After returning from that aggravating man's home, I resumed my training.
While I was still feeling a bit off from the day's earlier activities, there wasn't enough time to rest. The sooner I could emulate a human's face, the faster I could blend into society and draw less attention to myself. What's more, daily activities and purchasing of things that I desired would be far less cumbersome.
Amalia and Val returned later that night. Since I was a bit weary, I afforded myself some rest and curled up with Amalia. Against what would likely be the innkeeper's wishes if discovered, I'd installed a small bell on the window and door. While not a perfect alarm system, it'd be enough to rouse either Val or myself should uninvited guests care to visit us again.
With that, I slept.
My rest was disturbed with poor dreams as usual. Thankfully, I'd learned to turn the Link off beforehand, so I'd have less to be embarrassed by once I woke. After the last time Val had questioned me about my sleep talking, I wasn't about to make the same mistake. Ugh.
It was still the middle of the night, so I lay there a while longer and let Amalia use me as a pillow. Since she was asleep, I took the liberty of examining her body for any signs of that strange illness progressing or just general fatigue. Other than the peculiar illness that remained dormant in her bones, she was healthy as an ox. I was becoming convinced this was a curse or some magical nonsense. My inability to remove this irregularity was bothering me for another reason.
I didn't expect healing this noble girl's scarred face to be particularly difficult by now, but what if magical acid burns were another thing I could do nothing about? Plus, I was still concerned if my excuse for demanding privacy during the procedure was going to work. Just to be safe, I felt like a test-run was in order.
Where am I going to find a scarred human who will let me fiddle with their skin, though?
While I lay there pondering such a conundrum, I failed to find an answer. Surely there had to be at least one injured idiot in this town that would let a complete stranger perform magical experiments on them?
... Perhaps I first needed to work on my phrasing. There was a reason I wasn't in the marketing department of my former company.
I slinked out of bed and tucked Amalia in before laying down a Domain and resuming my training. It was too dark to properly practice colorization and texture of skin, but that didn't mean I couldn't work on the general shape and multitasking. I needed to make holding a human guise as natural as possible.
Hours passed numbly. Amalia was first to wake, followed by Val.
After breakfast and a bit of cleaning up, I accompanied them into town to purchase a few more reagents and articles of clothing for the two. With any luck, I might find some inspiration for a disguise or stumble upon a wig. I still couldn't imagine making a hundred-thousand hair follicles, yet the prospect of appearing bald made me feel deeply unsatisfied.
"Roz, look at this dress! Isn't it cute?"
"Surely Rozalin would appreciate the delicate craftsmanship behind this dining set."
While I stood there for a moment appraising and pricing the items my two companions had near-thrust into my face, I realized something.
Isn't this like a shopping trip with friends?
Something about that thought left me baffled. While the stalls and businesses within this town were a far cry from a shopping mall, the idea was still unsettling. It'd been a long time since I'd had anything remotely like that happen before. Quite strange.
After acquiring most of what I'd set out to purchase, we made our way back. Amalia carried our goods, leaving me to focus on walking without tripping over myself. When we were nearly back to our current lodgings, something unpleasant happened on one of the less travelled alleyways. I heard a tap! followed by a small rock bouncing in front of our path. Looking to my side, I realized it had bounced off Amalia's chest.
Before us were a group of five children, roughly pre-teens.
"Get out of here, mutt! No one wants your kind around!"
"Yeah! Go back to where you came from!"
I pondered deeply. I still needed some injured humans to see if I could treat acid burns, did I not? Wasn't this an ill-wrapped present that had appeared before me? Had the Box-God heard my prayers and decided to reward my efforts? Tell me, was this not divine providence!?
Val's shrill yell drilled into my Core, making me wince. Ow.
"Cease this insolence immediately, young knaves! You shall apologize at once for your rude tongue!"
One of the boys, the eldest it looked, spoke up.
"We ain't gotta listen to anything you say, knife-ear! My dad told me 'bout your kind! You're probably just a witch here to mess with our crops! You ain't welcome either, so go back to your trees!"
Val started to sputter, her face turning pink and flushed. Apparently even an elf could succumb to the deadly BSOD.
