Khel totally wasn't sure what just happened.
She kept on staring at the queen until she finally left the front door. The sound of the horse and carriage moving outside can be heard as it took the queen back to the castle.
Khel was still stunned. Suddenly, she slapped herself in both of her cheeks.
PLAKK!!
"Eh?! Khel!?"
That scared me. Khel suddenly slapped herself so hard, it threw her round glasses to the ground.
"A-Am I... Am I dreaming!?!?"
"Khel..."
Her face was red thanks to the slap, but I don't think it's just the slap.
"T-That was the queen, right? Just now!?!?"
"Khel-"
"And did you just... Healed the queen!?!?"
"Oh dear."
I started letting her do whatever is on her mind as she waves both of her hands.
"And she said it was an unhealable disease!?!? A-And... And she said not even the greatest magician can heal her?!?!?"
"I mean, That was the queen, right?!?!?"
I just kept silent while holding my face. She turned to the crowd of nuns behind her.
"Can anyone confirm t-that person is the queen?!?!?"
The nuns behind her slowly put their hand around her and pulled her to the back while she was still rumbling about the queen. Miss Jen and the elder nun approached me.
"You really are a surprise, Rize."
"Thank you, Madam. Though, I wasn't exactly sure why the queen suddenly came to me."
"I have heard about it. The queen has been searching for healing methods everywhere. She has never left the castle, even for a business affair. She only left when she had found a healing opportunity."
"I... I see..."
"But, for a queen of the kingdom to come to you, and even heal her... You surely have made quite the name."
Miss Jen laughed from her side, I simply grinned.
"So, did you heal her?"
"I did. If things go right for her, the virus won't be able to hit her again."
"Virus?"
"Emm, I meant the small animals that are the cause of the sickness."
"Oh... You sure know a lot about sickness, Rize. Why don't you go be a doctor?"
Miss Jen went to the back, leaving me and the elder nun.
"Boring. Saving lives like this is enough for me."
"I guess so."
"By the way, I think I have one more patient."
"Oh, you mean the mother of the young girl?"
I guess that girl was telling the truth.
I went to the back with the elder nun, and looked for the mother. The mother of the young girl is at the park, sitting down on the stone stairs. The daughter is sitting right next to her.
Aside from those two, Khel and the two nuns are also here.
"Rize... Her legs..."
The bottom of her foot is already charred black. While cracks from that black area are spreading to her knee.
"Holy shit."
"Language."
The elder nun replied from the side. I forgot this place is a holy ground.
I kneeled down right in front of the mother.
"How did this happen?"
"I'm not sure. I guess I must have stepped on a curse."
She could be right. This couldn't be a sickness, but a curse. I heard that Intermediate tier healing magic can't heal curses... but I'm going to try to heal her anyways.
I summoned twenty light balls this time. I created the path and continued it all the way to her right leg. She twitched in pain a little bit.
Very slowly, I can see the black disappearing. Only a millimetre can be removed after thirty seconds.
"This is too slow..."
"Then what should we do?"
"You don't have to do anything."
With annoyance, I lifted both my hands up. Everyone lifted their heads up to find that the air above them has turned bright golden, and the warmth can even be felt to our skins.
I summoned... umm... I don't know, I can't count them. However, there should be more than two hundred healing balls above our heads.
If only this is the evening... it would make it as if the stars had reached this park.
"Woah... She kept on surprising me even more..."
"Because that is true talent, right there."
Khel and the elder nun chats to themselves, but I can still hear it from here.
I connected the other balls all the way to his right leg. This much of a concentrated magic should destroy her leg, but not if I do something about it.
Two hundred plus magic balls went inside her leg. The shadow that is eating her foot dissipates ten times faster.
After a whole minute, the black bruises on her skin are finally gone. Her foot is finally back to normal... Just without nails now.
"Now, try walking, but slowly."
She slowly put her right leg on the ground. It is touching. She doesn't feel any pain anymore.
"Ha... Haha...!!"
Tears flowing from her eyes as her daughter hugs her.
"Thank you... I don't know how I can ever repay you. My daughter and I has already been suffocating before I got the black thing on my foot. It gets even worse when it came. You just lifted a heavy weight from me and my daughter."
"Where is your husband?"
She looked down.
"He... left us."
"I see. Because he is... Dead? Or because he actually left?"
