Chapter 129, Healing and Regeneration

Translator: Barnnn

 

That morning, the trio froze at the sight of the horsebus waiting outside their inn.

The one from the previous day had been quite luxurious already, but this was clearly in a different league.

 

“Good morning, everyone,” Shezel greeted them cheerfully, stepping down from the coachman’s seat.

 

Ize glanced toward the door of the horsebus, then exchanged looks with the others. A bad feeling settled in the pit of their stomachs.

 

“The Lord is waiting inside. Please, don’t just stand around.”

 

Shezel opened the door, and the interior came into view. Sure enough, someone was seated within.

With a sigh of resignation, they exchanged glances. Fieda was the first to climb in.

 

“Pardon the intrusion,” he said curtly.

“Just hurry up,” the Lord replied.

 

Chastised by the Lord’s ever-efficient sense of time, Ize and Hal quickly followed suit and took their seats.

 

“We didn’t expect you to be joining us today, sir,” Hal said politely.

“I have a personal connection at the facility.”

“So that’s why you’re dressed more casually than yesterday…”

“It does give you a more approachable look,” Ize added with a half-smile.

 

At their remarks, the Lord glanced out the window and grumbled,

 

“…If you say so.”

 

Ize’s brow twitched, and for a moment, she searched her mind for the right words before settling with whispering under her breath,

 

“Ugh, what a tsundere…”

 

◆

 

“Welcome, my Lord,” said a woman waiting by the treatment center entrance.

“Rossalie. I trust everything is well?” the Lord asked.

“Nothing much changes in a week.”

“It’s been getting colder lately. Are you keeping warm?”

“Yes, yes. We received plenty of blankets yesterday. Thank you so much.”

“Good. If there’s anything else you need, don’t hesitate to ask. Understood?”

“I know, I know. Now, you wouldn’t keep your guests waiting.”

 

The Lord glanced over his shoulder at the four standing behind him, then turned back to Rossalie. Apparently, in this moment, the group wasn’t even significant enough to warrant acknowledgment.

 

“The lady used to be the healer in our party,” Shezel explained. “When the Deluge ended, the party disbanded, and now she works here. Obvious enough, I suppose.”

“Let me guess… those two are romantically involved?” Hal asked bluntly.

“Exactly! Totally obvious, right? We all thought they’d end up together. But then he became the Lord, and Rossalie stepped back on her own.”

“Talk about bad luck…”

“Right? Everyone around them was screaming ‘WHY!?’ But sometimes, things just don’t go the way they should.”

 

Shezel looked on, his smile hiding a faint melancholy as the pair chatted happily.

 

“Are there not any other direct heirs?” Fieda asked. “I mean, if not, he’ll have to think about THAT one of these days…”

 

Ize tilted her head at the phrasing, and Hal, averting his eyes slightly, whispered, “Political marriage.”

Noble obligation. Bloodline before all. Cliché.

 

“Well, part of the problem is him,” Shezel said with a sigh, pointing to his own head of hair. “And part of it is the nobles, you know?”

“How ridiculous,” Fieda scoffed.

“Right? They tie him down with titles, then refuse to acknowledge him for who he is. Rotten to the core.” Shezel snorted, lips curling with disdain. “Anyway, the real reason I asked you three here today is–”

“Shezel!” The Lord’s voice cut through sharply, stopping Shezel mid-sentence.

 

The group turned, surprised by the rare anger tightening the Lord’s brow.

 

“We already went through this yesterday,” the Lord continued.

“And I’m telling you again, I’m not convinced,” Shezel replied.

“That was an order.”

“And if I think the order is wrong, it’s my job to stop you.”

 

Tension sparked like flint and steel. The trio had no idea what was going on, but it wasn’t hard to guess from what Shezel had almost said.

They had been called here because something, or someone, needed their power. More specifically, Ize’s Hero-tier light magic. Ize and Hal exchanged a glance, both arriving at the same conclusion.

