With Amy and Little Fist by my side, we boarded the earliest carriage and I immediately fell asleep when we got to the dorms.
It was only after lunchtime that I woke up.
"Ugh, what...? Huh."
Feeling refreshed, I realized that my condition had significantly improved.
Although it wasn't a full recovery, it was still quite impressive.
My body felt good enough to handle light exercises.
'What did Taylor do to me?'
After my match with Neike, I was in rough shape, to put it mildly.
...Taylor, the Branch Chief of the Healers' Guild.
I was growing curious.
He wasn't mentioned in the game, so I had no information about him.
But one thing was clear: he's no ordinary character.
'I should visit him today.'
If I could continue receiving this kind of treatment, it would be a huge advantage.
Moreover, today is Friday.
Taylor did invite me, and since it's not the weekend, there's a good chance he's around.
The current time was three in the afternoon.
While it might be a bit late, my schedule was open today.
With midterms over, many students had returned home, leading to the cancellation of many club meetings.
After freshening up, I stepped outside the dormitory building to head to the Healers' Guild.
But then—
"Ah, senior! Finally, Theo has come out! Waiting since morning has paid off!"
"Hey, you, give him your business card quickly! Don't you see the others flocking?"
"Theo, we're from the [Court of the Sun] Guild. We have an interesting proposal and would like a moment of your time."
"I come from the Eastern Empire. While we have no connections to the Waldeurk lineage, we do have an enticing offer for you."
Numerous people—around twenty, consisting of reporters, guild representatives, and national delegates—were rapidly pitching various proposals.
"Could we perhaps have a short interview..."
"Our guild is willing to accommodate all your requirements, Theo, and it's quite a generous offer.”
"I hail from the Magic City of the North, but..."
Their words varied, but their objective was the same: to claim a bit of my time.
'So many have gathered.'
There were familiar faces, even Hailey, the Chief Administrator of the [Ataraxia] Guild.
'If I get caught by them, my entire day will be wasted.'
Of course, it would probably boost my reputation.
Reporters were already shoving their cameras into the faces of the guild and nation representatives vying for my attention.
However, I didn't have the time to entertain each and every one of them.
I need to find Taylor quickly.
Especially since tomorrow, I need to attend the regular academic seminar at the association with Mari.
"..."
Despite my urgency, I gazed at them with a composed expression, thinking that if I, the person involved, remained silent, they'd calm down soon.
However, against my expectations, they continued to pester me, trying to gain my attention.
With roughly twenty people present, the competitive spirit among them showed no sign of cooling.
'Hmm, what should I do?'
Simply brushing them off by saying, 'I'm busy right now, let's talk later,' doesn't seem right.
I wondered if there was a way to leave while still leaving a positive impression on them.
As I mulled this over,
The dormitory door opened with a creak,
And out came Amy.
"Young master, what's happening?"
After briefly observing the crowd gathered around me, Amy approached and bowed her head.
"Hmm."
...Perfect. What impeccable timing, Amy!
Pointing to her, who was still bowing respectfully, I addressed the reporters, guild, and government officials.
"I apologize, but I have a commitment and won't be able to talk with all of you at the moment. For further discussions, please talk with my secretary, Amy."
Saying so, I excused myself.
After Theo departed, reporters, guild, and national representatives exchanged glances, causing a stir.
"A secretary? Even for someone from the Hero Department, this is the first time I've seen a freshman with one."
"Well, he's from the Waldeurk family. Still, let's try to get an interview with that secretary."
"Tsk, acting all high and mighty."
"…We don't even know who she is."
After a brief exchange, the officials turned their attention to Amy.
'At any rate, we need to get on her good side.'
Everyone in the room had the same thought.
If they could win her over, she might relay their proposals to Theo.
In a competitive flurry, the representatives surrounded Amy.
"Hello, Miss Amy. I hail from the Eastern Empire. Judging by your black hair, you seem to carry the noble blood of the East."