Ah. I should probably do something about these five. Preferably without drawing attention to myself or inflicting terrible brutality upon them. I doubt they taste good anyway.
Pushing my annoyance aside, I loudly thumped my cane on the pavement to gather their attention.
"If you commoners are going to insult my retainers, then perhaps I need to have the knights visit your families? Or should I teach you some manners myself?"
Two of the boys flinched, while the other three merely looked uneasy. They looked to the leader of their little clique for guidance.
"A-And who are you supposed to—"
"—I did not give you permission to speak! Now kneel before me and apologize, before I have your tongue cut out. You've delayed my meeting with the viscount, insulted me, and ruined my good mood. Do you think I won't have you hung just because you're children?"
For added emphasis, I did my best to mentally dial up my Regal Aura Skill (to dubious effect) and exuded a bit of Ice Mana in their direction to complete the whole frosty disposition. I even puffed up my chest and stood straighter a bit to appear more intimidating or whatever. Not that my height helped. Alas.
The five seemed to grow weak in the knees. A moment later, some prostrating was done and an apology extracted before they sloppily ran off the way they came. That went better than expected. Part of me still thought it was a shame. They would've made excellent test subjects.
Amalia was staring at me the entire time. She replied over the Link.
"R-Roz, how did you do that!? I thought for sure we'd have to ignore them till they went away."
Val also seemed to be looking at me oddly. I wanted to sigh.
"Because, they're stupid kids spawned from stupid adults. They're just mimicking things they've heard, so of course they're spineless and easy to trick. Plus, I can't exactly beat the life out of them without guards getting involved, now can I?"
Not here, anyway. Though I am a bit surprised to hear someone speak ill about elves. I think the most Val had gotten was a handful of seedy looks so far, but most people only seemed curious and friendly toward her. Peculiar.
Amalia's face soured, nodding with a bit of resignation. Despite the fact I could tell she was offended by that lot, I knew she didn't approve of my threats of violence. Ah, she's far too considerate to people who don't deserve it.
"Pray tell, Rozalin, how did you acquire the ability to weave a convincing falsehood to such an abrupt vicissitude?"
I looked at Val for a long moment. What?
"You both need to read more books. This is classic Haughty Nobility 101. Against children, this level of bluffing shouldn't even require thought. You two really should be mentally prepared for these things, you know. When we return I'm going to introduce you both to a very important phrase. 'Fake it until you make it'."
... Right after I sit down with Val and teach her how to talk normally. Were all elves like this? Where did they learn their vocabulary from? Did someone gift them a dictionary from 500 years ago and they never bothered to update it since!? Bah!
Having been sufficiently annoyed for the afternoon, we returned to our abode. Amalia and Val took off a bit later to visit the Hendrickson estate. While I had been less formally invited, I wasn't inclined to show up. Especially not so soon.
I had Amalia take a small gift consisting of a blend of tea and herb mix to repay Hendrickson for dinner. Having gotten that debt off my conscience, I was left alone to practice my shapeshifting abilities. By focusing my efforts, I'd finally managed to craft a functioning nose.
Feeling uplifted, I decided to visit Arnie and see how things were progressing. The visit was short.
"I ain't done yet, so why're ye botherin' me? Leave me n' my hammer in peace! Tomorrow, I said!"
"Y-Yes sir."
... Or so the conversation went.
Arnie seemed hard at work, smacking things and using machinery whose function I hadn't the faintest idea. And I use the word 'machinery' in a rudimentary sense. Some of it appeared to be magical in nature, which left me curious.
With little else to do, I returned to the inn and continued grinding away. It didn't take long until my thoughts were interrupted by Amalia over the Link.
"Roz? Roz, are you there?"
I replied in my best robotic and monotone mental voice, "No, please try again later."
"Roz, you know I won't fall for that anymore. I told you the fourth time."
"I know you did. It's just I'm still impressed it worked three times, so I figured I'd keep pushing my luck."
"B-Be serious!"
"Yes, yes. What is it?"
After a bit of listening, Amalia relayed a date and time Hendrickson had gotten from Biron. While a small part of me was hoping they'd take a bit longer, that wasn't the case. We'd be meeting the day after tomorrow, which meant I had less than 45 hours to prepare.
