Lucilius was clearly amazed.
'You can heal…' said Elias.
I looked at him, baffled. 'Wasn't I able to before?'
He quickly shook his head. 'There hasn't been a Healer since 5 decades ago,' he said quietly.
My brows were raised questioningly. There's magic but there's no Healer? Aren't magicians supposed to know how to heal? Were the movies and animes I have watched lying to me, then?
'Impressive,' said Lucilius, clapping his hands. 'Sirius has been blessed with a Healer after a long time.'
I glared at him. Weren't you the one who wanted to kill me just now?
Then, I smiled triumphantly, folding my arms across my chest. 'See, I told you you'd regret it if you were to kill me– I turned out to be a blessing, didn't I?' I said.
Lucilius returned my smile but his version looked like he had just killed someone and was unnecessarily proud of it.
'Is your power back though?' Elias asked.
Listen, Elias. Even if it's back, I wouldn't know how to show it to you. I shook my head. 'I can only do this much,' I said.
'It's still a shame to have lost the greatest magician of the decade,' Lucilius said. 'But I guess it can't be helped.'
'Weren't you so intent on killing me earlier?' I questioned.
'As of today, I appoint you as the Emperor's private Healer,' he dismissed me and announced. 'And this shall not leave the Great Hall, for whoever's present.'
Silence engulfed the room like a slicing blade. Nobody dared to say anything. The maids, butlers and soldiers present in the Great Hall (as he called it) had their heads down.
This man really does whatever he wants, huh.
Elias nudged my elbow. 'Your gratitude,' he whispered.
I frowned. 'But I never agreed to it,' I whispered back.
The redhead raised a brow, clearly disapproved of my answer. 'It doesn't work like that,' he said. 'It wasn't an offer; it was an order.'
I pouted.
'I shall pardon you for all your offenses you have committed today, Seraphinus,' Lucilius said. 'But Elias, you put up a barrier against me.'
Elias stayed silent as he moved to a kneeling position, one knee against the ground. 'Forgive me, Your Majesty. It wasn't my-'
He was cut off. 'Your public execution is this evening,' said Lucilius.
What!?
I quickly gripped Elias's arm. 'You're not doing that!' I hissed.
Lucilius crossed his arms. 'It's so refreshing to see you like this,' he said. 'You used to act like a mute.'
'Nodding your head whenever I give orders,' he added. 'A simple "yes" or "no" whenever I ask. No questions, no arguments–' he looked at the guards by his side. 'Take her away.'
Two guards moved towards me. 'No, wait!' I yelled and backed away. They hesitated and looked at Lucilius for confirmation. He merely nodded, as in "proceed" and so they did.
'No!' I desperately screamed. 'Wait, listen! I-If you try to kill him, I'll just heal him again before his life runs out!'
Lucilius hummed. 'Smart, but I'll just keep killing him until you give up.'
I frowned in a dissatisfying manner.
'That, or I could just lock you up,' he said, shrugging, then gestured at the guards to drag me.
'Wait wait wait!' I yelled again, panicked because they were approaching. 'Uhh…'
Lucilius glanced at his wrist as if looking at a wristwatch but there was none on him.
'It's…' I said and clenched my fists, wondering if it would work. 'As your Healer, I kindly ask you to spare his life.'
He stared at me like I had just given him a Math equation to answer.
Then he shook his head. 'It's really weird to see you get all worked up like this,' he said. 'Fine, I won't kill him–He's the last magician on the grounds of Sirius anyway.'
I grinned.
He sighed. 'Quickly get out of my sight. You guys are annoying.'
'Thank you, Your Majesty!' I chirped and ran to the door, dragging Elias along.
***
Elias was walking quietly ahead of me. He seemed like he was deep in thought so I didn't want to ask anything yet.
'Where,' he began without looking into my direction.
'Hmm?'
'Where did you learn healing?' he asked.
'Learn? I never learned it,' I said. 'It just happened.'
'But that's impossible, you weren't a Healer before and a Healer hadn't emerged for a long while.'
I shrugged. 'Well, maybe I'm different. Maybe my ability just suddenly decided to pop up right then.'
He sighed, 'It's true the attack might have messed you up but this is a rare case– in fact, this hasn't happened before.'
'I wonder if the attack was really by the bandits,' I said and he glanced at me. I was just talking to myself but when I saw him waiting, I quickly added, 'I mean, why would they go as far as vanishing my magic if all they wanted was to rob me?'
He hummed, 'Makes sense. But assassins should know better than attacking you; your senses are beyond this world. A few have tried before but after you killed them over and over again, they knew not to go after you anymore. It's just this time that they got lucky.'
'Assassins…' I murmured. I haven't heard of that term for a long time. Perhaps because in my world, those people were scarce and irrelevant in the era. And to think that people are going after my throat endlessly– I shivered at the thought.
Elias reached the end of the hallway and there was a door. But instead of going straight for it, he turned at a random corner. I followed but he looked baffled when I trailed after him.
'What–' he was about to ask but he remembered something. 'Sorry,' he said apologetically then took my hand, bringing me to the previous hallway, towards the door.
Pointing, he explained, 'That is your shortcut. You have access to the main palace, the Emperor's residence and the Magus Turrim.'
The Mag-who what?
I must have looked like a clueless idiot because he chuckled and took my arm. 'Come, I'll bring you to your room,' he said and so he did.
As he opened the door, sunlight pierced in and I squinted my eyes. 'You have a room in the Turrim,' he said, leading me under a roofed pathway in which on either side were beds of colorful flowers. They sparkled nicely while bathed in the sun. 'But you really fancied the special residence His Majesty built for you a year after you started as the Official Magician.'
'What's Turrim?' I asked.
'The Magus Turrim. The magic tower for magicians of Sirius. It's where we work or do research or observe stuff,' he replied politely. 'The tower manifests special magic mana. It has been our source for healing and energizing people. But of course, it can't heal as well as you did. We still need physicians; the tower only fastens the process.'
I nodded in understanding.
'The manor His Majesty built for you is strategically located so you could reach the palace or him quickly even without using teleportation.'
'I can teleport?' I asked, surprised and excited.
He smiled. 'Yes.'
We reached a huge manor; big enough to become a community college or something. I stared at it in admiration. We neared it and there was a maid waiting by the front door.
'Miss Luna!'
I flinched at the maid who was dashing towards me like a lost child that had found her mom. Elias looked at her lovingly, smiling wide.
'That's Helena,' said Elias. 'She's the maid you personally picked and has been serving you ever since you started working as the official magician.'
Helena literally jumped onto me, hugging me tightly as if I would run away. I was feeling awkward at the sudden skinship.
'Miss Luna!' she yelled; her voice muffled as she buried her face unto my shoulder. 'Is it true?'
I turned to Elias.
'Yes, it's true, Helena,' he answered it for me. 'Could you please ready her bed so she could rest? She had a long day.'
'But it hasn't even been a day, it's only 11am!' she wailed.
I blinked. Yeah well. She's not wrong.
'So,' Helena looked up at me, face wet with tears. 'Did you really forget about me? And you really lost your magic?'
'Uhh, yes.'
Helena bit her lower lip, holding in her cries and let go of me. She took several steps backwards and bowed politely. 'Then,' she said, suddenly sounding serious. 'I'll prepare your bath and bed.'
'T-thank you…' I stuttered and she disappeared into the large house.
'I'll be going back to my room,' said Elias after a moment of silence. 'I have a client to see this evening.'
I nodded. 'Okay, thank you.'
And he left as well. I was standing alone in front of the huge residence, still wondering what the hell was happening.