Chapter 19: The Villainous Wife’s Holy Magic Is Alarmingly Flashy

Countless particles of light flicker and shimmer as they envelop the man lying on the bed.

Both of his arms are wrapped in bandages, and his face is twisted in pain.
Gradually, his expression softens, and by the time the light fades, he slowly opens his eyes.

“How are you feeling?
Is there any pain or discomfort?”

I gently release the hand I had been holding beside him and offer a reassuring smile.

The man blinks in confusion, then slowly sits up.
He opens and closes his hands, bends and stretches his elbows, and joy spreads across his face.

“My hands move… They don’t hurt at all…!
Amazing… The doctor said the pain and numbness would remain…!”

His delighted voice makes me breathe a heartfelt sigh of relief.
It seems the holy magic worked properly.

We are in the infirmary of the defense force’s barracks, where injured soldiers are brought after fighting magical beasts.

Since yesterday, I’ve been working here as part of the medical team for about three hours each afternoon.

When I first stepped into the infirmary yesterday, I immediately understood why the young lord had been so eager to recruit me.

The ten beds were completely over capacity, with several people lying on blankets on the floor.
A thick smell of medicine and sweat filled the room, and groans of pain echoed from all directions.

And this wasn’t even everyone.
Those in life-threatening condition had been admitted to the town hospital, and those in the rehabilitation stage were recovering at home or in their lodgings.

I had heard there were many injured, but the reality exceeded my expectations.
I felt ashamed that I had nearly refused the role of saint for purely personal reasons.

‘Alright!
If I’ve accepted this, I’ll give it my all!’

That was my resolve, but honestly, I had been anxious about whether I could really use holy magic the same way again.

In the end, I could.

Yesterday, I misjudged my magic output with my unfamiliar holy magic and nearly collapsed from exhaustion after healing only three people, but I did manage to heal them.

I did, but…

“Next patient, please allow me to treat you.”

“Y-yes…”

The man in the next bed responds nervously.

He bears traces of prior treatment all over his body, but the bandages covering the left side of his face are especially painful to see.
He had been injured in battle with a magical beast and lost his left eye.

Suppressing my hesitation, I gently cradle his cheek with both palms.

Perhaps because I’m still inexperienced, I can’t seem to activate holy magic properly unless I’m directly touching the patient.

I focus on the flow of magic circulating within me and recall the sensation from the first time I unleashed holy magic.

‘I will heal this man’s injuries!’

The moment I forcefully release my magic from my palms, a roaring sound erupts, and the man’s head is engulfed in intense flames.

“—!”

A strangled cry escapes his throat.

His uninjured eye turns toward me in fear, but I continue pouring out magic without stopping.

The flames spread to envelop his entire body, growing larger and larger until they form a pillar of fire that nearly touches the ceiling.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see one of the medical staff instinctively step back.

…Honestly, I completely understand.
Even if the flames aren’t hot, they’re golden and very much not normal.
It’s shocking.

I truly feel bad for startling everyone, but whenever I use holy magic, this is what happens.

‘This isn’t what I imagined…’

When I think of healing magic, I picture something like soft, sparkling light gently raining down.

If I remember correctly, in the novel, the heroine Liliana created holy water with her holy magic and healed people with it.

Meanwhile, my holy magic looks downright violent!

I wish I could do something about it, but for now, I can’t.

I tried infusing water with holy magic, but it remained plain water.

Still, even if the visuals are a bit… much, my holy magic does seem to have proper healing effects.

Once the flames subside and the lingering light fades, I remove my hands from the man’s face.

“S-so… how is it?”

I may not be able to restore a completely lost eye, but at the very least, I hope the pain is gone.

As I speak, the medical staff member, who had been staring blankly at the fading light, snaps back to reality and carefully removes the bandages.

Beneath them is a face without a single scratch.

Even the left eye, which had supposedly been lost, is perfectly restored.

“I can see…
I can see clearly…!”

His voice trembles, and tears of joy well up in his newly restored eye.

Cheers erupt from those watching nearby.

“I can’t believe it!
You can even restore lost parts…!”

