The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away

Those who insult the sword will not be tolerated, no matter what.

This was an absolute principle for Tanya, the Commander of the Gothberg Knights.

Only one sword had protected her from the slums.

When she opened her eyes, she wielded it.

Even while half-asleep, she swung it.

Her right hand was always positioned at her waist.

Sometimes, on days when she was lucky enough to sleep lying down, a neatly placed sword was at her head.

Because she could wield a sword, she had risen to the position of Commander of the Marquis family’s Knights.

She left behind her life in the slums and learned chivalry, developing into a proper knight.

But she was still thirsty.

The title of Sword Expert and the position of a small regional commander were not enough.

She had to see how far she could go with the sword.

She must reach the peak.

Only then.

Huff! Huff! Oh dear!

She couldn’t bow her head to those who looked down on the sword like the fool before her.

“Do you want to continue?”

Tanya asked flatly.

Inside, she felt a little relieved, hiding her expression.

She had no idea how many times she had struggled to clean up the mess he had caused.

This was also a form of revenge.

‘I am interested in the Imperial Knights, as young master mentioned.’

Despite being just a simple contract, she had pledged her loyalty to the Gothberg family.

To throw that away lightly, to have an attitude that belittled swordsmanship.

None of it sat well with her.

‘There’s no way young master will be selected as an attending physician, and even if he were, he wouldn’t take me as his escort knight.’

Tanya showcased her swift swordsmanship as an excuse for their duel, leaving the fool unable to react.

Her quick blade struck the fool’s arms and back with great force.

Hah, hah.

Finally, the fool collapsed.

If he had been this thoroughly beaten, he wouldn’t be able to get up again.

But.

Ugh, take painkillers and… emergency treatment. Phew.

This was somewhat unexpected.

He got back up and grabbed his wooden sword again.

“Alright, let’s continue. Is this the right basic stance? If it’s wrong, tell me immediately.”

The fool swung his wooden sword with all his might.

His stance and trajectory were a complete mess.

Tanya knocked his sword aside, toppling him again.

“Hey hey, is a low-ranking demon this strong? This is the worst. Again!”

…He got up again.

Puffing and covered in scrapes, he still managed to rise.

‘What is this?’

Tanya finally saw the determination in the fool’s eyes through his long hair.

…Something was different this time.

The once hazy and unfocused gaze had long vanished.

In its place was a madman burning with an obsession for life.

Ugh…!

Overwhelmed by his intensity, Tanya unconsciously took a step back.

–Perception!

Taking advantage of the opening, the fool swung his wooden sword forcefully against Tanya’s.

“Oh, this time I didn’t fall!”

Tanya had unknowingly performed a defensive stance.

With no counterattack in sight, the determined fool swung successive strikes with all his strength.

Watching that innocent appearance, Tanya found her pent-up anger towards him dissipating.

She admitted it.

‘My lord… has changed.’

The corners of Tanya’s mouth subtly lifted up.

Finally, she understood his words.

He wasn’t urging her to betray her loyalty to the Gothberg family.

He meant the opposite.
It was a pledge that he would pass the attending physician exam and take her as his escort knight.

‘Was the tangled part on my end?’

Tanya hadn’t been a knight since childhood, either.

During her formative years, she was just one of the common ruffians from the slums, learning chivalry only after joining the Gothberg Knights.

If she showed such a will for transformation, it was only appropriate to respond as a subordinate.

Tanya called him in a much gentler voice.

“Young master.”

“What?”

“To be honest, you have no talent for the sword.”

“I know that!”

Ras sulked at Tanya’s criticism.

“So, I will teach you. It’s an efficient trick against demons.”

Ras frowned, perhaps feeling bothered by her words.

It seemed that the reckless fool was about to return as he was before.

Was that just my mistake? Just as Tanya regretted her judgment, Ras suddenly shouted loudly.

“Why are you only telling me that now! I’m ready! What is it, tell me quickly!”

Seeing his carefree reaction, Tanya suppressed a laugh.

“If you were suddenly ambushed, remember this stance. Assume you’re holding a sword…”

Ras listened intently to Tanya’s explanation.

As she spent time with him, Tanya unknowingly began to sweat joyfully.

*

“Wow, crossing the line.”

When a person surpasses their limits, admiration comes forth.

That was how hard Tanya had worked me.

And this for four consecutive days!

“If it wasn’t for emergency treatment, I wouldn’t have lasted.”

Yet, it was rewarding.

