The magical girl worked hard to help out.
“Have you been waiting…?”
Once the teleportation ended, a number of people were waiting in front of the teleporter.
The one who seemed to be the most important approached us but froze for a moment upon seeing me.
I understood the reason but would have preferred it was ignored.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. This is Lily, an apprentice I recently took on. She can use healing magic, so I brought her along this time.”
Having introduced her, I briefly bowed my head.
Everyone else besides the Important Person who greeted us looked over at me but all had strange expressions on their faces.
“S, so that’s how it is. From our side, we’re grateful for any help we can get. We’ll proceed as discussed the other day, correct?”
“That’s fine. Depending on the situation, we might even be able to treat regular civilians, so please make sure of that.”
“Understood. There’s a room where the critically injured are being kept; would it be alright if your apprentice came along too?”
I thought about why my presence was being mentioned here but figured it out when I heard the word “critically injured.”
They must be confirming whether it’s okay to show grotesque sights to me, who appears to be a young girl.
Whether they interpret this as contempt or kindness is up to them.
For now, let’s raise the Important Person’s evaluation of me.
“She may look like this, but Lily is highly skilled and has the courage not to flinch even if internal organs are exposed, so there’s no need to worry.”
“I see… Then allow me to introduce our guide.”
One person stepped forward from behind the Important Person.
She had long black hair and dark eyes.
Her crisp suit gave off a professional vibe, but the eyepatch over her left eye stood out significantly.
Because of the eyepatch, she somewhat resembled a soldier.
“My name is Iida Sumire, and I will be your guide today. Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you. What happened to your eye, if I may ask?”
“This is from an accident I had in the past… Please don’t worry about it; it doesn’t cause any problems, so just ignore it.”
While maintaining a serious expression, Ms. Iida lightly bowed her head.
I had heard this was a country formed by people coming together, but did they send someone Japanese out of consideration for us?
Ms. Jeanne lightly touched my hand.
Ah, I see, she wants me to do something.
Facing Ms. Iida, I gestured with my hand.
“What is it?”
As Ms. Iida approached, she crouched down in front of me, meeting my eye level.
It’s impressive that she made an effort to meet my eyes; it makes a good impression.
Now then, since contracting with Hermes, I’ve gained the ability to use my lover’s powers, which works well with healing magic.
Specifically, it drastically reduces the amount of magic power needed for treating missing parts.
The problem is that it depends on my knowledge, but external analysis is handled by my lover, while internal analysis is done using a demon’s ability.
In other words, it goes like this.
“Return to thy original form.”
Light spread around Ms. Iida’s head and quickly subsided.
Amidst the murmurs, Ms. Iida, who realized what had happened, trembled as she reached for her eyepatch.
Behind the removed eyepatch was an open eye, clearly containing a healthy eyeball.
Incidentally, restoring an eye consumes more magic power than restoring limbs.
Although it’s possible to produce blood if I wanted to, due to certain restrictions, I’ll put that on hold for now.
“I, I can see!”
“Just a precaution, but Lily here is actually a proper magical girl. Try not to do anything reckless.”
Ignoring the delighted Ms. Iida, Ms. Jeanne addressed the Important Person.
I don’t know how they viewed me, but understanding my practicality, perhaps my status has been upgraded from intern-level to full-time employee?
“Thank you so much for healing me. But, is it alright to use your magic like this?”
Upon looking at Ms. Jeanne, she gave a slight nod.
Is this a cue for me to answer however I like?
“To be honest, this level is nothing compared to others, so there’s no issue. Guide, please take care of us.”
“Yes! I will serve with all my heart!”
Hmm, I’ve gained an ally.
It’s not exactly enemy territory, but it’s always beneficial to increase resources.
“Heavens, Japan truly has remarkable magical girls. Well then, we shall take our leave.”
In the end, I never learned the Important Person’s name, but they exited the teleportation chamber.
Knowing their name wouldn’t change anything, so it’s fine.
Just as we were about to head to where the injured magical girls were gathered, another issue arose.
“You seem very light. Are you eating properly?”
“I am eating, but…”
What I eat is used for Sora’s growth.
Given my small size, it’s inevitable that I’m light.
“Sorry for making you carry me.”
“This level of weight is no problem. Besides, it’s also a way to express gratitude for healing me.”
That’s right, that’s right. While it’s fine for you, it’s not so great for me.
After Ms. Jeanne, I’m being piggybacked by Ms. Iida.
Though I don’t think anyone notices, I feel rather gloomy inside.
