The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

As much as it pains me, we have to survive in these woods.

We can't leave the forest, because those demons might be watching us, and any attempt to escape might result in further punishment.

Our immediate problems are lack of food and shelter.

I can make a fire from my experience of camping, but we are in a forest where ferocious demons lurk.

There is no safe place for us.

The important thing here is for each of us to do our part and not act on our own.

First, let's make good use of the notebook left by the demon.

The first day in the forest

Luggage Check

Knife x 6

Canteen x 6

Food: about 3 days

Cloth

I estimate that we only have enough food for three days.

That stupid white coat, he stuffed rocks in his luggage to disguise the weight.

So far his deeds are unbelievably outrageous, but I wonder if he is aware of it.

I can only guess that they are trying to see how well they can move under pressure, to foster teamwork, or to create a rift in the ranks...you get the idea.

Today ended with just finding a place to live from now on.

The place is near a river with clean water.

It has a good view and is a place where we can quickly cope with any attack by demons.

Tomorrow we will gather food and explore the surrounding area.

We will divide the team into two and have them search around the river and in the forest to see if there are any demons that pose a threat.

Lin is cute, for that matter.

I can't help but feel at home when I look at the journal with her.

Second day in the forest

The men who have explored the forest have seen a ferocious demon.

It was a large demon with a bear-like yelp.

Suddenly, it appeared in their sight like a puff of smoke and left the scene, seemingly heedless of Kevin and the others' attacks.

And there are three of them.

To tell the truth, I had thought that we could beat most of the demons with our current abilities, but the dismay of Kevin and the others was amazing.

Their attacks slipped through and didn't hit us.

It's nasty.

I've never heard of such a monster. Is that the test that Usato wants us to accomplish?

It's too much trouble to wonder what kind of impossible task he can accomplish.

We found some fish in the river, but not many.

It is not a stable hunting ground, because if we take too many fish, they might run away and disappear.

Fortunately, Nono seems to know a lot about wildflowers, so we'll have to rely on her knowledge.

I hear the roar of demons.

Sometimes it comes from near, sometimes from far away.

I can't sleep.

There is no way I can sleep peacefully with those dreadful creatures so close by.

The fourth day in the forest

Lin was eating fish for food.

Everyone, including me, felt cheerful, as we had no reason to be angry and were rather smiling.

I was surprised at how much he ate.

Fifth day in the forest

I saw that monster.

The hideous beast, which Nono and I had also witnessed during the day, stared at us as if it were scouting for its prey, and then disappeared as if melting into the darkness of the forest.

What in the world is that thing?

It's not like any other creature on earth.

Everyone is getting tired, though they don't say it.

We haven't run out of food yet, but we haven't slept well.

If that horrifying beast comes at us, even if we have a guard, we won't stand a chance.

No one is hurt.

We still have enough food.

But our hearts were certainly growing weak.

Sixth day in the forest

I'm running out of patience.

We must find that monster and defeat it.

Otherwise, we'll be ruined.

Seventh day in the forest

I searched for the demon yesterday and today and could not find even a trace of it.

I don't understand.

Such a big, scary monster should be easy to find.

It's as if it's not there at all, but it's screams are still echoing from the forest.

This may be the first time I've ever been so afraid of a monster.

Eighth day in the forest

All the way.

I can't get that war cry out of my head forever and ever.

From far away, from near, but I can still hear it.

I'm afraid to meditate.

I'm sleepy, but I can't sleep.

I shiver at the thought that just as I fall asleep a monster will come out of the darkness and bite me on the whistle.

Will we ever greet the morning?

I wonder if we will be able to greet the morning.

I'm kind of in the mood.

Thanks for the report. Neah."

It was approaching the seventh day of the exercise.

Neah, who until today had been hiding out with my men as a cat, had returned to me to give her report.

It is quite late in the day, and all three of them except Koga are now asleep.

"Do you think they'll notice?"

"They'll notice?" "I've left something for them to notice. It's up to them to find it."

I don't think it's a big deal if you don't find it.

That's what I led them to, and the result is still good.

As I heat water in a pot set over the fire, I tell them one of the purposes of this exercise.

"I think that somewhere in their hearts they underestimate demons because they have lived closer to them than to us," I say.

"Actually, yes. There was a part of me that was optimistic that if we beat the worst of them, we could get by."

"......Well, we used demons as a fighting force in some parts of the world."

As Koga said, at the time of the attack on the Lingle Kingdom, they were treating demons as a force to be reckoned with.

In that sense, we must make them change their perception of demons.

