CH 84

─Rodo’s side─

The soldier who spoke to Kou during the meal returned with a man who seemed to be the older brother that lost an arm.

“Quickly! Your arms might be restored!?”

“…isn’t that impossible? No healer could even get rid of the pain.”

Apparently, he brought the other party by force.

Certainly, I’ve never heard of a healer who could regenerate a long-lost arm before Kou appeared.

It’d be incredible to those who haven’t seen Kou’s power.

…I don’t intend to suppress Kou’s willingness to work as a healer, but I always think “Kou doesn’t have to work”.

I understand that Kou’s power is unique both as a magician and as a healer.

That’s why the number of people who want Kou will continue to increase.

But I don’t want to put Kou in a dangerous position.

I don’t want him to see scandalous disputes, things like that.

And I don’t want to make Kou sad.

…but Kou didn’t want to be trapped by me.

When Kou isn’t looking, I have to get rid of those who try to reach out to Kou.

…for now, it’s more of a national issue than an individual one.

Behind the scenes, I think they’re doing various things to make the countries compete with each other.

I don’t think there’s a country that can make an attractive enough proposal since any position is the same and the environment doesn’t matter.

That goes for Kou, me, and my parents──in other words, there’s a high possibility that those who want Kou would also have Akinists.

Seems like there is half, or even less than that, Akinists in other countries.

I’m not interested so I’ve never met them.

…does Kou want to meet them?

“Shtinky.”

It’s been a while since I heard such a lisping voice.

When I turned my gaze to Kou, he was pinching his nose with the fingertips from both hands.

It’s different from using just one hand and it looked so cute that I melted.

Kou said “stinky” probably because of the smell of alcohol from the man who was brought in.

Seems like Kou’s still not good with the smell of alcohol.

And Kou himself didn’t even try to drink.

I also haven’t been drinking since I met Kou.

The man, who was called stinky, turned a speechless face towards Kou.

He might be aware that he smells of alcohol himself.

“He’s the healer!”

“…I’ve never heard of such a healer.”

“I also heard it for the first time today, but if he really could, wouldn’t it be worth it?”

“…what about the money? How much would it cost to use regeneration magic?”

The brothers were talking in front of Kou.

…but I can see that the older brother also wants to be healed.

Since the younger one said, “he has problems holding a sword”.

“Money, this much.”

The amount offered by Kou is quite exceptional for regeneration magic.

His Majesty and the other healers had told him to set it higher, but Kou said it’d be meaningless if no one could afford it, so this price was reached.

Still, the amount is out of reach for the general public.

When it comes to both arms and legs, seems like the amount will jump up again.

“…isn’t the digit wrong?”

As expected, it sounds considerably cheaper.

“No mistake. Both arms, more, high. Whole body, more and more, expensive. More than this, high, and, who can pay, not present. Kou, see, only King becomes.” (There’s no mistake. Both arms are more expensive. The whole body is even more expensive. And even more than that will cost so high that no one can afford to pay. In that case, I can only see the King.)

If you become the King of a nation, you can pay the enormous healing fee.

But it becomes an amount that’s impossible for other people.

“Lost arm, that arm, difference? Bruises, and the like, restore, impossible.” (Are there any differences between the lost arm and that arm? Restoring bruises and the like are impossible.)

If the limbs are no longer missing, everyone will want Kou to heal them.

“I don’t care about that…if my arm regenerates, can I hold the sword again?”

The other guy’s the same.

He had hope in his eyes when looking at Kou.

Even if it originally had some features like marks, no one would want it and wouldn’t want the limbs.

“A bit, get used to, necessary. …but, definitely, sword, can hold. One time, even if you can’t, defect, until there’s no more, heal.” (You’ll need to get used to it a little. …but you can definitely hold a sword. Even if you can’t do it once, I will heal it until any defect disappears.)

The man cried in front of Kou who had a benevolent smile.

“Don’t cry. Don’t cry, okay? …painful, right? Alone, all the time, did you do your best?”

