Chapter 30
"Whoa, it’s actually bleeding? I did feel some pain when I slid and knelt after crashing into that stall just now."
Sheffy was stunned. She could only think this silly princess was like a big fish that had rammed full-speed into a rock and fainted, and now after waking up, still had no idea how she had passed out.
You really managed to run so fast when you made your escape just now!
Xiarette frowned slightly and began looking around at the nearby shops.
"Your Highness, you should really show some restraint in your actions... At the very least, you should be able to tell the severity of your injuries yourself, right? It looks like there isn’t a medical clinic nearby... I’ll contact the Royal Guard now."
"Don’t... please don’t, Lady Xiarette! I finally managed to run... ahem, no, really, it’s fine...! I can just rinse this kind of wound with clean water, no big deal. It’s not the first time I’ve been injured—this is part of the path of upholding justice!"
"......"
"And besides...! Lady Xiarette has always been my role model. I think for this level of injury, if it were Lady Xiarette, you probably wouldn’t even bat an eye, right?"
"Not at all... If it were me, I’d immediately drink a whole bottle of healing potion. No... I’d probably drink two."
"Seriously... ugh, hearing that from you makes the wound suddenly feel more painful!"
"That’s why you need treatment...!"
Sometimes talking to this princess was just exhausting for Xiarette!
Just as she weighed the situation and thought she should immediately contact the Royal Guard...
Sheffy’s clear voice suddenly rang out from nearby.
"I’ll handle it. For a minor wound like this, 'Low-Tier Healing Magic' will be enough."
Oh right, we do have our all-capable little Sheffy here.
Xiarette turned back and saw Sheffy, whose hands were already glowing with a faint green light like that of grass and leaves. Her worries instantly eased.
Wait a moment...
Ah—Sheffy!
You can’t just openly cast healing magic in public!
Before the passing crowd noticed anything, Xiarette quickly cast a small-range perception isolation barrier without chanting.
One had to know that users of "Healing Magic" were extremely rare in the Kingdom—perhaps not even one in ten thousand could be found. Anyone who could use it was undoubtedly considered a genius.
Precisely because of its rarity, medical clinics in the Royal Capital even had a reason to exist.
The aura outside the barrier was now sealed off.
But inside the barrier...
Looking at that small hand wrapped in green magic.
Livra’s wavering eyes and their gleaming light could no longer be concealed.
She even briefly forgot about the pain in her injured leg.
"You can use【Restraint】and also【Healing】? Miss Shaya, just who are you really?"
"Uh... I’ve studied a bit of everything. Ah, we can talk about that later—let me treat your wound first, don’t move."
"O-okay!"
Healing magic radiated from the palm of her hand.
Green specks of light fluttered like fireflies, carried by a gentle breeze as they drifted toward Livra.
Xiarette could not help but think—when it mattered most, Sheffy was still the reliable one.
She herself only knew some defensive or offensive magic, and healing magic was entirely beyond her grasp.
Xiarette watched those magical specks with relief...
—only to see them float toward Livra’s ears.
Her ears...?
"Oh oh...! The phantom pain in my ears... it’s gone!"
"Shaya!!" Xiarette was already exhausted from trying to keep up with this. "It’s her calf! The calf! Not her ears!"
"Ah...?! Oh right! Sorry, I zoned out for a moment...!"
I only remembered pulling your ear just now!
Well then, consider the ear treatment a bonus.
Sheffy quickly channeled her healing magic again.
This time, the green specks of magic precisely landed on the calf, where blood and dirt were mixed.
Finally, Xiarette could breathe a sigh of relief...
By common understanding, while healing magic could not fully restore wounds, it could at least prevent infection. With that, Princess Livra could continue hopping around outside without worry.
However, an unbelievable scene unfolded.
The wound on Livra’s calf began to heal rapidly under the embrace of the green specks.
The blood and dirt clinging to the skin seemed to vanish as if wiped away by an unseen hand.
That calf, which had just moments ago looked badly scraped, turned smooth and pale in an instant.
Most astonishing of all, the once blood-soaked white stocking was now perfectly clean, as if freshly washed.
Since when did healing magic come with a laundry feature?!
Having finished casting the spell, Sheffy wiped a nonexistent bead of sweat from her forehead with her arm.
"Phew\... all done\~ Eh? Why are you two looking at me like that...?"
30. Detailed Discussion
"Miss... Miss Shaya? What exactly did you just do?"
"Huh? I used 'Low-Tier Healing Spell' to heal you, didn’t I? See, no failure at all—look at your leg, smooth and shiny now. ...! You’re not trying to scam me or anything with this sudden question, right? I’m broke!"
"'Since when does *Low-Tier Healing Spell* have this kind of effect?!'"
Huh?! Xiarette and Livra actually managed to shout their retort in perfect unison.
Oh, good. At least the princess wasn’t trying to scam me—that was a relief.
See, people’s joys and sorrows weren’t always disconnected.
Under certain circumstances, everyone could share the same shock and urge to voice it.
Xiarette, having already seen several of Sheffy’s beyond-normal spells lately, quickly calmed down and accepted the oddity, then lifted the barrier that had blocked external perception.
But Livra’s worldview had just taken a hit.
