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“What do you mean? Is it difficult even with your skills? Will it never heal?”
“I-I guess even in another world, an arm that’s rotted can’t be healed…”
“Now, now, let’s calm down. It’s just that it can’t be healed here.”
“…Here?”

Repeating the saint’s words, the blood that had been rising to my head cooled down. It can’t be healed in this place, meaning that in a well-equipped location, Momo’s arm might be treated.

“Actually, it’s fortunate it’s only this bad. In the worst-case scenario, we might have needed to cut it off to prevent the spread.”
“Eek…”
“Such fortune must be because you possess a Gift. For now, this is the best I can do due to the severe extent of the rot.”

Roche prayed and gently stroked Momo’s arm. As her palm touched the afflicted area, the decayed parts vanished as if they had never been there. Visually, it seemed perfectly healed, but…

“Miss Momose, try opening and closing your hand like this.”
“I… I can’t get any strength in my arm…!”

Momo strained enough to frown, but her arm only trembled, failing to muster enough strength.

“I’ve healed the gangrenous part for now, but it isn’t completely cured yet.”
“Why not? Can’t you just heal it all at once?”
“If I restructure the body too much at once, it becomes difficult to achieve perfect recovery. It’s better to let natural healing take its course and aid that process.”
“I see, speedrunning it will result in a poor outcome!”
“Sometimes, I don’t quite understand your words… but I mostly get it.”

Even if the saint’s magic is powerful, healing severe injuries instantly can leave lasting damage. It’s a troublesome situation, but if it means healing without leaving any defects, it’s worth the effort.

“Hehe, I’m glad you understand. Now, shall we go?”
“Go? Where to?”
“To our headquarters, of course. Aldebaran.”

“That’s the gist of it. We’re heading to Aldebaran, albeit reluctantly.”
“…Can you give me a moment to process all this?”

Back at the guild, after giving our report, Stella pressed her temples with a deeply fatigued expression.

We had only been in Elnato for two or three days, yet we had defeated Orcus’ follower and were now returned in triumph with the Saint of Aldebaran. It was no wonder Stella’s head hurt from hearing such a story.

“And the children from the orphanage…?”
“Oh, we’ll take care of them at the guild for now. They were raised by Orcus’ follower, so we’ll need to monitor them closely.”
“I see. It’s kind of you not to burn them at the stake.”
“The guild isn’t that cruel, you know…?”

While they were still potential threats, it was likely those children were merely used as a cover by Mytia. If they had been thoroughly corrupted by her, there would have been no need to control them as puppets. And Momo’s fight would have been harder too.

“Anyway, leave the aftermath to us. So, what’s this about going to Aldebaran?”
“Momo’s treatment requires it. To cleanse the impurity of Orcus, she needs continuous application of the saint’s magic.”
“I see. We can’t expect the saint to stay here indefinitely. So, you’re all going with them? When do you plan to leave?”
“Right now.”
“Right now!?”

I had hardly any personal belongings. We could leave immediately after picking up Momo’s things from the inn.

With the Orcus incident resolved, there was no reason for the saint to linger. We were ready to depart at any moment.

“Honestly, I’d rather not let you go.”
“That’s an overestimation. We’re just two-star adventurers.”
“Well, about that, you’ve been promoted to three-star. I’ll inform the guild in Aldebaran so you can handle the paperwork there.”
“What? When did this happen?”
“Just now. It’s rare to climb to three stars so quickly. It’s a pity to lose you…”

Taking a sip of tea, Stella let out an exaggerated sigh. It didn’t seem like she was joking; the guild appeared to hold us in high regard.

“Just remember that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Be careful when you get there, alright?”
“What’s this? You’re not trying to hold us back after all.”
“Your partner’s in a tough spot, right? Make sure she gets properly healed. You can decide whether to come back or not afterward.”
“She’s not really my partner, but I appreciate the sentiment. It’s good to leave without any hard feelings. I should head out now.”
“Alright, take care. By the way, Aldebaran is quite far. Are you planning to use a carriage?”
“Actually, we’re using a flying ship.”

“The report is done. The cleanup will be handled by them.”
“Oh, welcome back, Master. Being able to fly is so convenient.”
“The magic power efficiency isn’t great, though. Is the ship ready?”

In an empty plain a little away from Elnato, there was a small crowd gathered despite the desolate surroundings. It’s impressive how many idle people show up just to gawk. They must have a lot of free time.

“Alright, everyone, stay behind this line. Please put your viewing fee in the basket.”
“They’re charging a fee?”
“It must be quite a rare sight, this flying vessel.”

In the middle of the plain stood an unusual craft, an oval-shaped balloon with a ship attached to its top. Apparently, it’s a magical flying ship, a custom-made vessel prepared by the saint’s escort unit.

“It’s amazing! It’s like an airship! Though the design is a bit different from what I know.”
“The power source must be different. So this is what magicology meant.”

From its appearance, I could only sense a rough flow of mana, but I had a general idea of how it flew. I’d love to take it apart and study it thoroughly. It likely operates on principles different from both magecraft and magic.

“Master, you have a mischievous look on your face.”
“Oh, my bad. Let’s get on board now. We need to get your arm treated.”

Aldebaran, the headquarters of the saint, was our unintended destination. I wondered what strange things awaited us there. At the very least, I had no expectation that the journey would be an easy one.