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 39

I managed to talk Ridiel into ―Ahem.

I persuaded her, and we escaped the royal capital. We boarded a shared carriage heading to the neighboring Rudelhardt Empire.

“Eeh!? You want to escape to the Empire!?”

“Is that a problem?”

“N-no, not exactly a problem but, um…”

When I told her our destination, Ridiel’s expression turned very complicated.

“So, you really shouldn’t go to the Empire!! The food is terrible, and anyone used to the kingdom’s delicious meals would die from the stress!!”

“That actually makes me curious…”

“B-but, y-you see, the Empire borders the Demon Territory, so there are a lot of battles. I really can’t recommend going!!”

“Lots of battles… Does that mean lots of injured people too?”

“Y-yeah!! Exactly!! That’s why it’s dangerous, so you really shouldn’t go―”

“Perfect!! That makes me even more excited to go!!”

“Eeh!? Why!? How!?”

If there are many injured people, I definitely want to help them.

Until now, I’ve mostly worked in the Xylica Kingdom, but maybe this is the perfect chance to extend my reach into the Rudelhardt Empire.

However, Ridiel seemed completely against going there.

I wonder why.

“U-um. Asuku-kun. You’re from the prestigious Medix Viscount family, right? The famous healers? So that makes you an expert healer?”

“No, I can only heal small things, like minor cuts.”

“M-minor cuts… hmm, that would make you at best, a fourth-class commoner…”

Fourth-class commoner?

“Right!! Do you have any other special skills?”

“Other skills? Hmm. Not really special, but I can do sewing and sculpting.”

I’d practiced a lot while making Faceless clothes and masks, so I have some skill.

With some wood and a knife, I can even carve small figures.

I bought some wood from a merchant in the carriage and borrowed Ridiel’s knife to make a simple wooden figure.

“…What is this?”

“It’s a one-seventh scale figure of Ridiel.”

“No, eh, isn’t this way too good!?”

“It’s not that amazing.”

“It is!? You made this in such a short time, you could actually sell it!!”

Ridiel sure has a way with words. I don’t exactly feel bad either.

Just then, a few children in the same carriage spotted the Ridiel figure and their eyes lit up.

“Whoa, you’re amazing!!”

“Show us, show us!!”

“Can you make something else too!?”

Hm, looks like I just got a request from the kids.

“Alright then, I’ll make the super transforming robot, ‘Serious Goinger’!”

“““Waaah!!”””

I carved a wooden version of the main robot from a mecha anime I loved in my past life.

Of course, it could transform too.

‘Serious Goinger’ could be split into three parts. The upper body, lower body, and backpack, and in my previous life, kids went crazy for it.

There’s no way kids in this world wouldn’t love it too.

“T-this is it!!”

“Huh?”

“With this, even a third-class commoner… no, a second-class one could dream big!! You’d never have money problems in the Empire!!”

“Wait, what are these class things you keep talking about?”

“Oh? Y-you don’t know? I thought the Empire’s system was pretty well-known…”

“I wasn’t really good at social studies.”

Ridiel started explaining the Empire’s system to me.

“First, everyone in the Rudelhardt Empire is ranked into five classes. Even travelers passing through get a rank.”

“Like fourth-class or third-class people?”

“Yeah. First-class citizens are like the high nobles in your kingdom, with a lot of power. Second-class are lower nobles, and the third-class are regular people.”

“And fourth and fifth-class?”

“…Fourth-class are slaves. Fifth-class… It’s a bit better since the current emperor took over, but they’re still treated worse than animals, with no real rights.”

Ridiel’s words faltered as she spoke.

Her face looked bitter and frustrated, like she’d just swallowed something awful.

“Skill is what matters in the Empire. And skill doesn’t just mean raw strength.”

“What does it mean?”

“It can be anything. Anything that shows your value. Magic, swordsmanship, or something like your skill with your hands.”

Hmm, am I really that skilled? I’d always thought of myself as just moderately talented.

“That was just to determine your rank?”

“Of course, there are exceptions. For example, the royal family. Their blood itself is valuable. Even if they have no talent, they’re second-class, and if they’re a bit smart, first-class.”

“That’s an unusual system.”

“Isn’t it ridiculous? If you can’t prove your value, you’re treated like a slave, or worse than livestock. It’s absurd.”

I wondered if it was really okay for someone from the Empire to openly criticize its system.

Ridiel chuckled softly.

“You were thinking that an Imperial would even criticize the Empire?”

“I wasn’t.”

“You looked like you were.”

“I was.”

“I like honest people.”

Ridiel lightly ran her fingers over the crossbow she was holding in both hands and stared off into the distance as she spoke.

“But I do honestly think it’s ridiculous. My father was a fifth-class citizen, working in a mine where he could have died any day.”

“That sounds heavy?”

“Just a little… I happened to have a talent for sniping, and a hunter my father knew noticed it. He trained me strictly. I just happened to survive that training, got recognized as a second-class citizen, and ended up becoming number two at the Hero Academy.”

“My grandmother used to say that if a coincidence happens twice, it’s destiny.”

“…Hehe, maybe. But it’s still sad.”

“Sad?”

“As soon as I became a second-class citizen, my father started speaking to me formally. The same father who, until yesterday, gave me all his love despite being poor. He suddenly started keeping his distance.”

I see, that is sad.

But I don’t think a parent’s love can change so quickly, even if their behavior does.

“Maybe he felt like his presence would be in the way of Ridiel-san?”

“…That’s probably it. He’s that kind of person. That’s why I want to change things.”

“Hm?”

“Did you know? The Empire’s current system is heavily influenced by the first Hero, who valued skill above all.”

“I didn’t. Really?”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m going to become a Hero. Not just a member of the current Hero Division, but a Hero like the very first one who defeated the Demon King long ago. And then, I’ll change the Empire’s system myself!”

…Hmm.

She has a very noble goal, but if I think about it calmly, isn’t she basically a terrorist trying to overthrow the system…

No, that’s rude.

Someone with the courage to seize the future with conviction deserves respect.

“I have something I want to do too.”

“Huh?”

“So, I understand your feelings a little. And I’ll support you.”

“…Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Yeah, I have something I want to do.

I want to eliminate every illness and injury from this world and make every human perfectly healthy.

Even mental illnesses are no exceptions, like the ones that make people feel trapped in their own minds.

“Ahh!! Big brother and big sister are being lovey-dovey!!”

A child who had been watching our conversation shouted inside the carriage.

Ridiel panicked.

“W-what!? W-we’re not!?”

“Eh, you totally are!!”

“Totally are!!”

“We’re not!!”

And so, while growing closer to Ridiel along the way, we finally arrived at the Empire.

◇　◇　◇

Afterword

One-Point Story

Author: “Ridiel would make a great mother if she got married. And somehow, she ends up with a lot of kids.”

A: “Really.”

If you thought, “Super skilled with hands,” “I want a Ridiel figure,” “Ridiel is such a good girl,” please leave your thoughts, bookmarks, ★ ratings, or reviews.