Let's Train Heroine

Lucan sat alone in his dimly lit room, the silence interrupted only by the occasional crackling of the fireplace. He glanced at his reflection in the window, deep in thought. A soft knock on the door pulled him from his reverie. He stood up and moved to open it, finding a messenger standing there, holding a sealed letter.

"From Julia, sir," the messenger said quietly, offering the letter before bowing and stepping away.

Lucan broke the seal, his fingers steady as he unfolded the parchment. His eyes scanned the contents rapidly, but the more he read, the more his heart sank.

---

Lucan,

I'm writing to inform you that Hima and Olive were gravely injured during the recent battle. Hima has lost her legs, and Olive's face and chest were melted beyond recognition due to a powerful acid attack. They are both alive but in dire condition. Please meet them.

—Julia

---

Lucan's hand tightened around the letter. Hima—always cheerful and full of life—had lost her legs? And Olive, the silent but deadly assassin, was disfigured to such an extent? He took a deep breath, his mind racing.

Without hesitation, he called for Maris, who appeared almost instantly at his side. "What happened, Lucan-sama?"

Lucan handed her the letter without a word. He watched her read it, her brow furrowing as she absorbed the grim news. Her soft blue eyes widened in shock, and she looked up at him, "You want to go right away, don't you?"

"Yes," Lucan replied. "We need to see them."

"Then let's not waste any more time."

They didn't speak further as Lucan hurried to arrange a carriage. The ride was short.

They arrived at the hospital. It loomed large and imposing, its cold, white walls stark against the darkening sky. As Lucan and Maris made their way to the room Julia had indicated.

Lucan pushed open the door. Inside, he saw Hima hovering a few inches above the ground, her arms outstretched, a faint blue glow surrounding her body. She was using magic to lift herself, but the strain was evident on her face. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and as Lucan and Maris watched, the glow flickered, and Hima faltered.

"Hima—" Lucan began, but before he could move, she lost her balance completely, and her body started to tip forward.

Maris reacted instantly. A soft wave of light magic enveloped Hima, catching her gently and setting her down on the bed. Hima looked up in surprise, her golden hair sticking to her sweat-covered forehead.

"Lucan… Saint Maris…" she breathed, a smile spreading across her face despite the pain in her eyes. "I didn't expect you to come."

Lucan's gaze softened as he took a seat beside her bed. "How could I not? I came as soon as I heard. Hima… I'm glad to see you're not letting this defeat you."

Hima chuckled weakly, glancing at her bandaged stumps where her legs had once been. "I'm not defeated, Lucan. Just… a little set back, that's all." She looked up at Maris, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Thank you for catching me. How did you make me float like that?"

Maris hesitated, glancing at Lucan as if seeking guidance. "I, um… just imagined you staying in the air, and it worked," she admitted softly. "I'm sorry, I know that's not much of an explanation."

Hima shook her head. "No, it's fine. Magic sometimes works that way. I just need to keep practicing until I can make myself float, too." She clenched her fists, determination blazing in her eyes. "Once I can do that, I'll be stronger than I ever was before."

Lucan smiled, relief flooding through him at seeing her like this. "I have no doubt that you will, Hima. Just take your time and don't push yourself too hard."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Lucan turned and saw Olive standing there, her slender frame tense, her face hidden behind a black mask. Only her dark eyes, always so sharp and intense, were visible.

"Olive," Lucan greeted warmly. "It's good to see you. How are you feeling?"

Olive merely nodded, her gaze flickering to Maris briefly before returning to Lucan. She remained silent.

Maris stepped forward, "Olive, I can heal you. I can… fix what happened to your face and chest."

Olive's eyes widened slightly. She seemed to consider Maris's words carefully before she nodded slowly. She reached up, removing her mask, and then, without hesitation, she lifted her shirt, exposing the melted, scarred skin of her chest.

Lucan sucked in a breath as he took in the sight. Olive's once smooth and flawless skin was now a mass of raw, red flesh, with deep scars running across her cheeks and down her neck. Her chest was even worse—burnt, melted skin clinging to exposed bone in places. It was a miracle she was even alive.

