It Wasn’t Healing, It Was Training Magic

The moment I realized I had fallen into a trap.
I turned my head towards the door.
It was because I judged it wasn’t too late to escape even now.

If asked later why I did that,
I could make excuses like I left something at the lodgings.
Or I suddenly remembered something urgent I had to deal with.

Putting excuses aside, my mind was filled only with the thought that I needed to escape from this place right now.

After all, Freya Badanis.
She’s a pervert who enjoys self-harm by excessively using healing magic that uses her own body as a cost,
and feels pleasure from receiving pitying gazes.

Not only that, but she’s a hedonist who will do anything in pursuit of stronger pleasure.
I was reluctant to even be in the same space as her.

But.

“Then, have a good time~!”

Bang!

The door closed.
The guide who had led me here closed it firmly.

Now it’s awkward to leave the room.

“…”
“…”

Thanks to that, we were left alone in this space.
It’s unbearably awkward.
In this uncomfortable feeling of not knowing what to say, Freya was the first to speak.

“Zick-nim, would you like to sit here for now?”
“Yes.”

I sat down modestly in the seat opposite her at her gesture.
Then Freya clapped her hands and asked.

“Did you return safely after the exam?”
“Yes, thanks to you I returned with peace of mind.”
“Is that so? I’m really glad. Let me say it again, but I’m truly sorry about what happened then. I feel ashamed.”
“Hahaha, it’s fine.”
“Is that so? If it’s not fine, I thought I should receive punishment from Zick-nim, like getting spanked on my bottom?”
“Pardon?”

What did I just hear?

“I’m joking. Hehe?”

Freya winked and made a mischievous expression.
But it didn’t seem like a joke at all.

If it’s that pervert Saint I know, she’s more than capable of doing it.

Spanking a woman’s bottom as punishment.
It might not be a bad experience.
However, I was absolutely reluctant to create even the slightest point of contact with Freya for momentary pleasure.

We’re just meeting today and never seeing each other again.

After exchanging some more simple greetings,
Freya brought up the main point.

“I think it must have been very sudden since there was no prior notice of this procedure…”

She explained why this interview was being conducted.

The recent incident with High Priest Gray at the exam.
It was said to be an incident that could cause a big ripple shaking the One God Church.

A High Priest is a person in such a high position as to be in charge of an entire city,
distributing demonic items is absolutely unacceptable.

That’s why they added this procedure in the process of selecting healers, she said.
Of course, she said they conduct interviews with even stricter standards in the process of appointing priests.

This time was a simple interview compared to that.

“To borrow an expression from the world, it could be called a personality test. Of course, our church is well aware of Zick-nim’s character. It’s just that it’s a necessary process in the procedure… you understand, right?”
“Of course~.”

Of course, of course.
From what I heard, if I storm out of here, my healer’s license will be revoked, so I’ll do what I’m told.

Anyway, I was planning to just finish this procedure, receive the license, and then disappear with my mouth shut, so I just needed to endure a little.

“Thank you for understanding. As expected of Zick-nim! By the way, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask, if that’s alright?”
“A request? What is it?”
“This is a personal request, you see. Hehe.”

A personal request…?
An ominous feeling brushes down my spine,
but I slowly nodded.

“Please tell me first.”
“Would you use healing magic on me?”
“Of course! Hea… Eh?”

I almost reflexively used magic.
Just as I was about to raise my arm and chant magic towards her.
My head cooled down and a question arose.

Why would Freya, the Saint of the church, ask me for healing magic when she lacks nothing?

Is it really with pure intentions?

Isn’t there some other lewd reason?

And above all, does Freya really need healing right now?

Thanks to that, I could ask calmly.

“Where are you hurting? You don’t seem to be injured anywhere in particular.”

When Freya uses healing magic.
She uses it by sacrificing a part of her body as the cost.

Therefore, it’s used carefully, but because her magic is more powerful and high-level than anyone else in the church, there are times when such sacrifice is necessary.

So I know that in the church, to allow the Saint to use healing magic at any time,
the High Priests and priests periodically heal her.

Therefore, when she’s doing outside activities like meeting me, the Saint’s body should already be in perfect condition.

“Ah, is another reason needed? Can’t you just finish what you were doing?”

Freya tilted her head with a disappointed expression.

I actually don’t mind.
A man who uses healing magic when he needs to use it.
I absolutely never skip it.

Usually, that is.

“Hurry~ Think of me as a patient who just got injured~ Just a little? Please?”

As Freya shakes her bottom in front of me and pleads.
My hand slightly rises and my mouth opens.

“It’ll surely feel good~”

It probably would.
I admit it.

Damn, how can I endure this?
But I must endure.

Unlike with Akasha, my instincts are telling me.
That I absolutely must not do it.
That if I do, I’ll be crossing a river of no return.

I don’t know what river I’ll be crossing,
but I mustn’t!

Damn it!
Why can’t I eat when the meal is set before me.

“Zick-nim, why are you hesitating? Could it be that I’m burdensome to you?”
“Yes. You’re burdensome.”

I said honestly.
Hoping that if I say this much, even Freya won’t ask anymore.

