Chapter 15
“Whaaaat? My own personal healer?”
I couldn’t believe the words of the Helderios knight who had come at dawn. I must have misheard.
I asked again, just to be sure.
“You mean… Sir Lloyd’s personal healer, right?”
The knight scratched his head, clearly as stunned as I was, and nodded.
No, no! Say it’s not true!
I pleaded desperately.
“No, sir! You know better than anyone! The young marquis annihilated a horde of monsters in a single strike just a week ago. Why on earth would someone like him need a healer?”
The knight gave me a look that said he knew full well how incredibly strong Lloyd was.
“I’m not entirely sure why it’s necessary. It’s an order from the young marquis. He seemed very pleased with your treatment yesterday. You’ll serve as his personal healer only while he’s in Dorkan. Arrive at his barracks by 8 a.m. for the meeting. That’s all.”
Before I could respond, the knight had already left, hurrying off. I stood in front of the door, dumbfounded.
I wasn’t afraid Lloyd would outright kill me, but… I was still terrified of him. His overpowered abilities and sheer size made him feel like he could send me flying with just a push.
A rabbit facing a lion? No, a squirrel in front of a dragon—that’s how small I felt.
Still, even if I wanted to refuse, Lloyd was a noble and I was a commoner.
When he said jump, you had to jump.
I closed the door in despair. If I had to start work at 8, I had only thirty minutes to prepare. I hurriedly got ready.
Finally, gasping for breath, I arrived at Lloyd’s barracks. Unlike the modest building I had been staying in, the large barracks bearing the Helderios family crest looked sturdy, luxurious, and impressively huge.
So this is why they say money and power are nice… I took a moment to catch my breath and admire the impressive building before timidly approaching the entrance.
“H-hello, Young Marquis… I’m Kaede…”
A voice called me in from inside. Hesitant, I entered, keeping my head low. Lloyd’s gaze, sharp as ever, followed me, and I quickly averted my eyes to take in the interior. Many people were waiting for a meeting; some faces looked familiar.
“Huh? Hey, mid-level healer. Do you even know where you’re walking in?”
A frowning, long-haired senior healer approached me.
So you don’t know either… I replied quietly.
“Um, I was appointed as the young marquis’s personal healer.”
He blinked, as if hearing the impossible.
“What? You mean Sir Lloyd’s personal healer?”
The disbelief on his face was justified. Why would someone as ridiculously strong as Lloyd have a mid-level healer as his personal one? If he needed a healer, it should have been a senior one.
“What nonsense are you spouting!”
He shouted, then paused, glancing around nervously, and finally retreated to a corner. Looking around, I realized that everyone in the barracks was of high status.
Right, you can’t cause a scene here.
I decided to quietly stay in my corner too, at least until the infuriating Lloyd spoke.
Lloyd, sitting arrogantly in the best chair, finally looked at me.
“Kaede, was it?”
At his words, the chatter in the barracks died down. Though people’s mouths were quiet, I could feel all their eyes on me.
I bowed politely, ignoring the stares, and answered:
“Yes, Young Marquis.”
Lloyd gave a short order.
“Come closer.”
Walking toward him felt like walking straight into the open mouth of a lion. The pressure from him made my legs wobble, but I tried not to show it under the piercing gaze from behind.
When I bowed slightly near him, Lloyd spoke again.
“You’ve heard you’ve been appointed my personal healer, yes?”
A murmur ran through the room. A healer for someone like Lloyd? Even if he needed one, why a mid-level healer when senior healers were available?
My vision blurred from the whispers. I… don’t want to do this!
“…Yes.”
He gave a small smile and continued.
“Today, we are departing for the northern shrine in the Dark Forest. Be prepared.”
He smiled, but there was nothing funny about it.
The Dark Forest was notorious for frequent monster appearances. I’d heard even the High Orc squads were stationed at the northern shrine.
Me? Going there?
People around me leapt up in alarm.
“It’s too dangerous, Sir Lloyd! Please reconsider!”
Even the senior healer in the corner shouted in surprise.
“She’s just a mid-level healer! Her skills are barely enough! She’ll only be a hindrance! Leave her behind!”
Thanks, senior healer… if I become your boss, I’ll tease you a bit.
“If you insist on needing a healer, there are priests from the Terina Church and senior healers available.”
“Think again. It’s too dangerous.”
Good, keep going! Make him change his mind!
But Lloyd’s expression hardened.
“Are you questioning my decision?”
Everyone fell silent. Lloyd was the key force here. If he returned to the capital in a bad mood, Dorkan would fall to the monsters.
He looked around at the now silent group.
“It seems everyone agrees. I will depart with my personal healer. The expedition team will consist of just the two of us.”
What? Just… the two of us?
Not only am I not riding along with everyone else, but it’s just the two of us?
…No wonder he was letting me off so easily. There was no doubt he intended to kill me.
No one would stop him before he ended me somewhere far from others.
I hadn’t even said goodbye to Mika… My life might end in the terrifying Dark Forest.
People’s eyes were full of sympathy. One priest even made the sign of the cross and prayed openly for me.
“Everyone, prepare immediately. We depart soon.”
I tried desperately to think of an excuse, anything that could stop me from going.
“Ah… Young Marquis, my legs… suddenly hurt.”
Lloyd leapt from his chair, shadowing me completely. His massive greatsword was strapped to his back.
“If your legs hurt, I’ll carry you.”
He wants me, the “villainess,” to be carried by the hero?
I shook my head.
“N-no, I can manage on foot. I’ll be fine.”
People watched me leave with sympathetic eyes. I prayed silently that I would faint, that someone would knock me out.
But time passed, and before I knew it, we were at the gate of the Dark Forest, beyond Dorkan’s walls. Behind us, people had come to see us off. Mika was quietly sobbing.
New recruit… at first I thought you were dead weight. Sorry. You’re the only one who cares about me here.
As I sniffled at the sight of Mika, Lloyd said in his usual blunt tone:
“Follow me.”
I trembled as I followed Lloyd into the Dark Forest, praying desperately that I would pass out before something terrible happened.
The edge of the Dark Forest wasn’t as terrifying as I imagined. Perhaps because we were still close to the Dorkan walls, where the forest was calm and open, like an easy hiking trail.
Feeling a little relief, my steps lightened—but Lloyd’s cold voice snapped me back.
“Don’t relax.”
“Y-yes…”
He clearly didn’t like my lighter steps.
I bowed my head and walked silently behind him. Hours passed as we made our way into the forest, my legs starting to go numb.
Lloyd glanced at me and asked:
“Have you heard of the northern shrine of the Dark Forest?”
Of course I had. Who hadn’t?
“You mean where Roa fell?”
Roa’s fall was a famous tale in my theology studies when I trained to become a priest.
Roa was the most beloved angel of the chief deity Terina. She was incredibly beautiful and powerful.
But she had one fatal flaw: she loved humans. So much so that she shared her divine power with them—power that became mana and magic.
This was a serious crime against the gods. Terina’s wrath fell upon Roa, and she fell from the heavens to the northern shrine in the Dark Forest.
It is said that Roa’s impact left a trace of Terina’s divine power in the shrine.
Greedy humans betrayed Roa, and in despair, she opened a portal to the demon realm and became a demon lord, only to be sealed by Terina.
However, the portal wasn’t fully closed, and the demon energy occasionally leaks out, causing monsters to appear.
