If that was the nature of his ability, then when paired with the wisdom this young man possessed, the operability of almost any situation would become unimaginably high.
That was why he was not merely outstanding in strength, but also in how he handled matters.
As expected, he was a born "hero," an absolute "treasure" of this era.
Having understood all this, Hermes revealed his usual smile.
"…As expected, you truly are an extraordinary existence. I understand. Thank you very much for the information you provided. This is a tremendous help to us."
"It's nothing. We're allies, after all. Helping you understand the situation and reducing the threats you may face as much as possible is a responsibility I should fulfill."
"Hahaha. Hearing you say that really makes me feel at ease as an ally."
Hermes could not help reaching out and patting Shien on the shoulder. This child before him was flawless in every respect. Dealing with him was simply a pleasure.
"I'm glad you think so…"
Building a good relationship with the god before him and his Familia would only benefit Shien and the Astraea Familia behind him.
"There's one more thing. That… has your Astraea Familia developed a new kind of elixir?"
Hearing that, Shien paused with his juice halfway raised, feeling somewhat surprised inwardly.
Astraea had never made this matter public. They had only used some during that incident, and it had not been long since then. Yet the god before him had already discovered it.
Since the other party was asking while already holding the answer, Shien spoke directly.
"As expected of a god who specializes in intelligence. Your information really is well-informed. Yes, there is indeed such a thing. I developed it to resist that threat back then. Its effect is a little better than a panacea, and its cost is also somewhat lower."
Seeing Shien state it outright, Hermes could not help laughing.
Something that could shake the entire field of healing was treated so lightly by this young man.
Did he not know what that new medicine meant?
No. Judging from his expression, he simply felt that it was not something worth bringing up for special discussion.
Should this be called humility, or a certain kind of arrogance?
"It should have been a feat shocking enough to leave people stunned. But when it happens with you, somehow it doesn't feel surprising at all. It seems your contribution to that overwhelming victory last time should be counted even higher."
Not only did you contact every available force and stand on the front line yourself, even the rear supply effort had your contribution?
The person before him fit the definition of "hero" very well.
"After all, my profession is healer. If I don't achieve something, people will laugh at me, won't they?"
No. Absolutely not. What you've already done is more than shocking enough.
"Then, what are your plans for that elixir? Are you willing to sell it? What I mean is… could you sell some to us?"
Hermes finally stated his true intention.
Something this good, something that could save lives, was worth stockpiling no matter how much one had. Precisely because he had seen its effects, Hermes chose to ask.
Although his Familia was not short on money, one of the major reasons panaceas were so expensive was their scarcity.
Shien's answer satisfied him greatly.
"Of course we'll sell it. It's just that I'm not responsible for that part. It's handled by our Familia's prum, Senior Lyra. If you need it, I'll speak with her once I return, and then have her communicate with you personally. I can promise here that as allies, the price will definitely be favorable for you. How does that sound?"
"No problem. Thank you very much!"
And just like that, Shien had secured another business deal for his Familia. Truly a cause for celebration.
By the time he left the tavern, night had already fallen. He looked back at the lights upstairs, smiled faintly, pulled up his hood, and walked toward his Familia's headquarters.
After returning to the Familia, he found his goddess and told her about everything that had happened that day.
After listening to Shien explain everything, Astraea also wore an expression of disbelief.
"I see. That truly is an unexpected joy. That great god has not paid attention to much outside the Dungeon for a very long time. Being acknowledged by him will be greatly beneficial to both you and the Familia."
"And the Hermes Familia as well… Shien, where exactly did you learn this ability to quietly bring back two 'reinforcements' all of a sudden?"
Astraea was somewhat unsure what to say.
It was a happy problem, in a way.
What kind of situation was this?
It was as if the family had opened a "company," and their child went out for a stroll one day, only to suddenly bring back two "sponsors."
That was far too outrageous.
She could already imagine Hermes showing up at their door tomorrow with his members, smiling cheerfully.
"However, when you obtain such convenient information, remember to explain it to everyone."
"That is exactly what I wanted to talk about, Lady Astraea."
Shien nodded in agreement. He had planned to do so from the beginning. The only reason he had not gathered everyone immediately was because it was already late at night.
Considering that he had also promised the young miss he would act tomorrow, he wanted to ask his goddess to pass the message along on his behalf.
Understanding what he meant, Astraea gave him a gentle smile and promised that she would handle things with the Familia members.
Being entrusted with something by her child made her very happy.
The next day.
Early in the morning, Shien first explained his plans to Ryuu. Then he prepared himself and left the Familia headquarters.
The young miss did the same.
After the two met at the agreed place, they went to the Ganesha Familia's wyvern rental location.
There were no unexpected problems. After negotiating the rental fee, they once again boarded this extremely unique mode of transportation.
Although the last time he rode one had been under special circumstances, Shien had genuinely learned the piloting technique.
He had the young miss sit in front of him, then steadily piloted the wyvern into the air.
It was her first time riding one, and combined with a child's natural temperament, the young miss seemed especially excited by this novel and thrilling activity.
Naturally, Shien was not someone who ruined the mood. Whenever he saw that she liked a particular view, he controlled the wyvern to stay in the air there a little longer.
With Shien, a highly capable bodyguard, protecting her, the two encountered no problems along the way.
After spending most of the day traveling, they successfully arrived at the free city.
It was not as prosperous as Orario, but it was much more "quiet."
A refreshing fragrance filled the air.
How should one put it? There was a kind of beauty here, as though people and nature lived in harmony. From another perspective, one could also clearly see the leisurely and nimble state of the elements.
Following the guideposts, Shien piloted the wyvern to the temporary storage location. After completing the procedures, the young miss impatiently pulled Shien by the hand and ran through the streets.
