Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior

“Hope Harvey, Director of the Kingdom Rehabilitation Medicine Center, and Hero Sion Lorel, your transport is complete.”

My business trip abroad as a rehabilitation specialist was conducted via teleportation by the Magic Tower.

“Thank you so much, magicians. You’ve worked hard.”

Sion greeted the magicians of the Magic Tower, who had cast the teleportation spell as soon as we arrived in the Holy Law Nation, cheerfully.

“Don’t mention it. It’s an honor to hear such words from the Hero.”

“I know how hard the magicians working in the Holy Law Nation work.”

“Haha…”

The magicians just chuckled awkwardly at Sion’s words.

As is often the case in fantasy settings, the Church and the Magic Tower weren’t on the best of terms.

The Magic Tower in the capital of the Holy Law Nation was only established out of necessity, due to the unavoidable mutual support between the Holy Law Nation and the Magic Tower during a long war.

Now that the war was over, the Magic Tower in the Holy Law Nation was like an isolated castle in the heart of enemy territory.

As Sion said, the magicians must be going through a lot.

Following the magicians’ guidance, we opened the doors of the Magic Tower and stepped outside.

A white carriage decorated with red cloth was waiting for us at the entrance.

“Oh? That carriage is…”

“The carriage? Sion, do you recognize it?”

“It’s definitely the Pope’s…”

“What?”

Before Sion could finish, the carriage door opened.

A middle-aged man with a large build, short blond hair, and wearing the papal robes and hat, symbolic of the Pope, stepped out and greeted us.

“Welcome to Frein, Holy Law Nation, Hero Sion Lorel and Rehabilitation Doctor Hope Harvey. I am Pope Silein IV.”

The Pope himself came all the way to the entrance of the Magic Tower!

A deep, resonant voice flowed from his dignified figure.

The Pope lightly bowed his head in respect, so I hurriedly bowed back in return.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Holiness. I am Hope Harvey, Rehabilitation Doctor.”

“It’s only natural to come out and greet the heroes of the world! I should have thanked you first, but you beat me to it.”

“What thanks are you referring to?”

“Oh, come on, don’t be so modest. I can’t thank you enough.”

The Pope approached me as I bowed and placed his right hand on my shoulder.

“Raise your head.”

With the Pope’s permission, I raised my head and looked at his face.

A handsome blond man with distinct features, about 6’3″ tall.

Without the robes and hat, he had a rather unexpected image for a Pope.

His tone and voice projected a hearty energy.

“Thank you for opening new horizons in healing, recovery, and service. I’m learning so much from you.”

“You flatter me.”

“No, no, not at all. Excessive modesty isn’t a good look on you. You are far more amazing than you think. Hahahaha!”

The Pope laughed heartily, his shoulders shaking.

Seeming to have finished his praise, the Pope turned to Sion, who was sitting in the wheelchair.

“After one welcome face, another! The messenger of God is here as well.”

“Have you been well?”

“All thanks to you. There’s truly nothing but things to be grateful for in this world. Will you accept my thanks again this time?”

“I’m humbled, but if Your Holiness wishes, I’ll gladly accept them.”

“Good, good. Thank you for saving the world. I’ve heard you’re undergoing rehabilitation. I’ll pray for your speedy recovery.”

“If Your Holiness prays for me, I’m sure I’ll recover quickly.”

Unlike me, who was quite nervous, Sion conversed comfortably with the Pope.

As expected of the Hero.

It was a scene that once again highlighted Sion’s status in this world.

After the boisterous greeting with the Pope, it was time to board the carriage he had prepared and head to the Papal Palace.

The Pope boarded first and waited for us.

“Hero, let me help you into the carriage.”

“No, um…”

Sion, looking up at the carriage from her wheelchair, refused the hand offered by the nuns accompanying the Pope and looked up at me intently.

“Director, could you carry me?”

Sion held out her hand as if asking to be held.

Perhaps she didn’t like entrusting her body to strangers?

“Alright.”

I bent down, allowing Sion’s hand to go over my shoulder, then lifted him up by supporting her underarms, creating space under her legs. I slipped one hand under and lifted her.

Then I grabbed the carriage handle with my other hand, stepped onto the footboard, and boarded. I sat down first, then moved Sion, who was resting on my lap, to the seat beside me.

