A few days had passed since the audit ended, and while it felt as though nothing had changed, today was different.
Once the breakfast table had been cleared and everyone was preparing to head off to their respective tasks, Mira arrived with a letter in hand.
"Lady Therese is scheduled to arrive this afternoon."
—Big Sister Therese.
It had been over a year since she finished my treatment and returned to Church Headquarters. The last time I saw her was near the end of my tenth year. Since receiving word that she couldn't visit due to circumstances on her end, we had been exchanging letters. It seemed those matters were finally settled, as a message had arrived the other day saying she was coming back.
Even so, a year and some months felt like a very long time.
I was genuinely happy.
◇◇◇
The sound of a carriage pulling up echoed through the entrance hall.
I stood beside Mother, with Mira and Lina following behind me, as I watched the door. Lina stood half a step back, her hands clasped primly in front of her.
The moment the door opened and the passenger stepped out, I was flooded with nostalgia.
—It was Big Sister Therese.
She had the same long golden hair and blue eyes as she did a year and a half ago. Her soft, graceful movements were perfectly suited to someone called a Saint.
However, her silhouette was clearly different.
She had grown taller. That wasn't all. The swell of her chest and the curve of her hips—words like "feminine" didn't feel like enough to describe how much she had changed. It was obvious even through her vestments. I certainly hadn't had this impression of her a year ago.
"Rein!"
Before I could even process the change, Big Sister Therese came running over. She threw herself into an enthusiastic hug.
"I’m home, Rein! Your big sister missed you so much."
—Wait.
The soft sensation of her chest pressed against me, and my face was buried in it. A faint, sweet scent reached my nose, and my vision blurred from the extreme proximity. My face grew hot all at once, and my mind went blank.
"W-welcome back, Big Sister Therese..."
My voice wouldn't come out right; it was pathetically high-pitched.
—This... I feel like it's not a good idea to stay like this...
Big Sister Therese didn't miss my agitation.
She pulled back just a fraction and gave me a broad grin, though her arms remained wrapped firmly around me.
"My, Rein, have you grown quite a bit?"
She peered into my face. Her blue eyes narrowed mischievously, making it even harder for me to look away.
"Your face is bright red, you know?"
"..."
"Could it be that your heart is thumping?"
—Was Big Sister Therese always this type of person?
She leaned her face even closer.
"Lady Therese, your playfulness goes too far."
A cold voice rang out, and Mira stepped in from the side. With efficient, fluid movements, she quickly peeled Big Sister Therese’s arms off me.
"Ah, it has been a long time, Mira."
Big Sister Therese raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. Her voice was light, but there was a hint of composed amusement in her eyes as she looked at Mira.
—(Lady Therese has become bigger than me...)
Mira was casting a quick, subtle glance between her own chest and Big Sister Therese’s. I couldn't quite catch the rest of whatever she whispered.
Lina moved behind me and wrapped her arms around me as if to embrace me, silently pulling me away from Big Sister Therese.
Big Sister Therese looked down, appearing to notice Lina's presence for the first time.
"Oh? And who might this be...?"
Lina said nothing. While still clinging to me, she poked her head out and looked up at Big Sister Therese. Even when their eyes met, she didn't open her mouth.
So, I answered for her.
"This is Lina. I took her in last year when she was an orphan, and she's working as an apprentice maid."
"Heh, for an apprentice..."
Her gaze traced the way Lina was clinging to me once more.
She quickly regained her serene persona as a Saint and gave a gentle smile.
"Nice to meet you, Lina."
"...Nice to meet you," Lina answered softly. However, she didn't loosen her hold on me.
—The atmosphere feels a bit prickly for some reason.
"Tea has been prepared. Please, come this way."
Mira announced this in a businesslike tone, prompting Big Sister Therese toward the drawing room to break the tension.
◇◇◇
In the drawing room, the tea service was ready.
Mother had excused herself after the initial greeting due to urgent business for the House of the Count. Those remaining were Big Sister Therese, myself, Mira—acting as both maid and guard—and Lina, serving as an apprentice maid.
Lina arranged the cups with slightly awkward movements. Mira watched every single action, occasionally nodding slightly to give guidance. Big Sister Therese glanced at them, a faint trace of something like wariness still lingering in her gaze.
Once the tea had been served, Big Sister Therese began to speak.
