About three hours had passed when Taylor and around ten others arrived where Theo and his party were.
Taylor was quite startled upon surveying the scene but quickly collected himself and skillfully began to clean up.
He collected the severed limbs of the Practitioners and sealed the entrance to the Great Demon Shrine to prevent any leakage of magic.
After quelling the immediate crisis, Taylor smiled and said to Theo,
"I expected some trouble, but I never imagined it would be to this extent. As always, Theo, you exceed expectations."
Theo responded with a light smile,
"Indeed. Even I was surprised this time. And to think, Taylor, that you would come here personally."
It was unexpected.
Typically, Taylor stayed within the academy.
Without using magic like [Teleport], it would have been impossible to travel from the academy to here in just three hours.
'Could it be that this guy used [Teleport]?'
Although it was highly improbable, the thought 'Maybe Taylor could?' crossed his mind, especially since this is the person who even managed to create an imitation panacea that doesn't appear in the game.
Taylor then said, "Hahaha, you must be wondering how I arrived so quickly."
"Yes."
"It's simple. I was staying in a nearby village."
"Ah..."
Taylor laughed happily.
"Hahaha, did you think I used [Teleport]? Oh dear, I'm not capable of such feats. I just had a hunch something would happen."
"I had no idea you were so intuitive."
"It's hard to call it a good thing. The things that have happened to you, Theo, are events that an ordinary person might not experience even once in a lifetime. In a way, it's knowledge gained from experience."
Unknowingly, Theo wore a dumbfounded expression.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Taylor cheerfully laughed and asked the people who came with him, "Did you secure the five humans whose limbs were severed?"
The group nodded and pointed towards the cargo compartment of the large carriage they had arrived in.
Taylor checked the cargo compartment of the large carriage, where five Practitioners were tightly bound with magic sealing restraints and gagged.
The Practitioners of Light, despite having their limbs severed, still exhibited ferocity.
Of course, their cries were muffled to silent roars due to the gags.
Taylor told his group,
"Good job. You all worked hard. I'll arrange for another carriage for you to return in."
─Understood.
Taylor then said to Theo, "It looks like we've wrapped things up here. So, Theo, where to next?"
Theo answered without hesitation.
"I'd like to return to Elinia Academy first."
There are two main issues that need immediate attention.
First, Fyat's left leg needs to be reattached, and second, they need to find a way to restore the Practitioners of Light to their original state.
The first issue is not difficult.
Theo plans to attach a [Substitute Body] to Fyat, similar to Oswald.
The personnel capable of performing the [Substitute Body] surgery are managed by Taylor, and they are currently residing within the academy.
For the second issue, they intend to seek advice from Saintess Isabella.
She should have some knowledge about the true nature of the Practitioners.
Although it was the vacation period, she was staying inside the student council room.
Taylor said, "Then, let's go together."
Taylor asked Theo's party, "Are you all heading to Elinia Academy as well?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Once everyone agreed, Taylor climbed aboard the carriage.
Theo's party followed him onto the carriage.
Taylor told the coachman, "Please arrange for another carriage. The people who came with us will return in that one."
"Yes, understood."
After a while, the carriage started moving.
Unlike Piel, Siena, and Jang Woohee, who were chatting away, Fyat remained silent, occasionally glancing at Taylor and Theo.
Feeling her gaze, Taylor asked, "Hahaha. Is there something on my face, Fyat?"
Since Fyat was a well-known figure across the continent, Taylor naturally knew of her.
Fyat shook her head.
"No. It's just that you seem close to Theo Lyn Waldeurk, and I noticed that your handling of matters is exceptionally neat and tidy."
Taylor laughed and bowed his head gracefully.
"Hahaha. To receive such praise from the Empire's Black Panther, I'm quite at a loss. I am Taylor, the Branch Head of Elinia Academy's branch of the Healer's Guild [The Hilté]. I'm also a sponsor of Theo."
"That's an interesting way to sponsor someone."
"Ah, this time, I was quite surprised myself. But what can we do? The greatest virtue of a sponsor is to help by any means necessary."
Theo, who had been practicing qi, opened his eyes.
Theo said to Taylor,
"Ah, Taylor. Speaking of which, the effect of the imitation panacea has significantly decreased. The last time I used it, the effect was about half of what it used to be."
"Um, it's probably because you've been using it too much recently. With any drug, tolerance can develop with use, requiring a break. There's a very high chance that the effect of the next dose of the imitation panacea will decrease even further. I recommend taking a break for at least six months."
Theo found this unacceptable.
Not only had he taken the Practitioners, but he had also extracted Fyat from [Leading Mind].
It wouldn't be long before this became known.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"We must prepare for the worst given the uncertainty of future events. Isn't there a way? For example, taking more of the imitation panacea."
Taylor shook his head disapprovingly.
"I wouldn't recommend that. Panaceas are known as cure-alls, but abuse can lead to serious side effects, and that's true for both imitation and genuine products. It's just not widely known."
"What kind of side effects?"
"There are many, but a significant one is the fundamental weakening of the body's healing ability. In extreme cases, people have been unable to naturally recover from a cold and have died as a result."
"..."
"So, you need to take a break from the panacea now. If you continue to abuse it, Theo, your body might end up in such a state. You could end up suffering from muscle pain that would naturally heal in half a day for over a week. It's like taking one step forward and a hundred steps back."
"Isn't there another way to achieve a similar effect?"
Taylor looked at Theo. Theo's determination was evident in his eyes. He wasn't in a state to be persuaded.
"Um... I see you won't be dissuaded. Then let's try substituting it with other drugs. It won't be as effective as the imitation panacea, but combining various substances could produce a drug with quite useful effects."
"Is that possible?"
"Yes. Drugs can often have unexpected effects depending on how they're combined."
"How long will that process take? The sooner, the better."
"At the very least, it will take two months. We have to conduct at least a preliminary clinical trial."
"Um... Alright."
Theo nodded.
'I should stop taking the panacea for a while. But two months...'
It's not a short period. Anything could happen in two months.
For instance, it hasn't even been two months since acquiring the [Demon Sword].
A means for rapid recovery must be devised as a necessity.
Then, a thought crossed Theo's mind.
'...Now that I think about it, there was that method.'
The corner of Theo's mouth turned up in a smirk.
'Why didn't I think of this earlier?'
Inside the Hero Department student council room, Isabella was there, her expression unusually animated.
She paced the student council room, lost in thought.
'He said he has something urgent to ask of me...?'
This was because Theo had contacted her.
He had joined a research team investigating the Practitioners of Light a few days ago, and she hadn't expected him to return so soon.
The urgency was evident in his voice coming through the crystal ball.
─I have a very urgent matter, so I contacted you as soon as I returned to the academy, senior. May I visit you right away?
Isabella found herself responding with a hesitant "Um... yeah, okay," despite being swayed in a way she usually disliked.
However, she wasn't upset about it.
In fact, she felt rather pleased.
Regardless of the process, it meant he sought her out as a solution to an urgent matter.
Then,
─It's Theo Lyn Waldeurk. May I come in?
A knock sounded from beyond the door.
"Um, uh, ahem."
Isabella hurriedly cleared her throat and checked her reflection in the mirror.
'No sleep in my eyes... skin looks okay... outfit... also okay. Hairstyle... hmm, not entirely to my liking, but it's okay.'
After a quick self-inspection, Isabella called out to the door, "Yeah, come in~"
Upon hearing Theo's words, Isabella stumbled over hers, unusually.
"So... you're saying you want to live together with me?"
