Volume 1, Chapter 38 – “Magic”

“No, no, I’m the elf princess, not a god. The reason Claire didn’t sense any magical fluctuations is simply because I’m… special.”

So-called magical fluctuations refer to the abnormal flow of elements that occurs when magic is used—which was why Claire had previously detected Fia’s use of [Wind of Exploration].

As for the term “magic,” Fia didn’t bother correcting it. When technology advances to a certain level, especially to the point of nanomachines, it becomes indistinguishable from magic. It’s just that the foundation of nanomachines isn’t magic, which is why Claire couldn’t sense any magical fluctuations at all.

But compared to Claire’s astonishment, Fia’s surprise ran even deeper. Even though she was using the body of an elf princess, she still had nanomachines inside her—this world was truly baffling. Well, she could figure that out later when she had time.

Ah.

Wait a minute!

At that moment, Fia suddenly realized why she had no need to expel bodily waste.

It had to be the nanomachines in her body at work.

That said, Fia wasn’t too keen on imagining exactly how they were handling it. For her, it was enough to know she wouldn’t have to worry about… plucking flowers anymore. One less major inconvenience.

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Deliberately skipping over the details, Fia touched the tip of her finger where the silver dagger had cut her earlier. The wound had already healed the moment the blood dripped out.

While Fia was lost in thought, Claire was crouched down, carefully examining the man’s wounds. Her expression remained utterly stunned, lips slightly parted, her deep emerald eyes filled with disbelief.

“Not even a scar is left. If not for the difference in skin tone, you wouldn’t even be able to tell he was injured. Unbelievable… Healing magic of this level does exist, but it’s at least fourth-tier or higher—yet I didn’t sense the slightest magical fluctuation. If little Fia was deliberately concealing it, then she must be…”

“No, no, no, I’m really not a god! Besides, have you ever seen a god as undignified as me?”

Fia waved her hands frantically in denial. Being mistaken for a deity was far too high a compliment.

“Then… was it that drop of blood earlier? The blood of an elf princess can actually bring the dead back to life? No wonder humans were so desperate to capture you.” After saying this, Claire seemed to remember something, her expression turning solemn. “I swear on my name, Claire, that I will keep this secret. What I saw today will go with me to the grave.”

“Uh… You really don’t have to go that far.” Unsure how to respond, Fia could only offer a wry smile. “If Claire ever finds herself in a situation where she has to talk about it, then it’s better to just say it.”

“But wouldn’t that just shift the danger onto you? No. You’re the only one who isn’t afraid of me—and the only one who won’t forget me.”

Claire’s expression was resolute.

It seemed impossible to convince her otherwise.

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Fia sighed inwardly.

Better change the subject.

“Should we call that girl from earlier in now?”

“Mm. I’ll go get them.”

Without hesitation, Claire quickly brought the anxious crowd waiting outside the tent inside.

What left Fia flustered was that the moment the girl confirmed her father had returned from the dead, she threw herself at Fia’s feet, hugging her legs and sobbing uncontrollably, pouring out endless gratitude. While Fia understood this was a natural reaction, being clung to and tearfully thanked by a young girl still left her feeling rather embarrassed.

“Thank you, Miss Fia! Thank you, Miss Fia!!”

“Hey, shouldn’t you be paying her for saving your father?”

The leader reminded her from the side.

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The girl immediately snapped back to reality and hurriedly pulled out a grimy cloth pouch. Though the pouch looked pitifully thin, the faint clinking inside revealed it held coins. With both hands, she raised the pouch toward Fia, her bright eyes filled with nothing but gratitude and sincerity.

“Th-This is all the money we have… It’s not much, but… please don’t look down on it. I’ll find a way to pay the rest of the treatment fee!”

Fia hesitated briefly.

“…Alright, I’ll accept this. But you don’t need to pay the rest—just give it to Dr. Claire instead. Your father lost a lot of blood and needs long-term rest. Make sure he doesn’t get hurt again.”

“Thank you!”

With that, Fia took the pouch.

Of course, she had no intention of actually taking the girl’s money. She only accepted it for appearances’ sake, planning to secretly hand it over to the leader Claire knew later, so he could return the money to the girl through some other means. From Fia’s observations, the leader might look rough, but he seemed like a decent person—at the very least, he cared about the lives of this father and daughter. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ignored the man screaming outside and instead brought Claire to treat someone who was clearly beyond saving.

After the other men carried the girl’s father away, only Claire, Fia, and the leader of the slums remained in the tent.

The burly man scratched his head and gave Claire an awkward smile.

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“Sorry about that, Claire. That girl got it wrong—it was obviously you who healed that guy.”

“The one who truly healed that girl’s father was little Fia. Injuries of that severity are beyond even my capabilities. Let me introduce you—Fia is an old friend of mine. Though she’s an elf, she has no intention of harming humans.”

The man’s eyes widened as he stared at Fia, his deep voice brimming with awe.

“Whoa!! You must be a magic caster, right? So young, yet with healing magic stronger than the temples! On behalf of that bastard who just crawled back from the underworld, thank you!”

“Ahaha… It was nothing, really.”

Being thanked so profusely one after another made Fia blush. She averted her gaze, her finger unconsciously twirling a strand of her white hair. This kind of experience was entirely new to her.

“How’s the man outside with Darkborn Disease doing? I remember treating him just a few days ago.”

At the mention of Darkborn Disease, the leader’s expression darkened. He crossed his thick arms and sighed helplessly.

“His whole body has already turned black. If it flares up one more time, there’ll be no saving him.”