The God of Assassination Becomes the Strongest Healer (3)
Thud.
The sound of a heavy desk chair, previously flush against the desk, striking the stone floor.
"Fergan, before we begin proper lessons, this father has something he wishes to ask you."
And above it resounded Father's voice, slightly deeper and more booming.
"You are a healer—therefore, what kind of being do you think a practitioner of the healing arts is?"
Though it was the first day of lessons that I, as the heir who would carry on the family business, had to receive, forcing a mere five-year-old child through a grueling march from the very first day was simply impossible.
Perhaps Father had planned the first day of lessons as a period of mental education to cultivate the mindset befitting a successor of Claudius.
"I believe that healing practitioners are those who put their purpose into practice by saving lives."
I suppressed a laugh that had nearly burst out of me unwittingly and gave my answer.
I, who in my previous life had discovered the meaning of my existence by reaping lives, was now speaking of salvation—such an unfathomable disparity nearly drew a hollow laugh from me.
"Yes, that is a good answer. A healer, by nature, ought to know how to find fulfillment in saving lives. Fergan, from today onward, you shall learn how to live as the successor of Claudius."
Fortunately, Father seemed pleased with my answer, and with a satisfied expression, he began to carefully unfold today's 'core teaching material.'
Hundreds of needles neatly arranged inside a cloth of black silk.
And a necklace placed above the needles.
Though it was hidden by his cloak, I knew very well that an object identical to that necklace rested within Father's breast.
'The pair of necklaces, impressive for their unusually brilliant light, were named 'Ahura' and 'Mazda.'
They were divine relics symbolizing the authority of the 'Family Head' and the 'Successor' of House Claudius.'
"Don't just stand there blankly; try putting Mazda around your neck. This father is quite curious to see if Mazda will suit you."
"Father, thank you for your words, but is it truly alright for me to place Mazda around my neck already?"
Despite Father's urging, I could not easily bring myself to touch Mazda.
The reason Mazda was regarded as a divine relic of Claudius was not solely due to its radiant brilliance.
Just as most other prestigious noble houses did, Claudius also possessed a mana cultivation method handed down like a secret tradition.
The name of the secret cultivation method that had elevated Claudius to become the continent's foremost house of medical arts was 'Angelus.'
And because Ahura and Mazda possessed outstanding performance in doubling the speed at which the wearer comprehended Angelus, it was the law of Claudius that they be kept separately by the family head and the officially recognized successor.
Thus, it was not an issue for Father, the current family head of Claudius, to carry Ahura on his person.
But I had not yet been officially recognized as the successor of Claudius, and inside Mother's womb right now, my younger sister was growing vigorously, set to be born in two months.
The thought that my contacting Mazda so far in advance might become an unfair treatment to the siblings who would one day have to compete fairly with me for succession was what made me hesitate.
"Haha! Why? Do you perhaps feel as though you are doing something unfair to your sibling who hasn't even been born yet?"
And Father, guessing my inner thoughts, let out a hearty laugh once more.
For a five-year-old child who had yet to mature to keep fair succession competition in mind might seem excessively precocious at a glance, but in a prestigious household like Claudius, it was hardly rare.
"But I don't think you need to have such thoughts for now. When the time comes, your sibling will be given the same opportunities you have received. I do not fail to understand your desire to prove your own worth through a fair process, but Mazda is a treasure that exists for the purpose of nurturing as many competent healers as possible. If you refuse Mazda's grace based on an unfairness that will never arise, would that not also be a regrettable thing?"
"But Father…."
"It's alright. Besides, it is not I who decides who becomes its master, but Mazda itself. If your sibling possesses qualities more suitable than yours, Mazda will not delay in making that fact known."
In the end, Father took Mazda into his own hands on behalf of my hesitating self and hung it around my neck.
Humm.
A moment later, Mazda began to emit an even more vivid green light. And upon seeing that, Father revealed an even more satisfied smile.
"Oh my! Green on the very first day! Young Master, my sincere congratulations!"
Was Mazda's green light truly so welcome? The wet nurse, who had accumulated decades of experience serving Claudius, celebrated this first meeting with tears welling in her eyes, while Father ruffled my hair with rough but cheerful hand movements.
"Hehe! Look, even Mazda seems quite fond of you. And make sure to take good care of the needles over there. They are friends who must share your joys and sorrows for at least the next ten years."
"Yes, Father."
In the end, with Mazda hanging around my neck, I carefully stowed away the metal needles inside the silk cloth Father had prepared.
The first encounter with this incomparably useful 'sharp friend' for saving lives approached more keenly than I had expected, its chilly sensation transmitted clearly even through the silk.
"Now then, since you have had your first meeting with Mazda, we ought to begin the proper lessons on Angelus. Fergan, Angelus is divided into stages according to one's level of mastery. Do you know what clue allows you to determine your own realm?"
"I know that it can be determined by the number of mana rings encircling the heart."
Although the secret mana cultivation methods possessed by each house have slight differences, they share the common trait that the number of 'mana rings' encircling the heart increases according to the level of training.