―――――――――――
Strength: 10 (UP)
Stamina: 11 (UP)
Magic Power: 1
Mana: 15 (UP)
Divine Power: 22
Faith: 100
―――――――――――

After just four days.

In merely four days, I was able to elevate this pathetic stamina and strength to a level where I could at least do something.

“With this, I shouldn’t die at the very least…”

The practical exam for attending physicians was closing in for tomorrow.

Having exercised for the first time in 17 years, my muscles screamed, but I must endure just one more day.

Like a soaked seaweed, I sprawled on the bed when suddenly, a thud sound came from near the door.

“What is it?”

I jumped up and flung the door open. Perhaps due to the experiences fighting the Demon King’s army, I took care to be wary of ambushes even at times like this.

When you hear rustling at night while camping, it often means demons are approaching.

Tilting my head back, I caught a glimpse of gray hair quickly sneaking around the corner, attempting to hide from my view.

Realizing who it was, I felt a wave of relief.

I gently called her name.

“Neria, what’s going on?”

After a brief silence, Neria peeked her face out from around the corner.

In her startled expression, it seemed that sweat was evaporating into the air like a cartoon effect.

“Oh, oh dear brother. Did I disturb your rest? I’m sorry…”

“No, it’s okay. But…”

I caught a whiff of a pleasant aroma. It was the scent of well-baked butter.

Looking closely, I saw Neria holding a tray respectfully in her hands, filled with palm-sized cookies.

“Is that why you couldn’t knock?”

“Ah, yes. You’ve looked so tired lately that I baked a little.”

“You made this yourself? Impressive.”

The shape of the cookies looked quite neat, leading me to believe they were made by a skilled servant or cook.

Then again, they were definitely larger than the usual ones I’d seen. Neria really uses a lot of ingredients. She’s always had a generous heart since childhood.

“I made these for you, dear brother… I thought you’d like sweet things.”

Neria looked up at me, cautiously blinking her eyes.

Perhaps she was worried about being a nuisance by doing something unrequested.

She had baked cookies just for me.

How could I not be happy?

“Haha, I’ll enjoy them. But I don’t really like sweet things. If I had to choose, I prefer salty.”

“Is that so? I thought you liked them since you eat honey candy every day.”

Well, that’s just to survive.

I don’t dislike it, but I wouldn’t keep eating it.

I took a cookie and took a bite.

With a soft texture, the rich scent of yeast spread across my head.

And… it was sweet.

She certainly used sugar without reservation.

“Oh, it’s citrus marmalade. It adds much more flavor than plain sugar.”

“Do I like sweet things?”

A question I had never pondered arose.

Hmm… I usually have a clear value system.

There aren’t any special adjectives needed; it’s just delicious.

I wanted a cookie like this to carry around in my pocket.

Neria, who had been observing my face while chewing on the cookie, smiled brightly as her cheeks puffed up like rice cakes.

“Hehehe.”

She looked confident, as if she was silently celebrating her success!

“But why did you suddenly bake cookies?”

At my question, Neria’s expression shifted to worry. She tapped her toes on the floor as she answered.

“I saw you training with Commander Tanya… You looked so sore. When I fell in the garden, it hurt a lot, and I wondered how much pain you must be in.”

Neria gazed at me with compassion.

“And then I felt better after eating the cookie given to me by the servant! So I thought you might like it too…”

Oh dear, how thoughtful.

Neria, in ten years, must have been worn from fighting against the Demon King’s army.

For her to be this caring towards her reckless brother, she truly was a small angel at this innocent age.

“Thank you, Neria. Shall we go downstairs and eat the remaining cookies with some milk?”

“Milk?”

That might not have been something she considered, as Neria tilted her head.

“Yeah. Cookies taste much better with milk. Plus, drinking milk helps you grow taller.”

Gasp, really?!

At the mention of growing taller, Neria clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes sparkling.

“Really. At your age, supplementing proper calcium is essential for bone growth.”

“…I don’t know much about it, but since it’s you saying it, it must be very important. I want to eat it with milk!”

Neria’s face resembled a squirrel discovering food for winter.

I thought how great it would be if Acella resembled Neria even half as much.

With such thoughts in mind, I headed down to the kitchen with Neria in search of milk.

*

“Looks like all the candidates are gathered.”

My father spoke in a serious voice.

The next morning, even before dawn, many people had gathered on the northern hill of the mansion.

The Gothberg Knights, led by Tanya, had completed their battle preparations.

I stood before my father.

To my sides were the healer candidates, lined up nervously.

My father declared to us.

“From this moment, the practical exam will begin. Your performance in today’s demon subjugation will be evaluated.”

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