# Chapter 22: Training Divine Healing Power (2)
Bang-Bang-!
Creak!
“Brother! Brother!”
The secret information guild <Black Blade> disguised as the mercenary group ‘Red Scorpion.’
The vice-captain of that group, Krato, furrowed his brows upon seeing one of his subordinates burst into the room, out of breath, disrupting their rare moment of peace.
“Young man, even if this is a laid-back workplace, it’s unacceptable to barge into your superior’s room without knocking—”
“It’s a command letter from Sister!”
“—but there are exceptions. Hand it over quickly!”
The leader of the Black Blade guild, Bellie, who is also the guild master addressed as ‘Sister’ by her subordinates, is known as a tyrant despite her lovely appearance. She is indeed an excellent leader who takes care of her team’s well-being and treats everyone warmly. However, anyone who disobeys or defies her commands may face demonic levels of violence. Naturally, her mere command letter sends shivers down their spines.
Currently, Bellie is undercover as a maid at Count Netorie’s house on vacation while collecting information. If one were to relax and delay carrying out her orders, she might unexpectedly appear and show them the bitter taste of fear for not fulfilling their duties promptly.
Thus, her subordinates treat Bellie’s command letters as lifelines, prioritizing them over any other mission.
“So, what’s this mission about? Information gathering? Infiltration? Assassination?”
“Uh… well…”
After hesitating for a moment, the subordinate cautiously looked at Krato before reluctantly speaking.
“She’ll be coming here soon… in person.”
“Ah…”
“And she’s bringing the young master of that house along with a cousin, so we’ve been told to behave properly…”
“???”
—
*
The creaking carriage.
I am heading to the mercenaries’ base with Ria and Bell.
“You look happy, Bell.”
“Hehe, of course. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to visit long-lost family?”
“…”
That person seems to be right next to you, doesn’t he?
Realizing what she said, Bell appeared confused before becoming restless until we arrived.
Ria didn’t seem too bothered, finding Bell’s nervousness amusing and deciding to let her be.
After about thirty minutes of travel, we spotted a flat area at the edge of the estate, with a wooden building.
“Young master, we’ve arrived.”
As if they were informed, sturdy-looking men lined up in front of the building in neat rows.
It seemed like some kind of welcoming ceremony for us.
Bell rushed to the largest man standing at the entrance.
While it’s improper for a maid to leave her master and go off alone, given the distance and Bell’s joy at seeing family after a long time, this slight breach in etiquette could be forgiven.
“Big Brother~”
“Ah, fuck.”
Thud!
“Cough!”
What just happened?
As Bell ran towards her brother yelling ‘Brother,’ the man scrunched up his face, then grabbed his chest, falling into Bell’s embrace.
Bell whispered something into his ear, causing the man’s face to pale and then flash a grin towards us.
Not knowing what sibling relationships are like, I assumed normal siblings behave this way.
“Did you see that?”
“Just a little? Fast enough to punch his chest without being seen.”
“Judging by the sound, at least two ribs might be broken.”
I barely heard the murmurs of the soldiers to the side, but seeing him manage a somewhat awkward smile suggested this is just a regular day for these two.
I once heard that siblings are genetically wired to fight each other to the death—or close to it.
Though they may not actually kill each other, minor altercations like these must be typical in sibling dynamics.
What a close-knit pair of siblings.
“Master! This is the captain of the Red Scorpion mercenaries, and my step-brother, Krato. Brother! This is Master Rab Netoire from the Netorie House where I work!”
“Nice to meet you, Krato. I am Rab Netoire.”
“An honor to meet you. I am Krato, humble captain of this mercenary group.”
Indeed, just as Bell had mentioned, Krato is exceptionally courteous for a mercenary.
His bearing alone could pass for a lesser noble—his greetings were incredibly refined.
I’ve heard they’re step-siblings, so perhaps they hail from a noble family or a wealthy merchant’s household. Likely, there was some misfortune that led to their family falling apart, forcing them to survive by working in their respective fields.
“Ah, this is my… cousin. My cousin, Cecilia. She’s a bit shy, so please be understanding.”
“Not at all. We should be careful not to alarm the young lady. Nevertheless, I hear she’s here to study medicine?”
