On the central road of Dembell City, leading to house Yonaan, a middle-aged man in white clothes that was holding a cane was walking up the road with a young man carrying a sword around his waist. Although they were talking between them, their voices and footsteps couldn’t be heard at all.
“They’ve finally contacted us.”
The young man smiled while looking at the long wall of House Yonaan.
“I would’ve lost my patience and burned all of that trash if they took any longer.”
Despite his gentle appearance, the old man brushed dust off his hand while saying scary things.
“You saw how those worms that don’t even know their places kept visiting me when they are better off dead. I would’ve poisoned the well or something if it weren’t for his order.”
The young man was also saying nasty things with his soft mouth.
“Why not? We can do that after the mission. You know my hobby.”
“Of course, I do. It’s to plant an even more painful disease in patients that you’ve personally saved.”
“I’m only continuing this job because of that.”
The old man smiled while lifting his sleeve.
“Our job should go well, right? It would become troublesome if they suddenly decided to visit Federick.”
“That’s why we shall feed them.”
“Feed them?”
The young man tilted his head in confusion.
“No one has managed to improve Encia Yonaan’s condition so far. And of course, they wouldn’t, since it’s neither a disease nor a curse.”
“Indeed. We are the only ones who know its existence.”
“What do you think will happen if we visit them and relieve her pain when they are about to visit that madman Federick as a last resort?”
“They will go crazy. They will offer everything they have in order to save her—by any means necessary!”
“That’s right. They will abandon their plan of visiting Federick and will offer everything to us.”
The old man nodded. An evil energy was glowing on top of his slightly raised lips.
“We just need to take Yonaan’s money and artifacts while pretending to treat that young woman and plant some moles. It’s not that hard.”
“So, that’s why you said we will feed them!”
“Yes. We will slowly tame them, just like feeding a dog. Don’t forget about constantly giving them hope.”
It was such a nasty story, but he said it casually, with a gentle smile.
“We can’t let the treatment end. Just one year. In a single year, half of Yonaan will have become ours. And getting the rest afterwards will be a piece of cake.”
“On top of mastering medicine and sorcery, you are even excellent at scheming! You have my highest respect, master!”
“It’s going to be your job in the future, so make sure to learn it properly.”
“Yes!”
By the time they finished their conversation, they had reached the entrance of House Yonaan.
“Hmm.”
The old man erased the energy barrier blocking the sound, then walked up to the guard with a gentle smile on his face.
“I’m the healer Temas, who came to examine Lady Encia’s condition.”
* * *
Raon was dumbfounded as he stared at Encia.
‘What’s wrong with her? Did she just say I’m handsome out of nowhere?’
He could confidently say that he was capable of analyzing most people’s psyches, but he couldn’t read the thoughts of the woman who woke up just then.
“You are so damn perfect.”
Encia’s lips parted as she stared at Raon with half unfocused eyes.
“Huh?”
“Wh-What is going on…?”
“Raon is indeed handsome, but…”
“Wh-What?”
Sheryl and the other swordsmen also dropped their jaws at the unexpected situation.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Michelle gasped and lowered her head.
“It’s okay. But can you explain to me a little…?”
Raon scratched his cheek. He was aware that his appearance wasn’t too bad, but he was flustered because it was his first time someone other than Sylvia and Helen had called him handsome while flat out staring at him.
“Do you know about the eye for beauty?”
Michelle turned around, leaving Encia—who couldn’t take her eyes off of Raon—behind.
“Eye for beauty?”
“It means discernment in finding beautiful things. Because House Yonaan has been a house of artists and artisans for generations, our members are born with better eye for beauty than other people.”
She pointed at the jewels decorating different parts of the room. Although the jewels were only refined, without any further processing, they were still shining beautifully.
“Ah…”
“That’s why all of Encia’s artifacts were extremely popular. On the other hand, she sometimes just stares at jewels without sleeping or eating for days, all because her eye for beauty is too potent.”
Apparently, Michelle wasn’t just boasting when she mentioned Encia’s amazing abilities earlier.
“Which means, right now…”
“She is seeing you as a jewel. Moreover, she thinks that you are a perfect jewel that has already been refined by an artisa…”
“I’m not just thinking it. He is a jewel!”
Encia interrupted before Michelle could even finish her sentence.
“It’s crazy… The hair color, the gaze, the sharp nose. How are you so perfect in every way?”
“Uhh…”
Raon’s face kept reddening as she spoke.