She kept examining her completely unblemished calf—as though it had never been injured—counting on her fingers and mumbling to herself, unable to make sense of it.
"Could it be 'High-Tier Healing Spell' that only a Ninth-Rank Mage can use? No, that still wouldn’t achieve this... And Miss Shaya is so young... no no no, really now, Miss Shaya—just who are you?! I already introduced myself, but you keep staying all mysterious—that’s not fair!"
That was hilarious.
If fairness truly mattered to her, then in this Kingdom of Aurus, would there still be any place left for her to stand?
And yet, the question still came up.
A trace of concern appeared in Xiarette’s eyes.
She did not know how Sheffy would answer, nor did she dare to help by making something up on the spot.
Because Xiarette knew her own limitations—her wit was not sharp enough, and saying too much might only cause trouble.
Her gaze once again settled on Sheffy.
Hmph, this wouldn’t stump her.
Miss Shaya’s small hand was already raised once more to the corner of her eye.
That tiny eye socket, in an instant, turned red and brimming with emotion\~
"Sniff sniff, Your Highness, you really know how to touch on the sore spots. I... I’m actually an orphan, I hadn’t wanted to talk about it! But you insisted on asking...!"
"You are...! I’m so sorry!"
"It’s all right. Since I’ve already started, let me finish and tell you my tragic story."
Under Xiarette’s gaze—her brow twitching wildly—Sheffy was fully immersed in her performance.
She placed her small hand on her nearly flat chest, as though pouring out her heart; she was just short of singing a ballad of loneliness for herself.
"My life has been bitter indeed... At such a young age, I was abandoned on the streets by my parents. In the freezing cold, I had to catch fish from the lake and roast them to eat. When there was no fish, I caught crickets when hungry, drank dew when thirsty, braving the elements. Life was beyond miserable!"
"Sniff...! I didn’t expect Miss Shaya to have lived like that before...!"
Livra could not help but cover her mouth with her hand, eyes glistening with tears.
For someone dedicated to upholding justice like her, she could not bear hearing such pitiful stories!
Actually, Sheffy was not lying—she *had* caught fish and crickets. She had only adjusted a few minor details.
For example, it was not her parents who abandoned her—rather, she abandoned her parents.
Judging by the silly princess’s reaction, this much should be good enough, right?
—Miss Shaya lowered her "tear-wiping" hand.
She then clenched her fist to her chest, her expression suddenly resolute and full of ambition.
"But it’s all right! We can turn this story into one of inspir... ahem, later my story becomes inspiring! I discovered by chance that I had quite a talent for magic, and right then, Xiarette found me and helped me learn magic. She even paid for me to attend the academy! We’ve been friends ever since... right, Xiarette?"
"Y-yes!" Though Xiarette was a bit slow to react, she could still catch the cue that had been tossed to her. "I met her a few years ago and immediately saw that Shaya had great potential in magic. I sponsored her to pursue advanced studies at the Magic Academy, and now\... now she’s back, having completed her studies with flying colors!"
Ugh... Sheffy...
Now even your sister has been dragged into telling bald-faced lies!
With Sheffy and Xiarette playing off each other, Livra nodded repeatedly, eyes sparkling with delight—she was truly touched by this inspiring story.
Phew\... Sheffy could not help but feel that this simple-minded girl had been a huge help.
Until she heard one particular detail.
Out of curiosity, Livra asked one more question.
"Eh? Miss Shaya, you were sponsored by Lady Xiarette to study at a Magic Academy? May I ask which one it was? Was it one here in our Royal Capital?"
"Ah... yes, of course! What was it called... well, since Xiarette sponsored my studies, of course I attended the same Magic Academy as she did! We were old classmates! Right, Xiarette?"
This time, Xiarette did not play along. She froze for a moment, then chose to remain silent.
Sheffy also froze.
She turned her head toward Livra, only to see the princess’s mouth slightly open.
In her eyes was an indescribable look of admiration.
"Amazing... Shaya, you’re amazing! Speaking of the Magic Academy that Lady Xiarette graduated from, isn’t that the *Royal Capital Cormier Magic Academy*? No wonder I hadn’t seen you before, Shaya... In that academy, some students’ records are kept secret! They’re part of the nation’s strategic reserve of talent—even Father won’t tell me about them!"
"?!"
Xiarette, what kind of ridiculous academy did you attend?!
Xiarette deliberately knocked a small ornament off the table. While picking it up, she leaned close to Sheffy and whispered softly.
"*Royal Capital Cormier Magic Academy* only recruits those of Fifth Rank or higher..."
Oh oh...! Xiarette, if you’d said that sooner, I’d have known exactly what to do.
Shaya slapped her small hand on the table.
Full of confidence, she pointed her thumb at herself.
"I’m Sixth Rank!"
"Amazing...!" Livra’s admiration for Miss Shaya only grew stronger! "If I may ask, Miss Shaya, how old are you now?"
"Six... sixteen?"
After careful thought, Sheffy decided to lie about her age.
Though she hated to admit it, the fact that she was already twenty years old but still looked so petite was unusual and would seem odd. Telling the truth would also not help in keeping her identity hidden.
"You’re two years younger than me... but three whole ranks higher! And you can even use those strange, special kinds of magic... Miss Shaya, you really are a genius!"