v3 Chapter 15: My Prized Pupil

"I am the mayor of this town, Oaks. I heard that the renowned Mentor Sain had stopped by."

"I am Sain. I merely stopped in this town on my way due to a request from the town of Canaan. If you don't mind my limited time, I have no intention of withholding my skills from those who require healing."

"Thank you very much. Actually..."

The man named Oaks began to speak.

"The damage from slimes has been increasing. It started several years ago, but since we weren't vigilant before, our response in emergencies has been delayed. No one has lost their life, but there are several people left with scars because their healing was too slow."

"Do people not carry potions with them on the Plains?"

"Injuries sustained in the fields usually heal if you just come back to town, unless they're quite severe. Not many people carry them."

It seemed the Mentor's guess had been correct.

"We've had the Apothecary increase potion production, but it's not enough. I came to ask if you could perhaps heal the scars, even just a little, for those who were recently affected."

"Even if you tell me to suddenly ramp up production, that's difficult, you know," a tired Apothecary muttered nearby.

"Robin..."

Before they knew it, the inn's dining hall was packed with people who had heard the rumors and gathered hoping to have their ailments looked at.

"Master Sain," Shouko couldn't help but call out anxiously.

"Shouko. This situation is more serious than I thought. It doesn't look like something we can resolve in a single day. But we do have that request..."

The Mentor instinctively crossed his arms, but he couldn't turn away people seeking help.

"Regarding the Apothecary, I'm afraid that will have to wait. Shouko, shall we do that after such a long time?"

"Understood."

Shouko turned to the Healer. The thing we did at the Rock Cave. First, determine the severity of the injuries, then assign the serious cases to the Mentor and the lighter ones to the apprentice.

Shouko faced Nigel.

"Nigel, my name is Shouko. I'm in the junior group, but I assist the Mentor."

"Nigel is fine. You're helping out even though you're so young?"

Nigel looked at Shouko as if dazzled. If Nigel was willing, Shouko decided she wouldn't hold back.

"Nigel, we don't have time, so we'll jump right into practice. When you have this many people wanting treatment, if you just start treating them one by one, you might overlook the severely injured. Besides, once the Healer runs out of Mana, that's the end of it, right?"

"That's right. There's no way I could see this many people by myself."

Nigel sounded uncertain.

"So," Shouko continued, "first, we check the condition of each person one by one and sort them into groups: those who need treatment right away, those who can wait a little longer, and those who just need a potion."

"We don't have any spare potions," Robin interjected sullenly. Shouko glanced briefly at Robin, then ignored him. She couldn't deal with that right now.

"Check each person one by one..."

"Hold out your hand, Nigel."

Shouko lightly grasped Nigel's hand as he hesitantly extended it. Around them, people watched with bated breath, wondering what was about to happen.

"Okay, I'm going to channel a little Mana into you."

"O-Oh, it's warm..."

Nigel, who had flinched initially, soon relaxed, his expression turning pleasant.

"What I'm doing now is flowing a tiny amount of Mana to check the body. Ah, Nigel, you're tired, aren't you? Your shoulders and lower back are weak. Can you tell?"

"Ah. So that's how it works. It's my own body, but I never even realized it before."

"I'll heal you lightly now. There."

"Ah, that feels good..."

Shouko gently released his hand.

"How is it?"

"Yeah! Thank you! I feel much better."

Nigel's face brightened, and he blushed slightly as he met Shouko's earnest gaze up close. Come to think of it, she's actually really cute, he thought. Shouko smiled sweetly.

"As expected of a skilled Healer. Right, now it's your turn, Nigel."

"Eh, me?"

"Yes. I just showed you how, didn't I?"

Watching Shouko say this so refreshingly, Haru and Leon were thinking, Her teaching style is exactly like Falco's, but Shouko remained unaware.

"Okay everyone, Nigel and I will now check your condition. Afterwards, those with severe issues will see Mentor Sain."

Shouko glanced at the Mentor, who nodded affirmatively.

"Those whose conditions aren't as serious will see Haru over here."

Haru nodded with a serious expression, as if he had expected this.

"We'll split up for healing. Falco, Leon."

At Shouko's call, Falco and Leon stood up.

"Alright, you lot, form a proper line," they began organizing the crowd. Seeing this, the mayor stood dumbfounded, unable to speak.

"M-Mentor, that young junior..."

"She is an excellent Healer. I brought her along as an assistant, but she's already proving useful."

"More than useful, she's a fully-fledged... No, I've never even seen a Healer with such spirit on the Plains before."

"She is my prized pupil, after all."

Before long, the initially hesitant townspeople began to line up, full of curiosity. After all, if they could walk to the inn's dining hall, they couldn't be that unwell.

Nigel struggled mightily, trying to do as Shouko had taught him.

"Ouch!"

"That's too much Mana. Use less. Also, you might feel it's hot, but it isn't actually hot, and it's not harmful to the body, okay?"

"I-I see."

Because Shouko was diligently providing support, the townspeople were willing to be practice subjects.

"I think I'm getting it! You've strained your lower back. Have you been doing farm work in an awkward position?"

"It's been hurting ever since I injured it once."

"You should come right away when it starts hurting. If too much time passes, it becomes difficult to heal."

"I'll be sure to do that."

Hearing this exchange, Shouko directed the person with the back injury to the Mentor.

"You've injured your elbow."

"It hurts when I lift heavy things."

This one was also for the Mentor. It was a chronic pain, but since it was only one side, it should be manageable.

"You're suffering from general fatigue."

"That one's for Haru."

For some reason, the person directed to Haru looked vaguely pleased. As things proceeded, most people received their healing and left looking happy.

"Th-This is the first time I've seen so many people and still have energy left over..."

"It was spartan, but it looks like you've properly learned the technique. With this extra step, you'll be able to accurately gauge the amount of energy you draw from the Goddess afterwards," Shouko explained proudly to the astonished Nigel.

"Still, Mentor."

"Yes. The injuries here are completely different from those in the Deep Forest."

"Indeed. It's hard to heal people with long-term pain in their backs or elbows because they aren't even aware of it."

"What would be the most efficient way to heal them?"

As the two pondered, the mayor finally managed to speak to them, looking relieved.

"Um, once the healing in the dining hall is finished, I'd like you to hear my story as well."

"Ah, yes. The matter of the slime damage."

"Essentially, there are several people who don't want to go outside because of their remaining scars."

The Mentor showed a hint of contemplation.

"Falco, Leon."

"Yeah, we know."

"We'll be a bit late, but well, it's not like we were given a specific date, right?" Falco and Leon replied.

"Shouko, Haru."

"This looks like it will take some time," Haru commented.

"It's alright," Shouko affirmed.

Both Shouko and Haru nodded. The Mentor nodded back at the mayor.

"Regarding those who don't want to go out, bring them to the inn tomorrow night. We shall extend our stay slightly."

"We're truly grateful."

"However, there is something I would like you to do for us in return."

"Anything we can do."

The mayor nodded firmly. Just then, a half-asleep voice piped up.

"Hey, uh, can I go home now?"

It was the young Apothecary.

^72/142