Chapter 24: Don’t Fight Over Me—(Monotone)

“I would like Saint Rosy to accompany our subjugation corps.
Is that acceptable, Lord Philip?”

“I’m afraid I can’t allow you to decide that unilaterally, General Duar.
Rosy will continue her duties in our defense force infirmary as usual.”

“I fail to understand that decision.
It is our subjugation corps, facing the greater risk of injury, that requires the saint’s power most.
Is that not so?”

Adolphus turns a sharp gaze toward the young lord.

“The defense force needs her power just as much.
And do not forget—Rosy is a member of my defense force.”

The young lord wears his usual affable smile, but his eyes are anything but friendly.

(Eeeek. Please stop. Don’t fight over me—
What am I, the heroine of a retro shoujo manga!?)

Caught between the two men as invisible sparks fly, I mentally insert a useless self-retort and attempt to escape reality.

After dropping Lowell off at the church nursery, I came to the defense force headquarters and demonstrated holy magic in front of Adolphus and the subjugation corps.

Those who had already been receiving treatment in the infirmary, as well as the severely injured who had been hospitalized, had all been healed by yesterday.

On my first day, I collapsed after healing only three people.

But perhaps I found the trick, because each day I was able to treat more.

Now, I can heal about twenty people without running out of magic.

So starting today, those recuperating at home with lingering aftereffects have been asked to come to the infirmary for treatment.

The subjugation corps observed that process.

Five defense force members.

One unable to walk due to paralysis in both legs.

One who couldn’t move an arm.

Another who suffered constant full-body pain.

Each bearing serious wounds from fighting magical beasts.

I touched each one in turn and healed them with holy magic.

The golden flames burst forth as usual, and judging from the way the subjugation corps members recoiled slightly, the visual impact was… substantial.

“Um… it looks like attack magic. Is that really…?”

The one who couldn’t help voicing that doubt was Liliana.

I understand completely.

Even I think it doesn’t look like healing magic.

In the original story, Liliana’s healing took the form of holy water.

But despite the alarming visuals, it works.

The man with paralyzed legs stood up and walked.

The one who couldn’t move his arm began flexing it freely.

Each time, murmurs rippled through the subjugation corps.

The loudest gasp of the day came when I healed a man who had lost his arm from the elbow down.

Like Lowell once had, he had suffered a powerful toxin and the limb had been amputated.

Hearing that made me even more determined.

Restoring a lost body part is no simple feat, even with holy magic.

The larger the missing portion, the more magic required.

Pouring every ounce of power into it—
No, not “burning,” focusing holy-attribute magic—for a full ten minutes, the particles composing the blazing golden flame gathered at the end of his elbow and gradually took shape.

The outline sharpened.

The light intensified.

When the blinding brilliance faded, his missing arm had been fully restored.

He wept and laughed at the same time, thanking me over and over.

Even the subjugation corps members, watching from around the room, voiced open astonishment.

Many of them must have doubted whether I could truly use holy magic.

It’s rare even among nobles.

Among commoners, unheard of.

But seeing an arm regrow leaves no room for doubt.

“This is holy magic…
I never imagined it was this powerful…”

Adolphus’s blue eyes widen.

Liliana covers her mouth with both hands, her pink eyes round with shock.

“Rosa—… Rosy, you truly are an extraordinary saint.”

“Ah—th-thank you…”

Adolphus offers me a gentle smile.

I panic and instinctively avert my gaze.

Now that I think about it, this might be the first time he has ever praised me.

The first time he has ever smiled at me like that.

(Honestly… I might be a little happy.)

I clamp down hard on the corners of my mouth to stop myself from grinning.

I never expected this reaction.

I assumed he would be used to holy magic—after all, Liliana uses it.

And as a general, he has likely witnessed royalty perform it as well.

Members of the royal family rarely use holy magic publicly.

Even I, technically family, have only seen my father—the king—scatter glittering light during ceremonial performances.

Perhaps they feared cheapening its value by using it too freely.

Which is precisely why, in the novel, Liliana was so beloved—healing anyone regardless of status.

Once the demonstration ended, we moved from the infirmary to the conference room.

About ten people gathered.

From the defense force: the young lord, the vice-captain, the head of the medical unit, and me.

From the subjugation corps: Adolphus, his vice-captain, Liliana, his secretary Nathaniel, and two others.

Though the young lord had insisted I attend, I only became a part-time saint a week ago.

I have nothing meaningful to contribute.

So I shrink into the background and listen quietly.

The meeting proceeds mainly between Adolphus and the young lord.

A general strategy is decided.

The defense force will continue guarding roads, farmland, and the town.

For the first two days, the subjugation corps will operate jointly with them.

After that, they will extend operations toward the Forest of Calamity and aggressively hunt magical beasts.

Originally, they were dispatched merely to fill the gaps and reinforce local defense.

But thanks to my holy magic restoring most injured members, they can now shift toward active suppression.

“Our primary objective is reducing the number of beasts.
But if possible, we should locate and eliminate the ‘core.’”

“Yes.
If the ‘core’ is destroyed, the mass outbreak should subside.”

Magical beasts are born from miasma and exude it in turn.

When outbreaks occur, an especially massive and violent beast called the “core” is said to emerge.

Whether the outbreak creates the core or the core generates the outbreak remains unclear.

But eliminating it ends the surge.

“Our deployment is scheduled for one month.
However, Nathaniel and I must return to the capital in about eight days.
If possible, I would prefer to defeat the core before then.”

(Oh… so Adolphus is leaving soon…)

I had assumed he would stay the full month.

(A little disappointing—
No! Working with my ex-husband for a whole month would be unbearably awkward!
If he leaves in a few days, that’s actually better!
…But that means I have to decide quickly whether Lowell meets his father…)

As I sink into those thoughts—

“Rosy, what is your opinion?”

“Huh? M-me!?”

The young lord suddenly turns to me.

My gaze darts around in panic.

He looks confident.

Adolphus is watching me with piercing intensity.

The pressure is immense.

But my answer is already decided.