Reborn Healer Chapter 22

Vallis nursed a growing headache. He had been working at the Lord Prince’s palace all day, dealing with a new brand of plague supposedly originated by the remnants of the Nightmare. Unlike most diseases, it evolved in time with the healer trying to combat it, and it had been a very close thing to avoid losing a supposedly very important duke or something or other.

The names slipped through his memory like water through a sieve. He’d healed too many people who were supposed to be critically important to the security of the kingdom for him to keep track in anything but his notebook.

He’d been looking forward to spending the night with his son, and he’d come back to the clinic to pick him up only to find half the street closed off and the city guard prowling the place, questioning some of the local shopkeepers. They’d established a perimeter around the street, not permitting anyone to pass through.

Vallis forced himself to remain calm. If something bad had really happened to Ren, then Aria would have known. She would have dropped everything to return.

Despite that, as a gawking crowd parted for him, he couldn’t help his stomach dropping. Vallis had seen the smoke from halfway across the city. As he got closer, it became more and more clear that the origin of that smoke was either inside or very close to the clinic he and Ren ran.

His second-worst fears were realized when he approached the edge of the perimeter.

The clinic was in ruins. Fortunately, it wasn’t the building that had ignited, but its facade had half-collapsed and there was a visible hole in the roof where something or someone had caused a cave-in.

A pair of royal purple-clad guards moved to block him as he increased his walking pace.

“You can’t be here,” one of them snapped. “Official investigation.”

“I’m a healer,” Vallis said, holding out his imperial badge without pausing. “This is my clinic. I need to know what happened here.”

“Did you hear what I said the first time? You—“

“Quiet,” the other guard growled, saluting crisply before speaking again. “I apologize for that, sir. We have two dead and one wounded. Field medic is dressing her, but we could use your expertise, Lord Healer.”

Her?

“My son was present in the clinic,” Vallis said. “Is he here? Is he hurt?”

The guard shook his head. “Your son appears to have departed before the clinic collapsed. Nobody claims to have seen him.”

There was a heavy doubt in those words.

“Is that so?”

“The stories are consistent amongst everyone we have questioned,” the guard admitted. “If I may, Lord Healer, I would urge you to care for our own wounded.”

“Of course.”

Vallis made his way into the wreckage of the clinic, casting his own spells as he did. While his pool of perception-type spells was fairly shallow, he had some healing spells that lingered enough that he could trace the mana signature of. It usually wasn’t useful for much, but he had used it a couple times for the same purpose he tried now.

Even a cursory scan was enough. Ren had been here some time ago, but there was no sign of the signature now.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but it was quickly overtaken by more questions.

Healing first. The wounded was another city guard, currently propped up against the wreckage that had been the actual healing room. She was missing an arm and had been partially disemboweled by the looks of it, but the field medic had patched her up enough that she hadn’t immediately died.

Said field medic couldn’t be above Initiate-tier, though. It was possible he was an Adept, but the competency level of the healing barely scraped above “acceptable.” Ren would have done a better job five years ago.

“Step aside,” Vallis said, flashing his badge. “You’re relieved.”

The field medic looked up, relief clear in his face. “Thank you, sir—Lord Healer. I am in your debt.”

While Vallis disliked his official title, using it sometimes made issues disappear. “Out of the room, please.”

“Yes, Lord Healer. Right away.”

Vallis knelt down and rested a hand on the injured woman’s forehead.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Q-Quinn,” she rasped, eyes unfocusing. “Lord… Healer…”

“My name is Vallis, but you can call me Doctor Kane.” A brief assessment told him that the stopgap measures taken to keep her from bleeding out had only aggravated the long-term process, but it would be manageable. “Focus on your breathing.”

As she did that, he scanned the room. The only hard part of this healing job would be regrowing her arm, but… ah. There it was. The severed limb was still here. Rejoining and healing was much easier than putting someone together from the start.

