The Lost Healer

“EH?!” Lina and Skayla shouted, their voices echoing throughout the bustling guild hall.

“I’m surprised neither of you knew about this,” Tifa said with a chuckle. “Do you remember how Asclepius always wore a bolo tie with a gemstone?”

“Yeah, he never took it off, even at home,” Skayla recalled. “He also has an entire drawer filled with bolo ties decorated with different gemstones.”

“Those gemstones are enchanted with homing magic,” Tifa explained. “As long as Asclepius wore one, he could sense the direction of his home and use it to return. When I last saw him, he mentioned that the gemstone had cracked after he fell, which is why he needed directions.”

Skayla lowered her gaze to the table as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“M-M-Master Al is still alive!” she sobbed, finally releasing the fear she had carried for years. “I knew Papa Al was still alive!”

Lina wrapped both arms around Skayla and allowed her to cry against her shoulder.

“Do you have any idea where Master Al might have gone instead?” Lina asked.

“Hmmm... there are two likely routes he could’ve taken after leaving Vulcan,” Tifa answered, retrieving a map from her item box and spreading it across the table. “We know he didn’t travel west. Otherwise, he would’ve eventually returned to the continent of Aetheria.”

Lina studied the map as Skayla peeked over the edge of the table.

“If he had traveled north, he would’ve entered the frozen Domain of the Kaiser Dragons,” Tifa said, pointing toward the northern region. “If he had gone east, he might have reached Wano, a secluded nation that permits only a handful of outsiders to enter.”

“What about the southern route?” Skayla asked, pointing toward a large continent at the bottom of the map.

“The southern landmass is known as the Dark Continent,” Tifa explained. “Humans cannot survive there for long because the deadly miasma gradually devours their souls. The entire continent is also inhabited by monsters that easily surpass SSS-Rank, along with the remnants of the Demon Lord’s worshippers.”

“I thought we had a good relationship with demons nowadays,” Skayla said, glancing toward several demonic adventurers inside the guild hall. “Are the Demon Lord’s worshippers different?”

“Demon Lord worshippers are fanatics who still resent the world for killing their master,” Tifa answered. “Only a small number remain, but every one of them is devoted to resurrecting the fallen Demon Lord.”

“Please... no more talk about the Demon Lord,” Lina requested, tightening her grip around her sword. “I don’t want us to accidentally summon something by discussing it.”

Tifa chuckled at Lina’s excessive caution.

“So, between the northern and eastern routes, where do you think Asclepius would’ve gone?” Tifa asked Skayla.

“Probably Wano,” Skayla answered after considering the possibilities. “Master Al hates the cold, so there’s no chance he willingly entered the Domain of the Kaiser Dragons.”

“In that case, we’ll travel east after visiting Hefa about my damaged sheath,” Lina decided.

“Hefa?” Tifa repeated. “Hefa isn’t in Vulcan right now.”

“EH?!” Lina and Skayla shouted.

“Why isn’t he here?” Lina asked.

“I delivered a letter from Zenos to Hefa at his workshop sometime last week,” Tifa recalled. “The moment he finished reading it, he became furious and stormed into the back room. When I asked his apprentices the following day about his whereabouts, they said he had taken some time off to ‘roast a pig.’ Apparently, someone destroyed one of his masterpieces, and he decided to handle the culprit personally.”

“You don’t think he was talking about the apothecary, do you?” Skayla whispered to Lina. “Master Al said an old friend built it for him after he spent weeks begging for help.”

“I don’t even want to guess,” Lina said with a weary sigh. “It looks like I’ll be stuck with this filthy sheath for a while longer.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Tifa asked. “It looks perfectly fine to me.”

Skayla eagerly explained the story behind the stained sheath on Lina’s behalf, causing Tifa to burst into laughter.

“Yup, that sounds exactly like Atena,” Tifa said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “If the stains are that severe, you could soak the sheath in warm water mixed with a small amount of Unicorn horn powder. Its purification properties should remove everything.”

Lina picked up the sword and imagined using powder from the depraved Unicorn’s horn to clean Arianrhod’s sheath, only to hear the beast’s disgusting neigh echo through her memories.

“I’ll pass. I can always return after Hefa comes back,” Lina said before looking apologetically at the sword. “Sorry for making you live in such a filthy home, Arianrhod.”

Lina’s sword vibrated softly, almost as though Arianrhod were reassuring her that everything was fine.

“The Fairy of the Silver Wheel, huh?” Tifa said with a smile. “Atena must have truly doted on you if she convinced a fairy as powerful as Arianrhod to become your guide.”

