The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows: Volume 2 E-Book

Sakaku Hishikawa

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 274

Beschreibung

Exhausted after dealing with the golem incident, Zenos decides to get some well-deserved rest and travels to a hot springs resort. His ability to actually rest, however, is greatly impaired when his collection of problem patients follow him there. Coincidentally, Umin, a healer affiliated with the Royal Institute of Healing, also happens to be staying at the exact same inn. When an accident befalls their hosts, Zenos once again demonstrates his “plain ol’ shadow healer” abilities, and in so doing yet again attracts the exact kind of attention he didn’t want. Now on the Institute’s radar, Zenos is faced with an unexpected request...

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Shadow Healer’s Vacation

Chapter 2: A Special Summons for an Elite Healer

Chapter 3: Trainee at the Royal Institute of Healing

Side Story I: Meanwhile, at the Clinic...

Chapter 4: Undead Subjugation Team

Chapter 5: Invitation

Chapter 6: The Great Noble’s Daughter

Side Story II: Meanwhile, at the Clinic...

Chapter 7: The Night of the Dinner Party

Chapter 8: Choosing a Life

Epilogue (I)

Epilogue (II)

Appendix: Becker’s Letter

Side Story III: A Man’s Return Home

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

Color Illustrations

Prologue

The founder of the Kingdom of Herzeth, also known as the Kingdom of the Sun, had famously said, “Our radiance shall shine bright across the land.”

At the heart of the royal capital was the palace, surrounded by an area known as the special district, where the nobility—descendants of the country’s founding heroes—resided. And in one corner of this area lay the administrative ward, where the major institutions of the nation were located. Within this ward stood a building of pristine white, its walls emanating an aura of serenity. High above the main gate was an emblem featuring a pair of hands cradling a sun—representing the king—as if healing it.

This was the Royal Institute of Healing—headquarters of all healers in Herzeth.

Inside one of the many buildings in the vast, sprawling grounds stood a girl wearing round glasses. “Dr. Becker,” she said, her sky-blue hair fluttering at her shoulders. She exuded an atmosphere so earnest, it was as though honesty itself had taken form and donned clothes. “Might I speak with you for a moment?”

“What’s the matter, Umin?” asked the man with brown hair and gentle features sitting before her. He seemed not to pay much mind to his appearance; a cowlick stuck out at the back of his head.

Hesitantly, Umin asked, “Um... Is it possible for an unlicensed healer to use elite-tier spells?”

The man tilted his head in confusion. “Why the sudden question?” he said after a moment’s pause. “I thought you were going to ask me what I had for lunch. I was trying very hard to remember what it was, actually.”

“No, I don’t have any particular interest in that,” she replied. “Besides, you’re often too busy to eat lunch at all.”

Becker let out a carefree laugh. “True, true.” Suddenly, his already thin eyes narrowed further. “Hmm, an elite yet unlicensed healer... That’s quite the unexpected question.”

“Well, I was just wondering if perhaps such an individual might exist...”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Right, let’s see... Not having a license means either they never received a formal education, or they failed the exam.”

“I suppose so, yes.”

“And in those circumstances, becoming a top-tier healer is generally unlikely.”

“Yes, I thought as much...” Umin said with a small sigh.

“But,” Becker continued quietly, “if, by some miracle, someone like that did exist out there...” He trailed off, a glint forming in the back of his slightly droopy eyes.

A little taken aback, Umin cleared her throat. “I-If one did, then...?”

“That’d be so cool!”

Her knees nearly buckled. “C-Cool, you say?”

“Very cool,” he confirmed. “I mean, how amazing would that be? A self-taught elite healer!” The man’s eyes practically sparkled. “Most healers need years of diligent, formal studies before finally getting their license. From there, they can climb through the ranks from apprentice to beginner, and then on to intermediate and advanced. But most healers don’t make it past intermediate, and only a few make it to advanced. From there, fewer still make it to elite, and those that do, do so either through significant contributions or by demonstrating exceptional talent. Now, reaching that level via self-study alone? Don’t you think that’s praiseworthy?”

“W-Well, yes, but...” Umin muttered incredulously. The doctor could be rather scatterbrained at times, but that was part of his charm.

Finally, the man straightened and offered her a placid smile. “While I would love to meet such an individual, were they to exist, well, it’s complicated, no? We’d be obliged to take action against anyone operating without a license.”