‘This is difficult.’
He would’ve rather fought the seventh apostle again. He felt uncomfortable hearing her complimenting his appearance.
A great eye for beauty?
Wrath popped out of the bracelet and raised his chin.
Give me your body for a moment.
——————
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‘What’s up with you now?’
The King of Essence wants to try showing that human my own face. She will definitely faint, unable to face the absolute beauty of it. Then, she will follow the King of Essence for the rest of her life…
‘Ah, I see.’
Raon ignored him, since his bragging was bound to be endless.
Hey! Listen! I’m telling you to listen!
Wrath swayed his arms, and Raon forced him away before looking at Encia.
“You are the best. You are so freaking perfect… Ack!”
She was staring at Raon as if she were bewitched by his beauty, but she suddenly screamed and frowned.
“Who are those people?”
Encia turned her head, her eyes calming a little. That question should’ve been the first thing she said, but she was only asking it now. It must’ve been true that she sometimes stared at jewels all day long.
“They are the people from Zieghart who came to escort you to Retran.”
Michelle opened her mouth before Raon could speak.
“Zieghart…”
Encia’s blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Raon and no one else.
“I know that the treatment makes you suffer, but let’s try two last times. Mom won’t ask you anymore after that.”
Michelle met Encia’s eyes with her hands gathered together.
“Does that mean that he is going to escort me?”
Encia raised her hand with difficulty and pointed at Raon.
“Yes. You will go with him and the other Zieghart swordsmen.”
Michelle nodded, pointing at the swordsmen behind her.
“Ah! They are also…”
Encia’s eyes sparkled upon seeing Sheryl, Burren, Runaan, and Martha. The eye for beauty apparently appreciated people with excellent appearance regardless of gender.
However, her eyes fixated on Raon once again after she examined everyone.
“What is your name, Sir Swordsman?”
“My name is Raon Zieghart.”
“Raon, your name is also awesome…”
Encia murmured Raon’s name with bewitched eyes.
“Is Sir Raon also going to Retran with me?”
“Yes.”
“Mom, I’m going. I’ll get treated over there!”
Unlike what Michelle said before, Encia immediately shouted that she would go without refusing the treatment.
“R-Really?”
“Yes. But I need him to come with me!”
Encia raised her hand with difficulty and pointed at Raon.
‘I guess this is better than refusing.’
Raon sighed slightly. He was embarrassed, but he figured it would be easier to approach her with her liking him so much.
“Huh…”
“It’s so sad to be ugly.”
“I know, right? I suddenly want to kill myself.”
“Is the river water warm nowadays?”
The swordsmen behind them sighed as they smoothed their hands down their faces.
“I’m sorry I keep staring at you. I’m getting ideas from watching Sir Raon…”
Encia’s red swollen right hand was trembling.
“Ideas?”
“I couldn’t enter the workshop nor work for over a year after I became like this. I gave up on everything and was just waiting for my death, but I got the urge to create a perfect and more beautiful masterpiece from watching Sir Raon’s face.”
She said she couldn’t stay still because she kept getting ideas for what she wanted to make.
“I see.”
As expected, she wasn’t seeing him as a man. She was appreciating him as a piece of art. Though, that made him even more embarrassed.
“It went easier than I thought.”
Sheryl laughed bitterly while looking at Raon and Encia.
“I agree. I somewhat expected this to happen, but I didn’t think she would like him so much.”
Michelle also smiled gladly, watching Encia regain her hope.
“Encia, won’t you receive just one more treatment before leaving to meet the Ragged Saint?”
“Sir Temas?”
“Yes. He’s also a famous doctor. Since I’ve already asked him, he shall be here soon.”
“But I want to leave right away…”
Encia shook her head, just staring at Raon.
“Hmm.”
Raon frowned slightly.
‘The timing for Temas’s appearance is just too perfect.’
Since Temas was one of Derus Robert’s confidants, he never moved around without reason. There was definitely another reason behind his appearance.
“Lady Encia.”
Raon approached Encia.
“Yes? Yes!”
“Can I try feeling your pulse?”
“P-Pulse? Of course, you can!”
Encia immediately extended her arm, as if there were no issues with it whatsoever.
“Do you even know anything about medicine?”
Sheryl came up to him and narrowed her eyes.
“A little.”
“From whom?”
“I heard the theory from Sir Federick when I was small, and I learned later from the squad leader when I was a trainee.”
