32. Healers are Important!

“Healers… people like you are practically myths.” Via uttered, holding her staff low as a form of respect before Frost and…

She suddenly held her breath for an unknown reason when her blue eyes fell onto Jury. “Um… UM! is- is that your…!”

“SHHH! You know that’s just an urban legend! I’m so sorry about her. Via has a lot going through her mind right now… as we all are. A healer would make the trip a lot less perilous. You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for a ride to Little Tais.” Another Patron: a man donned in silver plate-armor, hissed at the woman’s rudeness.

“You easily assumed I was telling the truth. You don’t need a demonstration?” Frost questioned them.

It was odd that they believed her so quickly and without proof.

However, they had blue hearts. If her theory of these being linked to intentions was correct, then they bared no ill will towards her. Furthermore, she could see the desperation in their pleading eyes.

They yearned for her help.

Healers were undoubtably of great importance for a reason she wished to understand, aside from their rarity.

“Don’t be… ridiculous. To parade yourself as a false healer will only get you and everyone you love to be killed by the ‘potion makers’ from those celestial heavens. They call those people…” Via found it hard to look at Jury all of a sudden. “… Wayfarers.”

“Again, with the urban legend!? Wandering Healers and those fairy tale Elven Wayfarers don’t exist!” The same man scolded before suddenly shoving her aside. “What she actually meant was that you’d probably meet a fate worse than death by pretending to be one. Healers are valuable. Our world lacks them, and Brandar holds the majority of them. All ridiculously high ranked and are protected around the clock. You best watch your back out here. Grandis fell off long ago. You’ve just painted a target on your back, my friend.”

Though his words were sharp and critical, they were spoken with genuine concern.

Healers were far more valuable than she realized.

“I appreciate your concern. But my partner is all the protection I require.” Frost smiled. “She does not talk much, so I would appreciate it if you only spoke to me.”

“N-No problem at all, miss healer!” Via exclaimed with child-like energy, raising her hand up high.

“Frost. Please just call me Frost.” She humbly requested from this whacky woman.

Nav? Potion makers!? Her inner voice was drastically different to how she overtly presented herself.

“They mean Inflow Direct. Another Atelier of the Nexus. To the greater world they’re only known as the potion makers. The ‘only’ known potion makers.”

Potions as in ones that restore healing and mana points? Do those things exist?

“Precisely. They are also the ones responsible for creating the Infusions with their technology. All healers in Elysia operate directly under their command. For what reason is unknown, but it is certainly beneficial in many ways for them. Many healers are not allowed into Grandis for the reason of being a Blessed as well. Thus, the reliance on these potions become quite high.”

That explains the reason of their absence here… but still, a healing potion manufacturer that also controls all healers in the world? Sounds scummy. Nav, are all the Ateliers like that?

“Morality is subjective in the grand scheme of things, not that I would understand any of it. We shall leave it for another time.”

Right. And we’ll leave the question of that voice in your head for another time as well.

“Indeed.”

“Miss Frost! U-um! You said you wanted to head to Little Tais, right!? Right! We’d all be grateful if we had a healer aboard! Hop aboard my caravan! You won’t even have to pay the fee!”

Somehow, she could feel the gaze of a particular hot-headed man amongst the crowd behind. Thankfully, even that man understood the importance of a healer and kept their mouth sealed shut. Frost and Jury had become the object of fascination to the entire town, as the residents peered through cracked windows and doorless homes at her.

She did not need to think twice and accepted Via’s generous offer.

“An offer I cannot refuse then. But I am in a hurry to leave. When will you be departing, if you don’t mind answering?”

“Right now! We just ran into a little… trouble earlier. T-that was you, wasn’t it!? I mean… your companion here who stopped the fight!?” Via questioned as the man, and the other patrons eagerly waited for her answer.

“I’ll leave that to your imagination. For now, allow me to heal the injured.”

* * *

The smoldering flames that once engulfed the skies of this town subsided. The movement of around 50 people drew the interest of this near dilapidated town’s residents. Most of the people living in this town had been here for the last 30 years.

It used to be a spectacular town that was highly frequented when Paradise still existed. A town that offered its facilities to travelers and the like. However, the fall of Paradise and consequently, the Kingdom of Puritas, saw a power vacuum consume Grandis.

Wars arose between its seven kingdoms. Many of the intermediate towns like this one were constantly under fire by all sides. In the end, only 3 kingdoms now remained.