Maris's expression tightened. She took a deep breath and raised her hands, hovering them just above Olive's ruined flesh. A soft, warm light spread from her fingertips, washing over Olive's wounds. Slowly, the flesh began to knit back together, raw muscle reforming, new skin spreading like a delicate web over the healed areas.

Lucan watched in silence as Maris worked.

When Maris finally stepped back, she was breathing heavily, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow. Olive looked down at herself, her expression unreadable. The flesh that had been destroyed was now smooth and whole once more, though much paler than the rest of her body.

Olive reached up, touching her face gently, as if afraid it might shatter under her fingertips. Then, in a rare display of emotion, she looked at Maris, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Maris smiled softly. "I'm glad I could help."

Olive quickly pulled her shirt back on and replaced her mask, covering the fresh skin that was almost unnaturally white. She glanced at Lucan, then back at Maris, she didn't what to say, so she kept silent.

At this moment, Julia pushed open the door gently, balancing a large basket of fruit in her arms. Rina followed close behind, her own basket filled with apples and pears, and a curious expression on her face.

"Hey, we brought—" Julia began, but her words died in her throat as she took in the scene before her. Lucan and Maris were sitting beside Hima's bed, while Olive, who was standing nearby, seemed almost… radiant. Julia's eyes widened in disbelief as she took in the sight of Olive's completely healed face.

"Olive… your face… it's…," Rina stammered, her voice filled with astonishment as she set her basket down on a nearby table. "It's healed!"

Julia's mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find the words. "Maris, you… you healed her?" she finally managed, her gaze shifting to Maris, who stood beside Lucan, looking pleased.

Maris nodded, offering a small smile. "Yes, I did. I'm just glad I could help."

"'Just glad you could help'?!" Julia exclaimed, stepping forward and taking Maris's hands in hers. "Thank you, Maris! Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to all of us… Olive, she—"

Olive shifted slightly, looking away as if uncomfortable with the attention, but she didn't leave. Julia, realizing Olive's discomfort, squeezed Maris's hands once more before letting go and turning to face Lucan.

"I didn't expect to see you both here," Julia said softly. "But… I'm really glad you came. It's been a tough time for everyone."

Lucan nodded, his expression serious. "I came as soon as I got your letter. What happened, Julia? How did this happen to Hima and Olive?"

Julia's face darkened at his question. She glanced at Hima, who nodded faintly, encouraging her to speak. Taking a deep breath, Julia began.

"We were investigating the disappearance of a village on the outskirts of the kingdom. There were rumors that a powerful creature was lurking in the nearby forest, so the four of us—Hima, Olive, Rina, and myself—went to check it out. When we arrived at the forest, it was… strange. The trees were withered, and there was this feeling, like the air itself was thick with malice.

We knew something was wrong, but we went deeper anyway, thinking we could handle it."

"And then… we were ambushed." Rina took over, her tone grave. "This demon-like creature appeared out of nowhere. It was like nothing we'd ever seen before. All our attack had no effect on it. It moved so fast that we couldn't keep up. Before we knew it, Hima's legs were gone, and Olive… she was screaming in pain as that thing melted her face with some kind of acid."

"How did you survive?" Lucan asked. From their description, it seemed that they were not going survive that monster's attack.

Julia shook her head. "We don't know. It should've killed us all. It had us cornered, and we were helpless. But then… it just stopped. It looked at us for a long time, almost as if it was… thinking, and then it left."

Lucan leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "When did this happen?"

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"About a week ago," Julia replied quietly. "Why?"

Lucan's eyes flashed with understanding. "That was Z'thraag."

"Z'thraag?" Rina echoed, frowning. "You know this creature?"

Lucan nodded. "Yes. Z'thraag is a powerful demon that I encountered recently. I killed it."

Julia's jaw dropped slightly, and Rina looked just as shocked. "You… killed it? But Lucan, that thing was—"

"Far stronger than anything we've ever faced," Julia finished for her, a look of awe dawning on her face. "Lucan, you… You've become so much stronger than I thought. Far stronger than me."

Julia couldn't believe it, of course, she didn't doubt Lucan, but it was truly something she didn't expect to here it.

After they talked a lot together, and Julia also said from now on they were not going to do any dangerous task.