All told, it only took Vallis about five minutes to fully heal her, restoring her most of the way to full health. Healing fatigue would take a toll, but that was well within normal boundaries.

He kept her under a light anesthetic for the time being, though. There were a few suspicions he wanted cleared up, and patients were more keen to talk when they were still in a healing haze.

“What happened here?” he asked.

“Got the wrong kid,” Quinn muttered. “Was hunting this half-elf chick. Found her easy enough, but this healer kid teamed up with her ’nd beat the shit out of us. Y’know where they are now?”

Vallis paused, a number of unfortunate facts falling into place. For the briefest moment, he experienced a state of panic, but he extracted himself from it quickly.

His worlds were colliding faster than he had hoped they would. That was a foreboding sign for him and for the world. Interesting times were never fun to live in.

“Kid kinda looked like you, come to think of it. Hey, wait a second…”

But he could keep them from intersecting just yet, and he could protect his son.

Vallis laid a hand to her forehead, drawing on a spell he hadn’t had used in a good few years.

Soul magic wasn’t outright banned in Halcyon, but it was heavily restricted. While this spell was very technically allowed, the case he was using it for now could get him a dozen years in prison. In severe cases, it would cost his head.

Uncaring of the consequences—or rather, knowing he could avoid them—Vallis cast the Master-tier Modify Memory.

It would only work on someone who was already subdued, and it had to be within reason, but there was only one witness to the fight itself, the others long since dead. All the townspeople had already decided what their story was, turning their eyes the other way.

By the time Vallis left, citing a desire to find Ren, Quinn was as good as new and fully believed a tragic accident had resulted in explosives being placed in the bakery across the street.

#

“Locke,” I repeated. “Super white skin, blue eyes, specializes in lightning and death magic?”

Mizuki’s eyes widened. “The one and the same. Do you know him?”

I inhaled deeply, considering. “You could say that. He was my father’s apprentice six or seven years ago, if I remember right. Taught me some magic, too.”

“I knew that style seemed familiar,” Mizuki said, pumping a fist. “Was he a great help to you, too?”

“Absolutely not.” I recalled months on end of frustratingly vague directions instead of spell formulas, little to no help during real training sessions, and, of course, the fateful night when he’d gotten me kidnapped and sent deep into the World Dungeon.

The half-elf deflated. “That’s unfortunate. Locke is a very important person to me.”

“Do you know where he is now? What he’s doing?”

She shook her head. “The nature of his work was secretive, and so were his comings and goings. I just know what he taught me and vaguely how he helped with my escape.”

“So he told you to come to us,” I said. “Do I have that correct?”

“Yes.”

“No further instructions?”

“It’s my life to live,” Mizuki said. “The instructions were just meant to keep me out of danger.”

“That doesn't seem like they were entirely effective at that.”

“No, they weren't. I'm looking for other options now.”

“What a coincidence. So was I.”

I hadn't been looking for options in terms of safety. Even if we were pretty close to areas that were supposed to be more dangerous, Liaren and the villages on its outskirts had been pretty consistently peaceful for a long time. What I had been curious about was Neferi Whitefall, and that was the kind of information I could only get through a guild.

Unless the girl in front of me knew something about it, which I just realized I had yet to ask.

“A slight change of subject,” I said. “Are you aware of a Neferi Whitefall?”

“Who? Also, slight change?”

“It's not that important,” I sighed.

“It sounds important if you brought it up this urgently. I've told you about my past. Why not explain your side?”

“It's just a strange death,” I said. “Her death was transmitted to me via my system. That's not normal, and I am trying to find out who she is and why the system saw fit to inform me.”

This might have been a dangerous conversation, especially given that I didn't know the limits of what counted as heresy when it came to the system or what people might try in order to experiment with it, but Mizuki was pretty much the safest person in the entire Kingdom for me to talk to. She wasn't going to go to anyone else, not when she risked discovery herself.

“That is strange,” she said, nodding along. “How are you planning on finding it?”

