Chapter 34: The Guild’s Exclusive Healer Takes Her Post. Defend the Boundaries to the Death

The soft scent of a clean church. Right now, I was trapped within the arms of Saint Serafina, on the verge of being swallowed by her sweet, terrifying wave of “salvation.”

“I will heal your broken heart…”

Her words seeped into my vastly overworked mind like a narcotic. If I were forgiven for the guilt of my past and simply surrendered everything to her, how easy would it be? My consciousness was just beginning to fade to white when—

“—Open your eyes, Nagi!!”

Along with a sharp voice, the space behind me warped, and a dark blue robe fluttered. Forcibly intervening in the backyard via Teleport magic was Fran, her staff at the ready and entirely out of breath. Beside her stood Lise, gripping her wooden sword, and Roux, with tears in her eyes.

“Fran… Lise, and Roux too…”

“Even though you drew such clear rules and boundaries for me, telling me to ‘give myself permission to rest’! Yet you so easily surrender your own boundaries to some woman of unknown origin!”

Fran shouted in a terribly emotional voice, completely casting aside her usual composure.

“It is illogical for you, the one who fixed the bugs in my self-management, to self-destruct over an error from your own past! If you lose yourself, my… no, this consultation desk’s system will collapse! Open your eyes, Operations Manager!”

“That’s right, Nagi!”

Lise took a step forward, glaring straight at Serafina. There was no trace of her former cowardice in those silver eyes.

“When I was covered in blood, crying and screaming, ‘don’t abandon me,’ you didn’t run away! You’re a strong person who stands on your own two feet, scars and all! Don’t treat my precious Nagi like a broken toy!”

“Big brother, no…!”

Tears spilling down her cheeks, Roux reached her hand out toward me.

“Big brother, you told me, ‘Both of you, day and night, are the ones involved!’! You got mad for me, saying, ‘Keeping only the useful one is exploitation! Are you just going to keep your past guilt and dump the rest of yourself onto this person?! That’s not the big brother I know!”

Right after Roux squeezed her eyes shut, the air instantly froze over, and the night thief—Luna—brought her face to the surface. Playing with a dagger in her hand, she shot Serafina a ruthless glare, yet one carrying a clear, focused anger.

“…That is how it is, Saint-sama. Do not use another person’s trauma as a convenient excuse to fill your own empty vessel.”

Luna’s words sliced through Serafina’s deception like a blade of ice.

“This man is clumsy, but he has never once run away from the weight of the sins he carries. Stripping him of that pride isn’t called ‘salvation.’ That is merely ‘exploitation’.”

The words of the four girls shook my brain with the impact of a physical blow to the head.

— That’s right. What am I doing? To gloss over the pain of my past, I was unconsciously leaning on her “excessive desire for salvation,” about to step right into the quagmire of co-dependency. But right in front of me were the girls I had faced with my entire being, who were now trying to stand up on their own two feet. I was never punished all alone in solitude to begin with.

“…Serafina-san.”

I gently pushed her body back, pulling myself out of her warm arms under my own power.

“Nagi-sama…?”

“I’m sorry. I failed in the past, and I carry wounds that still haven’t healed. …But I’ve already been saved more than enough. Thanks to this noisy bunch.”

As I declared that, the blood drained from Serafina’s face. The smile of the “savior” that had been perfectly pasted on her face crumbled, and a fatal despair—as if she had lost absolutely everything—surfaced in her eyes.

“No… If that’s true, then I… what am I supposed to…”

If she lost her target of salvation, her empty ego would collapse completely this time, for sure. That was exactly why. As a professional — no, as a human being — I made the resolve to “take on the entirety” of her dependency.

“However, you will go mad if you don’t have a destination for your salvation. You are so worn down that you cannot even breathe unless you are praying for someone’s sake.”

“…”

“Therefore, you can pretend I’m still broken. I don’t mind if you certify me as a pitiful subject who requires your salvation. I will take on all of your ‘desire for salvation’.”

It was a completely crazy compromise, entirely out of bounds for a psychological counselor. Lise and the others let out exasperated “Huh?!” s, but I ignored them and stared directly into Serafina’s eyes.

“But promise me one thing. Do not use my existence as an excuse to avert your eyes from the world. It’s fine if you do it while saving me, but don’t forget to look elsewhere. …Because there are many people out there who need your prayers.”

A clear presentation of a boundary. It wasn’t an inescapable dependency — rather, it was my own unique prescription: I would serve as a safe anchor named “Nagi,” but she had to practice engaging with others on her own two feet.

Serafina’s eyes went wide in a daze, and eventually, large drops of tears spilled from them. She placed a hand on her chest and bowed her head deeply, so very deeply.

