E? Heibon Desu yo?? Chapter 22

Faerieeee again. Here is the next Chapter of Heibon! Without further ado, please enjoy

TL: LynneSuzuran

Editor: Planes

Healer Leone 3

It has been 35 years since Rou was taken to the country of the heavens.

I have continued to be a healer even now. Ever since that small village disappeared, My hair that Rou would say was the amber color of dandelions, has grown white.

When ones hair grows long, one must walk a new life.

However, it is not possible for me to move on…

…because Rou is always there next to me.

When I close my eyes, I can feel his gentle presence beside me, watching over me. This is my reality.

That is why I did not need an escort. In exchange, I needed to protect myself. I had specialized in only healing magic until now, and relied on Rou to protect me.

I had said before that general and offensive magic was of no use to me, but I could not claim that any longer. I made effort to practice my self-defense arts and magic. In this way, I have gained the strength to protect myself without an escort.

Ironically, the most powerful magic I could perform was fire magic.

When chanting flame magic, there was no need for me to imagine fire. I would just summon the memory of that small village swallowed by scorching flames.

I have been researching a way to cure miasma on my journeys. I have run around Sherfield Kingdom, and sometimes to my mother's hometown, Elphilia Kingdom. However, I cannot fight the aging process. Since 10 years ago, I have based my adventures in the territory of Oliviria.

Initially, the feudal lord's house was in disarray and public order was poor. Since the replacement of the feudal lord with a new one, this had improved enough that the population of the fief are smiling again.

Around that time, the Countess of Oliviria became pregnant. This was when I first met the girl who would change my destiny. The young girl, Liliana La Oliviria, the count's daughter. She was one of the children that I delivered eight years ago.

Even though 8 years have pa.s.sed, I still have not forgotten a single moment from that day.

The infant Miss Liliana was born into the world with difficulty breathing, and when she finally took a breath, we all cried tears of joy.

Congratulations on being born to this world.

Everyone here gave you their blessings.

At that moment, stars fell from the sky.
This must be what people call 'The Jewelbox having been turned upside down.'

Everyone held their breath at the amazing spectacle, as if it was a kind of divine revelation.

That was 8 years ago.

In other words, she is now 8 years old.

The young miss Liliana grew wiser than her age. One wouldn't think of her as an eight year old.

When I was eight, the most I did was run through the hills with Rou. Are all n.o.ble children like this?

No, that cannot be.

All the rumours that have been pa.s.sed along to me of n.o.bles are atrocious. Is it because they are allowed to act however they please for being blood descendants of the country's founders?

Being by Young Miss Liliana's side is very comfortable. I am able to see many things I never dreamed of seeing. Again and again, I witness new discoveries; much like the light at the end of a long tunnel. (1)

TLC Note: An idiom, meaning ‘to come to realisation’ or ‘to see the light’.
A bit off, I believe the origin of the phrase was from the Christian Bible’s New Testament, in which Ananias cured Saul (or Paul)’s blindness. And it looked as if something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes when he was cured.

Young Miss Liliana tends to try many things on her mother, the Madame. At first, it would be various small things that I wouldn't notice. For example, at first, she would act charmingly and talk in a carefree att.i.tude to unborn siblings, calling it prenatal care. She would then explain the effects, honestly, I think she is a precocious and interesting young miss.

Soon, however, young miss Liliana's conduct slowly grew more extreme. I lost my temper when she took the pregnant Madame for a walk outside after being given the prognosis of complete bedrest. I scolded the young miss Liliana harshly. If she was a normal child, such a scolding and frightful angry look of an adult would have brought about silent sobs.

Miss Liliana, however, is different.

Yes, instead, she flared back with anger herself.

I was startled by that reaction. It only added fuel to my ire, and the result was Madame chiding both of us. If I think about it in hindsight, I was being surprisingly childish.

It was at that moment that I had realized that young miss Liliana's arguments cannot be taken as those of a child's, but of a person of equal standing. No normal childish tricks would deceive her cunning.

