Chapter 26

A large number of injured adventurers were carried in after failing the quest.

Faced with this scene, Niera clenched her fists.

"It can't be, it can't be, it can't be, it can't be... What is this? Not only that girl, but that boy is also making a fool of me!?"

Niera stomped her feet.

Blood seeped from the corners of her mouth as she clenched her teeth in frustration.

"Mi, Miss Niera! Please, I beg of you, assist in the recovery of the injured adventurers!"

The green-haired healer girl bowed her head to the ground, pleading.

"Shut up! Those useless ones don't matter to me! I am the guild leader! I don't want to waste my magic on such trivial matters!"

"Please! I beg you! Lend us your power! If we do nothing, lives will be lost—"

"Girl, give up. Miss Niera is busy."

Ganash laughed while holding his head, still suffering from a hangover.

"Niera, don't overdo it. Didn't you stay up all night yesterday? Just sit there and watch, or rather, bite your nails, right?"

"Ganash... Ha, what are you talking about? Go back to your room and get some sleep."

Niera's face paled slightly.

"What, was I mistaken? But you don't look well?"

"I don't want to hear that from a drunk. I'm in perfect condition."

"Is that so? Then you should help the injured. You can heal them all at once with the artifact 'Nirvana.'"

"R, Really! Please, Miss Niera! Please save the adventurers!"

The green-haired girl clung to Niera's knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Ugh... Damn it! Get out of my way!"

Niera kicked the green-haired girl away.

Ganash caught her.

Niera's behavior was strange, clearly flustered.

The attention of the surrounding adventurers was drawn to the scene.

"That's just the drunk Ganash's nonsense! Everyone, don't take it seriously!"

"The artifact 'Nirvana' is the 'highest-level white magic equipment.' It can cast 'area healing magic.' You all remember how Guild Leader Gilne saved the adventurers when the guild was attacked a few years ago, right?"

"Ganash, you're short on money! I'll lend you some! So stop your nonsense and go somewhere—"

"But if, if Niera tried all night and couldn't handle 'Nirvana,' that's a different story—Oops!"

Ganash dodged Niera's punch, staggering.

"Ridiculous! It can't be! I've worked for decades to master magic! That 'chore' of a girl, who hasn't even lived half my life, can handle it, so there's no way I can't handle the artifact!"

"Jealousy... It's nauseating, I don't know if it's the alcohol."

Niera, under the intense gaze of the guild members, summoned Nirvana.

The holy white staff appeared in her hand.

"Phew~ Alright... This time... Here goes! 'Area healing magic!'"

Despite Niera's determined voice, no magical effect appeared.

"Damn it! Damn it! Why? I'm doing it the same way that girl did in the past, but the magic won't activate! This staff is a fake! That girl must have given me a fake artifact!"

Niera threw the staff away.

"Everyone, please! Our medical team's magic is exhausted! Please bring healing potions here! The injured adventurers are in danger!"

The green-haired girl bowed her head to the ground, pleading.

She didn't even notice the wound on her face from being kicked by Niera.

She was desperately trying to save as many lives as possible.

"Hmph, do as you please! I don't care if those useless adventurers die!"

Niera kicked the staff away and stormed back to the guild leader's office, sulking.

"Oh... What can we do? We don't have enough bandages, and the disinfectant is... If only Tim were here..."

Ganash, watching the green-haired girl apply healing ointment to the injured with a tearful expression, picked up the 'Nirvana' that Niera had discarded.

"Here, girl. Why don't you try this?"

"Is this... 'Nirvana'? The artifact that even Miss Niera couldn't handle... How could I possibly use it—"

"Who knows? Maybe you're better than you think. Just try it. You won't know if a coin is heads or tails until you flip it."

"Y, Yes... You're right."

The girl hugged the white staff, given to her by Ganash.

"Please, please... Lady Nirvana. Heal the adventurers' wounds... Please..."

As the girl's tears fell on the staff, it began to glow.

