The incense that had stuck to the room slowly dispersed through the open shutters. The girl gently inhaled the fresh air flowing in from outside. No one enjoyed the pungent mixture of medicinal incense used for large-scale treatments and the sharp stench of blood and pus. After letting out a breath, Ayane turned toward the small voice calling her.

“Not many patients came today, did they?”

At the wash area, Maya finished cleaning the medical instruments and returned them to the shelf. Since she was entrusted with procedures such as incisions and the removal of foreign objects from wounds, she was particular about her tools and took great care in how they were stored.

“I wish every day were like this… Ah, I don’t mean that I want to slack off.”

Flustered, Ayane quickly corrected herself, prompting a gentle smile from her dependable treatment assistant.

“I understand. But Ayane, your sense of self-sacrifice is far too strong. It would be good if you learned to be a little lazy now and then.”

“I do take breaks lately. I’ve been walking around the lake and through the city.”

Ayane puffed her cheeks slightly in a sulky manner, but even that was something unimaginable in the past. Back then, immediately after the Great Rampage, Dandurg Castle and the naval port city of Anxio had overflowed with wounded soldiers who had barely escaped with their lives. Patients were prioritized according to the severity of their wounds and their remaining stamina, and Ayane treated them relentlessly until her consciousness and mana were completely spent.

That period lasted about two months. During that time, she never once stepped outside, living entirely within the church. It would be a lie to say it caused her no suffering. Even so, remembering the Great Rampage and the imperial knights who had died was too painful. Throwing herself into treatment had been the only way she could endure it.

Nearly two years had passed since the Great Rampage, and circumstances had begun to change. Walm, who had been believed to have passed away, had returned to the northern nations.

Ayane had spent her time gazing over the lake, speaking with people, and slowly sorting through her feelings. In the end, that effort had been unnecessary. But if the promise would be fulfilled, it was a trivial inconvenience.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Maya’s smile was open and sincere. Seeing it only made Ayane feel more troubled. After all, the one keeping Maya tied to Selta was her own selfishness.

“Hey… maybe you should at least return to Crest—”

“No one forced me. I chose to remain here of my own will.”

Her tone resembled that of an older sister gently scolding a stubborn younger sibling. People from the Crest Kingdom and the Libertoa Trade Federation sometimes came to the church seeking treatment. Among them were even messengers who, through Maya, delivered requests urging her to return home.

She had been given many chances to go back to the Crest Kingdom. Johanna, who had taken care of her, and her two childhood friends were there as well. By now, the number of patients requiring treatment had decreased, and the promise made at Dandurg Castle had already been fulfilled.

Furthermore, it was said that within the Mayard territory there were voices hoping to send her back to the Crest Kingdom in order to repay their debt and deepen ties between the two nations.

After much inner conflict, Ayane had refused to return to the Crest Kingdom. Part of the reason was her desire to remain with the people gathered in the city, but the true reason was a concern she had told no one.

Once, when assassins had been sent after her, Moritz, who had been serving as her guard, had called her “a military threat in itself.” In war, no one could remain completely uninvolved. Those words still lingered darkly in her heart.

During the war of the Four-Nation Alliance, if Ayane and her childhood friends had not been part of the alliance’s side, the Crest Kingdom might never have joined the war, and the alliance itself might never have been formed. Of course, that was only speculation, perhaps nothing more than foolish arrogance and an overestimation of her own importance. Even so, as a healing mage, she no longer intended to pretend that she had nothing to do with war.

With that resolve in her heart, Ayane chose to remain in Mayard as a form of prevention so that war would not break out again.

“Maya… thank you.”

Ayane had spent a great deal of time with Maya, both as a healing mage and as an individual. For Maya to speak so firmly like this meant that persuasion was probably impossible. The only thing Ayane could do was offer her heartfelt thanks.

“It’s nothing, really.”

Even putting her homeland second, Maya continued to stay by her side like this. Ayane felt both embarrassed and warmly grateful.

Just as she was wondering whether to change the topic, a quiet knock sounded on the clinic door.

“Lady Ayane, Lady Maya, may I have a moment?”