"Indeed. You are still too young and have yet to receive proper teaching, so you likely haven't completed even a single ring. But if you do not cease to continue your learning, I believe you will soon gain a companion to walk with you into the future."
"I will do my best."
"Haha, that's the spirit. Look, even Mazda is overjoyed at meeting you, so I believe something good will happen before long."
Was the sight of Mazda, emitting green light since being hung around my neck, truly so delightful?
Father stroked my hair and Mazda alternately, bursting into laughter once again.
"Then first, I shall teach you the basic process for learning Angelus, and the breathing method you must memorize in order to master that process."
For the next two hours or so, Father taught me the fundamentals of Angelus, and thanks to his meticulous guidance, I was able to get a feel for Angelus without any great difficulty.
In my heart, I wanted to surprise Father by using every ability I possessed, but I decided to hold back for now.
No matter that my opponent was Father, I felt that revealing everything I had at this timing would not be a wise move, and besides, what I had to master was not limited to Angelus alone.
'Arca. Even though I had learned it once in my previous life, the training process of Arca is not something I can see easily. Angelus of Claudius is indeed an outstanding breathing method, but if we consider only its performance and efficacy, Arca, the legacy of the ancient kingdom, is superior. In order to reserve the strength to master Arca as well, there is no need to overdo things from the start.'
I had learned Angelus using less than half of my capacity, but Father seemed more than satisfied with just that.
"Let us stop here for today. Your progress is much faster than I anticipated. If you continue learning at this pace, you will achieve great results before long."
Father reached out with his boulder-like hands and meticulously wiped my sweat-drenched forehead and face.
"Hoo…."
"Young Master! You have truly worked hard. I have prepared a cool drink here. Truly, watching your dignified figure from behind, this old woman finds her emotions welling up…."
I took the cold tea offered by the wet nurse, who held glistening tears in her eyes, drank it, and took a deep breath; my whole body felt refreshed.
"For now, this is all I can teach you directly at this stage. The rest will be taught to you by the members of the house in charge of each subject."
"Yes, Father."
"For now, becoming accustomed to Angelus is the priority, so I would rather you not take on too many subjects. It would be best to choose just one subject to learn alongside Angelus—which one would you like to learn first? In this matter, I shall respect your wishes as much as possible."
From the beginning, the successor training method of Claudius was far removed from teaching everything from start to finish.
What the family head taught directly to the successor candidate was solely Angelus, which formed the 'foundation of Claudius.'
The remaining subjects, such as various healing magics and methods of using medical tools, were instructed by house members in charge of each subject.
Afterward, the duties of the family head were solely to refine the candidate's Angelus, provide those candidates who stood before walls with opportunities to shift their perspective, and gauge their level.
'The opportunity for enlightenment can be given by others, but in the end, only you yourself can lead yourself to the realm of enlightenment.'
This was the law of Claudius.
"Father, if that is the case, then I wish to study this."
"Human… anatomy?"
In accordance with the house law, Father had given me an opportunity, and without hesitation, I decided on the very first subject I would learn. Upon confirming my choice, a peculiar light formed in Father's eyes.
"I said I would respect your choice, so I have no intention of raising any objections. But I must admit I find it unexpected. When asking a student first encountering the healing arts what they wish to learn first, they usually take interest in 'healing incantations' or how to form the 'Seal of Recovery'; yet 'human anatomy'…."
Human anatomy.
Unlike other subjects that focused on communing with nature and walking the path of mysterious mana, it was a learning subject notorious for being tedious and difficult, requiring 'rigid rote memorization' and 'obsessively persistent repetitive learning.'
It was not difficult to understand why Father was so surprised by my choice.
"Of course, human anatomy is undoubtedly a discipline that must be mastered in order to become an excellent healer. But there is something you ought to know: in the process of learning human anatomy, there are virtually no training methods that utilize mana. Will you still choose human anatomy?"
"Yes, Father."
"If you choose human anatomy as the subject to first study alongside Angelus, won't you lose the opportunity to test the Angelus you have worked so hard to learn for the time being?"
"It is fine."
"Very well. Then do as you please."
Father kept his initial promise to respect my choice, and so my very first subject of study was decided to be 'human anatomy.'
"I shall contact 'Richard,' who is in charge of human anatomy, on my way back, so he will come to find you by tomorrow. Haha! But no matter how much I think about it, I simply cannot fathom why you, still so young, chose human anatomy. Fergan, could you tell this father the reason you chose human anatomy among so many subjects?"
Of course, there was a firm and clear reason I had chosen human anatomy as my first subject.
But for a reason similar to why I had not shown Father all of my 'capacity regarding mana cultivation methods.'
I could not reveal the basis for that choice immediately.
Still, Father's question was not burdensome. I had prepared a model answer in advance for just such a case.
Meeting Father's gaze, I spoke in the clearest voice I could muster.
"The reason I chose human anatomy as my first subject is because 'the physical body is the vessel that contains the soul.'"