Chapter 6.
All We Need Now Is the Healer
“A rat sneaking through a gap in the fence is one thing, but how could I fail to notice a fox loitering by the wall? Especially one with fur that shines so conspicuously.”
Camellia replied leisurely before revealing the boy’s true identity.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Netanel Phragma.”
The boy’s smile widened.
“So you at least consider me a fox? I’m honored.”
The dull color of the young errand boy’s hair slowly turned brilliant gold.
His muddy brown eyes transformed into the bright gleam of polished gold coins.
The rounded tips of his ears sharpened slightly, and his plain, ordinary face became that of a charming young fox-like beauty.
Everyone watching—including the guild master—stared in stunned silence.
Even Lohengrin looked startled. He moved closer to Camellia protectively, tense enough to throw himself in front of her if anything happened.
Calm down, Lohengrin. Recruiting him is difficult, but he’s not a bad person.
Some companions in the game would happily say, “Sure, I’ll join you!” the moment you met them.
Others were the complete opposite.
Certain companions could only be recruited after fulfilling very specific conditions.
Netanel Phragma belonged to the latter category.
You first had to use the Hire Adventurers feature to hire every team in the Adventurers’ Guild at least once before his recruitment quest would even appear.
And that was only the beginning.
Even after triggering it, you still had to complete a chain of thirty-two quests before he officially joined your party.
But his performance more than justified the effort.
Unlike ordinary priests or healers, who became useless once they ran out of divine power or miracles, Netanel was an exception.
As the beloved apostle of the Golden Scales—the god of commerce and trade—he could perform miracles simply by spending money.
In other words, as long as you had cash, miracles were practically unlimited!
Managing his loyalty and affection was also easy.
As an Apostle of the Scales, Netanel regarded contracts as sacred. As long as you honored every clause and paid him properly, he would never betray you.
Even if she brainwashed someone right in front of him, a generous donation would make him smile and ask,
“Hmm? Did something happen?”
The more I think about it, you’re the only healer for me, Netanel.
He could cast healing and buffs anytime.
Despite being a high priest, he wasn’t bothered by mental magic.
And as a long-lived half-elf, he possessed all sorts of useful background knowledge.
No matter what, she wanted him.
…Though now wasn’t the time to say so.
This was a dark fantasy world.
If you got greedy over a fraudulent recruitment, there would absolutely be consequences.
But a temporary party contract should be possible.
If the Netanel she knew was anything to go by, there was a 99% chance he’d agree.
The remaining 1% uncertainty—that this was reality instead of a game—made her nervous, but showing desperation would only make her look like an easy mark.
So Camellia acted completely composed.
“I dislike asking the same question twice. I would like your answer now. Or does your god refuse to provide one?”
Netanel’s expression turned strange.
Camellia prayed inwardly.
Please accept… Come on… Please! Once the healer joins, we’re ready to depart!
Perhaps her earnest wish—or perhaps the overwhelming pressure of her 18 Charisma—worked.
At last, the boy raised both hands with a smile.
“…I suppose I have no choice. Even an unfair contract is still a contract.”
Yes!
Fireworks exploded inside Camellia’s mind, but outwardly she remained calm.
“Do not worry. Just as one cannot force a fox to live as a sheepdog, I have no intention of asking too much of you.”
Once the problem of the Tower’s seal was resolved, the contract would end.
Until then, if he served diligently, she would overlook his crime of hiding in her territory without permission and reward him appropriately.
It was an exceptionally generous offer.
“My, what a wonderful employer. I could almost cry.”
Pretending to wipe away tears, the golden fox smiled slyly.
“Then I look forward to working for you, if only for a short while, my Lady.”
“Good. I trust you’ll earn every coin.”
[Netanel Phragma’s Affection has increased.]
[Netanel Phragma has entered your service!]
Duration: One week
Loyalty: 0/100
Affection: 35/100 (…)
Camellia frowned slightly.
Netanel isn’t supposed to gain affection this easily.
She opened the hidden details beside the ellipsis.
The reasons displayed were unbelievable.
- The Lord precisely identified a loophole in the contract and created an unfair agreement. +20
- Successfully completed a profitable transaction with the Lord. +10
- The Lord offered excellent employment terms. +5
He was actually happy about being tricked.
Not just happy—
Extremely happy.
It was ridiculous, but understandable.