“True...”

Many things fell under the jurisdiction of the Royal Institute of Healing, namely medical treatments, healing education, related research, providing support for adventurers, and the supervision and management of clinics. As a result, unlicensed clinics were naturally subject to stringent crackdowns by the Institute.

“So, why the question, Umin?” Becker asked.

“Oh, no reason. I was just curious,” Umin said, waving a hand in front of her face.

She thought back to the incident with the monster in the slums a week ago. They’d received reports that a giant creature had rampaged through the streets, and healers had been informally called upon to provide assistance on a volunteer basis. Because this supposed creature had targeted the slums, only a scant few had applied to provide treatment, Umin among them.

But upon arriving on-site, despite the collapsed buildings which made it evident that something massive had attacked, they’d found no injured, much to their shock. The monster had been nowhere to be found, and though details were few and far between, it was difficult to believe that there’d been not a single injury given how badly damaged the area had been.

Perhaps the incident had been staged by the poor to sow unrest in the heart of the city. Or perhaps there had been injured people, but they hadn’t trusted the healers sent by the authorities and had lied about it. Those were the hypotheses among her peers, despite the lack of solid evidence for either.

Umin had considered another possibility: someone had already treated all of the injured before the healers’ arrival.

Still, given the state the buildings were in, the situation had to have been dire. The casualties would have numbered beyond counting. No ordinary single healer would’ve been able to treat everyone before Umin and the others arrived. Yet they’d heard nothing about the saintess or other elite healers being involved.

In which case—could it be that, somewhere in this country, there was a brilliant healer, hiding in the shadows? No way, right? That was too much of a leap. Her theory was too far-fetched, she felt, and so she hesitated to speak further on it.

There was no official announcement regarding the incident, in the end. Perhaps the Royal Guard was suppressing information—though the government never had concerned itself with the slums in the first place.

“What’s on your mind, Umin?” Becker asked.

“Oh, nothing,” she replied, shaking her head.

“Ah, right.” The professor seemed to remember something, and took an envelope out of a drawer. “It’s your turn to do the rounds in the countryside. Would you mind?”

“Again? You always send me.”

“Indeed. But providing medical care in underpopulated areas is also one of the respectable duties of the Royal Institute of Healing.”

“I mean, yes, but...” Umin didn’t dislike doing these rounds, per se. It was just that right now, she had much on her mind, and so she wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it.

Noticing her mood, Becker’s tone softened. “Is that still bothering you, Umin?”

“Well, I...”

“I get it. I feel the same way. But you don’t want to jeopardize your own health with all that overthinking, you know? It defeats the point.”

“Thank...you.”

“Actually, that’s part of why I’m sending you out on this assignment.”

Umin tilted her head in silent confusion as Becker reached into the envelope and took out a piece of paper, then handed it to her with a thoughtful expression.

“This place’s great for treating fatigue. People tend to flock there for healing, see.”

“People flock there?” she echoed. If that was the case, then there was a chance to run into the person she was looking for...

Umin stared absentmindedly at the paper in her hands, lost in thought.

Chapter 1: The Shadow Healer’s Vacation

On the outskirts of the magnificent royal capital stood the ruins of a town once laid low by a plague. Tucked away in the shadows of the kingdom’s prosperity, the weather-beaten streets—known only as a ruined town without name—told a story long forgotten.

And in a quiet corner of these ruins stood a crooked building with cracked windows and paint peeling off the exterior walls.

The house had been left as such on purpose in order to blend in with the surrounding abandoned homes. It was a clandestine clinic run by a genius healer who, due to his social standing as a poor man, couldn’t obtain a license. He’d started the practice after being expelled from his party.

“Mr. Zenos,” said Krishna, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed vice commander of the Royal Guard, “we have made little progress in uncovering the mastermind behind the golem incident. All we know thus far is that this individual calls themselves the Conductor.”

“I see,” replied Zenos, shadow healer and owner of this clinic, as he crossed his arms with a sigh.

A week ago, an ancient man-made weapon had rampaged through the slums where the demi-humans lived. Krishna’s report concerned the person who had orchestrated the attack from behind the scenes.

“The Conductor,” Zenos repeated. “It sounds familiar.” That was the name of a member of the Black Guild who took on any request free of charge, provided it met certain conditions.