The people we are heading for are in a territory inhabited by many demons, so naturally they must be on a different level from the demons in the areas inhabited by humans and demon clans.

"It's really a battle against yourself, isn't it? Either they will be beaten by the demons of their own imagination, or they will overcome them. ...... Either way, it will be a meaningful exercise for them."

"I've always thought you were good at doing outrageous things with mental anguish."

As I have said many times before, the soldiers here are physically fit to a certain extent, so we have prioritized mental training, and as a result, we have settled on this policy.

Well, it's not that I'm unaware of it.

I'm aware that I've done some pretty terrible things in this training, but..."

"You are aware of it. ......"

"This is necessary, too. I don't want anyone to die."

The realm of demons is a dangerous place, and no amount of preparation is enough.

And more than anything else, I have to be very determined when one of the Demon King's requests is there.

"They should be getting used to life in the forest by now, so I want Nair to guide them when the time is right."

"Okay."

Then, as if to see what I was thinking, Nair, who had transformed from a girl into a black cat, curled up on the group clothes that I had folded and placed beside me.

"What are you doing?"

"It's better this way so I don't have to sleep on the hard ground. And I'll allow you to pet me."

"Why?"

Because I'm a cat now.

No. What's the logic?

I can't say no to her, even though I'm asking her to do something quite absurd, so I stroke her lightly with my free hand covered with healing magic, and she purrs pleasantly.

"No, a cat?"

"I can't believe you're a vampire, man."

Coga looks a little stunned, but Nair seems satisfied.

Well, he keeps his hand on the fire and talks to Coga.

"I'm about to go, can I leave it to you?"

"Yes. I know most of what I have to do. You just go and do the Demon Lord a favor.

I don't want to leave, but it's now or never.

"A poison infested zone. I wonder what awaits us."

One of the Demon Lord's requests.

He asked me to retrieve one of the powers that were taken from him by the hero, Mr. Hisago.

Of course, it's not the Demon Lord's arbitrary decision, and the information has been shared with Lingle and Mearaak, so it's an official mission ......, but only a limited number of people have been informed of it.

It is a dangerous mass of power, and it is necessary to retrieve it to bring bad influence to the Demon Lord's territory, but the ...... problem is the place where it is sleeping.

"In any case, it's impossible to recover it with mere restoration magic.

"It is a dangerous area that is impossible for the demon tribe to even enter if the healing wizard has not awakened. Even though I am the only one who can go there, the Demon King is also very reckless.

This is one of the reasons why we have chosen this place for our training.

Are you sure you want to go alone?

I need Nair to watch over my men. I wish Ferrum were here, but he's in the Kingdom of Lingle.

"Oh, if he's assimilated, it doesn't matter if he's poisoned or not.

So I had to go and retrieve it by myself, and I was given a magical tool for that purpose.

I know where it is, and I'm going to go there and come back as soon as I can.

"Then why don't you just take Keira with you?"

"No, I can't."

He quickly denies this to Kohga, who says this to him when he sees Keira asleep leaning against Bullein's body.

"She can get into the cloak of dark magic I made, and she won't be affected by the poison.

"There's no way you can take this girl to a dangerous place. ......"

As the person in charge of Mr. Gref, I can't let him put himself in danger.

You don't understand, do you?

"What are you talking about? ......"

"I know you want me to rely on you in times like these. But you can't be too overprotective, can you?

It's true that Keira won't be affected by the poison, and even if she is, she'll always be able to benefit from my healing magic when she's cloaked.

But still... .......

I'm coming.

"Oh, you're awake."

Keira rubs her eyes and says, as she rises from the burin.

She may have been listening to our conversation earlier, and although she looks sleepy, I can sense that she is adamant about not giving in.

"If I can be of any help, please let me go. ......!"

"But, but... ......"

"No? ......?"

I was worried when I saw Keira looking down with a sigh.

At this rate, I have a feeling that she's going to follow me behind my back,...... and moreover, I can say that what Koga says is not wrong.

As Ferrum told me, I may be a little too overprotective.

Sometimes that can be a bit too much for the person in question.

"Listen to my instructions, okay?"

Yes, sir!

When I tell you to run, you fly away and let KOGA know. If you can do that, you can come with me.

"I understand. ......!"

There shouldn't be any danger other than poison, so I don't think we'll have to fight. .......

"I hope it's nothing serious."

"When you say things like that, something usually happens. In your case."

"...... now I regret saying it out loud."

I guess these things are called flags.

Anyway, if we take Keira with us, we must make sure she is not in any danger.