Epiro was said to have been born blind.
Instead, she mentioned that a pure white goddess appears before her at night.
“I think that she is Goddess Diana.”
“It’s unusual for an elf to believe in a god.”
“Am I an elf?”
Epiro had never seen her own appearance throughout her life.
She didn’t even know what race she belonged to.
“I thought I was human.”
Having lived in the human world since birth, she thought it was understandable.
If it had been Roran, it wouldn’t be that special. Most races live together.
On the other hand, in Latnia, there is discrimination against different races.
In severe cases, it doesn’t end with ordinary bullying.
As we talked, we soon arrived at the Lakeside Hut.
Once inside the hut with Epiro, I heard a buzzing sound from all around.
“It’s noisy.”
“It’s always like this.”
We headed to a shop that sells medicine, and the owner’s expression was somewhat unpleasant.
“Are you going to buy something quickly and leave?”
“I’ll do that, but is it usual to ask that to customers?”
“No. It’s just that, about the person next to you…”
“She’s just someone I met on the way.”
The shop owner seemed to be a Latnian.
If it were someone from Roran, they would never react like that.
Elves are rare in Roran, as they tend to settle near forests rather than in urban areas.
So it’s a bit surprising, but they wouldn’t be that anxious.
“I need some medicine for bruises, and it would be great if there’s something that can alleviate pain a bit.”
“Superior-grade potions would be good.”
“I think Keirin’s potion might be sufficient?”
Epiro, who had been listening from the side, suggested something different from the medicine the shop owner recommended.
The shop owner took out a large box from under the display.
“How much should I give you?”
I filled my bag with the potions and paid.
It was a bit expensive, but since there was a lot, it didn’t seem that pricey when calculated individually.
“Thanks to you, I got some good medicine. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
As we stepped out of the hut, Epiro lightly tugged at my arm and led me.
“If you’re not busy, could you help me a bit?”
“Sure.”
Epiro headed towards a temporary barracks set up beside the hut.
The Latnian soldiers saluted Epiro politely.
“Is the priest here?”
“Yes. How many do we have today?”
“Two.”
I hesitated to follow her inside, but Epiro subtly tugged at my sleeve.
Entering together, we found two soldiers sitting on the floor.
“I’m here to take a look at your wounds.”
“I was bitten on the arm; that friend was poisoned.”
Epiro knelt beside the soldier with the injured arm.
A pure white light flowed from Epiro’s body, and after a few gentle touches on the soldier’s arm, the wound disappeared as if washed away.
“The goddess has healed your wound.”
Before treating the soldier who had been poisoned, Epiro took a potion from her bosom and put it in her mouth.
Once again, she healed the soldier with light, then immediately swallowed the potion from the vial.
The healed soldiers immediately grabbed their weapons and rushed out of the barracks.
After finishing the healing, Epiro collapsed on the floor and fell over sideways.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I just feel a bit dizzy.”
What I had just seen was divine power.
The way she healed wounds was quite astonishing, different from magic.
It could truly be called a miracle.
However, the one who used it seemed to be having a tough time.
I thought that might be why the soldiers had rushed out right after being healed.
After a moment’s rest, Epiro pressed her abdomen gently, as if she was feeling pain.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m feeling pain from detoxifying the poison.”
I supported Epiro and led her outside the barracks.
“I’m sorry, could you give me a sip of water?”
“I’m quite busy right now.”
Although Epiro asked a soldier for help, he falsely brushed her off, even though he didn’t look that busy.
He was a soldier who had just been treated by Epiro.
“Water.”
Unable to bear it, I used magic to create water for Epiro.
“Ah, thank you.”
Epiro drank the water quite quickly, as she seemed very thirsty.
“You’re a magician!”
“It’s just a party trick.”
Epiro didn’t look in a good state to return to the city.
“Shall we grab a meal before we go?”
“I… don’t have any money.”
“I’ll pay for a meal. I got help when buying the medicine earlier.”
There was nowhere else to get food but outside the hut.
There was a restaurant inside, but the gazes of the surrounding people were still concerning.
“People really are something.”
“Hmm?”
“After receiving treatment, they didn’t even offer a cup of water because they were busy.”
“You gave me water, so that’s enough.”
“Don’t you feel angry?”
At my words, Epiro just blinked.
She understood the situation better than anyone.
If it were me, I’d feel so mad I wouldn’t be able to hold it in.
I thought it was too much not to even receive a minimum thank you.
“Though the goddess’s front is combative, her back holds great tolerance. I am that back. The soldiers and knights are the front.”
“Still, I think it’s good to get angry sometimes.”
This time, I led Epiro toward the hut’s restaurant.