After the incident, the healer had covered the repair costs for the collapsed houses by selling the sword he’d confiscated from Aston, his former party leader—a valuable treasure Zenos had once picked up in an underground labyrinth. His labor, however, remained unpaid.

“I’ll remember that name,” the healer said. “We’ll settle things someday.”

“Indeed,” Krishna replied. “However, they seem elusive. I went to their hideout as indicated by Aston, but it was already deserted, with no traces of this individual remaining.”

The leader of the lizardmen bandits, Zophia, raised her right hand from her seat at the dining table in the back. “I’ve looked into this Conductor myself.” Her long black hair was tied back, and her slitted light green eyes were gazing at Zenos. “I sent my brother Zonde to the Black Guild to sniff ’em out. Apparently the Conductor was a pretty new arrival there. They didn’t associate with anyone. Seems like even the people from the guild thought they looked out of place.”

“I did some investigating of my own,” Lynga, a werewolf with large beast ears and ash-colored hair that reached down to her shoulders, added. “Heard pretty much the same thing.”

“It’s an unspoken rule of the underworld not to pry into other people’s business, so there’s only so much we’ll be able to glean from just asking around,” Loewe, an orc with tanned skin and red eyes, pointed out.

Zenos groaned softly.

Krishna raised her right hand. “The Royal Guard shall target this Conductor as a person of interest and potential risk, but given how thoroughly they have concealed their own tracks, ’tis likely they will not make any public appearances for a while.”

“I see,” the healer replied.

“But they’ll poke their head out someday,” Zophia murmured. “Call it a hunch.”

“Yeah,” Lynga agreed. “I get the feeling the Conductor’s still plotting something.”

“Agreed. Whoever this is, they’re sneaky,” Loewe said. “They might be burrowing away even deeper than we think.”

Krishna’s expression shifted to displeasure at their remarks. “You demi-humans really ought to stop making perfunctory guesses.”

“What was that?” Zophia asked. “Isn’t your opinion also a guess?”

“Not at all,” Krishna replied. “My speculation is backed by investigation and expertise—”

“Okay, hold up a sec,” Zenos said, slowly pushing to his feet. His gaze shifted between each of the women at the clinic, split between the dining table and the treatment room. “Can you guys at least all gather in one place if you’re gonna talk? It’s hard to follow the conversation.”

Krishna’s lips pursed into a pout. “W-Well, I have no choice, Mr. Zenos. Given my position in the Royal Guard, I cannot leisurely share a table and have tea with criminals such as Zophia and the others.”

“Same goes for us,” the lizardwoman protested. “Why are you even here?”

“I am here on proper business, delivering a report on the aftermath of the incident to an involved party. If anyone here is wasting Mr. Zenos’s time with frivolities, it certainly would not be me.”

“You’ve got a smart mouth on you, huh?”

“Oh, cut it out!” Zenos snapped. “No fighting in here. Also, business is closed today because I’m tired, so unless you guys are seriously ill or wounded, get out!”

Shooed out by the healer, the women reluctantly left the clinic. Last to leave, Krishna turned to look at him, her hand on the doorknob. “One final thing before I go,” she said. “About that man, Aston—it seems that he made no mention of your name when being interrogated by officers other than myself, Mr. Zenos. Though he excused it as not wishing to speak of your achievements, perhaps in his own way, he did have your best interests in mind.”

“I see...”

“Also, once again, you have achieved a great deal—”

“No records, no awards. I wanna lay low, remember? All I need is to be compensated for my labor.”

“I thought you might say as much. Should I locate the Conductor, I will contact you promptly.” The door shut behind her with a soft thud.

With the guests gone, the house was finally quiet again.

“Here’s your tea, Zenos,” said a pretty elf girl as she approached from the kitchen, holding a cup.

“Thanks, Lily,” the healer replied with a smile, gazing pensively at the hand-sewn nurse’s cap perched atop her swaying blonde hair. It was after finding her severely wounded and healing her, the day he’d been kicked from his party, that he’d decided to start his practice. Now she served as both his receptionist and a nurse.

The young elf watched him sip his tea, a tense look on her face. “Um, Zenos? I’ve been thinking...”

“About what?”

“So, what happened with the golem the other day. That was hard on you, right?”