Ah. Can I ask for an extension?
I begrudgingly gave up any thought of practicing my healing ability. While I was a bit worried about the nature of already-healed skin, worst case scenario was I'd just have to numb the affected areas and cut off any incorrectly formed tissue before fixing it myself. Or something like that?
Probably not the best of solutions for a noble's daughter, but surely if I explain why I have to re-mutilate her face, they'll understand. Yet another reason proper medical aid should be dispensed immediately after injury. If she had broken a bone and it healed crooked, they couldn't reasonably expect me to heal it without breaking it again, could they?
A sound example. I'll use that one if I run into problems.
The evening soon passed, followed by night. Nothing of note happened—thank the Boxes. Once morning arrived the three of us had breakfast and prepared to visit the Ironhand smithy.
"Hi Ellis!" Amalia chimed.
The smith's son greeted us and briefly disappeared in the back of the workshop. He soon reappeared and guided us to his father. I spotted Arnie, covered in soot and dripping with sweat. Something about seeing a man so industrious in the morning kindled my respect. Even if he was kind of gross right now.
"Hello Mr. Ironhand!" Amalia chimed again.
"Oi, kiddo! Here already? Ya musta really been lookin' forward to this. I barely finished and yer already knockin' at my door! Gyahaha!"
Oh? I wasn't sure if he'd be quite done yet. So punctual.
He continued, "C'mon then, no sense pussyfooting about. Let me show ya what I've been up to!"
Arnie waved us back further into his workshop to an adjacent room. Within were numerous crates, some pieces of scrap metal, and various crafted instruments ranging from armor to weaponry to everyday tools. He stood beside a figure that had been draped with a cloth.
With a quick yank, a suit of armor was revealed to us.
"Ta-dah! Well? Whaddaya think?"
I eyed the suit of armor. Underneath was a full set of plate mail, strapped gingerly on an armor stand. The metal itself was an extremely polished-looking silver. Specks of blue and white glittered off it whenever light hit the right angle. Its size and contour was decidedly androgynous at best, a testament to the custom-made nature of the suit.
Chain mail hung beneath it, a much darker gray in color. The leather straps were apparently made from some exotic beast. They'd been dyed a darker hue.
From the corner of my vision, I saw Amalia's hands curl up and the tip of her tail begin to twitch about. The look on her face was one of joy. Oddly enough, I watched as it turned to something else entirely. Her mouth began to quiver and tears began to appear.
Oh dear.
I was swiftly met by an entirely too forceful hug.
"Thank you, Roz!"
As quickly as it came, it disappeared.
"Thank you, Arnie!"
I watched my pup bury her face in the man's grimy apron. He then patted her on the head. Should I tell her she now has soot on her face? I don't want to ruin the mood, but ... but the soot! Gah!
Arnie's voice rumbled forth, distracting me.
"Bahaha! Thank me after ya try it on, kid! I'll teach ye how to do the straps 'n whatnot. C'mon, let's do a quick test-fit just to see how it looks on you."
Ten minutes later, Amalia was suited up looking every bit the respectable, albeit miniature, knight. Who says you can't polish a child you randomly found along the roadside? That's a saying, right? Hmhmhmm.
While admiring my excellent sense of judgment and taste, Val threw a few compliments Arnie's way.
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"I must say, such a fine assemblage of armor would almost rival even the creations of our elven smiths! You've immense talent, sir Ironhand!"
If this was considered 'almost rivaling', then I personally wanted to see some elven armor. Arnie seemed to take the compliment in stride. Maybe it wasn't nearly as backhanded as it sounded? Oh well.
I turned to Amalia.
"So? How does it feel?"
"Great! It's not light, but much less heavy than I thought it'd be!" she chirped in response, jumping up and down once, then making a few movements to test the joints. Her voice was distorted by the helmet, sounding a bit tinny.
Arnie chuckled, "That's about as good a piece as ye'll find around these parts, girlie! I'll feel better knowing ya got that on. Should help keep ye mighty safe, so long as you don't get too wild."
I didn't know as much about armor as I'd like, but it seemed like it would hold up pretty well. Against the average person, anyway. I wasn't sure about monsters like Hendrickson or mages and the like. Now I just needed to worry about the squishy parts of my little knight inside the metal shell. Kinetic force was still a bitch, after all. I knew firsthand.
