# 8
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What else is there...?
“Senpai Kai!” (Colleague Kay!)
“Miss!”
When I looked back, I saw two shadows running towards me.
It was a petite girl with light green hair tied at the sides, and a slender man with beige hair.
Their eyes shone so brightly when they saw me.
They were the two new healers who joined recently.
Were their names… Micah and Jad?
"Wow! You were really great the other day!"
They suddenly stopped in front of me and started talking with shining eyes:
“Your level is on par with the high priests! You are so amazing! How can healing be done in such a short time? This is truly amazing! Kyaaa! If you were at this level, the title of ‘Legendary Healer’ would be easy for you!”
“Miss, I have great respect for you!”
Amidst the flowing words of praise, which I did not know whether they were a compliment or true praise, I tried to hide my shyness and answered them:
“It's not that much.”
Hearing my answer, Micah and Jade's eyes lit up.
“Oh my God, and beyond that humble... but, you are truly amazing! You are perfect!”
“Why are you staying in Geronia? With your skills, you can go to the capital and get an exceptional promotion easily.”
The capital... where the heroine who wants to kill me lives.
But I couldn't say that to newcomers who don't know anything.
In fact, I can't say that to anyone in this world.
“Ahahaha, my skills are still lacking to go to the capital.”
Jad said with a sad and sad face:
“This is unfortunate! Miss, a while ago, the director of the center said that Miss Kay lacks ambition, and that he is ready to write a letter of recommendation and send you to the capital at any time.”
“Ahaha, thank you for taking care of me. But I love this place and I don’t think about going to the capital. Well, I will go in now.”
When I opened the office door, they nodded and bowed to me respectfully.
"Yes, miss! Rest well!"
“Rest, miss!”
While they were disappearing with quick steps, I entered the office and closed the door.
The small office, measuring no more than five meters in size, was the only place in the center where I could rest.
I slowly entered and placed the healing stick that I had been holding all day on the desk, then threw myself onto the chair.
'Ah, it's been a really tiring day.'
While I was relaxing on the chair, my eyes fell on the Empire newspaper placed on the desk.
[The son and daughter of the Hilderius family succeed in invading the impenetrable dungeon of Asinta!]
I saw the title written in bold font filling the first page, so I picked up the newspaper and began reading the article unconsciously.
[It is said that the son and daughter of Duke Hilderius' family successfully conquered the dungeon of Asinta, which was called 'impregnable', and obtained the legendary 'Dragon Heart'. They swore allegiance to the Emperor and the Empire as its strongest swords.]
It was an article about the Duke's family twins who had been constantly appearing on the front page for years.
They were achieving victories after victories, such as defeating enemies and purging armies of monsters. Now, they have even succeeded in invading Asinta's dungeon, which is filled with monsters and terrifying magical creatures.
Since they obtained the dragon's heart, did they really kill a dragon?
It's truly the path of superheroes.
“That's why I can't go to the capital.”
I put the newspaper down roughly and sighed.
My heart began to pound with fear because what these powerful people in the newspaper were after was my life.
Whenever I read about the heroine’s achievements in the newspaper, I become anxious.
'It is impossible for them to come looking for me while I am quietly hiding in this remote countryside. That's okay. 'Calm down.'
I took a deep breath until my heartbeat calmed down, then I began to collect my things in the bag to go home.
Knock, knock, knock.
There was a heavy knock on the door.
What else is there when I'm about to leave?
I looked towards the door and said out loud:
“Come in.”
The door opened forcefully, and a sweet, baritone voice echoed throughout the office.
“Kai, are you okay?”
At that moment, I felt as if my eyes had been dazzled. Is...is this 'cleaning the eyes'?
As soon as I saw the man with long, carefully tied white hair and red eyes, I felt as if my tired body had received some recovery.
The effect of handsomeness! While I was secretly praising him, I rose with a warm welcome.
“Mr. Envoy! How are you?”
The envoy smiled brightly and offered me a bouquet of flowers that he was carrying.
“They are crocuses. I found them on my way to you.”
The flowers he said he “found” were so beautifully wrapped.
This grandfather is really... his actions are kind.
“She is very beautiful. Thank you, Mr. Envoy.”
As he looked at my happy features with satisfaction, his facial expressions gradually began to harden.
“Your face has turned very pale. You are stuttering. Are you eating well? These scoundrels in the empire! They seem to give you very hard work!”
I worked sixteen hours without eating well! But I did not want to increase the anxiety of the envoy who always cares about me.
I pretended to be active and answered brightly:
“There is no work in this world that is not tiring. However, the pay is good, the people here are good, and it is bearable.”
“However… those bastards cannot be trusted. Kai, if you feel too tired, return to the temple anytime.”
“Ahaha, teach”
I answered laughing.
The envoy always said that I could return to the temple if I was tired, but I knew very well that that was actually impossible.
He sat on the sofa that I pointed to, and said with a serious face:
“Kay...”
I saw his hardened face, and I knew instinctively what he was going to say.
