The Reincarnated Transcendent Wants to Fill the Hole in Their Chest - Episode 9: Healing

Episode 9: Healing

“…Still, I’m glad it ended so easily.”

Facing away from the purple sky and heading back to the castle, Konoe murmured while sweeping up the remaining enemies.

He let out a sigh of relief that the commanders had only been an ordinary disaster-class threat.

If it had been one level higher—calamity-class—or even a disaster-class with a unique magic origin, a creature that can use special powers, it wouldn’t have ended this easily.

Such enemies are deadly even for Adepts if the matchup is bad. Even if favorable, it’s impossible to know how long it would take to bring them down.

Well, monsters like that are extremely rare. It’s said that even one appearing anywhere in the world in a year would be considered frequent. However, this labyrinth outbreak was said to be on a once-in-ten-years scale. So, the possibility, though low, wasn’t zero.

We were lucky—or rather, not unlucky, Konoe thought.

“…Ternelica.”

“…Konoe-sama.”

After taking care of the remnants, Konoe reunited with Ternelica. She had been crying beside the body of a female knight who had died near the teleportation gate. But when Konoe told her about the extermination of the monsters, the state of the audience hall, the number of survivors, and that treatment for the townspeople was about to begin, she wiped her tears and stood up.

With eyes swollen red and filled with sorrow—but still…

“The knights… really accomplished their mission, didn’t they?”

—Yet she wore a face full of pride. She said that with her chest held high and a smile.

“…”

Konoe was at a loss for words, seeing Ternelica like that.

And while he hesitated—

“Then, let’s go! I’ll help in any way I can!”

Ternelica began to walk. Konoe followed the young girl toward the audience hall—

—Where another battlefield was waiting.

◆

When Konoe and Ternelica reached the top floor of the castle, the doors were already wide open.

Perhaps preparations had already begun; treatment tables were being lined up near the entrance, and knights were running around. They were dragging their weary bodies.

…But from afar, no other figures were visible.

Which meant that aside from the knights, the only ones standing were…

“…”

The two quickly entered the audience hall—

“—”

“—Ah.”

What spread before them was horrible—truly horrific.

Many people were lying on the floor. What had once been a lavish hall was now filled with those stricken by a deadly plague.

A holy magic circle had been deployed to slow the progression of the plague. Yet, within its bounds, almost no one was moving.

People could do nothing but lie down. Their empty eyes were staring up at the ceiling.

Faint wheezes, hoarse cries of pain, voices calling out for fathers and mothers—

There was a sound like the wind stirring. But it wasn’t really a sound—just voices too weak to become sound.

Even though the doors had opened, and the Adept and Princess Ternelica had entered, hardly anyone even turned their heads. Most hadn’t noticed. Were their ears still working? How many senses did they even have left?

Looking closer, among the rows of people were the dead—but not all had died from the plague. Some corpses had slash marks on their necks. Some had knives fallen beside them. Likely, they had been unable to endure the pain and—

“—No…”

Ternelica gasped. New tears were welling up in her eyes.

—But this was the plague.

A miasma invading the body, corrupting it down to the soul. The body continues to decay endlessly. It’s wracked with constant pain, with no rest.

People can only move in the early stages. After fifteen days like now, it’s normal to not even be able to move.

From that point on, there’s nothing left but to suffer and wait for death.

The people here were already in that stage—

“—”

Konoe let out a small breath and stepped forward toward the afflicted.

He circulated his magic, weaving it into life magic.

—The city of Silménia, with over 3,000 survivors.

For an Adept, this is normal. After the battle to kill monsters comes the battle to save people.

◆

The first ones Konoe treated were the knights who could still move.

They were not in critical condition and had the lowest risk of sudden death. Still, he prioritized them because he needed help.

Over 3,000 people. It would be impossible for Konoe to check on and transport them all alone. Therefore, he first healed those who could become his hands and feet.

After that, he moved on to treating those without physical strength—children, the elderly—while also healing those with special skills: those who could care for patients, healers, child carers, magicians who could produce water or fire.

He arranged beds in a circle around him and healed multiple people at once. When one group was done, he moved to the next—repeating this endlessly.

Those with caregiving skills performed triage, healers prolonged lives, and Konoe focused on quickly treating those in critical condition.

Magicians conjured water and cooked soft meals using fire. Even elderly recovering patients were put to work providing water and food to those who still couldn’t move.

As this went on, the sun set. And darkness fell outside the castle.

Monster cries echoed in the distance. Some knights left to stand guard. Konoe healed a few strong individuals and had them help with treatment as well—

—Night passed, and morning came. And then night came again.

Those still standing kept moving. The end was nowhere in sight.

…But perhaps around the second day—

The city slowly began to move again.

The number of healed people increased. And everyone began doing what they could.

Those who could fight monsters joined the knights. The strong searched the castle town for useful items. Those who could cook, cooked. Even children helped wash dishes and clean.

The third day came, then the fourth.

Around then, a high-level monster—a Demon—approached the city. It caused an uproar. Konoe threw a cross-spear from the window—

—And during all that time, he never rested once.

He healed without sleep or rest. Continued treating the people before his eyes.

“—Konoe-sama, please… rest a little.”

“…It’s not necessary.”

Ternelica worried about him. But Konoe shook his head.

He knew that he didn’t need rest. That his current self could keep going forever.

Not because he was an Adept.

Even an Adept couldn’t do this. No matter how skilled, if they tried to do what Konoe was doing now, their magic would run dry in less than a day.

Healing plague victims consumes an enormous amount of magic. That’s just how it is.

That’s why plague healing costs so much.

Normally, it would be impossible to do this without rest.

But Konoe was able to because—

“—A god.”

There are gods in this world.

Real beings you can speak to, who stay close by. That’s why the distance between people and gods is short.

Just as the god had made tea for Konoe many times, and thanks to that he was able to keep standing—

The gods always cherish people. They stay close.

—That’s why, when your actions are good and your heart is unashamed before the gods, they truly watch over you.

They watch—and lend their strength.

Yes, ever since he began healing, Konoe had felt the god’s presence behind him. No one else could see or feel it, but Konoe definitely sensed their support. And the god provided vast amounts of magic.

Cheering him on—“You can do it! You can do it!”

Clasping her hands in front of her chest, flapping white wings, conveying a warm presence telling him he could succeed.

And so, even when he almost relaxed, Konoe kept moving until the very end—

“—”

—On that day, Konoe completed the healing of everyone.

The number he healed was 3,230 people.

Seven days and seven nights had passed since he started.