From that day onward, young miss Liliana began displaying knowledge of things I had never seen nor heard without reservation.

"Since Leone-san is mother's healer, I thought that I should inform you what kind of things I am doing to my mother."

"Young miss Liliana, are you telling me that there are other things that you've been doing without my knowledge?" I unintentionally knit my forehead.

"Medical diet and nutrients, do you know those terms?" looking up at me timidly, young miss Liliana asks.

Am I really that scary? She should know that I won't do anything, yet she is afraid.

"No, it's my first time hearing those terms."

Hearing this, young miss Liliana mutters "as I thought."

“Uhm… the explanation is a bit complicated but, for living beings to preserve their life, to do activities, they need to intake certain substances from outside their bodies. Those substances are called nutrients. Normally we get nutrients from food. Furthermore, there are various components of nutrients, and each component has their own special characteristics. Those components' special characteristics also vary in different foods.”

That food are nutrients, and that nutrients have components…

That eating is important for living beings so that they can live, even children know that. That is part of the survival instincts of living beings. Has someone ever studied it so deeply though? Nutrients? Special characteristics?

I have never heard of these before now.

Young miss Liliana continues to explain them further.

“If humans can balance the nutrients intake, they can maintain their health. Right now, for Okaa-sama's sake, I am preparing her meals considering nutrient intake. That is why I am preparing fruits, vegetables, and legume pulses high in beta-carotene and low in sodium content for Okaa-sama.”

She was taking into consideration all of that when she made those delicious meals!?

“If you are unable to maintain the intake of nutrients and fall into nutritional imbalance, you will become malnourished and easily fall ill to various diseases. Although for those types of illnesses, when you give the food containing adequate nutrients for the patients, the healing process from that illness will go well. This type of remedy is called medical diet.”

Amazing.

Could we gain an understanding of each component of a nutrient, and still save people, even if all healers disappeared?

I was overwhelmed by young miss Liliana's knowledge.

She will become an existence that will open paths of light for the medical practices.

I mythicized the idea. I felt a premonition that this wouldn't be inaccurate either.

To be honest, I initially thought of young miss Liliana's talk as jokes, or fibs. The more I listened, however, the more I confirmed to myself that it may be valid theories.

Lies and jokes have holes in them, but there were no such holes in young miss Liliana's arguments. Where did she learn such knowledge, really? Young miss Liliana never ceases to amaze me.

The only point of contention is that she will only ever tell me that she "heard it from someone else," and refuses to expound further.

Her wisdom is filled with such compelling concepts that it’s not possible to coldly dispute her ideas as those of a child, and it's disappointing, but there are no methods to ascertain whether her theories are credible. Due to this, I can't easily bring myself to accept them as truth.

From that time forward, I have secretly antic.i.p.ated what reveals young miss Liliana with conject next.

As I was thinking about that, suddenly there came a tapping, as if someone was gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

Speak of the devil, and she doth appear. Well then, what wonders will she herald to me today?

“Leone-san, it's Liliana. Is it alright if I enter?”

“Go ahead.”

None other than Oliviria Count's young miss Liliana enters the room. Straight silver hair, amethyst eyes that beckon, a girl of beautifully perfect features. It could be said she belongs to the realm of the G.o.ds.

This beautiful girl is holding a long white cloth dutifully, as if it was important. I find it distressing.

That cloth, could it be…

“Young miss Liliana, that cloth in your hand, is it be bleached cotton?”

“Yes. That's right. Leone-san, I want Okaa-sama to wear this bleached cotton cloth, is that not okay?”

The young miss Liliana sweetly tilts her head to one side while holding the cloth in her hands, and waits for my response.

That gesture is just absolutely adorable, but what is the intention behind having Madam wear that piece of cloth?

“Young miss Liliana, could you explain why you intend for the Madam to wear this cloth?”

Young miss Liliana grasps the bleached cloth tightly, and proceeds to explain it with sparkling eyes.

