Chapter 29

I will translate the provided text into English:

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I will now reveal the contents of this series. Well, it was a simple event, but that's not the point.

The clay forehead ornament, when infused with an enormous amount of 'Mana,' awakens and transforms into the divine artifact, 'Aegis Forehead Ornament.' This divine artifact is one of the items sealing the demon 'Ashtart.'

In other words, it is one of the important items in the novel. It was fortunate to obtain one so early.

This divine artifact. In the anime and the game, it was held by the leader of a rough and tumble band of thieves in the slums. I don't know about the novel, but it's probably the same. Since it was a mid-story event, it must have been in a volume after the 10th.

I don't know about the novel, but in the game and the anime, a member of the 'Nidhogg' organization appears to steal the clay forehead ornament. The thieves are all killed, and the enemy, who has transformed the clay forehead ornament into its true form, the 'Aegis Forehead Ornament,' uses the power of the divine artifact to battle the protagonist. What's the name of the enemy leader? There's no way I'd remember that.

The protagonist manages to defeat them, but ultimately, the 'Aegis Forehead Ornament' is stolen by a mysterious figure who suddenly appears and escapes. The protagonist, exhausted from the battle, lets them get away.

The game's plot is the same. Even if the player defeats the enemy in two turns, the protagonist is too exhausted, and the forehead ornament is stolen and the enemy escapes. Even if you think, "Hey, my HP and MP are full, let's chase them!" it's ignored without a second thought.

The reason the band of thieves had the clay forehead ornament is that, in the anime and the game, it existed as one of the stolen items. There was no background story.

So, I thought about why the band of thieves had it. Maybe today was the point of divergence? The Yuki family didn't hand over the clay forehead ornament to 'Yggdrasil.' Therefore, they were all killed by 'Yggdrasil' trying to steal it. However, they couldn't recover the clay forehead ornament. It's a cliché, isn't it?

That's the future. A possible future. The Tamamo and others were probably all killed. I don't understand why the magical item ended up with the band of thieves, but it's probably a plot convenience in the novel.

I acted to prevent the robbery that would lead to the death of the Tamamo and others. How? By giving them a fake. Just that.

However, it's not just any fake. It's a fake created using the power of the game. It has the same special abilities as the pre-awakened version, and it glows as if it's about to awaken, just like a toy transformation belt. I hope the enemy leader dreams of transforming into a tokusatsu hero someday.

It's impossible to see through. After all, in the game, the enemy couldn't see through it and brought it back. And they didn't realize it until I cleared the hidden route.

Actually, there's a hidden route in the game version. It's where the player collects the divine artifacts that the enemy is supposed to obtain. If you collect them all, you can fully revive the demon 'Ashtart.' It's impossible under normal circumstances.

The method to obtain the forehead ornament is simple. Before 'Nidhogg' attacks the band of thieves, you secretly swap it with a fake. The fake item I created for this purpose was used this time.

Someone can praise me if they want. It's a genius idea.

There are 5 remaining divine artifacts. Since I have the fake recipes for all of them, I'll go and swap them when I'm strong enough. It's a bit troublesome if the locations in the game and the real world are different, but there are still 6 years until the start of the original story. I'll think optimistically that it will work out.

The reward this time was a good one without a battle. The performance of the 'Aegis Forehead Ornament' is excellent. It requires a lot of MP to awaken, but it shouldn't be a problem once my level is high enough.

The 'Mana Soothing Medicine' will be stored in the item box. This is an item I've never seen in the game. It would be nice if it could be used for something, but it feels like it will just be a waste. Well, getting junk items as event rewards is a common occurrence in games.

So, the stay at Tamamo's house ended with a good result.

Now, I'm in the living room of my house, facing my parents, who look serious.

I can tell from the atmosphere that I'm not in trouble. It's quite heavy. If they were to announce a divorce, I would become a Kasugai, but it doesn't seem to be that kind of content.

"Mi-chan, I have something important to talk to you about."

"Important talk?"

With a serious expression, my father speaks, and I respond with a curious face, pretending to be innocent.

"Yes, Mi-chan, actually, there are very few healing mages."

"Huh, there are very few healing mages? As expected. A few thousand? About 5,000?"

I didn't know.

The numbers were completely different. Thirty-one? Seriously?

The young girl with gray hair, Tamamo, opens her mouth in shock and stares blankly. Her father, Yuki, frowns and nods, feeling proud but also worried about the difficulties his beloved daughter will face.

In Japan, there are only 31 healing mages, including you."

"Wow, only 31? Thirty-one?"

I didn't know.

The numbers were completely different. Thirty-one? Seriously?

Her father, Yuki, frowns and nods, feeling proud but also worried about the difficulties his beloved daughter will face.

Her mother, Ririn, feels the same way. Moreover, Miu has cured 'Mana Syndrome.' She gently strokes Miu's gray hair and speaks.

