“Damn it, we’ve wasted too much time.”
Aston clicked his tongue at the entrance of the forest cave, having just returned.
He had searched for a temporary healer in the nearest town, but due to the sudden request, it was difficult to find one, and the deadline given to him by Lord Fennel was fast approaching. In the end, he had to push the Guild quite hard to arrange for a healer who was visiting a nearby village.
“I’m counting on you. Make sure you’re actually useful.”
“Please don’t expect too much. I usually work as a healer in the Royal Capital, and I only have an adventurer’s license in name.”
The female healer Aston hired introduced herself as Umin.
Snow lightly dusted her shoulders, where her blue hair swayed, and she wore round glasses.
“Still, I wonder why the [Iron Phoenix], renowned for taking down even A-rank magical beasts without a scratch, would require the support of a mid-level healer like myself.”
“…I have my own reasons,” Aston said, irritated.
“H-hey, healer lady. Is Yuma going to be okay?”
“Yuma… you mean the archer? He’s clinging to life, but as for adventuring anymore…”
Umin, who had been treating him, looked down as she answered the question from the support mage, Gail.
“H-hey, Aston, what do we do…?”
“What do you mean, what do we do? We hunt the prey and bring it back. Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet, Andres.”
“N-no…”
He wants to give his daughter a muffler made from Fire Fox fur for her birthday. That was Lord Fennel’s request. Considering travel time, he needed to get the fur today and start heading back.
He had originally planned to quickly hunt the prey and return to the Royal Capital, enjoying himself in the towns along the way. Aston’s frustration was reaching its peak.
“Tch. Yuma was never worthy of the glorious [Iron Phoenix] anyway. Even if we’re down one archer, Gail can defend, I’ll whittle them down, and Andres, you’ll finish them off with your destruction magic. There’s no problem with that.”
“W-well, maybe you’re right…”
“Gail, you haven’t been drinking this time, have you?”
“Ah, yeah, I’m fine.”
Gail nodded several times and clutched his protective charm.
The party slowly advanced deeper into the cave.
But…
Grrrrrrrr!
Before they reached its lair, two Fire Foxes rushed at them with ferocious growls. They probably smelled that the same kind of hunters had returned. They were launching a preemptive strike.
“Guh.”
Aston barely managed to deflect the successive fireballs with his sword. This sword, engraved with special patterns and capable of deflecting even fire, was one of Zenos’s few useful contributions, found in an underground labyrinth.
“Gail! Hurry up with the protection!”
“Yeah, leave it to me!”
Gail drew a magic circle and held up his charm. As he chanted, everyone was enveloped in a green light.
That was a relief. Now all they had to do was gradually wear down the enemy.
But…
“Guaaaah!”
“You idiot, what are you doing?! Get up!”
Andres, who had taken a direct hit from a fireball, rolled and writhed in pain.
Aston, glancing sideways, yelled at him. Even with protective magic, he was too careless.
Aston slashed at the Fire Foxes, but they easily evaded him, and his blade didn’t reach his prey at all.
“Damn it, why can’t I hit them?”
If he could just land a hit, this sword could inflict a significant wound. He should be completely sober, but his body felt sluggish.
“Hey! Wait a minute!”
As he caught his breath and held his sword, he heard the healer Umin’s shout from behind. He turned around to see Umin kneeling beside Andres.
“Are you still planning to continue? This man is in danger if he doesn’t get proper treatment!”
“Huh?”
The area of Andres’s chest that had been directly hit by the fireball was swollen and red, and a part of it looked charred. His breathing was shallow, and he lay limp on the ground, not moving.
Aston swung his sword, creating distance from the Fire Foxes.
With his body not moving well, it would be difficult to take down this magical beast alone, and he absolutely needed Andres’s destruction magic. With Andres out of commission, sticking around would only wear them down.
Aston grit his teeth and backed away.
“What the hell is going on?!”
Back at the cave entrance, Aston grabbed the support mage Gail by the collar.
“Are you even trying? I won’t accept any excuses about being off your game this time!”
“N-no, I don’t know what’s going on either…”
“The protective magic was working. Without it, he would have been instantly killed,” Umin said, casting healing magic on Andres.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s still seriously injured! You’re a healer, aren’t you? Heal him quickly!”
“Don’t say it like it’s so simple. I have to assemble a formula and chant according to the state of the injury. I’ve managed to give him some emergency treatment, but he needs to be rushed to a clinic with a properly equipped recovery magic circle.”
“What? We don’t have time for that! Heal him completely right here, right now.”
“What are you saying? Complete healing on the spot is impossible even for a high-level healer. The only ones who could do that would be a select few special-grade healers or perhaps a Saint.”
“…”
Aston was speechless. The name of the man he had once banished surfaced in his mind.
An unwelcome truth. The party started getting injured after he kicked that man out. Supporting them as needed with protection and ability enhancement magic, and instantly healing them if they were injured.
Was what Zenos said actually true?
A chill ran down his spine.
“Hey, Umin, you said? …Could there be someone who can use special-grade healing magic without even having a healer’s license?”
“Hmm, it’s hard to imagine. Do you know someone like that?”
“N-no…”
Aston shook his head.
What am I saying? There’s no way a commoner could do something like that. He was only brought along as the party’s slave.
One thing was certain, however: this quest was already out of time.
“Damn iiiiiiiit!!”
Aston’s roar of anger echoed emptily across the snowy plain.
A/N: Aston’s pinch continues…!