This feels amazing...
The plan was to work quietly and inconspicuously as an underground healer,
but things sure got noisier than I expected.
It's been a long time since I've had a chance to relax by myself.
I'm glad I came here.
The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows
The investigation into the mastermind behind the golem attack hasn't revealed much.
All I've been able to confirm is that it's an individual who calls himself "The Guide."
I see.
"The Guide"...
I'm going to remember that name.
And one day, I'm going to collect from him.
There wasn't much of a trail to follow, either.
The location where they met with that man, Aston, was already abandoned,
with no trace left behind.
I did some digging myself.
The guy only started visiting the Underground Guild recently,
and he tended to be alone.
Lynga heard the same kind of story.
In the underworld, the standard is to avoid prying into each other's backgrounds.
I think there's a limit to what can be learned from questioning people.
The Royal Knights will be pursuing him as a dangerous individual,
but considering how thoroughly he erased his trail,
it's likely he won't resurface for a while.
I see.
But he'll come back sooner or later.
That's the impression I get.
Yeah. I think this Guide still has some scheme going.
He won't be simple to deal with, that's for sure.
He may have ties even deeper in the underworld.
I'd appreciate it if you demihumans didn't randomly speculate.
Haven't you been mostly guessing yourself?
I appreciate your help from the other day, but no.
My guesses are not simply guesses,
but speculation informed by my investigation and experience.
Hang on a second.
Could you all stop talking at each other from across the room?
It's kind of awkward.
Th-There's nothing that can be done.
Given my position as a Royal Knight,
I can hardly be seen sipping tea at the same table as a group of demihumans.
Like we'd even want you at our table.
Okay, settle down.
No fighting in the clinic!
Besides, I'm taking today off because I'm tired!
So if you're not an emergency patient, get out!
Hey, Zenos...
I had an idea.
You did?
Yeah. You've seemed really tired since the golem attack,
so I thought about what might make you feel better.
So maybe... for a change of pace... the two of us could... go...
Go... where?
You and I could go to a hot—
Doc!
What's up? Forget something?
Actually, I have a proposal.
A proposal?
Well, that golem mess was a real nightmare, right?
How about we head to a hot spring?
A hot spring?
I was thinking it could help you recover a bit!
I see...
That might make for a nice change of pace.
Awesome!
It's a promise, Doc.
What? You forget something?
Nope!
Lynga has a brilliant idea!
Oh, you do?
The golem attack was tough for all of us...
So let's go to a hot spring!
A hot spring?
It doesn't sound bad, but—
Great!
It's a promise, Sir Zenos!
Zenos! I think—
A hot spring, right?! You didn't forget anything! You just wanna go to a hot spring!
That's it, isn't it?!
H-How did you know?
We must truly be of one heart!
You and the other girls, maybe!
No wonder you get along!
M-Mr. Zenos, I wanted to ask you...
Hot springs, right?! You wanna go to a hot spring, too, don't you?!
Sounds like fun!
Why are they all so obsessed with hot springs?
Anyway, what did you want to talk about, Lily?
Never mind! Just... never mind!
How amusing to see your effort to outdo your rivals undercut by all of them in the same fashion.
I never tire of watching the unseemly struggles of women in love.
It's occurred to me
that for the highest class of undead, your tastes are kind of vulgar.
And I certainly haven't been to a hot spring in a long time!
Wait, you're coming, too?
This is the men's bath.
I know.
It'll be fine. I put a sign up that says it's being cleaned.
Wh-Whoa!
My inclination is to get a little more aggressive,
but I don't want to turn you against me.
I see...
Y'know, my brother and underlings have said I seem different lately.
You do seem calmer.
I never dreamed I'd get along with werewolves and orcs,
much less chat with a Royal Knight.
I think you might just change the world, Doc.
You're exaggerating.
I'm just an underground healer at a run-down clinic.
Hey...
What is it?
Why are you getting closer and closer?
You noticed, huh?
I was hoping the conversation would get you to lower your guard.
I was stupid for expecting this to go normally!
Hold it right there!
Zophia! No fair getting a head start!
This is the men's bath!
What's wrong with you?
Lynga is simply dizzy from the heat!
That's clearly a lie.
All of the dizziness has Lynga falling over!
Let go, Zophia! Lynga is on the verge of fainting into Zenos's arms!
If you're about to faint, why are you still so strong?!
Quit fussing, you two!
Settle down, and more importantly, get out!
Hold it!
I won't have you forget about me!
What were you even doing in there?!
I was waiting in the water for you, Zenos!
What do you think?
Is my body not, as they say, bodacious?
It's kinda too dark to tell.
That wasn't an invitation to come closer, okay?
You're not going anywhere!
Lynga is even more bodacious!
