Chapter 20: Healing and Conflict

The Priest was a strange title.

Almost as if I took on the Hippocratic Oath as well every time I chose to bear the title, it lacked any outstanding offensive capabilities. It also didn't have any good defensive abilities for that matter, or even the high mana recovery rates the Magician afforded.

In fact, as of now with my increased stats, whenever I used the Magician my mana recovered at 18.2% per minute, or quite simply put around 90 units of mana per second. That was like, more than the sum of using Critical Eye and overloading Mana Channeling at the same time for one minute, in a sixtieth of the time.

No wonder I could manage to overuse my Mana Explosion skill all the time now.

But with the Priest? It was crippled down to a depressing 3%, leaving me with my hands tied over the usage of my mana. Not that it mattered much really, I supposed, considering that most of my mana-costly skills were only usable while wearing the Magician, but wasn't it pleasing to know that whenever I bore the Priest I became a practical sitting duck for enemies to target?

So quite effectively, whenever I wore the Priest, I became an overly-specialized cripple with healing hands.

After all, outside of Critical Eye, I didn't have any combat-viable Skills to use while wearing the Priest. Combine that with the fact that the Priest would hardly be useful outside of battle where people would be in need of quick healing, I felt terribly cheated of my newest title after the fountain of uses the Magician was.

But I needed that specialization now, didn't I?

"Are you just going to stare at the air and do nothing, Seidmadr?"

I sighed, not even attempting to point out again that I still didn't know what Brunhilda was talking about. "Alright, alright. I'll be doing my job now."

Cautiously, I walked up to the nearest bed where one of the injured Valkyries were resting. Trying to ignore the heated stares and hands going over weapon handles, I chose to focus on the wounded warrior as I place one of her hands in between mine.

I wasn't one to diagnose that well, but even I could identify the second-degree burns that ran across the majority of her right arm, along with a large gash that was over her left eye, probably made by a sword or spear as axes simply didn't leave curved cuts. And even with that, I knew that she got off lightly compared to some of the worst examples I could see from the corner of my vision.

But that didn't matter really. All I needed to see was the red bar that revealed itself to my eyes as soon as I got close. And by that point, I heaved a sigh of relief.

Dahlia Sturgenson: Lvl 43

HP: 9254/19000

I hadn't been sure, really, if Adventurers even had health bars. After all, with all their subtle but important differences from Players, it was still a possibility, especially as I didn't even know if they had stats just like I did.

But this, this I could work with. She, Dahlia, may have had lost quite a large portion of her life - and already had me dreading for the time when I had to work on the worst cases - but HP bars were familiar to me and I could work on them. Or the Priest (II) could work on them, I supposed.

After all, to the Priest it didn't matter whether they cut up, burnt, poisoned, cursed, infested, or whatever affliction could affect a person. As long as it was by definition alive and had a health bar, I could heal it.

And that, was the saving grace of my second title.

"Alright, Dahlia isn't it?" I murmured as I closed my eyes, leaving my senses for the moment to focus. "Let's get you healed up."

The sensation wasn't unfamiliar. All I had to do was remember that time, that night inside that forest, when I had been panicking over my friend's body, thinking that my actions could be the last thing he would feel before he disappeared forever. Funny now, knowing that Myrddin was a Player like I was, but the emotion was real. The urge to help people was real.

"Heal."

My hands lit up in blue, making the unconscious Valkyrie in my hands glow. I also didn't have to look to know that all around me the floor and the walls started letting out balls of light that moved and coalesced to my fingertips and over the woman in my hands.

I heard a gasp, and I opened my eyes to see skin re-knitting, burns disappearing into thin air and revealing unblemished fair skin in their wake. The paleness that was on her face started to be filled with a healthier hue, and when my hands finally finished glowing, the formerly invalid patient in my hands looked miraculously uninjured, as if her suffering from mere seconds ago was all but an illusion.

I made sure to step away as several Valkyries ran up to their awakening fellow kin.

I turned to look at Brunhilda, who gave me a respectful nod of thanks now that she wasn't being focused upon by her people. A few meters away from her left, Myrddin sent me a thumbs up.

Strangely, Alysse was nowhere to be seen.

