Chapter 47 — Eris’ Healing Magic

Chapter 47: Eris’ Healing Magic.

「Well, it’s not something to be so concerned about. You are able to treat scars via healing magic, yes? If you can use it to that degree, it won’t be terribly long before you can use offensive magic. Since I’m the one teaching, perhaps you’ll even be able to use it before the day is through.」

Attack magic. I’ve learned about it previously from customers at the hospital as thanks for treating them, but I was completely unable to use it. And yet, the fundamentals of attack magic and healing magic are the same. Manipulating mana and invoking spells with it. That’s all there is to the fundamentals.

But, there are two key points in which attack magic differs from healing magic. The first one is that your piety and knowledge of the human body have no influence on its effectiveness. And the second is that it requires extraordinarily precise mana manipulation compared to healing magic.

Unlike healing magic which gets an assist from the power of faith, there’s nothing like that for attack magic. You have to reproduce natural phenomena like flames and lightning simply by manipulating your own mana.

I don’t know the fine details, but by empowering your voice with mana and doing a chant, it becomes easy to assert a certain degree of control. However, the chants themselves require precise mana manipulation in the first place.

Why is it that I wasn’t able to use attack magic?

Thinking it over now, I’m probably hopelessly poor at mana manipulation. It’s only been a few months since I came to this world where mana exists. Besides, I have an incomparably higher amount of mana than the average healer. It must be like a newborn baby trying to control an amount of mana that even several hundred adults couldn’t handle.

That reminds me, back when I just arrived in this world, there were situations like when I ended up giving the same amount of treatment as EX Heal with a normal Heal, or when I tried to treat a patient’s fingertip and ended up removing all the scars on their entire body. And that time when I regenerated Eight’s leg, I ended up healing other places unrelated to his severe injury as well.

Thinking carefully, even though healing magic is supposed to get an assist from the power of faith, I’ve been inadvertently shooting it off quite frequently.

…I’m glad that healing magic is the type I use. If it had been attack magic rather than healing magic that I was able to use in Japan, I might have self-destructed and instantly died the second I arrived in this world. Though at this point, I’ve become able to exercise a certain degree of control.

「Now then, are you prepared?」

「Yeah… although, I doubt I can use anything other than healing magic.」

「You won’t know that until you try.」

However, Fran intends to teach me magic. Furthermore, for some reason there’s an implication that I have no choice in the matter. If I decline here, a fireball could come flying my way.

No, the fact that I might be able to use attack magic is fine in and of itself. And if I learn how to use attack magic, with my mana pool I feel like I’ll become the strongest wizard ever.

「Well then, try holding this.」

Then, Fran hands over a thin metal plate. It’s about the size of a business card. I thought it was just an iron plate, but it’s intricately etched with thin lines for some reason. I wonder if it’s a magic item or something?

「This is frequently used as teaching material at magic academies; when you accurately pour mana along these lines, they shine faintly. To begin with, I wish to see your ability. Go ahead and give it a try.」

Now that I get a good look at this plate, the pattern becomes more complex as it goes from left to right. I’m guessing that once you’re able to pour your mana along this maze-like pattern it means you’re capable of finely manipulating mana, and sooner or later you’ll be able to use attack magic.

For starters, I’ll try infusing just the tiniest bit of mana.

—Snap.

Where did that sound come from? Of course, from my palm. It was the sound of the metal plate that Fran handed me breaking clean in half.

「Ah, Wait! You put in too much mana! I said just to make mana flow along the lines, so why did you put your full power into it!」

That wasn’t particularly my full power or anything. I didn’t even infuse 1% of it.

「Nothing to be done about it… I have a spare, so use this one.」

Saying that, Fran hands over a metal plate once again. I expected her to go all “I’ve had enough! If you won’t do it seriously then I’m going home!” or something, but looks like she’s going to continue. She might have an unexpectedly nurturing side to her.

As I’m feeling my impression of Fran change slightly, I reach my hand out to the metal plate that she’s holding. At that very moment.

「Ah…」

My hand touches hers. Her slender hand instantly stiffens.

「Yeah, my bad.」

—Snap.

At the same time I apologize, there’s the sound of a metal plate breaking.

I thought it was my fault for a second, but I haven’t done anything. Which means that the one whose mana flowed just now was Fran.

「I-I can see just how poor your mana manipulation is.」

「No, wasn’t that one your fault?」

Fran tries to mislead me, but I didn’t even insert any mana in the first place.

