The Doctor Cured the Villainess and Ran Away

7 – 7. Opening of Talents (1)

Come to think of it, Asella has never called me by my name before.

I thought it meant contempt in the future, and now I thought she was following formalities, but she simply didn’t know.

“It’s Ras. Ras Gotberger.”

“Ras.”

Asella repeats my name once and then takes a step forward.

Her long hair lightly brushes against my face.

…A strange fragrance lingers.

“Gongja, tell me what you want.”

“Suddenly?”

Rather than addressing me by my name, she doesn’t. Well, suddenly abandoning formality seems odd anyway.

A fair price for the rose. Since you received something so amazing, the flower has gained value.

You don’t plan on unilaterally plundering it, do you?

Just your kind heart alone touched me.

“It’s fine. Please accept it as a favor.”

“No, you can’t.”

Asella emphasized, swiftly turning to look at me.

“I told you, it’s a price. If you obtained it, you have to give it back. It’s the most important rule in the world.”

She raised a finger and drew a simple magic circle. Like a lit match, a small flame bloomed and disappeared into the air.

“With a small amount of mana, you can’t activate powerful magic.”

She’s stubborn about unnecessary things.

I responded vaguely because I didn’t want to argue.

“I understand. I’ll think it over carefully.”

“I’ll wait.”

Asella walked away from me, as graceful as a doll.

***

In the afternoon, I was guided around the mansion grounds with Cyvus.

Even just the mansion grounds were considerably vast, but the domain beyond the guarded wall was even more immense.

To the south is a small city where the domain residents live.

To the west, a large river flows, and although it’s a little cold, it’s good land for cultivation.

The eastern Sanctum of Healers is a small academy with boarding facilities, serving as a church as well, but it doesn’t have a very strong religious atmosphere.

I’m not in a boarding position, but it seems like I should attend classes there. I barely have any memory of properly attending.

“hehehe, when I heard about the feats of the young lord, I was truly amazed! The word of your accomplishments has spread all over the mansion, and the voices of praise for the young lord won’t cease!”

Since Cyvus was being overly excited, I held out my hand to dissipate the atmosphere.

“Who would believe such rumors? They’re probably just gossiping behind my back.”

“Oh no, not at all! The young lord knows best that you have truly changed, sir. Now, here is…”

While receiving Cyvus’s guidance, I checked my status window.

“Stats.”

―――――――――――

Strength: 6

Stamina: 6

Magic Power: 1

Mana: 12

Divine Power: 22

Faith: 100

―――――――――――

Wow, what a mess.

From Noble mtl dot com

Is this supposed to be a person or a paper doll?

“With this condition, the physician’s exam is going to be tough, huh?”

Seiberus asked while looking at the forest to the north.

“Is that area unexplored?”

“Yes, it is. It’s also the northwest border of the Empire. Beyond the flood, it’s an unknown land, so you should be careful. Powerful monsters are lurking there.”

“The practical exam will be conducted in this forest.”

“Indeed, you have great insight, Your Excellency. You will test the healers’ abilities while subjugating monsters together with the knights.”

Subjugating monsters.

It was a task that bored the hero party.

The problem lies in the stats.

At least mana and divine power are somewhat inherent due to my lineage.

However, my magic power is only 1. I have no talent for magic.

And then this worthless person neglected training his body, wasting his adolescence on drinking and playing.

My stamina is barely enough to run around in this field.

I don’t have extraordinary strength either.

“It’s still ridiculous that my faith is 100.”

Just as physical strength increases with sword training, faith also grows with healing spell training.

Studying theology or praying to strengthen faith can make it rise as well.

I am a unique case with excessively firm faith.

As a possessed individual, I know very well that there is no god in this world.

Paradoxically, my values regarding my deity never waver.

Even ten years later, my faith remained steadfast at 100.

The problem is my untrained divine power, which held me back, preventing me from using very strong healing spells.

“Gis must have a divine power of about 25.”

Since you dubbed me the ace of the nurturing facility, that’s about it.

“I should take the exam using medical knowledge.”

Although I’m just a quack doctor with no license and only a few practical experiences.

“But no matter how much knowledge I have, skills are ultimately necessary in this world.”

There is one thing that catches my eye.

It’s a part that was never visible in the status window.

——————-

Talent: ■■■ (S)

■■ (S)

——————-

It’s obscured so that you can’t tell what it is.

It could be a magician or a swordsman.

If you have talent, you can open up a skill tree.

One thing for sure is that if I open up my talent, it’ll be amazing.