The medical staff member’s cheeks flush with excitement.

Holy magic really is incredible.

No wonder it was treated so specially in the palace.

“Thank you so much, Saint!
I don’t know how to express my gratitude!”

The man whose eye I healed grabs both of my hands and shakes them vigorously.

“No, no, it’s nothing.
I’m just glad your injuries are healed!
But, um, being called ‘Saint’ is a bit…”

I would really prefer not to stand out.

“Of course!
‘Saint’ isn’t enough, is it!
We’ll call you Goddess!”

“No, no, no!
That’s not what I meant at all!?
I’d prefer if you just called me by my name…”

“That’s impossible.
If I get too familiar with Miss Logy, the captain will put me through hell later.”

“…What?”

He says it so seriously that my smile twitches awkwardly.

Apparently, the fact that Captain Philip Barrow has been trying to court me is common knowledge among the soldiers.

I would really prefer he not fortify the outer walls like this…

“Ah, were you talking about me?”

As if summoned by rumor, the young lord appears in the infirmary.

“Logy, how are you feeling?
You’re not pushing yourself, are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Really?
I’m grateful you’re helping, but you don’t need to collapse like yesterday.”

“I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”

Yesterday, I ran out of magic after healing just three people.

Today, the man with the eye was already my fifth patient.

I feel like I could handle two or three more.

Since awakening to holy magic, my magic reserves have increased dramatically.

Maybe I’m still in a growth phase, even now.

“Miss Logy’s holy magic is truly amazing!
You’re practically our savior!”

Hearing the excited report from the medical staff, the young lord’s expression brightens.

“Logy, thanks to you joining the medical team, we may finally be able to rebuild the defense force.
Please continue to help us.”

“If there’s anything I can do.”

I don’t know the full extent of what I’m capable of, but I’ll do what I can.

I can’t ignore those suffering right in front of me.

And supporting the defense force, who protect the town, ultimately helps protect Lowell too.

When I take the hand the young lord offers, he lifts it high and looks around the infirmary.

“Everyone, listen!
The Logy standing here is the miraculous saint sent by the gods to Diudo, our light of hope!
She will surely heal your wounds as well!”

Cries of “Long live the Saint!” erupt throughout the room.

Of course I intend to do my best, but could we tone it down a little!?

As if sensing my discomfort, the young lord leans close and whispers in my ear.

“By emphasizing your existence as a saint, we give everyone hope and raise morale dramatically.
Will you indulge me just a little longer?”

“Ugh…”

It’s true that the infirmary, which had felt so dark and heavy yesterday, is now filled with a brighter, forward-looking atmosphere.

Seeing that makes it hard to refuse.

“I-I’ll do my best…”

I respond to the spontaneously generated saint chant with an awkward smile.

“And one more piece of good news for everyone.”

The young lord raises his voice, and the chanting finally subsides.

“The Royal Army’s monster-subjugation corps is being dispatched from the capital!
They are elite specialists in fighting magical beasts.
With their cooperation, we will not fall behind!”

Cheers fill the infirmary.

Meanwhile, I swallow quietly.

‘The monster-subjugation corps… that’s the unit commanded by Adolphus, right!?
…No, but there’s no way the general himself would come all the way to this frontier…’

I desperately try to calm my pounding heart.

In The Black Wolf General’s Beloved Flower, there was never a scene where Adolphus personally traveled to a frontier town.

That’s exactly why I chose Diudo as my place of escape.

“Even so, relying entirely on the monster-subjugation corps would be a disgrace to our defense force.
They are expected to arrive in a week.
I hope as many of our soldiers as possible will recover by then!
Saint Logy, for that purpose as well, please lend us your strength.
Grant your blessing to our defense force.”

The young lord lowers a reverent, almost-kiss to the back of the hand he’s still holding.

The loudest cheers yet erupt in the infirmary.

“Young lord!
That was too much!”

Amid another wave of saint chanting, I whisper my protest as he flicks his hair back again.

At that moment, I had no idea.

That General Adolphus Duer himself would personally lead the unit to this frontier.

That our reunion was only one week away.