"I wish to have an exclusive interview with Theo. We've already thought of the headline: 'The Wonderous Rebellion of the Lowest Rank! A Warning to the Meritocratic Academy!' How about it? We'd love to feature it on the front page of our newspaper."
"…I'm Hailey from [Ataraxia]. May I have a moment?"
They each approached Amy in their own unique ways.
But one thing was certain: they were all trying to leave an impression on her.
'As expected of Theo. He's not someone to be underestimated.'
Amy felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility.
Of course, she had never dealt with such a crowd before.
But she had to rise to the occasion.
This was Theo's way of testing her capabilities as his 'exclusive' secretary.
…If she wanted to remain by his side.
He wouldn't carelessly entrust such a task to her without reason.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized how thorough and meticulous he was.
'I'll prove myself.'
With a composed look, much like Theo's signature gaze, Amy spoke up.
"…Please form a line."
I arrived at the healer's guild, [The Hilté].
It wasn't difficult to find, given its proximity to the Knight Department.
The name 'The Hilté' was derived from the surname of its founder, Paris Hilté.
I looked up at the building of [The Hilté] Guild's Elinia Academy branch standing before me.
It was a modest six-story structure, nothing too ostentatious.
However, the significant thing about this building was that it was the 'only' guild situated within the Elinia Academy.
Unlike other academies, it's extremely challenging for regular guilds to establish a branch within Elinia Academy.
The evaluation criteria are stringent, to the point that even the top-ranked guilds on the continent would hesitate.
But Elinia Academy is the top educational institution of the continent, teeming with talents who will shape the continent's future.
Naturally, most guilds wanted a presence here, to establish relationships with these upcoming talents.
However, all of them had failed.
Healer guilds were a little different, so they were allowed in with slightly relaxed criteria.
Of course, the competition was fierce.
Just as there are countless guilds on the continent, there are many healer guilds.
Among them, [The Hilté], having successfully competed for a spot, is a large-scale healer's guild with branches scattered throughout the continent.
'I should go in quickly.'
Squeak─
I entered the guild building.
Given that all departments had a day off from lectures, the guild was relatively quiet.
In the lobby on the first floor, a group of healers was leisurely chatting.
As I headed towards the reception,
"Hey, isn't that Theo? The student our Branch Chief mentioned?"
"Right, the one with silver hair and red eyes."
Several healers rose from their seats and approached me.
"Wow, Theo, I didn't expect to see you here. Congratulations on your victory! I watched all your matches starting from the round of 32."
"We accompanied you during the Hero Department's practical evaluation... It feels different seeing you here at our guild branch! You came to see the Branch Chief, right?"
Five healers talked to me one after another.
Earlier, it was the reporters and guild & national representatives...
My popularity seems to be exploding today.
It's not something I'm accustomed to.
"Yes, I came to meet the Branch Chief. Is he available?"
"Of course. He anticipated your visit and has been here since early morning."
The healers promptly guided me straight to the Branch Chief.
... Straight through, without any formality.
That's nice.
Branch Chief Taylor's office occupied an entire floor of the building.
Fitting for someone who uses a gold-embossed business card.
"Student Theo is here, Branch Chief. May he enter?"
The healer guiding me knocked on the door to the office.
Soon after, a voice from within beckoned us in.
"Well, I hope you two have a good chat. Oh, here's my card."
The female healer who knocked on the door handed me her business card.
Naturally, unlike Taylor's, it wasn't gold-embossed but a regular one.
Taking the card, I expressed my gratitude,
"Ah, thank you, Elise. I appreciate your guidance."
"Of course. I hope to see you again soon."
As the healer took her leave, I stepped into Taylor's office.
"Ah, welcome, Student Theo. I've been waiting for you."
Taylor, seated behind a large desk, stood up eagerly and greeted me with a warm smile.
However, I couldn't respond to his words.
My eyes were fixed on a potion placed atop Taylor's desk.
'Why is that here?'
It was a [Panacea].
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Paris Hilté... sound familiar?
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