Its not like I dont understand what made Eris want to improve her healing magic ability.
The fact that she couldnt come along with the Krankheit Turtle subjugation unit. The fact that she couldnt handle the crowd of customers that showed up at the hospital after the invasion of the poison mist.
Certainly, theres been a demand lately for high healing magic proficiency. Whats more, the fact that I came back to the hospital immediately afterwards covered in blood made her worry. And on top of that, I ended up showing her that my healing magic could cover the entire city.
Perhaps it was inevitable that Eris would be distraught.
However, going to study in the royal capital for who knows how many years just because of that is still not alright. I want to hold her back somehow, but to keep her here its necessary to improve her healing magic ability.
And, as for what I can do in order to improve her proficiency with healing magic
I can teach Eris the anatomical knowledge that I possess from studying in Japan.
Alright, Eris, lets begin our lesson on the structure of the human body.
In other words, health and physical education lessons. With great attention to detail, one-on-one physical education lessons.
I wonder how much I should teach her? Just how far should I instruct the blonde, buxom, trim, diligent Eris? Eris, who just earlier was thoroughly teased by Aria and is surely a bit conscious of me now. What manner of health and physical education lessons should I give her in that state?
Various ideas come to mind.
Master, I havent learned about the structure of the human body. This is fun!
Nope, its impossible.
Before I know it, Yuel sits down across from Eris with a pleasant grin on her face. This isnt one-on-one. Oh yeah, Yuel got back just a moment ago.
I was thinking of using weird methods, but Yuels voice cools me down a bit. Eris is currently agonizing over her healing magic, thats exactly why shes making a choice that could drastically change her life. Her expression isnt just serious, theres also some sorrow and anxiety mixed in.
Such an expression tells me that shes truly worried about her ability with healing magic.
If I get carried away by earthly desires and sexually harass her in this situation, it could end in a lot worse than scorn.
The structure of the human body. You? Despite how it seems, I did complete my schooling at a church at one point
Besides, Eris is someone who received a proper education at a church. If I dont go about this seriously, I probably wont be able to teach her anything.
Well, hear me out. Im sure youre aware of my proficiency with healing magic, right? From now on, Im going to show you one of the reasons for that.
Master, I want to hear it too!
And Yuel is also watching. It cant be helped. Ill have to play the part of the intellectual Master and calmly, sincerely impart my knowledge onto Eris.
Im sorry, I cant understand a thing youre saying.
The result was, its hopeless.
Even if you suddenly tell me about cells and what platelets are, I cant picture it at all.
As for whats hopeless, its the difference in our fundamental knowledge.
Besides, even if you just tell me that such things exist precisely what they are and how they heal wounds, if you dont properly explain from the beginning, I wont understand
Incidentally, I dont have the necessary knowledge to fill that gap.
This is just a feeling, but perhaps you dont understand it very well yourself? I know this from having tutored younger kids at the church in the past, but teaching is difficult if you dont have a firm grasp on the material.
Besides, human anatomy is complicated in the first place, so teaching about it is impossible when I only have a smattering of knowledge myself.
Unlike me who received an education in Japan, Eris is an inhabitant of another world. I thought Id teach her a Japanese level of knowledge, but it might be necessary to start the discussion from the beginning, just like following along in a textbook.
And yet, I dont have a single bit of reference material. This world doesnt have the things youd find in a textbook like easily-understood color illustrations or microscopic images.
Besides, this is completely different from what I was taught at the church as far as what you said about being able to form a proper image at the time you cast healing magic, I think that it would be really difficult for me.
This is no good.
Now that Ive tried it, I understand for the first time. Teaching someone else my knowledge of the human body is beyond my ability. I mightve been able to pull something off if I at least had a single Japanese reference book to work with, but theres no way for me to obtain something like that.
Even Yuel, who was having so much fun, is currently nodding off next to Eris, swaying in her chair as if shes on a boat. She occasionally snaps awake and shakes her head forcefully to stimulate her senses.
But then after a few seconds, her eyelids fall and her head gives way to the swaying of the waves again. Shes probably tuckered out from working at the tavern as well, but most likely she found my lessons too tedious and they put her to sleep.
Its probably just as Eris says. I cant say a word in denial.
Ah But, I could somehow understand that you were telling me some amazing things. Look, Perhaps Im even able to use High Heal now High Heal!
Eris tries to comfort me, and concentrates on invoking High Heal. But, the High Heal she casts merely emits a faint green glow and disperses. Yeah, doesnt look like this method was effective at all.
To think that teaching people would be such a difficult thing.
But, it cant go on like this.
If Eris ends up going to the royal capital, just whose chest will I turn to from now on in order to heal my heart with a glance? Yuels? Thats even more unacceptable.
