"There we go," Jessica said softly, her voice gentle and reassuring. "The bone is mended now, but you need to rest for a few more days before you can run around again, okay? No playing chase with your friends until I say so."
The orc child nodded solemnly, though his eyes were already drooping with the exhaustion that often followed healing magic.
Jessica noticed them and her face lit up immediately. "Satou! You’re here!" She quickly checked on her patient one more time, smoothing his blanket and making sure he was comfortable, before hurrying over.
"I wanted to see what you’d been up to," Satou said, unable to suppress his smile at her enthusiasm. "Kelvin tells me you’ve been working yourself to exhaustion here."
"I have not," Jessica protested, though the slight bags under her eyes suggested otherwise. "Well, maybe a little. But there are so many people who need help! And now that I have this power, how can I not use it?"
She gestured around the healing hall.
"We’ve treated over thirty patients this week alone. Workplace injuries mostly—the reconstruction has been intense. But also some old wounds that never healed properly, chronic illnesses that people just learned to live with, even a few cases of disease that I managed to cure completely."
Her eyes shone with pride and purpose. "Do you know what it’s like, Satou? To touch someone who’s in pain and make that pain go away? To see someone who’s been suffering for years suddenly feel relief? It’s... it’s incredible. This is what I’m supposed to do. I can feel it."
Satou felt a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with his recent training. The scared little goblin girl he’d first met, the one who’d cried and clung to him in that dark cave, had become this—a healer, confident and purposeful, helping anyone who needed it regardless of their race or background.
"I’m proud of you," he said simply.
Jessica’s eyes immediately welled with tears. "Don’t say things like that! You’ll make me cry in front of everyone!"
"Too late," Kelvin teased, though his own voice was suspiciously thick with emotion.
Jessica wiped her eyes and laughed. "You’re both terrible. Come on, let me show you what else we’ve set up."
She led them on a tour of the healing hall, pointing out the herb storage room where various medicinal plants were kept, the preparation area where remedies were mixed, and a small library where medical knowledge was being compiled—a joint effort between Jessica’s instinctive healing knowledge from her class and the practical experience of the elven healers.
"We’re even training others," Jessica explained. "My Holy Maiden abilities can’t be taught, but basic healing knowledge can. If something happens to me, I want there to be others who can help. Lyra’s been learning a lot—she has a natural talent for it."
"Speaking of Lyra," Satou said, "where is she? I haven’t seen her since this morning."
"Probably dealing with settlement administration," Kelvin guessed. "Ever since you’ve been unconscious, she’s basically been running everything alongside Urgak. Organizing work schedules, mediating disputes, managing supplies—she handles it all."
"She’s been working herself as hard as Jessica has," an elderly elf healer added from across the room, not looking up from the poultice she was preparing.
"That girl needs to rest. She’s been carrying the weight of leadership while waiting for you to wake, and now that you have, she won’t admit how exhausted she is."
Satou made a mental note to check on Lyra later. His people had been holding everything together while he recovered, and he needed to make sure they weren’t burning themselves out.
"Oh!" Jessica exclaimed suddenly. "I almost forgot! Grimnir and Urgak have been planning something for tonight. They wanted to keep it a surprise, but I’m terrible at keeping secrets. They’re organizing a feast to celebrate your recovery."
"A feast?" Satou repeated.
"Yes! Everyone’s been contributing. The dwarves are roasting a whole boar, the elves are making some kind of special pastries, and our own people have been preparing all day. It’s going to be in the central square at sunset." She grabbed his hand. "You have to act surprised when they tell you, okay? Don’t let them know I spoiled it."
Satou couldn’t help but laugh. "Your secret’s safe with me."
A bell chimed somewhere in the settlement—the signal for the shift change. Jessica glanced at the window and sighed. "I should check on my remaining patients and then close up for the day. Will you wait for me? We can walk to the feast together."
"Of course," Satou agreed.
As Jessica bustled around checking on her patients, Satou and Kelvin stepped outside. The settlement was coming alive with activity as the day’s work wound down and people prepared for the evening.
"She’s really found her calling," Kelvin said quietly, watching his sister through the window. "After what happened with Vegeta, after seeing me almost die, I was worried she’d be traumatized. But awakening that Holy Maiden class... it gave her purpose. A way to fight back against death itself."
"And you found yours too," Satou observed.
"Your spear work has improved dramatically. Urgak must be a demanding teacher."
Kelvin’s expression became more serious.
"He is. But I need it. I failed to protect Jessica when it mattered. I got myself stabbed and nearly killed because I wasn’t strong enough. That can’t happen again."
His hand unconsciously went to his stomach, where Vegeta had impaled him. The wound was healed thanks to Jessica, but the memory clearly remained.
"You didn’t fail," Satou said firmly. "You stood between your sister and a hero blessed by gods. You made the choice to protect her even knowing you might die. That’s not failure, Kelvin. That’s courage."
"Courage that would have gotten me killed if you hadn’t woken up," Kelvin replied.
"I’m grateful for that courage, but I need to back it up with strength. That’s why I train every day"
That’s why I push myself until I can barely stand. Because next time and there will be a next time, I need to be able to do more than just be brave. I need to be strong enough to actually protect the people I love." Said Kelvin
Satou placed a hand on Kelvin’s shoulder.