"Miu, you cured 'Mana Syndrome,' right? Only 10 people can do that."

"Huh? But I cured it easily, Mom?"

It was a level 1 disease. The lowest rank of status ailment. A novice priest could easily cure it. Miu is in a state of confusion. Why?

Her parents can't help but smile wryly at her confusion and the magnitude of her talent. They can tell from her expression that she's not lying.

"Healing diseases is much harder than healing injuries. It's said that to heal injuries, you just need to grant a self-healing-like power, but with diseases, there's a risk of activating the virus, making it harder for healing magic to work. So, in Japan, only 10 people can heal diseases. Including you, that makes 11."

Miu's head is spinning. Seriously? That's too few. ...So, that's how it is. I realize something and bite my lip. I was careless.

I go back to the time when I helped Yami. At the time, I didn't find it strange, but it was odd.

Why was there a VIP room in the hospital? That was proof of the scarcity of healing mages. It wouldn't be strange if it were a regular room. It just means that the healing mages can't keep up.

But if you have money and power, you should be able to get a healing mage to heal you immediately. There's no point in having a VIP room. Politicians don't pretend to be sick to get hospitalized. They just ask for healing magic.

The answer was simple. Even with money and power, the possibility of not being able to receive healing magic is high, which is why VIP rooms exist. I didn't question it because I was thinking in terms of my previous life. Damn.

My previous life's common sense was getting in the way. My game knowledge was also a hindrance.

Could it be that the author wrote a scene where the protagonist takes care of a sick person to make the story consistent?

...It's possible. That novel didn't deviate from popular template scenes.

If everyone could easily recover with healing magic, it would be a different story.

In cases where they can't recover, the protagonist, who has been injured while saving someone and defeating the enemy, is taken care of by the heroine, who says, "You idiot..." and gives them a pillow and strokes their head, or the heroine diligently takes care of the hospitalized protagonist. There are also scenarios with colds.

If there were healing mages everywhere, a template "Ufufu Kyack Kyack" event would end with, "Here, 'Heal,' see? You're better now, okay, okay, you can make it to class on time." It would be a boring pattern.

It would be the ultimate letdown. A romantic comedy with the heroine during the battle. An author who always considers popularity wouldn't miss this.

This is the result. After all, the ease of story development with and without healing mages in a pinch is different. If the protagonist can recover from fatal injuries, the author can freely create tense situations.

So, the setting is that healing is usually impossible, but in a real pinch, you can rely on a healing mage.

A story where the protagonist or heroine is seriously injured and they seek help from a rare healing mage can also be created.

It's dangerous. The more I think about it, the more this hypothesis seems correct. For the sake of romantic comedy, I, a mob protagonist, am in a crisis. Damn you, 'Magical Night' author.

In the game, healing mages are necessary for the RPG, so they are common. In reality, it means that healing mages are concentrated locally around the player.

"But, Dad, there are potions, right?"

I stand up with a determined look and ask. After all, they mentioned a licensing system. I've never been sick, so I didn't care. Would a 9-year-old girl go to a pharmacy? Would she buy cold medicine? Normally, parents would go.

So, I didn't know much about this world. I thought I knew because the game's mechanics and the world setting of 'Magical Night' were explained up to the 10th volume. I thought I knew, so I didn't bother to investigate. It was a regrettable mistake.

"Potions, in general, only enhance the effects of medicine for specific diseases. The same goes for poisons and injuries. They just boost self-healing."

There it is, a despairing answer. Seriously? Dad, I didn't want to hear such a realistic setting.

"Truly healing potions use valuable monster materials and require the assistance of a healing mage. Maybe 2 or 3 are produced each month, and they are bought up by nobles."

With a sigh, my father explains. It's a typical noble action.

"Unlicensed potions are distributed as juice. Like in 'Yggdrasil,' they are exchanged for something or given as gifts to followers. They are returned as offerings."

I understand my mother's words. And I realize that there are no alchemists in this world, or if there are, they are very few.

Then, healing mages are incredibly valuable. I understand that I am in a very dangerous position. I wish I had known this earlier.

"I'm sorry, Mi-chan. We will definitely protect you, so don't worry."

"Leave it to us. We are strong."

My parents try to reassure me with loving smiles. I feel their love and understand the danger they are in.

I am relatively safe. I won't be killed, and at worst, I might be kidnapped. There might be plots to recruit me.

My parents could be killed. I would become an orphan, and a kind person would take me in. There's also the possibility of being taken hostage.

"There are also guards from the Teisei family. You can rest assured."

I can't rest assured at all. Do my father and mother have guards?

Miu swallows hard, becomes serious, and looks at her parents with determination.

"Dad, Mom, I will sleep strongly!"

"Take a nap?"

"I made a mistake. I will become strong!"

It's time to take a more active role. Miu declares strongly.