Chapter 144
To Zwaarth
Translator : PolterGlast
「Please gather the severely ill in
one place; I will heal them all at once.」
The number of injured, particularly those unable to return
to the front lines, was roughly 500. My AoE casting skill was still immature at
LV 3, but if they were packed tightly together, I could heal about 30
people at once. Repeating that process roughly 20 times, and healing those with
relatively minor injuries along the way, about an hour and a half had passed by
the time I was finished.
「A-Amazing... The patients in the
first-aid ward are practically all gone...」
「Am I dreaming...?」
The middle-aged medic tilted his head while pinching his own
cheek. It seemed that even to a veteran like him, something impossible was
taking place. What's more, thanks to maintaining a proper pace, my MP
consumption was a surprising 0. I'm still just getting started, you know.
(Or rather, that gesture exists in Aristella too,
huh.)
After thinking about something so trivial, I slowly exhaled.
「Warrant Officer Sae, is it
alright if I go get some fresh air outside?」
「Of course, sir, Masaru-dono!」
Receiving a salute that was a notch sharper than the ones
before, I offered a wry smile and climbed the stairs. Stepping outside, the
morning sun had gradually risen high, and the time was approaching noon.
Perhaps because I had been stuck in that stuffy place until just now, the air
tasted delicious. Staying in the first-aid ward with its pungent stench of
blood and grime seemed to be quite tough for me.
「Sae-san, may I ask you something?」
「Sir! Anything at all.」
Apparently, seeing my Recovery Magic left an
impression on her, because Sae-san's attitude had changed to a highly
courteous one. I wondered how this battle appeared through her eyes as a
soldier.
「Battles like this one in the Doog
Wasteland... there are many of them happening all over the world, right?」
「Sir. Currently, this is the only one
in the Empire, but this officer has heard that wars
have opened in the Kingdom and Dragonia respectively.」
「I know I might get scolded for
saying this to a soldier, but... it's better if there is no fighting. Peace is
best.」
「I would lose my job, but I share the
same opinion. However, we fight for the peace behind the lines. This is a
necessary battle to maintain that peace.」
I wondered if 'behind the lines' was an Empire-style
turn of phrase for the home front...
They are fighting, even at this very moment. So that the people will not be
trampled by the demons who threaten humanity.
「You are kind, Masaru-dono...
This officer shall protect you. Even if it costs me my life.」
「You're exaggerating.」
「No, among those saved by your Recovery
Magic were my peers and seniors. You saved them... That fact alone makes
you worth risking my life for.」
A beautiful woman like her is fighting with the resolve to
throw her life away. On this battlefield, the value of life is just that light.
That way of being as a soldier seemed sublime to me. At the very least, far
more than me, who came to the battlefield without holding any grand ambitions.
(—I've decided. I feel bad for Lirica, but I'm going
to put an end to this battle in the Doog Wasteland.)
Power leveling against crazy strong monsters in a dungeon
would probably be more efficient than dealing with 1000 demons anyway... That's
probably just an excuse I'm making to myself. I just simply cannot forgive
this. This current situation where medics and humans are being hurt like this.
And—my own lack of imagination, having never even considered that things like
this were happening.
(Ever since coming to Aristella, I had somewhat
treated this world like a game.)
Game-like parameters such as stats, a safe haven like my Home,
and skill LVs that went up even if I did nothing... Of course, I've
fallen into life-threatening danger many times, but I think I even enjoyed it
on some level. But while Aristella is another world to me, for the
people born here, it is undeniably reality itself.
(It's not like I'm trying to atone for my sins, but...)
I have power. Power enough to conquer dungeons... Power
enough to change the tide of battle. If so, then I shall wield this power. By
my own will, and no one else's.
「Sae-san, I am going to... annihilate the demons now. Please
tell me their location.」
「...Umm, what exactly do you mean?」
From the perspective of her, who thought I was just a
healer, it's only natural she didn't understand what I meant. Therefore, just
as I had demonstrated at the Adventurer's Guild before, I smiled while
cloaking my fingertips in Lightning Magic.
「Literally. I'm going to defeat them
all, leaving not a single one behind. So that there will be no more casualties
on this battlefield. This place is not worth a beauty like you throwing her
life away.」
「—Wh-!?」
Sae-san, her
face turning bright red, mumbled something with her mouth. After that, she
slapped both of her cheeks with a smack, and told me the position where
the demons were attacking from and the direction of what seemed to be their
base.
「Well then, see you later.」
「A-Are you truly going!?」
「Yeah.」
I gave a firm nod while activating Perception. Before
the demons start getting any funny ideas, I'll wipe them all out at once. I
also wanted to verify the strength of a feudal lord-class demon once, anyway.
「Let's meet at the victory
celebration next time.」
Using Jaunt, I left the spot. My destination was the demons' base... the Demon Territory Zwaarth, located beyond the wasteland.
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