"Should I get on with healing more?" I asked, as soon as things started to calm down. Reminded by the fact of my presence, the gathering group of Valkyries broke apart, taking with them the now awake and confused Dahlia who surprisingly wasn't sending me a glare, choosing to instead look at me with curious eyes.

I knew it. There had to be something, something recent and very cruel, that happened to make them all so wary. Why else would there be so many injured, and it would explain why Dahlia, who presumably wasn't awake or unconscious when it happened, isn't sending me a glare.

"Of course," Brunhilda nodded, looking less determined to pierce me through with her spear now that I proved I was actually going to help. "Could you start on the worst cases this time?"

I nodded, instantly calling up the descriptions of my new skills.

Holy Heal (Active): Lvl 3Heal with the power of light. The Holy Light shall save us!

Effects: Heals a fixed percentage of a target's health per fixed mana point used. Ignores status effects.

Healing applicable to all in a three meter radius around user, however cost is calculated separately from each target.

Usability, range, and efficiency increases per level. Only usable while wearing The Priest (II) title.

Current rate is 1% : 48MP.

Earth Cure (Active): Lvl 3Heal with the power of nature. The Earth Mother shall protect us all!

Effects: Heals status effects. Fixed cost, applicable to almost all afflictions, enchantments and curses.

Healing applicable to all in a three meter radius around user, however cost is counted separately from each target.

Usability, range, and efficiency increases per level. Only usable while wearing The Priest (II) title.

Current cost is: 980 MP per target.

"As long as I could get some time in between."

Healing Dahlia wasn't exactly cheap, but considering even with my lower recovery I could easily recover the dent in my mana in the matter of minutes there wasn't much to worry. There was the more mental side of exhaustion, but I was willing to endure that.

Thus, now that I was sure my healing would work, I quickly went to business. Fully reaching out with all of my ability, I went to the center of all the beds before sitting down into a meditative lotus position and focused on my healing abilities.

I closed my eyes, and once again everything lit up all around me.

It took a greater part of three hours, but soon I managed to mostly empty the beds of their patients. There were those who were actually on the brink of death when I started healing them, causing me to empty my mana stores too quickly to ever manage to do them all in one go.

But still, like a weight removed brick by brick over their heads, slowly but surely the Valkyries that had been in the room glaring at me and Myrddin relaxed with every healed Valkyrie that stood up, looking no worse for wear as they recovered from their deathbeds.

It was after the last fatally wounded Valkyrie regained her face from all the burns that covered it and lost the hole that was her shoulder that they finally jumped up in celebration, finally knowing that nobody was going to die.

Even as mentally exhausted as I was from the effort that was still unfinished, I managed a smile at the almost childish glee that was on their faces as they jumped and hugged friends and comrades, throwing away appearances as they shed tears that used to show grief.

"They weren't angry," I managed as I heaved breaths as Myrddin ran up to me. "I understand now. They were mourning."

After all, why wouldn't you be wary of visitors during a war that had your friends and family in their deathbeds?

"You can rest now." Brunhilda came up to us as she watched her people celebrate with a smile. "We can wait for tomorrow; at this point, there is no reason for you to continue forcing yourself to help, not when nobody is now at risk of getting worse. Rest now, honored Seidmadr, for you have fully gained our trust."

"Glad to hear that," I grinned cheekily at her, even as sweat dripped across my face. "It took healing forty-eight people for you people to finally realize I'm not here as an enemy, didn't you?"

"Yes. Yes, we did."

And with that permission, I immediately swapped my titles back to The Magician, so my recovery would be much faster. Mana-wise at least; there was nothing I could do about the mental exhaustion of focusing on one thing over the course of three hours.

"Good job, Rain." Myrddin complimented me as soon as Brunhilda turned away to join her celebrating people. "I always knew you had it in you."

"Great, now could you make it up to me later on? After all, this is all mostly your fault." I teased back at him, causing him to go a little red. I laughed at his suddenly guilty expression. "Nah, it's alright. I would've raised this offer to them even if you hadn't mentioned my healing skills to them, if only a bit... less confrontational that what had actually occurred."

Almost sulking, he wedged his arm into my ribs. "Hey! That hurts."

"You deserved it, Rain." Myrddin turned away from me, crossing his arms. "When would you stop teasing me at every chance you could get?"

