Chapter 144
To Zwaarth
「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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