“Miss…”
“Shh.”
It’s enough to vent negative emotions just a little.
Flora had no intention of unloading her frustration onto these wounded people.
Healing others might bring her pain, but it also gave her a measure of comfort.
“It will be alright.”
Flora did her best to humble herself, lowering her voice.
The wounded man, whose gaze was somewhat vacant, shifted his eyes from her face to the ceiling.
He held no hope of being healed.
Tatashimi really had brought in a group of people harmed by counterfeit medicine, and the negative effects were indeed those that could be caused by knock-offs of the frostbite remedy.
Flora was certain of this.
In the past, when Meifei spoke of the special medicine, she had mentioned to her that she hoped Moria wasn’t deliberately seeking people to use such medicine on.
After all, such things had long disappeared from the market.
“But no one can fool me with a wound.”
Flora murmured softly, watching the wounded man’s expression.
No particular reaction.
In that case, let’s seek some answers from the memories of healing.
Feeling the gazes of those around her, Flora closed her eyes.
In an instant, with her as the center, a soft, hazy radiance like sunset light fell across the hall, and the temperature rose just a little.
Some people opened their eyes even wider, wanting to see more clearly, while more simply couldn’t help but gape, lost in awe and yearning for the sight before them.
In this very moment, the only thing everyone felt was adoration and blissful wonder at such sacred, mysterious power.
Bishop Sherman stood on the platform, dazedly watching this scene.
But unlike the others, the astonishment in his eyes lasted less than half a second before his expression returned to calm.
Afterward, even when he saw the people on the stretchers lose their sickly pallor in a flash, regaining the color of health, their decaying flesh and ruined limbs miraculously restored, Bishop Sherman showed no further surprise.
He had already seen what he wanted to see.
For him, all that was left was to wait for the right moment to act further.
Yet there were plenty whose reactions were different.
After confirming Flora’s abilities, Lisette immediately grabbed Liz’s hand, and the latter turned to walk toward a corner of the hall.
As for Emia, she only grew more convinced of her earlier suspicion—that Flora’s methods were a special technique learned from her elder sister.
And the three of the Emerald Heart squad, their expressions were each unique.
Moria wore a look of intoxication, Elka’s eyes brimmed with worry, while Tatashimi lowered her gaze in deep thought.
Anyone seeing them like this would surely wonder if there was some hidden story behind this healing display.
“Hey, Moria…”
The first voice to break the silence in the hall came from Elka.
She came to Moria’s side.
Moria looked at her, as if she was simply making small talk.
“What is it, Elka?”
She didn’t think Miss Elf would have any objections to tonight’s banquet, but sensed some other urgent need, and so appeared utterly relaxed.
“I…I don’t quite understand.”
Elka clenched her fists, her expression hesitant, lacking the arrogant demeanor of the old woman she used to be.
Moria found her more and more agreeable, and with a smile said: “Don’t understand why I’m doing this? You really have changed.”
“No…”
“Hm?”
Moria blinked in confusion; this was not the reply she had expected.
“I don’t understand what exactly we’ve created. Is she really… him?”
Elka’s question succeeded in wiping the smile from Moria’s face.
“……”
She fell silent, frowning slightly.
“Do you want him—the one who became her, or do you simply want her?”
Elka seemed deeply uneasy.
The question she raised was one no outsider could understand, but Moria grasped it immediately.
She gazed into Elka’s eyes for a moment and said calmly: “You’re afraid, Elka.”
This elf who had lived a thousand years was now starting to feel fear for what they had done, and alarmed by Flora’s increasingly unfamiliar manner.
That wouldn’t do—if she became like this, what about their future plans?
“My companion, you can’t be afraid. You should know very well what I want, and you of all people should know the answer to your earlier question.”
“I really don’t know anymore. I only feel as though I’ve opened a Pandora’s box… Wait, what else do you plan to do? Are you truly confident you can keep everything under your control? Or…”
Elka moved closer.
She no longer spoke aloud, but used mind magic to question Moria directly.
“Even if she loses control, even if she’s destroyed, is that part of your plan? You once said you’d make her into a dazzling star, but a star shines brightest the moment it explodes, doesn’t it? I never agreed to that.”
“Maybe I should find you a doctor.”
Moria’s face blossomed into a smile once more.
She looked at the frightened elf and spoke in a gentle, soothing tone.
“You’ve just exhausted too much magic, so you’re feeling sensitive, Elka. Maybe you should think about whether the old you would ever have these thoughts.”
“All I know is that things are getting stranger and stranger…”
Elka turned away, watching as Flora healed each wounded person, bathed in the crowd’s unusual gazes full of awe and fanaticism.
“Actually, it’s you who’s grown fond of her. You’re starting to feel sorry for her.”
“What do you know…”
Coming from anyone else, Elka wouldn’t have minded, but hearing it from Moria, she couldn’t accept it.
“Linko has returned to her domain, and there’s no capable head maid available. Wait here a moment; I’ll send a maid to take you to rest. You’ve worked hard to maintain the barrier, which is why your mind is wandering.”
“Are you planning to use your boring tricks on me too?”
“I really do care about you, you know. Don’t be so cold.”
“No need. I’ll watch the rest of this show until the end.”
Elka refused what she saw as Moria’s insincere kindness.
She didn’t care if it drew strange looks.
With a wave of her staff, she leaped up to the second floor of the hall.
“Moria, everyone’s here. We can call them out at any time.”
Tatashimi also stepped closer to Moria, lowering her voice.
At this moment, she was the very picture of a loyal adviser.
Seeing her like this, Moria could only sigh, placing her hands on Tatashimi’s shoulders and speaking earnestly: “I never thought of you as my subordinate. Relax a little, don’t always be so stiff. She’s looked at you several times now, and you’ve made her so tense.”
“Sorry.”
Of course, Tatashimi had noticed Flora’s wary glances.
She didn’t find it odd.
After all, her own gaze toward Flora was already not quite right.
And just thinking about what was soon to happen made it hard for her to relax.
Sensing her hesitation, Moria chuckled.
“It’s fine, leave it to me. You’ve already done everything you needed to.”
With that, she patted Tatashimi’s shoulder, then turned her gaze back to Flora.
She didn’t want to miss a certain someone’s pained expression.
Fifteen unfortunate adventurers who suffered from counterfeit medicine yet hadn’t died—not even nobles with their privileges could easily gather so many.
But it was, without a doubt, a great thing.
The new healer of Emerald Heart, Miss Flora, offering free aid to those harmed by fake medicine—any decent person would feel grateful.
As for whether the counterfeits were made by Fros, who cared?
The real counterfeit dealers were already buried in some grave out in the wilderness.
Moria’s gaze lingered on Flora’s slender neck.
The collar hanging there was working just as she wished, restricting Flora’s magic.
Thus, if Flora wanted to use her healing power, she’d have to spend even more energy and endure even greater pain, undergoing even more noticeable changes.
No matter how firm someone’s will, under repeated torment, no one could stay unchanged forever.