“Federick is understandable, but Rimmer? Are you telling me that the slob actually taught you medicine?”
“Yes, it just happened.”
“I guess he really treasures you.”
Sheryl withdrew with a frown once Raon said Rimmer taught him.
‘Amazing Rimmer Pass!’
He just said it because he witnessed Rimmer quickly stabilizing injured people’s conditions, but it worked. Using the Rimmer Pass was always the correct answer.
“Please excuse me.”
“Sure.”
Raon gently held Encia’s wrist as she extended her entire arm. Her skin was so hot that it was unbelievable that it belonged to a human being.
“Ack.”
Although he held her gently, as if he were grabbing a fragile piece of cloth, Encia still groaned, her shoulders trembling. She was apparently feeling extreme pain just from being touched by someone else.
“Wow…”
Despite the situation, Encia didn’t take her eyes off from Raon’s face, her cheeks turning red.
“Your face is so crazy.”
Judging from her admiring tone of voice, she would never turn her head away even if she died.
Whir.
Raon sliced with the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s aura as thinly as possible. He flew the aura into Encia’s mana circuit while trying to avoid affecting her as much as possible.
“Ack…”
Although he was controlling the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation as slowly as possible, Encia still seemed to feel pain since she closed her eyes and bit her lips.
‘I need to finish this as quickly as possible.’
Raon frowned, examining Encia’s condition.
‘It’s serious.’
Her mana circuit was narrower than a hair, and her energy center seemed to have already melted down. Her condition was the worst, to the point where it was difficult to understand how she had managed to survive. He could understand why she wanted to give up on her life.
‘Narrowed mana circuit and a continuous pain of getting stabbed by a blade. Everything’s similar.’
After examining Encia’s overall body, he focused on her upper body. Her body temperature was even higher, and the mana circuit was so narrow that the passage was almost nonexistent.
“Uhh…”
Her trembling intensified. He needed to control his aura more quickly and precisely. He focused as much as possible as he controlled his aura in a way that kept him from touching her mana circuit at all, examining her head.
‘Maybe it’s different.’
Derus Robert researched how to plant sorcery or a bug around a human brain. He thought that would’ve been what he did again this time, but he couldn’t feel anything there.
‘Maybe I was oversensitive…’
Since that cursed project, the Hell Worm, was already scrapped.
Hell Worm was a project to research a worm that could cause lasting pain to a human, but it was scrapped because the worm took away the host’s life in an instant instead of giving continuous pain.
‘But just in case.’
Raon recovered the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and inserted Glacier’s coldness inside her. The high purity coldness started to cool down Encia’s heated mana circuit.
“Ack!”
Encia groaned even more loudly. She was also feeling pain from the coldness. Raon bit his lips as he felt her trembling wrist, then went up to her upper body once again.
The moment coldness passed through the neck and was going to the head, an extremely tiny movement was detected from her brain.
‘It’s him!’
Raon clenched his fist. He could feel a movement inside Encia’s head, even smaller than a millet grain. Judging from the intense heat, it must’ve been the bug that was once named Hell Worm.
‘Did the research end up succeeding?’
As soon as the worm showed itself, the heat spreading throughout her body intensified. That was the reason behind Encia’s current condition.
‘Seriously, those crazy bastards!’
He ground his teeth. Derus and Temas gave up on being humans, and even planted a worm inside a human brain like madmen. The outrage almost made him lose control of his aura’s flow for a moment.
‘Let’s see…’
Eliminating it right away would be the best outcome. When he was calmly trying to enter even deeper—
“Kyaah!”
Encia screamed, unable to endure the pain anymore. The Hell Worm stimulated her to give her more extreme pain the moment Raon’s coldness tried to attack it.
‘Where did it go…?’
And at the same time, its presence had disappeared. It looked like it hid away from the coldness, but it was an instinctive movement rather than mechanical. It seemed to have an ego, unlike the rage worm.
‘It’s dangerous.’
Encia’s condition was too bad for him to force his way in to find and remove it. She would end up dying from the pain.
‘The Saint should be able to improve her condition.’
Since he could even affect his own body, which had the Curse of Frost, the medicine and acupuncture of the Ragged Saint Federick should be able to recover Encia’s condition.
‘We still need to go, I guess.’
Raon nodded, then released Encia’s wrist.
“I’m sorry for making it painful.”
“No, I-I feel a lot better now.”
Encia’s lips were trembling as she fidgeted.
“The pain has subsided a lot!”
