Chapter 23: 22 - The 22nd "Treatment Required"

We are not going to stand around here and talk about it, so let's continue our conversation inside the village.

Leifa said these words with a blank expression on her face, and Helian and the others entered the village.

The situation inside the village was terrible.

They said they had been attacked, and there were scars all over the village.

Most of the tents were destroyed, and almost half of the original houses were completely destroyed.

It is not only the buildings that bear fresh scars.

Looking around, the injured were lying on the ground with only simple cloths, as if they could not fit in the indoor living space. Even if Helian saw only a few, there were some with broken bones and others with blood-stained cloths wrapped around their heads.

But even so, they are probably still the better part of the wounded.

As if to confirm this guess, an anguished moan can be heard coming from the few remaining tents.

"There was a big attack on Noblewood."

While walking to the center of the village, Leifa sputtered out a few words.

For some reason, she seemed to be a confessor repenting of her sins.

"About last night. The chief hunter of Noblewood led his army into the village. There was no room for negotiation, and the defensive fence was breached by magic fire from afar. ...... We made desperate resistance, but we were powerless to stop them, as you can see."

Chief hunter?

"In the human army, a general. The senior officer of the elven warriors. There are other higher positions such as and , but it is the chief hunter who leads the warriors in times of war. There is more than one chief hunter, but they are considered equal in power.

"...... What is the scale of damage?"

"We have lost half of our remaining forces. The other half has not suffered a few casualties either."

A complete defeat.

The loss of 50 percent of the forces means, in the words of a modern nation, .

It is a situation in which an organization has almost completely lost its ability to fight.

From a modern strategic point of view, there may still be room for resistance if the forces are replenished and the army reorganized. ......Latestwood is a nation made up of half-elves and other weak tribes. It is a nation created by those who have no one to turn to and have no choice but to fend for themselves.

There is no way that they can count on a replacement army.

"......What happened to the Lords of Rilifa?"

Some of them, including Rilifa, were kidnapped. About 40 people were kidnapped. We don't know the number of dead yet, so I can't give you a detailed count.

It was the worst situation.

The more I hear, the more the misery becomes apparent.

But that doesn't mean we can't cover our ears.

I shake my head to erase the girl's face that might pop up in my mind if I'm not careful.

Now I have to deal with the situation calmly.

"...... Leifa-sama."

"Yes."

There is no emotion on Leifa's face as she replies.

I felt a chill in her face, which looked like a Noh mask.

I have so many questions.

But I can't ask them without hesitation, surrounded by eyes of suspicion.

Then, before asking questions, what should I do now?

"My companion, Eltina, is a bit of a healer. If there is not enough help, I would like to let her heal the wounded, how about it?　Of course, if you are comfortable with the idea of being treated by an elf, Eltina."

"Well, I appreciate your concern. In this situation, I would like to take advantage of your kindness. I would very much appreciate it."

"Thank you for accepting. Now, please visit ......."

"The seriously wounded are gathered in that tent. I would be happy if you could save the lives of just a few of them, as long as you have the magic power to do so.

After all, it seemed that the wounded lying outdoors were still the better part of the population.

I could have guessed that, but it still made me feel a little defensive.

"...... as you have heard, Ertina. I will take care of the wounded. I will go with you."

I offered myself as an escort because I was worried about letting Ertina act alone in this village.

In the past, when I had organized a soup kitchen, the villagers had treated Eltina with some degree of friendliness, even though she was an elf and I was a human.

However, the way the villagers look at her now is not friendly at all.

Many of them are not hostile, but they are very paranoid.

Acting alone in such a situation may lead to unfortunate results for both parties.

In fact, Wenli's eyes are still fixed on Leifa as he walks behind her.

The other soldiers are similarly concerned.

Without Leifa's order to stop, or on the contrary, going out of Leifa's sight could bring about misfortune in itself.

Leifa led us to a tent near the center of the village.

There, the situation was as expected, or even more horrific than expected.

......

I thought I was prepared for this.

I thought I had used my imagination to some extent, judging from the anguished moans and groans that leaked out.

--But I was naive.

The tent occupied the entire narrow space where the wounded were laid out.

They must have run out of beds. About ten people were lying on the ground. A nurse with a sad face walks around in the tent, where there is not much room to step on.

The first thing I saw was a wounded man lying near the entrance.

He ...... no, she continues to moan in agony. The reason why we could not recognize her gender immediately is that her face was bandaged so that we could not see her real face.

Or perhaps she dared to be bandaged in such a way to hide her true face. It may be that they are trying not to expose the face of a woman who has been badly wounded.

Helian can only guess, but seeing that the right ear is cut so deeply that it looks as if it could be shredded at any moment, he thinks that his guess is probably correct.

But she was still one of the better ones.

