After promising to continue my cooperation and seeing Noah-san through the end of her IV drip, Fia-sensei kindly offered to treat us to some tea. The three of us gathered around a table in the room adjacent to the examination room to chat.
Apparently, it was a slow day with few patients. Fia-sensei smiled as she prepared the tea, remarking that it was a good thing for a doctor to be idle.
"This tea is wonderful," I noted. "It feels like... like a warmth is spreading through my whole body."
"Oh, you can tell? I added a few medicinal herbs to the blend. It has a nice relaxing effect."
"I see... By the way, Fia-sensei, would you like some help with that?"
"N-No, I'm alright..."
The tea she had prepared was delicious, certainly, but it also had a soothing quality that seemed to sink into my very bones. That was likely the effect of the herbs.
As I gave her my impressions of the flavor, I offered to help her wipe up the tea she had managed to spill across the floor. She turned me down with a sheepish, wry smile.
It was exactly as she had described herself earlier. True to form, Fia-sensei had managed to upend her own cup almost immediately.
"Hehe, Fia-sensei never changes," Noah-san said with a familiar smile. "She’s so incredibly reliable when she’s actually treating a patient, though..."
"Ahaha... Well, how embarrassing."
This side of Fia-sensei was clearly a common sight, given how unfazed Noah-san seemed.
Still, the tea really was excellent. And a relaxing effect, huh?
The first person who came to mind was Lilia-san. She was always under so much stress. A single cup of tea might not change much, but if it could help her unwind even a little bit...
"Um, Fia-sensei, if it’s not too much trouble, could you tell me where you buy these tea leaves?"
"Oh, I blend these myself, so they aren't sold in stores. If you like them that much, I could give you some to take home?"
"Wait, really? Are you sure?"
"Of course. I did ask a rather difficult favor of you, Miyama-kun. Just a moment, let me wrap some up for you..."
Since it was her own special blend, it wasn't something I could find on the market. I was incredibly grateful for her offer to share some.
However, just as Fia-sensei stood up to fetch the leaves, a frantic shout echoed through the building.
"Doctor! Help! Please!"
"!"
Hearing the desperate cry, Fia-sensei’s expression shifted instantly. She dashed toward the source of the voice—the church area on the other side of the examination room.
Noah-san and I followed close behind, our hearts racing with concern.
When we rushed into the church, we found two men near the entrance. One was the man who had shouted; he looked pale and frantic as he supported his companion.
As for the other man...
"!"
"What on earth happened!?"
A thick wooden stake was protruding from the man's thigh. The amount of blood was stomach-turning, and I reflexively looked away from the gruesome sight.
Noah-san was equally horrified, her hand flying to her mouth as she stumbled back a step.
Fia-sensei, however, showed the composure of a seasoned professional. She didn't hesitate for a second as she ran to the men.
"He... he fell while we were working... He landed right on some scrap wood..."
"Ugh... Ahh..."
"Let me see!"
Fia-sensei seemed to grasp the situation the moment the uninjured man spoke. She reached out to the patient, who was groaning in agony. The companion realized he was in the way and stepped back as she approached, watching them with a face full of dread.
"It's deep. If I use healing magic now, I'll end up sealing wood splinters inside the wound. Stand back!"
"What!? O-Oh, right!"
After a split-second assessment, Fia-sensei told the man to give her space and snapped her fingers. A translucent, dome-like membrane expanded around her and the patient.
"I’m going to temporarily numb your leg."
"Y-Yes..."
The dome was likely a magical sterile field. Fia-sensei intended to remove the foreign object right then and there.
After announcing the localized paralysis, she held her hand over the man's thigh. Then, without a hint of hesitation, she yanked the wooden stake out of his leg.
I braced for a spray of blood, but none came. She was clearly using magic with her other hand to keep the wound closed and the blood flow in check.
"I’m going to clear out the remaining fragments before I heal you. Don't worry, you're going to be fine."
"A-Ah... Thank you..."
"Almost there... and... Done! Alright, I'm starting the healing magic now."
Fia-sensei's hands moved with such blur-like speed that I couldn't follow what she was doing. Suddenly, she was holding a pair of tweezers, and a pile of small wood splinters grew beside her as she worked.