"He left. I do wish he was dead."
"O-Oh."
She looked at her daughter again.
"Then how can I ever repay you... Please don't ask for money. Because we are barely eating as we are..."
"Hmm..."
I looked to the nuns right behind me. I pointed at the mother, then pointed at the church. The elder nun smiled, and nodded as a sign of okay.
I turned to the mother and daughter.
"How... about becoming a nun, here?"
"Sorry?"
"Well, for starters, we could always use more hands on the healing session. And also some daily work. They probably couldn't pay you much. You and your daughter could learn how to use healing magic. By all means, this is a new line of life for you."
The mother thought about it as she smiled. Then she looked at her daughter, giving her the same look.
"Then, we will accept it."
"And we are glad."
The elder nun suddenly showed up right next to me.
"I will personally guide both of you. Would you like to also live here? I'm sure the place, where those two young nuns picked you up from, is not good for a living."
She must be talking about the slums. Looking at their attires, they do look like they live in the slums.
"Uhm... Is it really okay?"
"It's very fine. In fact, we are thrilled to have a new member."
The elder nun raises her right hand.
"Welcome to the church."
The mother took her hand and shook.
.
"Bahaaaahhh~... Today was quite the day..."
After changing into my adventurer attire, I left the church and went to the Office to wait for Hod. It's only a few minutes until the second bell, judging from the sun.
I got more tired than I thought. I checked my energy checker, and I'm already at nearly half of my energy.
And I almost forgot again. After the second bell, I will have a magic lesson with Hod. I hope the magic lesson doesn't take too much energy, or else I will faint.
The Office is currently crowded, but it's not as crowded as before, since this is a weekend after all. Keila is handling all the adventurers on the receptionist single handedly. I really salute her.
I looked to the diner, checking if Hod has arrived. And he is, on the first floor, at the right side of the tables.
"Rize!"
Hod called from his table. He is sitting with his team, but somehow not everyone is here. Only him and the archer girl I think called Valey is here, so I approached the two.
"Hey. Where are the others from your team?"
I asked, and Hod noticed that I didn't exactly know about their ranks.
"Oh, the squad hasn't really introduced ourselves to you, have we?"
"Hmm. The others are currently taking the Blue rank test. The guy with the axe and the sword girl."
"Hmm... I see..."
I guess there are plenty of Green ranked adventurers that I know are coming to the test, including Jrake and Cane.
"So eh, Rize. You remembered Valey?"
"Yeah, I remembered."
"Valey will be coming with us to the training. Hope you don't mind."
"It's okay. In fact, I'm glad it won't be just the two of us."
Valey hides her laugh. She's quite cute.
"Well, then. Shall we get going?"
"Hold on, I haven't eaten anything yet. Plus I'm a bit tired."
I pulled the chair right next to them on the same table. I pulled out the cooked chicken that I bought on my way here.
"O-Okay, then. Wait, did you just do a mission just now?"
"No. I just... Worked."
"Oh..."
Hod gives up. I guess he couldn't take everything out of me.
I took out the spoon and the plate from my ring. Valey looked at me then continued chatting with Hod.
"I wonder how difficult the Blue rankup test will be."
"Well, last time we did it, it wasn't very dangerous, so I think they will be fine."
"Yeah, I hoped so. If it's Barett, I understand. He is a tough guy. But, Cony..."
"Oh... Cony..."
"Cony..."
Those two somehow looked down, and I can only get it that this 'Cony' girl is not a normal one.
"Why are you two looking down?"
I asked them while I was chewing, but I got ignored and those two continued mumbling the name Cony while being very worried.
I finished my meal and stored the dirty plate and spoon back inside. I threw the cover that holds the chicken away, then I took out my magic checking tool.
6980/7307.
Woah, I raised quite the number there. Somehow using magic also gives you both magic energy and magic points. I learned that from the book of magic in my room that I haven't returned.
And by eating and resting, I refreshed a bunch of magic energy. The higher the magic energy, the harder it is for it to go back to the same value as the magic points. So, eating and resting replenishes the lost magic energy.
"Is that a magic checking tool?"
Valey asked from her side of the table. With high curiosity, she bends her body forward, asking me.
"What's your magic points?"
"Valey. It's not wise to ask someone else's magic points."
"Ehh?? But, I know yours."
