I Secretly Healed the Illness of the Twin Princesses While Wearing a Mask, and Now the Entire Kingdom Is in an Uproar ~Please Stop Trying to Expose the Street Healer~ - Chapter 28

One night, sick and injured people from all across the royal capital gathered in the square in front of the castle.

They were there as bait to lure out Faceless.

The royal family promised that everyone would be treated for free, whether Faceless showed up or not, and because of that promise, hundreds of people filled the square.

Student discipline officers from the Magic Academy and trainee knights kept the crowd in order.

“Knight Commander, all units have taken their positions.”

“Thank you for your hard work in reporting.”

After hearing the report from his subordinate, the Knight Commander went to the tent where Princess Christina waited for the operation to begin.

“Princess Christina, everything is ready.”

“Thank you, Knight Commander.”

“No, I’m only following your orders. But, will Faceless really appear?”

“Faceless will. I’m sure of it.”

Christina nodded with strong confidence. The Knight Commander replied, “I understand,” and stepped outside the tent to check on the situation.

Then, the Vice-Knight Commander came running toward him and looked strangely excited.

“Knight Commander, it’s finally happening!!”

“…Why do you look so happy about this, Vice-Knight Commander?”

“I’m a huge fan of Faceless!! There’s this dancer I like, her name’s Iria-chan, and she had an incurable disease, but then―”

“Yeah, I get it. Faceless cured her. Is that what you mean?”

“Exactly!! He’s so cool!! A mysterious man who heals people for free and disappears without taking any reward!”

The Knight Commander’s face twisted as he’d bitten into something bitter.

“I wish he’d think about my position. All the clinics in the capital keep yelling, ‘Catch Faceless already.’ And what crime are we supposed to arrest him for? At worst, it’s trespassing and breaking things. As for assault… Well, he heals them afterward, so it barely counts. And if we do catch him, a lot of people he saved will riot.”

“They’re complaining again? Just ignore them. Those clinics have been squeezing insane fees out of poor people for years.”

“That’s not the issue. If every clinic closes and Faceless disappears too, what happens then? The kingdom’s medical system will fall apart.”

The Knight Commander had a very reasonable worry.

But the carefree Vice-Knight Commander just picked his nose and said something ridiculous.

“Well then, Princess Christina should just catch him and make him marry into the royal family. Problem solved.”

“Stop picking your nose. And don’t flick it at me, idiot. Act like a knight.”

“Yes, I got it.”

“…Haah.”

Hearing the Vice-Knight Commander’s careless answer, the Knight Commander let out a long sigh.

And inside, he complained quietly to himself.

(Tomorrow is my daughter’s birthday. We’re supposed to celebrate from morning with a big party. Seriously, the princess and Faceless keep giving me extra work. If I oversleep tomorrow and make her mad, she’ll hate me forever. Her father will die inside.)

But an order was an order.

The Knight Commander knew well what happened to anyone who disobeyed the royal family, so he kept his worries hidden and followed the command without complaint.

While silently praying that Faceless would show up before sunset, someone spoke to him.

“Thank you for your hard work, Knight Commander.”

“Ah… Maidall-dono?”

“Yes. I am Maidall, your oasis of peace, and the loyal and beautiful servant of Princess Christina and Princess Victoria.”

“H-haa, I see.”

The one who joined the Knight Commander and Vice-Knight Commander’s conversation was a maid with her eyes covered by a strip of black cloth.

Her name is Maidall.

She served Christina and Victoria as their personal maid.

“What brings you here?”

“I simply wished to see Princess Christina.”

“…Hm, that’s all?”

“Do I need any other reason?”

“Ah, no, I suppose not.”

The Knight Commander didn’t like Maidall.

It wasn’t because she had ever done anything to him, nor had he seen her commit a crime.

But after seeing dozens of dangerous criminals in his career, the Knight Commander could tell.

(She gives off the smell of trouble.)

It was just a feeling.

But that feeling had helped him solve many difficult cases.

