第１１１７堀：治療するのは彼女の仕事 (Part1)
Chapter 1117: Healing is Her Job
Side: Rurua
"Ugh... nngh..."
A chorus of groans echoed through the room. It looked for all the world like a makeshift field hospital, but...
"Rurua, I heard you were summoned, but what on earth happened here?"
Show-san, who happened to be visiting the hospital for a routine check-up, asked me with a look of utter bewilderment. It wasn't anything particularly serious, though.
"Oh, it’s just the result of some training."
Yes, the injuries were strictly the result of training. Since they were using Doppelganger bodies, the originals hadn't sustained a single scratch. That said, the mental fatigue carries over, and the sensation of being struck is transmitted, creating a sort of phantom pain—so one cannot be too complacent. And more importantly...
"Training!? But they look absolutely shredded. Even their faces are covered in blood... Kagura-dono and the others, their beautiful faces..."
Show-san winced at the sight of their battered state. As a woman herself, she was likely troubled by the damage to their faces. I felt the same. One shouldn't leave scars on a girl's face, even if it is a Doppelganger. That is why I must heal them until they are perfectly pristine.
"It’s alright. Extra Heal."
As I spoke, I cast recovery magic on Kagura and the others, watching their injuries mend. Naturally, the swelling and cuts on their faces vanished as well.
"...To be able to do that much with just that. I knew it, of course, but my goodness, it’s terrifying no matter how many times I see it. Your recovery magic, Rurua."
"Thank you very much."
I offered my thanks while approaching them to perform a final inspection of their wounds.
"Hmm, hmm. Everything has healed properly."
I dutifully noted it in their charts, though it was, quite impressively, nothing but bruises. Deryu is as relentless as ever. As I chuckled to myself while checking everyone over, Show-san, having regained some of her composure, asked another question, her voice still trembling slightly.
"Rurua. Kagura-dono and the others are supposed to be quite capable warriors. To be beaten to such a pulp... what kind of brutal training did they undergo? Is such a thing even possible for us?"
...Now, how should I put this? Well, "brutal" isn't exactly wrong, but this was simply Deryu putting them through their paces. It wasn't a secret, nor was it anything that would diminish our standing, so I saw no harm in telling her the truth—even if she might not believe me.
"Yes, Show-san and the others could do it too. Or rather, I believe the methods themselves are already being practiced within the Zurable Empire."
"Huh? A training method we are already using? No, as far as I am aware, there is no training in Zurable so absurdly harsh that it would leave Kagura-dono and her companions in this state..."
"Ahaha, it’s not that complicated. They simply had a sparring match with some of Weed’s top-tier fighters."
She was so genuinely troubled that I couldn't help but chuckle as I gave her the straightforward answer, but...
"Wait, a sparring match did this? I mean, sparring with someone of higher ability is certainly a good experience, but who on earth could be the opponent that left Kagura-dono and the others in this condition?"
"Oh? Were you unaware? There are only a few people in Weed who can instruct Kagura-san and the others."
"I suppose that makes sense. There couldn't possibly be many people capable of beating Kagura-dono and her group to a pulp in a sparring match... wait, you mean there are *several*?"
"Yes, about that many. Of course, I am also above Kagura-san and the others."
"You are, Rurua?"
"Yes. If I couldn't fight, I would be nothing but a burden. We all train so that we may stand by our Master's side. It’s just that, due to the circumstances of their arrival and the subsequent troubles with their homeland, Kagura-san and the others haven't been able to train to their satisfaction."
I was surprised when Master and Deryu brought them in and asked me to handle the healing. I thought that Master could have healed them on the spot, and he is the one who hates seeing his wives hurt more than anyone—but once I heard the reasoning, it made perfect sense.
*“It seems Kagura and the others haven't kept up with their combat experience. It’s better for them to feel the pain once, thoroughly. My apologies, but please heal them when the time is right.”*
*“Don't blame Yuki. It is certainly not a joyous thing to see a girl’s face covered in blood, but it is fortunate that it only went this far. Let them feel a sense of crisis.”*
Master and Deryu were right. If you lose to an enemy, violence is a given. You could lose your life, or worse, be toyed with. Master, himself, and all of us train regularly to ensure that never happens. Kagura-san and the others haven't neglected their training, but their diplomatic duties keep them busy, and they simply don't match our level. Until now, that had been fine, but...
"I see. So, since things have finally settled down, you decided to conduct this training. However, I believed Kagura-dono and the others were already beyond my reach, and to think there are those who are far above even them..."
"Is it hard to believe?"
"No, I don't think you would lie about such things, Rurua, so it must be the truth. But even so, hearing that there are those who surpass even Aslin-dono and the others... it’s beyond my imagination."
"Ah, I see."
No matter how strong we are, she simply cannot fathom the scale of that strength. It’s likely the same as when someone is told of a life better than their current one—it’s something they cannot visualize.
"In that case, would you like to participate in our training sometime?"
"Eh? Is that allowed? Isn't military training usually classified?"
"It’s not quite 'military' training. This is merely our personal regimen."
Of course, I couldn't easily show her the training grounds where Steve and the others operate. After all, they utilize not only Master’s modern weaponry but also enchanted heavy firearms that merge magic with technology to boost performance; I couldn't show that to just anyone. What I showed Show-san and Emperor Eupia was only a fraction of our capabilities, which we could just barely pass off as "powerful magic."
"Then, by all means. To participate in the training of such warriors is an experience not easily gained."
"Understood. I will let you know once Nilua-san and Wazfi-san have recovered."
"Yes. By the way, those names—Nilua and Wazfi—are they the students you protected at the Lancer Magic Academy?"
"Yes. You are well-informed of our movements, Show-san."
"I didn't know the details, but Yuki-sama previously consulted me on what to do after saving those two."
Hmm. The background of Nilua-san could easily escalate into an international incident, so I didn't think he would speak of it directly. But if it’s this Show-san, she could likely deduce the answer from even a small amount of information. And Master told her? If he did that, he would be handing a weakness to Show-san—or rather, the Zurable Empire.
"Rurua. Please do not be on guard regarding this. Even if I know something about this matter, I have no intention of doing anything with it. If this were investigated and brought to light, it would not only be Weed whose reputation would suffer. It’s just that Yuki-sama suggested to me that I should use the Lancer Magic Academy as an opportunity to foster exchange with the If Continent. As for the two of them, it feels like a reward for that. Though, I suppose it’s not much of a reward."