In order to prevent Eris from spending who knows how many years training in the royal capital, I need to resolve her worries. Incidentally, while shes still conscious of me from Arias teasing, Id like to brilliantly solve Eris problems and take things to the So dreamy, take me! stage.
Its just that this time, I might have erred a little in my approach. But this isnt the only way.
Eris, this time was a failure, but there are still other methods. Ill definitely raise your healing magic ability, so please wait a bit longer for me before going to the royal capital.
Well, I dont mind, but thats
It seems like shell wait for me. Although, shes being somewhat evasive. Is there something she wants to tell me-
!
And, as Im thinking that, Yuel fervently shakes her head beside Eris. Then she opens her eyes wide and gazes at me intensely in order to concentrate on my words. It seems she hasnt realized that the lesson is over. But then her eyelids slowly fall, and her head droops.
She must be really sleepy.
Well, lets leave Yuel be.
The three factors that influence healing magic ability are knowledge, mana, and piety. Knowledge is impossible, so that leaves mana and piety. In some way or another, if I can lift one of those up for Eris, even she should become able to use advanced healing magic.
The next day, Yuel is again leaving energetically for her part-time job at the tavern.
As for Eris, saying that she was going to go over the details that she couldnt understand from my lessons the previous day, shes secluding herself in the hospital.
And as for me, Im searching for something in particular among the city stalls by myself.
The city is showing more activity than usual, thanks in large part to the festival. The number of stalls is also much higher, compared to normal. Stalls have even started to pop up along the side streets somewhat removed from the main street.
Oh, Onii-chan, you interested in that? Thats a magic tool that was just recently discovered in the labyrinth
Then, ignoring the salesmans explanations, I activate my Appraisal skill at a stall I came across. Keeping an eye out for a few items, Appraisal, Appraisal, Appraisal.
But, the goods that Im aiming for dont appear to be among them.
As for what Im searching for, its a magic tool that I can use to improve Eris healing magic.
In this world, there are various magic tools excavated from ruins or discovered in labyrinths. Among them there might even be magical tools capable of raising your mana capacity just by wearing them on your body, or of storing mana like a battery.
Magic tools are generally expensive, but at present I can mostly afford them.
The 2,500,000 Zeni reward I received the other day from the knight brigade. In Japanese currency, thats a whopping 25 million yen. That should be enough to buy one or two magic tools and still have change left over.
If knowledge is useless then how about money. I could brute-force it with money.
Although, Ive been looking at countless stalls for a while now, but I cant seem to find a suitable magic tool.
Ah, Shiki! Fancy meeting you in a place like this. Whatcha doing?
My eyes fall upon a young girl accompanied by someone who appears to be her mother, giving their thanks and deeply bowing as if prostrating themselves before the priestess. Looks like the young girl was the one who just received treatment.
Please, do not concern yourselves. Providing succor to such an adorable child brings me great joy as well. Come now, pray lift your heads.
The priestess says to the mother with a smile. Then, unconcerned about dirtying her clothes, she kneels with one knee on the ground and extends her hand in order to get the mother to stand. When the mother sees this, shes deeply moved and starts to cry.
With the free treatment just now, she healed a child who was surely too poor to receive medical treatment with High Heal. Its an emotional scene, as if right out of a drama.
Thank you so much, thank you so much!
Onee-chan, thank you!
The mother and daughter give countless thanks to the priestess as they depart. Cheers and applause ring out from the surrounding onlookers.
Thats great, thats so great, she treated that girl
Ruruka too seems a little touched, seeing the exuberant mother and daughter.
But what was with that scene? Something feels off. I cant say exactly what was strange about it, but something was strange.
Then all of a sudden, I remember a certain experience from Japan. I see, so thats where that sense of incongruity came from
Slightly uneasy, I observe the state of the onlookers immediately following the priestess next treatment. I realize that the first people to loudly applaud and cheer are equally spaced among the audience.
After the next treatment too, the same people as before applaud and raise a cheer as if theyre trying to stir up the place.
Those. Those are shills.
The source of my sense of incongruity was: dj vu. Thats right, this modus operandi closely resembles that of a new religious movement.
In the type of new religious movement where the founder is the object of faith, they use children to create emotional experiences, and shills to profess the founders greatness using mob psychology, using those as a source of faith. Ive seen it myself several times.
Although, if this is simple volunteer work by a religious organization in order to improve their image and solicit donations, like Aria claimed, why would they be using audience plants
And then I realize.
Now I get it.
What do you mean by get it, Shiki? Ah, we should get going, its no use even if we keep watching.
Piety. Thats it, piety.