Just like she said, the heat from her swollen arm and leg had decreased slightly.
“R-Really?”
Michelle gasped, coming up to her to grab her hand.
“Yes, I’m better now.”
“Encia…”
Tears welled up in Michelle’s eyes as she admitted that it had been a long time since the last time she held her daughter’s hands.
‘It’s hiding.’
Encia’s condition must’ve gotten better because the Hell Worm was hiding away from Glacier’s coldness.
“How did you do that?”
Sheryl came up next to him and asked.
“There’s something spreading the heat around her head.”
“Ah!”
“R-Really?”
“Seriously?”
Michelle and Encia briskly turned their heads to face him, and the other swordsmen’s eyes also widened in surprise.
“Yes, but it’s impossible to treat her in her current condition.”
“Why is that?”
“Her body won’t endure the treatment because she has been sick for too long.”
“Th-Then, what should we…?”
Michelle came to him with trembling hands. Hope had finally appeared in front of her, and her hands were trying to seize that visible hope by any means necessary.
“We have to visit the Ragged Saint at Retran. I can heal her once Sir Federick improves Lady Encia’s condition.”
Since Raon managed to figure out the cause, he could definitely treat her once her body’s condition was improved.
“Is that really possible?”
“Yes.”
Sheryl asked again, and Raon immediately nodded.
“I-I’ll go!”
Encia raised her hand.
“I want to live now!”
“Ah…”
Michelle bit her lip, looking at Encia and on the verge of tears.
“Alright, then I’ll get the carriage…”
As she was about to order the servant to prepare the carriage—
Knock Knock.
The general administrator, Arun, entered along with a knocking sound.
“What’s the matter?”
“Sir Temas, who you’ve been waiting for, has arrived.”
“Ah!”
Michelle clapped her hands.
“Sir Raon, wouldn’t Sir Temas be enough? I heard he doesn’t lose to Sir Federick in medicine…”
“No, we need Sir Federick to guarantee her treatment.”
Since Temas was pretty much the perpetrator behind it, letting him treat Encia was the same as setting a fox loose in a hen house. Much of the House’s property would be transferred to Derus as a result.
“I-I see. It can’t be helped, then. We should make him leav…”
“No.”
Raon shook his head.
“Let’s see what he does, since I’m curious what kind of judgment he is going to make.”
It was better to call Temas in order to double check the incident and in order to kill him.
“Are you okay with that?”
“It’s fine, but…”
Raon raised his finger to cover his mouth.
“Please keep the fact that I can heal Lady Encia a secret until he gives his diagnosis.”
* * *
* * *
Temas entered Encia’s room on the ninth floor, guided by Yonaan’s general administrator Arun. There were twelve swordsmen, as well as Michelle and Encia inside.
‘Zieghart?’
Temas narrowed his eyes upon noticing the burning sword emblem on the uniforms.
‘They must’ve been called to bring her to that Federick bastard.’
He immediately understood the situation and smiled faintly towards the swordsmen.
‘I’m sorry, but there’s nothing for you to do here.’
Since he would improve Encia’s condition, they would end up returning to the barren land in the north without achieving anything.
“You’ve arrived!”
Michelle, who was standing next to Encia’s bed, came up to him with a smile.
“I’m sorry for being late. I was treating some patients.”
“It’s no problem, I’m thankful enough that you are here now.”
“Can I see the patient, then?”
Temas pointed at Encia, pretending that he only thought about the patient, with no other intentions behind it.
“Of course. Encia, are you okay with that?”
“Yes.”
Encia pretended to consider before nodding.
‘Just what I thought.’
Temas licked his lips. Considering the red, swollen skin and the fact that checking her pulse was the extent of the treatment she could get because of the pain, the Hell Worm must’ve been doing its job properly.
“Please excuse me.”
He grabbed Encia’s wrist and examined her for a while.
‘Narrowed mana circuit, body trembling from the pain, broken energy center, and…’
Temas confirmed the Hell Worm’s presence in her head before nodding. Although it was moving slightly slowly, it did its job properly.
‘You should stay asleep for a bit.’
He made the Hell Worm fall asleep before releasing Encia’s wrist.
“How are you now?”
“Ah, m-my pain has decreased.”
Encia fiercely nodded while clenching her fist.
“Really?”
“Yes!”
Michelle also came up to her in surprise and grabbed her.
“H-How did you do that?”
“Heat has gathered in Lady Encia’s body.”
Temas continued bitterly.
