The narrow room was brightly lit by candlelight.
A team of adventurers sat around a long table; they had just completed a commission and were preparing to divide the profits.
Sitting at the head of the table was the team captain.
He pulled out a bag of coins, and the sound of his palm rummaging through them immediately drew everyone’s attention.
“Clara, your control magic trapped the monsters in the mire. It was a great service. This is your reward.”
The captain first pushed a gleaming gold coin in front of the young woman.
“Todd, you accurately struck the monsters’ vitals, allowing me to finish them off. Your contribution was indispensable.”
The captain took out another gold coin, placed it on top of several stacked silver coins, and handed them to the young man beside him.
“Sains, you withstood the monsters’ onslaught and protected the team. That was the most difficult task of all. I hope you will accept these.”
The captain handed a bag of items to the sturdy young man.
When opened, it revealed Recovery Potions, along with a handful of silver coins stuffed inside.
The man named Sains gave a bitter smile.
“I may have sustained a few injuries, but it would have been enough for Mr. Qiaolin to use his Healing Magic. There was no need for you to spend so much on all these potions, Captain.”
“Qiaolin? I almost forgot about you…”
The captain raised his eyes and looked toward the figure huddled in the corner of the table.
Even in this private setting, the man wore a hood, maintaining a mysterious appearance.
What was even more unpleasant was that he sat alone in the corner as if it had nothing to do with him— especially during the payout.
It was true.
For this fellow who could only use Healing Magic, he truly hadn’t been of any help from the start of the mission to its completion.
Yet, he still expected to receive a basic wage.
This was what bothered the captain the most.
However, Qiaolin had been a member since the team was first established.
Whether it was the mage Clara or the warrior Sains, they were both adventurers who had joined the team later than Qiao.
“This is your pay, Qiaolin…” The captain took out six silver coins.
Although his face showed extreme reluctance, Qiaolin was the partner who had originally founded the team with him.
This was the contract between the two of them.
Qiaolin nodded, revealing a thin chin hidden beneath his hood, and reached out to take the coins.
*Smack!*
A fair, delicate palm slapped down on the silver coins without warning.
The group was startled for a moment.
It was Clara.
Her small face was filled with resentment, and her beautiful large eyes flashed with grievance.
“What did you even do during this commission? What right do you have to take so much reward? Sains fought to the death and ended up covered in scars for only a dozen or so silver coins.
You, on the other hand, watched the show from the back and get to take half that amount!”
“Clara, what are you doing? Let go!” Sains hurriedly tried to pull the girl’s hand away, but she remained defiant.
“If someone can get this much money just by cowering at the back of the group, then I might as well set off some fireworks to entertain everyone while I’m fighting. Don’t you agree, Captain?”
As soon as those words were spoken, the captain’s expression darkened.
He looked at Qiaolin, who remained silent.
Clara had complained to him many times before, though she had never stated it so bluntly in this kind of setting.
He had also personally dropped hints to Qiao in private, wanting to remind him, but Qiaolin acted as if he hadn’t heard a word.
“That’s right, Captain. I’ve never seen Mr. Qiaolin use Healing Magic in battle. I have, however, seen him use spells on an injured bird during his downtime. Don’t tell me his so-called ‘mastery’ of healing magic refers to treating small animals? That’s certainly very compassionate of him,” Todd sneered from the side.
He was the youngest in the team and often spoke without filter, offending many people.
Because of his excellent archery skills, the captain had recruited him into the team.
“No, no, no. Mr. Qiaolin always helps treat my body after the battle. Don’t misunderstand!” Sains spoke up for Qiaolin.
“What? But he still charges you for it, doesn’t he? It’s much more expensive than a regular Recovery Potion. This is extortion!” Clara pointed at Qiaolin and shouted sternly.
Sains wanted to explain that the reason Qiaolin charged him was that he helped recover from certain symptoms— specifically, those unspeakable secrets between men.
There was no helping it; every time Clara exhausted her mana, she became insatiable and filled with intense desire.
As her partner, Sains had to attend to her, and over time, his body simply couldn’t keep up.
