* * *

At that moment, shadows from the forest flitted across the High Priest’s face.

“Unlike priests, who use divine power, this healer would sacrifice their own life force to heal others’ wounds.”

‘…Using one’s life force to heal others?’ Ed’s curiosity surged, and he looked at the High Priest.

“Does this ability harm the healer when they heal themselves?”

“This ability is like drawing water from a cistern to share. Just as pouring the water back into the cistern keeps it full, healing oneself does no harm.”

Ronen, eager to hear more, stamped his feet impatiently.

“So what happened to the dragon? Did the healer save it?”

“Yes, Young Master. Thanks to the healer’s abilities and care, the dragon woke up a few days later.”

“Wow! Then did the dragon thank the healer?”

The High Priest’s voice dropped slightly.

“No. As soon as it regained consciousness, the dragon tried to attack the healer.”

---

“Don’t move. Your wound could reopen.”

The dragon, unable to move, glared at the pale human grinding herbs nearby.

[What did you do to me, human?]

“I mixed a paralytic with the medicine to prevent you from straining yourself once you woke up.”

The healer’s calm tone nearly elicited an ‘Oh, I see’ from the dragon before it bared its teeth.

[Using such underhanded tricks on an unconscious foe—you humans truly are despicable!]

[What’s next? Will you drain my blood now that I’m immobilized?]

[Hah! You’re silent because I’ve hit the mark. Undo this paralysis at once!]

The dragon continued its tirade, but the healer remained silent, tending to the wounds without responding.

Days and nights passed, and the dragon began piecing together why it was there.

[Why would you sacrifice your life force to heal me? Even priests of the gods refuse to treat us.]

When the healer didn’t reply, the dragon roared.

[If I regain my strength, I’ll devour everyone in this village right in front of you!]

[Why won’t you speak? Your silence is maddening! Did you even speak in the first place? I’m starting to doubt it! Perhaps I need to kidnap you to make you talk!]

Finally, after several days, the healer sighed and checked the dragon’s wounds before speaking for the first time.

“My name is OO. From now on, address me by my name.”

The dragon, momentarily caught off guard, instinctively almost called out the name before snapping.

[Why would I stoop so low as to address a mere human by name?!]

Ed opened his eyes wide and stared up at the ceiling of the barracks.

The outside was still cloaked in the dimness of night.

After blinking a few times to orient himself, he let out a small sigh.

‘…What kind of strange dream was that?’

The barracks were dark, with faint lights occasionally flickering in from outside.

He could hear the soft, fading footsteps of knights on night watch.

Sitting up on the makeshift bed, Ed stretched out his hand and turned on the lamp on the table, rubbing his eyes lightly.

It was then that a realization struck him.

‘Ah, it must be because of the story the High Priest told me earlier.’

The story about dragons that the High Priest had shared had cleared up some of the lingering questions Ed had about the ruins.

Yet solving one mystery seemed to have given birth to another conundrum.

‘Unlike priests who use divine power, healers sacrifice their own lifespans to heal others’ wounds.’

‘Then, could it be that the cost of my abilities is similar to theirs?’

This speculation spiraled into a cascade of thoughts.

‘If lifespans are shortened, how much would it decrease each time I use my power? Could it be years disappearing at a time?’

Even after returning to the barracks, while dining with Ronen, and even as he lay down to sleep, the High Priest’s words lingered in Ed’s mind.

He had barely managed to fall asleep, only to dream so vividly, as though he had become the healer in the story.

“…Hmm.”

Ed lightly patted his cheek with his palm before turning off the lamp and lying back down.

‘Let’s just sleep.’

He told himself not to think about it for now and to revisit it with a clear head in the morning.

But once disturbed, his sleep would not return so easily.

His mind grew tangled with an endless stream of thoughts.

‘If His Grace the Grand Duke knew about this, he’d surely blame himself… Should I ask Ronen to keep this a secret?’

The more Ed pondered, the more his thoughts chased their own tails.

Finally, unable to bear it, he got up and stepped out of bed.

He paced the barracks with his arms crossed, muttering to himself.

‘Wait a minute, but compared to the healer’s abilities in the story, mine are far weaker. That must mean the cost is significantly less, right? Maybe there’s no cost at all.’

Thinking it through, it made sense.

The amount healed differed, so the energy consumed would naturally differ too.

Or perhaps his method of healing was entirely distinct from that healer’s.

‘Which means, helping His Grace shouldn’t affect my lifespan much at all! That’s right. I have to live long enough to see Ronen get married and meet his grandchildren.’

Imagining himself as a wrinkled old man chuckling in his mind, Ed felt a wave of relief.

‘Right, no need to worry unnecessarily.’

Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Ed slipped out of the barracks.

He wanted to take in the cool night breeze, now that he had shaken off the burden weighing on his mind.

‘Still, if His Grace finds out about this, he might refuse treatment altogether… I should definitely make Ronen promise to keep this between us. Pinky swear and everything.’

As these thoughts swirled, Ed strolled around the perimeter of the barracks.

Then, suddenly, he froze.

Near the treatment area, someone sat alone by a campfire lit for the night watch.

Squinting, Ed realized who it was.

“The Grand Duke!”

Calling out softly, Ed hurried over.

The Grand Duke, who had been poking at the burning logs with a kindling stick, looked up as Ed approached and bowed politely.

“Ed, is something wrong? Are you not used to sleeping outdoors?”

“Oh, no. It’s not uncomfortable. I just stepped out to clear my head and get some air.”

“The night air is still chilly. Come, sit here where it’s warm.”

The Grand Duke shifted slightly, offering Ed the warmer spot closer to the fire.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

As Ed sat, he glanced at the Grand Duke, who had lowered his gaze, seemingly deep in thought.

After a moment of hesitation, Ed spoke.

“Is something troubling you, Your Grace?”

The Grand Duke looked up and shook his head lightly.

“No.”

His faint smile seemed meant to reassure Ed, as though to say there was nothing to worry about.

Ed watched him for a moment before deciding to speak again.

“By the way, yesterday, the High Priest told me a tale that’s passed down in the temple. It was similar to some of the images we saw at the ruins.”

The Grand Duke tilted his head slightly, intrigued.

“The oldest of the dragon myths, correct?”

“Yes. Have you heard it before, Your Grace?”

“No, but I came across it while investigating ruins in the past. It seems the High Priest is familiar with similar stories.”

Ed studied the Grand Duke’s expression, but it was hard to read his thoughts.

Chewing his lip lightly, Ed asked cautiously,

“Do you know about the healer’s abilities mentioned in the story?”

“Healer?”

The Grand Duke repeated the word, tilting his head slightly before shaking it.

“The version I know speaks of an herbalist, not a healer.”

“An herbalist?”

Ed tilted his head in confusion.

The sound of crackling logs filled the quiet night.

“Yes, an herbalist who healed an injured dragon.”

“Oh.”

“Why? Did the story the High Priest told you differ?”

“…No, it was similar. It involved tending to a dragon wounded by humans.”

“The Grand Temple likely has extensive records dating back to the founding era, so the High Priest must know many such tales.”

“Yes, it was something I hadn’t come across in the library, so I found it quite intriguing. Maybe that’s why I even dreamed about it.”

“A dream? What kind of dream?”

The Grand Duke handed Ed a warm cup of tea as he asked.

Accepting it with a small word of thanks, Ed answered evasively.

“It wasn’t particularly vivid, but I vaguely remember a dragon appearing.”

“So that’s why you came out for a walk.”

“Yes, I tried going back to sleep, but I just kept tossing and turning.”

As Ed spoke, he thought to himself,

‘It must be that variations in the tale have emerged over time.’

* * *