"I’ve been undergoing training and performing treatments at the Central Church the whole time. I had quite a lot of patients, so I was fairly busy."
Big Sister Therese told us about her year at Church Headquarters. Between her training sessions, she had been called to various territories to treat patients.
"...But even with all that, no one was able to endure until the end. It made me realize that you really are special, Rein."
Big Sister Therese looked at me intently.
As the conversation flowed, I shared my own recent news.
"Actually, I’ve become able to use recovery magic as well."
Big Sister Therese’s eyes sparkled.
"Is that so? That's wonderful, Rein! Just like your big sister!!"
I kept the details about transplant magic hidden. That was a magic I intended to never use again. I told her simply that I could use normal recovery magic to a certain extent.
Then, Big Sister Therese began talking about the nature of their training.
"Your big sister can use not just the Saint’s regeneration magic, but normal recovery magic as well. Though I can't keep casting it continuously like you do."
At the Church, they apparently start with physical conditioning like running. One learns physical enhancement, becomes able to boost their own recovery with mana, and only then do they finally reach the point where they can use recovery magic. It seems that unless you use your own body to its limits and understand its subtleties firsthand, you can't grasp the sensation of healing others.
"That's why there are many martial types in the Church. Quite a few people push physical enhancement to the limit and become monks or holy knights."
—I had an image of the Church being refined and gentle... but it's surprisingly athletic in reality.
"Your big sister is also quite skilled with a mace, you know."
At that moment, Mira looked slightly convinced and muttered to herself.
"...No wonder."
"You didn't learn at the Church, so I don't know if my advice will be directly useful, but would you like to hear about training methods?"
"I’d love to hear them. Please, Big Sister Therese."
I bowed my head honestly.
"Since you’ve already learned recovery magic, I'll teach you about detoxification magic."
Apparently, detoxification magic was a practical milestone in the recovery magic tree. Beyond that were advanced applications like curse-breaking magic, ranged healing, and area healing. Big Sister Therese herself could use up to curse-breaking, which was supposedly the highest level even within the Church.
"I can use up to curse-breaking. But I’ve never even seen ranged healing or anything beyond that, even at the Church."
Then, she explained the core of detoxification magic.
"The body has systems to expel harmful substances, right? You use mana to stimulate those systems and make them work harder. At the same time, you use recovery magic to heal the damage the poison caused. Combining these two is what makes detoxification magic."
I see, I thought. If recovery magic was about repairing broken tissue, then detoxification magic was that plus the function of carrying poison out. Big Sister Therese added that there was no need to know the specific type of poison. By mobilizing the body's own purification mechanisms, the body would handle the rest.
"You train by drinking a mild toxin... like diluted alcohol, and then moving your mana to discharge it....And, well, it might make some people feel like they need to use the restroom."
Big Sister Therese added that last part a bit shyly.
I almost burst out laughing and hurriedly covered my mouth with my cup.
"I just have a feeling... that you'll be able to use it right away, Rein. I don't have any proof, but I'm certain."
"I don't know if I can do it immediately, but I'll certainly practice."
When I answered, Big Sister Therese’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a serious expression.
"By the way, Rein. About what you'll do once you've mastered your magic—what are your plans?"
—What will I do, huh?
It was a sudden question, but it wasn't as if I hadn't thought about it. In fact, it had been in the back of my mind for a long time.
"We make donations to the Church as nobles, right? Instead of just giving money, I’m thinking of personally traveling to facilities the Church can't reach to treat people myself."
Big Sister Therese stared at me for a while. Then, she nodded slowly.
"...You'll need to negotiate with the Church. There are people who don't like others interfering in their work."
"I thought that might be the case."
"But, well... if that's your goal, I suppose we could make it work."
After thinking for a moment, Big Sister Therese looked like she had come up with an idea.
"Hey, Rein. If you're going to visit places that are out of reach—why don't you travel with me?"
"Eh?"
"I'm in a similar position. I spend more time traveling to various regions than I do staying at Church Headquarters anyway."
She gave a mischievous smile.
"If you're with me, it'll be easier to deal with the Church. Besides, it would be much more fun with two of us, wouldn't it?"
—Traveling to different places together with Big Sister Therese.
Strangely, the scene easily came to mind. Swaying in a carriage, visiting unknown lands, healing people, and then moving on to the next destination.
—Perhaps such a future really does exist.
With that thought, I gave a small nod.