"...That, your healing magic is amazing!?"

"Huh?"

"Sure, my vitality is on the higher side... but I don't think an ordinary healer could handle it, alright?"

"Really? Thank you, I'm really glad to hear you say that."

(...It seems like it didn't really resonate with him.)

Sylvia let out a small sigh. Christophe seemed to think of her words as mere flattery or a polite gesture. He probably genuinely believed, "Even an ordinary healer could do this much."

She felt pain and affection as if her heart was tightly grasped by the fact that his purity had not been lost.

And at the same time, she thought, it would be such a waste for him to be buried like this.

"You... have you ever thought about wanting to be an adventurer?"

"Ah, yeah, that's right."

"If you could, as an adventurer... as a healer... would you want to start working again? For example... even if it means leaving this village and going to a bigger place where people need your abilities... would you think that's a good idea?"

If he truly desired a quiet life in this village, she had no intention of forcibly taking him away. However, the faint glimmer that occasionally appeared deep in his eyes concerned Sylvia.

She wonders if he still has things he wants to do in his heart.

After showing a slight sign of thinking, Christophe gave a wry smile.

"Well, that's... true. I admired it back then. But still, I have gotten quite old and become an old man, so it seems like admiration will just remain admiration."

Christophe remained unchanged from just a moment ago, but his eyes had a distant, somewhat lonely look.

Seeing him, who seemed to think that he could never reach the dreams of the past that he wanted to fulfill, Sylvia felt her heart tighten.

He is never completely satisfied with the current situation. He has just given up, thinking about what is realistic.

And she wanted to provide the opportunity to overturn that resignation.

"...I plan to create a clan in the future. Not just any clan, but one of the most famous clans on the continent. If that happens, many adventurers will join, and I'm sure there will be all sorts of adventures every day, with many people facing dangers and getting injured."

Sylvia gazes into Christophe's eyes and continues in a clear tone.

"So, Christophe-san. Someday, when I have built such a clan... I would like to formally welcome you as the exclusive healer of my clan... What do you think?"

As for Sylvia, she had a strong desire to do something for him. He had saved her life, and she felt a deep sense of gratitude. Moreover, she was profoundly moved by his boundless strength and, above all, his pure and kind-hearted nature.

It was an emotion akin to a sense of duty that went beyond gratitude.

Above all, she still hadn't been able to repay even a fraction of the gratitude she felt for all that had been done for her.

Sylvia was strongly and irresistibly drawn to the existence of Christophe.

"An exclusive, ah... If that could come true, I'd be overjoyed."

Christophe's words ignited a fire in Sylvia's heart. He might not be satisfied with his current life.

(If he's saying he's happy, then―!)

From deep within Sylvia's chest, she felt a surge of warmth rising up. It was not merely gratitude or a sense of duty. It was the feeling of an overwhelming affection for the man before her, who, despite possessing extraordinary power, remained unaware of his own worth, untainted by the world, and lived purely and clumsily.

(Ah, this is bad. My maternal instincts are overflowing...!)

She couldn't just leave him as he was. She had to do something for him. It was like watching over a big child or wanting to protect a lost little bird.

"...Yes, definitely. I will become stronger, much stronger...! Once I become strong enough to sign a contract with you and be able to pay a salary, I will definitely come back! So, at that time... let's sign an exclusive contract again. Is that alright!?"

"Huh? Ah, ah... It's fine, I guess."

Christophe nodded, showing a slight surprise at Sylvia's overwhelming enthusiasm.

Sylvia firmly vowed in her heart. She would definitely come to get him after she became stronger and more famous.

And then, she will create a place where his abilities are properly recognized, and he can fully express his kindness without worrying about anyone else.

So that he never has to wear such a lonely smile again. She will create days for him where he can laugh from the heart.

After fully recovering, Sylvia repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Christophe, leaving behind the words, "I will definitely repay this kindness. And I look forward to the day we can meet again, Sensei," along with a heartfelt gaze.

In Sylvia's heart, an immeasurable love for Christophe and a deep resolve to repay her debt to him were deeply etched.

And so, as the years passed, Sylvia grew into an adventurer whose name, "Lightning," echoed across the continent. Sylvia then set out for Greenbear Village to welcome him.

While holding a passionate maternal instinct for Christophe in her heart.

Chapter 5