That said, I was incredibly satisfied. I'd virtually idiot-proofed my little knight, so hopefully no more accidents would occur in the future. We still needed to visit Precious' Dungeon and those damn skeletons were in for a rude awakening as soon as I returned. Bony bastards, the lot of 'em.
Gasp! To think, I might not even need to use my Plan C when handling the Boss! ... A shame. I wanted to put Val through that one. Maybe I'd do it anyway just for giggles. Probably not.
Speaking of which, I'd been meaning to ask Arnie about the ores he used. I was looking for something to upgrade my Core's barrier after it got shattered from that scumbag bandit. My quest to reproduce Nullstone hasn't been going well, but surely the man must have a semi-transparent ore with good Mana conductivity, hardness, and impact resistance?
After thanking him and discussing my own concerns, Arnie informed me that he didn't really work with anything that would fit the 'transparent' part especially. I was shown a few items that he deemed the closest match. This only convinced me of his assessment. He then suggested I speak with someone who supplied building materials rather than metal ores.
Perhaps I needed to approach this at a different angle? Frustrating.
Amalia thanked Arnie profusely before we left. Since we didn't own property or an armor stand, Arnie let us keep Amalia's new suit at his place for the time being. I'd have to come up with a long-term solution.
The evening came and went. That night, I realized something while examining Amalia's armor and looking at the outfit Val had purchased days prior.
Aren't I the shabbiest looking one out of us now?
... Ah, fuck.
----------------------------------------
The next morning.
While I was getting much better at keeping my balance, walking all the way to the nobility district was still arduous at best. Val was dressed in her finest, looking annoyingly brilliant and exotically beautiful this morning. Amalia looked like Amalia, so that was normal. And myself? Well, I was just hoping the whole hobbled-small-figure and walking stick gave off a regal mage vibe.
I knew nothing about noble society in this world, aside from some probably-wrong, preconceived notions from TV and the like. The last time I snuck in here hadn't gone terribly, I suppose. And at least I wasn't going in totally blind, either.
Upon arriving at the gate, we were met with a guard. A series of climbing the chain of command ensued, after which we were escorted to the guest room that I vaguely recalled from before. And then finally, a wild nobleman appeared.
"Greetings! My name is Alphonse Biron, lord of this manor. I extend my gratitude for you having come to my aid in this matter."
The tall man bowed before us, his voice deep and dry. Likely due to the weather, he was more lightly dressed than last time I saw him. A dark-grey cloak wrapped around his shoulders, underneath which was a deep crimson top, embroidered with threads of white. Black slacks and boots completed his outfit, contrasting his pale skin and ash blonde hair.
I made a small bow toward him, more a nod than anything.
"Greetings. I am Rozalin. I will apologize upfront. Forgive my manners, I am unaccustomed to being around nobility."
He nodded to me with a small smile. Amalia then cupped her hand against her chest in that silly salute. It was returned by the man.
"A pleasure to see you again, Miss. You look spirited," he said, turning to Amalia.
"You as well, thank you."
It was then Val's turn. I'd hold my breath, if I could.
Biron motioned, "And you are?"
As if on cue, Val's shining ... 'radiance' spilled forth.
"Greetings, esteemed Sire. My name is Valduin Denpa'thìlsa of House Qaédrys, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Allow me to compliment you on your exquisite inner adornments."
"House Qaédrys? You're from Almswood, no? Or was it closer to Mayesglade?"
Val blinked, "You are familiar with my House?"
"Ah, only in passing. I was involved in a council many years ago, of which I had the pleasure of speaking with two members from House Qaédrys. Forgive me for not being better acquainted with such a noble family, for I do not get involved with political matters that far north very often. My memories of the event are a bit hazy, though not unpleasant. I do hope you enjoy your stay within our humble walls."
Biron gave Val a small bow. Meanwhile, she seemed a bit concerned initially, then relieved. An interesting reaction. Should I ask Val about it afterwards? Though I'm more surprised to hear her family actually has some form of standing. I half expected it to be her grossly exaggerating things.
A second later, his attention turned back to me.
