More than a week passed since Zeke healed the other adventurers. It became well known across the guild that a new healer was capable of healing the nasty affliction that had been plaguing the adventurers for a while, often asking for his help in exchange for gold.

  The guild provided the funds as Zeke did it all at their base, also using it as a chance to get a fee of their own. While it sounded wrong on a moral level, Zeke couldn’t blame them. It made sense that they needed to have money in exchange for healing something that was honestly considered difficult to cleanse.

  Of course, that didn’t stop the others from already making a nickname for him; The Plague Doctor. Now all Zeke needed was a mask that had a beak to complete the ensemble of it all.

  Even when they didn’t understand the meaning behind the nickname, it was funny for him and Mikella, so they let it be. Mikella even wanted to play up the role by considering asking for a beak-like mask from Cru to which Zeke stopped with all his might.

  That nickname also spread far and wide across the city now. mostly in their district, with citizens even asking for the Plague Doctor’s aid as the affliction somehow managed to worm its way to the normal folks. Non-adventurers often had to get out of the city for some type of business, only to get bombarded with an attack of a strange monster and end up getting infected.

  Thankfully, it wasn’t contagious, so it was easily contained, but it was something of a concern for the small number of people who knew of this affliction.

  It was also apparent that Cronus knew of this affliction that can occur at times, and actually made sure not to let the Tempest Winds get any quest as he wanted them to be in pristine condition at all times. Since they took a quest meant for a relaxing get-together with the otherworlders, they ended up taking a quest that Cronus specifically didn’t get for them, making them become part of the statistic of the occuring affliction.

  It wasn’t something either of the party members wanted to admit that Cronus, despite treating them like grunts most of the time, truly cared for their safety–at least to help him clean up the mess that’s occurring.

  Throughout the week, Zeke had been bombarded with requests from the guild to help the afflicted while also searching with his party for the other towers. Due to this, they couldn’t go far as while searching for the towers was important, it was just as important to help the people trodden with disease and have a bit of money on the side.

  Of course, Zeke asked to lessen the payment from families with barely any income, something that was promised with a contract with said family to never reveal this to anyone else–which they gladly took.

  It wasn’t easy to keep that sort of secret, otherwise the people who had paid for more would be in outrage, but it wasn’t something Zeke was willing to budge. He may have been okay with decreasing the price, but it was Mikella who brought up the idea of a contract to ensure his healing is kept at a ‘fair’ payment.

  He wasn’t going to fight against her for this kind of thing. Still, it was becoming daunting as the days passed. They had to return to the town every day without really expanding too far, and the feeling of the tower’s presence making the trouble in the first place was weighing on his mind.

  Either clear the source of the affliction, or help the people before they die. In the end, he was just one man.

  Thankfully, it got to the point where the affliction was becoming less and less, and the healers finally managed to learn how to do the array without his massive supply of Mana. While that also meant that the income disappeared, it made Zeke finally relax as he had the freedom to do more than just keep healing.

  Even now, he was taking all that free time sleeping on the couch within Alissa’s living room, his eyes covered with a cold towel that seeped into his face and brought peace that he never felt before.

  “You know, you could have just declined,” He heard Alissa’s voice, her tone filled with exasperation at his current state, but he easily ignored it as he knew his partner got his back.

  “Yeah, but he’s the sort of dingus that can never say no, no matter how bad it seems.”

  At least, that’s what he thought. He grumbled to himself as he heard the two women talk shit behind him, thinking that he was asleep while in truth he was wide awake. But knowing Mikella, she might have already known and still went for the kill as always.

  “Is Bobo gonna be okay?” Clara, the sweet angel that she was, asked in concern after approaching the downed Zeke.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Oh, he’s gonna be fine. Unfortunately, he’s gonna be stuck being a dingus forever,” Mikella said, sounding as though she just gave grim news.

  “Nooo! Bobo, don’t be a dingus!”

  “Alright, alright, I’m here!”

  He decided to end the snarky remarks, pulling the towel off of his eyes to see the women and girls in front of him. Clara ran away, but there was a clear smile on her face as she ran towards Sissy.

  “Look, it’s done now, alright?” Zeke said, rubbing his face. He still felt tired even when his resources were stocked full. He had just returned from the guild early in the morning and was now just resting in the early afternoon.

  The Tempest Winds decided to go off on a minor quest as a client specifically asked for them. Since they still needed to keep their facade of actual adventurers, they went off and left the two behind, which was what Zeke needed for his tired brain. It was only then that he was called over for what was thankfully the last time.

