It Wasn’t Healing, It Was Training Magic

“Young master, we’ve succeeded!”

The servant Emilia looked at me with an excited expression.
Her wide-eyed gaze was like a puppy waiting for praise.
If she were a beastkin, I imagine her tail would be wagging left and right.

“Mmm…!”

I can’t believe this worked.
To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes.

However, after Emilia promised to cooperate,
everything proceeded smoothly.

Emilia brought her own clothes to disguise my appearance.

“Wow, it suits you incredibly well!”

I left the mansion with her, pretending to be a servant.

“Young master, trust me. There’s no one on this path!”

The security outside the mansion wasn’t as tight as inside.
It was thanks to everyone being busy with preparations inside.

After our successful escape, we reached a village far from the mansion.
Then Emilia stopped.

“Young master, I’m sorry, but this is as far as I go.”

Despite her brave words, her shoulders were slumped.
Seeing this, I proposed that she come along.
She had shown such willingness to help me, so she would be a great support in the future.

“I’d like to, but if I do, they’ll quickly notice you’re gone. I’ll go back and try to buy as much time as possible.”

However, Emilia refused.
She said she’s going back to cause confusion so that I can be safer.

Viscount Brook is the lord ruling this area.
If he wants, catching me would be as easy as eating cold porridge by deploying his private soldiers.

So, even though it’s dangerous, she said she’d try to buy time.

‘She’s going this far?’

I was greatly impressed.
What amazing loyalty this is.
In my memories, Emilia was always a cold and scary person.

In the past, Zick felt intimidated and found it difficult to approach her,
but to think she was actually such a warm-hearted person.
Indeed, one shouldn’t judge people by their appearance.

I conveyed my heartfelt feelings.

“I was able to escape safely all thanks to you. Thank you, Emilia.”
“I’m glad I could help. Hehe.”

Emilia smiled.
It was her bright smile that I was seeing for the first time.

“Although we’re parting like this now… I hope we can meet again someday. By then, I’ll become a Sword Master so I can be of more help to you!”
“Ohh…”

I nodded reluctantly, but inwardly I shook my head.
It’s regrettable for her, but becoming a Sword Master isn’t as easy as she makes it sound.

Most people can’t even manifest a simple sword aura.
Sword Master is a realm permitted only to a few individuals who have seen the extreme end of the sword world.

It’s a position revered and feared as a god of the battlefield.
Even in the original story, there were only a handful of Sword Masters.

And searching through the memories of the original story, there was no name like Emilia among the Sword Masters,
moreover, she hasn’t even manifested a sword aura yet.

I remember that this is Emilia’s 4th year walking the path of the sword.
The fact that she hasn’t manifested it within 3 years, which is the minimum if one has talent, means she lacks talent.

But I didn’t want to crush her dream.
Rather, I should encourage her.
After all, she helped me without hesitation, risking her own safety.

I held her hand and encouraged her.

“That’s right! Emilia, you can become a Sword Master.”
“Yes! For the sake of seeing your face again, I will never, ever give up…”

I parted ways with her as she teared up, seemingly moved.
I don’t know when it will be, but on the day she might become a Sword Master.
No, even if not that, I thought I’d like to see her again someday.

Emilia watched Zick’s back until it was no longer visible.

“Young master…”

As he disappeared, anxiety crept into her previously comfortable mind.

‘Should I follow him even now?’

Such a thought crossed her mind briefly.
It was an instinctive impulse.

“Still, I should return to the Barbar house. For the young master’s sake.”

For Emilia, the most important thing was Zick’s safety and happiness.
That is the duty of a servant, after all.

She must prioritize Zick over her own feelings.
Such thoughts filled Emilia.

But someday, surely.
She looks forward to the day when she’ll meet him again after becoming a Sword Master.

Only then will she have the face to meet him.
Besides, Zick said it.

That she could become a Sword Master.

If so, then it’s possible.
She felt such certainty.

And that certainty transformed Emilia,
and one day.

Kuguugung—!

Emilia reached the level of cutting rocks with her sword.
She became able to use at least the minimum sword aura.

It happened just a week after parting with Zick.

Emilia continued to grow stronger rapidly after that.
Looking only at Zick.

After parting with Emilia and leaving Viscount Brook’s territory.
One problem arose.

That was.

‘I’m short on money…!’

In the rush to escape, I couldn’t bring much money.
All I had was barely 10 gold.
It was equivalent to about 100,000 won in Korean currency.

It was nearly impossible to manage food, lodging, and travel with this money.