Netanel admired people who excelled at negotiations and contracts.
Even in the game, successfully obtaining favorable contracts—whether through deception or not—raised his affection.
Still… you’re the one who got scammed. Why are you this thrilled…?
She hadn’t realized he was this insane.
But this wasn’t the time to wonder why reality had produced events that never existed in the game.
The Tower came first.
Tank: Lohengrin.
Damage dealer: Jehar.
Healer: Netanel.
And me as support.
The party’s complete.
The longer they delayed clearing the first floor, the worse their chances became.
Now that both adventurers and party members were ready—
It was time to enter the Tower.
Let’s head back immediately—
Camellia stopped as a sharp pain shot through her tailbone.
Damn this useless body!
At the very least, she wanted to upgrade from a Sickly Lord to a Fragile Lord.
The moment they got into the carriage, she’d have Netanel cast every Constitution-related blessing he had.
Maintaining a calm expression despite the pain, she concluded the meeting.
“We’re leaving. Guild Master, send the contracts to the castle before the day is over.”
“Ah? Y-Yes! I’ll prepare them immediately!”
The guild master, who had been watching everything like a man possessed, finally snapped back to reality.
“Divide the adventurers into two groups. One will defend against the monsters outside the Tower. The other will infiltrate the Tower with me. Select the personnel in advance.”
“Yes, I’ll handle it right away. Though… um…”
Despite his appearance, the guild master was highly competent.
But even he couldn’t suppress his curiosity.
“My Lady… how did you know… that boy—er, that gentleman—was here?”
Instead of answering that she’d spent 30,000 hours playing this game, Camellia merely looked at him silently.
Apparently interpreting that gaze as,
“How dare you ask such a foolish question of someone as omniscient as I?”
the guild master immediately shut his mouth and looked away.
She was suddenly very grateful that her protagonist class happened to be Lord.
Suppressing the pain in her tailbone as best she could, Camellia turned.
“Netanel. Come with me.”
“Yes, my employer.”
Later, inside the carriage…
“Blessing.”
Constitution +2.
“Exchange of the Golden Scales.”
HP Recovery +10 per turn.
“How do you feel?”
After casting blessing after blessing exactly as she’d requested, Netanel smiled brightly.
In this world, a Constitution of 8 was considered merely Fragile.
In the game, that translated to HP and status recovery being roughly twenty percent slower.
In reality, her condition improved dramatically.
Her shoulders and neck still ached.
Her knees hurt.
She still had a slight headache.
But instead of disappointment, Camellia was deeply moved.
This already feels better than my old body.
Compared to the weak body of a modern gamer who spent all day sitting indoors, even the “fragile” body of someone from a dark fantasy world—where people constantly fought monsters—was vastly superior.
At this level, moving around inside the Tower wouldn’t be much of a problem.
“Excellent.”
She praised him sincerely.
Netanel answered with exaggerated gratitude.
“My employer’s happiness is my happiness.”
He had clearly noticed her abnormal condition.
Yet he asked no questions.
No “Why is the immortal Lord’s body like this?”
No “What happened to you?”
Worth every coin.
Observant.
Competent.
There really wasn’t a better healer.
I have to persuade him somehow before this temporary contract expires.
Right. I should also reassure Lohengrin.
Just as introducing two cats required careful handling, adding a new party member also had to be done cautiously.
The stress experienced by the first party member when a second joined could be just as dangerous.
“Lohengrin.”
He seemed lost in thought, but quickly snapped to attention.
“Yes, my Lady.”
“If something is troubling you, you may speak freely. I permit it.”
“Ah…”
After hesitating, he asked,
“How did you come to know the adventurer named Ken?”
Ken? Not how I knew Netanel?
She found the question odd, but it wasn’t difficult to answer.
“He is a first-class adventurer. Naturally, I’ve been keeping an eye on him.”
“I see…”
He clearly wasn’t convinced.
But what could he do? The Lord had spoken.
“Is that all?”
Lohengrin hesitated again.
Apparently, he still had more to say.
“Do not worry. Whatever you say, I will not blame you.”
“My Lady, I do not believe it is my place to question whom you choose to keep under your command. I am certain you had your reasons.”
He bit his dry lip before continuing carefully.
“However…”
“The Steward may not see it that way.”
Surprisingly, his prediction was absolutely correct.