Rossalie stepped forward, her expression gentle.

 

“This could go on forever. Why don’t we head inside?”

“Ah… yes. Thank you,” Hal said with a bow.

“No need for that,” Rossalie replied with a warm smile. “I’m Rossalie, a healer here at the treatment center.”

“Fieda, Rank B adventurer,” Fieda introduced himself curtly.

“I’m Hal, Rank D.”

“I’m Ize. Also Rank D. And, um… I can use light magic, too. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d love to hear about any tricks or techniques you’ve developed.”

“Oh my, how delightful. I’m honored to meet someone so young and already on this path. I look forward to it. Now, let’s go inside.”

 

As Rossalie led the way, Hal leaned toward Fieda and whispered,

 

“This might be our chance.”

“Chance for what?”

 

Hal cast a glance over his shoulder, toward the two still arguing outside.

 

“A chance to fix whatever they’re fighting about without waiting for them to resolve it.”

“Hey…”

“Mister Shezel clearly wants to ask for help… you know, for the Lord’s sake. Likely something involving healing, or maybe even regeneration.”

“Do you think he knows about Bardveles’ wings?” Ize asked.

“The publicly available news is that the wings’ regeneration might be possible,” Hal replied. “But since he knows we’re Heroes, he’s probably connected the dots by now.”

 

They passed through the threshold into the treatment center, and the arguing voices faded behind them.

Just as they reached a turn in the corridor, Hal stopped abruptly.

 

“…Mister Hal?” Rossalie looked up at him, suspicious.

“Miss Rossalie, do you know what those two are fighting about?”

“Yes,” she replied, startled by the sudden question. “Yes, I do.”

“Then… whose side are you on? The Lord’s, or Mister Shezel’s?”

 

Rossalie hesitated, her eyes flitting away. But then she looked Hal in the eyes and answered with conviction.

 

“If the choice were mine to make, I would–”

 

◆

 

The room was dim and quiet, and a single man lay on a bed.

 

“This is him?” Fieda asked.

“Yes,” Rossalie said. “Gru– I mean, the Acting Lord’s younger brother, Lord Loudipa.”

“…Acting Lord?” Ize parroted, catching on.

Rossalie nodded. “Most assume otherwise, but Lord Gruash is acting in Lord Loudipa’s place. For now…” She trailed off, not finishing the thought.

“Hmm… I see.”

 

Hal gave a small nod, sparing the woman from having to elaborate. Ize, however, looked stunned as she stared at the unconscious man on the bed; this whole time, she had believed the younger brother was dead.

 

“What’s his condition?” Hal asked.

“The injuries he sustained during the Deluge rendered him almost completely paralyzed, and these days he’s rarely even conscious. We’ve done what we can with healing magic these past four years, but… its effect has been fading.”

 

Rossalie’s gaze dropped to the floor. Despair hung about her like a veil.

Hal turned toward Loudipa, eyes narrowing slightly as he prepared to see what others couldn’t.

His limbs were withered to the point that it seemed a miracle he was still alive. His eyes were sunken deep into his skull, and his lips were dry and cracked. Despite the room being utterly silent, they could barely detect the shallow rise and fall of his breath, even if they strained their ears.

 

“According to my Appraisal, there’s a trace of toxin in his system,” Hal noted.

Rossalie nodded solemnly. “This seems unrelated to the Deluge, actually. He was stung by a Manticore when he was little. Perhaps the venom is still affecting him?”

“It seems likely,” Hal replied. “His blood circulation is poor, too… maybe that’s why healing magic doesn’t take effect as well as it should. Ize.”

 

At his call, Ize stepped forward, her expression tense with focus.

 

“Let’s try using a Potion first and see how he reacts. He’s so weak right now that healing everything at once could do more harm than good.”

“Understood. I’ll try the Mandragora Detoxifier and my Healing Potion… is that all right?”

“Mm-hmm.”