“I guess,” he admitted. “I was pretty tired for the first time in a while.”

A golem—an ancient, man-made weapon of destruction—had ravaged the slums. Zenos had not only treated hundreds of victims in the middle of the night, he’d also fought the golem and restored the body of a former party member who was being consumed by a manastone. Claiming he hadn’t been tired after that would’ve been blatantly untrue.

“So I was thinking, um, you could take a break, and come with me to...to...” Lily stammered, frozen in place.

“To?” Zenos echoed.

“Come with me to a...”

“A...?”

“Come with me,” Lily mumbled, struggling, clenching her fists as if trying to find the courage to continue, “to a hot sp—”

“Doc!” came Zophia’s voice from the front door, now suddenly ajar. At the sight of her, Lily stopped talking.

Zenos looked at the lizardwoman, puzzled. “What’s up? Forgot something here?”

“Nah, that’s not it,” Zophia replied. “I have an idea, actually, so I was waiting for Lynga and Loewe to leave.”

“An idea?”

Zophia chuckled sheepishly, rubbing her nose. “So, what happened the other day was hard on you, right?”

“I was pretty tired for the first time in a while.”

“So, like. Wanna go to a hot spring?”

“A hot spring?”

“Yeah. It’s spacious, and you get a nice soak in warm water. It’ll cure your fatigue, I think.”

“I see,” Zenos mused. “Might be nice once in a while.”

“Hells yeah!” Zophia exclaimed. “It’s a date, doc!”

In high spirits, the lizardwoman left. Almost immediately after, Lynga sauntered in, sneaking closer to Zenos while glancing over her shoulder.

“What’s up, Lynga?” the healer asked. “Forgot something here?”

“Nah,” the werewolf replied. “I actually have a great idea, so I was waiting for Zophia and Loewe to be gone.”

“An idea?”

Lynga beamed. “Sir Zenos, the golem incident was hard on you, wasn’t it?”

“I was pretty tired for the first time in a while.”

“So why not go to a hot spring with me? Get a nice soak in warm water, send that fatigue packing.”

“A hot spring,” he echoed. “Not a bad idea, but I—”

“Yesss!” Lynga exclaimed. “It’s a date, Sir Zenos!”

Her beast ears twitching, the werewolf left.

Moments later, Loewe came into the clinic, brimming with confidence and grinning. “Zenos! I had an idea—”

“A hot spring, right? It’s a hot spring. You wanna go to a hot spring.”

“H-How did you know?” Loewe asked. “Great minds do think alike after all! You guessed my thoughts precisely!”

“You people are just peas in a pod, aren’t you?!” It was hard to believe these women used to be at odds over racial issues.

After Loewe left with a spring in her step, the door opened a fourth time.

“M-Mr. Zenos,” Krishna stammered. “I-I had an ide—”

“Not you too, Krishna!” Were Zophia and the rest rubbing off on her too?!

After seeing the visitors off, Zenos dropped his shoulders tiredly. “That was weirdly tiresome. What’s with them and hot springs, anyway?” Slumping, he turned back to Lily. “So, what were you saying?”

“Ugh...” Lily looked down, puffed up her cheeks, and ran off into the bedroom. “Nothing! Forget it!”

“Huh? What the...”

As an astonished Zenos watched the young elf run away, a semitransparent, black-clad woman floated down from the ceiling.

“Hee hee hee... How marvelous that all the rivals, in an attempt to outdo one another, offered the exact same suggestion. I never tire of watching the unseemly struggles of women...”

“You know, I’ve been wondering... Aren’t you supposed to be the highest of all undead or whatever? Shouldn’t you be classier?”

With a smirk, Carmilla—the wraith living in the second floor of the clinic—crossed her arms smugly, suppressing a chuckle. “It certainly has been a while since I last visited a hot spring.”

“What? No way. You’re coming too?”

***

The hot-spring village of Flamme was about a half day’s ride from the capital, where the ruined town was. Though it was a small mountain settlement, it was a highly sought-after health resort, known for its abundant hot water.

“Man, this feels amazing...” Zenos mumbled as he stretched, submerged in the spacious open-air bath.

Day had given way to night, and a sea of stars twinkled high above. He’d chosen to stay at an inn on the outskirts of the village, since the ones closer to the village center required proof of citizenship to enter. The building was somewhat old, but less crowded, which made it cozier. The men’s bath was completely empty save for him.