“We fold the bleached cloth into 3 or 4 folds. Then we wrap it around the patient's iliac crest [TL NOTE: most lateral, superior point of a person's hip] to the base of their hip, such that their legs are firmly closed. If it is too tight it can be painful, so wrap it with the suitable strength you want. Additionally, during the pregnancy, the fold is located below in order to support the womb, while after the childbirth, the fold is worn above in order to help the lochia [TL NOTE: medical term of the v.a.g.i.n.al discharge after giving birth] in secreting out.”

"Just like this," she says as she awkwardly wraps the cloth around herself.

“As an aside, you mustn't wrap the cloth above the mother's belly b.u.t.ton. If you do then both the mother and the baby will be in danger.”

“What good will wrapping it around her do? Do you just want to wrap the cloth around your mother??”

Hearing that, young miss Liliana smiles broadly.

“By rolling the cloth, the pain on the lower back and hip joints will become lighter, and at postnatal, the weight gained due to pregnancy can be reduced, and various other effects, as well. It's the ally of women both pre- and post-delivery! The Messiah!!”

Untying the cloth, young miss Liliana grips it tightly and continues speaking without pause.

This is very interesting. In numerous ways.

“I do not mind you putting the cloth around her. However, to take safety into consideration, I prohibit you from wrapping it too tightly, also, in the case of some unexpected situation, I'll have you take the cloth off her.”

Hearing her suggestion taken smoothly, more so than usual, young miss Liliana grinned from ear to ear.

“Thank you very much, Leone-san. Actually, today I have something else I would like to discuss with you.”

“Something else?”

Young miss Liliana nods.

“Rather, this time I want to ask you something… Could you teach me in detail how the human body functions?”

“How the human body functions?”

What a strange subject to request from young miss Liliana.

“Yes. For example, that the heart pumps blood to circulate, that by interrupting the heart, then you will not be able to breathe, and it will lead to death. Blood is the medium that carries out nutrients, oxygen, and waste products. That brain is the central part that performs emotion, thoughts, and the maintenance of life, that kind of things.”

Such things are claimed by young miss Liliana as if common sense. This child. What and to what extent does she understand? Standing silent and still, I am unnerved. I dare not s.h.i.+ver in front of her.

“Since you are a healer, I thought if you had ever performed surgery and cut open through the insides of human body, so I asked about it, but…”

“Young miss Liliana, from ancient times, to cut open through the human body that we have received from G.o.d, it is said that we will receive divine punishment, and that is why it is prohibited. Absolutely… do not tell this kind of thing to other people.”

Young Miss's already large eyes opened even wider in shock, to the point where they were bulging from her head. Clearly she did not know about this.

“Ah… I see. I will never reveal things about human bodies to others. For asking such a weird question, I am so sorry.”

I wonder, what does she know? By chance, does she know about that thing?

“Young miss Liliana, do you know?”

“About what?”

Her head tilts to the side adorably, as young miss Liliana looks up to me.

“Mi”

“Mi?”

No, stay calm. There is no possibility a mere 8 year old girl would know about it.

“No, it's nothing.”

Yes, there is no way she would know.

About miasma.

I must have gone senile, eh.

“Leone-san, you're being weird. You must be very tired. How about taking a rest for today?”

“You're right. I will kindly accept your offer and rest for the day.”

“I apologize for the intrusion. Well then, I am going to have Okaa-sama wear the cloth and give her a ma.s.sage.”

Saying that, young miss Liliana left through the door. Really, she comes up with ideas, one after another.

Recently, Madame has been practicing a breathing technique that she will use during childbirth, going hi-hi-fuu-. It is apparently called the Lamaze method. Introducing the technique early in the pregnancy, it will teach her to give birth in a natural way by eliminating as much tension, and fear as possible during the birthing process. Often when people are overwhelmed with fear and tension, the pain they feel will become exaggerated, and there is the possibility of falling into panic during that process. Having the patient think ahead to what the situation will be like in advance, seems to be an effective strategy.