Along the way, Shien admired the scenery, which was completely different from Orario's. Beside him, the young miss acted as a little guide. Keenly noticing where Shien's gaze fell, she introduced the various districts to him, allowing him to quickly gain an understanding of the city.
Under little Eina's guidance, the two soon found her home.
Seeing that her home looked almost the same as it had before she left, Eina silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Now that she thought about it, nearly a year had passed since she had last returned home. Although she knew from regular letters that her family was more or less safe, not seeing them in person still left some doubt in her heart. Returning this time could be considered a way of dispelling that unease.
They arrived at the door, and she skillfully took out the key and opened it.
After opening the door, she called Shien over.
"Mom, are you home?"
"Who is it? Eina? Why are you… Didn't you say you still had to wait another two months…?"
An elf with a baby face, someone who looked more like a young girl than a married woman, poked her head out from the kitchen. Seeing her eldest daughter suddenly appear here, she froze.
Was this the time for her annual leave?
Hadn't the letter that came a few days ago said there were still about two months left?
Why was she back now?
And who was the person beside her…?
"Mom, this is Shien. He's the adventurer assigned to me in my advisor position, my friend, and the healer I invited this time to help treat your illness."
A while later—
"Mr. Shien, was it? I truly apologize for troubling you and making you come all this way."
The beautiful wife bowed sincerely to Shien.
Through her daughter's explanation, she had already learned what had happened. It was impossible for her not to be moved.
Even if he ultimately could not cure her injury, the goodwill this young man had shown was already an enormous kindness. That was why she expressed the highest respect.
Naturally, Shien repeatedly waved his hands, signaling for the auntie to stop.
"Not at all. Miss Eina is an extremely important guide who helped me when I became an adventurer. I have always been grateful to her. And I am also a healer. I'm very happy that I can help her."
"I see. What a truly wondrous fate."
"Mom, where's Nina?"
After walking around the house, the young miss discovered that her younger sister was not there. She had wanted to introduce her to Shien.
"She is at a nearby community teacher's place learning to read. It isn't time for class to end yet."
"Eh? She started this early?"
"Yes. That child… cough, cough… is very clever."
Halfway through her sentence, the beautiful woman, who had seemed completely normal just moments ago, suddenly began coughing. The pain on her face could not be hidden.
Seeing their concerned expressions, she forced a smile.
"It's an old problem. I've embarrassed myself…"
"Not at all. In that case, there's no time to lose. Let me treat you first. We can chat after you recover. How does that sound?"
Seeing her like this, Shien urged her gently.
"All right. Thank you very much…"
"It's nothing. Please give me your hand."
The young elf wife offered her hand, somewhat rough from long years of labor, to the young man before her.
After taking it, Shien did not hesitate. He directly activated his healing.
For a moment, the room was filled with vitality. The other two, who had never seen Shien's healing before, were both astonished.
Eina felt as though she had returned to her mother's embrace when she was a child. It was so warm, so reassuring, that she unconsciously closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.
Through his observation, Shien also discovered that this mother did not show a situation similar to Riveria's. He inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
Now he could be certain. The previous accident had been Riveria's own issue and had nothing to do with his treatment.
The entire process only lasted a few seconds.
As the life energy dispersed, the treatment officially came to an end.
"Mother?"
As Shien released Venna's hand, the young miss beside them asked with concern.
The young elf wife opened her eyes in surprise and stared at her own hands in disbelief.
She felt unbelievably light.
Even lighter than she had felt back in her homeland.
It was as though a heavy weight pressing down on her body had been removed. She no longer needed to breathe carefully. The pain from her throat and head had disappeared.
Her body was filled with strength.
"This is simply unbelievable. How exactly did you…"
She had just begun to ask, but then she suddenly realized that this seemed to be someone else's secret.
Seeing this, Shien smiled in understanding and did not mind.
"There's nothing I can't say. It's probably similar to evolution. I helped upgrade your body."
"?"
"For a congenital inherited physical defect that prevents your body from adapting to climates outside your homeland, all that is needed is to strengthen and compensate for the organs that malfunction due to failing to adapt to the climate, so that they can withstand such an environment."
"And my power happens to be especially skilled in that area…"
Eina roughly understood.
But precisely because she understood, she knew what kind of miracle this was.
The young man's ability before her had far exceeded her imagination.
Seeing her mother's reaction, Eina knew that even if her mother's illness had not been fully cured, it had certainly improved greatly. For a moment, tears unconsciously began to gather in her eyes.
Ever since she had become old enough to understand, her mother had always been tormented by this illness. Her family had tried countless methods, yet none had produced any improvement. They could only barely maintain her previous condition.
Although the whole family had stayed positive and optimistic, to be honest, everyone had been tired.
Especially her father.
And now, finally, their family could finally experience the most ordinary kind of happiness.
Everything went extremely smoothly.
When her husband returned home from work with their youngest daughter and opened the door to see his wife full of life and energy, he froze on the spot.
After learning what had happened, he immediately burst into tears, knelt before Shien without hesitation, and kept kowtowing in thanks.
If Shien had not reacted quickly and helped him up, he might have had to use his ability again.
Shien also received the most important reward.
An innocent and adorable smile.
It was the grateful smile of the young miss's younger sister, Nina.
Hearing her call him "big brother, big brother," Shien's heart practically melted. He could not help reaching out and patting her little head.
All he could say was that it truly felt wonderful.
Since everything had gone smoothly, the two ultimately decided according to plan to depart for the return trip the next day. Under the family's warm hospitality, Shien stayed the night.
During dinner, the topic somehow shifted to Riveria.
Thinking of that patient who had also been "treated" by him, Shien's face unconsciously became somewhat unnatural. He smoothly used another topic to cover it up.
....
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