“Coming here was a great decision,” he murmured, the fatigue from the past few days melting away in the warm water.

This might’ve been the first time he’d ever been able to soak by himself in such a large bath. Though he’d intended to operate covertly as a shadow healer, his life had turned quite hectic. Zenos was enjoying this rare moment of quiet privacy.

“Doooc...”

“What?” he said, rubbing his face. The steam made it hard to see, but he could spot someone standing in the washing area barely wrapped in a towel, the seductive curves of her body on display. “Zophia? This is the men’s bath.”

“I know,” she said. “But at least let me wash your back. You’re here to relax, after all.”

“Nah. I can do it myself.”

“Aw, you’re no fun.” She stepped into the bath, the water sloshing around her.

“Aaand you just waltzed right in.”

“Eh, who cares? It’s not like there’s anyone else here.”

“For now, yeah, but not forever. And then you’ll just cause a scene, so just hurry on back to the women’s bath.”

“It’s fine. I hung up a ‘Cleaning in Progress’ sign outside after you went in.”

“So that’s why it’s empty!”

“Sooo, it’s just us two in here...” Zophia trailed off, licking her lips as she moved to stand confidently before Zenos. He immediately felt a sense of dread, but she pulled away, modestly sitting a little further out. “Honestly, I’d love to be more forward, but I don’t want you to hate me.”

“What is this? You, being reasonable for once?”

“Of course. You’re watching, after all.” Her face was a little flushed, perhaps due to the water temperature. “Lately, my brother and my men all keep saying I’ve changed. Probably because I met you.”

“You do seem to have calmed down compared to when we first met.”

“Yeah. See, doc, you say you just heal wounds, but I think you change people too. Well, not just people. I never dreamed I’d let my guard down around a werewolf or an orc, let alone have a conversation with a member of the Royal Guard. You’re probably gonna change the world one of these—”

“I’m not that impressive,” he cut in. “Just a plain ol’ shadow healer.”

His mentor’s words flashed in his mind. “A third-rate healer just mends wounds. A second-rate healer heals people. A first-rate healer makes the world a better place.” Zenos knew he was far from reaching that level.

“Whether or not you see it that way, people are just gonna keep bugging you,” Zophia said. “You’re probably gonna be out of my reach soon, so at least let me enjoy this bath with you, yeah?”

After a moment’s silence, Zenos spoke up slowly. “Hey, Zophia...”

“Yeah?”

“Have you been inching closer?”

“Oh, you got me,” she admitted. “I was planning on a sneak attack.”

“And here I was thinking you were being reasonable! What an idiot I am!”

Just as Zophia sprang up from the water, a familiar voice rang out from the entrance to the men’s bath. “Now wait a damn minute!” From the steam emerged someone with animal ears, loosely wrapped in a towel. “I’m not giving you a head start, Zophia!”

The lizardwoman clicked her tongue. “Lynga! This is the men’s bath! What are you thinking?!”

“Uh,” Zenos interjected. “Pot, kettle...?”

Lynga stumbled into the water. “I only ended up here because I’m so dizzy.”

“That’s a total lie, isn’t it?” the healer deadpanned.

“Oh no,” the werewolf said. “I’m so dizzy, I’m about to fall over!”

“A total lie!”

Lynga’s eyes gleamed and she tried to lunge at Zenos, but Zophia grabbed her from the side. “Hey! Don’t just approach the doc like that!”

“Let go, Zophia!” the werewolf protested. “I’m totally half-conscious and about to fall into Sir Zenos over here!”

“You’re pretty strong for someone half-conscious!”

“Come on, you two!” Zenos snapped. “I’m just trying to enjoy some peace and quiet here!”

“Hold it right there! Don’t just forget about me!” said another figure as she emerged from the water with a splash a little ways away from the others. There stood the orc Loewe, a smug smile on her face and her hands on her hips.

“Okay, sure,” the healer said. “But why the hells did you come from there?”

Loewe laughed heartily. “I’ve been hiding in the springs waiting for you, Zenos! But I ran out of breath and was in a state of suspended animation until the commotion jolted me awake. How clumsy of me!”

“And you’re beaming proudly about doing something that stupid?!”

“What do you think, Zenos? My physique is top-notch, right?” the orc asked.

