Chapter 56

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Valerie Rodenwaldt was a beautiful woman with long, slightly wavy hair the color of rice stalks and a few freckles.

She was always smiling and had a kind personality.

(…The severity of the burns stands out all the more because she is so beautiful. It was a good decision not to bring Mina and Luna.)

Before she was burned, she must have been very beautiful. No, even with half her face burned, her beauty remained.

Her face was not just beautiful; it had a charm that made her likable.

Even now, one can sense the aura that made her well-liked by everyone.

That's why the severity of the burns stands out so much.

"…The burns are not just on her face. Half of her body is burned."

"…What?"

"The doctor said it's a miracle she's even alive."

"Why did this happen?"

They whispered their questions.

Fortunately, Valerie did not hear Leda and the others.

Or perhaps, even if she did hear them, she would not have reacted.

"A year ago, the mansion was set on fire. And it wasn't just a simple fire. Someone used magic to set the mansion ablaze."

Tieda said this with a bitter expression.

"I managed to escape with my wife and children, but my sister was left behind."

"Who is the culprit?"

"Unfortunately, they haven't been found."

"…You shouldn't speak so loudly."

"…I'm sorry."

Tieda regained his composure at his wife's voice, which reprimanded him for becoming too emotional.

A young woman had suffered such severe burns.

One can easily imagine the family's feelings.

Leda could not find the words to say.

"…She was a lovely girl. She had a bit of a childish side, but she was a good girl."

"Valerie was taking care of the orphans in this town. When she realized she couldn't do it alone, she was working hard to build an orphanage. And then… this happened."

"Since then, my sister has closed her heart. …She doesn't even eat, so we have to force-feed her."

"…It's no wonder. If it happened to me, I couldn't blame Valerie."

"Surely she can't hear us."

The lord and lady looked deeply saddened.

Gabriella was even shedding tears.

Their attitude conveyed how much they loved Valerie.

That made it all the more heartbreaking to see Valerie, who had suffered such severe burns.

"Didn't you think about showing her to a healer earlier?"

"Please don't misunderstand. I showed Valerie to a healer as soon as possible. But it didn't work."

"…What do you mean it didn't work?"

"They couldn't treat her."

Leda wondered why.

The answer came from the lord.

"If it had been just a burn, it would have healed quickly. Of course, the healer's skill might have left some scars, but it would have been better than this. The problem wasn't the healer's skill; it was the magic that burned Valerie."

"Ordinary treatment can't heal it… that's what you mean, right?"

"That's right. The fire that burned Valerie was a magic spell, but it contained a curse."

"Surely… you mean Valerie was cursed at the same time she was burned?"

"That's correct. Moreover, I suspect the arson was aimed at my sister."

According to Tieda, only Valerie was burned.

The servants and guests in the mansion were all unharmed.

It seemed as if Valerie had been specifically targeted.

"Since then, I've been on guard, watching for anyone who might target her. But no suspicious person appeared—until today."

"You mean the attack earlier?"

"I'm grateful to your daughter for helping us capture the attackers. Thanks to her, we can interrogate them thoroughly."

But Tieda shook his head.

"No matter how many culprits we catch, nothing will change if Valerie remains like this."

"Healers can only treat her. At least, the healers in this town couldn't remove Valerie's curse."

"…In that case, we can only rely on a priest."

"That's right. I thought a priest who had undergone rigorous training might… but no priest would come to such a rural area. Besides, they asked for a donation, which was far beyond what we could afford."

"Those greedy priests."

Leda knew about the priests' greed.

She had used recovery magic before, and when she needed a curse or poison removed, she had to pay a considerable amount.

Of course, for poison, she could rely on antidote potions, which were available. But for curses, she had to rely on the "Curse Removal" spell that only priests could use.

However, "Curse Removal" is not a skill exclusive to priests.

It is a type of recovery magic, and if one has the aptitude and talent, it can be learned.

But Leda had heard that the Recovery Guild, to maintain a distinction between healers and priests, had an unwritten rule prohibiting healers from obtaining "Curse Removal."

Furthermore, even for priests, learning "Curse Removal" was difficult, and it became even more challenging for healers.

"That's where you come in, Relda Dixon."

Tieda and Gabriella looked at her with pleading eyes.

"I've heard about you before. Even without considering Valerie, I wanted to meet you once."

"That's an honor."

"At that time, I heard something I couldn't ignore. You have borrowed several magic books from the Adventurer's Guild. Among them, you recently received a magic book related to 'Curse Removal.'"

"…You know a lot. Yes, I did receive a magic book on 'Curse Removal.'"

"Then I beg you! Save my sister, save Valerie!"