「That’s not it! I wouldn’t let my mana leak out just because I was surprised. You’re the one who’s leaking.」

Fran objects as her face reddens. I see, so she was surprised when our hands touched. I feel like rebutting her, but I’m not up for having attack magic fired at me again. I don’t know what this girl might do if I get her too angry; I’ll stay silent.

「This is the last one I currently have with me, so use discretion.」

Still in an irritated mood, Fran roughly holds out another metal plate. Making sure our hands don’t touch this time, I carefully receive it.

I observe it carefully, and just like the previous metal plates, it’s engraved with a complex pattern. Although, even though she told me to exercise discretion when imbuing it with my mana, I wonder how exactly I should do that? If I do it normally, it’ll probably break again. I have too much mana in the first place, so this is like sculpting with a heavy machine gun.

While I’m worrying about it.

—Snap.

There’s the sound of something breaking again. The metal plate in my hand is split clean in half. I didn’t touch Fran’s hand this time, and I didn’t even infuse any mana.

「Why! Didn’t I tell you to use discretion!」

「Wait. I haven’t even infused it with any mana yet… are these defective products, or what?」

「How could that-! …n…no, by some chance…」

When I object, Fran makes a contemplative expression, as if she’s realized something. Then, she gently takes out a round, crystalline object. When Fran brings it close to me, the crystal starts to shine brilliantly.

「…I knew it.」

After she sees the light from the crystal, Fran glances at Sera. Sera shows some surprise upon seeing the glowing crystal, then averts her eyes and shakes her head. What’s that about? This atmosphere is a little unpleasant.

「It’s mana leakage disease. And furthermore, this concentration… it’s quite serious.」

Fran’s expression turns somber as she speaks.

「Mana leakage disease?」

「A congenital mana disorder wherein the body is unable to retain mana internally. One might say it’s as if there is a hole in the vessel of your mana. But I must say, this radiance… at this concentration, I fear your mana is discharging nearly as fast as it regenerates. I’m sure that typically, you have almost no mana at all.

I wonder what that means? Far from having no mana, my mana capacity alone is probably top-class for all of humanity. Is it because I’m not originally from this world?

…Wait.

「Hey, do normal magic users not leak any mana at all?」

「…Even the average user emits a small amount. But this amount is abnormal. I cannot conceive of it as anything other than mana leakage disease.」

I see. Most likely, this isn’t the mana leakage disease that Fran mentioned.

The cause is my mana capacity being too high. My automatic mana recovery rate is absolutely massive compared to other people. Even if a normal healer’s automatically regenerated mana overflows the amount will be insignificant, but it’s different in my case.

For that reason, I’m emitting so much mana that Fran mistook it as a disorder. Generally, by no means would she ever imagine that the person in front of her has a mana pool that hundreds of wizards combined couldn’t match.

「You have no aptitude for magic.」

Then, Fran bluntly declares.

「…Hrm, and yet you can use healing magic…」

But, she immediately recalls the fact that I’ve been using healing magic, and starts brooding with her hand on her chin.

「Eh… hmm? But… how strange… you’ve even used area-type magic with significant mana expenditure…」

Uh oh. I have to derail this train of thought. Despite the fact that I don’t really want my ability to be known by anyone influential, it’s going to be discovered by a noble’s daughter of all people.

Then Fran makes an astonished face like she’s realized something, and looks to me. And, with an apologetic expression, she murmurs in a small voice.

「…It seems I’ve somewhat misjudged you. You must be quite the devout believer in god.」

Way off.

「Did you dedicate yourself to studying twice as hard as others at church?」

I’ve never even been to a church in the first place. That’s not it.

「I thought you to be a man with nothing but obscene thoughts in his head, but… that isn’t so. For that alone, you have my apology as a daughter of Meirhartz. I am sorry.」

How very polite. Let me likewise offer my regrets for causing you to misunderstand. My head is indeed filled with nothing but obscene thoughts.

…I can’t say that out loud, though.

Well, she did have a misunderstanding, but this is a good one.

If she did find out about my ability, and the matter of my town-wide healing magic came to light… Fran’s from a noble family. For sure, I wouldn’t put it past the lord to make me marry this girl because of that. She’s the type of woman who’d shoot a fireball over a little teasing, so then what if it comes to marriage? I’d die for certain on our first night.

…Looking at Fran being all meek, I’m starting to feel a little guilty, but I’ll leave this misunderstanding as is. I can’t let it change my life.