I have not one but two S-rank grades.

“Usually, a person has only one talent. It has always been strange to me that I have two.”

I don’t know why, but if I don’t open it, it’s meaningless.

“Should I open it?”

Since I only live once, I should live as a genius rather than an ordinary person.

Luckily, there’s a good opportunity.

***

It was time for the evening banquet.

It’s an official occasion to discuss the cooperation between the Third Empress and the Gautberg Family.

For the nobles, etiquette and procedures are more important than anything else. They are such rigid people.

The engagement between me and Asella is also one of the matters included.

“How splendid! If it were a ball, young ladies from various households would have come to ask for a dance! hahahahaha.”

As I finished preparing for the central hall, Sievers straightened my collar and chuckled.

As I was about to leave the annex, I noticed a candy basket placed on the table.

“Oh, it was supposed to be a treat for the princess, but she declined.”

“Candies are great. Why did she refuse?”

Later, if it becomes tedious, I’ll have to remember one by one and put it in my pocket. He moved his steps to the promised location.

“Father, we have arrived.”

“Ras, you came out early.”

When they arrived at the central hall, his father looked at him proudly.

“I’m so happy to see you showing a sincere attitude unlike before.”

“It’s just natural for the eldest son of our family.”

“Don’t worry about the family. If you keep preparing like this, I will support you so that you can achieve anything.”

“I’m not sure what to do.”

His father loves people so much that he is secretly an easy target.

If you trust him a little, he will quickly stamp the seal on the guarantee.

That’s why he fell for Hwangbi, who had a lot of intentions to use.

“Ras, I forgot that I promised to your mother that I would do my best for you. Looking back, it seems that my own attitude towards work was more important. But thank you for maturing first. You are indeed my son.”

“hahahaha, there’s no doubt about that.”

“Very reliable. From now on, I will reduce my workload and pay more attention to you.”

He used the expression ‘you.’

There is another person besides me in the Gotberg family, which is Yeong-ae.

“But is the princess’s chief physician exam going to be okay? It was decided suddenly.”

“To be honest, I’m a little worried. Of course, there will be many competitors to enter the royal family as a concubine, and the painting looks good.”

“Well, my son is no one else, so I believe he will do well. Cheer him on.”

Looking at his father’s innocent eyes, he had a feeling that it would be difficult to use him for unethical purposes.

It was natural for him to be in the dark in politics and not to have received a single bribe in his life.

‘No matter how much you think about it, the third queen faction seems like a corrupt dong-aju (a type of rope made by twisting hemp or flax).’

That’s why he had to keep silent about the allegation that his family had committed treason in that incident.

If you’re going to defect, it’s not Hwangbi, but you should choose Asella, Father.

She would be thrilled to ride on that position.

As they were talking, a girl came in with a maid to the reception room.

“Father, I greet you in the evening.”

“Ah, come in quickly, Neria.”

A polite little girl greeted her father.

“Nelia Goldberg. She’s my stepsister. It was obvious to anyone that we were a family at a glance because all three of us had white hair. It’s a characteristic of those born with strong sacred power. My father’s hair was a sooty grey, Nelia’s was silver-grey, and mine was almost white. Nelia was only about ten years old, but she was quite poised. “Hello, Nelia,” I said, smiling warmly and greeting my step-sister. However, Nelia seemed to be a little frightened of me. “Uh, Brother… hello,” she said, avoiding my gaze. I was used to this attitude, having seen it many times in the years that followed. “Nelia is the Saint of the Heroic Party. Right now she is just an ordinary girl, since the party hasn’t chosen a Hero. It’s after our family’s extermination.” Maybe I was also chosen as the healing wizard of the Heroic Party because I am Nelia’s sibling. I have no bad feelings towards Nelia. She is one of the few people who have been kind to me. Although she sometimes seems frightened because of past grievances. We should get along well since we will often see each other in the future. “The dress suits you well. You look taller,” I said. “Oh, really?” Nelia looked down at her skirt and raised the corners of her mouth. She always had a complex about her small height, so she was happy to hear that she looked taller. “Now that everyone is gathered, let’s go to the ballroom,” I said as I followed my father. We walked down a wide hallway, and Nelia was slight hunched up next to me. “She’s nervous because the royal family is here,” I thought to myself as I patted her on the shoulder. “Whoa,

I took out a candy from my pocket and handed it to Neriah.

“Don’t be nervous. I just met the Queen and Princess, and they were ordinary.”

“R-really…?”