As I’m carried without any particular thoughts, Ms. Iida stops, signaling we’ve reached our destination.
“This is the room. Ms. Jeanne, I assume you’re familiar with this kind of situation, but even if someone says something cruel, please don’t mind it. I’ve already warned them, but…”
“Nah, I won’t mind unless they try anything physical. It’s natural for one’s spirit to weaken when injured or sick.”
The last time I volunteered, I treated everyone at once and healed all of them, so there weren’t any issues, but apparently, it’s common to receive insults or complaints.
Some even quit being magical girls because of that.
Upon receiving permission to enter, I remained piggybacked and entered the room. The smell of disinfectant and the sound of medical equipment filled the air.
There were six beds in the room, four of which appeared conscious.
The other two seemed asleep, but one was missing a limb and the other was discolored.
Even among the conscious four, their conditions were severe, but it seems like I can heal them.
“So, you’re Jeanne, huh? Can you really heal them?”
“I’m here for that purpose. I’ll handle these two, so Lily, take care of the four.”
With a nod, the four finally noticed my presence and looked up at me.
Their reactions varied, but none of them seemed to have particularly positive feelings toward me.
By the way, could you please let me down soon?
“Can such a child really heal them?”
“Yeah, there’s proof right here.”
The skeptical magical girl widened her eyes upon seeing Ms. Iida’s face.
“Your eye…”
“This was healed by Lily. Her abilities are guaranteed by me.”
“Guaranteed or not, well… If it works, I suppose it’s fine… Though, a child with such eyes… Just to be safe, would it be alright if I asked her myself?”
Among the six people in the room, this person seemed to be in a leadership role.
Depending on how you interpret it, personally, I find her likable.
First, the superior should lead by example.
If they stand firm, the subordinates will follow.
And I no longer care about the matter of my eyes.
Even if they find it unsettling, it doesn’t affect my work.
Let’s start with an examination then.
“Ms. Iida”
“Understood.”
While still carrying me piggyback, Ms. Iida approached the magical girl and adjusted her sitting position so I’d be at a suitable height.
…No, I meant to be let down, but fine.
Ms. Jeanne chuckled slightly, but I ignored her.
“Alright, it’s up to you.”
“…Yes.”
Well, well, how does it look?
I touched her arm and analyzed her condition.
Missing part of her left foot, hole in the lung, paralysis and magic leakage caused by a special poison, and the nerves in her left eye are also damaged.
Since she’s wearing bandages, I assume she can’t see, similar to Ms. Iida.
This is a severe case, but if they’re not dead, they should be healable.
Rather, saying “restore” or “repair” might be more accurate.
I took out my staff, held it with both hands, and pointed it at the magical girl after adjusting it.
“Separate the impurities.”
First, I removed all toxins and adjusted various parameters to bring them closer to a healthy state.
Thanks to the analysis, the consumption of magic power was significantly reduced.
“Return to thy original form.”
Then, similar to what I did for Ms. Iida, I restored and completed the treatment.
Incidentally, I also healed some of the scars that could be cured.
“It’s done.”
“Please give her a mirror.”
Ms. Iida handed a mirror to the bewildered magical girl.
Receiving the mirror, she slowly began to unwrap the bandages.
Whether she understood reality or couldn’t comprehend it, tears slowly streamed down the magical girl’s face.
Realizing her own tears, she shyly wiped her eyes.
“Who would have thought it would actually heal… And I didn’t expect everything to be fixed. Sorry for doubting earlier. Thank you.”
While the eyes were relatively easy, the internal organs were challenging.
She probably only expected to be healed enough to move her body minimally, right?
Unfortunately, once work becomes a responsibility, one must give it their all.
If it’s technically possible, it must be accomplished.
“This is my job, so it’s no problem. Next, please.”
“—Understood.”
I thought Ms. Iida and the healed magical girl exchanged glances through eye contact. What was that about?
I healed the remaining three in order and finished the requested treatments.
Except for the first magical girl, the others were in a state where, though they wouldn’t die, leading a normal life would be difficult.
One of them would have required quite a bit of effort to heal if treatment had been delayed by another week.
“Looks like we’re done. Lily was excellent, wasn’t she?”
“Yes. We’re very grateful for the healing, but if she could heal this much at the start, will the others be alright?”
I understand your concern. After all, it would take about five magical girls to heal the magical girl I healed.
Moreover, they would need to be magical girls capable of healing nerves and internal organs, as well as physical injuries and missing parts.