The voice belonged to one of the soldiers serving as their guards. Ayane and Maya exchanged glances and nodded. It must be that an emergency patient had been brought in.

“That’s fine. Is it an injured person?”

Maya spoke on behalf of the two of them.

“Instructor Deborah and one soldier were apparently injured during training… but it seems that soldier is someone you both know.”

His hesitant wording was unusual. Injuries during training were nothing out of the ordinary, but what felt strange was that Deborah, the one acting as the instructor, had been injured as well. And if someone they knew was involved, there was only one person who came to mind.

“Is it Walm?”

“Yes, it’s Guardian Chief Walm.”

“What on earth is he doing…?”

He had come to Anxio to heal his eyes, yet somehow managed to increase the number of injuries. Maya sighed deeply.

“Let’s first check the severity of the injuries.”

From the soldier’s calm demeanor, Ayane had already guessed that the injuries were not life-threatening. The door opened, and the Guardian Chief and the instructor entered the room. Ordinarily, the two of them carried an air of reliability that made them seem larger than life. But now, they looked as meek as cats that had been scolded and brought indoors.

Before even performing a full examination, Ayane had already deduced what had happened.

“Bruises… and strangulation marks.”

Maya voiced the diagnosis, her gaze icy cold.

“Um… so in other words, you punched each other and ended up grappling? And you didn’t hold back, even though it was training?”

“…That’s correct.”

“My apologies.”

The two confessed once they realized there was no escape from questioning.

“What on earth were you thinking?! This isn’t a children’s quarrel!”

Ayane raised her voice in anger, which was something she rarely did. The soldiers waiting outside cautiously peeked inside. Among them was even Friug, the commander of the recently reinforced infantry company.

“A fractured nasal bone, blunt trauma to the ribs, and a neck sprain. And here… swelling in the knuckles, a laceration inside the mouth, and a partially dislodged tooth.”

Maya examined the painful areas and delivered her diagnosis. Both of them were capable of skillfully coating themselves in a magic barrier, so what kind of training would lead to this level of injuries?

Ayane felt a headache coming on.

“Both of you lead people, yet you ended up drawing blood in a training match of hand-to-hand combat.”

While administering treatment, Maya’s lecture began. Ayane completely agreed with her.

As the scolding reached about halfway through, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. The person who burst in with a cheerful face was Moritz, a messenger serving under brigade commander Justus.

“Sir Walm! I heard you achieved victory in a hand-to-hand match against Lady Deborah! Ah, I wish I’d seen it! I hear you locked her neck with your legs in an amazing move! The soldiers even got some drinks, so we were planning a toast to celebrat—oh… this is bad I just remembered I have urgent business.”

Moritz excitedly kept going before finally realizing the dreadful atmosphere in the room Instantly turning on his heel, he bolted out of the church as fast as he could, looking very much like a man fleeing from the enemy.

“Surely… that drink that was mentioned isn’t a war trophy, right?”

When Maya, sounding almost as though she were passing judgment, questioned Friug, he replied without even trying to hide the items tucked under his arm.

“These are the Guardian Chief’s and the instructor’s shares.”

“This is exactly why Mayard and Highserk are the way they are…”

Maya spat the words out in disgust. Meanwhile, Walm spoke with a trembling voice.

“In the spoils… there are some good sweets. I would very much like Ayane and Maya to have them.”

Silence filled the room.

It was a painfully awkward excuse for someone who had survived countless battlefields.

“…Ayane,” Maya said flatly, “this is what you call a bribe.”

“Walm, please sit over there. This is going to take a while.”

Hellfire Beacon. True to that nickname, the knight apparently loved playing with fire. With anger now fueling the flames, Ayane and Maya proceeded to scold Walm together. In that moment, there was no trace of the fearsome Demon Fire user dreaded by neighboring nations, nor of the Highserk Empire’s greatest military asset.

The church echoed with noisy commotion. Ironically, it was proof that the times were peaceful.

Seven days after the uproar sparked by that hand-to-hand match, a massive landslide struck the Refun Mine, which had recently been incorporated into Mayard territory. With many wounded, both lightly and severely injured, trapped and unable to move, it was decided that Ayane herself would travel to the site to treat them.

Translator – Lyxxna