IHDOE Ch 16

Upon viewing the quest window, she stood up from her seat immediately.

[Satina] "Now then, shall we go inspect the patients' condition first?"

[Hedzel] "N-Now?"

Hedzel rose awkwardly from his chair toward Satina.

[Satina] "If not now, then when? Delaying needlessly and letting the patients' condition worsen will create a bigger problem. Wazl, return to the mansion with Cheney."

[Hedzel] "That is…… true. Fine. I will guide the way. Follow me."

He led her toward the entrance of the underground aqueduct.

[Satina] "An underground aqueduct?"

[Hedzel] "Damn it, don't look at me like that. Finding a place for us to stay in the capital was difficult, so no choice existed. Aside from being dark and damp, it is warmer than expected and livable."

[Satina] "Hmm, no matter. Let us go."

She followed him inside the underground aqueduct. Pitch darkness filled the underground, where the trickling of nearby water mixed with fishy and musty odors.

Lacking a system like Satina's, Hedzel nevertheless navigated the maze-like paths expertly. Soon she arrived at a massive cavern.

Dozens of rat beastkin gathered inside the vast cavern. It appeared to serve as a square where the rat beastkin stayed.

[R. Beastkin] "Hedzel! You returned! Did you find Wazl? Wait, that is…… a human? Judging by her attire, she looks like a noble. Hedzel, you……!"

Rat beastkin welcomed Hedzel with bright faces upon seeing him, but treated Satina with sharp vigilance upon taking in her appearance.

Their vigilance is no joke.

Had she not arrived alongside Hedzel, these beastkin would have attacked her the moment she entered the underground aqueduct.

[Hedzel] "She is a saintess candidate. I asked her to inspect the sick ones and brought her along. How is Lara?"

A rat beastkin nursing a patient lying on a tattered blanket shook his head.

[R. Beastkin] "Her condition is poor. She barely ate meals lately."

Meanwhile, he cast suspicious eyes toward Satina standing behind Hedzel.

Disregarding the rat beastkin's glare, she examined the condition of patients lying on the ground.

Around ten noticeable patients, I see.

Their faces turned black as empty eyes panted for breath—their poor condition evident at a glance.

Even when caregivers forced the lying patients upright to pour thin gruel into their mouths, they failed to swallow properly, letting it spill down their lips.

This is……

She narrowed her eyes, inspecting the patient's condition.

Hedzel spoke with a solemn face.

[Hedzel] "No one was like that originally. At first, coughing became more frequent than usual. Then at some point, blood mixed into the coughing, and after losing consciousness, they ended up in that state."

[Satina] "How long have they been in that condition?"

[Hedzel] "For the most severe person, about five days now."

[Satina] "Fortunately. Had we delayed even slightly, lives would have been lost."

[Hedzel] "Do you know what kind of disease that is?"

[Satina] "Yes, but since the patients' condition looks poor, let us treat them first before talking slowly. Gather the patients in one place."

When the rat beastkin looked at Hedzel, he nodded, signaling them to follow Satina's words.

[Satina] "Now then, what song should I sing?"

Because the primordial God created the world with language, the effect of a song varied depending on which language formed the song for a given situation.

I can't sing hard rock or love songs while wishing for healing.

Normally, the most effective song in such cases was a temple hymn, but to the patients, a song created by nobles would hardly prove welcome.

Alright, then naturally……

Soon, the song flowing from her lips was a nursery rhyme children often sang.

[Liv] "Skill 'Song of Healing' activated.

Utilizes holy power to soothe the body and mind of entities within a 1m radius.

Proximity to the player yields higher effectiveness.

Usage count reduced by 1.

Remaining uses today: None"

---

Hedzel didn't trust Satina. Lacking other options forced him to bring her, yet misfortune and despair were far more familiar to him than miracles.

Even if she fails to heal them, nothing can be done. I will use that excuse to extort some money for medical fees.

Even if looked down upon everywhere, a noble remains a noble, so her situation must be better than ours.

People called holy power a miracle. A fragment of God, proof of sublime love granted to humanity. That power allowed a gravely ill elder to run like a youth and brought barren land to bear fruit in an instant.

Tales of old claimed a saintess especially beloved by God even raised the dead. Even when tales reached Hedzel of high nobles curing diseases with holy power, those stories held no connection to him.

