30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 78

Crack, crack.

“Grrk!”

“Oh, seriously, why did you come back with your body in shambles again?!”

CRACK!

“Ow—uh, you didn’t put any emotion into that, right?”

“What do you think?”

“Is that really okay for a clergy member?”

“Clergy members are human too.”

“...Fair point. I was wrong.”

“As long as you know.”

Snap!

“!?!?”

This time, it really hurt. They say when the pain is too intense, you can’t even scream. He couldn’t make a sound—it was just pure agony, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Ugh...!”

The pain was so sharp, he thought he could hear his bones breaking and his muscles tearing. And in truth, the pain of bones fracturing and muscles ripping surged through him, making Ihan wish he could just pass out.

The priestess, Sister Jessie, wiped the sweat from her brow, breathing heavily.

“Phew, it’s been a while since I’ve done such intensive healing for days in a row. Usually, even a seasoned knight would pass out after a healing session like this, but Brother Ihan doesn’t even faint. Is it because you’re a knight? Your mental resilience is impressive.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment, after all that pain?”

“Just stating the facts. Lie down for a bit—I’ll bring some herbal tea.”

“You’re terrifying when you’re treating someone... but now, you look the part of a priest again.”

“Didn’t I tell you? Whether we’re clergy or not, we’re still people.”

With a small smile, Sister Jessie left Ihan to rest as she went to prepare the tea.

Ihan lay there, utterly drained of energy.

‘It’s been a while since I felt like this.’

It was only from the pain that he was so exhausted.

Aside from his early years as a test subject, he hadn’t felt this drained from sheer agony in a long time.

‘I thought I’d built up some immunity to pain, but I guess I was wrong.’

He hadn’t expected that he’d be humbled in the process of healing.

The academy’s recovery ward.

This was the most expensive facility within the Royal Academy, staffed by a rare type of healer who could perform “Holy Law-Healing Arts,” something even most nobles couldn’t access.

Normally, Ihan relied solely on his natural healing abilities to recover from injuries, never turning to Holy Law. But the recent battle had been so taxing that he was forced to make use of the recovery ward.

Despite it being his seventh treatment session, his body still hadn’t fully recovered.

That just went to show how worn down he truly was.

‘I really did push myself...’

In hindsight, he realized how recklessly he’d handled his body.

For the entire two weeks of semester evaluations, he had pushed himself to the limit in training, barely allowing himself to rest. And on top of that, he’d fought relentlessly against monsters with only a single day of rest, consuming five potions at once—well beyond the safe dosage.

Even a high-ranking warrior would have died if they treated their body that way.

It was literally only because it was him that he had survived.

However, the toll it had taken was undeniable. He could still picture the horrified look on the priestess’s face when she first assessed his condition.

“You... you managed to hold out in this state? H-How...?”

He had never seen anyone turn pale that quickly.

And then,

“This... is going to hurt. No, it’s going to hurt a lot.”

The priestess had assured him the treatment would be painful, and he hadn’t expected much, but once he actually experienced it...

‘...She wasn’t exaggerating. This isn’t just “very painful”—it feels like my flesh is being peeled off.’

It was no joke—the agony was enough to drive him mad.

He’d always thought Holy Power simply shone brightly and healed the body, but it turned out to be something else entirely.

It felt more like physical therapy or acupuncture.

Only instead of medical devices or needles, the healing priests wrapped their hands in Holy Power and used that to treat people.

And while the initial cool sensation of the Holy Power passing over his body felt pleasant, the itching and burning that followed were almost unbearable.

It was like they were smashing his muscles and bones to pieces like a puzzle, then reassembling them.

Huh? What does that mean?

...I have no idea. Even I don’t fully understand what I’m saying.

There’s simply no other way to describe that level of agony.

“Phew...”

“Oh, you’re already up?”

“I’m starting to feel somewhat alive again.”

“You have excellent recovery abilities. I’d say it’s five, no, maybe seven times faster than the average person. You remind me of the Brothers.”

“Brothers?”

“The ‘Monk Brothers.’ They devote themselves solely to physical training and enhancing their healing abilities. Their recovery rate is on par with trolls. And Brother Ihan, you seem to rival them. ...Did you perhaps train with monks as a child?”

“I’ve never met one.”

“...Is that so? You’d be the perfect candidate for them. If you’re ever interested, I can write you a recommendation letter.”

“A... recommendation letter?”

A recommendation letter, out of nowhere?

Ihan blinked, and the priestess gave him a mischievous wink.

“They’d be thrilled to welcome someone like you!”

“Hah, are you suggesting I devote myself to the monastery? Wait, are priests even allowed to scout people?”

“There’s a shortage of talent everywhere, you know. Especially someone who’s saved countless lives—a hero is the most valuable recruit, anywhere.”

“Oh, come on...”

It was a bold suggestion but hard to dislike.

If some pompous noble had suggested something like that, Ihan would’ve thrown a punch by now, but she was the one treating him, and besides...

‘...I’ll let it slide because she’s cute.’

She looked so much like one of his favorite idols from his past life that he decided to let it go this once.

Still, who would’ve thought—

‘I never imagined I’d hear that line here, too.’

Recently, there had been many people trying to recruit him, but to think he’d even receive an offer from the temple...