Aside from that, except when maintaining the sanitation of the bedding, keeping myself clean is apparently "necessary and, if anything, must be upheld above all," I was told.

I have no objection to that. Many people would prefer clean things over dirty ones. Besides, I also prefer cleanliness. I will make sure everything is tidy during an occasion like childbirth.

When I told her as much, young miss Liliana seemed relieved.

Her relief seemed out of place to me, so I asked her why she had insisted on that point so strongly. The answer I received was astonis.h.i.+ng. Young miss Liliana told me that during childbirth, it’s possible for bad things to enter the mother's body from the midwife's hands and any instruments used. That can cause a persistent fever and lead to death.

If her knowledge is true, then the cause of my mother's own death could be……

If by simply making things clean, I wonder how many lives could be saved? I can't help but think along those lines.

Young miss Liliana's knowledge is not outs.h.i.+ned by other sources. Without a doubt, she truly possess the Hand of G.o.d (furigana over 'Hand':light).

Treatments of illnesses and wounds are often called imposition of hands (or laying of hands).

Since the conjugation of the word 'treatment' [E.N./TLN: in historic j.a.panese] is that of "Hands" – "That manipulate".

Thus it is accurate to say that the hands themselves lie at the roots of a medical treatment.

Young miss Liliana gently ma.s.sages the Madame while pouring her magic power into the Madame's body, gradually flowing around its entirety, filling it.

I touched the Madame, to confirm the nature of the magic that she was being filled with, to find it to be a kind and gentle, soothing power. This is a unique magic to me, never have I seen nor heard of such a healing magic that can cover the whole body.

Just as the person in question had said, I can only describe this as a true 'Hand of G.o.d.' Looking at young miss Liliana's expression, she seems to be using this healing magic unconsciously.

It has been said that magical power runs deep in the blood of the upper cla.s.ses, and n.o.bles are of that cla.s.s. Albeit, n.o.bles whom possess healing magic are almost zero. Most healers come from commoners or lower cla.s.ses. I suspect it may be driven from the desire of the lower cla.s.ses to save others.

I'm sure that many will be saved by this compa.s.sionate girl's Hand of G.o.d, even despite her being a n.o.ble.

Like his hand, who led me from the edge of death.

Hand of G.o.d.

It saves lives that could not be saved, a hand of miracles.

A day will come where young miss Liliana will be the target of the inevitable, cruel fate that plagues all healers. If it is young miss Liliana, I am confident that she will shake off the sadness of that tragic path that all healers must traverse.

I wonder what the world must look like through her eyes. We're currently losing our grasp on knowledge (furigana: light). Young miss Liliana, without losing heart, hopes to save others, and strives to s.h.i.+ne out countless lights across the entire world.

I have witnessed the next generation inheriting our will, Selia-sama. Let us connect the light, our wills, to the future.

“Hey, Rou. I cannot yet go to your side. Please wait a little bit longer.”

This is what I think now. I became a healer out of my own will. Since then, no more miasma outbreaks have occurred. Despite it being fact that it was a decennial occurrence until then.

Has the miasma ceased to exist, or…

I am writing it down. So that the knowledge (furigana: light) shall not be lost again. Let us pa.s.s it on. So that even one more life can be safely brought into this world.

Hand of G.o.d.

A pillar of light, splitting the darkness.

Hold that hand.

Do that, and you shall know the world.

This world is full of beautiful things.

Grasp joy.

And, good luck.

The world grants its blessings unto you.

After all, you have been guided by the Hand of G.o.d.

Live.

[The Healer Leone Viola Meredith's Notes – Foreword]

Later on, the Healer Leone's notes are used by many healers as textbooks, in order to gain the works of G.o.d's Hand.

Due to this, the mortality rate of stillborn babies and infants decreased.

The healer Leone does not mention the owner of the Hand of G.o.d in her notes.

However, no healers would not know of her.

That the Hand of G.o.d (furigana:light) is Liliana la Oliviria, the count's daughter.