“Uh, it’s dark, so I can’t really tell,” the healer replied.

“I’ll just come closer so you can get a better look.”

“Please don’t.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Loewe!” Zophia protested.

“My physique is leagues better!” Lynga chimed in.

The three demi-humans began to scuffle, splashing hot water everywhere.

“Seriously, though,” Zenos groaned. “I just wanted some quiet...”

“Hey now, demi-humans!” came another woman’s voice. “What in blazes are you doing?! This is the men’s bath, you lascivious lot!”

The three demi-human women looked over to the entrance, where Krishna stood.

“Wait, why are you here?” Zophia asked.

“Lady Iron Pervert!” Lynga exclaimed.

“You wanted to see Zenos that badly?” Loewe said.

Krishna blushed a deep red. “N-No! I-I merely lost my way and mistook the men’s bath for the women’s bath!”

“That’s a total lie, isn’t it?” the healer asked.

“E-Either way! Do not approach Mr. Zenos in that state! At least wrap your towels around yourselves properly!”

Zophia scoffed. “Everyone just keeps getting in the way.”

“I won’t let you guys win!” Lynga declared.

“Burn my glorious naked body into your eyeballs, Zenos!” Loewe said.

Turning to the women as they quarreled and jostled against one another, Zenos clenched his trembling fists and forcefully brought them down upon the water. “Enough already! Let me take a damn bath in peace! All of you get back to the women’s bath, right now!”

His shouts echoed through the evening mountain air.

***

“Um, what?” asked a girl with blue hair from the adjacent women’s bath, looking around. She was certain she’d heard a shout just now. Was that from the men’s bath? “Ugh, and I picked an inn with fewer people precisely to avoid this kind of deviant...”

With her brows furrowed, the girl took the glasses she’d set aside and put them on, looking at the partition between the men’s and women’s baths. Nothing happened, however, and everything fell silent once again.

Sighing in relief, she took off her fogged-up glasses, then wiped at her face with a damp hand. “To think Dr. Becker’s ‘field mission’ for me was a visit to the hot springs of Flamme...”

Umin, an intermediate-level healer affiliated with the Royal Institute of Healing, had been sent by her boss out on an assignment to provide medical assistance in the countryside, only to find herself in a hot-spring resort. She’d decided to make the most of it, and here she was.

“I must’ve looked tired,” she mused, rubbing her cheeks and sighing. “I’m grateful for the reprieve, but he really didn’t need to worry...”

Still, this was a great opportunity to relax, if nothing else, so she wanted to take advantage of it. Umin stepped out of the water and sat down on a bench in the washing area. Looking up at the starry sky, she lost herself in thought.

There were two things weighing on her mind at present. “First, there’s the matter of the mystery elite healer hiding in the shadows,” she muttered, raising one finger. A genius healer was hiding somewhere in the country, and had operated behind the scenes during the incident with the monster in the slums. Right? “No, no, that couldn’t be it. I’m overthinking this.”

Umin chuckled, and was about to raise another finger when a voice from behind interrupted her thoughts. “For heaven’s sake, have a modicum of shame! Act like ladies!”

A beautiful blonde woman passed by Umin, her shoulders squared in annoyance. She was followed by a woman with long black hair, a second sporting animal ears, and an imposing third with tanned skin.

“I don’t wanna hear that from you, Krishna,” the black-haired woman said. “And it’s not like the doc was interested, anyway.”

“I think he’s just shy,” the beast-eared woman chimed in.

“Unfortunate,” added the imposing woman. “I wanted to show off my splendid physique some more.”

As they argued, the three demi-humans headed for the open-air bath.

Demi-humans? Umin wondered, tilting her head. It wasn’t that demi-humans were uncommon—they were often seen in the royal capital, especially in the slums. What was unusual was the fact they were mingling with other races; usually, they stuck to their own kind. Seeing them being friendly and sharing a bath was surprising. Between that and the misty air of the hot springs, the whole situation felt almost dreamlike.

“Well, I’ll be...” she murmured as she looked on in awe.

“You need something?” the black-haired woman—a lizardwoman?—asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Oh! No, sorry!” Umin replied, shaking her head in a panic. “It’s nothing.”

“Hmm. All right, then,” the woman said, sinking up to her shoulders in the hot water, seeming uninterested.