"We choose to place the gentlest of cruelties on our friends, for who else could we inflict them on?" I said loftily, as if I was a wise saint telling a child words of wisdom. "Listen to this Myrddin, for you shall learn how it is to be amazing."

"Amazing, my ass..."

A hand placed itself over my shoulder, and I turned back to see the face of the very first Valkyrie we've met. Alysse had a relaxed expression on her features, her spear nowhere to be seen for once as she bode for our attention.

Once again, strangely, she reminded me of someone I knew but couldn't place as to who.

"Honored Seidmadr and Myrddin," The way she said our names was striking; my name accompanied with it respect and acceptance, and my partner... not so much. "We Valkyries have convened and decided to have a celebration in honor of this miracle you have done for us. Please, would you join us in our feast?"

I shifted my eyes to the side, where Brunhilda was nodding in agreement.

"Sure, why not?"

I agreed, taking Myrddin's offered hand as I stepped back up after hours of sitting in a single place. Then I added something.

"But please, would anyone tell me what all of this Seidmadr means?"

Seidmadr meant magician. I should've guessed it was that simple. Or not.

Apparently, in Nordic culture (which I was now completely sure the two Viking and Valkyrie towns were based out of) magic was a strictly feminine art - men had bows, swords, axes, hammers, shields, and the occasional polearms, while the females battled with the arts, magic, and spears.

Which easily meant that to them, I was a blasphemer. A warlock, in its ancient meaning 'Oath-Breaker'.

No wonder the Valkyries were so wary of me when I entered the town and asked to help their sick. It was akin to letting a raving lunatic take care of their children for them. Quite simply put, I was even lucky to be allowed in their territory without a spear inside my chest.

I guess I should be thankful that Grimm's name held so much power in this place. Even if I didn't know why.

"Honored Seidmadr! Taste this: it's our proud roasted boar that we had just hunted for hours ago!"

Smiling a little bit of forced at the long, apparently oxymoronic title, I thankfully took a slab of the meat that was on the plate that was offered. After the Valkyrie who carried it to us left, I glibly placed the cut over to my partner's mostly empty plate.

Myrddin didn't seem to ever get an offer while I had stopped counting after the eighteenth.

"Thanks, Rain." Myrddin had a long suffering look on his face. "Guess they still don't like me, huh?"

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." I commented, taking a sip at what was thankfully just apple cider instead of heavy mead. "Who knows if Alysse told them of what you did when you two first met. Plus, with those looks of yours, it would indeed be hard to relax around you unless someone knows you personally."

"Which by the fact they're wary of me," Myrddin sighed, "It isn't likely to happen anytime soon."

I hid an amused smile behind my mug.

"So, what are we going to do after this? And don't tell me that bunch of pretty lies about this being 'just scouting'. I know you, Rain, and you're not the kind of person to ignore something like this continue."

My smile fell at the reminder.

"Guess you saw through me, Myrddin." I leaned back on the chair I was sitting, letting my frustration show for once. "God knows how much we have to do something to stop this war."

Myrddin gave me a fond look. "Now, that's the Rain I know."

"It's just that I have no idea what to do." I admitted softly so no one other than my sole partner in this mess would hear. "I have no idea as to how to stop a war, and I hardly know if I could even achieve anything in this large mess that is the conflict between these Vikings and Valkyries."

"It's easier when all you have to do is to defeat an overpowered monster, isn't it, Rain?" Myrddin comforted, placing a hand across the table to pat me over the shoulder. "But don't worry, the two of us will do this together."

"Is there anything you two should be telling us?" Brunhilda came from our side, and by the looks of her face she hadn't heard what we were talking about. Beside her was Alysse, strangely silent as she bowed her head quietly by her Chief.

I managed to send her a cheeky grin. "Oh, it's nothing, Chief Brunhilda. I was just teasing Myrddin about how your Valkyries still don't seem to like him."

Half-true, half-false. Perfect for lying.

"Is that so?" The chief made an amused look at the exaggerated pout Myrddin made sure to put on his face as soon as he noticed Brunhilda coming. Who knew Myrddin could act when he wasn't so scared? "I was here to invite you two to our sacred dance in honor for your aid in this war."

I internally winced at that. Maybe we had stretched to boundaries of 'neutrality' at this point...

Myrddin spoke first. "I can't dance. You have to be satisfied with Rain over here."

