The Healer in a Japanese-Style Game World: Mastering Healing to Save My Favorite Character in a Brutal World, Only to Find Everyone Around Me Becoming Obsessed - Chapter 10: The Healer and Shopkeeper of Shinano

Act One: The Obsidian Wolf and the Fox that Devours the Moon

Chapter 10: The Healer and Shopkeeper of Shinano

“…Alright, you’re all set. Be careful not to get hurt next time.”

“Okay! Yomi-nii, you be careful not to get hurt too!”

After finishing the healing prayer for the child, I sent him off with a smile and took a deep breath.

It’s been about a year since Kagura and I came to the land of Shinano. 

Now fourteen, I run a shop specializing in healing prayers, which I’ve become quite skilled at. In Shinano, healers are rather rare, so the combination of my shop’s work and my healing abilities allows me to earn a decent living.

Well… there’s not much war or conflict with yokais here, so my main clients are carpenters, hunters, and others with injury-prone jobs.

Besides them, I often treat children who get hurt while playing. I don’t charge them, and maybe because I actively engage with them, I’m now known as the older brother who heals their injuries.

“Uuu, there were a lot of injuries today, so I’m exhausted. I’ll take tomorrow off.”

As I stretched and muttered this to myself in my rented workspace and home, I realized that having no work meant no injuries, which made me happy despite the loss of income. Work requests usually don’t come at this hour, so I expected a quiet day.

“Alright, we’re closed for today.”

This is my current daily life, a precious routine I found after being exiled and finding a place to belong.

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“…You want me to investigate the children?”

It was around noon, a little while after I had closed the shop. 

Yuma-san had dropped by unexpectedly. 

After serving him tea and making some small talk, he made his request.

“Yeah, recently, the kids in town have been coming home late. They do come back, but their parents are worried. Since you’re close in age, I thought you might find it easier to investigate. Can you help?”

“I don’t mind. I was planning to take a day off tomorrow anyway, so I have time.”

“That’s great. I don’t have a specific deadline, but I’ll give you the payment in advance.”

He handed me an envelope containing bills worth about 30,000 yen by my past life’s standards. 

My usual fee, even for high-paying jobs, is around 5,000. This was clearly a lot for a simple investigation about kids.

“Isn’t this too much?”

“Well, my sister has also been coming home late… As her brother, I’m worried.”

“Ah, I see. You’re a doting brother, Yuma-san.”

“Calling me doting for that is harsh… Anyway, I’m counting on you.”

“Got it. I’ll start the investigation right away.”

“Alright, I’ll be heading back. Say hi to Kagura-chan for me.”

“Sure thing!” I replied, seeing him off. To handle the request, I left a note for Kagura, who was likely still sleeping, and headed out.

With the information about which kids were coming home late in hand, I planned to start by interviewing people. Thinking about this, I made my way to the plaza where the kids often played.

“Ah, it’s Yomi-nii!”

“Are you going to play with us?”

“Isn’t Kagura-nee with you?”

When I arrived, the children playing gathered around me. 

They had been playing tag and seemed to be looking for someone to be ‘it’.

“Hey, Yomi, can you be ‘it’?”

“Yeah, but can I ask you something first?”

“Sure!”

“Recently, where have you all been playing in the evenings? I haven’t seen you in the usual spots, and I’m worried.”

I didn’t see any point in hiding my concern from the children, so I asked directly. One of the kids, clearly the leader, looked visibly uneasy.

“…Um, we can’t tell you, Yomi-nii.”

“But… maybe Yomi can help.”

“What should we do?”

They huddled together and started a little strategy meeting right in front of me. 

Though I could hear them, I waited patiently until they seemed to make up their minds.

“We need you to keep it a secret from the adults. Come with us.”

With that, they took my hand and led me to a nearby forest.

I wondered what could be here, but their earlier conversation hinted at something hidden.

“Makami, we’re here again!”

…Makami?

I tilted my head at the familiar name and waited a bit longer.

“Huh, why isn’t it coming?”

“It usually shows up right away.”

“Hey everyone, who’s Makami?”

“A friend! It’s… um… looking for its master, so we’re all helping out! It’s a beastman child!”

…A beastman, huh. That’s rare. 

You hardly see them in Shinano; they mostly live deep in the mountains. If this child is searching for its master, does that mean it was someone’s shikigami? If they got separated, finding them might be really difficult.

As I pondered this and waited for this Makami, suddenly a dark shadow leapt at me.

“Whoa—what the!?”

Before I knew it, I was tackled and pinned down by someone.

When I opened my eyes, recovering from the shock, I found myself staring into beautiful lapis lazuli eyes. 

Who? I tried to pull away, but they were too strong.

“Waa, Master! I finally found you!”

And with those words, my confusion hit its peak.

“Wait—who are you?”