Perhaps that priestess, is gathering faith in herself, just like I did. If I think about it like that, her conduct finally makes sense.
The excessively showy atmosphere. That service-oriented attitude of waving to the audience while she provides treatment. Despite being a priestess, those ornately decorated garments. Shes almost like an idol or something.
And what settles it is the existence of shills and the fact that she can use EX Heal at such a young age.
In that way, by turning herself into a symbol and feigning greatness, she must be gathering faith in herself.
Eris didnt know that, rather than just believing in god, she can improve the effectiveness of her healing magic by accumulating faith in herself.
I only realized it since I was a special case, but the fact that you can improve your healing magic ability by gathering faith in yourself shouldnt generally be well-known.
No, since the Church of Medine is also known as the official religion of healing magic, they may have realized it but are deliberately keeping it a secret between the higher-ups.
Now that I think about it, Aria also regarded the free treatment as an attempt to solicit donations, so that possibility is high. If everyone and their mother were trying to collect faith in themselves, then the objects of faith would become diluted.
This could be useful.
If I have Eris do the same kind of thing, and gather belief
-Nah, that might be hopeless. Its hard to imagine Eris nodding in agreement to it.
Or rather, judging by that priestess garments and her escorts, shes a higher-up in the church. I mean, she was even called a saint just now.
There might not be any problems if a person like that attracts a ton of attention, but if a common healer like Eris attracted that much attention, I have a feeling it could be dangerous.
As a blonde beauty with an enticing body, if she acts congenially to everyone like an idol, I have no doubt that shed be involved in an incident. And Eris has no combat ability, so that wouldnt be good.
I thought it was a revolutionary idea that would elevate Eris healing magic, but Im gonna have to toss it out. Its not worth going so far as exposing Eris to danger.
Hey Shiki, Im talkin to you. Itll be hard to pass through here, so lets take a back alley. Thatll probably be a shortcut.
Yeah.
By the time I notice her, Ruruka is pulling my hand. Oh yeah, we were on the way to buy a magic tool. In order to improve Eris healing magic ability, as expected, finding a magic item to raise her mana capacity and buying it is a pragmatic approach.
Look, Shiki, this way.
It seems Ruruka intends to give up on getting through here and use a back alley instead. Well, naturally, I also want to refrain from cutting through this crowd. Then, when Im about to follow Ruruka, at that time.
Ahhhhh!! What do you think youre doing!?
A familiar, loud voice reaches my ears. I look over in the direction of the voice, and in the middle of the crowd theres a girl with a ponytail wearing knight armor, heading this way. The color of that ponytail is quite similar to Eris blonde hair.
Thats Aria. And, when she sees my hand being grasped by Ruruka, her face becomes blatantly sullen.
Eh, What? That girl, is that someone you know, Shiki?
Ruruka, perhaps surprised at the sudden event, stares at me with wide eyes. As for Aria, she rapidly closes in on me with some sort of angry face.
Who wouldve thought Id run into Aria with timing like this.
This might be bad.
Shiki-san, what are you doing!? Who is that person!?
Aria is angry. Doesnt seem like she came here to deepen her friendship with her older sisters roommate whom she just happened to notice. I wonder what her purpose is? If its what Im imagining, this doesnt bode well.
Aria, wait, just calm down a bit.
Aahhh, come on, youre even holding hands! Just answer me, who is that person!? Your mistress!?
This is an unpleasant development.
Mistreesss!?
Before I can give Aria an excuse, Ruruka cries out in a hysteric voice.
Me? Mistress, are you referring to me!?
Then, trembling all over while pointing at herself, Ruruka looks back and forth between me and Aria with a confused face.
Shiki, what does she mean by mistress!? Hey, Shiki, answer me!
This cant be happening. Ruruka must have really hated being called my mistress; shes half in tears. Does she hate being seen as fickle in the manner of a mistress, or does she hate the implication that the one Im serious about is a different woman?
Id really like to know, but I dont have time to think about that right now. I need to give an immediate explanation.
No, thats a misunderstanding
What exactly am I misunderstanding!? Didnt I tell you just yesterday to take good care of Onee-chan!?
Then Aria becomes even further enraged. Ah, this is bad.
Now that I think about it, you were hitting on girls yesterday too! So the part about you only being dragged along by your friends against your will was a lie after all!?
Hitting on girls!? Shiki, you were doing something like that!?
Aria is steadily getting heated up. This is bad. It doesnt seem like I can get away by saying that I have things to do. I cant dodge the question.
Since I saw it, I wont overlook this even for Onee-chans sake! Shiki-san, youd better properly explain who that person is and what exactly your relationship is with her!
What do I do!