Arthur And The Saintess's Friendly Banter

“I am Arthur Pendragon, second prince of Britannia. I’m said to be the best healer in the kingdom.”

He introduced himself before the meal—and of course, didn’t forget to flex. Arthur, ever the small-minded man.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Elaine, the Saintess of Jerusalem. I’d be happy if we could get along as fellow healers.”

In contrast, the Saintess responded with a pleasant smile. Very mature of her.

“By the way… they say I’m the best healer in Jerusalem.”

“Ohh…”

Not mature at all!! Elaine’s eyes weren’t smiling in the slightest. In a tense silence, the banquet began.

To begin with, Arthur was socially awkward. In his last life, his memory of such events involved Greed, a noble in his entourage, doing all the talking while Arthur nodded occasionally. Honestly, even in better atmospheres, he struggled with small talk.

Looking toward his last hope—Kei—he saw her standing behind him, visibly nervous. Even her big-sister act couldn’t hold up against someone like the Saintess, especially an elven one.

“I’ve heard of your accomplishments, Lord Arthur. Healing nobles and contributing to Britannia—it’s admirable.”

“Ah, thank you. I’ve also heard of you, Saintess Elaine. The townsfolk said they feel safe because you’re here. That’s quite impressive. I’d love to know how you conduct your healing. It might help me become more useful to others too.”

Arthur responded to Elaine’s polite small talk by mentioning what he’d heard at the food stall earlier. On the surface, it seemed like a peaceful exchange—but Arthur had another motive.

If someone with that level of ability could earn such respect, then if he did the same, surely he’d be even more admired. So—teach me already. His competitive spirit was flaring.

Whether Elaine noticed or not, she furrowed her brow slightly… then continued.

“Ufufu, I merely follow the guidance I’m given. By the way… I heard you recently treated a child at the orphanage? And that it was quite a severe case. Was there a change in your heart?”

“Ah, that…”

Elaine’s piercing gaze made Arthur falter. Maybe, like Morgan said, she didn’t approve of treating whoever you wanted? After all, most people seemed to accept donations or something… Truthfully, Arthur had treated the boy mostly because he was irritated that someone doubted his healing ability.

‘Crap… if this keeps up, I’m going to get put in my place.’

“Well, no one likes pain, right? I couldn’t just watch a child suffer like that. Besides, that kind of healing wasn’t hard for me.”

So Arthur masked the real reason and gave a convenient excuse. He’d helped the child out of sympathy, and it wasn’t that serious a wound anyway.

He glanced over to see if she bought it—but Elaine still wore a stern expression.

“I see… but that child was a commoner, correct? Forgive me, but I’ve heard that in Britannia, nobles are usually prioritized for healing. So what was your intent in going out of your way to heal a commoner—such a conspicuous act?”

‘What’s with this woman!? She’s grilling me hard! Is she really that bothered that I healed a commoner? But doesn’t she help commoners too?’

Thinking this far, Arthur had a realization.

Ah… she was panicking.

Up until now, Arthur only healed nobles, acting per the wishes of his entourage. But now that he was healing commoners—just like her—he, the “superior healer” (self-proclaimed), might actually become more popular than the Saintess. That must’ve shaken her.

In his previous life, after all, none of the knights ever chatted casually with him like they did at the stall today. So clearly, his reputation had risen.

‘Fuhahaha… you small-hearted Saintess, I’ll show you who’s better. Speaking of which… Greed asked her a similar question in my past life. She gave this response, I think:’

“There’s no deep reason. Within my limits, I want to help anyone I can—noble or commoner. I can’t save everyone due to daily limits and various circumstances, but that’s just how it is.”

“You help commoners just like you help nobles…? Words are easy. But are you being sincere?”

Elaine widened her eyes in disbelief at Arthur’s words. Then, Kei—who had been watching—finally spoke up.

“Lord Arthur speaks the truth. I’m a commoner myself, and when I was burned, he treated me and even made me his personal maid. He does not discriminate between nobles and commoners.”

“…I see… So you share the same view as that person…”

Elaine stared at Arthur and muttered something under her breath. Nice assist, Kei!!

‘Fuhahaha, Saintess, now that you know I’m aiming to do what you do, you’re getting desperate. If I can just use healing magic in front of you and prove the difference in power, I can make you admit defeat…’

‘If I start healing all the injured people in the church one by one… I’ll probably get scolded, huh? And if it causes a diplomatic incident, Morgan might kill me.’

Wait, wasn’t there something that happened next in his past life…? Arthur was pondering when—

BAM! The door burst open with a loud knock.

“What’s going on? We have guests.”

“Saintess!! I’m terribly sorry. A monster carrying a potent poison appeared in a nearby village… Some of the knights who went to subdue it, as well as several villagers, were poisoned and lost consciousness. We’re asking if you could go help them.”

“I see… I understand. For a trained knight to fall to its poison… Yes, I suppose it’s best if I go myself.”

Ah, right. In his last life, the banquet was interrupted just like this. Back then, Elaine asked him if he’d assist her. But once it was revealed the victims weren’t nobles, one of his entourage refused on his behalf without even asking him…

“I’m sorry, Lord Arthur…”

“Don’t worry—I’ll help too!!”

Before Elaine could finish her sentence, Arthur cut in enthusiastically. Because this time—it was perfect. They’d be healing the same poison. A direct comparison. There would be no doubt who was better.