The deeper into the tent, the worse it gets.

There are those without arms or legs, those still bleeding from the abdomen, those who have lost their light forever, and so on. Some of them even looked like broken dolls.

If left alone, they will not be for long.

"Leifa-sama?　...... who are these people?"

A small woman standing near the entrance calls out to us.

She is whispering, perhaps out of concern for the injured.

She is very small. She is not a half-elf, but she might be a ...... dwarf (korobokkur).

"This is Herian and his traveling party, who have kindly offered to heal you. This Lady Eltina here is skilled in the art of healing.

"...... with all due respect, your side..."

I know what you mean. I understand what you mean, but what more can we do?　Are there any who still have magic power to spare?"

When Leifer questioned her, the woman looked down, biting her lip in frustration.

Then she took a step back to the side, as if to clear the way for her to go.

That was the answer.

"...... Eltina, take care of them."

"Yes, sir."

Ertina tries to walk to the back of the tent ...... to the most badly injured.

"Please wait. The ones who are farther away from the entrance are more severely injured, so I would like you to treat the ones lying at the entrance first.

"Isn't it the other way around?　It seems to me that the injured in the back should be treated first. They need to be treated as soon as possible."

"But, this is a lot of injured people. Then, as a leader, I must make a life choice.

Leifua speaks her lines as a queen, but at a volume that the injured cannot hear.

Her face remained as expressionless as ever.

It seems that she has given up on the idea of treating everyone.

Only some of them will be able to be cured.

As long as the number of patients that can be treated is limited, he has to treat the ones that can be saved with certainty.

And that I have an obligation to choose the lives I can save.

That's what she tells me.

In other words, she indicates the fact that, according to her common sense, it is impossible for a single healer to treat everyone present here.

In reality, however, Eltina can heal everyone present.

If we tell Ertina to treat everyone here, she will do so.

And as a result, she will expose her ability, which is out of the ordinary for Leifa and the others.

--So what?

There's nothing wrong with that.

This country no longer has the strength to fight the Alkimyra.

There is little point in concealing our strength against the RATESTWOOD by hiding our strength.

Then we owe them a favor.

If we do not reduce their hostility even a little, we will not be able to gather any information.

So this is not sympathy.

This is not an act of cheap justice.

It is an action for the sake of Alkimaira.

It has to be.

"...... Ertina, is it possible to save the lives of everyone present?"

Eltina's blue eyes reflect Helian's image.

Her gaze says, "Are you sure?" The word "a" was included in the message.

Helian nodded his head in silence.

"It is possible."

"Well, then, that's the way--"

"Don't play dumb with me, ......!"

It is Wenli who mutters in a hateful voice.

Although his voice was whispered in consideration of the seriously wounded, the emotion in his voice was no different from that of the question and answer at the gate.

"How are you going to treat this many people? No matter how good a healer you are, you need at least fifty men. And you think you can treat them all by yourself?　Talk in your sleep and don't give them false hope with your delusions. ......!"

"Wenli--"

"I don't care, Mister Leiffer."

He held out his hand to Leifer, who turned a hard look at Wenli again.

I don't want to waste your time with unnecessary questions and answers.

"Mister Wenli, we do not intend to talk nonsense. However, whatever we say will not make sense to you now. Therefore, we will prove it by our actions. --Eltina.

"Awe, sir."

Muttering a prayer, Ertina stepped forward and folded her hands in prayer.

"Rain, in your mercy, fill his people with your healing light - the Cure Rain Force."

Range recovery magic spun by perfect chanting.

It became a deep green light that covered the inside of the tent.

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The healing light instantly enveloped all the injured people's bodies, filling the injured areas with green light.

After the light cleared, all that remained was clean skin without a single scar.

The injured people who had been moaning and groaning earlier are now looking at the bodies with surprised expressions on their faces as their wounds disappear.

"What the ......?

Wenli's eyes widen to reveal her astonishment as well.

It was such an unacceptable sight.

As if a chant I had never heard before was muttered, and in an instant the tent was enveloped in light. So far, so good. We can assume that the gentiles are practicing a magic that we do not know.

However, the elf woman who chanted had nothing in her hand,...... which means that she had used magic without any catalyst such as a wand or bright ore.

It is common knowledge throughout the world that a medium is necessary for the use of magic.

Even the elves, who were skilled in magic, could not escape from this common sense, and those who possessed a valuable catalyst could be said to be of a certain level of power. Leifa, who was just about to use magic, also wears a bracelet with a catalyst crystal in it.

And yet, the elf-woman had shown that she could perform magic without a catalyst.

This alone is an impossible phenomenon according to Wenli's common sense.

And with her own eyes, she witnessed the healing of the injuries of everyone in the tent at the same time, in an instant.

"That's impossible. ......"