“Joining a guild. There's a number of benefits that come with a guild, but the one I care about the most is access to potentially international information networks. If she's anyone important, I'm sure at least one of the guilds will have people who are in the know.”

“Guilds.” Mizuki tapped her chin. “I've heard of those before, but we don't have them where I come from. All I have are impressions from books and stories from visitors.”

“You're in about the same place I am then.” I shrugged. “None of the people who visit the clinic are actually in guilds. Anyone in one has access to private healers and all the other facilities one brings.”

As I spoke, a thought came to my mind. “Actually, one of them might be good for you. The better guilds all provide security for their people. A good chunk of them don't just operate in one city, and there's one or two that don't even adhere to the authority of any one kingdom.”

“It's not only the kingdom I have to fear.”

“It would be a start. Based on the fact that we just got attacked by three members of the city guard, I think you'd be better served having a security blanket of some kind at least.”

She thought on that for a little, then nodded. “What I would like is the ability to flee further, but that's not possible at the moment.”

“It's not?”

“It's complicated. There's a certain range I can go out of the kingdom. I cannot elaborate further.” Once again, she tapped the magical-looking tattoo on her neck.

I clicked my tongue. “Complications, huh?”

“The guild idea seems sound,” Mizuki said, steering the conversation back. “How does one register?”

I explained the process to her, including the annoying part where the age limit prevented me from testing in.

“Sixteen years, hmm…” she trailed off. “I don't think I have the luxury of waiting another year. You said the other way was to enter the World Dungeon?”

“When the guilds are diving, yes,” I said. “I can ask this one guy I know about the schedule and how we can manage that—”

“We?”

I blinked. “I mean, yeah? I want to get into a guild because I need information; you want in because you need protection. I just sort of assumed.”

Mizuki looked taken aback. “I thought you wouldn't want anything more to do with me.”

“Why?”

“I'm involved in something a lot greater than either of us. You could have gotten hurt earlier, and you were about to light yourself on fire running into that building. I figured normal people wouldn't want to get themselves wrapped up in this.”

“Lighting myself on fire and running into that building would have been entirely my choice, to be clear.” I put my elbows on the table, trying to make my posture more serious, but there was only so far posture could go when I was still twelve. “I've spent my fair share of time doing my best to avoid risk, and I think I'd rather live with danger than let life pass me by again.”

“Again?” Mizuki laughed lightly. “You must have lived a lifetime in those twelve years.”

Right. On this planet, I had more than committed to doing something with my life. I wouldn't even call my time on Earth a real lifetime.

I briefly wondered whether the years added up. I was twelve for the second time. Does that mean I was pushing forty? Or was I twelve with the memories of somebody who had lived a little longer than me?

More and more, I was starting to feel like the life I had led on Earth was just a dream and that I had never been anybody but Ren Kane. Was that okay? Could I let go?

It didn't matter right here or right now, so I put philosophical questions aside and came back to the conversation.

“Look, all I'm saying is that I don't mind being wrapped up in your conspiracies,” I said. “I've had my fair share of near-death experiences, and I'm sure I'll have more in the future. Besides, I need somebody to go in the dungeon with me.”

She laughed, more genuinely this time. “That's the spirit. Should we go now?”

“Now?”

“I, uh… I don’t have a place to sleep,” she said. “You said the guilds would provide lodging.”

For some reason, I’d thought she had accommodation of some kind. That did complicate things. “I don't think today is a good time for us to go. We need rest, especially me, and if anyone finds out you were involved with the city guard, there's a decent chance people will be on the lookout for you.”

“What are you suggesting, then? And why wouldn't they be looking for you?”

“They know me there,” I said simply. “Nobody's going to rat me out when I'm one of the two healers they have access to that won't give them a potion that fuses their arm bones together.”

“I admit I did not consider that.”

“Anyway, we were talking about needing housing, right? What about coming to mine? We have room, I’m pretty sure.”