In mere seconds, the debris was cleared. She spoke in a calm, soothing voice before hovering her hand over the man's thigh.
A massive surge of magic power radiated from her. Before my very eyes, the man's shredded leg began to knit back together. It was nothing short of a miracle. I was so captivated by the sight that I forgot how to breathe.
"There. You’re all patched up."
"T-Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome. But magic can't replace the blood you lost, so we'll need to get you on an IV drip in a bit."
"Yes, ma'am... Oh, Doctor, how much for the treatment...?"
The crisis had passed. The injured man thanked her with tears welling in his eyes, and his companion finally looked like he could breathe again.
When the man reached into his pocket to pay, Fia-sensei shook her head.
"I don't need payment this time."
"What!? B-But..."
The man looked bewildered by her refusal. Noah-san leaned in and whispered to me.
"People who can use healing magic are incredibly rare, you know."
"Now that you mention it, I think I've heard that before."
In this world, magic is a reality, and healing magic can mend wounds in a heartbeat—but it isn't a common skill. Magic tools are widespread to fill the gap, but healing magic is notoriously difficult to replicate. It requires precise control tailored to the specific injury, meaning tools often fall short.
I see Kuro use it so often that I'd lost my sense of how special it was, but that was just because Kuro is an outlier. Even among the top-tier people I knew, like Lilia-san, Lunamaria-san, and Sieg-san, none of them could use it. Among the humankind I'd met, only Rei-san—a former Court Mage—possessed the talent.
"That's why professional healing magic is normally a very expensive service," Noah-san continued.
"I can imagine."
In a world where so few can perform it, healing magic is reserved for a handful of geniuses. Much like advanced surgery in my old world, it should have been a premium service.
The man seemed to know this as well. He fumbled with his wallet, desperate to offer whatever cash he had on hand, but Fia-sensei smiled and declined again.
"It’s alright. You have a baby on the way, don't you? Don't spend that money here. Use it for your child."
"B-But I can't just..."
"Don't be stubborn. Besides... injury aside, you're exhausted. You haven't been sleeping much, have you?"
"!"
"I know you're working hard to provide for your wife and child, but it won't mean anything if you push yourself until you're crippled. You have to take care of yourself."
"Yes... ma'am."
As she spoke to him with such gentle conviction, Fia-sensei looked like the very image of a holy mother.
"Anyway, I'm not taking money from someone in your position. Now, put that wallet away."
"Doctor..."
"If you really want to thank me, then get healthy and make your family happy. Then, one day, bring the three of you back here to show me your smiling faces. That's the best payment I could ask for."
"I... I will! Thank you!"
The man broke down in tears, bowing to her repeatedly in gratitude.
Watching the heartwarming scene, Noah-san smiled.
"Fia-sensei is always like this. She tells people to just pay what they can... but in reality, she treats almost everyone for next to nothing. She helps anyone who needs it, without exception."
"That’s incredible."
"It is. That’s why she’s so beloved in this neighborhood. Everyone says she’s the best doctor in the Kingdom of Sinfonia."
Refusing payment, using rare magic so selflessly, and saving lives... she really was the ideal doctor. We had only just met, but I already respected her from the bottom of my heart.
"Alright, let's get you into the office for that IV—Whoa!?"
As she started to stand up, Fia-sensei's foot slipped on a patch of blood, and she fell flat on her face. As Noah-san had said, the gap between her professional competence and her everyday clumsiness was staggering.
"Ow, ow, ow... Did it again."
"H-Hahaha..."
Seeing the dignified doctor suddenly turn back into a klutz, even the injured man couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Ahaha... Why can't I ever pull off a cool exit? Anyway, let's get you treated. You'll be back at work soon, but you're on bed rest for the rest of the day. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Fia-sensei stood up with a sheepish grin. She was approachable, yet in that moment, she was as radiant as a saint.
Dear Mother, Father—Fia-sensei is a bit of a scatterbrain and has a very easygoing vibe, but her skills and her heart as a doctor are truly remarkable. I think she’s an amazing person. One I can truly respect—a splendid doctor.