Chapter CLXIII - Death Scythe (part 4)

We decided to return back to the village to see how the villagers are doing.

Not a single villager was killed, but they did get hurt from the battles. Some of them had their ears bleeding thanks to the scream of my slash (sorry about that), while some others with a faint heart fainted when the pressure battle between me and the elder dragon happened. 

There are also those that got wounded from the battle, but it's not that severe. Other than that, everyone is perfectly fine.

I healed the ones that got wounded, and after all of them got healed, I realized something.

My healing magic felt… full.

I-Is it time…?

Is it time for a tier up!?

After healing everyone, I excused myself to the bathroom and leaped away without anyone following me. I landed on the giant tall wall that Brod made in the beginning and meditated. 

I noticed a dying bird along the way, and I picked it up. Sadly, the bird got caught in the explosion from the battles, and it lost its wings.

If I used a King tier healing magic, it won't regrow the wing. Because the wing is counted as a limb, therefore a King tier magic will not be able to regrow it, and will only heal the wound. I need to use the Emperor tier in order to grow the wing back.

That's what I am trying to do now.

I focused a ton of pure energy on my hands and started healing the wing. The amount of energy consumed by the healing magic is insane. But, I can tell there is a difference in the consumption. 

It felt like three times the amount for the King tier! This is crazy!!!

I poured in more, and it felt like my hand was burning. But, I can feel my energy slowly getting finer by the second. The healing magic is slowly forming on the bird's wing.

No, it formed into the wing itself.

I see…

Emperor tier healing magic was special, because it can regrow lost limbs. So to use it, the healing magic must form the shape of the item that it was trying to regrow, and slowly regenerates it from the source. 

In any case, the source is the wound. And the shape is the thing that is being made itself, or rather, the very thing that makes a shape.

Molecules… atoms…

Particles.

The healing magic gradually took form into what it is trying to grow and slowly grew it from the wound. The particles are being recreated piece by piece, hundreds and even thousands at a time. And after five minutes of regenerating, the bird's wing has regrown.

I chuckled as I lifted the bird up. The bird tried moving the wings and it was finally capable of flying away. 

I watched as the bird flew into the skies beautifully above me, and I grinned.

Beginner tier healing magic's form is a simple light ball. Intermediate tier healing magic has the form of a tube, with the light balls going through them. Knight tier's form is similar to a bandage. King tier is where the magic liquifies, turning into liquid.

And Emperor tier… is a level far deeper than them.

Particles… I could've never gotten it if it wasn't for my prior knowledge regarding the human body.

If only I didn't graduate middle school science class, I probably won't ever get it. How scary.

I grinned as I watched the small bird fly to the skies, but then it got grabbed by an eagle very quickly from the left.

I just saved that bird!!!

"Wha--Fuck off!"

I shot a fireball at the eagle and the eagle fell to the ground, dead. The bird that was caught is now flying away again… 

Only to be caught by another eagle.

At that point, I could only watch with a poker face as the second eagle flew away with the bird on its claws.

If it got caught the second time, it was already its fate... 

Sorry, bud.

I left the wall and changed into a clean adventurer outfit before heading back to my friends with the villagers. 

They were having a chat with the village head, because the village head wants to give us his biggest gratitude. When I arrived, they immediately turned their attention to me.

"Ah, here she is. She's the one who did the most."

Fran said as she moved her body, showing me to the village chief. The chief is quite old, but he looked quite bright for an old man.

"You must be the hero… I give you our deepest gratitude for saving our village… Sadly, we cannot reward you with anything."

I stopped walking right before him and grinned. He is only as tall as my stomach.

"Don't be. We will get paid handsomely by the kingdom for this."

"I see… that's good then. We still have to thank you from the bottom of our hearts..."

The old man bowed at me, followed by the villagers behind him. I simply laughed while scratching the back of my head. Fran poked my arm using her elbow, and I snapped back to my original self.

"… Right. We helped because it's what we do. Just don't hesitate to ask for help the next time. We are more than happy to help."

"I see… the young heroes of Mazino are really great after all."

"We aren't exactly heroes… but whatever."

I turned my back and left the villagers. The others waved their hands at them and bade farewell. The villagers shouted some gratitude as we headed towards the carriage parked just outside the gate.

"Well, Rize? How does it feel helping people?"

Fran moved forward and asked me, and I nodded while answering.

"Deep down, it felt great. But, I know exactly that it is an obligation for me, now that I am this strong."

"That's right. Being called a hero is a great thing, isn't it?"

Cane suddenly said, and Me and Fran quickly turned our gazes to Cane with a demeaning face, making Cane a little attacked.

"W-What?"

"Don't tell me… you did this so you can be praised?"

"Disgusting... Really disgusting."

Me and Fran disappointedly cough in disappointment as Cane tried to regain his honor. Behind us, Rath, Brod, and Emily are engaged in their own conversation.

"They are getting closer, aren't they?"

Emily said without getting heard by me or the other two. Brod nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. They are the future heroes of our kingdom."

"Then, what does that make us?"

Answering Rath's question, Brod formed a grin and turned to him.

"Their friends."

We walked and boarded the carriage that will leave for the capital, Fran started a discussion that I really don't like.

"By the way, now that we are a team, shouldn't we pick a leader?"

"I thought you were the leader."

I said, but Fran shook her head.

"It's time for a leader voting. Anyone who wishes to have Rize as leader say 'aye'!"

Fran lifted her hand, and everyone else followed, even Cane.

"""Aye!!"""

"W-Wait, huh?? Okay, calm down. I'm only a Green ranked adventurer, you two are White ranked!"

"So?"

"Grekek… So what if I did the most in that battle?? You guys are still more experienced in being a team leader than me. Cane, you… you know!? And Fran, you're like a natural leader!!"

I tried coming up with an excuse, but the grin on Fran's face is really annoying the hell out of me. Cane is also grinning stupidly, and so is everybody else.

… something tells me that they have already talked about this.

When was it!? Was it when I was out healing the bird??

"Then… what will everyone think when they hear that a Green ranked adventurer is a captain of a White ranked squad?"

"Since when do you care about what other people think?"

Cane's words actually managed to make me ponder. I really have changed, huh…?

But after seeing their faces once more, I let out a really tired sigh.

They really… want me to be the captain.

"… Fine. In that case, I have one request. You all have to support me on any decision, even if it's a bad one."

Hearing my request, everyone shouted in celebration. Fran and Cane is no exception.

"That's a deal. Captain."

"Yeah, Captain. Just don't try to tell us to suicide or anything. Also you gotta control Fran properly as the leader."

"… How about you go suicide?"

"See?? This punk needed some leash."

"..."

I think Fran is about to bust a blood vessel… Oh, dear.

"Ek. Hem."

The two were having lightning sparks between their eyes. I simply coughed and they looked away instantly.

I'm becoming the captain already…

Welp, not that I mind.

After all, these guys are my friends. My new team.

The strongest team… in the kingdom.