Healing magic generally involves the expenditure of large amounts of magical power to enhance the self-healing abilities of the recipient. As long as the effect is an extension of the self-healing ability, a scar will inevitably remain.

It is said that if one masters the healing arts, it is possible to heal without relying on the self-healing ability of the patient, and a very few excellent healers can even heal old wounds. However, even they would shake their heads if asked if they could do so with more than one person.

Therefore, the scene in front of us, which we have just witnessed, is extraordinary by any measure.

If only one of them could have been accepted. I might have been convinced that he was a master healer.

But an elf woman who calls herself a traveler, who has healed this many people in an instant, without even a scar, using magic without a catalyst, is a master healer.

Wenli, who had been denied all four of his common sense at the same time, could do nothing but freeze, unable to accept the reality before him.

"It doesn't hurt. ......?　Why?"

The same was true for those who were laid out on the beds, who could not accept the reality of the situation.

The body that should have been in severe pain earlier was healed in an instant, and now there was no discomfort when he sat up.

Although the mourned limbs have not been restored to their original state, there is no reddish-black flesh or white bones that should have been there just a few moments ago on the cut surface where the bandages were removed.

Instead, all that was there were the scars from the treatment, as if they had been slowly healed over a period of months. It is inevitable to be stunned before being pleased.

The nurses are no exception.

No, rather, their degree of astonishment was greater than that of others because they were the users of the healing arts. In any case, the injured people who had been barely able to hold on to their lives even with all their magic power have now recovered to the point where they can get up on their own.

Some of them even slumped down on the spot, unable to take this impossible reality seriously.

"You are very good at this. I'm sorry I missed it. Thank you very much for your kindness.

Therefore, none of the people in the Ratestock area could understand Leifa's words of thanks to the travelers, who were still calm and unperturbed.

How could they remain calm in the face of such an impossible phenomenon?

How could they accept the phenomena before them that defied our common sense?

"No, no. It's not a big deal.

As if humbled, or as if she really thought it was no big deal, Eltina also responded in an indifferent manner.

"It is not life-threatening, but the defect cannot be treated. Please forgive me.

"It is enough that you saved my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

"Also, you might want to change the bandages that are still stained with blood. There is no risk of infection at this point, but we cannot deny that poor hygiene can cause some problems. All I could do is to treat the injuries and illnesses that you are suffering from now.

"I see. I understand. --You there, you heard me.　Do so immediately."

The dwarf woman, who had been standing still in a daze, seemed to come to her senses only when she received Leifua's instructions, and began to move about.

With this, those who had remained frozen in place resumed their respective tasks. Some of them were so surprised that they remained motionless in their slumped position, but at the urging of the elder nurses, they finally started to do what they had to do.

"......Lord Leifer, I would like to continue our conversation outside, if that's all right."

"Of course."

We go out of the tent and walk through the village with Leifa leading the way.

Leifa stopped at a spot right in the center of the village.

Suddenly, Camilla met Wenli's eyes.

Remembering that Camilla possessed a number of magical eye abilities, Helian sent out a by thought manipulation, forbidding her to do anything that she might do to Wenli.

After a few moments, Camilla's well-shaped eyebrows furrowed slightly.

I don't know what she was going to do, but it would be bad for us to take any kind of action in this situation. I understand that we need to take a hard-line approach when the situation calls for it, but I don't think we are at that stage yet.

I look around.

If you look at the ......, you will see that the people of the village are gathering in the distance. It seems as if we are surrounded, and we feel pressure.

Helian made up his mind to speak.

"Leifa! We know that there was a major attack by the Noblewoods. We know the damage. But we had nothing to do with it. We are not a part of Noblewood. I know it's a little late for that, but I want to make that clear first."

I gave treatment.

Sold him a favor.

I have proved my innocence by my actions.

I think that Leifua will accept my story, judging from her behavior.

Still, my knees trembled slightly.

"Yes, I understand. I have no doubt whatsoever that you have nothing to do with Noblewood.

"......Mr. Leifer, isn't it too early to say that?"

As expected, Wenli interrupted.

"Certainly the wounded have been treated. It was done with amazing skill. Many lives were saved. I admit that. But that doesn't absolve them of their suspicions. It is also true that many lives were lost.

"What are you trying to say, Wenli?"

"I'm saying that he may have staged this. First, he passed on the information he brought back to Noblewood, and then he appeared as if he had nothing to do with it and tried to ingratiate himself with us by offering us treatment. ...... We cannot deny that possibility."

How dare you say that in front of them?

It would be a lie to say that such a feeling did not come to her mind, but from her standpoint as Leifua's guardian, it might be natural to suspect such a possibility. But...,

"You've got some pretty funny stories to tell, Wenli."

Leifa rejected that advice outright.

She dismissed it as nonsense.

