A week had passed since his last status update.
Issei decided he wouldn't update his status so frequently anymore. Once a month would be enough. He wasn't some little rabbit monster like Bell Cranel — someone who could level up in the blink of an eye.
Still… with hard work, dedication, and daily training, he believed he could reach something close to that.
The days at the Blue Pharmacy were… quiet. Too quiet.
With few regular customers, the potion shelves were rarely touched. Most of the time was spent wiping here and there—cleaning bottles that were already shining, just to keep them presentable.
Sometimes, Issei wondered if that could really be called work.
In the meantime, Miach began teaching him more about potions and herbs. He didn't just explain—he tested him.
"This one," Miach said once, pointing to a dried herb.
"What do you think?"
Issei studied it for a few seconds, bringing it closer to his nose.
"Good for stopping light bleeding," he answered.
"But if used too much, it can cause numbness."
Miach smiled. "Just how far does your knowledge go?"
Issei only shrugged. "I learned what I needed to survive."
And little by little, the days passed like that—between bottles, herbs, and simple conversations.
During those moments, whenever Naaza entered his field of view, Issei found himself stealing a few glances. Not out of insistence, not out of carelessness—it was almost automatic.
The way she moved around the shop. The precision with which she organized the bottles. The silence that carried something he couldn't quite name. He'd look away right after, as if he'd been caught red-handed… even when no one seemed to notice. Or so he thought.
"Issei-kun." Miach's voice was calm, almost casual.
"Hm?" Issei replied, turning a little too quickly.
Miach rested his chin on his hand, watching him with a gentle smile.
"You seem… curious about Naaza."
Issei felt his face heat up instantly.
"H-eh?! N-no, it's not that—" He stumbled over his own words. "I mean, I just…"
On the other side of the shop, Naaza kept arranging the shelves as if nothing was happening.
Miach tilted his head.
"She's an interesting person, don't you think?"
Issei swallowed. "…Yes," he admitted, quietly.
"But not in the way you're thinking." Miach let out a short laugh.
"I'm not thinking anything," Issei said — clearly thinking something. His face went even redder.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, he took a breath.
"Miach-sama…" he began, hesitant.
"If it's not a bother… could I know more about Naaza?"
Miach's smile softened. It didn't disappear — it simply became gentler.
"Maybe," he said. "But not now." He straightened up.
"Some stories need to be told at the right time."
Issei nodded, understanding. Across the shop, Naaza paused — almost imperceptibly — before continuing what she was doing.
The morning passed without much happening. Lunch was simple, accompanied by a pleasant silence — the kind that didn't weigh on anyone. After putting his things away, Issei walked to the door.
"I'm going to train a bit this afternoon," he said, adjusting the sword on his back.
"Today I'm not going to the Dungeon."
"Be careful," Miach replied with a calm smile. Naaza only nodded.
"I'll be back before it gets dark." With that, Issei left, closing the door behind him.
Plim.
For a few seconds, only the distant sound of the street drifted into the shop. Miach was the first to break the silence.
"He's a good boy."
Naaza kept organizing the bottles, but answered:
"…He's responsible."
Miach smiled faintly.
"You noticed."
"Hm." She paused briefly.
"He doesn't force conversation. Doesn't ask unnecessary questions."
"That's rare," Miach commented.
Naaza agreed with an almost imperceptible nod. "…And he watches too much."
Miach let out a low chuckle. "Curiosity isn't a bad thing."
Naaza didn't respond right away. After a moment:
"As long as he knows the right time."
Miach closed his eyes for a moment, still smiling.
"Yes… the right time."
The shop returned to silence.
Issei headed to an area farther from the city — a simple open space adventurers used for training. Nothing sophisticated—just packed dirt, a few scattered stones, and enough quiet to focus.
Training began as always.
Short sprints, push-ups, squats. His body responded better than it had a week ago. The fatigue came, but it didn't crush him. What used to feel heavy now felt like a warm-up.
Then, weapons.
The sword traced steady arcs through the air, each strike coming with more control than brute force. The dagger followed — short, precise movements, designed for tight spaces like the Dungeon's corridors. He repeated the forms until his arms began to feel heavy. Only then did he stop.
On days when he spent longer in the Dungeon, that kind of training was enough. Real combat demanded everything — strength, endurance, reflexes. Magic became secondary.
But today was different.
Issei sat on a stone, breathing deeply. His eyes fell on a small plant near the ground. One leaf had been torn — maybe stepped on by someone before him.
Healing…
His conversation with Miach returned to his mind. Potions healed the body. Magic… could go beyond.
