Death Healer

Three years later

“Show me, Aurora,” said Gentiliana, Lily’s godmother.

Lily nodded and took a deep breath before moving her hands to accompany the flow of the Mana in front of her.

She summoned Mana and then used [Mana Shaping] to trace a figure ‘eight’ made of Light Magic, starting from a single point—a rather pedestrian exercise for future [Healers] of the Church, but at the same time, a heretical practice for anyone not affiliated with the God of Light.

What Lily’s Godmother was currently gaping at, however, was not the dull exercise but the extraordinary proficiency the young girl had just displayed.

“Radiance, take me if your rebellious father hasn’t fostered the most talented young girl I’ve ever seen!” The middle-aged woman hugged Lily tightly to her bosom.

Lily, on the other hand, shared only a part of the excitement. Thanks to being an adult soul in a child’s body, [Mana Shaping] had come easier to her than others of the same ‘physical’ age as her. However, her innate reluctance to embrace magic had yet to fade. Summoning the ethereal forces that governed magic still felt like running through ankle-high water riddled with slimy seaweed.

“Aurora, darling, you are incredible. I shall see with your mother that your latest punishment be amended or completely forgiven.”

“Thanks, Auntie.”

“Be careful with your temper, young lady. Your father may have laughed at your words, but your mother is...” The woman let her words fade without specifying any adjectives that could have been potentially offensive.

“I will,” Lily nodded, embarrassed.

“Now, now...” Gentiliana said conspiratorially, “What level is your [Mana Shaping] and [Mana Sense]?”

Lily looked uncomfortable at the question since her mother had repeatedly told her not to reveal the precise levels of her skills to anyone but them and [Cardinal] Atticus.

“My [Mana Sense] is at level 57, and [Mana Shaping] is at level 37,” Lily said while getting further squeezed by the woman.

“By His shimmering grace!” Gentiliana cupped her mouth. “Aurora, you are eligible to learn healing already!”

I know! Lily felt her heartbeat increase. I could already be healing people!

“Yes?” Lily tried feigning the ignorance of a benevolent child.

“Well...” Gentiliana hesitated. “Has your mother explained the Cursus Curarum yet?”

Lily cringed and nodded.

“You are not yet of age—for girls. You will have to wait until you’re ten before attempting any healing. Even if you were a boy, you would still have to wait and do five more years of studying before being allowed to practice...”

As Gentiliana was saying those words out loud, she frowned. Unlike her zealous mother, Gentiliana was less... taken with the Church.

“Your studies… You haven’t started with the Cursus Curarum, Aurora...” Gentiliana mumbled.

“Dad taught me things about the body,” Lily lied shamelessly, knowing her father wouldn’t dispute the lie.

“Oh, has he? Lucianus took time from his useless books to teach you personally? Well, that might be enough to swing an indulgence from [Cardinal] Atticus. I’ll come back tomorrow, and I’ll let you know.”

...

Lily ate in the large dining room of her villa, surrounded by servants scuffling around, cleaning, preparing things, and serving food to them. Tonight, ‘them’ was Lucianus and her only.

The man was browsing through a dusty tome that her mother would have gladly set on fire if she had seen her husband consulting it at the dinner table.

Lily ate in silence as her father mumbled curses and squinted at the book. The scene went on for several minutes until Lucianus, defeated, groaned in frustration, slammed the book close and pushed it forward on the table, landing close enough to Lily for her to read the cover.

The man laid his forehead in his palms, his gaze falling onto his lap.

“Cere... monial Clo... thing?” Lily read the cover, trying to start a conversation. She had to feign being unable to read for an entire year before she lost her patience and started asking her father to teach her how to read. Reluctantly, the man had agreed—he had barely given her a few lessons before Lily declared she could read. She still cut herself off like a child learning to read to hide from her parents the fact that she could have read an entire encyclopedia already in the cradle thanks to the skill that God Lucas had gifted her.

However, what she’d just done in the most innocent manner had a surprising effect. Lucianus bolted upright, eyes wide.

“What did you just say?!”

...

“The sash must cross ten centimeters from the sternum of the [Priest] while the ritual is being performed. Its lower end should remain above the groin area and—”

“Stop,” Lucianus, who had abducted her to his personal study, ordered. “You can really read this?”

Lily nodded, uncertain.

The Patriarch of the Gens Claudia tapped his knuckles on the table, pensive.

“Aurora, where—never mind. You can go.”

Lily nodded reluctantly. Her father had been very distant since the day she was born, and she didn’t expect him to react in any other way. She was still confused about what was happening, though.

Before she crossed the door of his study, she turned and mustered up some courage.

“Dad, I told Aunt Gentiliana I learned about the basics of healing from you. She said she wanted me to start with the Cursus Curarum. I—I would like to start practicing as a [Healer].”

Lucianus studied his daughter with attention, failing to hide a smile.

“Did you, now? Your mother is still angry with you for what you did before, Aurora. Now, you went and told my cousin that you know about healing because you want to start healing practice while your mother’s hands still sting.”

And my butt, too, Lily looked down at her slippers.

“I presume Gentiliana already wrote to Atticus.”

“Yes,” Lily muttered.

Her father remained silent, and Lily, interpreting it as disapproval, returned to her room and await her next punishment. However, as soon as her hand touched the handle of the door, she heard her father’s voice.

“The official version is that I taught you whatever you know while you were grounded by your mother to surprise her and because you wanted to prove yourself. It should earn a small break for the both of us.”

Lily’s eyes went wide.

“She’ll bring you to the Sanatorium practice hall. I’ll add a missive to the [Pope]’s aides to commend your faith—there are precedents in the Book of Light of a [Saintess] who learned when she was still an infant and practiced her skills to no end on actual people instead of—whatever. Learn a quote or two from the [Saintess].”

“For the [Cardinal]?” Lily asked curiously.

Lucianus actually laughed out loud at the question.

“For your mother. Tell her I taught you that and that we prayed for your soul.”

Lily nodded but didn’t move when she saw her father hesitate.

“Yes, Father?”

“I’m... you...” Lucianus shook his head. “Never mind. You did well. Go to sleep now; your mother will be home soon.”

“Thank you,” Lily blushed. “Goodnight, dad.”

“Goodnight.”

Lucianus watched his three-year-old daughter close the door and stretched on his armchair, placing both hands behind his neck, looking at the painted ceiling full of [Saints] and miracles.

She lied, huh?

“Adriana always says she got all my bad habits,” the man smiled proudly, thinking of the child he had pretty much neglected up until now. “Maybe she has a point.”

The man straightened up and looked at the book his daughter had somehow managed to read out loud.

“Now, the question is, how can she read this?”