Tifa paused and reconsidered her words.

“Then again, ‘convinced’ might be too generous. Knowing Atena, she probably forced Arianrhod to accept.”

As the conversation wound down, the aroma of garlic, butter, and herbs filled the guild hall while a cart piled high with freshly cooked steaks rolled toward their table. The servers presented the first plates to Lina, Skayla, and Tifa as the guests of honor.

Skayla immediately sank her teeth into the tender meat, sending juice dribbling from the corner of her mouth.

“THIS IS SO DELICIOUS!” Skayla exclaimed through a mouthful. “RIGHT, LINA?!”

Skayla turned toward Lina, only to discover that Lina had already finished three enormous steaks and was halfway through her fourth.

“IF YOU WANT AN EATING COMPETITION, I’M READY!” Skayla shouted as the celebration abruptly transformed into a contest.

The competition continued until Tifa emerged victorious after devouring eighty-five steaks, with Lina finishing second at seventy and Skayla third at fifty.

As night settled over Vulcan, Lina and Skayla slept peacefully inside the guild’s spare rooms while Tifa stood outside and stared at the stars.

“Asclepius, where the hell are you?” she muttered. “How could you leave your precious daughter alone for four years?”

Tifa recalled the day Asclepius had visited the guild seeking directions. He had spent most of the conversation raving about how desperately he needed to return to the adorable daughter waiting for him at home.

“I truly hope the two of you reunite soon,” Tifa prayed softly.

Meanwhile, on the Dark Continent...

“W-W-WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!” a talking skull shouted from an old man’s left hand. “ARE YOU A HERO?!”

“Me? A hero?” the old man asked while cleaning his right ear with his pinky finger. “I’m merely a doting father trying to return home to his adorable daughter.”

Asclepius (48) sat atop an enormous pile of demon corpses, wearing clothes tattered by years of surviving the Dark Continent and a battered pair of glasses missing one lens.

“THEN WHY DID YOU ATTACK US?!” the skull demanded. “LOOK AT ALL THE DEMONS YOU SLAUGHTERED!”

“Correction: I didn’t attack first,” Asclepius replied. “I approached your group to ask for directions, and all of you attacked me. I merely defended myself, so you can’t blame me for what happened afterward.”

“O-Only to ask for directions?” the skull stuttered. “THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE! THIS SECRET AREA IS PROTECTED BY DOZENS OF WARDS THAT PREVENT OUTSIDERS FROM DETECTING US! THERE’S NO WAY A HUMAN LIKE YOU COULD HAVE FOUND US!”

Asclepius winced as he pulled an unusually large piece of earwax from his ear.

“Much better,” he said.

A massive shadow passed over the ground as an enormous skeletal dragon descended from the dark clouds.

“YOU’RE DEAD, OLD MAN!” the skull shouted. “YOU’VE JUST MADE YOURSELF THE TARGET OF A CALAMITY-RANK UNDEAD ANCIENT DRAGON!”

“Calamity-Rank, huh?” Asclepius muttered, placing the skull on his lap. “Take this.”

A tiny flick of his left index finger launched the piece of earwax into the sky at supersonic speed.

The resulting shock wave tore through the Undead Ancient Dragon and ripped its skeletal body apart, sending the remains crashing onto the ground before them.

“YOU KILLED A CALAMITY-RANK DRAGON BY FLICKING EARWAX AT IT?!” the skull screamed.

“Seriously, that’s enough yelling,” Asclepius said, casually wiping his finger on his tattered shirt. “Now, regarding my original question, how do I return to human territory?”

“Why should I tell you?” the skull asked defiantly.

“Hmmm... fair point,” Asclepius admitted.

Asclepius stuffed the skull inside an old lantern, tied the lantern to the end of a stick, and rested the stick over his right shoulder.

“WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME?!” the skull demanded.

“Although your constant shouting is irritating, having a traveling companion might be nice,” Asclepius answered. “Besides, my daughter would probably enjoy meeting a talking skull.”

“What kind of father brings his daughter a talking skull as a present?!” the skull shouted, openly questioning Asclepius’s parenting ability. “I’M NOT A GIFT! I AM BAISE, ONE OF THE DEMON LORD’S FOUR HEAVENLY GENERALS!”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time,” Asclepius replied as he began walking away. “What else do you think would make a nice present for my daughter?”

“LISTEN TO ME!” Baise screamed as they disappeared into the darkness.