 

At Hal’s nod, Ize retrieved a Detoxifier and a pack of “Healing Potion” tablets from her bag — both items they’d had prepared back in Jasted.

 

“Thanks. Can you add the detoxifier to this?” Hal asked, raising a small floating sphere of water in his palm.

 

Ize gave a small nod, then carefully, drop by drop, poured the Detoxifier into the suspended orb. Once it was fully mixed, Hal gently brought the water to Loudipa’s lips and let it trickle slowly down his throat.

He narrowed his eyes, watching through his magical perception as the Detoxifier entered the bloodstream, slowly circulating and beginning to seep into the cells.

No one spoke. The stillness of the room stretched longer than any minute should have.

Finally, after about a minute, Hal opened his eyes.

 

“…All right, the venom’s gone.”

“Th-thank you so much!” Rossalie gasped, her voice trembling.

“We’re just getting started,” Hal replied calmly. “Ize, the Healing Potion.”

“Right.”

 

Peeling back the packaging, Ize popped out a single small tablet and dropped it into another water sphere Hal had conjured.

Just as before, Hal administered the mixture with care, guiding the magic-infused water through Loudipa’s body.

 

“That’s phase two done,” Hal said, satisfied. “His stamina should be stable now.”

“So… you’ve detoxified him and restored some of his strength?” Rossalie asked.

Hal nodded. “Yes. But now comes the real work. Ize, sit.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Take his hand.”

“All right.”

“I’ll move to the other side.”

 

Ize seated herself beside the bed and gently took Loudipa’s withered hand in hers. Though he was a grown man, his fingers were no thicker than her own. They remained limp in her grasp.

Carefully, she cradled the hand with both of hers. Across the bed, Hal settled into position and met her eyes.

 

“Now, Ize, start by channeling just your magical energy. Slowly. You’ll feel something off around the base of his neck.”

“Got it.”

 

Thanks to hours upon hours of training, Ize had honed her control over magic to a precise art. She’d never expected to use it on someone this fragile, but she trusted her own hands. Like the times she’d played with Sato, she gathered her magic into a thread-fine strand and let it slip into Loudipa’s body.

The abnormality revealed itself almost at once: misaligned vertebrae, a warped bone pressing down on injured nerves.

 

“…Found it,” she said.

“Good. That’s the target. You’ll regenerate the damaged bone and nerves. I’ll use water magic to support his other organs from my side. The bangle is working properly, right?”

“Yes, no problem.”

 

Ize met Hal’s gaze with resolve. At that, Hal allowed himself a small, relaxed smile.

 

“All right. Fieda, give the signal.”

“Huh? Me?” Fieda looked startled, pointing at himself in confusion.

“You always give the countdown when we raid a Dungeon,” Hal said. “It wouldn’t feel right without you doing it.”

“…Fine, whatever. Let’s do this.”

 

Hal and Ize tightened their grip on Loudipa’s hands, nodding toward Fieda, who raised three fingers in the air.

 

Three…

Two…

One.

 

No words — just a silent count, each beat sharp and deliberate.

At the final gesture, they invoked their magic.

Ize guided her magical energy down the same thread she’d sent earlier, entwining it with healing power. It flowed gently through Loudipa’s neck, carefully restoring the delicate nerves and correcting the warped, fused bone. Across from her, she could feel Hal’s holy water magic spreading through the man’s body, safeguarding his organs and helping him endure the strain of regeneration.

Once the neck had been fully repaired, Ize expanded her focus, guiding her power to circulate through the rest of his body, encouraging overall recovery.

 

[It’s like a game of tag…]

 

Her magic raced after Hal’s, chasing it through muscle and bone, following its path like a child through tall grass.

Fieda and Rossalie, watching from the side, could see the transformation. Loudipa’s parchment-dry skin began to soften. His brittle, straw-like hair regained its sheen. Color slowly crept back into his lips.

One minute passed. Then two. Then three.

At last, the race was over.

 

“All right, that’s enough, Ize,” Hal said.

“Okay.”

