Chapter 35

After taking a sip of tea and catching my breath, I said, "I held back, you know. I was so full from the tea and sweets the king and queen gave me."

"Who would have thought I'd be having tea with Jinklett again. It feels like a dream."

Prince Lute said this with a cheerful smile, delivering an embarrassing line without a hint of embarrassment. The wild Jinklett, compared to Prince Alan, had slightly finer features, but his demeanor was the epitome of a prince. His blonde hair and blue eyes, inherited from the queen, were the type of prince that girls dream of.

By the way, in terms of muscle mass, Jinklett > Alan > Lute. I wonder where Crown Prince Said would fit in. I haven't met him yet, so I don't know.

"Lute, you haven't changed a bit."

Jinklett blushed and made a face as if he had bitten into a bitter bug. Lute smiled slyly, as if tormenting him.

"It's been years since I could interact with my cute little brother. Bear with it a little."

His smirking face looked rather mischievous. If you approach him dreaming of a prince, you might end up in pain. I won't get close, though.

"Lord Shina, thank you. I heard you gave my brother a good scolding. It's something our family couldn't do. He was so stubborn, we couldn't do anything..."

Prince Lute looked a bit sad. There must be a lot of issues between the family members. But still,

"Just because he's the youngest, you shouldn't spoil him too much."

This is my honest feeling. He acts like a 5-year-old throwing a tantrum in front of his family.

Prince Lute burst out laughing, spitting out his tea. How messy. Jinklett's face turned red, and his eyebrows drooped. No objections allowed.

"Y-You're right. I did spoil him too much."

Prince Lute was laughing so hard his abs were shaking. Is he a laughaholic?

"Lord Shina."

Lend called out to me. The person I had asked for had arrived.

A boy in a white robe entered the room hesitantly, looking around nervously. He was younger than I expected.

"Sorry, but one more person insisted on joining."

Lend looked at the door, looking troubled. A head peeked in.

"Can I join too? I want to meet the legendary holy maiden."

An elderly, plump man with a long white beard, wearing a red robe... Santa Claus?!

"Ethan, and Old Sand. Why are you here?"

Prince Lute exclaimed in surprise.

The young boy was Ethan. The Santa-like figure was Old Sand? Their names are similar. Do you get presents if you're good?

"I asked Lend to invite them. I don't know about Old Sand, though."

I said this, and Ethan bowed his head.

"I was crying to Old Sand because the holy maiden called me. Ethan is a bit shy, so I came along to accompany him."

Old Sand chuckled, sounding like Santa. He looked so much like Santa. His robe was a perfect Christmas color scheme, making me wonder if there was a Christmas in this world too.

"I-I'm Ethan, the second knight regiment's attached magician! I-I came as soon as I was called. D-Did I do something wrong?"

Ethan said this in a small, trembling voice. He was indeed shy, looking like he might burst from tension. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.

"Sorry for calling you suddenly. I heard from Lend that you are in charge of Prince Lute's treatment. I thought it would be better to use a familiar magical power."

"Lord Shina? What do you need from Ethan?"

Prince Lute asked, looking confused.

He's a kind older brother. Jinklett's older brother. He spoils his little brother too much, but he's a reliable older brother.

It'll be okay. It'll definitely be okay. Even if I use that, he'll be happy, right?

"I wanted to try something, so I asked you to come."

I smiled faintly, determined.

◇◇◇

To calm down the extremely nervous Ethan, I offered him some tea. Old Sand also took the opportunity to enjoy some tea and snacks.

"When Prince Lute injured his right arm, you were the one who cast the recovery spell, right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

Ethan, who had calmed down a bit after drinking tea, looked down dejectedly.

"No, no. You're the one who regularly maintains Prince Lute's right arm, aren't you? It's a very meticulous treatment."

Maintenance refers to the process of using recovery magic to rebuild and maintain the shape of a lost limb, such as an arm or leg, for someone who has lost it. The limb can't move and looks pale, but it appears to be there. If the magic isn't continued, it will rot and fall off.

"Yes, I perform the treatment every three days."

Ethan blushed and smiled. He's cute, even though he's older.

"Can you do the maintenance now?"

"Uh, sure. It was scheduled for tomorrow, but..."

Ethan looked at Prince Lute for permission.

"I'm fine anytime. But, Lord Shina, what do you want to do?"

"Let me help. Lend."

I called out, and Lend brought over a tray with three bottles.

"Magic potions?"

Ethan tilted his head. Old Sand looked displeased. I understand; they don't taste good. They're called the magician's energy drink and help recover magic power. I used to drink them daily when I was in the Glass Forest. They don't fill you up, but they have a strange, bitter-sweet taste.