"I must thank you again for coming. Fewer healers have been visiting my halls of late. I was becoming quite convinced Aryana and I would need to make the long journey to the Capital for treatment."
"Hold your thanks for until after I am successful. While I am confident in the task, I do not want to make false promises. Before we proceed, I would like to discuss the details of this arrangement. You posted a financial reward, but that doesn't interest me terribly."
As much as those words pained me to say, money really wasn't a problem right now. It could be made later. Information was key.
Biron's brow seemed to narrow. Had I offended him? It seems I should elaborate.
"Books."
That building suspicion quickly turned to mild confusion.
"Books?"
"Yes. It is my understanding that you have the closest thing to a library around these parts. Naturally, I am sure you have books you are not willing to share, but I am looking more for general information on a few subjects. I think this would be a much better deal for the both of us."
The man before me eyed me with renewed suspicion. Odd.
"It is true I've accumulated quite a stock of books. There are numerous valuable tomes contained within our library. I simply cannot trade them so easily."
"... Trade? I believe there is a misunderstanding. I simply want to browse through them for a few days."
Biron went back to his previous confused look. Crisis averted?
"Only to read through them? I hesitate to complain, yet that pales in comparison to the value of such a service."
"That is a matter of perspective. I am unfamiliar with this area and seeking to educate myself on a few different topics. If your library has information on even one of them, my time will be well spent here. Do you find this deal agreeable?"
The man before me seemed to study my face for a long time, which I found curious due to my lack of one. He let out a long sigh.
"Unfamiliar with this area? A deal? Perhaps Max was correct," he muttered lowly.
"... Pardon?" I asked.
Did he mention Hendrickson? Correct about what?
"Never mind. If you are able to heal my daughter's sight and injuries, I certainly don't mind letting you browse through our library for a few days. More, even."
Biron looked off to the side at one of his guards. He nodded at the man before escorting us through the halls.
"You are familiar with my daughter's injuries, yes?" he asked.
"Correct."
While I hobbled behind trying to catch up, he turned and realized I had fallen behind. Why must tall people walk so fast?
"Forgive my pace, I must be a bit distracted and overeager. Are you quite alright, Miss Rozalin? Max told me you seemed to have injuries of your own."
Figures Hendrickson would blab about me. This was quite a problem since I didn't know how much Hendrickson said. A healer appearing injured was likely paradoxical and a testament to their inability to cure such ailments. I did mention to Hendrickson of that battle and the damage I'd sustained, so I'd have to continue with that angle.
"Nothing to worry about. I met with a severe injury during a recent encounter. Recovery is only a matter of time. I don't want to rush it and risk future problems."
Yes, close enough.
With a small nod from Biron, we continued for a short distance before stopping in front of a door.
"Allow me to make sure Aryana is prepared. Just a moment."
Biron knocked on the door, calling for his daughter. A moment later I heard the young woman's voice. He disappeared inside for a brief moment before coming back out and motioning for us to come inside.
Upon entering, I directed my attention toward Biron and the canopy bed within the middle of the room. Seated on the edge of that bed was the vaguely familiar figure of that young woman I'd encountered in that damned cave. A tinge of annoyance toward her and her group flitted through me when I recalled the danger they'd posed to my life at the time. It quickly dissipated when I saw her miserable form.
She looked worse for wear and was sporting bandages that covered the majority of her face. She had dry lips, and a dark ring surrounded her only visible, bloodshot pupil. A simple white dress adorned her figure. It seemed like she'd lost some weight, as she looked quite frail.
Right, well. I guess we're finally doing this.
With a mental sigh, I conjured the entirety of my bedside manner and professionalism—which truthfully didn't amount to much. She seemed rather forlorn and cheering people up was not something I signed up for. It was only your face that got messed up, shouldn't you be over this by now? I was turned into goo and it only took me a few days to adjust! Honestly, no flexibility whatsoever.
Brief introductions were made. I stared at the patient then pointed to her face.
"Alright, undress."
"E-Excuse me?!" came a voice only slightly less shrill than Val's. Ow.
Biron seemed concerned too. Do these people not understand words?
"Undress your wound. I can't heal anything with those bandages on."
While I waited, I turned around. Amalia was rubbing her face for some reason.