Her green eyes, looking at Wenli, were filled with a slight negative emotion.

"Nonsense is ...... what I think of this country, my dear Leifa."

"Then let me ask you a question. If you are a Noblewood, as you say, and if you are trying to deceive us, to take advantage of us, what is the point of this?

"What do you mean, you say?" ......

"What do the Herrians have to gain?　How effective would it be to deceive and manipulate us, even though we were outnumbered?　We don't have to do that. We just have to push with such force that we can't resist. Noblewood can do that."

"......!　Mr. Leifer, it's ......!"

"What does it matter if I'm not saying what I want to say now?"

The people are listening. ......!

I am aware of such a thing, even if you don't tell me.

Wenli tries to admonish him with sweat on his forehead.

But Leifa does not listen to him.

"Well, we can't deny the possibility. You are right. So let's assume, as you claimed, that the treatment just given by Lady Eltina was some kind of publicity stunt to ingratiate herself to us.

"...... Mr. Leifa?"

"But how much sense does it make to ingratiate yourself with us?　The village, the last remaining stronghold, has been hit hard and its forces have been almost completely destroyed. Our supplies, which were already scarce, have been exhausted by the recent raid. What does Mr. Helian want from us?　What can you take from us?"

"...... that, that, that..."

Shall I make a further assumption? Suppose, as you fear, that the Herrians are our enemies...?

Wenli froze in shock when he was asked this question as if he were laughing through his nose.

Leifa spun her words in an emotionless manner.

Can you beat them?

The words were piercing.

"I was pursued by his chief hunter, Sarawin Welt Noblele Leaf, during our retreat from the rescue mission the other day. But the chief hunter was repulsed without a fight by Herian and his men.

Leifua saw it with her own eyes.

She saw how Eltina had instantly deployed a high-level magic that she had never seen before and had easily defended herself against the chief hunter's attack.

And Leifa could not even see it.

She could not even see how Levee had come so close to the chief hunter at an almost blinding speed that she had to swing her fist out of her hand.

"If you had not stopped him, Levee's fist would have killed the chief hunter. And I have not seen you before today, but I am sure that your companion is just as powerful."

Leifa shifted her gaze to Camilla.

Camilla does not pay attention to her gaze and continues to watch her surroundings.

Camilla, who already understood that her "stray and weak companion" status no longer made sense, was, like Levee and the others, committed to protecting Helian.

"If they want to harm us, they can do so at any time," she said. And once they do, there is nothing we can do to stop them. If we have to fight against the Herrians, we have lost. Why go to the trouble of deceiving us?

"............ but the demands of the Noblewoods, who kidnapped the Lilliputians, are their ......!　If they had not visited this settlement in the first place!"

"You are missing the point. You have just claimed that the Noblewoods are working for you. It is true that Noblewood's demands were about them, but does that not mean that they have nothing to do with Noblewood?

--How can you not understand that?

Leifa asks Wenli this with her gaze.

Wenli, on the other hand, looked at Leifer with a blue face.

"In the first place, I would have been trapped in the Noblewood or even killed if you, Herian and the others hadn't helped me. Would you be okay with that?"

"Yes, that will never ...... happen!"

"You claim to be an agent of Noblewood, yet you admit to yourself that you are not. Yet, you are trying to denounce the Noblewoods. Are you trying to make them the root of all evil, and to offer them as a sacrifice to Noblewood?　Are you trying to get them to listen to you when they are no match for you, even if you mobilize all of the remaining strength in the lastwoods?　It is not that simple a matter. We have already passed the point where we can do anything about it.

"............"

"I understand that you dare to play the role of a hater. But shut up already. I can only interrupt you now."

Wenli stepped back and looked down, as if pressured.

His mouth spins nothing.

--Helian, on the other hand, also felt a chill.

Thank you for listening to me.

It's not for nothing that you let us know that you're not working for Noblewood.

However, it doesn't make sense that he would go out of his way to mention it in the center of a crowded community.

What is the reason for speaking so loudly and daring the people around him to hear it, and for making the villagers hear information that they do not need to be told?

"I have shown you something unsightly. Please forgive me for my repeated rudeness.

"......, no, that's fine. I can understand that you would be suspicious of us because of your position and your loyalty. For our part, we are satisfied if our suspicions are confirmed.

He hurriedly interrupts Leifa, who is about to bow her head.

What was she thinking, bowing to the queen in front of the people?

I have a bad feeling about this.

"More importantly, what is ...... Noblewood's demand?　From the way you're talking, I take it we have something to do with this."

"Yes. Yes, as you can see. Noblewood kidnapped Lilliput and the others, and he has only one request...

"You must hand over the group of travelers with the High Elves before the sun sets tomorrow."

That was the demand of Noblewood who attacked the settlement of Rattestwood.

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