As the martial arts tournament drew nearer, the number of visitors from outside the city continued to rise—and with them came a fair share of trouble. Naturally, that meant more injuries among the soldiers who kept order in the streets.
It seemed that lately, there were more than a few rough types among the newcomers. And so, today, we headed to the garrison of the frontier soldiers to treat the wounded.
“Fina-sama, we’re sorry to trouble you with this.”
One of the soldiers said, bowing slightly.
“Not at all. It’s thanks to all of you that the people of the city can live in peace.”
“Hearing that from you means a lot, my lady.”
The soldier said, breaking into a grateful smile. Here too, Fina-san was in her element, working tirelessly to heal the wounded. She had already been known for visiting the soldiers in the past to offer encouragement, but now that she was personally treating their injuries, their gratitude was beyond words.
Moreover, Fina-san showed genuine concern for each soldier she spoke with, asking after their well-being and thanking them for their service. It was no wonder their morale was soaring.
Then, something caught my attention.
“There are quite a few beastmen among the soldiers, aren’t there?”
“Yes. The Margrave’s troops value strength above all. And the Lord himself doesn’t care about race—he’ll accept anyone, so long as they’re honest and hardworking.”
“We get proper pay, too. And as you can see, we even receive regular medical treatment like this. That’s why we do our best. Tor the sake of the town and its people.”
Thanks to the Margrave’s fair policies, anyone with skill and integrity—regardless of race—could serve in his army. That was precisely why the soldiers of the frontier were so dedicated to their duties.
Then one of them turned to me with a curious look.
“You folks look pretty strong. Are you planning to join the martial arts tournament?”
“Actually, we can’t. We hold official titles, so the rules prevent us from participating.”
I admitted with a wry smile.
“Ah, right, that’s true. There’s a similar rule for us. Soldiers above a certain rank aren’t allowed to compete either.”
“I see…. So there are participation limits even for the soldiers.”
“Yes. The ones who usually enter are the younger lads. As for me—well, I’ve had my turn. I’m too old for that sort of thing now.”
So even the soldiers had specific criteria for entering the tournament, huh?
Though, I suppose the higher-ranking ones would be far too busy keeping order during the event to compete anyway.
“By the way, the only one from our group who’ll be participating is Ao—the slime who’s been teaching magic to Fina-san’s slime, Pearl.”
“Oh, that one?”
One of the soldiers said, his expression brightening with recognition.
“Yeah, that slime is strong. There’s… a sort of presence about it, you know? Hard to describe, but it’s got the bearing of a veteran warrior.”
“You can tell how strong Ao is?”
I asked, a little surprised.
“Any serious fighter can. Look—right now, it’s keeping an eye on everything around Fina-sama without even drawing attention to itself. That kind of awareness doesn’t come from instinct alone. It’s the mark of real training.”
Indeed, Ao was currently by Fina-san’s side, teaching Pearl how to use magic while occasionally glancing around to survey the surroundings.
The soldiers had sharp eyes—they were trained to notice subtle movements and spot anything suspicious. No wonder they could read Ao’s alertness so easily. That kind of insight came from years of vigilance I guess.
Meanwhile, the others were busily tending to a variety of injuries.
Sue is talking gently to one soldier.
“Your knee isn’t the only problem. Your lower back and spine are strained as well.”
“Oh, you noticed that too?”
“You’ll need to strengthen your body properly if you want to avoid further injuries.”
Sue treated the wounds as she spoke, offering calm, practical guidance. After healing so many people over time, she seemed to have developed a natural sense for the body’s condition—able to see what lay beneath the surface.
“I fixed your shoulder.” But your stomach isn’t doing so well either.”
Horn informed earnestly.
“Ah, that’s because I ate too much earlier.”
The soldier admitted with a sheepish grin.
“I’ve been feeling a bit of indigestion.”
“Eating too much is bad for you.”
“Hahaha, you got me there.”
Horn continued treating the soldiers’ injuries with great focus—but she also didn’t hesitate to lecture them on their eating habits. The soldiers, recognizing the truth in her innocent words, could only laugh good-naturedly in return.
“Is it all right if I set this here?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“Okay! Then I’ll carry this one too.”
Since Shiro and Fran couldn’t use healing magic, they helped out by tidying up around the soldiers’ facility instead. Both of them were surprisingly strong—carrying several weapons at once as if they weighed nothing at all. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the day’s treatments went smoothly and without issue.
“Fina-sama, we’re truly grateful for your help today. Because of you, many of our soldiers are now fit to return to duty.”
“No, think nothing of it. I merely did what I could. It’s all thanks to everyone’s constant hard work that we’re able to help in this way.”
“Your thoughtfulness honors us, my lady.”
The officer’s face brightened—clearly, the results of the day’s healing had far exceeded his expectations.
And Fina-san was right, of course. The soldiers’ dedication made it only natural for us to give our very best in return.
Thus, the treatment at the garrison came to a peaceful and satisfying close.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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