Defected Dark Healer’s Rise to Wealth
“──I am not well-versed in military affairs. Don’t you think that’s obvious? After all, I am a Dark Healer.”
Inside the executive office reserved for the high-ranking officials of the Demon Kingdom in the Demon Lord’s castle.
As soon as I returned from the throne room and muttered those words, Milphobia let out a feeble sigh.
“…Um, first of all, welcome back, Alaya-sama. So, um… how did your audience with the Demon Lord go?”
“There will be no punishment regarding Mask the Melon.”
“…Huh?”
“Also, I’ve been assigned to lead a mobile medical unit in the next battle against the Western Elven Nation, and I’m free to act as I please from today onwards.”
“…Huh? Um… huh? I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m keeping up with this…”
Milphobia put a hand to her chin, seemingly deep in thought.
“So, in other words… there’s no punishment for Mask the Melon… you’ve been assigned to a mobile unit in the next operation… and you’re free to act as you please starting today?”
“Yes, you just repeated exactly what I said.”
“S-Sorry. I’m just a bit confused…”
Milphobia pressed her fingers against her temple as if nursing a headache.
Well, that was understandable. Even I, who had received the orders firsthand, was still struggling to grasp the rapid changes in the situation.
But the Demon Lord Lumac’s orders had already been issued. ‘The die has been cast,’ as they say. No matter what number it lands on, the first step is to act, otherwise, the minimum value is already decided.
“Anyway, Milphobia-kun. I must quickly organize the mobile medical unit in preparation for battle with the Western Elven Nation, formulate a proper strategy, and then head once more to that land—Westwood.”
I stuffed a notebook, pen, and ink from my office desk into my bag without care and turned to her.
“In the meantime, I’ll leave the operation of Alaya General Hospital and the arrangement of a substitute Dark Healer in your hands.”
“Understood… But, may I ask something?”
“What is it?”
“Well, this might sound rude, but when you said you were going to formulate a proper strategy… I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy.”
“I figured as much. I’m uneasy too.”
Milphobia, who had been hesitating, now stared at me in astonishment.
“…Alaya-sama is… uneasy?”
Is that so surprising?
I’m a living being too—I feel nervous and anxious like anyone else.
“I told you at the beginning, didn’t I? I’m not well-versed in military affairs. There’s no way I can come up with a proper strategy on my own. But if it’s an order, I have no choice but to follow it.”
“Then… wouldn’t it be best to explain that to the Demon Lord?”
“Under normal circumstances, I would. But His Majesty said, Move freely. If that in itself is an order, then refusing to act freely and asking for further instructions would go against his very intentions.”
“I-I see…?”
Milphobia crossed her arms and tilted her head.
“Then… what exactly do you plan to do next, Alaya-sama?”
“It’s simple. No matter how freely I act, war is still a strategic conflict involving violence. That means there must be some established patterns to follow, right? The so-called orthodox—traditional—strategic actions. I’ll study them.”
“Study the orthodox way…?”
“I’m a Dark Healer, a specialist in Dark Heal. Similarly, war has its own specialists. I’ll seek out such individuals and gather insights from them.”
Finally, I added, “Summon Swan and the others to gather tomorrow at ten,” and left the office.
I already knew where my first stop would be.
—And then, after the office door shut with a bang.
“…So hectic…”
Alone in the office, Milphobia finally let out a deep sigh, lowering the shoulders that had been tense from the rapid succession of events.
“But… Alaya-sama talking about orthodoxy… that doesn’t seem like him.”
She belatedly realized something.
Why would Demon Lord Lumac assign a mobile unit to Kiwi Alaya, a man who would run off anywhere if left unchecked?
Wasn’t it because Lumac expected something entirely opposite of orthodoxy—something heterodox, something unconventional?
“…Am I just overthinking? No, surely I am.”
Demon Lord Lumac and Kiwi Alaya—two individuals far sharper than herself—clearly understood each other and were working in tandem.
There was no room for a mere secretary to interject.
“Well then, I need to fulfill my own responsibilities.”
Milphobia began moving.
First, she would meet with the Chief Military Physician, Eisei, to see if there were any Dark Healers available to substitute at Alaya General Hospital.
Then, she would deliver the summons to Swan and the others.
＊ ＊ ＊
【~ First Consultant ~】
“—And that’s why, Shes, I need your help.”
As always, Shes, who possessed holy power, was unable to enter the Demon King’s Castle. Instead, she waited just outside, almost like a gatekeeper. I decided to consult her on this matter.
“I see… a skirmishing mission, is it?”
“That’s right. Shes, you should be well-versed in the orthodox strategies for deploying skirmish units, shouldn’t you?”
Shes was a hero of a fallen kingdom and a holy knight. I had refrained from prying into her past until she spoke of it herself, but it was possible that she had once led a hero unit similar to those in the present kingdom.
“Of course! I know all about it!”
“Oh!”
“If you don’t mind me taking the liberty, I can even share with you a foolproof strategy for skirmishing.”
Seeing Shes confidently puff out her chest, I could do nothing but marvel.
A foolproof strategy, huh?
Wouldn’t that mean if the enemy also used it, the outcome would be a toss-up?
Something about this felt fishy.
…Well, whatever. Let’s hear her out.
When I gestured for her to continue, Shes’ eyes sparkled.
“The foolproof strategy for skirmishing is—whenever you find a gap in the enemy lines, charge in, wreak havoc as much as you can, and then escape alive!“
“…I see.”
I knew it.
She was all about brute force.
“Shes, the unit I will be commanding is a skirmish medical unit. It’s not meant for rampaging. Most of its members are military doctors, and they won’t have that kind of mobility.”
Recklessly diving into the front lines of a heated battle would be a one-way ticket to disaster.
On the other hand, if we simply stayed back and waited, we wouldn’t be doing anything different from a regular battlefield medical camp. What would be the point of a skirmish unit then?
Maybe a more mobile approach—where we move swiftly from the medical camp to aid various battle zones—could be a viable option.
“What I want to discuss isn’t micro-level unit tactics in individual fights, but rather macro-level strategic deployment across the battlefield as a whole.”
Since I was given command of a skirmish unit, instead of setting up a medical camp in one place and committing to a single battle, I needed to consider the big picture—surveying the entire battlefield, moving dynamically, and shifting our engagement zone by the hour.
“Micro…? Macro…?”
“Think of micro as small-scale battles in limited areas, while macro refers to the broader battlefield as a whole. What I want to know is if there are any established, orthodox strategies for deploying skirmish units in a way that leads to overall victory.”
“Uh… well…”
Shes blinked a few times, then hesitantly said:
“When I was a hero, my role was mostly… defeating countless invading demons and monsters from the Empire.“
“Hmm.”
“Some enemies were organized, some weren’t. But my unit’s main job was to plunge right into the enemy’s core, create as much chaos as possible while our allies prepared their defenses, and then escape alive. We called it the Boomerang Strategy…”
“I see. So skirmishing can also serve as a distraction… That might be useful in some way. Not exactly medical, though. Anything else?”
“…That’s all.”
Shes averted her gaze.
“That’s… all…”
She repeated it twice, looking a little embarrassed.
So that was really it, huh?
Well, history did tell of a time when the world was much harsher for humanity, filled with rampaging monsters and demons.
In such an era, there was no room for humans to fight amongst themselves. Strategy didn’t need to be complex—just charge and survive.
“Hmm. It was still helpful. Thanks.”
“No, I’m embarrassed after boasting so much…”
Shes turned her face away, blushing to the tips of her ears.
…Well, truth be told, that information was nowhere near enough.
I needed to consult someone else.
Fortunately, I still had a few leads.
