Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1313: The Healing Goddess?

The healing light still shimmered around Safa’s fingertips as Diana, the academy nurse, practically teleported to her side. Before Safa could even fully register what was happening, a strong, surprisingly gentle hand had seized her wrist.

“Inside. Now!” Diana’s voice was a low, urgent whisper, laced with an excitement that vibrated through Safa’s bones. One moment Safa was surrounded by the murmuring relief of healed students on the sun-drenched grounds, the next she was being whisked through the swinging doors of the Nurse’s Room, the scent of antiseptic and something faintly herbal filling her nostrils.

The first thing Diana did was grab a voluminous, stark white robe from a hanger and practically enveloped Safa in it. It was thick, surprisingly soft, and fell to her ankles, instantly making her feel both swaddled and strangely protected. Safa was about to ask, What are you doing? but the words caught in her throat. The robe, even more than the simple white gown Diana herself wore, seemed to hum with a quiet energy, a soothing hum that settled over Safa’s frazzled nerves. It wasn’t just physical comfort; it felt like light itself was drawing closer to her, swirling around her, a gentle embrace. A wave of calm washed over her, making her shoulders relax for the first time since she’d arrived at the academy.

Diana, meanwhile, had already pulled up a sturdy wooden chair, patting the worn seat with a wide, beaming smile. “Sit, sit!” she urged, her eyes sparkling like she’d just discovered a hidden treasure.

“I’ve worked in this academy for four long years, Safa, and this is the first time a Light mage has ever graced our halls,” Diana practically chirped, her voice a rapid-fire cascade of words. “I’ve hoped and wished and prayed, but every single one of them, the gifted ones, they always go straight to the blasted Central Academy. Excuse my language, dear, but I am just so incredibly excited, I could burst!”

She leaned forward, her expression shifting to one of earnest curiosity. “Did you come here to help me, even though you’re a student yourself? Or… do you want payment? I can’t offer much, honestly, but I’m sure I can find some way to help you in return…” Diana’s voice trailed off into a fervent ramble, her hands fluttering in the air as if trying to grasp at ideas. Safa found herself awkwardly raising a hand, a small, nervous smile playing on her lips, to gently halt the flow of words.

“Please, don’t worry about that, Miss…” Safa began, feeling a faint blush creep up her neck.

“Diana,” the nurse interjected, her smile widening. “Just Diana.”

“Diana,” Safa repeated, a little more confidently. “I really don’t need payment, or anything like that. The truth is, I came here because of a good friend of mine.” She paused, thinking of the dark-haired boy whose advice always seemed to make so much sense. “He said that if I could use my healing powers more often, it would significantly increase my affinity. So, I think just helping out and learning from you, watching you work, would be more than enough.”

Diana clasped her hands together, her eyes practically turning into cartoon stars. “You’re truly an angel, Safa! Where have you been my whole life?” she exclaimed, shaking her head in delighted disbelief. “Your friend, he must be quite the knowledgeable one to have suggested such a thing. That’s a very advanced understanding of Light magic.”

Her expression, however, soon grew a little more serious. “Although,” Diana mused, tapping a finger against her chin, “healing small injuries like these, the scrapes and bruises, won’t really boost your affinity as much as you might hope. Tell me, Safa, what star level are you currently at?”

“I think… I’m at a three-star level,” Safa answered, her voice soft, suddenly feeling a surge of embarrassment.

“Three-star?!” Diana’s shout reverberated through the quiet room, her eyeballs nearly popping out of her head in genuine shock. “But how is that even possible? With how incredibly fast your healing was just now, the speed at which those students recovered… I honestly thought you’d be at least a five-star mage!”

Safa smiled nervously, her gaze flickering around the room. She wasn’t entirely sure what to say, but a sense of trust was blossoming for Diana. Maybe it was okay to be somewhat honest with her, especially since she wasn’t one of the other academy teachers, the ones who always seemed to judge. And unlike the other transfer students, Safa actually knew how to use magic herself, so there was no way for Safa to accidentally expose herself.

“To be honest,” Safa began, choosing her words carefully, “I only learned magic quite recently. Because of that, my star level increase has been pretty slow. But… he says my power is actually quite strong. So, as long as I increase my affinity, I’ll be fine.”

