Death Healer

Lily sat very uncomfortably on the other side of a rather long table where the [Pope] was sipping from a porcelain teacup and smiling at her.

“You can relax, my child. My days of biting are way past me. I was a feisty child myself, and a little shadow told me that some of that runs in your blood as well.”

“Your Holiness, I—”

“It’s Uncle Ennius,” the [Pope] said with a relaxed smile. “Let's save the formalities for public functions. Since your class is still a few years away, it'll be some time before you hear me use that title again.”

Lily nodded, trembling slightly.

She had been caught studying in the Forbidden Archive by the [Pope] himself. The man had told her that she was doing nothing wrong—that he had approved Lucianus’s idea of teaching her the ins and outs of Death Magic so that one day, she could help them with their Crusade.

And now, she was sitting in his dining room with high-vault ceilings full of ornate frescos and other artworks plastering the walls.

“U—Uncle Ennius, I’m sorry I caused my mother so much trouble. It’s...” Lily trailed off, not knowing how to continue her insincere apology.

“We lost my cousin, your maternal grandfather, too early for him to teach your mother the more diplomatic aspects of parenting. Your grandmother, who outlived him by several years and died only a few years before your birth, wasn’t the kindest soul. Physical punishment was particularly popular with that branch of Gens Constantina.”

Lily listened, enraptured with curiosity. She knew almost nothing about the maternal side of her family. Once a wife was given in marriage, she became part of her husband’s family—meaning that the maternal side of the family became, for their offspring, less important than the paternal one.

“She went overboard,” the [Pope] said, “I heard it through the grapevine. But it’s only because of your talent. What level is your [Minor Healing]?”

Lily bit her lower lip, hesitating.

“Good. You shouldn’t give away your levels easily when asked,” [Pope] Ennius smiled, “but I don’t plan on giving away your secrets to the Necromonarchy, Aurora dearest. So?”

“My [Minor Healing] reached Level 88,” Lily spoke in a hushed tone.

“Tremendous!” The [Pope] smacked his hand on the table, making Lily jump. “Pardon me, Aurora. It’s rare to hear of such progress nowadays. Reading of [Saints] while growing up gave me unrealistic expectations for my subjects. You are the first to live up to them. Not even [Saint] Seraphina was this powerful at your age.”

“Has your father explained what it takes to cross to the Master Stage once you reach level 100?”

Lily shook her head.

“Allow me the honors,” [Pope] Ennius smiled. “As you might already know, once you reach level 100, your skill faces its first ceiling. To cross that threshold, you need insights into medicine. The Master Stage mostly requires knowledge and instincts on how to apply that knowledge. Therefore, studying hard is essential for you to reach that stage. Once you pick your Healing-oriented Class, you’ll choose [Minor Healing], hopefully already at the Master Stage, and it will evolve into [Major Healing], at the very minimum. Imagine having a skill like [Major Healing] already way into your Master Stage by the time you are thirteen!”

Lily attempted a smile even though she was a bundle of nerves.

“Each class normally allows you to choose one skill to evolve. Your family’s tradition is to level up [Minor Healing] as much as possible and turn it into [Major Healing] or, if possible, an even stronger healing skill. Do you know your father’s main skill? He made quite the name for himself.”

Lily shook her head.

“It seems Lucianus hasn’t been communicating with you enough,” the [Pope] smiled cryptically.

“Tell me, Aurora,” the middle-aged man continued, “why do you want to be a [Healer]?”

...

Some questions were not easy to answer. If someone had asked Lily eight years ago why she wanted to become a doctor on Earth, she would have said that she’d felt a natural affinity for the job. But then, it was also true that if she had been born a man, she would have probably forced her parents to send her to practice martial arts.

So, why a doctor of all professions?

What was so enticing about becoming a doctor? What could justify the long hours, the harrowing turns, the surgeries, the responsibility?

Some chose medicine because they felt drawn to a higher cause or simply because they really liked money and status. Some were forced by their family—like Lily’s Earth brother. Others still thought it was cool or had a family member they admired in the profession and wanted to follow on the same path.

“Uncle Ennius,” Lily said, “can you heal?”

She had chosen to reply with a question.

“Why, yes, I can. But my specialty lies in combat, darling.”

She knew the [Pope] was a caster.

“Why do you like magic?” She asked.

“By His shimmering grace, isn’t that a good question?”

The [Pope], who had looked relaxed and at ease so far, suddenly straightened up in his chair, looking at Lily with different eyes.

“Our Lord blessed me with this position and... talent. Much talent for his Holy Flame. Flames cleanse, and I find a deep fascination in their power.”

“So... you like flames?”

[Pope] Ennius actually laughed out loud, holding his belly.

“Dear! A young girl like you making me look like an old fool!”

Lily recoiled in fear, thinking that a punishment would follow soon.

