Chapter 02
“Eloise, do you realize where you’ve come barging into?”
“I—I told you it was dangerous! I said Sir Gerard was in danger! You need me!”
“I always need you! But not now. If you don’t want to die, get out!”
When the Purple Hole appeared—the strongest Rainbow Hole ever recorded—the mages were helplessly cut down one by one.
Only Gerard remained to the very end, attempting to destroy the core.
“It looked impossible.”
I followed him into the Purple Hole, saying I would save him…
And I died.
My skin peeled away, my hair melted and vanished, my muscles twisted, my bones shattered into pieces.
As Eloise died that way, Gerard watched her with tears of blood streaming down his face.
Why are you crying?
And what will happen to you after losing your healer?
As she died, Eloise thought those things.
The moment she released her final breath, the world was swallowed by darkness.
“Eloise! Are you really not getting up? You’re going to be late!”
With Merlin’s urging, the bedroom door flew open again.
Eloise sprang upright like a coiled spring.
That sound.
Exactly a week ago, she had woken up to Merlin’s voice just like this.
She was alive.
She had come back.
Back to the time when she was a third-year low-ranking civil servant, desperately struggling just to survive.
“Okay! I’m coming!”
As Eloise jumped out of bed, she suddenly staggered.
Her vision flashed, and vivid scenes and words flooded her mind.
They were events from the future.
Eloise hurriedly pulled out a notebook and began scribbling down everything that appeared in her head.
The writing was messy and chaotic, but it recorded upcoming Rainbow Holes, their characteristics, and even the damage they would cause.
The amount of information was enormous—and accurate.
As she wrote frantically, her hand suddenly stopped.
Ever since a week ago, information about Rainbow Holes had been appearing like this—suddenly flashing into her mind, then disappearing.
Eloise quickly reviewed what she had written.
Most of it matched reports she remembered.
But there were also details she didn’t even recall knowing.
A strange light appeared in Eloise’s eyes.
Detailed information about future Rainbow Holes.
What could she do with this?
She wondered how she had come to live a second life, and how she had gained this incredible memory.
But more than anything, she simply wanted to live well this time.
Without regrets.
She wanted Merlin, Gerard, and everyone she was connected to to be safe and happy.
“And I won’t just endure everything quietly anymore! I’ll show them. I’m different now!”
Eloise’s eyes sparkled brightly.
***
“I’m so dizzy from demonic energy I could die! Connect me to a healer right now!”
“I’m sorry, sir, but your demonic energy addiction is currently at Level 2 out of 10, which is very stable. If you have a severe headache, I can contact the medical team.”
“Are you crazy? Do you know who I am?”
As the mage pointed angrily at her, Eloise’s professional smile only deepened.
“Yes, sir. You’re a mage—the hero of the continent who protects us from Rainbow Holes.”
“If you know that, shouldn’t you be offering up a healer on your own? Do you know how I risk my life going into those black holes for people like you?”
Eloise checked his documents.
He was a D-rank mage who only volunteered for the easier Rainbow Holes—Red and Yellow.
“And he hasn’t gone on a mission for the past two months, claiming his mana recovery is slow.”
Yet here he was demanding a healer.
“Are you even looking at my file? Then you should know how long it’s been since I last received healing!”
When Eloise nodded halfheartedly, the man began threatening her.
“What if I go berserk and smash your head in? You’ll regret it then!”
“Oh my. How terrifying,” Eloise replied calmly.
Her flat tone and peaceful expression made the mage’s eyes bulge.
Due to the healer shortage, D-rank mages only received healing when absolutely necessary.
Only C-rank and above were assigned dedicated healers with regular schedules.
No matter how competent Eloise was, she couldn’t grant his request.
And judging by his behavior, he didn’t truly need healing anyway.
When she saw the lewd look on his face, Eloise’s smile slowly faded.
Carefully flattening her hand so as not to crumple the documents, she stood up slowly.
“I’m sorry, Mage. There are no healers available for immediate scheduling.”
“Hey, don’t lie to me. I know there are healers just drinking tea and resting right now.”
“They’re off-duty.”
“Don’t act like I don’t know that. That’s why I came myself. You can call in off-duty healers in emergencies, can’t you?”
“That’s only for emergencies—”
“You little runt! I came all the way down to this moldy basement to ask, and you’re still ignoring me?”
The mage looked around with a disgusted expression.
The support team under the Demonic Energy Management Bureau handled miscellaneous tasks for mages and healers, and managed their matching.
They also supported civilians affected by Rainbow Holes.
Despite the overwhelming workload, the support team held zero authority over valuable byproducts from Rainbow Holes.
Because of that, they were often looked down on.
Valuable materials from Rainbow Holes were first divided between the participating mages and the Bureau. The Bureau’s share was managed by the Distribution Policy Office.
Since that office controlled the Bureau’s only source of income, its staff were treated much better.
Most others, however, were treated the same way mages treated Eloise.
“Being a mage really is a noble title, huh?”
After Rainbow Holes appeared, a new class system emerged.
Even branch members of the imperial family were treated with less respect than A-rank mages.
Mages were heroes who saved the continent, and deserved respect.
But some of them were the problem.
Mages who treated non-mages like parasites.
“Hey.”
“Hey? Did you just say ‘hey’ to me? What’s your name?”
Here it was.
The second routine of a nightmare customer.
“As if asking my name will scare me. What a jerk.”
While cursing him internally, Eloise replied obediently on the surface.
“Mage, please don’t cause a scene here. According to Bureau guidelines, Level 2 addiction cannot be matched with a healer. As you know, even those with severe addiction are waiting due to the healer shortage.”
“Are you my teacher now? Trying to lecture me? Just tell me your name!”
If that routine didn’t work…
“Call your superior.”
“Call the team leader?”
They spoke at the same time. The mage glared at her.
“Are you a mage? How can you read my mind?”
“If I were a mage, I’d be standing over there, not here,” Eloise replied, pointing to where he stood.
“Well… fair enough. Anyway, call your team leader! I can’t talk to a low-level grunt like you.”
As if he hadn’t been talking just fine until now.
Swallowing her irritation, Eloise walked around the long table. The mage frowned deeply.
“Where are you going?”
“You told me to call the team leader. I’ll bring him.”
Only then did the mage smile in satisfaction.
He clearly thought his complaint would work.
Not a chance.
Her direct superior, Team Leader Colin, would just repeat exactly what she had said.
The guidelines were the guidelines.
A civil servant couldn’t act outside them.
If they ignored policy to please a complainer and got caught?
At minimum, a pay cut. At worst, dismissal.
That was why civil servants worked conservatively.
“Proactive administration? No thanks. Long live passive administration!”
Grumbling to herself, Eloise knocked on the team leader’s office door.
There was movement inside, then the door swung open.
Given the urgent situation with the enraged mage, Eloise skipped the greeting.
“A D-rank mage at Addiction Level 2 is requesting to be matched with a specific healer. He’s asking for the support team leader.”
“Rubelia, that’s something you should handle yourself.”
Normally, this man would have shouted immediately, but now he spoke in a lowered, controlled voice.
“There’s a guest here. Take care of it yourself.”
Was he trying to dodge the situation with a lie?
Suspicious, Eloise peeked past Colin’s shoulder.
But there really was a guest.
And it was someone Eloise knew very well.