He extended his hand. "Elementa…"
Mana responded immediately, but uncertainly. There was no clear element to draw out. Not fire, not wind, not earth.
It was… life.
He tried to picture what he knew: blood vessels, fibers, structure. The body didn't heal all at once—it rebuilt itself, cell by cell.
Issei concentrated mana into the torn leaf.
Nothing happened.
He frowned and tried again, forcing a little more. The mana flowed… and dissipated into the air.
"…Hard."
His heart beat faster now—not from exertion, but from concentration. He felt his mind being tugged, like he was trying to hold something that kept slipping through his fingers.
Issei took a deep breath and pulled his hand back.
"This isn't something I can force."
He looked at the leaf again. Healing wasn't attacking. It wasn't reinforcing. It was sustaining—and that demanded more than he had right now.
Issei stood, brushing dust from his hands. "It's fine," he murmured to himself.
"One step at a time."
Training ended there.
As the sun began to sink toward the horizon, Issei gathered his things and started back, his mind full of possibilities—and limits.
For now, healing was still out of reach.
But not out of sight.
When Issei returned to the Blue Pharmacy, the sky was already dark.
The shop lights were on, but the atmosphere was quiet. Miach sat behind the counter, organizing papers by lamplight.
"I'm back," Issei said, removing his boots.
"Welcome back," Miach replied, lifting his gaze.
"Productive training?"
"Yes… and no." Issei scratched the back of his neck.
"I tried something new."
Miach's eyebrow rose slightly.
"Healing?"
Issei blinked, surprised. "…Yes."
At that moment, the sound of running water from upstairs suggested Naaza was bathing. The shop fell even quieter.
"Miach-sama," Issei began after a few seconds. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"What… exactly is healing?"
Miach didn't answer immediately. He placed both hands on the counter and stayed silent for a few moments, as if choosing his words carefully.
"Most people think healing is 'fixing' something broken,"
he said at last.
"Closing a wound. Stopping bleeding. Easing pain."
Issei nodded.
"But that's only the result," Miach continued.
"True healing doesn't impose anything on the body." He raised one finger.
"It assists."
Issei frowned slightly, attentive.
"The body knows how to heal itself," Miach explained.
"Healing magic doesn't create life out of nothing. It provides conditions—energy, stability, condensed time."
"So…" Issei murmured. "Healing isn't ordering the body to rebuild."
"Exactly." Miach smiled. "It's helping it do what it would already do… faster, and with less suffering."
Issei remembered the torn leaf. "Is that why it's so difficult?" he asked.
"It's not like throwing fire or reinforcing the body."
"Because it requires control," Miach replied. "And empathy."
He looked directly at Issei.
"Offensive magic pushes mana outward. Healing requires you to sustain mana within, in balance."
Issei breathed in. "…I felt that."
Miach smiled genuinely.
"Then you're on the right path."
"But don't rush. Healing is one of the most mind-consuming magics—not because of the amount, but because of the duration."
The sound of water upstairs stopped.
"And one more thing," Miach added.
"People who try to heal without understanding limits… usually break before they succeed."
Issei nodded slowly. "Thank you, Miach-sama."
"When you want to try again," Miach said, returning to his papers, "start small. Very small."
Issei looked at his hand. A leaf. A crack. A step.
Upstairs, light footsteps suggested Naaza had left the bath. The conversation ended there.
But something had begun.
—
Before sleeping, Issei lay on his bed, staring at the dark ceiling. Scenes of daily life passed through his mind one by one. The Dungeon. Training. His conversation with Miach. The uncomfortable feeling of trying something new—and failing.
But for the first time since arriving in Orario, he had a clear goal.
Not just becoming stronger.
He began reorganizing his routine in his head. Three days in the Dungeon. Three days dedicated to training. One day to rest—or adjust something, if his body could still handle it.
Simple. Direct.
Mornings would always start early. Physical warm-up, light running, conditioning. Nothing extreme — just enough to wake the body. After that, he'd spend a few hours at the Blue Pharmacy, helping however he could — customer service, organizing, observing. Whenever possible, he'd learn more about herbs and potions from Miach.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted.
On Dungeon days, he'd go down into the upper floors. On the others, sword and dagger training… and when he still had energy, magic.
At night, rest.
No excesses. He also knew his limits. For now, he couldn't maintain an ideal diet. Lunch and dinner were guaranteed, but a heavy breakfast or snacks between training sessions were still out of reach. Even so, it didn't bother him. He'd lived with less.
Issei closed his eyes, breathing deeply.
"One step at a time…"
The routine was set. The path drawn. Now all that remained was to keep moving forward.
Two weeks passed almost without Issei noticing. When he realized it, he was close to completing a full month in Orario.
