Chapter 29 : Blacklist (2)

It’s a relief that he was killed by the mercenary.

If he had been alive, he would still be running around, embarrassing the priests.

“People like that deserve to die.”

It’s far better than living a long life and tarnishing that person’s reputation.

In that sense, the mercenary’s actions were almost like doing the country a favor.

“What are you doing? You should apologize.”

The younger sibling, who had been acting aggressively, was now on the verge of tears, possibly because she had been scolded by her sister.

Sniffle—

Despite being on the verge of crying, the mercenary’s resolute attitude didn’t waver.

“I’m fine.”

“No, that’s not it. You shouldn’t be rude to someone who came to help. Come on, Ena. Did your sister teach you this?”

“No… cough, cough!“

If you’re a priest and can’t handle a small complaint like that, you’re not cut out to be a healer.

At this level of whining, it’s almost cute.

Though it’s not something to be proud of, after dealing with all kinds of troublemakers, the younger sibling’s irritation felt more like an adorable act of affection.

“I’m sorry. cough cough I was wrong. I spoke too… cough harshly.”

“It’s fine if you realize it was wrong. As long as you know it was wrong, just don’t do it again.”

“But you’ve been coughing since earlier. You didn’t take your medicine, did you?”

“I forgot while waiting for you.”

“Well, that’s actually better. If we treat you now, the effects of the medicine will wear off because of the poison.”

You might have ended up wasting the precious medicine.

“Shall we start the treatment now?”

“Ena, lie down.”

“Okay.”

Ena lay on the bed, and I asked the child to explain her symptoms in detail.

“She has trouble breathing. She coughs often, and even the slightest exertion tires her out. She can’t do anything because she’s so weak.”

She couldn’t hide her anxiety as she explained her younger sibling’s condition.

“When she takes the medicine, she feels a bit better, but it’s not like she’s getting significantly better.”

After hearing the diagnosis, the mercenary asked,

“How do you think? Can you treat our Ena?”

“I think I need to examine her body to be sure.”

For sisters like them, this illness was nothing short of a disaster, so I couldn’t irresponsibly say I could treat it without being certain.

The mercenary’s comments were symptoms often found in those who are suffering.

“Can I see what medicine she’s been taking?”

“Sure.”

When asked to check, the mercenary pulled out the medicines as though he’d been waiting.

“Hmm…”

“They were all bought at a high price… Is there a problem with any of them?”

“These are very expensive. cough cough I sold the house to buy these, and my sister has been working nonstop.”

The medicine that had saved her life seemed to be the subject of some complaints from the younger sibling.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the price had been well worth it, considering she shouldn’t even be alive right now.

“Why say that? It’s obvious. If your sister was sick, wouldn’t you sell the house?”

“Even so, in the end, I’m the one who’s sick. cough my sister couldn’t rest and had to work because of me.”

Having someone sick in the house is hard on both the caregiver and the patient. Despite that, the bond between the two sisters was strong, and it was clear they deeply loved each other.

“Have you been taking this medicine for a long time?”

“Yeah.”

“Whoever made this medicine, they’re amazing. If it weren’t for this, I would have had a hard time.”

Although I wasn’t well-versed in herbs, it made sense when she said they were expensive.

At least it didn’t seem like she was being scammed into taking fake medicine.

There was a reason it had to be expensive.

Due to the existence of divine power, very few people showed interest in “medicine,” and as a result, there were almost no people who could make medicine properly.

Who, with divine power, would focus on developing healing medicine?

No one would be interested in something that doesn’t bring in money.

Moreover, when you take the medicine, it takes a few days for the body to develop immunity, but with divine power, the illness is healed the moment it’s treated.

Because of this, there was a huge preference difference between medicine and divine power.

“Even if it feels strange, don’t be surprised. It’s not unusual.”

“Yes.”

The divine power I released entered the child’s body.

It was the same kind of health check I had done for Princess Kanabi. The younger sibling, who had been struggling to breathe, now looked more relaxed.

“Ah.”

The healing energy flowed through her body, soothing her injuries.

I could feel the joy of her body healing, almost as if it were cheering.

The younger sibling’s body eagerly absorbed my divine power.

It was like water being poured onto dry soil, and I understood why she was so desperate to absorb it.

This meant her small body was nearing its limits.

Her illness likely hadn’t been this severe from the start.

It had worsened because no one had treated her, leaving the disease to progress.

If she hadn’t met me today, this child would have died soon.

It was impressive that she had managed to hold on in such a condition.

The one who had blacklisted the mercenary—how did they expect to cope with their resentment and grudge?