“Like a knight and a princess, eh?”

“Hahaha, I suppose both the knight and the princess refer to Sion.”

“Is that so? You look quite the knight yourself.”

Sion lowered his head, seemingly a bit embarrassed by the Pope’s joke.

As expected of the Pope’s carriage, it rode smoothly and comfortably, carrying us to the Papal Palace.

“Hope Harvey.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“To be honest, when I first heard about you, I was surprised but equally angered.”

“What? Angered? Have I done something wrong?”

“No. It was anger at myself, of course. I am the Pope, you see. I don’t harbor ill feelings towards others.”

Using “I am the Pope” as justification.

Could there be a more trustworthy statement in this world?

Such was the Pope’s persuasive language.

“I always believed that the Holy Law Nation was naturally the best and foremost when it came to healing the sick and saving the broken.”

“I believe so too.”

“Haha, don’t tease me. If you knew what we did for the patients who flocked to us for treatment after the war, you’d be shocked.”

“Shocked? What did you do?”

The Pope seemed to lose all strength in his body, slumping his shoulders and letting out a hollow laugh before giving his answer.

“We prayed.”

“…”

It was a response that left me speechless.

This was the Holy Law Nation, after all, so praying wasn’t entirely unreasonable, but…

“Our pride, Holy Magic, can banish evil and heal humans, but it’s not perfect.

Healing magic can close wounds, but scars remain.

External scars mean that traces of damage remain within the severed muscles as well.

We can reattach a severed arm, but only immediately after it’s been cut, and the reattached arm can’t move perfectly like before.

We can’t completely heal burns or frostbite scars either.

We can’t do anything about the agonizing pain they cause.

God may have raised the crippled and opened the eyes of the blind, but we cannot.

That means there’s no Holy Magic in this world that can cure disabilities. Sadly.”

The Pope looked out the window with a desolate expression.

He rested his elbow on the window frame, put his hand on his forehead, sighed, and continued.

“Countless adventurers who repeated injury and healing every day during the long war returned as disabled, their limbs trembling.

Because we believed we couldn’t heal them, we hoped God would do it Himself.

What do you think? Pathetic, isn’t it?”

“Not at all.”

“Don’t give me empty words. I’m the Pope, so be honest, I won’t be offended.”

Silence filled the carriage for a while.

When I remained speechless, the Pope smiled wryly, as if he had expected this, and spoke again.

“Naturally, the miracle of people suddenly getting up and running out, completely healed, after praying never happened.

And in the midst of all this, news of Rehabilitation Medicine began to spread… Haha, Hope.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“Do you know why we can use God’s power?”

“Um… Because God allows us to?”

“Well, you could say that, but strictly speaking, no. We can use God’s power because we are made in God’s image.”

The Pope raised his palm and gathered Holy Power within it, creating a golden, shimmering light.

“We are each a copy of God, made in His image.

So, in fact, the power of God we use is no different from our own power.

We don’t borrow it from somewhere; we draw it from within ourselves.

That’s why we call Holy Magic ‘magic.’ Like magic, it uses mana.”

My goodness, were those words truly coming from the Pope’s mouth?

Acknowledging Holy Magic as a part of magic…

“Ah, don’t go around saying these things. And don’t say I said them either.”

“Of course… Naturally…”

Since these words came from the Pope, I assumed there wouldn’t be any doctrinal discrepancies, but to so casually utter words considered taboo within the Church…

“And Rehabilitation Medicine is ultimately about healing ourselves with our own power.

You taught us how to do that. I’ve gained so much insight.”

“I’m honored by your high praise.”

The Church in this world was much more open and reasonable than I thought…

It was a bit shocking, but at least the Pope’s mindset was clearly very open-minded.

“Ah, you’ll be stopping by the Papal Palace before going to inspect the Rehabilitation Center, correct?”

“As you say. I’ve come to check on the Holy Law Nation’s Rehabilitation Center and offer my assistance.”

“With the Hero as well?”

“Yes.”

At the answer that Sion was accompanying me, the Pope gave a knowing smile.

“Then it will be a joyous reunion. There’s someone eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

“Awaiting? Who could it be…?”

“Telling you beforehand would spoil the fun. It’s better to see for yourself.”

Someone else was waiting for us?

And a joyous reunion, at that? Just who could it be…?