The God of Assassins Becomes the Strongest Healer (4)
“…A vessel?”
A different light flickered in Father’s pupils upon hearing the answer, shining unlike anything before.
Eyes that seemed to say, ‘I know the correct answer, but can you actually say it?’
To live up to Father’s expectations, I continued with the next answer without a moment’s hesitation.
“The soul is the root that makes life exist as life, and the flesh is the most sublime vessel that holds that root.”
“…Isn’t that the words left by the progenitor of our house, Lord Orpheus?”
“That is correct. At first glance, these words may seem to emphasize the importance of the soul over the flesh, but in fact, it is the opposite. Lord Orpheus was one who dreamed of an ideal balance between soul and flesh. In other words, these words imply that in order to fully enjoy the blessings of life, one must cherish both the soul and the flesh.”
“Haha. Indeed, just as you say. Ignorant quacks take those words as evidence to claim that Lord Orpheus emphasized the soul and neglected the flesh, but that is pure nonsense. Yet, you have managed to realize that truth.”
Pleased that his young son, barely past his father’s knees, had understood the teachings of an ancestor that could be considered rather abstruse, Father smiled.
“As a healer and as a member of Claudius who would not be ashamed beneath the glory of my ancestors, I wish to become a steadfast vessel befitting the renown of Claudius.”
“Then the reason you chose human anatomy first is also….”
“Because I judged that a broad understanding of the body’s structure is necessary, both to train my own body and to fully utilize the grace of Angelus.”
“Hehe!”
Father’s mouth split into an even wider grin.
Though he said nothing, Father’s expression said it all.
‘Yes, that’s my boy. My son, that is how my son should be!’
That was what it said. And through that expression, I was certain that now was the time to deliver the final blow.
“I, Phaegan, wish to become a firm vessel capable of enduring the times to come through the study of human anatomy. And in the future, I shall steadily fill it with the blessing of Angelus and the teachings left by my ancestors.”
“Hahaha! Yes! That is how my son should be! A resolve of this degree is what you must show to be worthy of being called the eldest son of Tiberius and Melissa!”
The words that had been surging and overflowing in Father’s expression finally burst from his mouth.
“Oh my! How gallant our young master is!”
The nursemaid, watching this sight, eventually burst into tears once more, and before that moisture had even faded, Father swept me into a tight embrace and lifted me high.
“If your mother learns that you possess such lofty ambitions, she will be overjoyed. And she will straighten her shoulders and say, ‘What did I tell you? He truly takes after me, doesn’t he?’ Isn’t that right? Nursemaid!”
“Yes, my lord. My lady would certainly be astonished to see the young master’s gallant appearance.”
Father spun around in place several times while holding me before he finally set me down.
“Quack healers who have failed to properly build their foundations often make the mistake of becoming intoxicated by healing magic and mana and disregarding the flesh. They believe that since wounds are healed by magic and spells, all injuries can ultimately be resolved by magic. Such fools.”
Each time Father shook his head, his bushy beard fluttered in all directions like reeds caught in a typhoon.
“No matter how excellent a spell a healer may cast, it is ultimately the body of flesh and blood that must accept and endure that healing magic. Yet for you, still young and without formal education, to have already seen through that trap—this father is immeasurably pleased.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Throughout Father’s praise, I kept my head bowed low.
It wasn’t just that such rare praise from Father was burdensome; facing those eyes sparkling with expectation for his son, guilt crept up within me.
‘I am sorry, Father. That isn’t the whole reason… To be honest, I chose human anatomy for a different reason.’
Though I had not yet begun formal education, I was already certain that my grades in human anatomy would be exceptional.
In my previous life, I had killed more villains than anyone, and I had eagerly studied how to dispose of trash in the shortest possible time and with the greatest certainty.
Naturally, my knowledge of the human body had deepened through this process.
‘After all, assassination means driving a blade into the most lethal part of the opponent at the most critical moment. My teacher said it time and again in the early lessons: how could one who does not know how a person is composed discuss how to efficiently kill a person?’
Through my teacher’s lessons and my own independent research, I had developed considerable depth in my understanding of the human body.
And now, starting tomorrow, the knowledge possessed by the continent’s foremost house of healing arts would be added atop that deep understanding.
‘Research aimed at death, and learning dedicated to saving lives. There may be some differences, but I am certain. The healing arts that Claudius has built up over several hundred years will definitely help improve my assassination techniques. Perhaps the reason that radiance sent me here specifically lies here as well.’
Still keeping my head bowed, I once more expressed my gratitude to the radiance that had sent me to Claudius.
Perhaps someone hearing this story might ask a question.
Why would I, having spent a peaceful childhood on an island surrounded by forest, trees, and sea, now bother honing the bloody combat techniques remaining from my previous life?
[Calamity will be upon us before long. I look forward to seeing how you prove yourself within that calamity.]
If someone were to ask that, I would answer with the words the radiance that sent me here once spoke.
‘Calamity, and proof.’
Two keywords that had never once left my mind during the five years I spent on the incomparably peaceful and comfortable island of ‘Espetara.’
They may laugh and say I worry too much, or despise me for being unable to cast off a nature dripping with blood.
But no matter what anyone said, I remained unwavering in my belief that keeping my weapons from my previous life sharp would be of help.
“Hahaha!”
Father lifted me high once more, and from the highest point of the island, I could take in the surrounding scenery once again.
Father, the nursemaid, the people who stayed by my side, and the island that raised me. And…
‘The world waiting for me beyond the island.’
