Time Healer Ceres

Cheion was born as the Second Prince, and later became the Master of the Magic Tower.

He had spent his entire life among the empire’s most glorious and noble figures, yet even for him, meeting the Spirit King was a first.

The sheer presence of that being was enough to leave Cheion at a loss for words.

But you’re different.

How can she look so natural in front of something like that?

“Did you already know the Spirit King?”

“No.”

...How does his temporary secretary keep such a poker face? She almost makes him want to believe her.

“It’s been a month now.”

“Yeah.”

Luca would return tomorrow. Which meant Ceres’s time as a temporary secretary was almost over as well.

“What a shame.”

“What is?”

“Should I give him another month off?”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

“What do you mean, never mind?”

At that moment, a familiar voice cut into their conversation.

Leaning against the doorway stood Luca, staring at Cheion with an incredulous look.

Unlike Cheion, who visibly flinched, Ceres didn’t react much at all. It was as if she had already sensed him approaching.

“What? You’re already back?”

“Yes. Unfortunately for you, I returned early. Should I have stayed away another month instead?”

“Haha...”

He heard that. He definitely heard that!

His ears were way too sharp.

“I trust you’re aware that these sharp ears heard every word you just said.”

Cheion only smiled weakly as Luca continued glaring at him. At times like this, smiling was the safest thing to do.

“Was everything alright while I was away?”

Ignoring Cheion’s awkward attempt to smooth things over, Luca walked over to Ceres instead.

“Other than more than half the people in the Magic Tower nearly losing their minds, nothing much happened. As you can see, the tower is still standing.”

“That’s a relief.”

Cheion slacking off and driving the mages crazy wasn’t anything unusual. But just as Luca had warned before leaving, there hadn’t been major accidents.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Luca bowed lightly, though his gratitude was sincere.

He heard Cheion had attended the imperial council meeting. Of course, he probably caused trouble there as usual, but the important thing was that he went at all.

Luca already received reports before returning, yet the news still surprised him.

I have a feeling it’s because of this woman.

Otherwise, there was no explaining how that stubborn man had willingly attended an imperial meeting.

What exactly did she do to him?

“Would you consider continuing to work here?”

“Continue?”

“Yes. Not as a temporary secretary, but officially.”

There was no issue with the Tower Master having one more secretary. If anything, Luca thought it was a waste to let someone as capable as Ceres leave after only working temporarily.

“That’s a great idea!”

Cheion brightened at the suggestion.

“No.”

“Aw, why not?”

“It doesn’t suit me.”

Ceres shook her head without hesitation. She had accepted the position because she needed the money, but constantly assisting someone and looking after them just didn’t suit her personality.

I thought hanging around someone all day without much to do would be easy money, but it’s more exhausting than I expected.

“So you’re going back to the shop?”

“The staff can handle things on their own.”

At most, she would just drop by once in a while to check on things like she used to.

“Then what are you planning to do now?”

“Well...”

Ceres sank into thought. The biggest nuisance in the Ellesia family had finally been replaced.

That girl...

If it was Herion, she would manage the family well.

Of course, the beginning would be difficult. She had spent years being pushed aside within the family. There would be many people unwilling to accept Herion’s sudden rise as the new head of the house.

However, she had an incredibly powerful ally beside her.

[From now on, I will remain by your side. Serve me well.]

“Huh? I have to serve you? Can’t we just be friends?”

[Friends? How dare a mere human think of befriending me!]

“The weather’s nice today. Do you want to go for a walk?”

[Are you listening to what I’m saying?!]

“There’s a pretty flower garden over there. Let’s go together!”

[.....]

...She was the type to quietly bulldoze ahead in her own way.

Even Jubelios, the foul-tempered Fire Spirit King, often seemed left speechless by her.

Herion would continue doing well from here on. Her understanding of healing arts was exceptional.

Even so, one thing still bothered Ceres.

“If someone’s very nature changed, what do you think caused it?”

“I’ve completely lost track of this conversation, Ceres...”

“That’s fine. I wasn’t expecting much from you anyway.”

