In front of the familiar spirit house, Charlotte was already waiting.
"Charlotte, I'm sorry! I made you wait, didn't I!"
Feeling apologetic, I ran up to Charlotte, and she smiled warmly.
"No, I knew Fia would definitely come, so waiting was fun. Fia, it's fun to meet up, isn't it?"
"Whoa, what's with this cute line? Charlotte, I'm going to be a proper big sister, okay!"
Charlotte's cuteness was so overwhelming that I was instantly charmed.
Charlotte was holding a bottle in her chest. It contained green healing potion.
"Oh, Charlotte. Did you bring the healing potion from the spring? Thank you!"
As I thanked her, Charlotte smiled happily.
Wanting to make her laugh even more, I tried to mimic Zabiria with the puppet on my left hand.
"Hello, Charlotte. I'm Zabir... "
Just as I started to speak, I remembered that Quentin, the captain, had advised me not to say Zabiria's name in front of others.
"Zabirinrin Rigosky! A blue bird-type monster. I'm a symbol of happiness, so you'll be happy when you meet me. Look, happy☆"
I tried my best to wave both hands while using the puppet, but Charlotte's smile turned into a troubled expression, and Zabiria looked unusually displeased.
... Ah, that, a dud? Umm, yeah, let's stop.
I read the atmosphere and decided not to dig deeper...
To change the mood, I entered the familiar spirit house with Charlotte and decided to check on the injured monsters.
Charlotte seemed to have spent a lot of time in the familiar spirit house before, and she explained each individual in detail.
As I listened to Charlotte's explanations and checked the first, second, and third monsters, I noticed that Charlotte's smile was gradually fading.
When we reached the fourth monster, Charlotte tightly pursed her lips and grabbed my clothes. Since she stopped walking, I stopped too.
"What's wrong, Charlotte?"
Puzzled, I asked, and Charlotte frowned and spoke.
"Fia, the monsters' injuries are healing..."
"Huh? They're healing because we gave them the healing potion, right?"
... Oh, right, Charlotte had doubts about the effectiveness of this green healing potion.
Thinking that the monsters seemed to be healing properly, I answered, wondering if Charlotte had started to believe in the effectiveness of the green healing potion.
"...... Not at all. They shouldn't heal this quickly. All the monsters had injuries that would take a week or ten days to heal. Why are they almost all healed...?"
"The green healing potion enhances the user's natural healing ability. Since monsters have high healing abilities, that might be the reason, right?"
As I answered seriously, Charlotte grabbed my clothes with both hands. Her lips began to tremble.
"... Is this green liquid really a healing potion?"
"Yes, it is."
As I smiled, Charlotte started to cry.
"Huh? Charlotte? What's wrong?"
"This healing potion... it's amazing. No one suffers, and injuries heal quickly. ... I've always wanted a healing potion like this."
I hugged Charlotte tightly and patted her back.
"Hehe, then when I return to the First Knight Order, Charlotte, you can teach the other knights about the green healing potion. ... Our captain came to check on me earlier, so I think I'll be returning to the First Knight Order soon."
Hearing this, Charlotte looked up as if she had been startled.
"Fia, are you leaving?"
"I belong to the First Knight Order, so I'm just returning to my original unit. The First Knight Order's barracks are inside the castle, so we can meet anytime if we want to."
Smiling, I crouched down to meet Charlotte's eye level.
"Charlotte, I have a favor to ask. About the healing potion spring, the spring constantly produces new water, so if we do nothing, the healing potion will dilute. Could you cast a healing spell into the spring once a day as part of your practice? Just the amount we practiced together before. Be careful not to overdo it, or you might run out of magic power."
How about it? I asked Charlotte, and she looked at me silently.
"Is Fia... a holy maiden?"
"Huh?"
"I'm a failed holy maiden, so I sometimes receive guidance from higher-ranking holy maidens. When they teach me how to cast a healing spell, I never understand, and I end up learning nothing."
