ALL NOVEL Chapter 224
“Whoa, Dr. Faust. Is that really you?”
Ambrosia bounced right up to me. She looked just the same as when I last saw her in the Inner Palace. Good to see her.
I answered, changing my tone. My voice naturally shifted.
“That’s me. You must be the esteemed Saint Ambrosia. I’ve heard a lot about you. It seems my incompetent pupil caused some trouble.”
“I’ve heard much about you too. They say you’re doing great work with the Medical Society.”
I nodded lightly.
The mysterious and taciturn physician, Faust. That’s my current identity.
Flap! I heard Hugo close the tent behind me.
I initially planned to reveal my identity once only the Hero party was left. Everyone other than the wizard was already familiar, so I would only need Hugo’s consent.
‘…What is she doing here?’
Actually, when I came in, my heart sank.
I was quite flustered and almost bit my tongue trying to greet her.
Ascela.
She was glaring at me with a colder expression than ever.
‘There’s no other wizard around. This must be the entire party.’
The pieces in my mind came together.
The reason the wizard who should have originally been in the party, Sumaya, was on a Demon Realm expedition with the gate installation unit. Something Neria couldn’t tell me.
The wizard of the Hero party had already been replaced by Ascela.
It must have been treated as confidential for some reason. Given that Tanya and Lishe couldn’t tell me, it might have been Ascela’s own intent.
‘I had only heard that the Moonlight Palace was managing the Empire’s internal affairs.’
I hadn’t expected this kind of backstory.
No, can it really be possible that royalty is directly on the frontlines? I can’t even guess how Heike gave her consent.
“You say you are Gothberg’s mentor?”
Ascela’s sharp voice pierced my ear. Hearing her speak to others made her feel unnaturally kind.
It was nice to meet her again after such a long time, but I was also worried about her being in such a place. Unlike Tanya and Lishe, Ascela wasn’t someone trained systematically for combat.
“…That’s correct.”
For now, my limit was to respond as calmly as possible.
…Has it been almost three years?
Adult Ascela was much more mature than I remembered, yet the imposing air of the Emperor was completely different.
“Faust, you must be the new healer from the former country.”
“That is as you said, Royal Princess of the Empire.”
“You’re tense. With that level of courage, can you genuinely assist me?”
“…I never imagined I would see your esteemed face on a battlefield filled with blood and dirt.”
Ascela lifted her chin and asked Hugo.
“Didn’t you inform them that I am here?”
“The fact that Her Highness takes on the role of the party’s wizard cannot go outside. Even I am affected by Geass.”
Hugo replied nonchalantly. Ascela scoffed.
“You lack understanding of the gravity of the situation. Faust, even if you say you are Gothberg’s mentor, it’s just your words.”
“And what if I do?”
“I do not trust those who conceal their faces. I certainly wouldn’t put my life in their hands. Wouldn’t everyone here think the same?”
I pondered for a moment.
Should I reveal my identity here?
―――――――――――
No. 005: Demon King’s army victory 19% → 26%
No. 006: Demon God’s descent 4% → 11%
No. 022: Magic match 13% → 72%
…
―――――――――――
If I did, the probability of the party’s defeat would increase, as indicated by the Status Window.
Lars Gothberg would be seen as a source of discord in the Hero party.
Above all, the magic match.
The likelihood of losing against the Ritch I am about to confront would rise exponentially.
‘…Ascela must have a purpose for being here. She might be thinking of securing a victory in the succession battle by making a direct contribution.’
It hadn’t ended under bad circumstances when we parted.
I don’t know how Ascela feels about me now, but…
‘…No, I think I do.’
On her left ring finger, there was a shining object.
Our engagement ring that I had placed on her finger long ago.
It was clear that Ascela had still been looking for me, and I could guess that she had not intentionally approached me, but rather had been orchestrating things until now.
‘Well, I’m no different.’
The black gloves on my hands were for disguise.
Beneath them, I was wearing the same ring.
I was shocked to the point of not being able to speak properly; how much more so for Ascela?
If she saw me directly now, it would undoubtedly affect her mental state, and it was evident that she would cause chaos that would adversely affect the Hero party.
To defeat the Demon King without incident in the future and to help Ascela achieve her goals, my answer was already set.
“Your Highness.”
I gathered my thoughts and began my act.
A lonely man, driven mad by his obsession with medicine as the only way to heal his serious injuries, Faust.
He was taciturn, direct, and reluctant to reveal himself to others.
I projected the image of the doctor Faust I had envisioned into my speech and gestures.
“I came to the battlefield with a sense of duty at my dear pupil’s request, yet those words hurt my feelings.”
“Are you saying you’re offended because I asked you to remove your mask?”
“There are circumstances. You may not trust me, and that’s fine. I’ll just fulfill my mission.”