After much unraveling, I finally gazed upon the aftermath of that acidic attack. Hmm, it seems to have more or less stopped healing. Blind in one eye? Had they really not found anyone able to improve this? Damage to hair follicles and even the muscle—
"—It's still disgusting, isn't it?"
My attention went back to Aryana.
I nodded, "Yes, but I've seen worse."
Such strange small talk.
"Lay down so we can begin. I need to inspect how far past the dermis any damage reached so I can decide the best way to regenerate the layers of tissue. I'll be administering anesthetic, so pain should be minimal. Thankfully, you have one undamaged eye, so reconstructing the other will be easier. If we're truly lucky the scarring will have only affected your cornea."
While I walked to the bed and attempted to inconspicuously fish out a vial from beneath my robes, I realized the patient was still sitting upright and looking at me. I looked around to three additional sets of eyes on me.
"... What? You all aren't going to stare the whole time, are you? I don't like being watched, so I'll have to ask you to leave the room or set up a screen."
Amalia spoke to me over the Link, "Roz, what did any of what you just said even mean?"
It was then that I realized just how poor this world's study of anatomy truly was. I internally groaned.
And so, after a dumbed-down explanation of the medical procedure, Biron and his daughter seemed much more at ease. It wasn't my fault people were uneducated and thought healing magic was 'the Gods' blessings'. Didn't they bother to question things more deeply?
If a bunch of quacks visited and just tried dumping Mana to fix the problem, it's no wonder they never accomplished anything. That's like trying to brute force a safe. How did these other Healers even operate? I didn't understand. If possible, I should study their methods and effectiveness, if only to note the norm.
Biron was still reluctant to leave her side, so I insisted on pulling down the curtains on the bed. I didn't actually need lighting to operate and would have to unwrap my 'hand' to make proper surface contact, otherwise it was more difficult to heal properly. Luckily, I held a vial of pink 'soothing gel' that I was going to be administering to the affected area.
Really, it was just a piece of myself to help cover up the question of why something squishy was on her face. I seemed to have developed an affinity for putting bits of myself up people's noses and into other orifices. It was worrisome, though at least people didn't taste like much so long as I wasn't dissolving or Devouring them. Still gross though.
I internally gulped down a Mana potion I had hidden inside myself and set out to work. Upon examination, the damage was about as severe as I expected. This ... was going to take a while to do properly.
I sighed to myself. With the way healing magic worked, undoing all this incorrectly healed tissue was far more bothersome than things like organ damage or even a severed spine. The latter was actually delicate, but not cumbersome since it was mostly attaching A to B via healing magic, repeatedly ad nauseam, then inspecting the nerves for any irregularities.
For these injuries, I'd have to numb the area, then slowly dissolve the scar tissue. Bleeding would be a problem. It wasn't like I had something to induce hemostasis. Using my toxins in this manner wasn't even intended.
And so, a mixture of pressure and my own flesh was used. Thankfully, the membrane that made up my body had the ability to repel things to a certain degree, so I could keep bleeding to a minimum. This was still one more thing I had to focus on.
Aryana was below me. I could tell her heart rate was elevated and she was fidgeting ever so slightly. It was unfortunate that I lacked a toxin for putting people to sleep. I'll have to Devour something with such an ability or find a way to make my own. That could come in handy for both combat and medical procedures.
"Breathe through your mouth," I instructed her, before working on her nose.
Moments later.
"Now breathe through your nose."
More time passed.
Biron's voice came, "Is everything alright?"
"Yes. Roughly 40-percent done. Don't distract me."
"40? But it's been ..." he trailed off.
Ah, how annoying. Do you think I don't realize this is taking a long time? I was quite certain over 15 minutes had passed already. If I could just rip the skin off and disregard blood loss, do you think I wouldn't be done already!?
I tried to calm myself. Rushing would just lead to mistakes. I didn't want a single complaint or doubt after I was finished. It needed to be flawless.
Around the time I was reconstructing her eyelid, I received a present that quickly alleviated my annoyance at the present situation.
Skill increased!