"That's different."
Hod stopped Valey from asking things that she shouldn't ask, and I wouldn't just give out my magic points to someone else. Klane warned me already, and I realized now why.
"Okay. I'm done. Let's go."
"Wait, where are we going again?"
Hod asked, and I don't really know where to go. I just gave him a suggestion.
"How about we do a mission?"
"Hmm. That sounds good. We'll pick a gathering missi-"
"No, no, you are both Blue ranked. Why don't we pick a Yellow ranked mission?"
I quickly said to him since I was curious, and both Hod and Valey turned surprised at my idea.
"A-Are you serious?"
"Rize. A Yellow mission is too much even for both of us."
Hod and Valey tried reasoning with me, but I only laugh seeing them so confused.
"It's going to be fine. I always wanted to see what a Yellow ranked mission is like."
"... What about the new rule? Adventurers that are more than two ranks lower can't come to the mission. You are Gray ranked, Rize."
"I'll tell Keila to make an exception for me."
Hearing such words, both of them were surprised once more. Hod blinked to wake up from the confusion and tried asking.
"Okay. That sounds... ridiculous. Exactly why would they make an exception for you?"
"You tell me. You're the one who stole my kill."
I said to Hod confidently, and he quickly realized what I'm trying to say. Valey was quite confused, but the answer is already very clear to Hod.
I don't belong in Gray. Even the Blue rank is too low for me.
"I'm... still not sure..."
"If it can make you feel any better, I defeated Jrake in an all out spar."
The two of them quickly opened their eyes widely from that sudden drop of information, and I laughed once more.
"So, we're going?"
"… Bah, fine. Your call, let's go."
Hod eventually gave up, and Valey realizes that she doesn't really have a say in this. I stood up with a grin and headed to the board. The two of them follows, but Valey grabbed Hod's clothes.
"Wait, Hod."
Valey looked at Hod with a worried face. Seeing this, Hod simply grinned.
"If she said it's fine, it's fine."
"Are you... sure?"
"Yeah. Something tells me she is more capable than me."
Hod gave his reasoning, which surprised Valey even more. The two then continued approaching the board, where I am waiting and listening to their conversation.
Now, then. A Yellow ranked mission... So far, all the monsters I've defeated are all Blue ranked the highest. The strongest I've faced so far is the wyvern, and even that thing can't put up a fight.
I probably would have beaten the nearly evolved Lesser dragon if Cane and his teammates didn't help. But, who knows what could've happened in such a fight.
Most importantly... I continued evolving day by day. Who I am today is a lot stronger than who I was yesterday.
As such, I'm confident in taking such a mission.
After Hod and Valey arrives, we studied the mission board for the Yellow ranked missions. There were quite a few of them since high ranking missions are far rarer than lower rankings, so our options are not quite a lot. We all looked at the missions one by one and thought about which one to pick.
"What about this one?"
Hod picked a mission paper, and I already knew that it's not going to be fun. It says... capturing a demonized wolf?
"Are you kidding?"
"Yeah, that is too boring, Hod. Search for another one."
Hod got completely disarrayed. His pick was rejected blatantly by the two of us. I gave a quick glare at Valey and realized she is on the same mindset as me.
We're not looking to get rich by taking this mission. We're looking for an experience. To have fun.
"How about this one, then?"
Valey then picked one, and I lifted my eyebrows reading it.
It says 'Sightings: A Group of Red Orcs'.
"Oh... This one is interesting."
I commented from reading, and the two of them realized the level of this mission.
Red Orcs are high ranking monsters, with a single one of them valued at the Blue rank. Dealing with them is a hassle because they are quite capable individually, which is why a group of them might be quite dangerous to deal with.
And as always, a group of Blue ranked monsters will in fact increase their danger level into a combined Yellow rank. Lower Yellow, to be specific.
"Yeah, I guess this one feels more like a proper Yellow ranked mission."
I commented, but the light blue hair moved closer to the board with a disapproving look.
"Ehh? Isn't that a bit too dangerous?!"
""Yes.""
Hod completely got smacked away by the simultaneous reply. Us girls then stared at each other with a wide grin.
"Let's pick this, then."
"Yeah, this seems fun."
Me and Valey is completely on the same page, and we both went to line in the receptionist. Leaving Hod all speechless by the missions board.
.