No Other Healer Than You

The next day, Yoruhi went to check on Altair at the library. Like always, she was found sitting in a corner at the top floor, reading a book.

“Altair,” he asked, “is everything okay today?”

She looked up and said, “yes, I made sure to take my medicine. What about you, Yoruhi? I heard what happened yesterday at your estate.”

“Haha… did you now?” he shyly mumbled.

“Yes, the whole town was talking about how the Estate of Draconic Balance was blown up near the fourth floor, and I overheard my dad asking someone about it. Apparently they don’t know who it was that did it, but my dad figured it was you because you were learning how to use magic.”

So I’m the whole talk of the town now huh? Yoruhi wondered, not used to getting this much attention on him.

She placed her book down and leaned in close to Yoruhi’s face.

“So? Do you know magic?” she asked excitedly.

“Y-yeah,” he said, backing away slowly. “My mom got me this sleepy mentor yesterday and she taught me how to use it. Apparently, all I needed to do was stop being selfish.”

Yoruhi silently recalled the promise he made to himself yesterday.

“Selfish? You’re not selfish! You’re a nice, caring person!” Altair said.

“Haha, probably. I guess I just needed to accept that first,” he lied, not wanting to tell her the details of his past life.

But I’m glad you see me that way, Yoruhi thought to himself, perhaps I may be able to improve myself in this world after all.

“So anyway… Any luck on finding the cure?” he asked.

Altair shook her head.

“My dad wants me to start learning how to use Healing magic now,” she said.

“What?!” Yoruhi shouted, a bit too loud.

“Shh!” she said. “I know what you’re thinking but it’s not like that. It’s not because you were able to use magic yesterday. It’s just that Healing magic takes a long time to study, so he wanted me to start learning as early as possible.”

“Oh,” he said, recalling how Nene told him that healing took years of learning in tandem with training. “But are you already capable of reading that type of stuff?”

He didn’t think a child could read a medical book, even if that child was really smart.

“No,” she admitted, “but my dad is going to be the one to teach me. I’ve been able to walk farther distances now because Tatsuko and Ryuji have been helping me, and he wants to start taking me on some of his doctor trips so he can explain to me the different processes. In the meantime he wants me to start reading higher level books.”

Yoruhi looked over to the book that Altair was holding and noticed it was not a manga, but a light novel.

“I see…” he said, saddened that this girl had to grow up so quickly.

“But don’t worry,” she said as if sensing his sadness. “We’ll all still be able to play with each other often. He’s actually taking a liking to your sister and Ryuji because they’ve been helping me… even though he thinks they’re a bad influence because they want to be adventurers when they grow up like you…”

She trailed off for a moment, looking at the books she had on her lap.

“He said he wants me to become a doctor like him and help people,” she explained, “because it’s a lot safer than adventuring…”

“...But that’s not what you want to do is it?” Yoruhi asked.

“No… but I can see why he’s afraid. He’s still sad over mom’s death and he’s worried that it’ll happen to me too…”

“...So what do you want to do then?”

“I still want to be an adventurer. Not only because I want to explore the world, but also because I want to stay by you guys forever. I don’t… I don’t want you guys to leave me behind in this town…”

She began to cry, and Yoruhi felt himself tearing up as well. She was suffering from the same feelings he had back then. He knew the heartache of worrying about losing your friends all too well.

He walked over to give her a hug, knowing from experience that that was what seemed to heal her tears the best.

“Thank you, Yoruhi,” she quietly murmured. “I think your hugs will be what I’ll miss the most if we ever have to separate.”

He could feel his heart shatter as she said that.

“I’ll make sure that we’ll never have to,” he said. “Besides, if me, Fukuro, and Ryuji want to become adventurers together, we still need a healer on our team. And I think all of us could not think of a better one than you.”

“You really mean it?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said.

“Then I’ll make sure I’ll become the greatest healer of all for you guys,” she declared, sniffling through her tears. “So that you don’t regret that decision.”

Yoruhi smiled.

“We wouldn’t regret it either way.”