[S2] Chapter 27: Healers

Standing in front of the king of mages is about as unspectacular as meeting the mayor of your hometown. It was more exciting when Luna showed me how many followers she has on social media.

In retrospect, I hope that it wasn't my visible disinterest that made him move on so quickly. Probably not. It seemed more like he was taking a tour of the venue, greeting everyone he was familiar with.

"He's gone. You can look up again," Luna whispers. I look through our rows and discover Kajsa, who seems intimidated and slightly withdrawn.

"What's the matter?

When I was arranging a few things with Kajsa at the ministry, we bumped into Wace, and the two of them had a brief conversation. Since then, she hasn't been on good terms with him.

So, just like every woman? Maybe it's his fault, after all?

But Wace? I thought Jora had intimidated her a little. Still, I remember Miko telling me how upset Wace had been towards the other horned demon inside the dungeon. He said that he doesn't know much about the world he and Kajsa come from, but maybe there's a reason.

I still can't imagine how he can get out of his skin. He seems so relaxed and uninterested in his surroundings all the time. However, when he does get a bit livelier, he's absolutely charming.

"You can sit down, get something to eat from the buffet or go back to your rooms. Now that our performance is over, I'm going to talk to some old acquaintances."

Before we can react, Lilith walks away and quickly disappears into the crowd. I look around carefully, hoping not to make eye contact with any strangers. As my gaze wanders, I realize that Eliza has also disappeared. However, the other three are still standing around our table in a similar state of uncertainty.

"Someone is staring at you." Miko nudges me with her elbow and nods in the direction of the person glaring at us. I take a look as well and discover a man approaching us. I stay close to Miko and would prefer to hide behind her, but I don't want to appear as if I'm afraid. In the end, I have only little interest in talking to complete strangers.

"Good evening, ladies. Look how tall you've grown, Miko."

The guy in front of us is about our height, and from a short distance, he looks like he's in his late 20s at the most. His dark hair is tied in a tight ponytail, and his face seems incredibly well-groomed. I'm not jealous that this good-looking guy is talking to my girlfriend, but he can piss off again for all I care.

"Who are you?" she asks, turning her head to the side and staring at him awkwardly.

"Rayan, the one who placed the mana seals on you."

You can practically see Miko trying to remember. "The doctor, of course. Sorry, it's been a few years."

"Don't worry. I assume the lovely lady at your side is Kayla, right?"

Lovely lady? Yes, I put on a little make-up and curled my eyelashes, but I didn't expect a compliment from a stranger. I don't get them very often, so my inner self is having trouble processing this one. I am swaying back and forth between being disgusted and blushing with embarrassment.

"How do you know my name?"

"You're on my list."

Never expected to hear such a sentence in real life.

"Why? What list?"

"I'm the head of the healing squad for this year's Dungeon Raid. That's why I'm walking around and introducing myself to all the healers I can find."

Healing squad… healing squad? "What is the healing squad?"

"Nobody told you?"

"I don't think so."

"That's unfortunate. But let me explain. On two days a week, all available healers get together and offer their services to the mages of the Dungeon Raid. In other words, if someone doesn't have their own healer, they come to us. If someone needs an additional healer for a mission, they ask us."

Eww, more strangers? No wonder nobody told me about it. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have come.

◇◆◇

"Hello, my name is Kayla. How can I help?" I ask as I stroll into one of the treatment rooms. The first week just flew by. Our guild has not been active so far, as Lilith has been focusing more on reviving old relationships. That's why it was no problem at all to hand me over for the first healing service.

"I think I have a broken rib."

Oh, that sounds painful.

"Let me take a look."

The man gets up from the examination table and pulls up his shirt. His right rib area has turned dark purple, and even without any medical training, I'm sure that something is broken. I carefully place my hand on his body, and although the touch must hurt, he is very brave and does not show it. My mana gathers in my hand and leaves it in the direction of his injury. With such bruises, it is nice to watch it disappear in fast motion.

"So, that should be fine. If possible, get some healing potions. You can't always rely on us being available here."

I sound a bit like an underground doctor who secretly heals injured contract killers. I could certainly make a name for myself that way and earn good money.

"All right, thank you very much."

After my happy patient leaves the room, a soft clapping can be heard from the corner of the room.

"Really professional."

The praise comes from Maisy, a very young-looking witch who can also use healing. Unlike me, however, she is not a dedicated healer but rather an all-rounder when it comes to magic. That's also why the potency and speed of my healing are actually something impressive for her. I don't want to say that I'm proud, but I can't help the fact that my abilities are so exceptional.

