v3 Chapter 14: The Town Healer

Shouko and Haru shared a room at the inn. The bath was communal, located downstairs, but it had a system where you hung a sign on the door to indicate it was occupied, preventing others from entering. Before dinner, Shouko and Haru washed away the grime from their journey.

Naturally, they didn't bring their swords into the dining hall, so both arrived looking unburdened. Still, it certainly was unusual to see everyone around with black hair and brown eyes.

"I got used to being the only different one back in the Marshlands, but this is... still a bit..." Haru trailed off. Shouko understood exactly how she felt. It wasn't unpleasant.

"It feels nostalgic, doesn't it?"

"Yes!"

Of course, even in Japan, not everyone had black hair, but still, there was something comforting about the scene.

"Come to think of it, I never asked what the place you guys came from was like. Was it like this?" Falco asked.

Indeed, even after learning they had fallen from another world, no one had really asked much about what kind of world it was.

"Yes. Though eye colors were closer to black, it was much like this," Shouko replied.

"Huh."

"Here you are, sorry for the wait."

Just then, dishes arrived at the table with a thud.

"Wow... wild vegetable tempura!" Haru exclaimed.

"We're close to the mountain range here," Falco explained. "It's a spring specialty. I dunno what this 'tempura' thing is, but well, it's stuff fried in oil."

That’s exactly what tempura is, Shouko thought, but it seems the translation isn't quite getting it right.

"Fried in oil? That's unusual," Leon remarked.

While Leon and Falco eyed the dish cautiously from a distance, Shouko and Haru happily popped pieces into their mouths.

"It has a faint bitterness, the taste of spring!"

"I could eat this forever."

Deep Forest, being a land of hunters, featured many meat dishes. Vegetables tended to be served more sparingly, so the stir-fried vegetables and steamed river fish that followed were a delightful treat for Shouko and Haru.

"Fish is pretty good too, huh," Leon commented.

"Yeah, you don't get much fish in Deep Forest," Falco agreed. "It's river fish around here, but if you go a bit further south, you'll start seeing ocean fish."

The young man serving them chimed in.

"Ocean fish!"

"Something to look forward to!"

Food was definitely one of the true joys of traveling. The inn staff seemed pleased to see the two young women's eyes sparkling with excitement. Meanwhile, Falco and Leon, though slightly on edge, remained oblivious to the fact that many local women had come specifically to see them and were now showering them with attention.

Leon was already considered incredibly handsome back in Deep Forest, Shouko mused, and even Falco's harsh gaze could be interpreted as 'wild'. If travelers are handsome and wild-looking, of course the local girls are going to swoon. It struck her as rather funny.

Even the Mentor, with his large, sturdy frame draped casually in robes, possessed a calm presence, a sort of divinity that made one feel compelled to worship him from afar. Though, Shouko recalled, the Mentor is supposed to have a wife back in the Rock Cave, and children somewhere too.

Just as their enjoyable meal was drawing to a close, as if waiting for that moment, two young men approached their table.

"Um, Mentor Sain, I, er, my name is Nigel. I serve as this town's Healer. It's an honor to meet such a renowned Mentor!"

"Do I really need to be here?" the other young man muttered. "If I had time, I'd be making potions."

"You need to be here," Nigel insisted, then introduced his companion, "This is Robin. He's an Apothecary."

Nigel finished his greeting, his voice strained. His companion seemed to have been dragged along reluctantly. They both looked to be just over twenty years old. Considering how age worked in this world, that could put them anywhere between twenty and forty. Typical of people from the Plains, they were slightly shorter in stature and had earnest faces. They also looked exhausted, especially the one who wanted to make potions.

"Hmm, just finished your apprenticeship, I gather?" the Mentor observed calmly. "First, please sit."

"Yes, sir!"

Leon watched this interaction with amusement. Falco appeared largely uninterested.

"Is there anything troubling you, or anything specific you wish to learn?" the Mentor asked directly.

"Um, I grew up in this town, studied as a specialized healing apprentice, and, as you guessed, I came of age last year and just became a full Healer."

"I see. What happened to the senior Healer?"

"He was quite elderly and had been saying for a long time that he wanted to retire soon. He left the Church as soon as I qualified. Of course, he still helps out when things get busy!"

"Hmm. And apprentices or the junior class?"

"There are no apprentices... As for the junior class, I have townspeople help me teach them their studies."

It seemed like a fairly large town; was he really managing it all by himself? That sounded incredibly demanding.

"Are there others with the aptitude for healing?"

"There are several, but they all have other jobs, and they tend to focus on their primary occupations, naturally."

That was understandable. However, in Deep Forest, a large town would always have multiple Healers.

"Of course, just having one Healer was enough to handle injuries in emergencies. Until now, that is."

Not only the Mentor, but Shouko and Haru also leaned forward slightly.

"Over the past few years, little by little, there have been signs of an increase in small monsters like lizards and slimes, and the number of injured people has been gradually rising."

"So it's happening here too," the Mentor murmured.

Nigel looked up sharply at the Mentor's words.

"It's happening in Deep Forest as well, and apparently on the Plains too. We received a request from Canaan in the southwest, asking us to train Healers."

"So you stopped here on your way there. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us!" Nigel bowed his head deeply.

"We can only stay today, but first..."

As the Mentor began to speak, the dining hall quieted somewhat, as if interrupted. Someone had entered. The Mentor, however, continued without pause.

"First, let's discuss mana usage. To efficiently identify the injured area, perhaps you should learn to perform a condition check first. If you try to heal directly right away, you tend to use a lot of mana, and then you might run out when you actually need to heal."

"How did you know that! My predecessor saw potential in me and trained me as a powerful Healer, but lately, there are just too many injured people for me to handle alone..."

As they were talking, a man approached their table. He looked to be about the Mentor's age, with a tanned, sturdy build and a calm demeanor.

"Nigel, seeking his guidance already? Impressive. But could you spare me a moment?"

"Ah, yes, but..." Nigel seemed intimidated, likely because the man was someone important. Yet, knowing this might be his only chance to learn from the Mentor, he couldn't readily agree.

"It concerns the one you couldn't fully heal. Perhaps a renowned Mentor like him might make some difference. Nigel."

Hearing that, Nigel had no choice but to yield. "Understood."

"Very well. Nigel, stay right there," the Mentor said calmly, then turned to face the newcomer. "And you are?"

T/N Note. Sorry, was busy with translating iamcb, enjoying translating that.

I've been rushing the past few chapters out, so the quality of them has been low (sorry). I've got a better workflow now, (2.5 weeks to figure it out 🎀✨) so hopefully now. More consistent continuity (like names and places) between chapters!

I'll get back into the grove, we're now exactly 50% of the way to the end of the novel! 71/142!

What should the update schedule be?

One chapter every 2 days? Once a day? (Just afraid of being burnt out!, I tried 2 a day and took 2 weeks to recover 😥)

Also please comment, I love to hear your thoughts