If they couldn’t heal the magical girls they themselves had healed,
it would likely create rifts in their relationships.
“Rest assured, I’m still among the top rankers. Lily, as you’ve seen, is somewhat unusual, so if possible, it would be appreciated if you could keep her a secret.”
Actually, she’s a magical girl who doesn’t officially exist.
The backlash against nihilistic stray magical girls or unregistered ones is getting worse.
They’ll probably investigate me anyway, but since I don’t exist anywhere,
they won’t be able to trace it back to me, no matter how suspicious it gets.
“Understood. Everyone else agrees, right?”
Two are still asleep, so the three who are awake nodded.
“Good, let’s head to the next place then. Thanks.”
“Understood. I’ll guide you.”
We left the room where the severely injured were gathered and headed to the next location.
“Is your magic power holding up?”
“Yes. Due to certain matters, my magic power isn’t an issue.”
“Ah, I see. That’s good then.”
I deliberately phrased it vaguely since Ms. Iida is present, but it’s good that the message got across.
Speaking of which, it seems I can’t contact Hermes from the Demon.
When the Demon merges, I temporarily borrow its consciousness, whereas Hermes and Sora reside in the deeper subconscious or unconsciousness.
The problem is that Hermes is completely shutting the Demon out.
When I inquired with Hermes about the Demon’s rage…
“I don’t know.”
That was all I received in response.
In conclusion, it’s an event that has confirmed an increase in my troubles.
“We’ve arrived. In this room, the lightly injured are gathered. How would you like to proceed?”
While I was somewhat spacing out, it seems we’ve reached the next destination.
“What’s the worst injury among the lightly wounded?”
“Missing fingers, followed by fractures and cracked bones. Also, those with illnesses are gathered in a separate room.”
“I see… Lily?”
Hmm. It seems like we’ll proceed similarly to the previous volunteer session.
Currently, I can cure diseases and viruses, but my specialty remains injuries and mental issues.
“I’ll handle the injured. Would it be alright if Ms. Jeanne handles the sick?”
“Ah, is the room over there okay?”
“Yes. Shall I guide you…?”
“No need. I’ve entrusted Lily to you.”
Ms. Jeanne walked ahead and entered the room where the sick were being housed.
Being alone with Ms. Iida is somewhat awkward, but having worked as an adult before, it’s not a problem.
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Understood. Just in case, some harsh words might be thrown our way, but I will apologize for that.”
“It’s fine.”
If they aren’t severely injured, I can heal them quickly.
If I finish before anyone can say anything, that’s best.
As Ms. Iida entered the room, all eyes immediately focused on us.
Before Ms. Iida could say anything, I took out my staff and pointed its tip at the floor.
Some people braced themselves or showed signs of confusion regarding my condition, but it’s no issue.
Infusing magic into the staff, I drew a magic circle.
“Wind of tranquility.”
The magic circle shone and healed the injured individuals.
By the time the magic circle disappeared, there were no longer any injured people.
Well, let’s escape while they’re still stunned.
“It’s done. Let’s go to Ms. Jeanne’s location.”
“Eh? Is it really finished already?”
“Yes. Please step outside before everyone fully realizes it.”
Though Ms. Iida seemed half-convinced, she stepped outside the door as I instructed.
Right after, cheers could be heard from inside the room.
“…Did you really heal everyone?”
“It’s my job. Moreover, I prefer not to be surrounded by commotion, so let’s head to Ms. Jeanne’s location.”
I imagine Ms. Iida knows what regular healing magic users are capable of.
Compared to that, Ms. Jeanne and I are outliers.
“Excuse me for asking, but if you can use such powerful healing magic…”
“Everyone harbors darkness within. Age is trivial.”
Ms. Iida’s body trembled, and she broke out in cold sweat.
Hm? Did I say something inappropriate?
“Don’t worry about me; consider the country’s needs. Once everyone is healed, you’ll likely become busy again, right?”
“…That’s true. Understood.”
Ms. Iida started walking and entered the room Ms. Jeanne had gone into earlier.
“As expected. This side just finished too.”
Ms. Jeanne has also finished treating the patients. Mutual effort, but it was quick.
“What’s next?”
“We’ll repeat the same process at other Magic Bureaus, but let’s have lunch after the next one. So, I’ll leave it to you.”
Ms. Iida nodded and started heading back the way we came.
Of course, I’ve been piggybacked the entire time from start to finish.
Surely, they haven’t forgotten, have they?