“…Nagi-sama. You truly are… a hopelessly kind person.”

There was no longer an empty ring to her voice. Upon accepting my sly, heavy compromise, the expression on her face harbored a clear “respect” and “heat” that was distinctly different from pure dependency.

A few days later. Right next to the Adventurer’s Guild’s “Mental Health Consultation Desk,” a brand new awning and a clean bed had inexplicably been set up.

“Next person, please. Heal.”

Swaying her pure white vestments and healing the adventurers’ wounds with fluid, graceful movements was none other than the Church’s Saint, Serafina.

“…Why are you here?”

When I asked with an exhausted face, Serafina turned a soft, blooming smile toward me. It was no longer her previous mechanical smile, but a living smile with real blood flowing through it.

“Did we not make a promise, Nagi-sama? ‘Do not forget to direct your attention elsewhere.’ Therefore, I decided to heal the people of the guild… while stationing myself as your exclusive healer, right by the side of the one who needs salvation the most: you, Nagi-sama.”

“What about the Church…?”

“I gave them a suitable excuse and arranged it as a temporary transfer. The Guild Master was also exceedingly pleased.”

I clutched my head. It was true that her chantless Heal was skyrocketing the guild’s turnover and survival rates. It was no wonder the Master happily welcomed her, and the adventurers were so grateful they were practically worshipping her. However, the pressure on my counter had multiplied several times over.

“Nagi-sama, the tea is ready. Now then, I will heal you plenty again today, alright?”

“Nagi only drinks the tea I pour! Right, Nagi?”

“If you interfere with my protocols, I will eliminate you, even if you are a Saint!”

“The spot next to big brother is my place!”

As a result, an endless four (five)-way scene of carnage had been completed, adding an “Overprotective Healer of Goodwill” holding the ultimate shield into the bloody ring of checks and balances maintained by the three (four) heroines.

I quietly opened my drawer and added a new rule to the parchment.

[Adventurer’s Guild Mental Health Consultation Desk — Precautions (Addendum)]

Do not make the counselor the sole purpose of your life.

(Addendum) Forcing healing onto the counselor through the excessive use of physical recovery magic is prohibited.

“…I wonder when peace will ever visit my stomach.”

With the chaotic clamor of the counter as my BGM, I sighed deeply. Strangely, though, I didn’t feel bad about it. Because this everyday life — where they were standing on their own feet and causing a racket — was undeniable proof that we were moving forward.

Suddenly, I recalled a certain “rumor” that had been circulating in the guild recently.

The Hero’s party, who were supposed to come in every few months to report on the progress of their Demon Lord subjugation, hadn’t shown their faces at all lately. Some were raising concerns, fearing a powerful enemy had defeated them, but neglecting even their duty to report to the guild seemed incredibly strange.

“…The Hero who will save the world, huh.”

It was a matter completely unrelated to a lowly counselor like me, but I was slightly curious.

While thinking about this, I opened the “Suggestion Box” in the corner of the counter. Inside was a letter from that “Anonymous Client” — the answer to my reply: Loneliness cannot be cured even if you destroy everything. Would you please let me listen to the pain of that desperate loneliness just a little bit more?

I broke the seal and pulled out the contents. Written there was not a long passage like before, but a short message that seemed somewhat bewildered.

Your words have piqued my interest slightly. Let us meet directly to talk in the near future.

…Is what I would like to say, but currently, I am dealing with a rather troublesome issue and cannot make a move. The truth is, the one called the “Hero,” who is supposed to come to my domain periodically, hasn’t shown their face in quite some time. Because he hasn’t come, the people around me have too much time on their hands, leading to unnecessary squabbles and territorial disputes. It is causing various problems because he hasn’t arrived.

I have heard that you are affiliated with that guild. If you know where the Hero is and what he is doing right now, please let me know his safety. I mean, his movements? Once that is settled, I will absolutely come to visit you.

The moment I read that text, several question marks popped into my head. What in the world was this letter? A complete 180 from the desperate, lonely letters about “destroying humanity,” the writer was now inexplicably worried about the missing Hero’s safety. It sounded exactly like an overprotective parent troubled by a rebellious son who wouldn’t come home — or perhaps—

“…No matter how you look at it, there’s no way someone trying to destroy humanity would be stressing over the Hero’s schedule management, right?”

I tilted my head in confusion. An advance notice of a face-to-face meeting. Which meant that this “Anonymous Client” — whose scale was way too massive — was going to come directly to this guild.

“…’In the near future, but when exactly is that?”

It seemed the everyday life of the consultation desk still harbored plenty of turbulence. I carefully put the letter away in my drawer, and in preparation for the upcoming interview with the greatest irregular of them all, I quietly swallowed my stomach medicine.