"Your Highness, please calm your anger. I believe it may be that our actions were too rash and thus provoked him. Once he has finished healing the Sword Saint and we've discerned his true abilities, we can subjugate him then."
The old mage draped in a pure white cloak offered his advice beside Flare.
Flare, who had been seething with rage, gradually began to cool down.
"Mm, we should indeed figure out his capabilities. This Shinryu Hayashi is very unusual. That appraisal sheet... never mind, it's not important."
By the time she got to the end of her sentence, Flare's voice had softened noticeably.
She shook her head, forcibly suppressing the thought that the appraisal sheet might actually be accurate.
It was just too far-fetched to believe.
Hayashi had only just awakened his power—how could he possibly be level 99?
Rejecting the correct answer in her heart, Flare brought Hayashi to the inner court of the royal palace the following day.
According to her original plan, she had intended to have Hayashi help her female knights break through their level limits one by one.
But it didn't matter. Once he was under her control, she would force him to breed.
Male or female, they'd all be taken together to let her vent her fury properly!
While Flare was scheming wildly in her heart, her face bore a benevolent, saintly smile.
"Hayashi, this is Lady Kureha Crylet, the Sword Saint."
Following the direction Flare pointed, Hayashi looked up.
A beautiful woman with long silver hair came into view, a single ahoge standing playfully upright atop her head.
Her features were flawless, her skin as delicate and smooth as porcelain.
A tear mole at the corner of her right eye added a captivating charm to her aura.
She wore a plain white blouse and black trousers.
A full and curvaceous chest stretched the fabric in front, while her slender waist, enhanced by the tight leather corset, appeared all the more delicate.
The only flaw was the empty right sleeve—like an angel who had lost her wing.
As Hayashi silently lamented her loss, Kureha turned and looked at him.
Her blue eyes were crystal clear, radiating a unique warmth.
"You must be the Hero of Healing, Mr. Hayashi, right? It's an honor to meet you~"
Kureha's voice was gentle, and there was a kind of respect in it that set her apart from others.
Hayashi responded with a sincere smile and greeted her. "It's an honor to meet you too, Miss Kureha."
After a slight nod, she looked helplessly at her severed arm.
"This happened during a battle with a high-tier demon... even Panacea couldn't heal it. I can only rely on your power now."
As Kureha said this, even she wasn't sure.
She didn't know if Hayashi could regenerate a lost limb—after all, the possibility of limb regeneration was extremely low.
But desperate times called for desperate measures. All she could do now was place her faith in the Hero of Healing.
Hayashi stepped forward and gently placed his hand on the stump of Kureha's right arm.
Her delicate skin was smooth as silk, and perhaps because of the severed limb, her sense of touch seemed unusually sensitive.
The moment he released his mana, Kureha's body tensed instantly.
Her cheeks flushed with a charming blush, and her eyes looked at Hayashi with an amorous gaze.
It had only been a light touch, yet the sensation it gave her was intensely overwhelming.
Seeing Hayashi's extremely serious expression, Kureha couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself.
Meanwhile, in Hayashi's eyes, Kureha's status panel unfolded completely.
[Name: Kureha Crylet]
[Class: Sword Saint]
[Level: 45 (Advanced)]
[Traits: Sword Saint (Purple), Master of Swordsmanship (Blue), Favored by Fortune (Blue) …]
[Sword Saint (Purple): A born Sword Saint with extraordinary understanding and talent in swordsmanship!]
[Master of Swordsmanship (Blue): Battle-hardened skills and experience have etched refined swordsmanship into your very being.]
"Her talent is not inferior to any so-called hero—the only limitation is her level cap being stuck at 51."
"Heal!"
As Hayashi silently praised her, he immediately activated his healing magic.
A blinding light enveloped Kureha's severed arm. Her right arm materialized out of thin air, completely restored to its original state.
At the same time, a torrent of memories and pain flooded into Hayashi's mind.
Kureha's injuries from battling demons, the relentless training of her sword skills—everything appeared in an instant.
Hayashi's entire body tensed violently, as if slashed by blades all over. The pain of having his right arm severed surged up in a flash.
[Ding! Trait Acquired: Master of Swordsmanship (Blue)]
Suppressing the intense pain, he let out a few muffled groans.
Even when he had once fought a wolf demon to the death years ago, it hadn't hurt this much.
Meanwhile, seeing her restored arm, Kureha's eyes welled up with tears of joy.
"It's healed… my arm!! It's really healed!!!"
"Amazing, it's practically a miracle—now I can fight again."
"Thank you, Lord Hayashi. You've returned my sword to me. I will never forget this favor for as long as I live. No matter what, I will repay—eh!?"
Seeing Hayashi's pale face, Kureha immediately rushed forward to support him.
Her snow-white arms pressed against his, and her ample chest, soft like cushions, propped up his body.
"Lord Hayashi, what's wrong!?"
Hayashi shook his head and steadied himself, gradually recovering.
"When I healed you, the pain you endured transferred to me all at once—it was a bit much."
After he spoke, the guilt and gratitude in Kureha's eyes deepened.
Flare furrowed her brow, but then put on a smile and stepped in to support Hayashi in Kureha's place.
"Miss Kureha, it looks like Hayashi needs to rest for now. You may withdraw."
With the princess giving the word, Kureha hesitated for a moment but could only nod. "Then, I'll take my leave."
As she left, she looked long and deeply at Hayashi.
After Kureha's departure, Flare used the excuse of fetching medicine to relieve Hayashi's pain, and retreated to a corner of the palace with the old mage in tow.
Out of sight from others, Flare no longer concealed the loathing on her face.
"What kind of worthless healing hero is this? Completely useless trash."
Hearing Flare's complaints, the old mage beside her shook his head. "No, no, Lady Flare. This is not just ordinary [Heal]."
"Hah? What could be so different? It's just stronger healing magic, isn't it?"
As Flare stared at him in confusion, the old mage's eyes gleamed with fervor.
Even though Hayashi had only shown a single instance of his ability, the old mage, with his vast experience, had already glimpsed a hint of its true essence.
"Ordinary [Heal] is a skill that activates the body's natural healing through mana. That's why it can only heal wounds the body can theoretically recover from."
"But his [Heal] either creates something from zero or resets time itself—in an instant, returning the body to its original state."
"Whichever it is, this is a domain of the gods!!!"
"To bear such excruciating pain... there's definitely an unnatural secret behind it. If I could unravel it… if I could just…"
The old mage grew more excited as he spoke. If he could master this power, he might truly obtain the power of a god.
"You damn old coot… you sure know a lot."
Just then, Hayashi's voice suddenly rang out from right behind the old mage.
Flare, who had just been about to speak, froze.
In her shocked expression, Hayashi's figure slowly stepped into view.