“Huaah…”
“Pardon?”
“You’re the first person to say such things to me, Zick-nim. Haah, this might get a little heated?”

What is she saying?
Freya was not a normal woman.
She’s a crazy pervert.

“Eek! That gaze full of contempt is nice too. Haah…”

She wiped the drool flowing from her mouth and blushed.
This proves that the judgment not to use magic was correct.

“More… look at me like that more!!”

Freya’s breathing gradually becomes rougher.
I felt that something was dangerous at this rate.

‘God? Even the God of the One God Church would be fine, please help me!’

Perhaps it’s human instinct to want to rely on someone in an urgent situation.
I’ve been an atheist from my previous life until now.
But I prayed for any god to save me.

Was the prayer answered?
At that moment.

Knock knock knock.

-Saint, the general meeting with the High Priests is scheduled soon. Please finish the interview before it’s too late.

A voice of salvation was heard from outside the door.
It was the voice of the guide who had led me here earlier.

“I understand. Eriel, please wait a moment.”

-Understood, Saint.

Freya was as composed as if nothing had happened.
She tidied her disheveled clothes and returned to being the noble Saint.

“Zick-nim, you know it was all a joke, right?”
“Hahaha. Of course.”

I nodded vigorously in affirmation.
If I deny it here, it would be like affirming all the behavior Freya showed earlier.

“Zick-nim, with this I’ll consider the interview passed. You should be able to receive it when you leave this room.”

That was fortunate news.
Freya stood up from her seat.
And smiling with her eyes, she asked.

“By the way, what are your plans from now on, Zick-nim? Do you plan to stay in Marleon?”
“No. I plan to go to the Great Goshra Forest as soon as I receive my license.”
“The Great Goshra Forest? Isn’t that the country of the beastkin in the past? Why there?”
“There are personal reasons, so it’s a bit difficult to say. Hahaha.”

I couldn’t explain in detail because I couldn’t say I was going to keep my promise with Akasha.
Fortunately, Freya didn’t ask any further.

“I see! Then, please visit me before you go there. Zick-nim is always welcome. But you have to visit soon! I’ll be going to the Empire soon at the invitation of the Imperial Family! This general meeting is also for that matter.”

Freya spoke fluently about information I didn’t even ask for.
Is this what they call TMI?
I nodded with a smiling face.

“But come to think of it, if Zick-nim is going to the Great Goshra Forest, we might see each other again soon. If you need any help, please let me know. I’ll help you. Since I’m indebted to you in various ways.”

Freya slightly bowed her head and left the room.
Leaving behind puzzling words.

Didn’t she just say she was going to the Empire at the call of the Imperial Family?
Not the Great Goshra Forest.

I don’t understand.

But one thing I learned for certain is.
God might actually exist.

Because the prayer to be saved from Freya’s threat was answered.

After receiving the license.
I immediately met Soho.

The meeting place was a famous restaurant in Marleon.
It was a restaurant known for its excellent meat dishes.

Although it’s not an inexpensive place,
this much is not at all regrettable for Soho who greatly contributed to my passing.

And above all, I needed to get closer to Soho.
Soho is the younger sister of Daeho, my favorite character.
Now that the exam is over, I wanted to make an appointment to meet Daeho in the future.

“Congratulations. I knew Zick-nim would pass. Huhuhuh.”

Soho took a hearty drink and laughed.
Seeing her genuinely rejoicing together, I also smiled along.

“This is all thanks to you, Soho-nim. If it weren’t for you, I definitely wouldn’t have passed the written exam.”
“I-I’m absolutely not happy with such words? Even if you praise me more, I won’t be happier, so it’s useless to say more.”

Soho blushed and turned her gaze away.

“Well, but thanks to that, it’s nice to be treated to such delicious food.”

Soho picked up the chicken dish placed in front of her.
With each bite, a smile spreads on her face.

“Come to think of it, you like chicken, don’t you, Soho-nim?”

Now that I remember.
The street food Soho was looking at when I first met her.
It was chicken skewers.

Thinking back to her just looking at it because she had no money, she seems like an interesting person.

“…Chicken skewers were just interesting because they’re not common in my hometown! It’s absolutely not that I wanted to eat them.”
“You’re eating them too well for that to be true.”
“Well, I don’t refuse food. Because the food isn’t at fault.”

We continued eating while exchanging small talk.
When the meal was mostly finished, Soho asked me.

“Where do you plan to go now, Zick-nim?”
“I plan to go to the Great Goshra Forest.”
“What? The Great Goshra Forest??”

Soho opened her mouth wide in surprise.
It’s understandable.

It has a strong image of being dangerous as it’s famous for being beastkin territory.
Therefore, normal people would never go near it.

But the reason she was surprised was different.

“That’s a place you can’t enter without permission from the Arcadia Empire’s Imperial Family, isn’t it?”
“Pardon?”
“You didn’t know? Ordinary people aren’t allowed to enter beastkin areas without the Imperial Family’s permission.”

My mind goes blank at her words.
And I realized.

Why Freya said we would see each other again soon.