Avoiding the eyes of Father and the nursemaid, I fixed my gaze beyond the waves toward the world outside the island.
And I once more reaffirmed my resolve to obtain the ‘solidity’ to overcome whatever that calamity might be as if it were no great matter.
* * *
That night.
Inside Phaegan’s room, darkness had fallen.
Peaceful, even breathing resounded from atop a plush bed made of the finest materials.
A straightened waist and neck, and two hands clasped between his chest and navel.
Though it was long past the hour when everyone slept, Phaegan did not stop training the Angelus he had learned today.
—Heeh, you must have been exhausted learning Angelus for the first time today. To be so focused on training that you forget even to sleep. And all this from a mere five-year-old brat. Quite impressive, aren’t you?
Unlike ‘Arka,’ which could be practiced in a comfortable posture of one’s choosing, ‘Angelus’ demanded strict adherence to its training process.
It was certainly a posture burdensome for a young child, yet despite the considerable time that had passed since he began training, Phaegan’s form showed no signs of breaking.
The effects of the exercises he had performed every morning without fail for the past year were being plainly demonstrated.
Though he would have to focus somewhat more on training ‘Arka,’ which was more helpful for direct combat ability, he could not afford to neglect ‘Angelus.’
If Arka was the ‘blade hidden inside a veil’ for the future, then Angelus was the sturdy shield protecting Phaegan’s present.
For the attention that would soon be pouring down on him, it was necessary to have learned Angelus well beyond a certain level.
—Hmm… Judging by the flow of your mana, your talent isn’t so bad. Tiberius is a fairly sharp fellow despite his dimwitted, bear-like appearance, so if you grow up well like this, you should become a competent patriarch on the level of Tiberius. Of course, to do that you’ll absolutely need this one’s behind-the-scenes help, hehe.
Pitch-black darkness. Trembling air.
And a voice brimming with mischief, floating between faint ripples.
A blue flame that could be seen yet not seen, visible yet invisible.
The ‘Blue Flame,’ which had briefly shown itself when the Blessing of Claudius named ‘Phaegan Claudius’ descended into the world, flew around Phaegan’s sweat-beaded forehead without ceasing its chatter.
—Brat, every time I see you, I really think it’s a good thing you take after your mother and not your father. Melissa is a beauty, so you’ve at least turned out presentable enough to look at, but if you resembled your father—ugh! How dreadful! A black bear named Tiberius is suffocating enough, but the thought of Papa Bear and Baby Bear standing side by side—ugh, it’s suffocating just to think about.
—But now that I think about it, I’m annoyed. A being of my stature personally came to check on a brat, worried you might harm yourself by overdoing it, and this damned little brat hasn’t even uttered a word of thanks! Hey! Brat! Don’t you think there’s something wrong with that?
Sometimes laughing, sometimes angry, the blue flame busily circled Phaegan’s brow, and each time, an invisible warmth breathed vitality into Phaegan’s fatigued body.
Though its true nature was unclear and its intentions could not be known for certain, the blue flame’s repeated circling clearly seemed to be helping Phaegan’s progress.
—That’s it! That’s it! Good! Like that! At this timing, even if it’s a bit tough, you have to pull it taut!
Did it perhaps know Angelus, the secret art of Claudius, very well?
The flame watched the flickering aura of Angelus enveloping Phaegan’s body and did not stop its meddling.
—Hey! Hey! That’s not it! You have to extend downward now! What are you doing pulling it there without a plan! Then the mana that was flowing in order loses its place, and when that happens, the smoothly progressing circulation is completely cut off!
Drip.
At that moment, when an especially large bead of sweat rolled down his cheek and fell onto the bed, the flame shook its body even more noisily and raised its voice.
—Hey! I told you you can’t do it like that!
As the trail of sweat grew thicker, the flame’s tone grew higher as well.
—That’s not how you do it♫. That’s not how you do it♪.
Unable to overcome its frustration, the flame began to hum a mocking tune and fly above Phaegan’s face at an even faster speed.
—I said no♪ I said no♫ That’s not how you do it♬ If you do it like that, it’s all a waste— ...Huh?
But then, the flame’s voice, which had been building momentum, suddenly died down. Phaegan, who had kept his eyes closed since beginning his training, had opened them into a narrow glare directed precisely at where it was.
—Wh-what! What are you glaring at me like that for! Ah, no. There’s no way this brat could sense me in the first place.
A sharp gaze utterly unbelievable for a mere five-year-old child.
Pushed back by that gaze, the flame that had inadvertently raised its voice soon shook its head.
There had been a few who had detected its existence, aside from ‘Orpheus,’ its first friend who had formed a bond with it.
But they had only been able to faintly sense that a being like it existed.
And that faint, weak sensing had been possible only after those perceptive fellows had grown old, becoming bent-backed elders.
Before becoming an old man, there had been only one person who had clearly perceived the blue flame and offered a greeting of ‘hello.’
—There’s no way this brat could do what only Orpheus was able to. N-no, that’s impossible….
“Hey, be quiet.”
—...!
A firm denial based on empirical rule.
And immediately after, perfect evidence proving its guess had gone awry.
—Y-you… were you talking to me just now?
The moment it inadvertently met the brat’s eyes, the flame felt a tension as if its breath would stop, and cautiously asked again.
—No way… can you really see me?
The brat, Phaegan Claudius, who had detected the ‘Guardian Deity of Claudius’ for the first time since the founding patriarch Orpheus, spoke in a blunt voice.
“Quiet. You’re noisy.”