Diana’s smile returned, a knowing glint in her eyes as she listened to Safa’s explanation. “You must be truly blessed, then. And your friend… he certainly seems to know what he’s talking about. Is he a professor, perhaps?”

Safa shook her head, a small, involuntary laugh escaping her lips. “No, he’s a student. One of the transfers who arrived with me.”

Mulling everything over, Diana still kept a hand on her chin, a thoughtful frown creasing her brow. She clearly wanted to get to the bottom of this fascinating mystery. Finally, she straightened up, her eyes gleaming with renewed purpose.

“If you don’t mind, then, let’s get you to work straight away! How about we tackle some of the patients who are already here? We can clear these beds in no time!”

The two fell into a quick, efficient rhythm. While it was mostly Diana guiding Safa, pointing to specific injuries and offering quiet tips, Diana often paused just to watch. She was openly amazed by how much mana Safa seemed to possess, a seemingly endless well of energy. The wounds healed right before her eyes, skin knitting together, bruises fading like smoke. However, Diana soon noticed that with more complex cases, Safa struggled. She simply didn’t know the higher-tier spells, and even if she did, her three-star level seemed to prevent her from performing them. It was a bizarre contradiction: immense raw power, yet a lack of refined skill.

Nevertheless, with a clever mixture of their combined efforts – Safa’s raw, potent light magic and Diana’s knowledge of more intricate healing techniques – they eventually managed to clear all the beds in the Nurse’s Room.

Afterward, the two of them settled back into their original seats, a comfortable silence lingering between them.

“It’s truly quite amazing, Safa,” Diana finally broke the quiet, her voice filled with wonder. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard or seen a case quite like yours before. You have a truly considerable amount of mana, and not only that, but it’s almost as if the very power of your light magic is incredibly high. It’s so potent.”

She paused, her brow furrowing slightly. “Yet, that’s the strangest part. Because your affinity should be high if your light magic power is so potent. Out of all the things Light mages are capable of, basic healing is one of them. It’s just a fundamental trait of the Light Magic power itself. Due to your unique situation, your basic healing skill is supercharged, beyond what any three-star mage should be capable of. But your affinity is low, stopping you from performing higher-level spells, or using Light magic in a more advanced, nuanced way.”

Diana leaned forward, her voice dropping as if sharing a secret. “It’s almost as if you do have a high affinity, a natural connection to Light magic, but the very rules of our magical world are blocking it, keeping it dormant until your star level has somehow increased. It’s such a strange situation. It’s almost as if you’ve skipped all the foundational steps and just… have the raw power, and all you need to do is increase your affinity to unlock everything else.” Diana looked like she wanted to say so much more, her mind clearly racing with possibilities. If all Safa needed to do was increase her affinity, depending on how strong her light magic truly was, she would likely break through the star levels remarkably quickly just by healing people.

“Your friend… he was able to assess all of this?” Diana asked, her voice laced with admiration. “They must be quite the knowledgeable person. Are they a Light mage as well?” Her hopeful gaze indicated she might be able to get even more help from this mysterious expert.

“No…” Safa answered, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks as she thought of him. “He’s just a very special person… he’s like a brother to me.”

Just as the two were deep in conversation, a soft knock echoed at the door. A student, clutching his arm, peered inside, his eyes wide.

“Um… is this where the saintess is?” the student mumbled, his gaze darting nervously between Safa and Diana. “I heard she’s really good at healing.”

Diana sighed dramatically, but there was a hint of a pleased smile playing on her lips as she walked up to the student. “And here I thought we were done for the day,” she murmured, then peered out into the hallway. Her eyes widened. A line of at least ten students, some feigning injuries, some just openly curious, stretched down the corridor.

What on earth is going on? Diana thought, a mix of exasperation and amusement bubbling within her.

“I heard she’s a real beauty, and when she heals you, you feel like a whole new person!” one of the students in the line called out, loud enough for Safa to hear.

“Right? It’s worth getting a little hurt just to see if the rumors are true, isn’t it?” another chimed in, a mischievous grin on his face. Safa felt her face grow hot, a strange mix of embarrassment and a tiny spark of something akin to pride stirring within her. It seemed her quiet morning of healing was anything but over.