"Thank you. You can take the next patient."

"Do I have to?"

"I guess so."

In a one-on-one conversation, she is actually quite approachable. At least with me, she seems to be afraid of most others. This behavior fits her rather petite and cute appearance so well that I can't help but suspect that she is somewhat playing the role of the innocent little girl. But whether that is her true personality or not, somewhere, I feel the need to cuddle her.

"Why are you smiling at me like that, Kayla?"

She bashfully plays with her long mint-colored hair, her eyes of the same color fixed on the floor between us. Aww, I get the feeling that I might be able to play with her a little. I shouldn't necessarily be so proud of toying with the emotions of a teenage girl, but how often do I get the chance to do that? How often?!

"It's just lovely to have a student like you."

"Since when have you been teaching me anything?"

Ouch, but she's right. She doesn't do anything but observe, and even if I explained things to her, she probably wouldn't learn anything. And in the few hours we have worked together so far, she has actually not asked me a single question, except for my name.

"What guild are you in, Maisy?"

"Huh, didn't you look at the list?"

"What list? Everyone talks about some kind of list… I just don't know anything."

I'm not sure what it is. Either I'm basically getting forgotten when it comes to sharing information, or I'm just completely ignorant and oblivious.

"I'm in the King's Guild," she says with a relaxed smile.

Thanks to Miko, I'm used to someone younger than me being far more talented than myself. But why Maisy? I was looking forward to the coming weeks in which we would share our shifts, and then she drops the news that she is part of an elite guild. I have no inferiority complex. Truly, I don't.

"And you're in a guild with Lilith and Luna, right? Call me jealous. Want to swap?" she grins widely before the door bursts open. I jerk, and Maisy literally dives to the ground. In the end, it is only Dr. Rayan who looks at us in disappointment. For a brief moment, he seems at a loss for words.

"You can go home for the day. The next patients won't be here for a few hours, and that won't fall within your shift anymore."

Maisy jumps back to her feet and salutes. "Understood, sir."

I have trouble suppressing a giggle, and Rayan can't help but sigh with a faint smile. How can you be angry with a sweet little fawn like her?

"Are you coming to the kiosk with me?"

"There's one in here?"

"Just go past the reception on the right and then turn left. There's even a sign."

I shrug my shoulders, not because I'm not interested, but because I'm just coming to terms with the fact that I don't know shit and will just die an idiot.

Before I can agree, I take a look at my phone. Lilith has posted a list of dungeons that our guild will take over in the group chat. 3 D-Rank dungeons, 2 C-Rank, and 2 B-Rank. The only response is a thumbs-up emoji from Eliza. Out of pity, I send the same. Miko hasn't been online for the last few hours. No idea what she's been up to while she's got nothing to do. Anyway, apparently, I'm not needed, so I can tag along with Maisy.

"Let's go."

Side by side, we leave the small, separate area on the second floor, which functions as the medical practice, and make our way to the stairs. Using the elevator for one floor feels like a crime at our age. Walking next to Maisy, I realize how tall I am in comparison to her. At just about 1.70 meters, I'm not particularly giant, but she looks like she's barely breaking the 1.50-meter mark. What also strikes me is how good she smells. Fresh and fruity, as if she had bathed herself in some fabric softener.

"Hey, Kayla. Is that her?" Maisy murmurs under her breath.

Somewhat disinterested, I look to the side where she is pointing, and, to my surprise, I recognize Luna and Miko walking hand in hand into the hotel. Unlike me, they are wearing casual clothes, and both are carrying some shopping bags. I should not read anything into it. It makes no sense, but I feel a little sick.

"Why are you staring at her like that? That's Luna, isn't she?

I'm staring? I'm so annoyed that I'm this upset, and it's not getting any better now that Luna sees me and comes running towards us with Miko in tow. I'd like to run away, but I doubt I could explain that afterward.

"Woah, what a cutie!" Like a toy she no longer wants, Luna abandons Miko and literally jumps at Maisy. I step aside. I can't help her when Luna is like this. Even if Luna is no longer a Magical Girl and didn't always liked the role, she still loves everything and everyone cute, and Maisy is just that.

I look over at Miko, who is eyeing me warily with her bags in hand. Somehow, she looks even better today than usual. I think she's put on a bit of make-up. I have no idea what on earth she was doing with Luna to make her dress up like that, and it's also a bit strange how she suddenly hides her purchases behind her back when I glance at them.