Cheion shuddered at the way she casually changed the subject and then immediately demanded an answer.

Still, he knew she never asked pointless questions.

Despite puffing out his cheeks in complaint, he answered obediently.

“Either enough time passed for their original nature to fade away, or they developed a taste for something valuable enough to abandon centuries of history and tradition.”

“Like what?”

“Money?”

...That actually sounds plausible.

Ceres found herself nodding before she realized it. The healing arts brought in an absurd amount of money, after all.

As she recalled the roots of the Ellesia family, she swallowed down the sigh threatening to escape.

Swordsmanship.

After personally visiting the family estate to see things for herself, Ceres was utterly dumbfounded.

This was supposedly the house once known as the Empire’s Sword, yet the current Ellesia family’s understanding of swordsmanship was very crude.

When she saw the knights serving under House Ellesia, she had nearly lost the ability to speak.

You could drag in random thugs off the street and they’d still be better than this.

Remembering the despair she had felt back then, a smile slowly spread across Ceres’s face.

A sudden chill ran down Cheion’s spine, making him rub his arm unconsciously. He tilted his head and wondered why he suddenly felt so cold.

“It could’ve been power or fame, but neither of those brings results as quickly as money does. In the end, nothing affects survival more directly than wealth.”

“I guess that’s true. House Ellesia is a good example.”

“Hm?”

“The knights there all had swords polished so brightly they looked brand new. Considering the Black Forest appeared near the capital less than a month ago, doesn’t that seem a little strange?”

As if merely tossing out a casual thought, Ceres wondered aloud whether House Ellesia regularly replaced their swords.

But Cheion, completely oblivious to the complicated emotions behind her question, just smiled and shook his head.

“It’s true House Ellesia is rich, but that’s probably not it. They don’t have the skill to hunt monsters in the first place.”

I’m losing my mind.

So they really did abandon swordsmanship entirely.

A hollow laugh escaped her as she recalled the knights she had seen. They looked flashy enough on the outside, but at this point, they seemed better suited for a ceremonial band than a family once famed for the sword.

It was Grace who had first introduced healing arts to House Ellesia. So, seeing the Empire’s once-great sword house cast aside the blade and devote itself to healing left her with a sense of responsibility.

What should I do?

Of course, continuing on as a family of healers wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Still, it left an unpleasant feeling in her chest.

If someone else had caused this, she would’ve pretended not to notice. But the fact that it all started with her kept nagging at her.

Was it really alright to just watch the family once called °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the Empire’s Sword disappear?

BOOM!

A tremendous explosion suddenly rang out.

Ceres immediately turned toward the window, her brows knitting together.

What is that idiot doing now?

“What’s going on?”

The one currently smashing apart the defensive barrier surrounding the Magic Tower was Jubelios, the Fire Spirit King.

“What the hell is it doing?!”

“Good grief.”

Has he completely lost his mind?

When Cheion saw Jubelios destroying the defensive barrier he had personally set up, he immediately raised a hand as if about to cast a spell.

“Don’t.”

“Why not? That half-burnt chick is wrecking all my barriers!”

...I don’t think he used to talk like this before.

Cheion, you seriously need to stop hanging around the stew shop. He definitely picked up weird slang from those mercenaries.

“Just wait.”

After forcing Cheion a step back, Ceres walked over to the window and shouted outside.

“What are you doing, you oversized bird?”

[Ah! So you were here. This thing was blocking my path.]

“That doesn’t mean you can just break it!”

Still as reckless and unreasonable as ever.

After letting out a quiet sigh, Ceres asked Cheion to remove the defensive magic entirely.

“Can’t you travel a little more quietly?”

By now, many people had gathered outside after hearing the commotion, all staring at Jubelios with fascinated eyes.

Why am I the one feeling embarrassed right now?

[How much quieter do you expect me to be?]

“...Forget it. Why are you here?”

[Take this. Herion sent a letter.]

...You’re working as a messenger bird now too?

Ceres stared at Jubelios in disbelief. He pulled a small letter from beneath his wing with his beak before dropping it in front of her.

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