Chapter 59: C59 – Safe

After a mere 4 hours, Dirk began to wake up. By now, it was already a bit past noon. 

Turning his head, Dirk found that the rest of his group had unpacked and were lazing around, enjoying a day of recovery. Last night, while Casma was the only one hurt, the rest had been mentally exhausted. 

Dirk took a few seconds for his body to adjust before standing. The rest of the group saw him. Ava and Alec were glad to see him wake. Garet and Casma though were not.

The first thing Dirk did was walk over to Casma. She was laying against a pile of bags, and when Dirk approached, she shrunk back into them. Garet frowned as Dirk knelt down next to her. 

"Have you taken them off?"

"N-no."

"Alright. Let me see it."

Casma was nervous as she let Dirk do as he wanted. Dirk lifted her leg a bit and unwrapped the bandages. There was a bit of red, but thankfully not much. 

Casma winced as her wounds were exposed to the fresh air. Her heart rate sped up as Dirk took a close look at the wounds. 

"..."

He was silent as he seriously examined them. The wounds were still open, and unless they got stitched up soon, she would be left with horrible scars. As it was, they would leave behind bad scars anyway. 

Dirk checked to see if there were any signs of infection. After seeing how clear the wounds were though, he was surprised. It was as if they had been cleaned out perfectly. The only thing that could have done this was Alec's healing since they didn't have any medical cleansers. Dirk was pleased by this. It would make his job easier. 

After seeing that the wounds were as good as they were going to get, Dirk put up his hand and planted it on Casma's forehead. She looked at him oddly as he felt her temperature. 

"Are you feeling sick?"

Dirk asked. Hearing him, Casma was a bit surprised before nodding timidly. 

"Y-yes."

"You have a fever, and a headache I'm sure. Your wounds are clean, so there's no risk of infection. But bacteria still got into your system, and your body is tired from healing itself. You'll feel bad for the next couple days until your body fights the sickness. We still need to get you to a doctor though. Alec."

"Yes?"

Hearing his name be called, Alec responded. Dirk waved him over. 

"Use your healing power on her, as much as you can. After that, we need to pack up. We're heading out in an hour."

"Heading out? Shouldn't we rest?"

Alec couldn't help but ask. Despite so many things going on, Dirk kept them moving. He wasn't even letting Casma rest for a day. 

Dirk shook his head. 

"Casma needs to get to a doctor as fast as possible. Her life isn't in danger, but her wounds need mending, and she's only going to get sicker tomorrow. We need to move before she can't. The sooner we get her out of here, the better. Plus, I'm sure she probably doesn't want hideous scars on her leg for the rest of her life."

Dirk explained, throwing in one last incentive to keep moving. Hearing him, Casma frowned. She really didn't want hideous scars. She was supposed to be an elegant mage, but she couldn't do that if she had scars running down her entire leg. 

"Heal her, and start packing. We leave in an hour."

After Alec didn't say anything, Dirk reiterated himself. Alec only nodded before moving over to Casma. After he was done, Dirk wrapped her leg back up before beginning to pack. 

By the end of the hour, the group was packed and ready to go. Alec's job was supporting Casma, while Garet took up his position as a bag carrier. With that, the group left the haven, stepping out into the blazing sun. 

As they walked, Dirk and Ava were responsible for holding off the groups of skinks they encountered. If any got past them, it was up to Alec to muster up his physical strength and hold them off. Throughout the walk, Dirk constantly had Alec use his healing power on Casma. Because of this, Alec constantly had a horrible headache, but Dirk still forced him to fight occasionally. This was a form of training, and Dirk didn't mind being harsh on Alec. 

Like this, several hours passed. The sun eventually set, shrouding the desert in darkness and cold winds. The group continued to march in this darkness, but unlike last time, they had it easy. 

It only took a few hours to get out of the danger zone where the skinks had high strengths and numbers. After that, Dirk and Ava merely had to fight stray skinks that couldn't even scratch them. These skinks were only half the size of the big ones near the furthest haven, so naturally they went down quicker. Ava was surprised about how easy they were to kill, but she knew this was because she had been fighting the hard ones. Her skill had increased significantly. 

By midnight, the group finally made it to the central haven. It was here that Dirk let them pitch tents and sleep. Come morning though, he had them set off even earlier. 

By now, his words had proven correct. Casma had gotten even sicker. She would sweat even in the cold, and her entire body was weak. Alec felt bad and did his best to support her. Dirk was entirely unsympathetic though as he forced them to keep moving. 

At the end of the second day, they thankfully made it back to the first haven near the entrance. Dirk didn't let them stop though, and they pushed through to the exit. By the time they passed through the dungeon entrance, it was already late at night. 

"We're taking her to the doctor."

Dirk spoke as they emerged into the town. The dungeon association had a hospital next to it, so he went straight for that. In this town where most of the inhabitants were dungeon divers, it was impossible that there wouldn't be doctors capable of healing. 

Sure enough, one of the few buildings with a light still on was the hospital. Dirk's group walked into it, immediately seeing rows of beds, half of which were occupied by injured warriors or mages. 

"Yes? Can I help you?"

