Chapter 138: Gift (2)

With Amy and Little Fist by my side, we boarded the earliest carriage and I immediately fell asleep when we got to the dorms.

It was only after lunchtime that I woke up.

"Ugh, what...? Huh."

Feeling refreshed, I realized that my condition had significantly improved.

Although it wasn't a full recovery, it was still quite impressive.

My body felt good enough to handle light exercises.

'What did Taylor do to me?'

After my match with Neike, I was in rough shape, to put it mildly.

...Taylor, the Branch Chief of the Healers' Guild.

I was growing curious.

He wasn't mentioned in the game, so I had no information about him.

But one thing was clear: he's no ordinary character.

'I should visit him today.'

If I could continue receiving this kind of treatment, it would be a huge advantage.

Moreover, today is Friday.

Taylor did invite me, and since it's not the weekend, there's a good chance he's around.

The current time was three in the afternoon.

While it might be a bit late, my schedule was open today.

With midterms over, many students had returned home, leading to the cancellation of many club meetings.

After freshening up, I stepped outside the dormitory building to head to the Healers' Guild.

But then—

"Ah, senior! Finally, Theo has come out! Waiting since morning has paid off!"

"Hey, you, give him your business card quickly! Don't you see the others flocking?"

"Theo, we're from the [Court of the Sun] Guild. We have an interesting proposal and would like a moment of your time."

"I come from the Eastern Empire. While we have no connections to the Waldeurk lineage, we do have an enticing offer for you."

Numerous people—around twenty, consisting of reporters, guild representatives, and national delegates—were rapidly pitching various proposals.

"Could we perhaps have a short interview..."

"Our guild is willing to accommodate all your requirements, Theo, and it's quite a generous offer.”

"I hail from the Magic City of the North, but..."

Their words varied, but their objective was the same: to claim a bit of my time.

'So many have gathered.'

There were familiar faces, even Hailey, the Chief Administrator of the [Ataraxia] Guild.

'If I get caught by them, my entire day will be wasted.'

Of course, it would probably boost my reputation.

Reporters were already shoving their cameras into the faces of the guild and nation representatives vying for my attention.

However, I didn't have the time to entertain each and every one of them.

I need to find Taylor quickly.

Especially since tomorrow, I need to attend the regular academic seminar at the association with Mari.

"..."

Despite my urgency, I gazed at them with a composed expression, thinking that if I, the person involved, remained silent, they'd calm down soon.

However, against my expectations, they continued to pester me, trying to gain my attention.

With roughly twenty people present, the competitive spirit among them showed no sign of cooling.

'Hmm, what should I do?'

Simply brushing them off by saying, 'I'm busy right now, let's talk later,' doesn't seem right.

I wondered if there was a way to leave while still leaving a positive impression on them.

However, all of them had failed.

Healer guilds were a little different, so they were allowed in with slightly relaxed criteria.

Of course, the competition was fierce.

Just as there are countless guilds on the continent, there are many healer guilds.

Among them, [The Hilté], having successfully competed for a spot, is a large-scale healer's guild with branches scattered throughout the continent.

'I should go in quickly.'

Squeak─

I entered the guild building.

Given that all departments had a day off from lectures, the guild was relatively quiet.

In the lobby on the first floor, a group of healers was leisurely chatting.

As I headed towards the reception,

"Hey, isn't that Theo? The student our Branch Chief mentioned?"

"Right, the one with silver hair and red eyes."

Several healers rose from their seats and approached me.

"Wow, Theo, I didn't expect to see you here. Congratulations on your victory! I watched all your matches starting from the round of 32."

"We accompanied you during the Hero Department's practical evaluation... It feels different seeing you here at our guild branch! You came to see the Branch Chief, right?"

Five healers talked to me one after another.

Earlier, it was the reporters and guild & national representatives...

My popularity seems to be exploding today.

It's not something I'm accustomed to.

"Yes, I came to meet the Branch Chief. Is he available?"

"Of course. He anticipated your visit and has been here since early morning."

The healers promptly guided me straight to the Branch Chief.

... Straight through, without any formality.

That's nice.

Branch Chief Taylor's office occupied an entire floor of the building.

Fitting for someone who uses a gold-embossed business card.

"Student Theo is here, Branch Chief. May he enter?"

The healer guiding me knocked on the door to the office.

Soon after, a voice from within beckoned us in.

"Well, I hope you two have a good chat. Oh, here's my card."

The female healer who knocked on the door handed me her business card.

Naturally, unlike Taylor's, it wasn't gold-embossed but a regular one.

Taking the card, I expressed my gratitude,

"Ah, thank you, Elise. I appreciate your guidance."

"Of course. I hope to see you again soon."

As the healer took her leave, I stepped into Taylor's office.

"Ah, welcome, Student Theo. I've been waiting for you."

Taylor, seated behind a large desk, stood up eagerly and greeted me with a warm smile.

However, I couldn't respond to his words.

My eyes were fixed on a potion placed atop Taylor's desk.

'Why is that here?'

It was a [Panacea].

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Paris Hilté... sound familiar?