  “I know, I know,” Mikella chuckled, only adding to Zeke’s grumbling. “But it’s time now. We need to head to Cru and get the gear.”

  “Oh… right,” Zeke closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “It’s that time now, huh?”

  “Can I come with you, please?” Clara called, putting on her best puppy dog eyes. “It can get so boring doing training all the time. I’ll have Brucey come with me if it’s not safe–right, Brucey?”

  Brucey, the ever-lovable bat partner, rose up from Clara’s back, letting out a small screeching yawn before resting his head on top of her shoulder.

  He grew bigger over the time they spent here, getting Clara to make her own little pack for Brucey to rest in. It was a small little backpack that Brucey can easily rest inside, so he won’t have to snatch onto the back of her shirt all the time to rest there.

  As for how the pack came in the first place, that was none other than Alissa. Turns out–Alissa was great with kids, even if she doesn’t show it as often.

  “I don’t think you can bring a familiar to a store, Clara,” Alissa said, her tone soft but stern.

  “No! I don’t wanna leave Brucey behind,” Clara whined. “He’ll be totally cool and quiet. He won’t make any trouble, I swear!”

  “Actually, I think she can come with Brucey,” Mikella said, smiling at the homeowner. “Cru isn’t the type to really care about keeping her store… clean, I think that’s the right word.”

  “Even so, Brucey’s still not recognized as a proper familiar of the city,” Alissa pointed out, her brows furrowing a little. “If a guard catches her with Brucey, you’ll end up fined.”

  “Then Brucey will stay in the pack!” Clara insisted. “Please, Ali! I don’t wanna leave Brucey all on his own.”

  “But…” Alissa winced at the clearly puppy-dog eyed look she was giving. “It’s a blacksmith’s shop. You could be in danger…”

  “Don’t worry–I’ll keep an eye on her,” Zeke said, bringing Clara to smile back at him. “I’m pretty good at that.”

  He still couldn’t believe how much Clara looked at Alissa in a way that was already similar to Val. Clara already knew that Alissa and Valorie were entirely different women, but even so, Clara still trusted Ali enough to even shorten her name.

  Only Zeke was still a bit hesitant on calling her that, her glare usually scaring him. Still, it was enough for him to trust in Ali with taking care of Clara all this time.

  “Hah, fine,” Ali said, rolling her eyes. “But don’t blame me if you get caught. And if you do, I won’t be pulling your asses out of the fire.”

  “Thank you, Ali! You’re the best!”

  Clara hugged Ali, surprising the woman a little. Still, Ali huffed as she brushed Clara’s hair, an action she clearly has done many times over.

  “Honestly, how much energy do you have?” Ali said with a frown. Though clearly, Zeke can tell how much she didn’t mind. “And what about you, Zoan? Do you wanna go outside with your family?”

  Zoan, Clara’s twin, was sitting by the seat on her own reading her fourth book, the other three resting near the small table by her side. She looked up from the pages, giving that impassive stare, then without a word–went back to reading her pages.

  “She’ll be fine with those two,” Zoan said, flipping another page on her current book.

  “Aww… really?” Clara said, her earlier tone now diminished. “Zoan, won’t you come with us?”

  Zoan looked up, facing the expectant young woman. “I don’t like being in stuffy forges. So no.”

  “Oh, good point,” Clara said, easily accepting her point.

  That was honestly the first time Zeke ever heard about Zoan’s likes and dislikes. Though honestly, it was clear that she hated anything that would be uncomfortable while reading books. Zeke could understand the same, being a bookworm himself.

  “Then I’ll keep Zoan here with me,” Ali said. “I still need to write up some reports for the day, then head over to the estate to hand it in. Make sure to notify me of your arrival with the calling tool over there.”

  “Will do,” Mikella said, pushing Clara’s back. “Come on, Clara.”

  “Alrighty!”

  Clara yelled with glee, getting Zeke to get off his ass and walk with them. The calling tool he spotted at the side was not really a phone, per say, but the very same crystal used by Cloud and Val before.

  Instead, it looked like a terminal where the jack that the phone would be was just a large diamond-shaped crystal. If one pours Mana into it, they can directly contact the smaller crystal that a person carries–in this case, they would call Ali if she was away. It was something very close to a phone, but just not there yet.

  Putting that aside, Zeke followed his family out of the house, leaving the district to visit Cru for the gear that they were waiting for.