11 — A Triumphant Return
11 — A Triumphant Return
I realized something too late, just as the silhouette of Merratoni came into view.
“I forgot to shut everyone up before we left.”
“Don’t sweat it. I’m curious to see the welcome they’ve got waiting for you. Nothing wrong with being loved, is there?” Jord smiled at me as I sulked.
“Sure, I guess.”
We trotted on and the city walls peaked over the horizon.
“I’m back,” I muttered.
As we approached the gate, something appeared off. Really off. It was positively overflowing with people, like some kind of citywide parade was going on.
“I knew you were popular after those riots, but that’s gotta be, what, the whole city turning out for you?”
“Yeah, uh... I’m shocked myself. All I did was live at the Adventurer’s Guild for a while. Wait, maybe they’re Saint Weirdo’s Day patients.”
“Guess that makes them our patients too,” Jord laughed, easing the tension of the team behind us. “We’re going to be busy.”
No plain old healer like me deserved a parade like this, but here it was nonetheless. I supposed that was something to be proud of. Without letting it go to my head, of course, unless I wanted to experience a layer of hell with my master.
“That mini arclink crystal you got is sure going to come in handy.”
“Right? Her Holiness pulled out all the stops.” I felt sort of like a superstar, and if that sounded a little conceited, that’s probably because it was. It was hard to stay levelheaded with a throng of people waiting for me.
We soon reached our destination.
“Welcome back, Mister Luciel. May I see your identification?” the sentry asked. He was the same guard from four years earlier—the first person I’d spoken to here.
I dismounted Forêt and presented my card. “Right here. I’m surprised you remember me.”
“I couldn’t possibly forget. Everyone in town knows your name.” He took my card, carefully looked it over, and returned it to me. “Welcome home, Saint Weirdo.”
Where in the world had he learned that name? He stepped aside to let us pass before I could ask, and familiar faces were awaiting us as we stepped into the city.
“Is that my idiot apprentice over there?” my master shouted. “You’d better not be slacking on your training.”
“Of course not. I knew you wouldn’t let me off easy if I did. You can never be too prepared, right?”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself! How about we finish this down in the training—”
“Slow down there,” Galba blessedly interjected. Brod rolled his eyes in frustration. “It’s nice to see you again, Luciel. Take care of what you need to do at the Healer’s Guild, and find an inn for your people. There’s time for catching up later.”
“Listen here,” Brod added, “if we’re gonna throw you a welcome party, I wanna see this Saint Weirdo’s Day of yours, understand?”
I laughed. “You think you can intimidate me? And wait, how do you know about Saint Weirdo’s Day?”
“Monica helps get the Healer’s Guild to spill things every now and then.”
“You’re using her?!” And what was the guild doing letting that sort of information out?
“Hey, it was her and Nanaella’s idea. Don’t look at me like that; I’m just the middle man here. Anyway, what’s the plan?”
At least they hadn’t learned anything very important, although I would’ve told the girls all about it if they’d just asked me. Regarding “the plan,” though... There were too many people present to handle it on my own.
“I’ll gladly hold Saint Weirdo’s Day here, but on condition that my unit can join me.”
“Not a problem as long as you call the shots. That settle it? Good. Now hurry up and go finish what you gotta do at the Healer’s Guild.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
Crowds of people showered us with kind words on our way through the city. The rest of my team was more shocked than anything, but it filled me with a kind of pride. I couldn’t help but smile.
People continued to call out to us, even when we reached the guild.
“I get the feeling people like you,” Jord laughed. “We might end up more comfortable here than we ever were at HQ.”
“That’s Merratoni for you. On the other hand, we won’t be able to train with the Valkyries.”
“A very good point.”
I opened the guildhall door and led everyone inside. “Feels like it’s been forever.”
I’d known this place would be something of an oasis for everyone, but from my first step inside, I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. Even more so than when we’d first arrived in town. Hanging from the ceiling of the usually quiet and subdued hall was an absurdly gaudy banner that read, “Welcome home, Luciel the S-rank, pride of the Merratoni branch!”
I froze. Then applause erupted. And just like that, I was in the awkward situation of desperately wanting to leave but tragically being unable to. It took immense effort to keep the distress from showing on my face.
“It’s wonderful to see you again, Luciel. Or should I say sir?” Kururu greeted me.
“Oh, hello. The Healer’s Guild is looking...different these days. How do you know I’m S-rank?”
She giggled. “The last branch director ditched everything and ran when he heard you were coming back. And I was next in line, so here I am.”
“You’re the new director?!”
“Thanks to you. It sure helped me figure out what brought you back here.”
“I didn’t do anything. You earned that position yourself. If anything, you should thank Lumina.”
“Oh, I will. But I really wouldn’t have made it to guildmaster at thirty without you. Can you believe that? Thirty! I’m the youngest female director in the world! And the raise; gods, the raise! I could just kiss you!”
“I-I’m...I’m good, thanks. I’d like to take care of our paperwork now.” The drastic spike in her energy made me want to cringe.
“You’re never any fun. Is that the secret to reaching S-rank? Being a spoilsport?”
My poor sanity can’t take much more.
I looked around and noticed way more staff around than during my last visit. “There’re a lot more people here than I remember. It used to just be you after Monica left. How many do you have now?”
“Four, recently. Things are only going to get busier, so I thought I might as well train a few protégés while I can.”
“Not a bad idea.”
I absentmindedly glanced around, then my eyes stopped on one of the receptionists. Her black hair and dark eyes struck a chord of familiarity in me. Something about her felt old, nostalgic.
“Hold it right there. I know Estia’s cute, but you’re not about to steal her like you did Monica. Got it?”
“Huh? What? Oh, right, of course not. I’m here to fix things, not make it harder for you guys.”
“I should hope so.”
“Yeah, it’s just, you don’t often see hair or eyes that dark. I was just curious. In a good way, I mean.”
“I guess I can understand that.”
It wasn’t long before we were done with the formalities and on our way to the Adventurer’s Guild.
＊
Meanwhile, at the clinic that would be hosting Luciel and his companions, Bottaculli had flown into a rage.
“Why?! Why is he here?! Why is he coming to my clinic?! The boy must have a grudge against me! Yes, that’s it! And that damn guildmaster probably skipped town with the money he was supposed to pass along—my money! What the hell am I going to do?! Well?! Think, you buffoons!”
The healer’s slaves and hired bodyguards simply stood there, subject to his rage. To be transferred to Church Headquarters typically meant that one wouldn’t be coming back for at least five years or more. Or ever, in the case of those sent away for causing trouble. In spite of that, Luciel had returned after only two years. It simply wasn’t logical. Bottaculli was convinced the new S-ranker was after him with his newfound authority.
The portly man’s veins bulged, his blood pressure skyrocketing as he racked his brain for ways to get one over on the conniving upstart. The bodyguards present were new and hadn’t heard of Luciel before, but they knew well that killing a beloved S-rank healer would put their own lives at risk.
Bottaculli’s slaves, on the other hand, were shocked to see their master in such uncharacteristic disarray and knew exactly what to do. It was time to put their plan into action.
While shadows moved and motives clashed, it was Saint Weirdo’s Day in the training grounds of a certain Adventurer’s Guild.