I sent my partner a betrayed look, not noticing the smile that had formed on Brunhilda's features. "Hey, I don't know how to dance too! I have never set foot on a dance floor ever since I was six!"

"Honored Seidmadr, I guess Alysse over here would have to teach you then!" Brunhilda steamrolled over my words, gesturing to her Valkyrie. Alysse, for one, had shock flutter across her features before settling on a glare on her Chief. "Now, wouldn't that be nice, Alysse?"

"Brunhilda, I can't! Haven't I told you that this boy is-!"

The Chief talked over her as well. "She agrees."

"But isn't she denying-" I tried to add.

"She agrees," Brunhilda repeated, and by the look of her eyes I was reminded of just who I was talking to and how she could still easily pierce me through with the spear hung across her back.

There was a moment of silence, and I had to hold back from stepping on Myrddin's foot again as he tried and failed to hide a snicker at my situation.

I sighed, giving up the resistance and agreed. By the looks of it, Alysse was resigned for a 'dance' as well.

The dance was a slow one. In fact, the moment we came to the stage, the singers and the musicians curiously decided to change the song into a sweet serenade. And then all the other solo dancers left the stage to let us dance on our own.

I think I have to say how doubtful I was about the whole 'sacred dance' thing at this point.

"I'm sorry." Alysse bowed her head as she led me to a strange series of steps that were unfamiliar to any of the few dances I knew. "It seems they have misunderstood something about what I told them about you."

"Don't worry," I couldn't help but scratch my cheek at her apology. "At least this is a far throw from the unrestrained hatred they were emitting from earlier today."

"You saved lives." She said quietly, her arm pulling me to and fro. "If there is anything that is similar between the Vikings and Valkyries, it's their respect for honor. The moment you helped those who they thought were going to die by the end of the night, you have held them in debt of you and the Valkyries do not forget debts."

"Really?" I couldn't help but ask doubtfully. "Don't you people have your own healers? I saw them working too."

"They do not have the same capabilities as you. They can heal wounds, gashes, minor burns, as what anybody could expect from any healer." Alysse rose her eyes to meet mine, gratitude visible to see. "You on the other hand, banished away fatal wounds, incineration and debilitating gashes in seconds. You even gave back limbs when only the highest of the healing art could supposedly manage what you have succeeded."

My eyes went wide. I knew the Priest was specialized in healing, but not so much as she was saying!

Alysse looked at me in shock. "You... didn't know?"

I closed my eyes in an attempt to calm myself. "I suppose I did not. My turn to ask a question though."

"Who are you?"

Alysse stopped moving. I heard murmuring, but I ignored them for the meantime for the sake of watching her reaction.

When quite a bit of time passed and she still didn't speak, I continued, "See, sometimes you speak like you aren't part of this town. Just now, you did not say 'us Valkyries', only referring to them as 'the Valkyries'. Combine that to the fact that you are apparently the strongest of this town's fighters, and the way you sometimes slip out of that archaic way of speech you used when we first met..."

"Alysse, you're a Player like me, aren't you?"

Alysse pushed me away, taking a few steps back. I followed her in step.

"Somehow, I recognize you, if a little bit. Like I've met you years ago, like I know of you from childhood. But nothing comes up whenever I try to think of who you are."

Alysse averted her eyes away from me. "Thank you for the dance, honored Seidmad-"

"So tell me, Alysse, who are you?"

That was when Brunhilda suddenly burst in between us two. The Chief's face was stiff was she held out her arm almost protectively over Alysse.

"Amazing dance," She said with a dangerous smile. "Now shall we continue with the rest of the celebrations?"

After that, Alysse disappeared from the celebrations and I never managed to get a straight answer from her.

The festivities continued well into the night. As more and more hours passed and the party-goers drank more and more, the celebration became livelier and rowdier. After a while, the Valkyries even forgot that they still didn't like Myrddin and soon allowed him to join in with their thankfully unpaired dancing around the campfire.

I made sure to never let him drink alcohol though.

And through it all, even as the stars started to fade away from the night sky as the dawn promised its return, I never saw Alysse again. The same went for Brunhilda for that matter, but I supposed that as a leader she couldn't really let herself go as much as her subjects did when it came for partying.