“Don’t fret! This is delightful! It’s hard to have an intelligent conversation with my entourage, much less with a child your age. Would you mind if I tried to answer differently?”

“Sure,” Lily nodded her head.

“Good then. In his Glow, I found that the Holy Flame is the greatest marvel of our Lord,” as the [Pope] spoke, he summoned a white flame on his palm and slowly floated it toward Lily. “Please, take it in your hand. It won’t burn.”

Lily did with some hesitation, finding the flame to be lukewarm at the touch, and a gentle warmth soon spread across her body as the flame crossed the barrier of her skin and entered her veins, making them shimmer as it reached her heart. Lily’s heart’s silhouette was now visible through her clothes, a marvel of orange lights.

[*Ding!* You have received ‘Holy Flame Blessing,’ your Mana and Health Regeneration increased by 459% for three hours.]

“Good. Now, watch this.”

The [Pope] summoned another flame and flicked it at a nearby chair. The chair, coming in contact with the flame, disintegrated. In one moment, it was there, and in the next, not even ashes remained on the ground.

“The Holy Flame gives and takes, just like our Lord. It can do his bidding in all the ways a man needs. One needs to wield its power to help one’s allies and annihilate one’s enemies. That is what I find fascinating. Is that enough of an answer?”

Lily trembled before nodding.

“What about you, young and smart Aurora Claudia? What do you find in your healing?”

“It’s not about healing,” Lily blurted out nervously, “it’s about how complex we are—Humans, I mean. Healing is just my way of interacting with the body, and the body is a giant... puzzle.”

Lily’s eyes sparkled as she spoke about her passion.

“We are a riddle, and I like solving riddles.”

The [Pope] observed her and smiled widely before frowning, “You have your father’s intellect, don’t you?”

Ennius Constantinus sighed and looked at the ceiling, gently rubbing his temples as he seemingly searched for something else to say.

“I was told you were a marvel, Aurora... I was told. However, even with the Lord’s Light in front of me, my old age must have tricked me. I underestimated you.”

The [Pope] suddenly snapped his fingers, and the doors of the dining room opened, allowing entry to a much younger man in purple robes, probably in his thirties.

“This is [Archcardinal] Lucretius,” he introduced the man. “Lucretius,” he addressed the man, “summon Lumius immediately.”

“Your Holiness?” The [Archcardinal] didn’t seem quick on the uptake.

“My third son, Lucretius.”

“Yes, Your Holiness,” the [Archcardinal] nodded and immediately went out, closing the door behind him.

“Uncle?” Lily asked, confused.

“I’ll explain in a moment, dear,” the [Pope] smiled. “Before that, there’s a matter we need to discuss.”

“Yes?”

“Your outings with the [Templar] boy,” the [Pope]’s visage turned serious. “They will end. I can’t have you going into the sewers to play like stray dogs, nor you being distracted by a commoner. Shadows take me if I let harm befall you after today.”

The girl’s mouth fell open.

“They saw you, young one. Reports made their way to me when I asked about your behavior before our meeting. I know everything about what you’ve been doing. Lucianus has clearly been slacking with his discipline—you shall resume practice as intended by your mother. Your intellect is beyond your age, but your maturity and purpose are still lacking in development. There shall be no [Boxing] in your future; I need you to grow into the strongest [Saint] in the history of our Church.”

Lily felt her blood boil, but this was just the beginning—she had been leveling even faster lately! How could the [Pope] not know that?!

“If you want to make a case for your freedom advancing your development, it’s only because your mother’s methods were too crude. She didn’t have her old family’s resources at her disposal.”

“In addition to that,” the [Pope] continued, “I will place [Cardinal] Atticus in charge of your education since he knows you already. He will keep me updated on your progress and ensure that you become the greatest weapon in our arsenal against those filthy [Necromancers].”

As Lily heard his words, she heard flashes of her mother’s speech. The [Pope] now sounded exactly like her, just infinitely more dangerous.

“What if I refuse?” Lily said, gathering her courage.

The [Pope] summoned two flames, one in each hand.

“We all have choices, darling. I am merely providing you with my choice,” he said, raising the hand with the same flame that had blessed her. “But you can always go the other way.”

The flame in his left hand crackled with intensity, and the heat suddenly spiked, reaching Lily and slightly singing her face.

The girl hissed, and the [Pope] made the flames disappear.

“Don’t worry. A good training environment requires a great partner. Your mother clearly failed to account for that. Therefore, I shall take it upon myself to prepare you for your future as a member of my family.”

Lily’s blood turned cold, but her protests were nicked in the bud by the door opening.

[Archcardinal] Lucretius entered with a young boy, not much older than her, by his side.

“Aurora, meet Lumius, my third and most talented son,” the [Pope] said, standing up.

Lily looked at the blond boy with grey eyes and a wicked look on his face.

“Lumius, please, greet your future wife.”