「But if it’s mana leakage disease, attack magic is impossible to begin with. What shall we do?」

Fran mutters. To be honest I don’t really need her thanks or anything, but it seems she still intends to keep going.

「Fran, the sun has begun to set. Why don’t we continue this another day?」

But then Sera speaks up to Fran… oh yeah, the day is getting late.

「That’s true, Sera… it can’t be helped, let us return for today.」

By ‘today’, that means there’ll be a next day too? But I’m fine with holding off on the next time until she fixes her habit of firing off attack magic.

「Ah, I’m giving this magic tool to you. As your emission of mana decreases, so too shall the intensity of the light. Though it may be a hereditary impediment, with a few years of effort, you ought to be able to significantly suppress the amount lost.」

「Sure.」

Addressing me in a tender voice, Fran hands over the crystal. I can’t believe it, this almost feels like sympathy. She may have misjudged me, but it feels like I’m interacting with a normal girl now. Even though when I healed her at our first meeting she was such a man-hater that she said “I didn’t ask you” instead of thanking me, now she’s displaying concern for me, a man. Maybe she actually has grown?

I get the feeling Sera’s eyes are sparkling as she observes Fran and me.

Feeling a little down, I return to the hospital. In the end, no more ideas for how to raise Eris’ healing magic ability came to mind. It’s difficult for me to teach her knowledge, and increasing her mana is beyond my financial means. Even having her amass piety like that saint from the Church of Medine has some drawbacks. Seems like the only approach for these things is to go about it the honest way. Well, I’m not okay with Eris going away to train because of that, though.

As I’m reflecting on my way back to the hospital,

「Eris-san, the evil god, what happens to the evil god after that!?」

「The saints borrow the power of the Goddess Medine to seal it away. Saints are great individuals that the church used to turn out in great numbers long ago, supposedly.」

「Who is greater, those saints or Master?」

「Eh!? Errr, well, that’s…」

Eris and Yuel are reading a book of some kind. I get the impression that Yuel has been giving enthusiastic commentary as Eris opens the book and shows it to her. Come to think of it, I’ve hardly ever seen Eris reading books before. I wonder what they’re reading? I’m a bit interested.

「Whatcha reading?」

「Ah, Master, welcome home!」

「Oh, you’re back. It’s the Bible of the Church of Medine.」

The Bible. So they have something like that too?

「This book seems like a made-up fable so I don’t care for it that much, but I thought every little bit might help to raise my piety. And it can serve as study material for Yuel-chan as well.」

Looks like Eris is diligently exerting herself for the sake of her healing magic. I don’t think she needs to go that far, though. Well, the accidental death of her parents is also a factor in making her want to improve her healing magic ability. Maybe it was inevitable.

「By the way, Eris, any interest in the beauty contest?」

I remembered it when I saw Eris’ face. If she participates in the beauty contest on the day of the festival, perhaps she could gather something similar to faith. I’ll just drop a mention for the time being.

「Not at all… I did go to see it just once, but standing nearly naked in public? No amount of money in the world could get me to participate in that.」

Of course.

Man, now for sure I’ve exhausted all my options. Isn’t there any other way?

…I guess not. I’ve made all sorts of utterly ineffective attempts, and in the end I’m all out. But there’s no way I can abandon my lifestyle of seeing Eris’ giant tits up close. And it’s not like Eris said she was leaving for the royal capital right away. There’s still time. Let’s keep trying to come up with other methods.

After dinner, we’re in the bedroom getting ready to sleep.

「Master, amazing, you’re amazing! Master is shining!」

Since I couldn’t come up with any methods no matter how hard I thought, I decided to play with Yuel by showing off the crystal I received from Fran.

This crystal gives off stronger and stronger light the closer it gets to me. Seeing it again, the way it sparkles looks cool.

When I hold the crystal behind my back to create a halo around me, Yuel is delighted. And using it to play catch, it shines brightly every time Yuel tosses it to me, almost as if she’s using magic. She’s finding that extremely fun.

I kinda feel like it’s shining brighter than when Fran gave it to me, but Yuel’s enjoying it. Even Fran does good things too, occasionally.

「What are you doing…」

But as we’re playing like that, Eris enters the room with an exasperated expression. Looks like she’s done changing her clothes and getting ready to sleep.

We were having a nice time, but oh well. I’ll put the crystal away into my item box.

「Wait a second.」

But then she tells me to stop.