So when the next morning came, it was once again filled with the groans of suffering as hangovers made their presence known among the Valkyries. I would've used the Priest's healing abilities to help it pass faster, but Brunhilda's shaking head told me to let them be.

Instead, she led me back to the infirmary, where the two of us could be alone outside of the few unconscious patients that still remained in their beds.

"Alright, speak. I know you have plans for this war. Mind telling me what those are?"

I kept my face as unreadable as I could. "What makes you say that?"

"Boy, I've met plenty of people in my life and I could easily recognize your kind after some thinking." Brunhilda deadpanned at me, her spear thankfully still hung across her back. Though, I didn't have any illusions that she couldn't sic it on me faster than I could react though. "You are not a person who could watch a war and let it be, Player."

I heaved a sigh. "Was it that obvious? And does being a Player really count in this case?"

"It counts a lot, but I believe even if you weren't, an obviously idealistic person like you would still make some kind of action in this kind of situation." The chief replied, walking over to one of the beds and caressing over the head of the Valkyrie in it with so much motherly warmth my eyes softened without my meaning. "Helping my Valkyries isn't the end of it, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."I admitted freely.

"You want to stop this war?" She said it like a statement, instead of a question. "Even if you are a foreigner?"

"Let's just say I have my own reasons."

Brunhilda eyed me. I stood there for a second, not knowing what she was thinking, until she... laughed.

"Hahaha! You are as cryptic as they come, boy!" She then shook her head, her eyes going far away for a moment before focusing back on me. "Just like Grimm when he was young. Idealistic, smart, and apparently with enough wiles to make the Trickster God himself envious."

Her voice then went soft. "I just hope you succeed in this, unlike him..."

I didn't know what to say. The direct reference to Grimm's past and his comparison to me aside, I realized that her words were practically the most direct way she could possibly say: I agree. I also want to end this war, and I hope you could help.

I didn't have to do this alone with just Myrddin.

It was actually starting to look up.

I put my hand in my hair at that, rubbing at it with a soft smile on my lips. "Oh, thank god. Thank god."

"It won't be easy, boy." Brunhilda reminded me. "I may be willing to help you, but I can't really say the same for all of my Valkyries. Otherwise, I would've ended it myself a long time ago."

"Pride, how troublesome." I muttered, much to her barking laugh. "Oh well, since I'm already here, might as well as already heal up the rest of these Valkyries."

"I would appreciate it." Brunhilda said warmly.

With a smile, I called up my Status Screen, already thinking up plans in my mind as to how to end this meaningless war now that I had the backing of one of the leaders in it. Sure, it would still be difficult, but at least it all seemed reachable now instead of a something I could never attain with what I used to have.

However, I had barely put on the Priest title when the alarm suddenly rang.

An attack. Here at Freylin, the very place the Vikings supposedly didn't know the location of.

The look on Brunhilda's face said it all.

This was not something that happened before.

"We didn't lead them here." I stressed as quickly as I could the moment I realized the Valkyries could easily take us as the reason for this new unforgiving development. "I made sure of that."

"I know." Brunhilda apparently agreed. "For one, Alysse would've noticed anyone following you."

"Then who...?" I asked, before I remembered the situation we were in and shook my head. "Never mind that! I'll ask questions later, after this is over. But for now, it's the time for action and I shouldn't be delaying you from your troops."

I turned back to my Status Screen, already making the motions to change back to the Magician.

"Will you help this time?" Brunhilda asked quietly. "Even if it would take your neutrality apart?"

I kept still for a second. Thought about it for a moment.

Then I laughed. "Lady, at this point there is no chance of me being neutral. I've already helped out the Valkyries a lot more than I helped the Vikings - why risk losing that gratitude over the minuscule chance of gaining this degree of respect from them as well?"

I pressed title change.

That moment, I realized one fact. In my frequent use of the Magician and rare usage of the Priest outside of long healing periods, I had never actually tested the title switch for any kind of limit. I always had left my titles on for long periods that I had never checked if something could go wrong.

It was my folly.

Error. The 'The Priest (II)' title cannot be switched out as of this moment. Title cooldown still in active.

Time left before next switch: 0 hrs, 29 minutes, 34 seconds.

I was a Fool. An utterly reckless, stupid, little Fool.

What, did you guys think I would foreshadow a weakness and not use it? Seriously, who do you think I am?