“If you’ve truly lost your memory… I might be able to help.”

The man tilted his head, looking puzzled.

“How would you help?”

“Do you want to find your lost memories?”

“Well, of course, if it’s possible… But I never thought something like that could actually happen…”

He spoke in a voice filled with confusion, clearly shocked by my suggestion.

His naive expression suddenly reminded me of my past self. I had probably looked at Leopold that way sometimes. He must have found me pathetic. It was both pathetic and tiresome that I still recalled Leopold in moments like this.

Pushing aside my wandering thoughts, I explained to the man step by step.

“If the memory loss is due to a physical injury to your head, my healing might be quite effective. However, if it’s a mental issue, it won’t be of much help, so don’t get your hopes up too high. Close your eyes for a moment.”

He nodded and complied obediently. I knelt on one knee to meet his eye level. Then, placing my right fingertips on his forehead, I began to channel my magic. I aimed to find the point where the flow of life was disrupted. If he had indeed suffered a head injury from an external impact, my power would surely pinpoint the exact spot.

Soon, an excited voice burst out.

“It feels like my head is being washed with cold water!”

“Then I’m doing it right. Now stay quiet.”

He closed his mouth obediently and soon furrowed his brow. Simultaneously, the smoothly flowing magic came to a halt.

“Fortunately, it’s not a mental issue. You feel like scratching a specific part of your head right now, don’t you? That’s where the problem lies. If we proceed with the treatment, I’ll be able to see your memories too. Not all of them, just the injured ones. Do you still want to go ahead? We don’t know what might come up.”

“I’m just a kid; how significant could my memories be? It’s fine.”

The man quickly answered, perhaps anxious that I might change my mind.

“Alright. It won’t hurt, so there’s no need to be tense.”

With his final consent, I intensified the power. Instantly, several fragments of memory intertwined in reverse order.

It began on a coastal cliff.

A boy, around twelve or thirteen, with bright blond hair, ran confidently from afar and threw himself off the cliff. Applause could be faintly heard from the surroundings. Unfortunately, he must have chosen the wrong landing spot, as he hit his head hard on a rock in the sea. The sea, which had been transparently clear to its depths, quickly turned crimson.

In the next memory, the boy, even younger, was running again. It was a gentle hill. As he joyfully headed for the top, he tripped over a stone and fell, looking tearful at his scraped knee. Someone was calling him ‘…sir!’ from afar, running toward him. Unfortunately, the distance was too great to hear clearly what was being said.

Next was tree climbing. The boy, smaller than in the previous memories, climbed the tree with light, nimble movements. His arms were scratched here and there, but he didn’t care. He seemed determined to reach the top of the tree. However, the grip strength of a child who looked no more than seven or eight was not as strong as an adult’s, and he soon fell from the tree. People gathered around the child with cries of concern.

The memories I saw afterward were all similar. The child seemed to love running around, exploring all sorts of places. Thanks to this, I easily found a clue about where he might be from.

Removing my hand from his smooth forehead, we met eyes and exclaimed simultaneously.

“The Principality of Rumatera.”

“The Principality of Rumatera!”

The man couldn’t hide his excitement, raising his bound hands.

“My clothes weren’t ordinary! And there were so many people following me around! Wow, I must be the precious child of a grand noble. If only I could hear a little better! But I really don’t recognize any of those faces.”

“Fixing the damaged area doesn’t mean all memories will be perfectly restored. You’re only recalling what you can remember at this point in time.”

The child in the memories certainly dressed differently. He wore clothes made of fabric too luxurious for ordinary commoners, and the buildings around him were large, ornate, and beautiful. With elegant marble columns, geometric patterns engraved here and there, and neatly manicured gardens, the place resembled a palace, making me curious about his true identity.

Just as I was about to ask a few more questions to find some helpful clues, the man spoke up first.

“I guess I’ve been beaten up so much by those guys that my memory’s gotten worse. It’s a shame there aren’t more clues.”

