Chapter 20: The Doctor's Dinner (3)
“Do you even know how Mrs. Mei raised you? In difficult times, she gave you the best food and clothes while she had nothing… And your father died early, yet she raised you, a complete stranger!”
“I know that! But…”
The young man hung his head low.
“Uncle, I’m so confused! To think that my mom isn’t my real mom…”
“She’s been your mom for over 20 years, you idiot!”
Knoll began to get angry, and the young man flinched.
“I just…”
Unable to continue, he picked up the ooba belly I had served.
“This is really good. I didn’t have breakfast or lunch because of this injury.”
“If you’re hurt, you should go home quickly. Forget the advice, just finish that and get back to Mrs. Mei!”
“But the atmosphere at home is unbearable! It’s so uncomfortable.”
“You little punk, I still remember when Mrs. Mei got frostbite looking for a doctor because you were sick!”
The young man’s mother seemed like a very caring person. If Knoll’s words were true, even I felt frustrated with the young man.
“Honey!”
Just then, Rein rushed into the restaurant, looking for her husband, her forehead covered in sweat.
“Honey, something terrible has happened! Is Nelin here?”
“Yes, he’s here.”
“Hello, Aunt.”
Nelin stood up and bowed to Rein. But she seemed more concerned than usual, not even noticing Elena. She looked very urgent.
“You! This is not the time for this. Mrs. Mei got seriously injured at the mine!”
“What?”
“She didn’t know you left work early because you were hurt! There was a landslide at the mine, and she got caught in it.”
“How did that happen? Why?”
“She was probably bringing you a meal for your night shift…!”
“Aunt… no, Mom…?”
Nelin looked distraught.
“Come on, hurry! You too!”
“Yes!”
Knoll gave me a quick look. I nodded, understanding that now wasn’t the time for eating. They’d settle the bill later.
The three of them quickly ran down the hill. The restaurant was quiet again. I looked at the elf. She was staring blankly at where the three had disappeared.
“You said you run a clinic, right? And as an elf, you can use healing magic too.”
“Yes? Yes, that’s correct.”
“You mentioned you were disappointed in humans and didn’t understand them…”
Elena nodded quietly, the sauce on her hair now wiped off.
“Think about it differently. That young man’s mother has raised a child who wasn’t her own for decades. His father passed away early, so she raised him alone, even getting frostbite looking for medicine when he was sick. What do you think of such human love? For a child who isn’t even her own.”
“That’s…”
Elena blinked her large eyes, blinking repeatedly as if trying to process this.
“Perhaps you’ve been too quick to judge based on appearances. So why don’t we go down and take a look? Even if you dislike humans, you haven’t forgotten your belief in saving lives, right?”
Healing magic. It’s completely different from offensive or defensive magic. Even Rurin couldn’t use it properly.
Using healing magic requires divine power or a deep love for nature and peace, like the elves.
“You’re right, El. I’m sorry, I must have lost my way for a moment. Let’s go down. I need to save lives if I can. I’ll help.”
I nodded and we followed Knoll down the hill to the northern part of the city, towards the Greiks Mountain mine. It was quite a distance, as the city was at the foot of the mountain.
Many injured people had been brought from the mine. There were also many bodies.
I spotted Knoll. His mother, presumably, was being carried on a stretcher. As we approached, Rein recognized us.
“El? You came all the way here?”
“Yes, Elena was dining at the restaurant, so I brought her along.”
“Oh! Elena?”
“Rein!”
The two women nodded at each other, but Rein quickly shook her head, tears in her eyes.
“It’s so sad. Mrs. Mei… she went to bring her son a meal for his night shift because she worried he would be hungry. But there was a rockfall accident…”
Rein burst into tears, holding a letter in her hand.
Nelin was kneeling beside the unconscious woman, calling out to her. The letter was simple.
[Nelin, you shouldn’t go hungry just because of our situation. I know you don’t want to talk to me right now, so I’m leaving this meal and letter with your coworker. But please, someday, call me ‘Mom’ again. Someday. I have no energy these days. Do you know? I am your mother. Even if you don’t recognize it, I am your mother….]
“The people brought in were hit by large rocks, so it’s doubtful they will survive… she’s suffered so much all her life, how could this happen!”
Rein continued to sob, and Nelin kept calling for his mother. Now that it had come to this.