Enough!
What do you demihumans think you're doing?!
This is the men's bath!
Have you no shame at all?!
Then what are you doing in here?
You're here to see Zenos, too, aren't you?
N-No! I just got lost and mistook the men's bath for the women's!
Great, more competition.
Lynga will not lose!
I will etch my sublime nudity into your eyes!
All of you...
Go to the women's bath!
What was that?
It'd be a shame if there was some weirdo who ruined my hot spring trip.
To be sent on a house call to Flamme, the city of hot springs...
I wonder if he noticed how tired I was.
Unbelievable. The three of you are just shameless!
I don't buy that, coming from you.
Not that I didn't know it already, but the doc's no fun.
Lynga thinks he's just embarrassed.
I was hoping to display more of my grand nude form!
Kind of surprising to see a mixed group like that bathing together socially.
You need something?
Oh, excuse me! It's nothing, sorry.
If you say so.
She was likely entranced by my proportions!
To enchant even other women... How wicked must my body be?
Lynga sometimes wonders where your confidence comes from.
I'm jealous.
She's adorable!
Maybe if I had a nicer body, I could've charged into the men's bath more confidently.
"Charged"?
Everyone else's chests are so big.
And mine... isn't!
There's no need to be pessimistic.
You're still growing, after all.
And there's no guarantee that bigger is the preferred size.
Is that true?! Even if they're small, he might still like them?
Indeed! There are depths to this world that children have trouble imagining.
The world of depths...
The world of small chests!
Huh? Carmilla, you seem more transparent than usual.
It's so pleasant, I may be on the verge of ascending.
Oh, I'm vanishing! I'm vanishing!
Oh, no! Don't go!
A joke, of course.
Don't scare me like that!
Is that... a wraith?!
Root of all life, by your blessing...
Oh, dear! It seems there are other guests here!
Whoa, you scared me!
You're in on this now, too, Carmilla?!
You seem upset. Shall I rinse you off?
You want me to exorcise you?!
Did I... imagine that?
I must really be exhausted.
Doc, here's to more than one job done well!
Cheers!
It looks so good!
Krishna, if you're gonna make that face, why not just join us?
That's right! Come join us!
For a guardian of order to be put in this kind of situation...
I only took a single day of leave and find myself here with all of you!
The idea of toasting around the same table...
Sounds like your whole thing is complicated.
By the way, where's Carmilla?
"I will take my drink in my room, where I can relax," she said.
I'm back.
And I'm tired...
Was the meal not an enjoyable one?
It was, at first.
But then they started a drinking game where the winner was supposed to sit on my lap...
Wasn't the whole point of all this to help with my exhaustion?
Oh, it's fine.
Enjoy the lively times while they last.
I'm sure you're going to be drawn into more complicated matters soon enough.
Could you please stop jinxing me?
A wraith's intuition tends to be accurate.
How did you get here, anyway?
I thought you couldn't be out in the sun for long.
With that.
Since my body is ethereal, I can possess objects I'm attached to.
I inhabited that staff, which Lily carried during the day.
If you're attached to it, did it belong to you when you were alive?
What were you up to back then, anyway?
It was so long ago that I've forgotten.
Now, given your troubles, let me pour you a drink.
You really don't like to talk about your past, do you?
What happened?!
My husband said he was going to prepare breakfast,
then he went to the kitchen, and there was this loud noise...
The fire magic stones may have exploded.
I'm a healer. I'll do what I can.
Root of all life, by your blessing,
grant your amelioration.
Heal!
First aid is the best I can do here.
This will take a while to properly heal.
And in the condition his arm is in, he may never be able to hold a knife again.
What happened?
Who are you?
A guest.
I was wondering what that explosion was.
He's burnt?
There's a Royal Hospital branch in the center of the city.
They would have more advanced healing magic circles.
Can you help me carry him?
Never heard of that stuff before. Sounds interesting.
Interesting?
But with these injuries, I doubt he'll need it.
Zenos! What happened?
A bit of a kitchen fire.
Our ride is leaving soon. Let's go.
W-Wait!
The food here was good. I wouldn't mind eating it again.
So this one's on the house.
Unbelievable. Abandoning someone who's injured...
Huh? What happened to me?
Honey!
How?
Thank goodness! I'm so relieved!
Did my spell do that?
No, he was hurt too badly for that to be possible.
To treat that kind of burn instantly with no magical circle for reinforcement,
he must be highly ranked...
No, only a Saint or an elite healer could do that!
And that's the story.
An elite healer capable of restoring severe burns in an instant...
Those are valuable. There are less than ten of them in the country.
I'm sure the government would want him as a national asset.
He left while I was still in shock.
Do you remember what he was like?