That afternoon, after lunch, the Blue Pharmacy was quiet as usual. Issei had just finished putting away a few bottles when he heard the door open.
Plim.
"Good afternoon."
The voice was soft and clear, like flowing water.
Issei looked up — and froze for a moment.
The young woman who entered had long pale hair, nearly silver, and gentle eyes that calmed you just by looking at them. Her posture was elegant, but not arrogant. She was dressed simply, yet refined.
"Good afternoon, Airmid,"
Miach replied immediately, with a welcoming smile.
"What brings you here today?"
Airmid returned the smile, then noticed Issei behind the counter.
"Oh...?" She blinked once, surprised.
"…I see your Familia has grown."
Her tone held genuine curiosity.
Issei straightened almost automatically.
"Ah— good afternoon," he said, caught off guard.
"My name is Issei. I'm… relatively new here."
Airmid studied him for another second — not invasively, just with polite interest.
"Nice to meet you, Issei," she said, inclining her head slightly.
"I'm Airmid Teasanare." A brief pause. "Captain of the Dian Cecht Familia."
The way she said it was calm, almost musical.
"He joined us recently," Miach added. "He's been a great help."
"I see…" Airmid's eyes returned to Issei, her smile faint. "I'm glad to see new faces in the Miach Familia."
For a brief instant, she seemed to hesitate… then added, with the same gentle naturalness:
"And I have to say… you're much more handsome than I expected."
Issei's brain stalled for a moment.
"E-eh…?"
That was all he managed.
Miach let out a low chuckle.
Airmid brought a hand to her mouth, realizing his reaction, and laughed softly.
"Sorry," she said, still smiling.
"Sometimes I say what I'm thinking."
Issei cleared his throat, face slightly warm.
"T-thank you…"
The afternoon remained calm.
But without realizing it, that simple meeting had just added another thread to the fate weaving itself around him.
A few minutes later, the back door opened. Naaza appeared carrying a small box of potions in one arm and a leather pouch in the other. The muffled metallic sound betrayed it—only a few valis. She placed both on the counter with precision.
"Monthly payment," she said plainly.
Miach nodded. "Thank you, Naaza."
Only then did Naaza lift her eyes.
And stop.
For an instant, the world seemed to freeze.
Nearly white hair. Eyes tinted purple. A presence too serene for a place like this.
Naaza narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Hm…?"
Her gaze slid to Issei. Then back to the young woman. Then back to Issei again.
The resemblance was… unsettling.
"…You," she said at last, jerking her chin toward Issei. "Are you related to her?"
Issei hesitated. Miach only raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Uh— no," Issei answered quickly. "Definitely not."
Airmid lifted a hand to her mouth, surprised — then laughed softly.
"Related?"
She tilted her head, entertained.
"No… but I understand the confusion."
"Issei," Airmid called naturally.
"Do you like this kind of work?"
He blinked. "Work…?"
"Potions. Healing. Herbs." She gestured lightly toward the shelves. "This place."
Issei thought for a moment.
"…Yes," he answered honestly. "It's not easy. But… I like learning."
Airmid's eyes shone faintly.
"I see," she said. "Not many people answer like that."
Her gaze shifted to Naaza with genuine kindness.
"And you, Naaza—how have you been?"
Her eyes lowered for a brief instant — then returned quickly.
Naaza unconsciously rubbed her right arm.
"I'm… fine," she replied, uncomfortable.
Silence returned. This time, heavier.
Miach cleared his throat.
"Issei-kun."
His tone was far too casual to be coincidence.
"Wasn't it about time you went to the Dungeon?"
Issei understood the hint immediately.
"Ah — right." He grabbed his things.
"I was just heading out."
He passed by Naaza.
"…See you later," he said quietly.
"Mm," she replied, not looking.
Airmid watched him leave, still smiling softly, and said:
"Issei, if you ever need the services of the Dian Cecht Familia, we're available."
Her voice was gentle.
"We can talk about healing magic, potions… and herbs."
Issei paused at the door, looked back, and nodded.
"…Thank you. I'm going."
Plim.
"I'm leaving as well. Take care, Miach-sama. Naaza."
"Be careful," Miach said.
Meanwhile, Naaza only watched the Dea Saint's figure as she walked away. Her lips were slightly tense. Her fist clenched.
"Hm…"
Plim.
"Naaza, take the rest of the day off. I'll handle the shop. Tomorrow we can restock the potions,"
Miach said.
"Yes, Miach-sama," she replied, passing through a door and going upstairs to her room.
Miach only sighed.
"Issei-kun… be careful in the Dungeon."