I didn’t even have money for tomorrow’s food expenses.

It was good that I escaped from the territory,
but at this rate, I would surely starve to death.

So I decided.

“Heal—!”
“Ohhh!! Thank you, Healer!! Thanks to you, I can go to the dungeon again! Here’s the promised money. I was worried I’d have to retire like this, but… sniff… thank you so much.”

To earn money with the innate magic I possessed.
It was a job that suited me, as my heart still raced and fluttered every time I used magic.

However, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
I had nothing after leaving my family.
I didn’t have an official healer status, and above all, I was a man.

Men can’t use magic.
Such a fixed notion was ingrained in everyone.

At first, no one was willing to deal with me, a healer without proper certification.

“You’re asking to be used as a party member because you’re a healer? Pfft. A man daring to claim he’s one of those precious healers. You’ve lost your mind. Hahaha! How dare a man!”

Instead, I was mocked and,

“Why don’t you come with big sister and do something nice instead? I’ll give you the money you need. It’s simple, you just need to lie down looking at the ceiling, and you’ll feel good in no time. Hohoho.”

I was sexually harassed a lot.
So I decided to prove myself by taking action.

“Ugh, please spare just a penny for this ailing old man. I have rabbit-like children lying at home, but I can’t do anything because of this leg.”
“Heal—!”
“Aaargh!! My leg! My leg! My leg!! It doesn’t hurt?”

I went around the village using magic indiscriminately.
Starting with people with leg pain.

“Waaah! I fell. There’s blood coming from my elbow!”
“Oh dear. That’s why I told you to walk carefully and not run.”
“Heal—!”
“Waaah! Huh, the blood… it’s gone?”

Even children who fell on the street.

“Ugh, the curse on my right arm is craving for slaughter. Hehehehe, I need blood right now!”

“Heal—!”
“Ugh, my right arm… it’s quiet? Huh?”

Even chuunibyou patients who couldn’t control their bodies due to a curse.
I used magic as soon as I saw them.

“It’s thrilling!”

Using magic is always thrilling and novel.
It’s amazing and fun how everyone is healed like magic every time I use it.

It’s addictive.

‘I want to use it more…’

If only I didn’t get tired after using it, I would have used it to my heart’s content.

‘Still, I should do at least one a day.’

I was disappointed that I didn’t have the chance to use it after first using it on the servant Emilia,
but this time I think I used it to my satisfaction.

Moreover, the benefits gained from using magic indiscriminately weren’t just this.

‘It’s promotion!’

There’s a saying, ‘To become rich, give first.’
It means you should share first if you want to gain something.
Then those who feel the value of what you provided will willingly reciprocate.

Indeed, people who felt grateful came to show their appreciation.
They also introduced other acquaintances.

Thanks to this, I was able to get many opportunities to earn money.
Just by receiving as much as I gave.

“500 gold…?”

Is this a money duplication bug?
I earned more than two months’ income for an ordinary person in just a week.
If I live like this, I’ll never starve to death in the future.

But.

‘I can’t do that.’

As long as I’m not an official healer, it will cause problems someday.
All healers in this world are managed by the church.
As such, I might face separate sanctions.

For example, they might do something to prevent me from using magic again.

That can’t happen.

So I decided.
To become an official healer.

“Welcome to Marleon, the Holy Land.”

After a week of travel, I arrived at the Holy Land of healers.
This is Marleon.

Here, they regularly conduct tests to select healers.
Fortunately, the timing is right, and they say the test will start soon.

I moved to register for the test.
As I hurried along,

“Please save me…”

In a corner of a dark alley, a girl with fox ears was bowing her head and begging.

Her whole body was covered in scabs,
and her skin was rotting and collapsing here and there.
Perhaps because of this, no one turned their eyes towards her.

Rather, they frowned and avoided her as if they had seen something dirty.

“Please…”

Her voice was filled with desperation, almost pleading.
I stared blankly at the beastkin girl for a moment.
Our eyes met.

Then my gaze naturally moved to her neck,
where a peculiar tattoo caught my eye.
A thorn-shaped tattoo extending to her collarbone.

‘Damn, a high-ranking member of the Demon King’s army?’

That’s the characteristic of someone who will later be active as a commander in the Demon King’s army.

She extremely hated humans and healers.
Especially when she saw healers, she would charge at them like a rabid dog.

“Pl-please… save me.”

Lost in deep thought for a moment, a trembling voice reached my ears.
The girl looking at me begged once more.

With eyes full of despair.