Chapter 16: Re-Treatment

“Are you moving to the borderlands?”

“I haven’t decided yet, but Father Ryuse brought it up.”

I decided to talk it over with my roommate, Angela.

I didn’t explain everything in detail.

But it was too big a decision to make alone.

“I see.
But honestly, Ellen, staying at this church might be a waste of your talent.”

“I don’t think it’s that impressive.”

“Mm, you might not realize it yourself, but learning healing magic isn’t easy at all.”

“…Is that so?”

I don’t remember struggling that much, though.

“But you picked it up so easily.
That means you really are talented.”

“…I see.”

I knew I had aptitude, but to be evaluated that highly.

If that was the case, maybe I should take it more seriously.

“Hey, Angela.
This is a bit of a different topic.”

“What is it?”

“…You can’t heal ‘old wounds’ with healing magic, right?”

“Hmm.”

I was thinking about Sir Claudius’s arm, the knight who would be traveling with me.

“You should be able to ease the pain.
But completely healing an old injury is generally considered difficult.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Did something happen?”

“Actually…”

I explained the circumstances of the knight traveling with me, leaving out the internal trouble of the ducal house.

It wouldn’t be right to spread that kind of internal conflict.

Honestly, it probably wasn’t something I should have been told either.

Maybe Father Ryuse and the others just wanted someone to hear them out.

Ah, maybe I should have done the same.

There are still emotions smoldering somewhere inside me.

I feel relieved to be free of it all, yet I still couldn’t accept how the divorce was handled.

I have no lingering feelings for my former husband, absolutely not.

Even if I had loved him with all my heart, that treatment would have killed a hundred years of affection.

If anything, my only regret is thinking I should have punched him once before leaving.

I only chose the safest option because I sensed the presence of someone with malicious intent.

I don’t think that someone was my former husband, though.

“So, someone with those circumstances…
But maybe it hasn’t been that long since he was injured?”

“I didn’t ask about the exact timing.
But he’s still young, and since he only recently started struggling to make a living, I think…”

“Then it probably isn’t that old an injury.
Even when we say ‘old wound,’ the degree matters.
Has anyone checked properly?”

“…So.”

“We don’t actually know whether it’s truly an ‘incurable old injury.’”

“So we shouldn’t give up hope yet.”

“Exactly.
Maybe just ‘not yet,’ but still.”

“That makes sense.
But would it be a burden to make him undergo treatment again if it might not work?”

“You should talk to Father Ryuse about it.”

“I will.
Thank you for listening, Angela.”

I immediately went to consult Father Ryuse about re-treating Sir Claudius’s arm.

Father Ryuse looked troubled.

“I appreciate your concern, but he already received treatment from the ducal house’s healers.”

“Is that so?
But if that were the case, wouldn’t a wound like that have healed completely?”

“Well…”

“Um, I know this is presumptuous of someone like me, but.”

“What is it?”

“Sir Claudius was injured due to conflict within the knight order, and the opponent was the knight commander, someone of high rank, correct?”

“That’s what I’ve been told.”

“Then isn’t it possible that the treatment was deliberately delayed, or ineffective on purpose?
If it was jealousy, they wouldn’t want him returning to full strength.
Otherwise, there would be no point.”

Father Ryuse looked surprised.

“…You’re right.
I heard the treatment was delayed, which limited the recovery.
But perhaps they never intended to heal him properly.”

“I don’t know the exact power dynamics, but it’s possible, isn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

That meant Sir Claudius might never have received proper treatment at all.

It looked healed, but the injury itself remained severe.

“I’ve been told I have talent in healing magic.
Even if full recovery is difficult, I might at least ease the pain.
Since he’s to accompany me, I’d like to do everything I can first.”

There are special cases, like bones healing improperly, but generally, healing magic doesn’t hurt to try.

At worst, nothing changes.

Giving false hope is a concern, but still.

“…Are you sure?
Then please, I would appreciate it.”

Sir Claudius readily agreed to re-treatment.

“Thank you for accepting such an impulsive suggestion.”

“Not at all.
I’m the one receiving treatment.
I should be thanking you.”

“In that case, let’s begin right away.”

“Yes, please.”

Sir Claudius removed his jacket again, exposing his upper body.

With his right arm impaired, it looked difficult.

Seeing him up close, his body was clearly well trained.

He had been the best in his former knight order.

And yet he had been driven out for such an unreasonable reason.

I felt a sense of kinship.

More than compassion, I felt anger.

‘I will heal him no matter what.’

With that resolve, I poured all my magic into it.

It was almost like lashing out.

Someone suffering unjustly should never be left that way.

There was no way I could accept it.

“────!”

I released my magic at full power.

I rarely did anything like this.

Healing magic isn’t about raw output.

But still.

A torrent of light burst forth.

I was completely reckless.

I will heal you.
I absolutely will.

“…What?”

“This is…”

Father Ryuse and Sir Claudius were left speechless.

Full power, no holding back, charging straight ahead.

Eventually, the torrent of light subsided and converged.

“…Phew.”

Feeling oddly satisfied, I stopped the magic.

I felt dizzy.

Of course I would.

Magic may be invisible, but it’s still something I expend.

“Wha…”

“How is it?
Has the pain eased?”

Even though it had been reckless.

Looking at his arm, I was surprised myself.

The visible injury was completely gone.

That alone could be called a success.

“This is…”

Sir Claudius stared, then swung his right arm.

“…It moves.”

“What?”

“It moves.
Um… like before.”

“What?”

Father Ryuse and I looked at each other.

Did it really heal completely?

“Don’t rush.
Check carefully.
Don’t overdo it.”

“Y-Yes.”

Sir Claudius slowly tested his range of motion.

Then he stood, performed a formal salute, and mimicked sword forms with empty hands.

“…There’s no pain.
This might be… fully healed.”

Still stunned, he looked at his arm, then at me.

We probably all wore the same expression.

This was far beyond what we expected.

“U-Um…?”

Father Ryuse slowly raised a fist, like fulfilling an obligation.

‘This is where we celebrate, right?’ his expression seemed to say.

“Y-Yes… we did it?”

I followed suit and celebrated too.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected this outcome at all.

I didn’t know how to react.

A person’s life had just changed completely.

That no one said ‘Wait, seriously?’ might have been the real miracle.

“Th-Thank you…!
Sister Ellen!”

It took the three of us some time to fully accept the miracle we had just witnessed.