“Always make sure you close the doors tightly! Do you know how dangerous the world is these days? Also today, a monster emerged from the depths of the sea! If you were in the temple, I wouldn’t worry about you. How can a grown girl live in such a dangerous building?” She groaned. “When you come home today, always make sure the doors are closed tightly. Do you understand?”
The boring sermons have begun.
Does the day start by closing the doors?
While I was wondering about the mysterious relationship between the monster of the depths and the closing of doors, and I tried to answer slowly, he continued speaking, quickly interrupting me:
"I'm not done yet! No matter how good a person seems, never follow strangers! Even people you know should be wary of them, let alone strangers. Do you hear me, Kai!"
When I answered briefly, he started scolding me again:
“And also, stop drinking wine! A rumor has spread throughout Geronia that you like to drink. Haven’t I told you repeatedly? Wine is poison! It is a poison that destroys your body!”
It was like advising parents when visiting the family home after a long absence.
He used to visit me from time to time to bombard me with such sermons.
Although it is full of love, its repetition makes one bored.
I was smiling soullessly and answering, “Yes, yes,” while letting his words pass from one ear to the other, but the envoy’s face suddenly became serious.
“Anyway, an emergency has arisen in the capital and I have to go there. I will settle the score with that damned ‘High Priest’. What a scoundrel. I was the one who gave the permission! How dare he say that it is ‘not possible’! I will go and take the necessary measures for you to become the healing priestess of the temple as you wish.”
He began to grit his teeth and curse the high priest.
I heard that the high priest is an old friend of the envoy, but since it was completely proven that I had no holy power, returning to the temple as a healing priestess was almost impossible.
However, I nodded while smiling.
The envoy looked worried even with my smile, so he continued:
“I'm worried about leaving you here and going to the capital. I won't be in Geronia for a while, so you should always be careful and take care of yourself, Kay!”
Then the sermons continued about not going to areas where monsters appear, and returning home immediately after work is finished.
He said that the barriers will weaken, so one must always be careful.
I said goodbye to him and he said that he had to leave quickly amidst the endless barrage of sermons.
“Ahaha, yes. I understand very well. Go in peace and take care of yourself, Mr. Envoy.”
I waved my hand to the departing envoy, and as soon as he disappeared I returned to the office.
Oh, no matter how full of love the sermons are, too much of them is boring.
As I was packing my things into the bag to go home, the face of a woman with her gray hair tightly tied up looked out from the end of the hallway.
“Kai, has the envoy left?”
That woman with freckles, sleepy blue eyes, and kind features had been my best friend since the temple days, and my current colleague, “Bri.”
She also wanted to become a healing priestess in the temple, but she felt uncomfortable there, so she followed me to become an imperial healer.
During such hard days of overtime, she was my best companion on “drinking sessions.”
“Yes, he left after bombarding me with his stormy sermons.”
Bree grumbled, pursed her lips.
“And yet, see how much he cares about you? There is no more favoritism than this. We are from the same place, but he never cares about me.”
“Ahahaha, if you listen to his stormy sermons, this idea will disappear from your head immediately.”
Bree shrugged her shoulders, then turned her attention to the newspaper on the desk.
She read the clearly written article about the twin of the Duke’s family, Hilderius, and said:
“The Hilderius family is really amazing. They kill monsters and raid dungeons. Ah, right. Have you heard about the Duke’s son? They say he’s very handsome!”
Of course... he must be handsome.
Since he is the twin brother of the heroine, who is famous for her beauty.
He has money, his abilities are extraordinary to the point of cheating, and he is also handsome.
Moreover, he is the heir to the duke family.
He was very popular among the women of the empire.
But what good is that? He will surely cut my throat as soon as he sees me.
I couldn't say this to Bree, so I just smiled secretly and supported her words.
Then Berri continued with a dreamy face:
“They say that a monster army has appeared in Durkan recently and are asking for support. I really hope that the Duke’s son will come to Durkan even once! I will go to see him immediately then.”
Durkan was a small town an hour from Geronia, but it was so far from the capital that it would take more than a week to travel by horse.
Since the forces of the neighboring cities are sufficient for defense, and since the Hero Twins have just completed the invasion of the Asinta Dungeon, the capital must be busy with congratulatory parties and banquets.
Why would the duke's son come to such a remote countryside?
In fact, only the usual knights of the area would gather, but I didn't want to spoil her joy so I just shook my head.
Bree, who had been obsessed with romance novels lately, was dreaming of love between a handsome nobleman and a commoner girl.
If I hadn't been the villain, I might have dreamed of romance like Bree.
But what good will that do? It's all in vain.
It would be good if my throat wasn't cut when I met them.
Enough illusions, enough.
I asked Bree while I was packing my bag:
“Brie, how about a drink today?”
I was physically and psychologically tired from the constant overtime, and if there was no work, I had to drink something after I finished, right?
I erased the sermon of the envoy who stressed that I should give up alcohol from my head as soon as I heard it.
Mr. Envoy, do you know that? The sorrows and pressures of employees are all treated with wine.
“I will pay.”
At my last word, Bree exclaimed excitedly:
"Oh! Great!"