To Hedzel, who had never crossed a temple threshold, miracles remained distant and faint like stars in the night sky. Yet at this very moment, what else could explain the occurrence at the bottom of the underground where he stayed, if not a miracle?

Soft clusters of white light around singing Satina illuminated the dark underground aqueduct brightly. The song flowing from her lips was a nursery rhyme children often sang.

Holding hands with friends to spin in circles, running through bushes—the bright, cheerful song blended with her clear, transparent voice, echoing wide inside the cavern.

Hedzel had grown up early. Harsh circumstances played a role, as did needing to care for his infant brother after their parents passed away. Yet, even he had a childhood filled with pure enjoyment, ignorant of the world.

A time when cruel reality was known only vaguely, playing with friends brought joy, and finding a large beetle felt like possessing the whole world. Satina's song brought back memories of those days. Children's laughter and a refreshing breeze filled the damp underground aqueduct.

Hedzel stood rooted to the spot, staring at Satina as if spellbound. Thus, the transformation occurring in the patient initially escaped his attention.

[R. Beastkin] "I-Impossible!"

The patient's blackened skin gradually regained its original color as if draining away dye. Light returned to unfocused eyes, and ragged breathing normalized steadily.

The dying companion regained consciousness, meeting Hedzel's gaze. At that moment, though a common and cliché expression, a single word surfaced in his mind.

Miracle.

Though an underground location devoid of a single ray of light, brilliant radiance poured over Satina's blonde hair.

Even if the world dismissed her as a useless saintess candidate, it didn't matter. To Hedzel, only the light illuminating him at this moment represented truth.

Katan likewise stared endlessly at Satina from the darkness. Listening to her song was not a first for him. He had heard her sing while healing him before, but this was his first time hearing her raise her voice fully rather than softly murmuring.

He was born at the absolute bottom. Abandoned by his parents the moment he was born, Katan became a slave; because he could possess nothing, he desired nothing.

Sparkling gems, gold trinkets, and legendary swords held no sweeter allure than freedom. From the moment he gained a mind capable of thought, he desired only one thing.

Yet if someone offered him instead of freedom right now, he……

He kept watching until Satina's song ended, as if engraving her image onto his retinas.

---

Since no one here will spread rumors in high society, Fame didn't rise, but this atmosphere is wonderful nevertheless.

After her song concluded, vitality returned to the cavern. From patients lying down to their companions.

Everyone rushed over to Satina, busy offering gratitude.

[R. Beastkin] "Thank you so much. Ah, God! Had it not been for My Lady, my brother would have died without a doubt!"

[R. Beastkin] "How fortunate that someone like My Lady visited us. Such a beautiful song, such an astounding miracle!"

[R. Beastkin] "How can someone like My Lady be called a useless ducal daughter? Are all capital nobles blind?"

[R. Beastkin] "A-Ah, My Lady! Your legs must ache, so please sit here! Hurry!"

[R. Beastkin] "Are you hungry by any chance? Shall I bring some snacks?"

Companions who were vigilant upon first taking in Satina now lowered their guard completely, busy welcoming her. They offered chairs they were sitting on and checked on snacks.

Amidst the goodwill surrounding her, Satina spoke awkwardly.

[Satina] "Check on the patients first. Though their conditions improved, everyone still needs recovery."

[R. Beastkin] "We already fed them gruel. He claimed he was hungry and ate two bowls! Honestly…… how long has it been since that boy ate a meal like that……"

Standing near Satina, a woman wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

[R. Beastkin] "It is all thanks to My Lady. Thank you so much. And your song as well."

She gripped Satina's hand tightly.

[R. Beastkin] "I have never heard such a moving song. It made me feel as if I were standing in a forest. Thanks to My Lady, memories of playing with childhood friends came back for the first time in a long while."

[R. Beastkin] "That's right! Even singing voices heard from the temple were not as beautiful as My Lady's. My Lady is truly amazing!"

[Satina] "I am glad it was pleasant to hear. Ah, u-um, I have something to say to Hedzel, so for a moment……"

With flushed red cheeks, Satina quickly vacated the spot.

Slipping out of the cavern, she leaned her forehead against an empty corridor wall to cool her burning cheeks.

[Katan] "What are you doing here?"

Surprised by the voice of Katan, who had followed her, she turned around.

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