All-rounder Healer Chapter 292: Signs of Change

　Some time had passed, and today, as usual, I was working at the Adventurers’ Guild, fulfilling requests for recovery treatment.

　After the price of meat skyrocketed, adventurers began to hunt even if they had to push themselves too hard, which led to an increase in injuries among adventurers and a steady increase in my work. Well, I can’t say that was a good thing.

“Light healing [Heal].” (Rook)

　The slashing injury on the adventurer’s thighs is healed.

“Oh, that’s great! Recovery magic is really amazing!!” (Adventurer)

“Don’t be reckless just because you’re healed. If you hit the wrong spot, you will die, and if you die, you can’t be healed.” (Rook)

“I understand.” (Adventurer)

　The young man left five silver coins while saying that.

“Thank you for your hard work. That’s all the clients today.” (Receptionist)

“I understand.” (Rook)

　I left the adventurers’ guild and headed for the inn.

　The town’s economy is as bad as ever, and I don’t know if the stores are closed because they are closed or because it is winter, but here and there I see stores with their entrances lined with wood so that no one can get in.

　I walked through such a lonely town, stepping on the snow, and found a crowd of people in the town square.

　That’s unusual in winter when no one walks out unless they have something special to do.

　I spoke to a woman who was nearby.

“What happened?” (Rook)

“We can’t help it! They are going to increase that tax!” (Woman)

“Increase the tax?” (Rook)

　I waded through the crowd to the front and saw a piece of paper stuck on a bulletin board in the plaza.

　I approached it and read the words on the paper.

“Let’s see… Due to the difficulties in running the state caused by the decline in tax revenues, we have decided to increase the land use tax rate uniformly. The specific tax rates have been notified to the Merchant Guilds. Please check with your local guilds for specific tax rates…” (Rook)

　As far as I know, it is common in many countries in this world to collect taxes every year if you own land, but will it go up?

“What are we going to do… I don’t have that kind of money!” (Shop Owner)

“Even our sales have been going down lately…” (Shop Owner)

“We can’t afford it on such short notice…” (Shop Owner)

　I hear complaints from all directions.

　I don’t own land, so I don’t have to pay it, but as long as it is a tax on land, those who are doing business on that land should have no choice but to pass the price on to their products. In other words, it will eventually affect me somewhere–or rather, it will affect everyone who lives in this town.

“Raising taxes at this time?” (Rook)

　Isn’t the timing too bad?

　What will happen now?

　I left the plaza, where the atmosphere was becoming unpleasant, and headed to the inn, where I spent time as usual doing Mind Unification, working on my magic, and playing with Shion, and then it was time for dinner.

“Hey, did you hear?” (Brydon)

　Mr. Brydon asked while serving a bowl of stew in front of me.

“What is it, out of the blue?” (Rook)

“I heard that a Saintess has appeared.” (Brydon)

“Saintess…?” (Rook)

“I heard that she showed up at a soup kitchen of Stella Church and saved a lot of people for free.” (Brydon)

　Stella Church…. Soup kitchen… Even if it isn’t, that’s it, that’s really it!

“Well, it’s amazing. They say she healed a leg in bad shape, put a severed arm back, and even brought old man Burdan back from the grave!” (Brydon)

“No, that makes her a necromancer, not a saint! I mean, Uncle Burdan drinks every day at the Adventurers’ Guild tavern, so he’s not dead.” (Rook)

　I threw too many tsukkomis… First of all, it was probably me who healed the badly injured leg, and I can’t use magic to put a severed arm back. The original story has gained fins and began to swim then it gained arms and legs and evolved to a mysterious creature, but I don’t know if I’m okay with this rumor…

“If you say so. Apparently, someone was talking about it and embellished it.” (Brydon)

“Please correct them properly.” (Rook)

“Oh? Does it have anything to do with you?” (Brydon)

“Well, it’s not exactly just a soup kitchen.” (Rook)

　I took out some meat from the stew and gave it to Shion.

“Anyway. Did you hear about the tax increase?” (Rook)

“Yeah, we might have to raise our prices if they raise taxes in the current situation.” (Brydon)

“…I see.” (Rook)

“There are too many strange things going on these days. When did this country become such a strange place…” (Brydon)

　I couldn’t answer Mr. Brydon’s mutterings.

　Some time has passed since then. There were several soup kitchens, and my life was basically the same as usual.

　A life that does not change for better or worse.

　Every time a soup kitchen was held, Elena healed people, and I healed the major injuries that she couldn’t heal. Every time a soup kitchen was held, the rumor of the “Saintess” grew more and more, and the number of people who cooperated with the soup kitchen increased.

“I’m not entirely sure what to make of it.” (Rook)

　I heal the injuries that Elena can’t heal, and I’m active in my own right, but the name “Saintess” just keeps walking around by itself… and instead of walking it flies. Well, I don’t want to be that conspicuous, so it’s no problem at all, but I feel there’s some kind of absurdity these days…

　As I was thinking about this on my way to work at the Adventurer’s Guild…

“Get out of the way!” (Voice)

　I heard such a voice behind me and turned around to see a group of people dressed the same way in the distance.

　I ducked to the side of the road and looked back.

“It’s the country’s army.” (Spectator)

“Where are they going?” (Spectator)

“Must be the usual winter exercises.” (Spectator)

　I learned from the rumors of the people around me that they were the country’s military.

　There were probably three or four hundred of them. I see knights on horses and soldiers on wagons.

　A group of the national army passed in front of me and headed straight for the gate of the outer wall.

“It’s hard work in the cold.” (Rook)

　I was shivering just thinking of doing field exercises in such snowy weather.

　However, I think that such training would be essential in a snowy country. If they were attacked by another country but couldn’t defend it because it was snowing! Then, as expected, you can’t ignore it.

　With these thoughts in mind, I headed to the Adventurers’ Guild and continued to fulfill recovery requests today.

　Every day was the same as usual.

　It was the day after the next that things changed.

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