Amplified Healing Lvl.3 → Lvl.4
While going from three to four in a Skill wasn't anything that amazed me anymore, it was still quite welcome. I quickly turned my attention back to the matter at hand. My Mana had dropped to one-third, so I 'drank' another of my potions and let the rush of energy fill me. I'd only brought two, so hopefully that was enough. They still weren't very comfortable to smuggle inside my body.
Aryana continued to wiggle below me.
"I-Is it nearly done? I can't feel anything," came her voice, small.
"Yes. Three-fourths of the way—now stay still. Your face will continue to be numb for about 30 minutes after I finish. I'll be working on your eye shortly. There isn't a good way to numb your optic nerve, but I doubt that will be a problem. Tell me if you feel any painful sensations. I'll try to find a workaround."
"It hasn't hurt so far, b-but I'm feeling a bit faint."
I took note of the blood I'd had to absorb. Gauging the volume, she'd lost a bit less than a pint. I paused treatment to encourage her body to produce more.
"You've lost a bit of blood and are nervous. I'm helping restore the lost blood, so relax for a while. You'll need to eat to replace the lost calories from this operation. We'll resume shortly."
Ah, Amalia was never this needy when I healed her. This woman probably has low pain tolerance too. So sheltered.
After updating Biron and letting Aryana rest for a while, I continued. After another arduous 15 minutes, I'd finished healing her face and repaired the damage to her eye. The latter had gone smoother than anticipated, mostly thanks to the damage being superficial. Relatively speaking.
Opening the bed curtains, I excused myself from her chambers and turned toward Biron.
"Ensure she eats well the next few days. Judging by her figure, she hasn't been exercising or eating enough. Force her if you have to. Things like porridge and other non-solid foods are fine. Drink plenty of water. ... That's it, I think."
I couldn't really think of much else to suggest. It wasn't like I was a proper doctor or Healer. Regurgitating my shallow pool of knowledge took little time.
Something else struck me.
"Oh, and I have no idea if she had any moles or blemishes on that area of her face. I didn't create any. Hopefully that won't be a problem. She'll have to regrow her hair, as well."
Aryana had sat up, looking at her father with uncertain eyes. I turned to inspect Biron's reaction to my handiwork.
... Is he starting to cry? Oh dear.
"My 'Yana!" he practically leaped toward the woman, hugging her tightly, "I'm so relieved!"
... 'My Yana'? Really?
Not wanting to partake in any family melodrama, I turned to Amalia and Val.
"Let's wait outside."
A job well done, if I do say so myself.
----------------------------------------
While revelling in my success and quietly doing a small fist pump to myself, I was left outside to chat briefly with Amalia and Val.
"You know, it's still so bland to just create the same exact eye. I'm sure I could've made some improvements to her vision. Now that I've a bit of experience, do you want me to make your eyes better, Amalia?"
"N-No, I'm fine. Thank you."
"Are you quite certain? I might even be able to let you to see in the dark. Speaking of which, Val, I want to study your eyes a bit more."
The elf stared at me without responding. Was that tacit approval? She isn't saying no ...
While I was pondering what other magical improvements I could make, the adjacent door opened and Biron greeted us again.
"Apologies, it would appear I lost my composure as the host," Biron said before bowing deeply. He then waved over a nearby guard.
"Please escort my guests to the foyer room and have the chefs prepare a meal. Lady Rozalin, if you would give my daughter and I a moment, I would very much like to speak with you at greater length regarding earlier matters."
"Understandable. I will await your return."
With that, we were escorted back near the entrance. A meal, too? How charitable.
I continued to make small talk with Amalia and Val as we sat within the foyer. That ordeal left me a bit drained, so getting a moment to recompose myself was welcome. Having spectacularly accomplished what I'd set out to do this morning, I let satisfaction overtake me. Biron appeared to be quite emotional about his daughter.
Ah, I hope he pays me anyway. Heheheh.
Mm, part of me was looking forward to this conversation. With any luck, in another week we could skip town and put this place behind us—richer and wiser. Then I could get back to murdering the local wildlife until I get more juicy numbers.
Perhaps I'd open up a clinic with the reward money and revenue from Precious' ore supplies? Thoughts for later. For now, I was simply glad things had gone relatively well. Unknowingly, I let some of the tension I'd been holding within my body all day fade away.