“It looks like other people haven’t managed to find it because it is located in an extremely dangerous place.”
“Where is that?”
“It’s in her upper body. It’s not good.”
He frowned and licked his lips.
“Ah, then how about the treatment…?”
“Fortunately, I think I can treat her, since it’s related to what I’m currently researching.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. But since I’ve never seen these symptoms before, I think I’ll need quite a lot of time and money. It’s also because the patient is in really bad condition…”
Temas narrowed his eyes in the middle of his speech.
‘What’s this?’
Everyone in Yonaan was aware of the fact that Encia was Michelle’s most precious daughter. He just said he could heal her treasure, yet her reaction was too calm.
‘This is strange.’
She should’ve been saying that she would give him everything—money, people, or artifacts.
“A-Anyway, I can definitely heal her, although it’s going to take a long time.”
“How long would it take?”
“I can’t tell the exact time right now, because it’s my first time seeing these symptoms, as I mentioned before…”
He couldn’t tell her the exact time, since he needed to take over the house step by step.
“Mom, I want to be treated by Sir Raon instead.”
“T-Treated?”
Temas’s eyes widened as she said she would get treated.
“The swordsman who came from Zieghart also said that he could treat her symptom.”
Michelle pointed at a handsome blond man standing behind her.
“H-How is that possible!”
Some people knew about the Rage Worm, but the only people who could remove the Hell Worm were himself and a few people from House Robert. It was impossible for a greenhorn like him to treat her.
“It’s nonsense! How could a swordsman treat her when he’s not even a healer?”
“Sir Raon also managed to decrease my pain, just like you did.”
Encia stared at Raon with bewitched eyes.
“Since you said it would take a long time, I’ll get treated by Sir Raon!”
She decisively raised her hand without even looking at Temas.
‘Raon? Now that I think about it…’
He remembered Derus ordering people to investigate Raon Zieghart before. Since there was no way two people would be using the same name in the same house, he must’ve been that Raon.
“D-Do you know what those symptoms are?”
“I don’t.”
“Then how can you even treat her?!”
“But you also said you didn’t know about those symptoms.”
“B-But I…”
Temas’ lips trembled, since he ended up falling into his own trap.
“Moreover, I’m not trying to treat her on my own. I’m going to bring Lady Encia to Retran and treat her with Sir Federick.”
“It might be dangerous. She’s already in so much pain when she’s not moving, so the pain will be unbearable once you start moving.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. I realized how to reduce the pain.”
Raon responded so calmly that it was almost irritating.
“But you are a swordsman, not a healer!”
“I’m also a healer. I learned medicine from Sir Federick when I was small, and from my teacher later on.”
“D-Did you really learn medicine from the Saint? Then, who is your teacher?”
“Sir Rimmer is my teacher.”
“Zieghart’s Sword of Light!”
Temar frowned. He was aware of the fact that the stupid elf was well versed in sundry techniques, but he didn’t know that he had even learned medicine.
“No matter how excellent they are, I don’t think you would’ve inherited all of their abilities. You will bring disaster if you try to treat a patient with sloppy medicinal skills.”
“Sir Temas mentioned earlier that the heat was gathered in her upper body, right?”
“I-I did.”
“And I even perfectly located the heat.”
“What…”
“Head.”
Raon pointed at his head with a faint smile.
“Ugh…”
Temas bit his lip, his benevolent smile shattering.
“H-Head of house.”
He realized he wouldn’t be able to convince Raon and called for Michelle.
“Please trust me. I’ve dedicated my entire life to medicine. If you move Lady Encia right now, you will get into big trouble before reaching the Ragged Saint.”
“Hmm, that’s…”
“Since it concerns me and it’s about my life, I’ll be the one to decide.”
While Michelle bit her lips in consideration, Encia raised her hand.
“I’m going to follow Sir Raon!”
“Wh-What?”
He furiously shouted after hearing the unexpected answer.
“He’s a swordsman, and I’m a healer that has dedicated his entire life to medicine! I’m one of the ten best doctors on the continent! Why did you choose that swordsman when your life’s on the line?”
“The reason is simple.”
Encia smiled, as if there was only one possible answer.
“Because he is handsome.”
“Y-You’re crazy! You might die if he makes a mistake in his treatment or if he does it too late! How can you say such a strange thing?”
“I’m fine with dying if that means I’ll be with that face.”
“Kuh!”
A bunch of veins appeared on Temas’s forehead.