We sat down, ordered our meals, and waited.
I asked Epiro if what I had just witnessed was indeed divine power.
“Yes, it is. But a little different as it transfers the wounds to my body.”
“You mean transfers?”
“Yes. My body has a high healing ability because of the goddess’s blessing.”
For a moment, Epiro’s appearance overlapped with Isabel’s.
“Can you also heal lost body parts?”
“It depends on the part. For one arm, maybe two or three fingers?”
“You mean two or three fingers, is that…?”
“Yes. I heal the injured by sacrificing part of my body. But don’t worry. It grows back in a few months.”
It was surprising to hear that some parts of the body could fall off and grow back, as if it were a lizard’s tail.
“Then why didn’t you heal your eyes?”
If I could heal someone by sacrificing a part of my body, it seemed possible to treat my eyes after sacrificing them, as they could heal after a few months.
“That’s not possible. My eyes have no value as a sacrifice. They’ve been blind since birth.”
Just then, our meals arrived, naturally interrupting our conversation.
Even while eating, I felt the gazes of those around us from time to time.
Most of the people staring were from Latnia.
“Oh! I found you!”
Someone entered the hut and approached us loudly.
“Do you know how flustered I was when you left without saying anything?”
“Oh, right. We agreed to go together, didn’t we?”
The person who entered the hut searching for me was Tenji.
He had said he would leave with me after the monster takedown.
I had completely forgotten that he was supposed to come with Solche that day, so I didn’t expect him to come looking for me like this.
“We would have been in big trouble if we had left.”
“Honestly, I was half suspicious. If I couldn’t find you, I was thinking of returning to the village.”
“Good thing we met.”
As Tenji naturally took a seat, he looked across at Epiro.
“Oh? Are you a priest from Latnia?”
Tenji recognized at a glance that Epiro was a priest.
“Are you a resident of Phison Village?”
“I was.”
Tenji mentioned that he had seen Epiro once before.
Someone had brought her during a previous monster takedown from the village.
“So you saw me back then?”
“Why didn’t you participate this year?”
“I paid off my debts.”
I waited for Epiro’s mouth to open at the mention of debts, but it didn’t.
It seemed she wouldn’t respond until someone asked first.
“What do you mean by debts? How could a priest have debts?”
Tenji, who was listening, asked the question just in time.
Epiro took a sip of water and lightly cleared her throat.
“The empire provides a monthly subsidy to the order. For building maintenance and my salary.”
“It doesn’t seem like you’re lacking anything, though?”
“Priests must use divine power to help the people. In my case, the cost of medicine…”
Miracles that come with a price.
Even if her healing ability is superior to others, it wouldn’t be that easy to bear alone.
The more severe the wounds, the greater the burden on Epiro’s own body.
Tenji didn’t know this and could only tilt his head in confusion.
“Don’t other people’s miracles come without a price?”
“I don’t think so.”
I wondered if Epiro was facing a harsher reality than others.
“However, I’ve never seen anyone with a healing ability greater than mine.”
Due to the price involved, I became curious about what other miracles without costs might be like.
After finishing the meal and getting up from our seats, someone approached us.
“Are you the priest?”
“Yes. Do you need help?”
“There’s a monster that needs to be taken down nearby. Join us.”
The knight spoke a bit commandingly.
Epiro agreed and stood up, greeting us before following the knight.
“Don’t priests of Latnia receive treatment like nobility?”
“Well…?”
Since Epiro was the first priest I had met from Latnia, I didn’t know how the others were treated.
As we left the hut, I saw Epiro following the knights across the plain.
I returned to Kant with Tenji and headed towards our lodging.
Contrary to my worries about being late, the place was calm.
The Demon King was still sleeping, and Isabel was lying down quite peacefully.
“You’re back?”
“It’s pretty late, but he hasn’t woken up yet?”
“He should wake up soon.”
For now, I decided to give the medicine I had brought to Isabel.
“What kind of medicine could be this sweet?”
Isabel’s impression after gulping down the potion in one go was that it was “delicious.”
The potion purchased at Epiro’s recommendation.
I opened a bottle and tasted it slightly.
“What kind of medicine tastes this good?”
It was so surprising that it hardly felt like medicine. It was tangy, sweet, and had a beverage-like quality to it.
I wondered if the person who developed this medicine could be a genius.
“I’ve never wanted to become sick just to eat medicine before.”
“It’s Keirin’s potion. It was quite popular in the village. However, its effects are slightly inferior compared to other medicines, but it can be used for various symptoms.”
According to Tenji, it was quite cheap and had some popularity.
Why on earth was this good medicine stored away in a box in the corner and not on the display?
