Fairy Tail: This Healing Mage's hits hurt so much!

Just as Riyao approached the berry pie stall with his honey pie in hand, before he could even ask the price, a tall, steady voice suddenly came from behind him, carrying an unquestionable sense of etiquette.

"Mr. Sunrise, His Majesty the King requests your presence."

He turned around abruptly, half a pie still dangling from his mouth, and saw a dark-faced knight in silver-white knight armor standing at the alley entrance.

With emerald badges adorning his shoulder armor, sharp eyes like an eagle, and a posture as upright as a pine tree, he was none other than Arcadios, the most capable knight under the Emerald Princess's command.

Riyao didn't bother to chew the pie properly, swallowing it haphazardly in a few bites. He grabbed the remaining dried strawberries with one hand and stuffed them into his pocket, while stuffing the last half of the pie into his mouth with the other. His cheeks bulged out like he had two walnuts in his mouth, and he mumbled a reply.

"Okay, okay! Lead the way!"

The moment Sunrise followed Arcadios through the palace gates, he was completely stunned.

The ceiling was adorned with crystal chandeliers that resembled scattered diamonds, their light spilling onto the scarlet carpet and making the gilded pillars on either side gleam.

The walls are adorned with oil paintings edged in gold, and the railings of the connecting corridor are inlaid with tiny, colorful gemstones. A faint fragrance of incense wafts through the air, a stark contrast to the smoky atmosphere of the street food stalls.

He raised his hand and hastily wiped the sugar and bread crumbs from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, then patted the snack crumbs off his clothes and hurried to catch up with Arcadios.

In his other hand, he was holding a handful of dried berries he had grabbed from the stall owner as he passed by, which he was crunching and chewing.

"Holy crap..."

(´⊙ω⊙`)

Riyao instinctively swore, his eyes widening in disbelief. In his past life, he had never even been to a high-end club, let alone a foot massage parlor. In this life, he had actually barged into such a luxurious palace.

He slowed his pace, touched the carvings on the gilded pillar with his left hand, his fingertips brushing against the cool, smooth metal, and muttered to himself.

How much is this worth? He secretly reached for the colored gemstone on the railing with his right hand, tentatively trying to pry it off with his fingernail, but couldn't budge it. He tried harder, but it still wouldn't budge.

"Tsk, it's stuck on pretty well."

He muttered to himself, his gaze falling on the oil painting frame on the wall. He reached out to touch the cool gold edge, muttering to himself as he did so.

"What should I bring back as a souvenir? This frame looks valuable..."

Arcadias, who was standing to the side, had veins throbbing on his forehead, his handsome face turned completely dark, and his mouth twitched as he barely suppressed the urge to rub his forehead.

In all his years, he had never seen anyone enter the palace like they were browsing a general store, touching things and trying to pick at them. And this kid was a distinguished guest whom the king wanted to see, so he couldn't just stop him.

"Mr. Sunshine".

Arcadios took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady, but his tone carried an undisguised helplessness.

"His Majesty the King is waiting in the main hall. Please hurry and do not be impolite."

"Huh? Oh, okay!"

Riyao snapped out of his daze, reluctantly withdrawing his hand, not forgetting to rub the gilded carving he had just touched with his fingertips, pondering to himself.

After we meet the king, maybe we can find a chance to sneak away with some small items?

As he thought this, he quickly followed Arcadios, his eyes darting around like a little mouse circling in a granary, afraid of missing some "treasure".

Arcadias watched him looking around, eager to make a move, and the dark lines on his forehead almost reached his chin. He could only sigh silently in his heart.

The mages of Fairy Tail are just as rumored... a real headache.

Sunlight followed Arcadios quickly, his gaze still lingering on the palace's carved beams and painted rafters, chewing on the last bit of dried berries, and leaned closer with muffled words.

"Hey, Knight Bro."

He poked at Arcadios's gleaming armor.

"Whom have you summoned me to treat this time? Is it His Majesty the King himself, or some other nobleman?"

Arcadios didn't stop walking, his profile was taut, and his voice remained steady.

"Mr. Riyao, the specific identity of the patient will be revealed by His Majesty after you meet with him."

"Hey, it wouldn't have been a problem to tell you in advance!"

Riyao was not giving up. She quickened her pace to catch up with him, her eyes sparkling.

(✧ω✧)

"Is it an acute or chronic illness? Are there any strange symptoms? Like glowing, insomnia, or... a pet suddenly starting to talk?"

As he spoke, he made wild guesses, his mind already conjuring up all sorts of bizarre illnesses, since there were never any normal commissions in the guild.

Arcadios's forehead darkened further as he patiently responded.

"I cannot disclose the details of the illness, but I know that the patient has been bedridden for many days and has tried various healing magic and medicines without any effect. That's when we heard that there is a young mage in Fairy Tail who is good at healing magic, so we specially invited you to come."

Riyao stroked his chin, smacked his lips, and continued to press for answers.

"Is the patient old? Is he good-tempered? Will he be like some old men who get angry if they can't be cured?"

He hadn't forgotten his earlier fear of "murder to silence him," and it wouldn't hurt to find out more information.

"Rest assured, Mr. Riyao."

Arcadios finally turned his head to look at him, his eyes filled with a hint of helplessness, yet he still maintained the etiquette of a knight.

"The patient is of noble status and gentle nature. He has sincerely asked you to come here for treatment and will certainly not make things difficult for you."

He paused, then added, "However, the illness is quite peculiar, so please do your best when the time comes."

"Of course!"

Riyao patted his chest, and the bag of dried strawberries in his arms rustled.

"With my help, I, Riyao, can cure almost anything except poverty!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at the gilded vase placed beside him, continuing to ponder in his mind.

Once the illness is cured, perhaps the king will reward me with some gold and silver jewelry as a token of gratitude? Then I can take all these pretty little trinkets home with me.

Arcadios seemed to read his mind, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly as he quickened his pace.

"We are almost at the main hall. Please calm your mind. When meeting His Majesty the King, you must observe proper etiquette and refrain from..."

He swallowed his words, unable to bring himself to say "groping and picking at things," so he had to find another way to put it.

"...Do not be disrespectful."

"I know, I know!"

Riyao readily agreed, but while Arcadios turned around, he quickly touched the jade ornament beside him, his fingertips gliding over its warm, smooth surface.

(✧ω✧)

He sighed inwardly, thinking how good the material was; he wished he could cut off a small piece to make a bracelet.

Arcadios caught a glimpse of his subtle movement out of the corner of his eye, took a deep breath, his eye twitching, and forcefully suppressed the urge to facepalm. He felt that leading the way was more tiring than dealing with ten monsters. Fairy Tail truly lived up to its name.