A doctor was quick to spot Dirk, calmly walking over. This doctor was a buff man wearing a brown apron, on which were plenty of bloodstains. Dirk pointed to Casma who was being carried by Alec. 

"She was scratched by a skink and doesn't train anima."

"Well, that tells me everything I need to know. Come."

Hearing Dirk, the doctor immediately understood what happened. He waved them over, guiding Casma to a bed where she was laid down. The doctor saw her feeble appearance and bandages on her leg. He skillfully unwrapped her leg, taking a look at the wounds. 

"Hm..."

The doctor's face was neutral as he looked over the wounds. There were four slices that went from Casma's upper quad to her calf, tearing through her flesh. The deepest wound was a couple inches deep. It was here that the doctor focused. 

"...Right here, this should have struck a vein. Who cauterized it?"

Upon seeing Dirk's handiwork, the doctor asked. 

"I did."

"You?"

The doctor turned to Dirk, a bit of surprise on his face. He nodded approvingly. 

"Well, good job kid. You saved her life. Without sealing that vein, she would have died of blood loss. Good job cutting off her circulation too. I can see those rope burns above the wounds. Whoever taught you this stuff did their job well."

The doctor praised as he continued examining the wounds. Hearing him, Casma and the others were surprised. 

When Dirk had seared Casma's wound, he hadn't explained exactly what he was doing. He had only explained that he needed to do what he did or she would die. At the time, Garet didn't believe him, but perhaps because of Dirk's direct confidence, he was able to keep himself in check. Dirk had shown skill and knowledge, so at the very least, he knew Dirk wasn't trying to kill her. Even Alec had been skeptical. 

But hearing it from a doctor, they were enlightened. The academy didn't teach them everything, but basic biology they did. Especially as it pertained to wounds from dungeon diving. There were major arteries that would cause the person pour out blood like a fountain if struck. If these wounds weren't handled quickly, these people would die of blood loss.

Thankfully, Dirk had known what he was doing and acted quickly. Without him, Casma wouldn't have survived the night. It was only now that the group understood this. 

"Alright, with you having sealed everything, and with the help of whoever is the healer in your group, I only need to stitch her up. Services don't come free though. If you want her to be numb during the stitching, then this'll cost about 30 gold. If you can't pay that, then it's 4 gold."

"30 gold..."

The group frowned. 30 gold was a lot. It was clear that the majority of the cost came from the numbing agent. 

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On this trip, the group had already spent a lot. By now, they weren't sure they would break even on the costs after they got paid for the job. That was even if they could complete the job now. Regardless, this was yet another significant expenditure. 

The bigger problem was though, they didn't have much gold on them. Sure they were all nobles from golden spoon households where 30 gold wasn't much better than a silver coin, but Alec had only brought a small stash of money with him. On top of all the other expenses, they didn't have much left. When he grabbed his bag, he frowned. 

"I have 20 gold."

Hearing this, the others felt their heart drop. Without 30, Casma would have to get stitched up without the numbing agent. 

The doctor also heard this, but he wasn't so anxious. 

"If you guys can't scrounge up the money, then I recommend putting some of it toward alcohol. If you get her drunk, the pain will be much less. Most of the dungeon divers here do that instead of paying everything."

"Drunk?"

Casma gawked, as did the others. This idea seemed ridiculous, but on second thought it wasn't. It truly would work, only Casma would have to pay the price of a hangover the next day. That on top of her already weak and sick body would put her through a lot of extra pain. No matter how this went, she would suffer greatly. 

After thinking for a while, Alec was about to agree and go grab some alcohol from one of the taverns nearby. However, at that moment, Dirk rummaged through the bags Garet was carrying. After a few seconds, he pulled out a large sack. 

*Clank*

He dropped the bag on a nearby table. It hit the table with a hard sound. 

"There are a bit under 100 mana crystals in there. That should cover the rest of the cost."

"Oh?"

The doctor's eyebrow raised before he opened the bag. Inside he found earth mana crystals and fire mana crystals. The earth mana crystals were only grade two, and they had come from the dune worms. The fire mana crystals were a grade higher and came from the skinks. 

The doctor seemed familiar with this mode of payment as he rapidly calculated how much the bag was worth. He soon spoke. 

"This bag should cover about 23 gold. Give me 7 gold and the cost is covered."

"Done."

Dirk readily agreed, grabbing 7 gold from Alec's bag and handing it to the doctor. He nodded as he transferred the loot to another bag and pocketed the gold. At the same time, Casma was looking at Dirk with a conflicted face. He so easily gave away all their loot just to pay for her treatment. This image of him contrasted with his seemingly heartless treatment of her in the dungeon. 

"I'll get working then. I'll have to ask you to leave in the meantime. In about an hour, you can come back."

With that, the doctor waved them out before mending Casma's wounds. The group walked back into the cold night air, their moods downcast. 

"..."

The group was silent as they stood outside for a while. At this point, Garet couldn't find it in him to say anything. He couldn't even lift his head to say thanks to Dirk. He had saved Casma's life and gave away their loot to get her healed. Garet owed more to Dirk than he could ever pay in a short amount of time. But perhaps due to his pride, he couldn't so much as say a word. His inner turmoil was great. 