 

Ize released his hand, straightened her posture, and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

 

“I ran a final Appraisal. Everything looks good,” Hal confirmed.

“Phew… Thank goodness,” Ize exhaled, her expression melting into a relieved smile.

 

She turned to Rossalie, eager to share the moment. But the woman stood frozen — eyes wide, hands trembling, covering her mouth.

Then the tears came. One drop, then another, until they spilled freely down her cheeks.

Ize stood up and gently guided Rossalie to the chair she’d just vacated.

 

“Here,” she said quietly. “Hold his hand.”

 

She took Rossalie’s shaking fingers and placed them over Loudipa’s, now warm with life.

 

“Th-thank you… Thank you so much…!”

 

Rossalie pressed her forehead against Loudipa’s hand, sobbing openly, not even bothering to wipe the tears from her face.

 

“Thank you, thank you…” she whispered again and again.

 

Ize placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, then gave her a brief, reassuring embrace before stepping away.

Together, the three adventurers left the room in silence.

 

◆

 

By the time they stepped out of the building, the Lord and Shezel were nowhere to be seen. It was likely they had gone off to search for Rossalie and Fieda’s group.

The trio veered away from the main gate, slipping out of the treatment center grounds through a quieter side exit.

 

“Couldn’t you have just done everything in one go with healing magic?” Fieda asked, glancing at Ize.

“It’s not that she couldn’t,” Hal replied in Ize’s stead. “But, you know, if she ended up draining all her MP in one burst, we’d have another problem on our hands. Besides, I figured a little performance was necessary.”

“Performance?” Fieda parroted.

“Yeah. Miss Rossalie can use healing magic too, right? So I wanted to leave her with the impression that even two people, using special Potions, had to take their time to treat him. That way, she won’t walk away thinking it was something she could’ve done herself with just a spell.” Hal held up three fingers and began folding them one by one as he spoke, “Manpower, tools, and time. Under normal circumstances, all of that IS in fact needed… and honestly, after everything she’s done these past four years, solving it in an instant with Hero powers didn’t sit right with me.”

Ize nodded in agreement. “And with you identifying the most damaged area using Eye of Appraisal, I felt a real difference compared to just blindly casting healing across the whole body. It was more… precise, I guess?”

“Right? That’s what I thought too. Magic still has so many layers we don’t understand. That Loudipa guy might not know it, but he made a great test subject.”

 

Fieda gave Hal a withering look.

 

“Do whatever you want,” he muttered with a sigh of resignation.

“Ah, I forgot…” Ize suddenly said, stopping mid-step.

“What’s wrong?” Hal asked.

“I forgot to leave Sato’s broth.”

“Oh, right,” Hal nodded. “It has restorative properties. They could’ve used it in soup and stuff.”

 

Ize looked back toward the treatment center and sighed softly.

 

“…But it feels like a hassle to go back now.”

“Let’s skip it for today,” Hal offered.

“Yeah,” Fieda agreed.

“Still, heading straight back to the inn now feels… anticlimactic,” Hal mused.

“In that case,” Ize said, perking up, “we can finally do some sightseeing!”

“You can find our way back with your Overview, right?” Hal asked Fieda.

“Yeah. Though since we came by horsebus, we’re a bit far out. Want to catch a public ride halfway?”

“That sounds good,” Hal said. “There don’t seem to be many shops around here anyway.”

“Yes! Finally, a proper lunch!”

“Let’s hope we can pick up some intel on the ride too,” Hal added.

 

While the two walked ahead, already giddy over lunch plans, Fieda lingered a few steps behind, casting one last glance back at the treatment center. A face drifted into his mind — someone who would likely show up at their inn by tomorrow… or maybe even tonight.

 

[They may think it’s all over now, but that illusion’s only going to last until we get back to the inn.]

 

Suppressing a sigh, Fieda shook his head with a faint smile. For all their talk about staying out of trouble, those two otherworlders had a way of stirring things up wherever they went.