The atmosphere turned chilly.
Ambrosia jumped in to mediate.
“Now, both of you, calm down. We’re all comrades who will depend on each other going forward. Faust, I apologize on behalf of the girl for not considering your situation.”
“It’s fine.”
“But it’s not entirely unreasonable to understand Ascela’s words. For instance, if a demon were to disguise themselves and approach, we wouldn’t have any way of recognizing whether you are real or not.”
I lowered my head slightly and pretended to think.
Our Ambrosia, becoming a saint has widened her heart.
I suppressed my urge to praise her and replied.
“I can remove the mask. However, afterward, people generally tend to fear me.”
“They fear you?”
Ascela scoffed.
“Do you think I would be afraid in front of a Demon King?”
“That might be the case.”
With that, I slowly brought my hand to the back of my head. Click, unlocking the fasteners one by one.
I held the mask that was falling off and passed it to Hugo. His nervousness was evident as he had no idea what lay beneath.
My face was wrapped tightly in bandages.
I searched for the end of the bandage, removed the pin, and slowly began to unwind it from my face.
With every loop I unraveled, the faces of the other party members who were watching turned darker.
Lishe couldn’t hide her sympathy; Tanya grew serious, and Valen turned his head to suppress a gag.
“Are you… okay?”
Ambrosia asked me. After finally unwrapping all the bandages, I nodded slowly.
Phew—
A sigh escaped my nostrils.
Half of my face was burned, the skin melted and fused with my skull, while the other half was a bright red bone itself. I couldn’t even hope for hair.
Several missing teeth jutted out grotesquely.
I opened my good eye and glared at Ascela. She met my gaze without a flicker.
“It’s the demon’s curse. I can barely maintain this appearance by applying every possible surgery and healing spell. Your Highness, this is my true face.”
I stepped closer to Ascela and asked.
“Can you trust me now?”
Of course, I hadn’t undergone cosmetic surgery.
What I actually used was a [Disguise Potion]. With the [Enhancement] effect, it had altered my face and physique to change my appearance.
I couldn’t let anyone from the allied forces know that I was here, so this was a precaution I took against any potential accidents. I had used undead as materials instead of real humans.
I never thought I’d have to use it like this.
Ascela stared at me for a long time before lowering her long eyelashes.
“Faust, I have a question for you.”
“Go ahead.”
“Compared to Gothberg, how would you rate your medical skills?”
“They say there’s no mentor who can surpass their pupil.”
I snapped my fingers. My item box opened. Ambrosia gasped with realization.
I pulled out gauze and applied medication to it before placing it on my face.
“With skills comparable to his, I promise to treat all of you.”
Wham!
I unleashed divine power. I cast the healing spell and enveloped my face.
Before the spell dissipated, I rewrapped the bandages. I secured them with a pin and put my mask back on.
“Very well. Prepare for deployment.”
Ascela nodded and passed by me.
On the way, she whispered.
“…Did Gothberg not speak of me?”
I thought now would be a good time to convey my message.
After hesitating for a moment, I replied.
“He mentioned that he had never forgotten you for a moment.”
“…I see.”
Ascela donned her mask and flapped her way out of the tent.
*
When Dr. Faust appeared, Ascela was inwardly quite agitated, even if she didn’t show it.
‘Lars’s mentor, huh?’
She could barely suppress her urge to bombard him with questions, having forgotten how many eyes were watching.
If he were Lars’s medical mentor, he must have met him before anyone else. He would surely know his psyche better than anyone.
If he had been with him until now.
Was Lars doing well in the former country?
What did his hospital look like?
Was he engaged?
…Had he mentioned her?
‘…Wait a minute.’
As she regained her composure, Ascela felt something suspicious about Faust. His tone and demeanor had a hint of unease.
Given Lars’s personality, he would have tried to smooth things over when the healer sent from the former country failed.
If she considered the most sure-fire method—
‘He’d probably want to join the party himself.’
Ascela stepped forward to observe him.
…His body shape was different. His body scent too. But that could easily be hidden.
That’s why she insisted on him removing his mask.
When Faust’s true face was revealed, Ascela felt a flicker of hope.
Hoping that he would confirm that he was Lars.
She wanted to hear whatever they talked about; she just wanted to see him first.
But he wasn’t Lars. With his skull-exposed face, it was clear that this was no ordinary disguise.
‘Of course, that’s impossible.’
Ascela scolded herself for even momentarily wavering. Curious about what Lars might be thinking, she asked Faust.
“…Did Gothberg speak of me?”
The answer she received was.
“He said he never forgot you for a moment.”
She could feel his cold emotions.
After all, how could he forget the anger of being killed countless times?
She almost lost sight of her objective.
Now, she would only focus on fighting.
‘Once everything is over, I will go to meet him.’
When I have earned that right. Then.