After driving a wedge by calling her “aunt,” how did he plan to live if she passed away?
Elena, having read the letter with me, seemed to make a firm decision. Even if she didn’t like the young man, she must have felt sympathy for the woman lying there.
“Please step aside. Let me examine her.”
“Yes, that’s right! Nelin, Elena is a skilled healer. Let her see!”
Rein, still sobbing, urged Nelin to step back. Elena quietly looked at the woman. No matter how powerful my mana was, there was nothing I could do for a human life.
“I will use Greater Healing. I don’t know if my mana will suffice.”
Elena, holding the woman, shouted those words. She seemed hesitant in the restaurant, but now she had fully reverted to the life-saving elf she was.
A bright light shone from Elena’s hands.
Sweat began to form on Elena’s forehead. As it dripped down, the woman’s consciousness returned.
It was a miracle. Greater Healing, the highest level of healing magic an elf can perform, is indeed a miracle in itself.
“Mom! Mom!”
Nelin rushed to her. The woman, barely conscious, reached out to her son.
“Nelin, will you… will you call me mom again?”
With that one last sentence, the woman smiled and let her hand drop.
“Mom? Mom!”
Even I was shocked. Did she die just like that?
“It’s okay. She’s just unconscious. She’s passed the critical point.”
Elena reassured Nelin. She seemed exhausted from using most of her mana, stumbling as she stood. I quickly supported her. Rein, joyful, held onto the woman and cried with Nelin. Knoll patted Rein’s back comfortingly.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Elena nodded, though she didn’t look too well. Still, she instinctively looked around at the other injured people.
“If only I could use Heal, I could stop the bleeding for many of these people… but I’ve used up all my mana…”
She frowned with regret.
“But, I think I might have been wrong. You were right, El. I may have judged too quickly. I’ll stay a bit longer. Maybe I’ll see another side of humans. I don’t know yet, but…”
Elena said this and tried to move towards the other patients. But it was clear she was too exhausted.
I had no choice.
“Wait a moment, Elena.”
“Yes?”
“I can’t use healing magic, but I think I can replenish your mana. Would you like to try?”
“What?”
Elena looked confused as I placed my hand on her forehead.
I transferred a portion of my mana to her. This was a skill called Mana Transfer.
“This is…”
“It’s alright. This is a technique I learned from the elf Bedden, so it won’t harm you.”
As an elf, Elena would know better than anyone that I was telling the truth. After a moment, I removed my hand from her forehead.
“Greater Healing might still be too much, but you should be able to use basic healing spells now. Go help those people and find what you’re looking for.”
Elena looked at me with amazement.
“El, you’re incredible! I’ll be back to visit again. And someday, tell me more about Bedden. If the great being permits… though it’s a bit scary…”
With that, Elena ran to the patients, no longer stumbling, her mana replenished.
“I’ll help you, please move your hand.”
Her face was smiling as she tended to the injured.
My work was done. More soldiers and doctors would arrive to assist.
I turned to head back up the hill, only to be kicked in the chest and sent sprawling to the ground.
“You! You! You! Do you know how scared I was when I came out of the ground and no one was there? You’ve never disappeared like this at night before!”
The assailant grabbing my collar was none other than my dragon.
Covered in dirt from head to toe, Rurin had apparently used teleportation when she found the restaurant empty.
“Ah, sorry. I forgot to tell you.”
“How could you!”
“Were you so scared you rushed over in a panic?”
I grinned, and the dragon, releasing my collar, stood up abruptly.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Why would I do such a thing?”
“Okay, okay, let’s go back. I’ll help you clean up. I admit it was a bit much to leave without a word.”
“Really? You’re admitting it? Then I want a hug too. A hug!”
“I’ll think about it. But this leech dared to kick me?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! That never happened!”
Rurin tried to deny it, stepping away from me. Now my clothes were also covered in dirt. Yet I felt oddly content.
“I used to never think about saving lives. I was just tired of fighting all the time. Destroying things constantly. But helping save lives now feels… different.”
Rurin tilted her head, not understanding.
“Hmm. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you saved my life before, didn’t you? Who says you only destroy? Tell me who, and I’ll tear them apart with my breath.”
“Come to think of it, I did save you.”
“Hehe, you’re silly today.”
“Indeed.”
I nodded.
The dragon, surprised by my agreement, tilted her head again. I took her hand and we started walking back to the restaurant.