And now, that instinct screamed at him. The woman standing in front of him is dangerous. A threat. Someone who should be eliminated, even if it costs him his position.

But he wasn’t cruel enough to kill a person without solid proof.

“…Princess Christina is in that tent over there. Allow me to escort you.”

“Well, thank you for your kindness.”

She felt dangerous, but Christina and Victoria trusted her completely.

He couldn’t remove her, but he could keep an eye on her.

Using the excuse of escorting her, the Knight Commander walked with Maidall toward the tent, watching her carefully the entire time.

On the way, Maidall suddenly spoke.

“By the way, when do you think Faceless will appear?”

“Well, Maidall-dono can see this too, right? There’s no way he’d come, it’s clearly a trap―”

“Hehe, Princess Christina would never be wrong. If Faceless doesn’t show up, then it’s the world that’s wrong, not her.”

“I-I see.”

“Yes, yes. A world where Princess Christina is wrong is itself a mistaken world. Hehehe.”

That was frightening.

The Knight Commander swallowed the words he almost said out loud, and together with Maidall, they finally reached the tent where Christina waited.

Then, at that moment.

“Zzztt ―Report!! Faceless has appeared on East Street!!”

The voice echoed directly in the Knight Commander’s head.

It was the effect of a magic called communication magic, which allowed conversations even from far away. One of his subordinates had sent the message.

“H-He really appeared!?”

“Oh, what is it?”

“Ah, um, Faceless has apparently appeared on East Street.”

“My! Princess Christina was right after all!! As expected of her!!”

The Knight Commander was stunned by the report, while Maidall twisted her body in excitement.

“C-Capture Faceless immediately!! Don’t worry, even if he’s injured, he’ll just heal himself!!”

“Yes!!”

“Appearing for real… is he an idiot? How crazy must someone be to charge straight into enemy lines like that…”

“Report!! Another report!!”

“What now!?”

The Knight Commander yelled at another subordinate who arrived late.

Then, the next report left him speechless.

“Faceless has appeared on West Street!!”

“What? No, wait, that must be the Faceless subordinate, the Mysterious Healer Man.”

“Th-That’s…”

“What is it?”

“‘The wind is crying…’ and ‘Tonight is our time,’ he keeps muttering these weird, meaningful phrases and hasn’t screamed or shouted at all. I think he might not be the Mysterious Healer Man…”

“Damn it!! Just one little action and you can’t tell who’s the real one!! And why do Faceless and Mysterious Healer Man even dress the same!? If you’re the boss of an organization, wear something that stands out!! …No. That’s it. You can’t tell who’s real by looks, that’s why he’s ‘Faceless’!! Damn it… so he hasn’t even been serious until now!?”

The reports just kept coming.

“Report!! Faceless has appeared on South Street!!”

“Additional report!! Five more Faceless on East Street!! The knights there are in chaos ―Whoa, they’re coming this way!!”

“Haah, haah, the knights on West Street have been wiped out!! They were buried in the ground up to their necks and rendered helpless!!”

“Eek, I’m healthy!! I’m healthy, so stop tearing my clothes!!”

“Seriously!? That old scar from when my ex stabbed me after catching me cheating is healed!!”

The situation had become complete chaos. The Knight Commander gave up trying to think clearly.

◆　◇　◆

On the highest point in the royal capital, the roof of the castle, three figures stood.

“Everyone in the ‘Nightingale: Healers With No Restraint’ is really doing their best.”

“It’s kind of a chaotic horror scene, though.”

“King Asuku!! Goddess Franc!! Ruu’s getting hungry!! Let’s go home!!”

Not a single knight in the entire force noticed the three of them.

◇　◇　◇

Afterword

One-Point Story

A: “Don’t I have too little screen time today?”

Author: “Be patient.”

If you thought, “Wait, the Knight Commander’s death flag just popped up,” “Maidall’s back,” “Seriously, he’s barely in this chapter,” please leave your thoughts, bookmarks, ★ ratings, or reviews.