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- Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
- Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
- Serie: The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows
- Sprache: Englisch
With the Ashen Harvest neutralized, Zenos at last finds himself able to return to the slums. He and the gang decide to celebrate with some rest and relaxation via camping! Enjoying the fading warmth of early autumn, they swim in a nearby lake, dine on delicious soup, and in the dark of the night, gather around the campfire to tell ghost stories. But just as Carmilla finishes her tale about a mysterious being known as Galhamut—King of the Fell Dragons—a strange girl stumbles into their camp. She claims to be nothing more than a maid, but it quickly becomes obvious that she’s on the run. Begrudgingly, Zenos agrees to conceal her, even as he feels the situation around him taking a turn for the complicated once again.
Elsewhere in the Kingdom of Herzeth, a room at the top of a tall white tower lies empty, and the Royal Guard scurries around in a panic. Zenos has brought home someone they cannot afford to lose...
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Seitenzahl: 29
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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Prologue
The great Kingdom of Herzeth—also known as the Kingdom of the Sun—was characterized by strict class division. At the bottom of the hierarchy were the poor, abandoned by the system, lacking family registers and devoid of rights. Above them were common citizens, and higher still lay the nobility. Reigning at the very pinnacle of this society was the royal family, whose palace oversaw the entire capital from its elevated position.
Considered a sacred domain, the royal palace was accessible to only a select few. On its eastern side stood a white spire, towering so tall it seemed to challenge the heavens themselves. It was not widely known that the spire’s interior housed luxurious living spaces, including a glass-domed observation deck, a dining room, and a bedroom. Even less known was the fact that the entire tower had been built for a single person.
Within the tower, in a spacious bath filled with hot water drawn from underground, dotted with seasonal flower petals of various colors, sat a lone girl. A goddess, a heavenly maiden—those who laid eyes on her for the first time would likely have no choice but to describe her otherworldly beauty in such lofty terms.
Her pale-pink hair, fanned out across the surface of the water, was so lovely it put the floating flowers to shame, each strand shimmering like spun silk. Her skin, pure and white like freshly fallen snow on a cold winter day, was flawless. In contrast, her eyes were the color of a stark, elegant blush rose, like a blooming flower in spring.
Winter and spring, coldness and warmth—she embodied a mysterious allure that even a master’s brush couldn’t hope to capture.
Amid the rising steam, the extraordinary beauty let slip a single word from her delicate lips. “Boring...”
Gazing at the cloudless blue sky through a small window, the girl pushed to her feet, water splashing around her.
“I’m so bored. I’ve had it with this life.” She brought her hands to her head and groaned. “Why does a maiden my age have to spend every day praying for the kingdom’s protection and prosperity?! Flowers wilt quickly! Does no one realize this?!”
“Lady Artemisia,” called out a maid waiting outside the bath. “Is something the matter?”
“No, nothing,” the girl replied, her voice ringing as clear as a chime in the breeze. “I was just talking to a little bird flying in the sky.”
“Indeed? Ah, it’s nearly time for your prayers...”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
Artemisia, the girl, left the bath and walked to the dressing room with a composed expression. The maid approached reverently, holding a change of clothes with both hands as if making a sacred offering.
The beautiful Artemisia glanced at the maid. “I’ve been wondering...do you always change out the bathwater?”
“Y-Yes, of course! Clean, sanctified water is used for each bathing.”
“It seems like a waste to throw all of it out after a single use. Why don’t you wash up too?”
“I-It would be improper for someone like me to soak in your bathwater, Lady Artemisia.”
“Hmm. What if I order you to?”
“W-Well, I...”
“Honestly, you smell of sweat today. If you’re going to attend to me, I’d appreciate it if you cleaned yourself properly.”
“Huh...?!”
The maid hastily brought her arm to her nose and gave it a sniff, then turned bright-red and bowed her head low. “M-My deepest apologies! A-Allow me to escort you to the altar, and then I’ll—”