How much must he have endured to say something like that so casually? His dry voice, questioning whether the severe scars were truly nothing, echoed in my mind.

I figured that trivial consolation wouldn’t mean much, so I changed the subject entirely.

“It’s good that the Principality of Rumatera isn’t too far from here. That’s the Whitia Mountains over there, so there must be a path leading south nearby. Let’s try to find it.”

He blinked in surprise.

“You’re coming with me?”

“If you go alone, it’ll take a long time to find your family. Your identity is unclear, and you look shabby. Besides, you’re still a patient… You’re not really a pirate, right?”

The man hesitated before continuing with his questions.

“Will going with you really help me find my family faster?”

“Probably. I have the imperial seal of His Majesty the Emperor of Denhaph. I can get you an audience with His Highness the Prince right away. If your status is really what you remember, you’ll find your family in no time.”

Upon hearing “His Majesty the Emperor,” he opened his mouth in surprise.

“I didn’t realize I was in the presence of someone so important! When I find my family, I will definitely repay this kindness. Truly! But before that, I don’t even know your name properly… Could you tell me?”

He asked cautiously, watching my reaction.

“It’s Hazel…”

I stopped short, almost instinctively adding a surname. After all, I was a person without roots, just a name. Besides, I had only taken Leopold’s surname for five years. Just five years… And in this life, I hadn’t even signed a marriage contract.

“Hazel. That’s a pretty name. I’m Derrick, as you might have heard before. We seem to be around the same age, so how about we become friends?”

He asked, smiling broadly, looking quite pleased. The way he tilted his head slightly reminded me of Jayden when he was young.

I steadied my wavering heart and declined the offer as calmly as I could.

“Once I know exactly who you are. It’s a bit much to be friends with someone who was a pirate until just now.”

“Got it. But I swear, I’ve never done anything bad. I was just dragged around doing odd jobs. Please believe me.”

He nodded eagerly in agreement, recounting the past in detail. He described how those guys tormented him and how he occasionally teased them back, which led to him being beaten nearly to death several times.

At such a young age, both Leopold and this man seemed to take the violence inflicted on them so lightly, which was frustrating.

But he wasn’t someone I should meddle with, and more importantly, we couldn’t waste time. Jayden would be after me as soon as he came to his senses.

“That’s enough talking. Get on the horse quickly. Dawn will break at this rate.”

“What about you, Hazel?”

“I’ll walk. I can’t let a seriously ill patient walk.”

The man hesitated for a moment, then grinned awkwardly and extended his arm.

“Well, if it’s not too much trouble, could I ask for one more favor?”

He intended to untie the ropes binding him, but it wasn’t the right time yet. My mentor always warned me to be cautious of patients. They were the ones most likely to exploit a healer’s sympathy.

Looking back, he seemed to fit that type perfectly. After all, with a smile like his, anyone would hesitate for a moment.

I firmly refused his request.

“No, I’ll only untie your feet. When we reach the principality and there are more people around, I’ll untie your hands then. Sorry.”

Fortunately, he quickly understood.

“Oh, I didn’t think it through. Got it. I’ll do whatever Hazel says.”

His face, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared lively. It seemed he finally had a clear will to live.

***

The Principality of Rumatera was a triangular country situated along the western coastline of the empire. One side bordered the sea, while the other two sides met the desert, with the Denhaph Empire as its only neighboring nation. The principality’s roots traced back to the Denhaph royal family, so the two countries had maintained a friendly relationship for a long time.

There were occasional tensions, but the Prince of Rumatera, who couldn’t afford to sacrifice his people against an empire ten times larger, always made wise decisions to maintain peace. Several generations passed smoothly in this manner.

However, history was filled with ambitious individuals, and Aaron Rumatera, the current prince’s brother, was one such person.

An opportunity arose for him when Raphael Rumatera, the principality’s sole heir, went missing.