Chapter 84: The True Nature of the Virgin Mary

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Translator: Soafp

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“Ahh, you really saved me. Thank you very much.”

I had been in serious danger after being attacked by the monstrous bird Byak, but Christina rescued me.

I bowed my head and thanked her.

However, Christina stepped closer, looking at me with an almost accusatory gaze.

“Why is Ask-sama here?”

“I heard the port was in trouble because of monsters, so I thought maybe I could be of some help.”

“How did you find out… no, it could only have been Victoria. Even though a gag order was issued—honestly, what is that girl doing?”

“Seems like older sisters everywhere have a hard time with their younger siblings.”

“If Fran-sama hears you say that, she'll scold you, you know?”

Yeah. I'd probably get a fist to the head.

“Princess Christina, what are you doing here?”

“I'm on my way to Klaus Port, leading a unit of court mages.”

Only after she said it did I notice.

Behind Christina stood a large number of mages.

…In the Empire I was busy stalking Nee-san, so I completely forgot, but Christina was an absurdly powerful magic user.

A princess who leads mages and fights on the front lines when it matters—so cool.

Christina looked straight at me and said:

“I don't say this lightly. I strongly recommend you turn back at once.”

“Eh?”

“We received information from the Empire. The force that brought down the port is an army of flying monsters centered around wyverns. The creature from earlier was probably one that slipped through the frontline defenses.”

I understood she was worried about me.

I really did.

But still—

“I refuse.”

“…May I ask your reason?”

“No particular reason.”

“No particular reason!?”

Christina raised her voice at me as I stroked Kutama.

“But it's dangerous for you to go when you can't use healing magic!! If anything happens to you, I won't be able to face Fran-sama!!”

“…Hmm.”

That was a problem.

Publicly, I'm supposed to be someone who can't use healing magic, so going to the battlefield would be unnatural.

What should I do…

“…Princess Christina, I am still a member of House Medicus.”

“Eh? Y-yes, that's true.”

“Members of the Medicus family exist to save the sick and injured. Even if I can't use healing magic, I can at least carry the wounded from the front lines to safety.”

“That's…”

“I'm confident in my strength. I can carry about twenty grown men at once. I'll definitely be useful.”

I lifted the carriage Christina had arrived in with one hand, and her eyes went wide.

All that body modification training really paid off.

“…Understood. But stay as close to me as possible. Otherwise I won't be able to protect you if something happens.”

“Sure.”

“Then let's go—to Klaus Port.”

And so, through a twist of events, I ended up heading to the monster-attacked port together with Christina.

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I rode in Christina's carriage and arrived at the encampment the knights had built in the forest.

Beyond the forest lay a plain, and past that was Klaus Port.

The port had suffered tremendous damage from the monster attack; thick black smoke was rising from all over.

“So they built the camp in the forest.”

“To avoid aerial attacks. Rather than setting up on the open plain, they placed it in the forest where it's harder to see from above.”

“I see.”

But the state of the camp was terrible.

“…There are so many wounded.”

“The enemy is airborne monsters. Without long-range, high-power magic, you can only be attacked one-sidedly.”

The camp was overflowing with injured people.

Until Christina arrived with her mage unit, the mages gathered from Klaus Port and the surrounding lands must have fought desperately.

Those who looked like mages were battered all over, as if it were a miracle they were still alive.

No—judging by this, there were probably already dead.

Maybe there weren't enough healing mages for such a large force.

It all happened too suddenly to summon the indiscriminate healing-mage group Nightingale, and I should change into No-Face and start treating them immediately—

That was when—

“Please don't interfere with treatment!!”

“Gina-sama!! Please calm down!! Your mana is already completely depleted!! At this rate you'll die of mana exhaustion!!”

“Is that a reason not to treat the injured!? I'll heal my patients even if it kills me!! If you keep getting in my way, I'll knock you out!!”

A black-haired beauty with a deathly pale face stumbled out of a tent and punched away the subordinate trying to stop her.

I recognized her.

“Oh? The person over there is…”

“Long time no see, Mom.”

“Ask!! It's been so long!!”

“What are you doing in a place like this?”

She is my current mother—Gina Medicus.

The greatest healing mage in the Kingdom of Kishirika.

Like Nee-san, she is endlessly gentle and compassionate toward her patients, which is why she's called a saintly mother, but in reality—

“Perfect timing!! Give me all the mana you can right now!!”

Gina grabbed my hand and drained an amount of mana that would have turned a normal person into a husk.

Color returned to her pale face, and she ran back to her patients.

…Well, that's just the kind of person she is.

After months apart, she gives her son a quick greeting and immediately prioritizes her patients—she's even more obsessed with treatment than I am.

Some people might think she's a cold parent, but…

I genuinely respect her. Her love for her family is real.

“Phew… we managed to save the emergency patient. Thanks to you, Ask.”

“No, I'm just glad I could help, Mom.”

“…By the way, why is Ask here?”

After finishing the treatment and returning, Gina tilted her head.

“I heard the port was attacked by monsters and wondered if there was anything I could do.”

“I see. Then please give me all the mana you have.”

“Here you go.”

“…Phew. With this, we should be able to avoid any deaths for three days. Your mana reserves are truly incredible. If only you could use healing magic—you might even surpass Fran as a healing mage…”

Gina muttered regretfully.

At that moment, Christina stepped forward and gave her an elegant bow.

“It's been a long time, Gina-sama.”

“Hm? Umm… forgive me, but who might you be?”

“Mom, Mom—it's Princess Christina.”

“Christina… Christina? Ah, Princess Christina!!”

“Did you just forget your own country's princess?”

My mother looked off into the distance and tried to whistle awkwardly.

She's really bad at covering things up.