Of course, Dirk didn't know nor care about Garet's inner conflict. He took a deep breath after stepping outside, feeling the nice night breeze on his face. It had been a bit stressful getting Casma back outside the dungeon, but he had gotten her out safe and sound. He was rather proud of himself. As for the loot being spent all in one go, he didn't particularly mind. Regardless of how they performed, this was a learning experience. It wasn't as if their livelihoods depended on their success. 

Despite the downcast mood, Dirk actually found himself smiling a bit. In the face of danger, he had saved a life and gotten everyone to safety. Dirk had done this very few times in his past life. He was always alone, and even when people were dying in front of him, his focus was turned elsewhere, always prioritizing the mission. There were seldom opportunities to get someone to safety after they were mortally wounded. 

But now, he had actually prioritized someone's life over their mission. He had taken charge in a group, tactfully leading them out of a danger zone. Despite Dirk's dislike for Garet and Casma, he had still done a good thing of his own volition. It was a nice feeling. 

"Hmhm~"

Dirk hummed as he moved his shoulder, bumping it against Ava's. She turned to him confused before seeing his smiling face. Seeing his happiness, Ava's previously blue mood was brightened. She nudged back with her own shoulder, a bright smile plastered across her face. 

"Hehe, you did a good job. I'm proud of you."

Ava was joyful as she wrapped her arm around Dirk's. She realized that he was happy to have saved a life. While things had gone wrong, it was Dirk who made sure that the situation never devolved beyond redemption. Casma and even Garet could have both died if Dirk hadn't been there. While he was usually very nonchalant about such things, seeing him happy like this was not only rare, but exciting. There were very few times where he found himself happy over an accomplishment.

Not only that, but he even wanted her approval. Ava was more than willing to give that to him. 

Dirk smiled a bit more hearing Ava's praise, deciding to accept her compliment. He also enjoyed their little intimacy. After they made up and had a run in with some robbers, they seemed to be getting even closer. 

Seeing their bright mood, Alec's mood also loosened up a bit. No matter what, they were all safe now, and Casma wasn't in danger. This was something to celebrate over if anything. 

Garet, on the other hand, wasn't happy seeing those two love birds getting cozy. He just stuck to the side though. If he ruined either of their moods by saying something, he might just get beaten up. He still remembered just how scary Dirk could be. No matter how angry Garet was, he wasn't willing to face that monster. 

"So, what should we do now?"

Eventually, Alec asked them as they stuck around the hospital building. He really didn't know where to go from here.

Hearing this question, Dirk thought for a second. 

"Well, we still have a job to complete. If we move quickly, we could make the 20 day deadline. It's been almost 2 weeks, so we have at most a week to finish."

"...I don't think we can finish in that time."

Alec shook his head as he thought about it. They had only collected the loot they did after 2 weeks of constant hunting. Now with Casma's situation, there was no way they could just move forward like nothing happened. 

At this time, Garet spoke up with a dull voice. 

"I need to get Casma back to the academy. She'll need more healing after this, and her parents will want to see her."

"Hmm..."

Hearing him, Alec frowned. If Garet were to leave, then they would be down a porter. Nobody would be there to carry their bags, and it would hinder their fighting ability. 

However, when Dirk heard Garet, he suddenly had an idea. 

"Hey Alec, how about you take Garet and Casma back."

"Huh?"

Upon hearing Dirk's suggestion, Alec was surprised. Dirk continued. 

"You guys take the luggage back. Ava and I will keep a few necessities and continue ourselves. We should be able to complete the job within the week, and then we'll head back."

"..."

Alec was silent as he pondered. He wasn't stupid. He realized that Dirk wanted to work alone, or at least without the weak links. Ava was the only one who could keep up with him, and they were also close. If it were just them, they could move fast and efficiently. Even Garet understood that they were only holding back Dirk. 

Alec wanted to complete the mission, seeing it through. At the same time though, everything that happened over the past several days had taken its toll on him. He wanted to go back to the academy and catch up on some classes while he recuperated. 

He had learned a lot on this trip. If he had to do things again, there would be many fewer mistakes. From watching Dirk, he also understood what he was lacking as a leader. He lacked the same decisiveness and ruthless decision making. Alec got scared every time he thought about how Casma would have died if it were just him. It was only his first dive, and a fellow classmate would have lost their life under his watch. He couldn't imagine having to not only report this, but confront their parents. It was a dreadful situation that he never wanted to face. 

At the same time, Alec understood how valuable competent partners were. Someone who could handle themselves and contribute to the group was apparently rare. He was understanding that bringing on weak people was asking for trouble. Alec knew that he was someone at the highest levels of his class. He had to start finding similar people and working with them. Dirk and Ava were the perfect people, but for now, he had a bit of catching up to do.

Thinking of all this, Alec nodded at Dirk. That night, after Casma was stitched up and released, the group made plans to return. Only Dirk and Ava would remain, and they packed two small bags worth of items. The rest went back with the group, Alec promising that their items would go back to their residences. 

 

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