《Stand up, your appearance is making everyone anxious.》

"!?, V, Voice!? I hear a voice!"

The green-haired girl looked around, confused by the voice that only she could hear.

《It's good to be away from that heartless man. It seems you need my help more than Gilne. Well, she was a genius.》

The green-haired girl, still flustered, heard the voice in her head.

《Understand? To cast area healing magic, raise the staff and shout 'Lupi Nirvana.' Don't mispronounce it or it will look bad.》

"Wh-What!? Y, Yes!"

The girl stood up, following the instructions in her head.

She raised Nirvana in front of the many adventurers groaning in pain.

"Area healing magic!"

Soft light descended from the sky.

The light enveloped the injured adventurers.

Gradually, the groans in the room faded, and the injured adventurers, amazed, touched their healed wounds and sat up.

"Everyone...! It's good, really good!"

The green-haired girl, still holding the staff, collapsed in tears.

"A... A goddess..."

One of the adventurers whispered, witnessing the miracle.

"I... I thought I was going to die...!"

"It was so painful, I even wished for death..."

"Miss Niera couldn't handle the artifact, but that green-haired girl..."

The adventurers, whose lives were saved, bowed their heads one after another.

Seeing the adventurers prostrate themselves, Ganash laughed.

"So, what's the goddess's name?"

Ganash extended his hand to the girl, who had collapsed while holding the staff.

"---Huh? I, I'm Fiona..."

"Got it, Fiona. I see... Understood."

Lifting her up, Ganash announced to the guild members.

"Got it, right? 'Fiona' and 'Niera,' which one should we follow?"

"Wh-What!? Wh-What!?"

Fiona, stunned by Ganash's sudden declaration, leaned on the staff.

But she quickly understood the meaning of his words and hurriedly denied it.

"Sir Ganash, what are you saying!? I'm just a low-level healer... I'm not someone who can lead others—"

"Niera couldn't handle the artifact, but Fiona could! Niera abandoned the adventurers, but Fiona didn't!"

Without listening to her, Ganash placed his hands on Fiona's shoulders and stood her in front of the guild members.

He shouted loudly.

"Fortunately, all the officers are out! The only ones here are this slacker, me, and Niera, who has messed up everything in this guild! And I have this goddess on my side!"

"「U—Uoooooooh!」"

The adventurers cheered at Ganash's speech.

They had longed for liberation from Niera's reign of terror.

For the first time, they experienced being the 'weak ones.'

Being in the 'victimized position' made them understand others' pain.

For years, they had only been 'given' things.

They had never tried to create their own environment.

Ganash skillfully stirred these childish, self-serving emotions.

"Drive Niera out of here and make this girl, Lady Fiona, the guild leader! Will you follow Lady Fiona!?"

"「Uoooooooh!」"

However, Fiona, still held by Ganash's hands on her shoulders, was trembling.

"S-Such... Me as the guild leader... I, I can't do it..."

Ganash whispered in Fiona's ear, as if to say, "There's no other way."

"Fiona, you're not really okay with how Tim was treated, right? But you couldn't follow him. Of course, you're not irresponsible enough to abandon your patients as the guild's healer. Plus, Tim had 'Lord Gilne' with him. You gave up, thinking 'I'm not needed.'"

Fiona's cheeks turned red, feeling as if she had been seen through by Ganash.

"S-Sir Ganash... How did you...?"

"I wander around a lot, so I see things clearly. Especially 'young love' makes for good drinking stories. Sorry, my taste is bad."

Amid the cheering adventurers, Ganash stirred Fiona's heart.

"Fiona, Tim is going to become the 'best adventurer.'"

"Y-Yes! I believe Tim can do it! He will be the kindest, most caring, and best adventurer!"

"If you become the leader of this great guild, you might be able to help the adventurer Tim someday?"

"Me, help Tim!?"

Fiona gripped Nirvana tightly.

"---I, I'll do my best!"