The Atrocious Bard and The Little Princeling | Hunter X Gn Reader

Chapter 20: Free Time

"Aaaarrghhh! Why is this so haaard?!" you shouted, throwing your arms up in the air and raking your fingers through your hair in sheer frustration.

Nymeria sighed deeply and shook her head, her long red hair swaying with the motion. "It's literally the most basic fundamental magic of healing spells," she said, before taking the pot of flowers in front of you, its petals and leaves decayed and lifeless.

"Why do I even have to learn this? This is garbage!" you snapped, glaring at the dead plants scattered on the polished marble floor.

Healing spells were your never your strongest point. Despite countless hours of practice, you struggled to even grasp the basics, let alone master them. Every attempt seemed to end in disaster, dragging you back to square one.

"You know I can just stick to healing potions, right? I don't need to learn healing magic," you muttered, a note of defiance creeping into your voice. At least potions had the certain reliability that magic did not.

Darius, who had been observing quietly from the sidelines, sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his chest. His stern gaze bore into you.

"Like I said, we need to test your aptitude," he reminded you, his brow furrowing in a slight frown. His voice, calm yet authoritative, left no room for argument.

"Healing spells are my rock bottom," you lamented, glancing again at the wilted plants. "And apparently, rock bottom has a basement."

"Perhaps you are incapable of using healing magic after all," Darius said, shaking his head lightly in disappointment. His eyes shifted to the decayed plants.

Nymeria took the last pot of flowers and with a decisive snap, broke the stem. She placed the pot before you with a firm yet gentle hand. "Here, try one last time," she encouraged.

Darius raised a hand, gesturing as he spoke. "Like you said, using bard magic to manipulate fundamental magic depends on the tune, pitch, volume, and rate you play. Perhaps you could use a softer melody that may be able to replicate healing magic."

He paused, then continued thoughtfully, "Or perhaps bard magic isn't able to replicate healing magic in the first place. After all, you are the first to have the ability to manipulate fundamental magic with bard magic."

Taking a deep breath, you lifted your flute to your lips and gazed at the snapped flower.

It wasn't that bard magic couldn't replicate healing spells. You knew it could. You had seen it done before, by someone you knew long before. Her gentle hums had the power to heal even the deepest wounds, and the memory of her soothing voice brought a lump to your throat.

Her image floated to the forefront of your mind-her warm smile, the way she would caress your head tenderly, and how she healed the scratches and bruises you had acquired during your childish adventures.

You drew in a deep breath and began to play the nostalgic, haunting melody that she used to hum.

The notes filled the room, wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. You poured your heart into the music, willing the melody to mend the broken flower. But as the final note faded away, Darius's urgent voice snapped you back to reality.

"(Name)!" he called out, his tone a mix of concern and frustration.

You opened your eyes and looked down. To your dismay, the flower had not healed; instead, it had crumbled into ashes, far worse than the previous attempts. A pang of despair hit you once more.

Nymeria sighed deeply. "I think that is enough for today," she said.

You placed your flute back into your hammerspace. Listlessly, you turned and walked out of the infirmary, your footsteps echoing softly in the corridor.