“You shut up! Whose side are you on?”
“I…” Faced with Clara’s reprimand, Sains lowered his head as if he had been slammed with a door.
“In short, I am very dissatisfied with Qiaolin’s treatment. At the very least, he hasn’t shown any ability to match it. You, a Healing Mage, are absolutely useless!” Clara looked at the captain with an air of triumph.
This team had long since lost its room for this idle fellow.
“Clara is right. Even if you are an old member, you must receive rewards according to your contribution to the team. As they say, more work brings more pay. A senior should act like a senior.”
Qiaolin slowly withdrew his hand.
“Then I’ll let you decide, Captain,” he said calmly.
—
After walking out of the Adventurer Guild, Qiaolin adjusted the single silver coin in his hand.
This was his share of the profits. A mage like him, who served no practical purpose and only knew Healing Magic, shouldn’t have received a single copper.
However, out of sentiment, the captain had given him one.
Qiao had also given him face; after accepting the silver coin, he resigned and left.
He knew that the person who had originally partnered with him had forgotten his original purpose. While it was true he was a Healing Mage, his primary responsibility wasn’t healing wounds, but guidance.
He wrote the corresponding plans and combat strategies for every commission and investigated information on monsters.
In the early days of the team, when their strength was weak, they could only rely on optimal planning to reduce losses.
Now that the team had flourished and there were more mouths to feed with less to go around, a “scheming” fellow like him naturally lost his value.
Faced with the captain’s selfishness, Qiaolin had no grievances.
He wouldn’t argue.
He had joined the adventurer team only to earn some extra pocket money in his spare time.
If he were too conspicuous, it would instead disturb his life in seclusion.
Celestial Hero— that was Qiaolin’s identity from a long, long time ago.
Or rather, Qiao’s original identity was that of an ordinary person from another world.
He had been a young man who had just graduated from university and was busy looking for a job when he quietly transmigrated to this other world in his sleep.
Compared to those who died by being hit by trucks, falling from buildings, or burning out from playing gal games in novels and anime, his transmigration was much more gentle.
And the person who had summoned him to this world, the former Saintess of the Church, was also a gentle girl…
This was a world of swords and magic.
Qiaolin had been chosen by the gods to serve as the Celestial Hero to launch a crusade against the Demon Race that had enslaved various other races. Wherever he passed, cheers of freedom and liberation undoubtedly followed.
With everyone working together, he finally defeated the Demon King and became the hero everyone hoped for.
But in that final Holy War, he lost the Saintess, his most beloved in this world and his eternal white moonlight.
That regret remained frozen in his heart.
He had been too young and arrogant at the time.
Perhaps his life in the other world had been too stifling and oppressive.
Since he would be resurrected in the Holy Land anyway after death, Qiaolin had spent all his energy and skills on magic with the greatest power and destructive force.
As a result, he had not learned any Healing Magic.
If he had mastered even the lowest level of healing spells in that battle, perhaps the outcome could have been changed.
After completing his goal, Qiaolin was rightfully rewarded by the gods with the choice to return to his original world or gain eternal life to live freely in this one.
Qiaolin chose the latter.
He remembered the Saintess’s wish was for people to find happiness and well-being, so he stayed here.
Perhaps the next time the world faced a cataclysmic disaster, he might be of use.
In the blink of an eye, more than 300 years had passed.
During this time, he had learned all known Healing Magic and even created his own series of spells, vowing never to use high-destruction magic again.
He understood that no matter how sharp a sword was, it could not protect those close to you.
Wandering this continent for several centuries, he had gained many insights.
He had seen far too many instances of “killing the donkey once the grinding is done.”
To avoid future trouble, Qiaolin simply chose to leave on his own accord.
“Spare a few coins for an old soldier, kind soul.”
Passing a street corner, a ragged elderly man approached him.
Qiaolin glanced at him and noticed a scar near his collarbone.
It was wide and the flesh was gnarled, looking like a wound caused by a weapon of the Northern Barbarians.
“Heh…” Qiaolin gave a light chuckle.
He tossed the single silver coin in his hand to this true veteran.