“How old is your sister?”

“She’s sixteen this year. We’re eight years apart.”

She was sixteen, and with an eight-year gap, the woman was only twenty-four.

It was clear how much both of them had suffered at such a young age.

If this were in my previous life, they would still be dependent on a guardian, not yet independent.

“At sixteen, she should recover quickly without any lasting effects.”

It wasn’t the power of the divine that made this possible—it was simply the youth that made it so.

Children’s recovery abilities were miraculous, to the point where divine power seemed insignificant.

That’s why youth had been the miracle sought after by many rulers throughout history.

Power and wealth always pale in comparison to “youth.”

Even if someone had been sick for a long time, as long as they could be treated, they would quickly recover and live like others.

“How do you feel now?”

“Hmmm… it’s warm. It’s refreshing too.”

“The divine power is healing your body. You can close your eyes and rest if you like.”

“I think it’s much easier to breathe now than before.”

“You’ll get better and better.”

Though I told her to rest, it seemed she found it fascinating to witness her own body being healed.

She watched her body being treated with wide eyes.

I tried to ignore the patient’s gaze and focused on the treatment.

Her illness had been so severe that it had caused overall bodily deterioration.

It was heartbreaking to see how much damage had been done to the internal organs of a young sixteen-year-old.

“It feels so refreshing, sister. I didn’t know breathing could be this easy. My throat doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Mm-hmm. You’re almost better now. You don’t need to feel pain anymore.”

Both sisters’ voices were thick with emotion.

Once the treatment started, it was clear that the younger sibling’s condition was improving significantly.

It’s a bit excessive to continue treatment, but since it’s not an environment where she can receive further care…

It would be difficult for me to come back here.

I had already taken a huge risk just getting here once.

Because of that, I decided to pour in enough divine power this time to prevent any further issues.

Divine power entering the body in large amounts doesn’t cause problems.

In fact, the remaining divine power will help the child grow well.

Once the treatment was complete, I spoke to the mercenary, her guardian.

“Make sure to feed her well. Since the illness has been cured, her body, which hasn’t been able to grow, will need a lot of nutrients now.”

“Of course, I will.”

“The illness has been completely healed. How do you feel? Are there any uncomfortable or still painful areas?”

Upon hearing that everything had been cured, the child seemed confused.

“It’s all healed? Already?”

“If there’s no pain, then yes.”

“Sh-should I try standing up?”

Perhaps due to excitement, the mercenary stuttered as he spoke to his younger sister.

The younger sister nodded and carefully tried to rise.

“Huh?”

Just by trying to sit up, she likely noticed a change.

“My body feels light! Wow!”

“The divine power inside your body is making it easier for you to move right now. Once the divine power fully integrates into your body, that’s when your normal state will return.”

“Ugh… thank you.”

Finally, the younger sister burst into tears.

Soon after, the mercenary also started shedding tears from his reddened eyes.

It must not have been easy for him to witness his sister suffering because of the situation he had caused.

I wish I could solve the issue of her being on the blacklist…

Sadly, now that she’s on the blacklist, there’s nothing I, as a priest, can do to help.

I could send a request for clemency, but such things require connections to be effective.

Even if I sent such a letter to the Church, who would take it seriously?

It would likely just be used as kindling.

If I were part of a faction, it might be a different story…

Unfortunately, I wasn’t planning to join any faction just yet.

So, helping the sisters ends here.

From here on, they would have to figure things out on their own, just as they always have.

Nod, nod.

“Uh, Priest? Priest?”

I snapped out of my thoughts at someone’s call.

“Ah—! Did I doze off again? I’m sorry.”

“You seem tired. Wouldn’t it be better to rest for a bit?”

“It’s still my shift. I can’t leave just yet.”

Like a startled deer suddenly jumping out.

A patient could appear at any time, from anywhere.

I couldn’t afford to neglect my duties just because I was tired, so I washed my face and returned to my post.

“I’ll go check on the patients in the wards.”

“Yes~”

Thanks to the temple’s treatment methods, the number of hospitalized patients was extremely low.

Saying I was going to check the wards basically meant I was heading to Princess Kanabi’s room.

Since the new hospital rooms were completed, she had been moved, and seeing her was no longer as easy as before.

As I left the temple treatment area and was heading to the adjacent building, a temple knight spotted me and approached.

“Priest.”

“Yes? Is there something wrong?”

“A guest has come to the special room.”

“…The special room?”

The only person currently in the special room was Princess Kanabi.

Having already caused an uproar because of her before, I couldn’t help but feel wary.