"...It seems like I can go on adventuring again... Thank you so much. I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life."

"This time it worked out somehow, but... it might not be the same next time. Anyway, be careful not to get hurt."

"Yes...!"

Until just before leaving the treatment room, the man repeatedly bowed his head and expressed his gratitude in the same words over and over again. Despite being a bit troubled and scratching his cheek at the excessive thanks, Christophe was genuinely happy about his recovery.

After seeing off the man and leaving the treatment room with everyone, Sylvia turned to Christophe and broke into a broad smile.

"Christophe-san, you really are amazing. Just as I said."

Sylvia puffed out her chest as if it were her own achievement, gazing at him with sparkling eyes. Next to her, Lillie was looking excited as she stepped forward in front of Christophe and bowed deeply.

"Christophe-sama, truly... Thank you very much. Your healing magic... no, it would be disrespectful to simply call it magic. The meticulous skill and analytical ability you have honed over many years of training... I am trembling with emotion."

Lillie looks at him with passionate eyes filled with respect and excitement.

Christophe was bewildered.

"...I don't think I have done anything that would warrant such a surprise."

"No, your use of magic was... incredibly groundbreaking."

"Lillie. You noticed too?"

Sylvia nods, somewhat satisfied and proudly.

"How did I use my magic? I have only ever been able to do it this way for a long time... I've never even thought about how it works."

Christophe was intrigued by the conversation between the two and asked. He understood that his magic was different from other healers by its activation method, but he himself didn't quite grasp the "mechanism" behind it.

"Christophe-sama, you are harnessing your own magical power, almost without relying on the mana in the air, and directly channeling it into the target to achieve that incredible healing effect!?"

"Right?" Lillie said, her eyes sparkling as if she were a child seeking confirmation, and Christophe tilted his head even more in confusion.

"I understand the mana in the air. I think I'm working hard on it, too."

"Christophe-sama, it is generally customary to absorb mana from the air through the mana pores... It seems that you are not very adept at doing so."

"...What? I heard that I can somewhat compensate with breathing and such."

"The amount you can compensate through breathing is really only a few percent. It's nowhere near enough to cast magic. The 'magical holes' for releasing magic externally in Christophe-sama seem extremely small compared to an ordinary person and appear to be almost non-functional. Therefore... it seems impossible for you to cast magic externally."

At those words, Christophe was taken aback.

"So... does that mean all the magic practice I have been doing... was all for nothing...? That I fundamentally lack the talent to be a healer...?"

"...Normally, that would be the case, Christophe-san. But that's exactly what makes you amazing."

When Christophe was slightly down, Sylvia gently spoke. Following her, Lillie also opened her mouth with a smile.

"The fact that your magic circuits are blocked is usually a fatal flaw. Many would give up at that point. But you are different. You overcame that handicap, no, you used it as a springboard, and through years of rigorous training, you reached an unprecedented state of refining magic within your body, something that the existing magical systems could never achieve. That immense amount of magical power. That precise control. It is undoubtedly the result of your blood, sweat, and tears, and has become a unique force in the world that no one can replicate."

When Lillie spoke excitedly, Sylvia also followed and opened her mouth.

"That's right... It's precisely because there was no one to guide us into the realm that ordinary people would never even attempt to enter, that we were able to reach it. Your magic is something entirely new that you created yourself. That's why you saved my life and helped the adventurer earlier... It's a power that is undeniably miraculous, something that defies the common sense of this world!"

Christophe returned a wry smile to Sylvia, who was gripping his hands tightly, and voiced the slight doubt that had crossed his mind.

"...But, the fact that I can't cast magic outside means... the attack magic I've been secretly practicing during my spare time..."

"Oh, that's pointless. You can't release it outside."

"...I see."

"Lillie... Don't say things like that! Christophe-san, there's no need to be down. Just keep doing what you can from now on. You can save many people in your own way."

Christophe recalled his past efforts and let out a slight sigh.

Even so, Christophe raised his face again at Sylvia's words and nodded.

"Yeah, that's true... I guess it's good enough that I've learned that long-range healing magic is difficult."

Regarding that matter, Christophe let out a small sigh.

Because he was made to understand his own talents, he came to realize that he would never be able to pursue the path of an adventurer for the rest of his life.

Chapter 14