“You didn’t eat during mealtime, right? Eat this. Eating something sweet can quickly improve your mood.”

“Oh, thank you…”

Neriah put the small candy into her mouth.

Her face quickly lit up with a sparkling smile.

“It’s sweet!”

Since sugar quickly turns into energy, it’s natural for your mood to improve quickly.

During the growth period, it’s good to eat a lot, no matter what.

“I’m really relaxed now. Uncle, you’re very knowledgeable.”

Neriah, who uses difficult words for her age, is more knowledgeable than you.

“If you want to eat more, just let me know.”

When I lightly tapped Neriah’s forehead, her shoulders hunched up like a small animal, but quickly relaxed again.

I entered the banquet hall while receiving Neriah’s admiring gaze the whole time.

The dinner was filled with luxurious food.

Only my father and I, Neriah, the Queen, and Asella were here, but the food and wine filled our stomachs.

Asella and I exchanged brief formal greetings.

After that, my father and the Queen engaged in their usual stiff conversation.

I feel like yawning. My jaw is going to dislocate.

Most of it is useless political talk.

The Queen seems eager to involve my father in the power struggles of the royal court.

My father is clearly weighing the gains and losses, so the conversation seems parallel in a subtle way.

Although my father has the upper hand, the other party is of a higher class, so I have to maintain manners.

How long do I have to listen to this?

The Queen constantly babbles to my father.

I would believe it if you told me she’s not a witch but a clown.

“In the royal court, nothing is more important than gaining power. For example, suppose the prophecy of the Demon King’s invasion in ten years is true. What weapon would every faction want?”

“A warrior, I suppose. Having a warrior gives the faction a strong voice in the royal court.”

“The best choice, of course, is a warrior. However, the Gotheburg family would not settle for a second-rate option, like having an alternative of equal status, right?”

“It’s the words of the Holy Maiden. In fact, there was also a Holy Maiden in the Goetberg lineage.”

Father affirmed to the Empress.

“There is no way to defeat the Demon King without a Holy Maiden. What do you think? Isn’t there anyone who can become a Holy Maiden in the Goetberg training ground?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“If there isn’t, then we have to create one. It’s not just for the sake of having a candidate for the Holy Maiden, right? Our Goetberg family has already made progress. Our children are expecting marriages.”

“You’re right.”

The Empress was determined to find a way to benefit our family.

She is definitely a cunning fox.

How desperate must she be without any support?

Father’s biggest mistake in life was getting engaged to Asella.

“You mentioned that there was also a Holy Maiden in the past. What do you think? If it’s someone who inherited that blood.”

The Empress glanced at Neria.

Neria trembled in surprise.

Father also seemed to sense the discomfort.

But the Empress was like a fierce general, always uneasy about anyone who might become Asella’s mother.

She gave a signal to the waiting attendant, who then brought something out.

‘It’s here.’

A single object was placed on the table.

It was an ancient drinking glass, but it exuded a certain aura.

“It’s an artifact that allows the user to unlock hidden talents. It’s a very rare item.”

‘Rare or not, it appears only once a year in the world.’

I already knew what I had.

I had heard it from Neria. She said that the talent was unlocked by the Holy Grail brought by the Empress.

And if I use it…

‘I can unlock two talents.’

The middle-aged woman was indeed the Empress.

But she surprised me by suddenly placing it on the table where we were having a meal.

“Neria, my dear, what do you think?”

“Huh?”

Neria was startled and hunched her shoulders.

“Have you ever thought about becoming a saint?”

“That, well…”

Neria looked down.

Her trembling lips slowly formed a sentence.

“Don’t saints have to fight against the Demon King? There are so many demons and monsters….”

“It’s an honorable duty for the continent.”

At Queen Hwangbi’s resolute words, Neria became frightened and hiccupped.

She looked up at her father as if seeking help.

But her father waited for an answer, signifying that he would respect Neria’s will.

Misunderstanding his waiting as coercion, Neria reluctantly replied in a hesitant voice.

“I-if it’s for the sake of our family.”

“Just wait a moment.”

Before Neria could finish her response, I intervened right away.

Once again, Hwangbi glared at me, as if wondering what nonsense I would say to interrupt her.

Even Asella, who had been bored until now, seemed interested and focused on me.

“Couldn’t there be someone who is born as a saint, not just a holy maiden?”

If it’s such a precious artifact, give it to me. Let me have a taste too.

No, give it all to me.

“It sounds interesting.”

Asella chuckled softly.