself.”
Kyouka nodded. “Mr. Henrik is right. Cut it out.”
“…shit.” Nith cursed much quieter.
“He’s trying,” Henrik said with a warm smile.
Kyouka reciprocated his smile. “He is.”
–
“Thank you for coming here on such short notice,” Kyouka said, bowing slightly to the healer, whose schedule was much busier than hers.
He shook his head. “It’s the first time you’ve requested help from us. I owed you this much. It’s thanks to you that many of my students are still hanging on.”
Orphans never had smooth sailing.
Even if one turned out to be smart and talented, the chances of living a life better than that of a commoner were low, all because of their lack of a surname. Most orphans decided to become adventurers because of this and dreamed of gaining real fame through strength and bravery.
In this dangerous occupation, being prepared was a must.
Kyouka’s cheap potions and their high quality had saved many lives due to being available to everyone.
Much to Kyouka’s reluctance for anyone to feel indebted to her, Henrik truly felt so. Therefore, when she arrived at the orphanage, he decided to sacrifice a day for her needs.
Recalling Nith and his arms, now in a cast for twenty-four hours, Henrik said, “You two shouldn’t be this reckless. I’d love for a healing potion matching healing magic to hit the market, but not at the cost of you losing your beloved one, Ms. Kyouka.”
“I understand… it’s my fault for giving in to him…”
“I’m at your disposal. My debt to you weighs much more.”
“That… I have to thank you for again,” Kyouka said with a bright smile.
