Do not ever come back.

A brief silence settled over their quarters as they read the message Solif's father, Godis, had hidden in the letter. The three tried reading it in various other ways to see whether it contained any more hidden messages, but found nothing else.

"What does it mean?"

"Perhaps Mr. Godis realized something was wrong himself. Or..."

It could be a double bluff, meant to stir Solif's sympathy for his father and lure him into making contact. Turan swallowed the thought rather than voicing it.

"Whew."

Perhaps unsettled by the unexpected discovery, Solif closed his eyes and muttered something, his brow deeply furrowed. Maysa asked him a question.

"Are you going to see him?"

"I don't know. If Father really left that out of concern for me, I ought to at least hear him out. No, the truth is, I thought all the love my parents showed me growing up was a lie."

That was the natural conclusion if Baraha truly had raised Solif for the sole purpose of becoming a god's vessel. Surely all those dubious methods used in his upbringing could not have been employed without his parents' consent.

"If my parents really did love me, and Father's only chasing me because they're holding Mother hostage—damn it, would they really go that far? I can certainly see them doing it..."

His rambling laid bare his tangled emotions. Rather than offer a reply, Turan and Maysa sat quietly and let him vent.

Before long, however, they learned that all this agonizing had been pointless. A servant arrived to inform them that Godis had left Lida's residence.

"He's left?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did he leave of his own accord, or did Lady Lida send him away?"

"Someone as lowly as myself wouldn't know such details..."

Indeed, how much could the servants know? Turan went straight to Lida and learned that Godis had left voluntarily.

"He probably thought you would give him a lead, then left when nothing came of it. It's not as though he could dare use force to intimidate you here."

Lida had been smiling as she spoke, but her expression suddenly hardened.

"Be careful once you leave, though. If they target you outside Ravista's sphere of influence, there is nothing even I can do for you. Just as I enjoy the backing of a great house, I must also put my house's interests first."

Looking after Turan as her guest was a noble's duty, and one she would naturally fulfill. But she could not clash with another great house without justification for the sake of a young friend.

When Turan returned to their quarters and relayed the news, Solif nodded with a mixture of relief and deflation.

"So that's how it is..."

"I suppose we'll never know what he meant by the letter."

At Maysa's words, Turan took several long silver hairs from his pocket. He had secretly collected them after Godis left the reception room.

"With these, we can go after him whenever you decide you want to ask."

With his current mana, Turan could use someone's hair as a medium for tracking magic and detect them across thousands of kilometers or more. If he pushed himself a little, he could even locate Godis after he returned to Baraha's main house.

Solif nodded at this, looking uneasy.

"Hmm, let's leave that for later... Let's think about it once Maysa has recovered. I really don't know right now."

* * *

For the next several days, Turan and his companions spent a reasonably comfortable time at the Ravista residence, recuperating in body and mind.

Maysa and Solif, of course, found the stay rather uncomfortable. One could not move her legs and needed assistance with everything, while the other had to keep up his disguise as a servant.

Fortunately, on the seventh day, word arrived that the Head of Ravista had invited them to an audience. They accompanied Lida to the palace in the center of the capital.

"Come to think of it, young Turan, you always carry Miss Misha yourself rather than leaving her to your servant, don't you?"

As they made their way there, Lida looked at Maysa in Turan's arms and posed the question with a sly smile.

"Pardon? Ah, yes. It's more comfortable this way."

It was not that Maysa and Solif were distant or awkward with each other, but their relationship still felt somewhat like that of friends of a mutual friend, with Turan at the center. That was why Turan carried Maysa whenever they needed to move like this, but Lida seemed to find the sight intriguing.

"An excessively jealous man isn't very attractive, you know."

"I'll bear that in mind."

Turan took Lida's teasing in stride as they entered a vast chamber in the innermost part of the palace.

The first things to catch his eye were several enormous stuffed monsters and exquisitely crafted ornaments. Then there were the currents of mana surrounding every wall, visible to Turan alone.

'There seems to be some sort of enchantment on this place...'

Perhaps because of the magic covering the House Head's entire residence, Turan had been unable to sense Osel's mana until he stepped inside. An enormous tiger and an equally enormous lion lay curled up in a corner. Both were monsters with mana equivalent to middle-tier nobles, suggesting they were the House Head's pets.

The absence of anyone else from the residence was probably because Lida had passed along Turan's request to keep this treatment discreet.

From beyond a veil hanging at the far end of the chamber came a youthful boy's voice.

"I've heard the broad outline. You want my power, I understand?"