“Really?” The tone in Mizuki’s voice was a reminder that despite being a ridiculously competent fighter who didn’t even flinch at the sight of blood, she was still a teenager. “That would be lovely.”

“That was easier than I thought it would be,” I joked. “Anyone ever told you to trust nobody?”

“Yes, but they all end up being the traitors,” she replied, entirely serious. “I was told your family is worth putting my faith in, and I will believe that.”

“Fantastic,” I said. “Now all we have to do is convince my father.”

Wait. My father. Vallis had been out all day, and he was probably coming back around now.

I groaned, head in my hands. “Okay, this could be a bit of a pain.”

#

The situation resolved itself far more easily than I’d assumed. Vallis found us not long after we had made our resolutions.

“You have a few spots you like to run off to,” he explained when I asked him how he’d located me. “Most of them were out of the question.”

“You heard about what happened, then.”

“I was there,” he said. “We need to have a talk about witnesses.”

“As in, leaving none?” I asked.

“Not quite. Let’s chat when we get home. This is…”

“Mizuki,” said the girl in question. “You’re the Doctor Kane I was looking for, I take it.”

“I am. I see my son has performed my duties admirably in my absence.”

“So he has. Should I explain my situation again, or…”

Vallis shook his head. “I’ve gathered bits and pieces. You were with him at the clinic, yes? I presume it’s not safe for you here. We will house you.”

“Isn’t it going to be hard to get out?” I asked. “People are checking identities at the gates.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

And just as he said, it wasn’t. Vallis’ identity meant a lot more when it was attached to his person. He was clearly a lot more important in this city than I’d thought, which in retrospect I probably should have guessed when I’d been able to use his name to get away with bribing a guard.

With a flash of his badge, the guards at the city gate didn’t even try to look into the back of the carriage as we passed through.

The ride back was unnaturally silent. Neither Mizuki nor I wanted to speak in the presence of a driver, even though I knew it was one Vallis trusted.

At length, we made it home. Iryn was waiting for us, arms crossed.

“There were rumors,” she said. “Is everything—oh.”

Iryn’s eyes widened seeing Mizuki step out of the carriage, but she hid her emotion soon enough.

“A visitor?” she asked.

Mana subtly twisted through the air. I seized on it.

Empathic Insight lvl 1 -> 2

Her emotions weren’t perfectly regulated, and there was something slightly off about this. Vallis’ nonchalant reaction, Iryn’s surprise, the fact that Mizuki was connected to Locke in all of this.

My skill found that thread. At Initiate tier, my Empathic Insight allowed for more detailed understanding of a certain thought, but it was nothing like mind-reading. I still relied mostly on impressions and glimpses, but what I saw was enough.

This was not Iryn’s first time seeing Mizuki.

“Hey, everyone,” I said, as politely as I could.

Three pairs of eyes turned to me.

“Are you alright?” Iryn asked.

I wasn’t managing my own emotions very well either. Though I had a number of techniques for it, I couldn’t help but be frustrated at this feeling of being left out.

“Not really,” I said. “I’ve been shot at and have shot at other people today, I healed a poison I’ve never even seen—which I still have the source of in a net, by the way—and met someone involved in politics on a kingdom scale, and I still feel like I haven’t been told shit. If I’m going to walk into fire, I’d like to at least do it knowing what’s burning.”

“A fair concern,” said a voice from behind me. My mother’s.

Mizuki actually jumped. She hadn’t noticed her approaching at all either, it seemed.

“I see you’ve landed yourself in trouble,” Aria Kane said. “And you seem to be finally grown enough to attempt taking on the price of your birthright.”

With those cryptic words, she walked into the house, her aura finally settling down on us as she made her presence known. I followed her in, the other three trailing me.

Aria stopped by a door I’d grown very familiar with—the eternally locked entrance to the basement that one of my cores had been seeking for quite literally eleven years. I’d seen this in my dreams, even, walking past but never seeing what lay beyond.

My mother snapped her fingers, and the lock clicked open.