「What’s the matter? You wanna play catch too, Eris?」

I wonder what’s up? Did the sparkling ball stir up her playful side?

「…That’s not it. That magic tool. Don’t tell me…」

Eris takes the crystal from my hands. Then she starts putting it on the floor, holding it up to the ceiling, carrying it out of the room, and doing other mysterious actions.

Did she want to play after all? If she wants to play then she should just be honest and say so. I fully intend to accompany her whether it’s child’s play or adult play, from playing doctor to unmentionable things.

「I knew it… the mana concentration in this room is abnormal. It’s several levels higher than the holy ground I trained at.」

However, she declares that with a serious face. Rather than playing, it seems she was measuring the mana concentration.

「Holy ground, that’s the place where you went to train in order to increase your mana, Eris?」

「Yes… now that I think about it, your mana capacity is incredible too… perhaps the mana given off by your body has collected in this room and turned it into a makeshift holy ground.」

「Errr, in other words…?」

「It means that the more I’m near you, the more my mana capacity will increase… come to think of it, it does feel like it’s a bit higher compared to before. I don’t know the cause, and I thought it was just my imagination, but…」

Holy cow. The size of the increase is probably minor, but if it raised by a noticeable amount over a few months, then after a few years she may even become able to use High Heal.

「…So then, what about the royal capital?」

「There’s no need for me to go anymore.」

I see. So that means I didn’t need to search for a replacement scheme; it was all settled from the beginning?

…It woulda been fine for me not to do anything. Even though I worked my ass off coming up with and testing ideas. No, if Fran hadn’t given me this crystal, we wouldn’t have noticed.

Well, my past hardships aren’t worth worrying about. Eris isn’t going to the royal capital. Let’s just accept that result.

Besides, just now Eris was saying that the closer she is to me the better.

「If being closer is better, wanna sleep in the same bed?」

「…I won’t.」

Did she hesitate for a second there? Seems like she hesitated.

…Something tells me I should use healing magic as a pretext to push my luck.

「Master, I, I’ll sleep together with you.」

But in a flash, Yuel clings onto me from behind. Well, it is what it is. Yeah, there’s no way I can execute the operation to lure Eris into my bed in front of Yuel.

Then, Yuel speaks.

「It looks like I’ll become able to use magic too.」

…You’ll even be able to use magic, Yuel-san? Certainly, it does appear that your mana will increase from being by my side, and you get along well with Eris and Fran who could both teach you magic. If you felt like it, you could probably learn to use both healing magic and attack magic within a few years.

Are you gonna become qualified as a melee fighter, a ranged fighter, and a support healer, Yuel-san? And furthermore, your high perception makes you skilled at finding enemies in the dark.

How strong are you going to become? Aint’cha gonna end up being the strongest?

「…Hey, what are you planning to do from now on?」

Suddenly, Eris murmurs.

「What do you mean?」

「Look, say for example you move somewhere else, won’t that mean I wouldn’t be able to raise my mana anymore? I mean, it’s not right to leave things unfinished and all…」

I wonder if she’s indirectly telling me that she’s going to train in the royal capital so I should get out? No, if she was going to tell me to get out she would say it clearly. She shouldn’t be at the end of her rope with me yet.

…Ah, but now that I think of it, I did peep in on Eris changing clothes a week ago. Nah, I only took a quick glance, but it’s not impossible that I was discovered.

「I-I wasn’t particularly planning on leaving, though…?」

I tentatively speak while observing Eris’ expression. But Eris immediately turns her back and extinguishes the room’s lamp, diving into bed. Is she actually mad? Going to bed in a huff?

「Well it’s fine then. Sorry for asking you a strange question… good night.」

Then I hear Eris’ voice. I can’t tell very well from just her voice, but at least she doesn’t seem angry. Maybe she was just simply worried about her mana training.

「Ready to sleep, Yuel?」

「Yes, Master.」

When we get into bed, for some reason Yuel hugs me tighter than normal. A bit earlier it was like having a hot water bottle so it was just fine, but the current season is a bit toasty. It doesn’t bother me that much, but I wonder if I should do something about it?

「…Master, I want to stay by your side forever.」

As soon as I think that, Yuel murmurs softly. What’s with that all of a sudden? No, maybe it’s not that sudden. I get the feeling she’s telling me that comparatively frequently. She’s probably worried I’ll throw her out of bed due to the heat.

…Well, the heat isn’t that bad. I put my restlessness out of mind and go to sleep.