Despite having met Turan's party before, Osel calmly addressed them as complete strangers. There was no need for Turan to reveal his own abilities by making a point of recognizing him, so he played along with a respectful bow.

"Yes, my lord. I would like you to heal my companion Misha's injury."

"You understand what it means for the head of a great house to exercise his power in person, I trust."

He made a respectable attempt at a weighty tone, but his voice, like that of a boy whose voice had only recently broken, almost made Turan laugh. Of course, offending Osel here would spell disaster, so he clenched his teeth.

"I am prepared to repay your kindness, my lord. I offer gold and silver, as well as the right to call upon my power once."

"The right to call upon your power, you say."

Contracts in which nobles sold their services to others were surprisingly common. Usually, penniless wandering nobles offered such terms to wealthy landed nobles.

"There are a few conditions, however."

"Conditions?"

"The task must not involve harming the innocent. Its objective and time frame must be clearly defined. And it must not be so difficult as to lie entirely beyond my capabilities."

Osel hummed thoughtfully and stroked what was surely a beardless chin before replying.

"As it happens, I do have a task that fits those conditions perfectly."

"What is it?"

"Reclaiming marshland."

Reclamation meant filling in waterlogged areas to create dry land. It certainly seemed like necessary work in Ravista's territory, most of which consisted of wetlands.

"Where, and how much?"

"The Koloa region in southern Shiraf Marsh. The area to be reclaimed should be roughly a hundred kilometers on each side."

Since he could even name the dimensions without hesitation, he must have heard Turan's proposed terms from Lida beforehand and prepared his price.

"I take it this is a project not easily undertaken with your house's own resources."

"The size and terrain are problems, but more importantly, several rather troublesome monsters reportedly live there. Working alone, it might take you decades."

Even great-house nobles coveted the mana of powerful monsters, so these troublesome creatures were likely difficult to hunt because of unusual abilities despite their meager mana. The monsters of Shiraf Marsh were notorious for being hard to catch and offering little reward.

"Must I do this alone, with no support from Ravista?"

"You are free to hire help, but the expense will be yours."

After a moment's thought, Turan nodded. An ordinary noble would need at least a decade of effort, just as Osel said, but with three nobles approaching House Head caliber working together, it should not take nearly that long. Even with terrible luck, surely a few months would suffice.

"Very well."

"I'm glad we could settle this so easily."

That seemed to conclude their discussion, yet for some reason Osel said nothing for a while, merely staring at Turan.

"What is it? If our business is concluded, you may leave."

"When will the treatment take place?"

"Once you've finished your work, of course."

Turan shook his head.

"I will need Misha's help to reclaim the marshland. Please treat her first."

"Why should I trust a wandering noble with no house? If you run off after receiving treatment, I will have spent my power for nothing."

Osel's icy reply instantly chilled what had been an agreeable atmosphere. Lida, who had been watching from the side, clicked her tongue and spoke.

"Don't be so harsh, my lord. One's physical condition matters a great deal when using magic. Why make things needlessly difficult?"

"Cousin!"

"If you're going to entrust them with a task, surely it's better for everyone to be happy about it than resentful."

Lida glanced at Turan and Maysa, then added,

"Besides, I haven't seen much of these young people, but I doubt they would deceive us like that. There is also the matter we discussed privately. Above all, would they dare try such a thing unless they intend never to be injured again?"

The private discussion was probably about the Living Spirit Sorcerer he had mentioned before.

Osel had bristled at being spoken to like a child, but he listened to the rest of Lida's words in silence. Then he sighed and swept the veil aside with a gesture.

It revealed the beautiful boy of fifteen or sixteen they had seen before. Osel, the Head of Ravista, gazed at Turan and Maysa before asking a question.

"You don't seem surprised to see me."

"I had my suspicions."

"Hmph."

Osel snorted and turned to Lida.

"You put me in a difficult position when you do this, Cousin."

"My apologies. I spoke out of turn. I shall never utter another word in your presence, my lord."

"That's not what I meant..."

Osel had been imperious throughout his dealings with Turan's party, but before Lida, he was as helpless as a boy who truly was that age. Apparently becoming conscious of their audience, the squabbling pair cleared their throats and fell silent.

After a brief silence, Osel spoke in his earlier dignified tone, perhaps hoping to change the atmosphere.

"First, let me see your strength. Let us see whether you are qualified to make such demands of me."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a wave of mana surged toward Turan and Maysa—a vast torrent of power projected by the head of a great house, one of the strongest beings in the world.