Then, as if recalling something, Charlotte looked up and gazed into the air.
"The last time we practiced making healing potions at the spring, Fia held my hand. That was the first time I felt the flow of magic inside my body. I thought Fia couldn't be a holy maiden, so I didn't realize it at the time, but after that, you adjusted the amount of magic power released from my left hand. ... The teachings from the higher-ranking holy maidens and Fia's teachings were so different that I didn't notice, but seeing the power of this green healing potion made me realize. Fia, you are a holy maiden. A very powerful one, unlike any I've ever seen."
"A... Charlotte..."
"Turning the entire spring into a healing potion is something not even ten higher-ranking holy maidens could do. ... Hey, Fia. There's a portrait of a legendary great holy maiden in the church. She has vivid deep red hair down to her knees and golden eyes. Fia, you have the same colors."
"......"
"Fia, if it's discovered that you are a holy maiden, with your immense power and the same appearance as the legendary great holy maiden, you will be revered as the supreme being and hidden deep in the temple, to be worshipped."
"A... No, that's... "
I made a wry face, thinking that even in my previous life, I didn't live such a confined life.
Charlotte opened her mouth with a determined look.
"I'm on Fia's side. I won't do anything Fia doesn't want."
As she said this, she gripped my hand with her small hands.
"Creating a healing potion spring for injured monsters and guiding me to the true power of a holy maiden, Fia's actions are those of a holy maiden. I think there's a reason you're hiding that you are a holy maiden. So, I won't tell anyone."
After saying this, Charlotte looked at me straight in the eye.
"Let me thank you, Fia. Thank you for making me a holy maiden. I've always wanted the power of a holy maiden to save everyone. So, I'm very happy to be a holy maiden. Thank you, Fia."
Charlotte's words fell into my heart.
"You're welcome, Charlotte. Congratulations on becoming a proper holy maiden. Thank you for respecting my thoughts."
As I was lost in sentiment, Zabiria murmured softly.
"Prudent, little holy maiden. If you had tried to do something Fia didn't want, I would have dealt with you."
... I sensed something ominous in Zabiria's words, but since it seemed to be resolved, I decided not to intervene.
"Okay, Charlotte. Let's check on the remaining monsters, shall we?"
To change the mood, I deliberately used a bright voice.
As we checked on the remaining monsters, it seemed that most of them were recovering, and I sighed in relief.
When we reached the last one, Charlotte murmured.
"This green healing potion is really amazing. It heals most injuries in just one use, and the monsters that used it have all become friendly..."
Now that she mentioned it, the monsters that bared their fangs at us in the morning were now obedient and listened to us.
"Fia... It might not be a surprise to you, but this healing potion is so much better than the clear healing potion that's available. It's like a completely different product. I think it would cause a big stir if people found out about this healing potion."
"Huh? Really?"
... Now that she mentioned it, when I took the clear healing potion, I experienced an unbelievable amount of pain.
But that was because I was a healer, and the side effects caused intense pain. I think ordinary people wouldn't experience that much pain...
Ah, but the healing speed is much faster than the clear healing potion, right?
When I used it, I healed myself before the effects kicked in, so I wasn't sure about that.
Yeah, to improve things, it's important to understand the current situation. So, maybe I should try the clear healing potion once...
Ugh, human experimentation, I don't really want to...
Just as my thoughts started to drift, Charlotte brought me back.
"Hey, Fia. I think we should use this green healing potion only for the monsters here for a while. If we say it's only for monsters, that's why it's cloudy, everyone will understand."
"Ah, that makes sense. ... Charlotte, you're really smart for a kid..."
I was a bit surprised but agreed.
Zabiria and Charlotte, kids are so smart...
I have to try harder too!
Just as I was getting motivated, Zabiria murmured.
"Fia, you should stay as you are. When you get motivated, I only see a troublesome future..."
Well, Zabiria, I'm actually quite useful!
I murmured, "Watch this," and Zabiria replied, "Please spare me."