He had black hair, but other than that...
I think I remember someone calling him "Zenos," though.
That could be an alias, so it's not much to go on.
Still, if he healed someone and then went on his way, he can't be a bad guy.
I'm sure there's no harm in letting him go.
If anything, running into him again would mean we'd have to dig deeper.
I see.
Actually, one other thing I remember is that he had a black overcoat.
An elite-grade healer with a black overcoat...
I've changed my mind.
Let's search for him after all.
Oh... Okay.
But how?
If he doesn't have official registration,
he may not be a legal citizen.
You think he's from the slums?
That doesn't narrow it down much, though.
Oh, I'm sure we'll manage...
I'm not sure why you're laughing.
Or why you suddenly changed your mind.
I'd just like to meet him.
As a fellow elite healer.
Sorry about this, Doc!
Is he sick?
Don't know him, but he coughed up a ton of blood and then collapsed.
It might be contagious, so you made the right call.
Lay him down on the bed.
His lungs are a mess...
This is Red Lung!
Red Lung?
Lily, Zonde, back away.
There was a pandemic that killed a lot of people a while back.
His case is similar.
But Red Lung was supposed to have been wiped out thanks to a cure...
So why would there be a new infection?
Then again, maybe there's only a resemblance...
I must say, that was quite the diagnosis.
It's nice to meet you, underground healer from the abandoned district.
I'm an elite healer from the Royal Hospital, Ernardo Becker.
You're an elite healer with the Royal Hospital?
Correct, although my case is a bit unique in that
I'm not particularly good with healing magic.
Wait, then do you actually have Red Lung?
It seemed a little different.
Oh, that...
Dr. Becker!
Oh, the healer from before!
Hey, it's the girl from the inn.
Hello there, Umin!
Don't you "Hello there, Umin" me!
Do you realize how crazy it is to make yourself seriously sick
and then ask me to follow you when you're taken to this clinic?!
Well, how else were we supposed to find him?
You know, I thought I had weakened it enough,
but it's still quite painful.
What's causing your symptoms?
I took a drug that would cause symptoms similar to Red Lung.
The locals are quite cautious,
but I thought they'd be willing to help someone seriously ill.
The effects wear off quickly, so I won't die.
I also took a dose of the antidote to be on the safe side, so I'll be fine.
Where in the world did you find a drug like that?
I made it myself.
It became a necessity in my efforts to come up with a cure for Red Lung.
The cure for Red Lung? Then you're—
That's right!
Red Lung, the Thousand-Day Cough, Crimson Poison!
Dr. Becker has come up with treatments for a number of diseases,
and was awarded the special rank of elite healer for his efforts! He's amazing!
It was really nothing special.
When I heard about an elite-class healer in a black overcoat,
I thought it might've been someone I used to know...
But it seems I was wrong.
That coat is yours, I assume?
Yeah. But it originally belonged to my teacher.
What was your teacher's name?
Don't know. Never actually told me.
Umin, why don't we bring him in on this case after all?
Are you sure?
What case?
I know this is sudden, Zenos,
but would you like to work at the Royal Hospital?
We're dealing with a bit of a problem, you see.
Why would you ask a total stranger like me for help?
It's a rather delicate issue,
the kind where an outsider would have an easier time taking action.
You guys!
What are you all doing here?
The red flag was up, so we rushed down here.
The flag?
Oh, red is for emergencies.
Carmilla must've noticed something was up.
I'd like to see you try and take Doc away!
Sir Zenos forbids fighting in the clinic,
so we won't hurt you in here.
But take one step outside the building,
and our men might take offense with your actions.
This display of unity as you all try to protect him!
I wonder if any healer has ever accomplished anything like it!
I think we might need to reconsider our approach.
Let's make this an official deal... or rather, a commission.
Yeah, all right.
Doc? You sure about this?
Now that they know about my underground operation, I need them on my side.
And I still remember how the central hospital
distributed the cure for Red Lung freely in the slums
back when it was spreading, saving a lot of lives.
That's right!
There was a lot of opposition, but Dr. Becker insisted that, to eradicate the disease,
the cure had to be distributed to everyone,
and he went as far as to pay for it himself!
I was only taking the appropriate scientific approach.
That was a big help, yeah.
More importantly, you seem to know my teacher.
If you agree to come to the Royal Hospital, I'll give you more details in time.
You called it a commission, but now you're bargaining again.
You're a crafty one, aren't you?
I've been called that.
I'm sure the same can be said of you.
I'm just trying to live life the way I like it, which is quietly.
Once this matter is taken care of,
you'll have my assistance in that regard.
To make it official:
Welcome to the Royal Hospital, Zenos the underground healer.
The Royal Hospital
"The Royal Hospital."