“Perhaps my perfectly proportioned curves caught her eye,” the orc woman said. “Ah, how sinful my physique is to even capture the attention of women.”

“You know,” the werewolf woman retorted, “I have no idea where you got that much confidence.”

The orc woman did have an impressive figure, though. That much was true.

“Must be nice...” said a small voice. Umin turned to look in the direction of where it’d come from, and there stood a blonde-haired little girl.

Oh, an elf girl! She’s adorable! the healer thought. Elves lived in the north, so they were a relatively rare sight around these parts.

The cute girl brought her hands to her chest and sighed. “With a body like that, I could’ve barged into the men’s bath too...”

“B-Barged into the...?” Umin stammered. The girl looked adorable, but she was saying some rather disturbing things.

“Zophia, Lynga, Loewe, Krishna...” the elven girl mumbled, her gaze distant. “They all have big boobs... I have...nothing.” Suddenly, her gaze shifted to Umin.

Feeling her breath catch at how adorable the little girl was, Umin gave her a small wave.

But the girl’s gaze seemed to be directed somewhere below the healer’s face. It lingered there for a while, and then the elven girl grinned and waved back.

“Wait, did she just commiserate with me...?” Reflexively, Umin brought her own hands to her chest.

“Hee hee hee...” came a voice from behind the girl. A figure stood there, but between the mist and not having her glasses on, Umin couldn’t make out the details very well. “Fret not, Lily. You are a growing young lady, after all. Besides, Zenos would likely not make his choice based on chest size.”

“Well, maybe, but...” Lily trailed off.

“Moreover,” the figure continued, “bigger is not necessarily better.”

“What? Really?”

“Hee hee... Of course. This world is far more complex than a child’s mind could comprehend.”

“The world’s...complex!”

Apparently, the figure in the back was filling the innocent girl’s mind with questionable ideas.

The elven child seemed to remember something. “Oh! Carmilla, you’re a ghost, right? Can you still enter the hot springs?”

The figure chuckled. “Do not concern yourself with the details. It will impair your growth.”

“O-Okay. I won’t.”

“What matters is the mood. I find the openness of the space and the misty atmosphere quite enjoyable.”

“Huh.”

“Yes?”

“Carmilla, you’re more see-through than usual.”

“So I am. Perhaps I am so relaxed I am about to ascend to the afterlife.”

“What? No! I don’t want that! Are you okay?!”

“Oh... I am fading... Fading... Fading...away...forever...”

“Ahhh! Nooo!”

“Hee hee! I jest. I am simply a bit more translucent, is all.”

“Ugh! You scared me!”

“E-Excuse me!” Umin hurried over to the child as she began to fuss. “Is everything okay?!”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said the elven girl, relieved. “I’m okay. She was just joking.”

“‘She’?” Umin echoed, her eyes fixing on the person behind the girl.

The figure had a towel on her head and was humming. But her body was translucent, clearly not human.

“G-Goodness gracious,” she stammered. “A...a wraith?” A shriek escaped her lungs. “A-Ahhh! Why is an undead creature of this caliber here?!”

In a panic, Umin began to chant a healing spell. Undead were said to be vulnerable to healing magic, but she had no idea how effective her magic would be against a wraith. Still, as a healer, it was her duty to protect the people here. Goose bumps spread across her skin as she readied herself for the life-or-death struggle about to unfold.

“Oh dear,” the wraith said. “Looks like another patron is here. I shall retreat for the time being.” With that, the wraith floated away, disappearing into the men’s side of the bath before Umin could finish casting her spell.

As the healer watched, tense, voices echoed from the men’s bath.

“Seriously, Carmilla?! You too?!”

“Oh, come now, Zenos,” the wraith replied. “Circumstance dictates that I take refuge here, is all.”

“Let. Me. Have. My. Alone. Time! Let me rest in peace or I’ll make sure you do!”

“My! Agitated, are we? Here, I shall wash you. It will calm you down.”

“Calm me down?! How am I supposed to calm down?!”

From the women’s side, Umin stared at the partition in a daze. “Wh-What? What’s going on?” The demi-humans, however, carried on chatting as if nothing was happening, showing no signs whatsoever of surprise. “A-Am I dreaming?” she mumbled quietly, standing there with her head in her hands. “I must really be very tired...”

***