Krato attempted to appear amiable, flashing a polite smile, but his intimidating appearance only made the atmosphere more frightening.
It’s no wonder that behind me, Ria let out a tiny “Eek” and hid further.
“Yes. My cousin is very interested in medicine and has conducted personal research into new medical treatments. However, there are rarely people nearby in need of treatment. She has come here to also offer medical services, as mercenaries often get injured.”
“Correct. Just yesterday we dealt with numerous injuries. We took on a difficult job, which caused quite a few injuries. Fortunately, no fatalities, but we do have quite a number of injured.”
“Could you elaborate on the mission?”
“Indeed. We were tasked with exterminating a hydra located in the nearby swamps.”
“…”
Isn’t a hydra a 4-star monster?
In this world, monsters are classified by danger level, from 1-star to 7-star.
A 1-star monster poses the lowest threat, and the higher the number, the greater the danger.
The highest rank, 7-star, signifies an entity capable of destroying entire nations with its mere existence.
A 4-star monster is dangerous enough to destroy a small estate.
And they managed to defeat it without any fatalities?
Their numbers seem fewer than 50, yet their cohesion and skill level are extraordinary.
“Truly impressive…”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
Krato bowed his head gratefully, seeming proud of the compliment.
“Please, come inside. My subordinates will guide you to where the injured are located.”
I held the nervous Ria’s hand firmly as we followed the soldier’s directions.
Her trembling hand gradually relaxed, showing that she had gathered her courage, which was so adorable that it almost made me chuckle.
—
“Big Sister… Is this truly all right?”
As Rab and Cecilia followed the soldiers’ guidance indoors, Krato approached his superior, Bellie, dressed as a maid.
Though she usually behaves in casual shirts and pants like a man, seeing her act so feminine before him was quite unsettling, but he restrained his emotions to express his curiosity.
“Why, Brother?”
“Shit, stop it.”
“Kikik~”
Krato’s shocked expression caused Bellie to burst out laughing in amusement.
“Kid, if I dress pretty and act feminine, shouldn’t you be smitten?”
“Nonsense. How old are you, Sister?”
“One month of nothing but rice porridge and bed rest will suffice.”
“Understood, please stop raising your fists. I’ll genuinely die if I get hit.”
When Bellie, seemingly offended by the mention of her age, raised her fists, Krato genuinely panicked.
Though petite, these fists are known to pierce steel. To have them impact his skull like popcorn would not end well.
“So, why did you bring them?”
“Firstly, are there many injuries?”
“Just a few limbs—though ‘crippled’ is the word, they’ll recover naturally if we apply some ointments and splints. No need to worry overmuch.”
“That’s good.”
“Why? The real reason?”
After taking a quick look around, Bellie whispered after confirming no one was around.
“The young lady is, in fact, the Duchess of the Boich House. Moreover, she’s become a saint.”
“…”
“Exactly that. The duchess awakened divine healing powers.”
“Are you insane? The temple—!”
“Shut up! That’s why we deceived the soldiers to keep things quiet.”
Hastily covering Krato’s mouth with her hand, Bellie carefully checked if anyone had overheard, but thankfully, none had.
After releasing him, Krato stared at her with disbelief in his eyes.
“Why would you hide someone who’s become a saint? The temple will throw a fit when they find out…”
“If we tell them, the temple will forcibly take the duchess. Then, this loving couple would surely be separated, wouldn’t they?”
“What relationship is this?”
“They’re engaged. It’s a marriage arranged by the count’s family with support from the duchess’ house. It’s still a secret, so only you know.”
“…So many surprises today.”
As he processed this information, Krato ran a hand through his hair and questioned Bellie.
“So, why does Sister care so much for this young duchess?”
“…”
“She’s cute, isn’t she?”
“…”
“She’s cute, so naturally. As adults, we should help young love blossoming so innocently. Moreover, she’s a beautiful young girl, isn’t she? Beautiful girls like her, with soft cheeks, need protection!”
“There we go again.”
Watching his sister’s peculiar fondness for “beautiful girls,” Krato internally wished she were a stranger despite sincerely respecting her.
—