He didn’t have to approach and stroke the man’s head.

I want to close the eyes of those who are fascinated by the situation.

“…will you save me?”

“…”save”, different. Kou, charity, not. Payment, got, heal, only.” (It’s different from saving. I am not a charity. As long as I got paid, I can heal.)

For Kou, getting money to heal is not saving.

I don’t think it’s different from saving his future…but Kou’s thoughts are often unclear to me.

“I’m collecting the money right now. It will take a few days, but will we meet if we come here?”

Unlike before, it feels like he’s about to start running.

“Kou, Rodo, follow. Support mission, finished, healing ground, also. Barracks, next.” (I will follow Rodo. As long as the support mission lasts, the healing ground will exist. It’s next to the barracks.)

“I’ll collect it as soon as possible!”

Hearing Kou’s words, the man rushed out in a hurry.

Since we’re on a support mission, he knows that we won’t be here for a long time.

────

──

I heard there was a crowd around the healing area so I headed there in a hurry.

There’s only Kou in the healing area.

(I wish he had an escort.)

However, I can’t forgive other people for being by Kou’s side.

The healing ground was set up next to the barracks so that I could rush over immediately…that’s why.

“Kou!”

“…Rodo? What’s wrong?”

When I arrived, Kou turned to me.

“Who are these guys?”

“His relatives, friends.”

“He” was the man who came to the barracks before.

“Heal, want to see, they said.”

“…I see.”

Seems like they just got together to see Kou’s healing.

──the number of people overflowed from the healing area though.

“A-Akinist!? Why here?”

Seems like there’s someone who knew me.

Having a soldier in the family meant that some people might have done the same missions as me.

“Kou is my mate and my partner. If you do something to Kou, I’ll kill you.”

Intimidated, I found that the people around me retreated in an instant.

“Rodo, threaten, no.”

Meanwhile, Kou, who approached and held my hand, guided me to the chair where he was sitting before.

He sat me there before getting on my lap.

Astonished faces were all around but only Kou looked the same as usual.

“Start, right?”

The words calmed the people on the healing ground.

When Kou put his hand on the missing arm from the man’s elbow, it instantly lit up.

When the light stretched and looked as long as the other arm, the light went out.

──then, there was a beautiful arm with no trace of injury.

“My arm…! My arm has regenerated!!”

Immediately, there was a scream.

He already said he’d do that kind of magic…did he not believe it?

…so that’s why they gathered to see it.

“Arm, after losing, time, has passed. Until you get used to it, time, take, I think, defect, if there’s any, say it?” (It’s been a while since you lost your arm. It’ll take some time getting used to it, but if there’s a problem, please tell me?)

“Y-yes! Thank you very much.”

The man bowed to Kou many times while shedding tears.

“Thank you very much. Thank you for healing up to this point at such an exceptional price…”

“Sorry. More than this, cheap, King, no, was told.” (I’m sorry. If it’s cheaper than this, the King told me not to do it.)

As Kou said, he set up a meeting with His Majesty and the other healers to have a discussion.

Kou thought the price was too high and preached the need to make it cheaper.

Certainly, it’d be nearly impossible for those who don’t have more than one soldier or magician among their relatives to pay that amount.

The townspeople are less likely to suffer injuries like missing limbs but that’s not always the case.

I don’t know that kind of thing──rather, I’m not interested in it, so I never thought of knowing it.

“Soldier, back, a bit, time, will take, but, good luck.” (It’ll take a while to go back to being a soldier but do your best.)

The people became fascinated by Kou’s smile.

And I involuntarily glared from behind Kou.

Kou looked up at me because the people in front suddenly retreated.

“Rodo? Mood, bad?” (Are you in a bad mood?)

My anger immediately dissipated as soon as Kou stroked my cheeks.

Anger doesn’t last long in front of Kou.

When I smiled, Kou also smiled.

It’s so cute that I want to drop a kiss.

…but not with such an audience.