A resurrected Puritas, the strongest and by far the largest kingdom that controls the south.

Bellum, the kingdom of the west which laid past Mount Salus; the highest mountain located in the center of Grandis.

And finally, Diavola, the kingdom of the northeast. It was said to be responsible for the loss of Paradise. What happened or why this was the case was unknown. All that anyone knew was that the king of Puritas denounced them days after the Dozen-Winged Bird disappeared.

These wars ended 5 years ago.

Frost allowed this fresh information to stir in her mind for a moment. Via was awfully knowledgeable despite her erratic personality. Either way, it was not like she was a bad person.

That being said –

An array of armored steeds harnessed to huge, wooden caravans laid in wait as these people were boarded on one by one, only after paying a fee of 20 silver coins to the Patron responsible for their caravan. The currency of human kingdoms were simply coins, starting from copper, which was the lowest, to silver, gold and then platinum.

The conversion rate was exactly:

10 copper coins equaled 1 silver coin.

100 silver coins equaled 1 gold coin.

10 gold coins equaled 1 platinum coin.

“Healing magic! Waaaaaw!” A child exclaimed, seeing that their cuts and abrasions were no longer present.

Frost’s magic sparked the town with unparalleled fascination. The white particles that appeared whenever Frost casted her healing skills onto the injured was a sight that left many baffled, and Jury proud.

“May the deities of the celestial tower bless your heart. My skin no longer singes. That bastard needs to be more careful with their magic.” Another person thanked.

Most of the people she healed were the town’s residents. A good majority of them were rather thankful and had the same, pleasant mannerisms of the village of Virt. However, it was quite unfortunate that not all could behave themselves.

“A Blessed healer in our lands once again! C-Could you two be the Wandering Healer and the Wayfarer –!?” A man suddenly asked like a crazed lunatic, flailing their arms like they were trying to prove something. “S-She must be an Elf! Under that hood she must have those Elven ears –!”

“Shut up.” Frost commanded in a hiss.

He was silenced in an instant by Scrutiny right before the steel-plated Patron, Jaris, wrapped a finger around his collar and threw the resident aside like a sack of potatoes. A pair of guards were quick to apprehend the man before he could cause any more trouble.

They suspect Jury as a non-human already. I can’t say I blame them. The hood makes her suspicious enough. Tch. I have a terrible feeling that blood is going to spill in Little Tais.

“Conflict is as common as the words written in a book. But I must ask you Frost; is now a good time to reach the first state?”

No. It’s not. I’ll calm down.

“I apologize for that nonsense, Frost. We should leave. Now. Via. Spare her a good seat. Your caravan will take the central position. These damned people and their fairy tales… Please don’t mind them.” Jaris sighed.

“Not at all. I am used to being mistaken for this urban legend. The Wandering Healer and the Wayfarer is a common tale to hear in these lands.” Frost spoke as if she knew, when in truth, she understood nothing at all about this urban legend.

Not even Nav did. Her first train of thought landed her at a Corrupted, but then again, were the Corrupted even capable of anything other than misery in the first place? The stories she heard from Cer depicted them all as disastrous beings, and as far as she was concerned, this was the truth.

Jury did not count because she was not the main Corrupted. The One Thousand Eyed Bird was. Jury was more akin to the minion of a boss, just like the denizens of the Black Forest, if that made sense.

“Too common for its own right. No one even know if they exist. You two are bound to attract trouble with those childish rumors… goes to show how disjointed Grandis has become.” He growled right before the sound of clanking metal approached.

“Sir! We’ve almost boarded everyone and their belongings! We have the supplies to last 3 days in the Sericum Forest! As for the potions –!” A woman dressed in chainmail called as Via waved over to Frost and Jury from a rather lavish caravan.

“We have a healer, so forget the potions. Use them sparingly. I doubt they’ll be cheap to restock in Little Tais. Bastards will use the situation in Divas Pass to pinch as many coins as they can.” Jaris complained with severe edge.

“Leave your healing matters to me. I’m more than willing to spare my hand.” Frost assured before she left for Via’s caravan.

These things were roughly half the size of a shipping container, boasting incredible space for the ten or so individuals that found themselves seated along two rows of cushioned benches. A triangular roof was held up by multiple wooden poles to protect them from the weathers, and the half-walls were lined with murder holes for archers to lay waste to attackers outside.

It closely resembled a giant chariot made for war now that she realized it.