Ordinarily, mana projected in this fashion carried no intent and produced no physical effect. Yet its density was so immense that even the surrounding air seemed to warp.

Turan and Maysa met it by revealing all their mana, without any attempt at deception. Maysa's true strength would be exposed during treatment anyway. If Turan, her companion, pretended to be much weaker than he was, it would likely invite suspicion. Above all, how else could he ensure that the value of his services was properly recognized?

After gauging their strength, Osel remained silent for a long time, perhaps too startled and bewildered to speak. Almost a minute passed before he finally opened his mouth.

"... Not bad. Very well. I accept your terms."

Lida's earlier words had probably played a major role in his agreement. Nobles as powerful as they were could not treat serious injuries with ordinary magic tools. That left them no choice but to stay in the good graces of Osel, the world's greatest Healer, just as they were doing now.

Besides, their strength warranted a measure of respect even from him. Lida clapped her hands together and smiled.

"Excellent! Then why not get it done right away? I understand you haven't had occasion to use your mana today."

"Very well, Cousin. Everyone, follow me."

* * *

As though everything had been prepared in advance, Osel rose and led them to a room beside his quarters. Like the adjoining residence, its walls and floor were covered in currents of mana, and several beds stood in the center.

"This is the treatment room. It is imbued with power that repels the foul energies that cause disease. First, the servant must leave. And don't bring the animal in either. It could cause an infection."

"Ah, yes, sir."

Solif, who had been following them in as a matter of course, gave an awkward smile and retreated with Vije. Osel immediately cast purification magic over the entire room, presumably to eliminate all harmful germs.

Did they actually know microorganisms existed, or had experience merely taught them that this was necessary? While Turan pondered the question, Osel pointed to a bed.

"Lie down."

Maysa lay down looking somewhat frightened, and Osel fetched an enormous saw from a corner. It, too, was a magic tool imbued with considerable power.

"I'll cut you with this. If you'd rather avoid the pain, I can knock you unconscious. Would you prefer a blow to the head or having your breathing cut off?"

"I can help with that. Is that all right, Misha?"

"Yes."

"You want to do it yourself? It saves me the trouble, but it won't be as easy as you think."

Belying Osel's unsolicited warning, Turan soon rendered Maysa unconscious with practiced ease and laid her on the bed. Both Ravista nobles stared at him as though he were some sort of oddity.

"You both seem rather accustomed to this."

Turan merely bowed his head slightly instead of answering Lida. Osel clicked his tongue.

"It doesn't matter. Let's begin. My time is valuable."

The operation began shortly afterward. Osel took the lead with Lida assisting at his side, while Turan stood a little farther back, watching in case anything went wrong.

"First, from here... Hmm, it certainly cuts easily."

Turan watched tensely as Osel sawed through Maysa's waist. If he betrayed them here, Turan would have to call Solif in from outside immediately, hold Osel off, and heal Maysa all over again.

Fortunately, as soon as Osel had completely severed her waist, he began repairing it with healing magic. The delicate way he adjusted the position of her organs and bones by hand spoke of an extensive knowledge of human anatomy.

'So an injury like this is nothing to the Head of Ravista.'

Lida helped with the healing as well, but her contribution could not compare to Osel's direct intervention. The sight of the severed surfaces joining as smoothly as clay was truly astonishing, and Turan could not help imagining what it would be like to fight him.

'Anything short of a devastating injury would barely diminish his fighting ability. All the more so since healing himself must be easier than healing others...'

Turan had thought that Ravista's House Head, with his Healer and Purifier bloodlines, would pose little threat relative to his power. But if he could keep attacking while endlessly healing any injury short of decapitation, he might prove more troublesome than expected.

And surely he could heal wizards weaker than himself far more easily still. In a group battle, he might be a more difficult enemy than wizards with typical combat-oriented bloodlines.

A little later, Osel finished the treatment and let out a soft sigh.

"After inheriting the position of House Head, I never thought I'd need to heal a wizard nearly as powerful as myself. Who exactly are you two?"

"Turan and Misha. For now."

At the implication that they would share more once their relationship improved, Osel snorted but did not press the matter.

He left first, telling them to find their own way back. About ten minutes later, Maysa opened her eyes with a groan.

"Is it over?"

"Yes. It was simpler than I expected. Want to try standing up?"

At Turan's suggestion, Maysa cautiously moved her legs, rose from the bed, and stood on the floor on her own two feet. She tried a few little hops in place, and a radiant smile blossomed across her face.