What is this distance between us? From the outside, it looks like we've fallen out, but nothing like that has happened. My feet almost automatically take one step after the other until I'm standing right in front of Miko.

"What have you been doing?" I ask, much too quietly, but she answers nonetheless.

"We went shopping... is everything okay?"

My heart almost stops. The tone of her voice is so tranquil, almost dejected. I have never heard her like this. Is it my fault? Is it the drama I am causing that is weighing on her so much?

"Yes, everything is fine. I'm sorry."

What are you apologizing for? That's the question I expect, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

"Who's that girl?"

Wait... is Maisy the reason Miko's so down?

"One of the healers."

Why don't I say more? Why don't I explain why I'm with her?

"I see."

"Why didn't you write me?" The thing I actually wanted to know just pops out of my mouth.

"My battery was empty. I asked Luna if I could borrow her cable because I'd apparently forgotten mine at home."

"Why didn't you take mine?"

"Different plug.

"What's in the bags?"

"A new charging cable and cake for the two of us."

I bite my lip. I am feeling so stupid that I could scream. Since both of her hands are occupied, Miko can't really resist the hug I'm forcing on her. I might be squeezing her a little too hard, but she's tough. She'll survive.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing all the time. I'm sorry, too."

"For what?"

"I didn't think about what this situation might look like. She only held my hand to pull me because I was moving too slowly for her."

Objectively speaking, everything looked perfectly normal. Miko and Luna are colleagues, perhaps something like friends and they went shopping together. There's nothing wrong with that.

"I could have come to your place, waited for you to finish your shift, and done the shopping with you."

The fact that she knows me so well and could predict my reaction so accurately makes it almost worse that she didn't do exactly what she just said. But I'm not in a position to get upset right now.

"I told Maisy I'd go to the hotel kiosk with her for a moment."

"Forget it."

Huh? Is she actually forbidding me from interacting with her?

"They've already left."

"What?"

I turn around and realize that they both disappeared. It seems that someone has just been adopted. I hope Luna knows that I have a say in this. After all, I was the first to discover Maisy.

"Shall we go to our room?"

"Okay."

Miko briefly rearranges the bags to free one hand, which she holds out to me at waist height. I briefly remember that she was holding Luna's earlier, so I'm a bit annoyed, but I still reach for it anyway.

"What do we do with Lunas stuff?"

"Bring them to Kajsa. She's still in their room."

I knock briefly on the door, and before I can say my name, the door opens. Kajsa looks at me with her piercing yellow eyes. I instinctively avoid her gaze and end up staring at her firm, beautiful-shaped boobs. I don't do it on purpose, I swear. She's just wearing a crop top with an incredibly low neckline. Averting my eyes from this sight, I look down further and land on her waist.

Why is she wearing hot pants along with that top? Is she being held as a sex slave? Is that why Luna asked so urgently for a double bedroom? Miko saves me from the scene by giving Kajsa the bags and pulling me away from the door without a word.

"Kayla?"

"Yes?"

"Were you staring at them, too?"

"You mean her?"

"No… them. Her boobs."

I don't know whether I should be relieved or worried that Miko's brain works similarly to mine. On the way from her room to ours, we avoided this topic. Sometimes, silence is both an option and an answer in itself.

"Do we have any knives here?"

"We don't need any," Miko says proudly.

While I'm worrying about how we're going to divide the dessert, Miko unpacks and reveals a box full of small, hand-sized cakes. That kind of stuff is only available in big cities, isn't it? Maybe it's better that way because if it were sold near us, I'd spend at least half my salary on it.

Miko struggles with the plastic packaging of her new charging cable, and I begin to get rid of my uniform. Under my dress, I am wearing a black bra and shorts. Looking down at myself, I realize once again that I cannot compete with Kajsa in terms of attractiveness.

But I don't have to because even though I am usually pretty oblivious, I notice that Miko is constantly checking me out. Although it's only in the afternoon, I still throw on a pair of comfortable sweatpants and an oversized shirt. I have no intention of going out again today.

Despite the fact that I have wrapped my more or less non-existent curves into clothes, Miko is still looking up at me from her phone display, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Without saying a word, she nods in the direction of her hand, in which she is holding her phone. I reach for mine, which is lying on the bed where Miko is sitting, and read the message that pops up.

"I missed you. "