"In the case of maintenance, how do you cast the spell?"

"Yes, I prevent gangrene, maintain the shape of the nails and fingers, and extend the magic to make the cut less noticeable."

This was the standard method for maintenance, following the usual procedure.

"What if a patient had a broken bone? How would you handle it?"

"Uh, I would extend the magic to make the broken bone return to its original position..."

That's correct, I think.

"Then, imagine a person whose arm has been cut off. How would you restore it to its original state?"

"It's impossible to restore it... Once a limb is cut off, it can't be reconnected..."

Ethan looked dejected. He's an expressive kid.

"Then, can you explain how an uninjured arm moves?"

"Huh?"

Ethan's voice wavered. I continued, rolling up my sleeve to show my arm. I apologize for my scrawny arm.

"An arm has bones, muscles that move it, blood vessels that circulate blood, and nerves that transmit movements from the brain to the hand. When an arm is cut, all these parts are severed. Maintenance only treats the outer skin, leaving the rest disconnected. That's why it needs to be maintained regularly."

I asked Prince Lute for permission and rolled up his right sleeve.

"The part of his right arm that is white is the area being maintained. Only the outer skin and nearby areas are treated."

I asked Ethan to cast the maintenance recovery spell. Prince Lute's arm was enveloped in a faint light.

"Ethan, when you channel the magic, imagine the muscles, bones, blood vessels, and nerves under the skin. When Prince Lute tries to move his arm, think of the signals traveling through thin tubes from his brain to his hand. Imagine creating these elements together. You don't need to think about the details, like how the bones connect or the muscles attach. The body remembers. I'll guide you at first, so follow the flow of my magic."

The connection point of Prince Lute's arm, which had been white, slowly moved toward his fingertips.

"Yes, that's it! Good job. Imagine weaving the magic, stitch by stitch, densely. When you feel the magic being absorbed, it means the body is starting to regenerate. Keep the flow dense, but let it follow the natural absorption. If you feel your magic running out, drink a magic potion!"

I opened a magic potion and stood by Ethan. When he started to look pale and sweat, I handed him the potion.

Ethan drank it quickly while channeling magic, making a face at the taste.

"Yes, that's it. The fingers are delicate, so be more careful. That level of detail is perfect."

I stopped guiding the magic, and Ethan continued the treatment with his own magic. His magic, which had been used to treat Prince Lute for years, was well-suited to Prince Lute's body, flowing smoothly.

After finishing the second magic potion and treating the fingertips, Ethan collapsed onto the table, breathing heavily. I cast a recovery spell on him and checked Prince Lute's right arm.

Ethan did a great job. It was a perfect regeneration for his first time.

"Prince Lute, try moving your right arm."

Prince Lute, half-disbelieving, moved his arm. His fingers twitched, and he managed to clench his fist.

"Since it's been a while since the injury, it might take some time for the body to regain its sensations. Start with light weights and gradually increase the movement. Ethan's regeneration is perfect, so it will function normally. For now, have Ethan cast the recovery spell daily."

Prince Lute's face was a mix of shock and disbelief.

Jinklett, Lend, and Old Sand had similar expressions.

Ethan, whose magic had been restored, was comparing his hand to Prince Lute's arm, looking flustered.

"What the—!!!"

Old Sand was the first to recover.

"Holy Maiden! What was that? What do you mean by regeneration? How can a severed arm move?"

"Old Sand, calm down. Your face is turning red! Your blood pressure is going up! Calm down, take it easy!"

Old Sand's face was red, and his eyes were bloodshot. I was scared he might have a stroke.

"The arm... it moves... it's warm..."

Prince Lute kept moving his right arm, clenching and unclenching his hand, as if to confirm it.

"H-Ha. Is this a dream? Is this really my arm..."

Tears streamed down Prince Lute's face. Even though he tried to be strong, he must have had a lot of pain.

"Shina-chan."

Jinklett approached me, still in shock. He squatted next to me and said, still in disbelief.

"Sorry, I must be dreaming. Can you punch me to wake me up?"

"I don't want to hurt my hand. Lend, Jinklett wants you to punch him."

"Sure!"

Lend walked over and punched Jinklett's head without hesitation. It made a good sound.

"It's not a dream. It hurts."

Jinklett looked back to his senses, a bit dissatisfied. I wonder why he's dissatisfied even though he asked for it.

While pouring more tea for Ethan, I waited for everyone to calm down.

Everyone was in a state of shock, crying and laughing.

Watching them, my heart was in turmoil, like a storm raging inside.

Kiri gently held my hand.