Volume 7, Chapter 163: The Struggle of the Saint and the Missing Mercenary
Volume 7, Chapter 163: The Struggle of the Saint and the Missing Mercenary
A voice echoed in the streets of Belfein. This voice seemed to be the angry voice of Saint Matia. The crimson blood droplets left a mark on her pale cheeks. Her little lips quivered involuntarily.
「We need a hemostasis agent. Something useful like a medicinal herb with a hemostasis effect. Please collect all the medicinal herbs you can find.」
Matia desperately aided the seriously injured person that stood in front of her while speaking with a loud and angry voice. Blood had already exuded to the bandage that wrapped the wound.
“It is useless. After all, the wound this person has suffered is too deep. The laceration that cut through the shoulder is not fatal, but if left untouched, this person will lose a large amount of blood and will die.”
Matia raised her eyebrows and opened her eyes wide to look at the face of the seriously injured person that stood in front of her…Vestaline, the Steel Princess. Her consciousness had not yet returned. Her cheeks were slightly cold, probably because of the blood loss.
Obviously, her condition was bad. If Matia did not force her hands to hold the blood, the light of Vestaline’s life would slowly expire. Matia bit her lips and involuntarily rang the frustration hidden in her chest.
“…Lugis, there are things that I can and cannot do.”
Some things in the world were impossible to achieve. After asking Matia to rescue the injured, he sent a seriously injured person that almost died. Therefore, Matia realized the gravity of the situation in that battle. Of course, Matia was not a cold-blooded person. If she gave her word to help the wounded, then she was ready to swing her arm to the last minute in order to save lives in danger.
In the back alley, Matia naturally remembered the words she had exchanged before she parted ways with Lugis.
…Maybe there will be no need, but I’d like to ask you to be my last resort in the rearguard. I will be going to a fierce battlefield, so there’s no doubt that I can be injured, or even my friend.
Lugis simply disappeared into the battlefield after saying those last words.
Then, the one who arrived was the seriously injured woman, the Steel Princess Vestaline. Bruder, who claimed to be her mercenary, brought her to the rearguard, drenched in blood.
“However, as I said, there are limits to what I can do. I don’t know who caused such a serious injury to this Steel Princess, but it’s a deep wound with a sharp cut. She managed to live until now, but this deep wound is making everything worse. She would not lose so much blood if the cut hadn’t been torn all the way through her shoulder.”
「…How is she, young Lady? Vess…No. How is Vestaline? 」
A trembling voice echoed from Bruder’s lips. His voice seemed to include desperation, sadness and even discouragement. The deep wound, which kept bleeding, robbed Bruder of hope.
Matia did not know the relationship between Bruder and Vestaline. Rather, as far as she could see, they were enemies at first. However, after hearing the current voice of someone who tried to bring Vestaline here so desperately, Matia understood this woman’s existence was important. Vestaline was someone whom he did not want to lose. Matia’s heart made a strange noise.
“Somehow, his figure overlapped with someone in my head. Feelings that resembled empathy appeared in the bottom of my heart. I used to laugh at this foolish emotion.”
Matia took a deep breath once more. Her eyes narrowed. The mediator from the Heraldic Order brought some medicine.
「…Light up the fire. Burn the wound to stop the flow of blood. 」
Matia spoke while taking out a dagger from her pocket.
“I have to help her at all costs. Lugis went to help the mercenary Bruder. Then, Bruder brought Vestaline. I’m sure Lugis want me to help her too.”
“Lugis also told this himself. He wants me to be his last resort. It is my duty to meet that desire. And, ahh, this feeling.”
Matia felt these emotions, which once strangled her and held her breath, were slightly returning to her chest. Her palpitation increased dramatically.
“…And I’m a Saint. There is no way that I won’t be able to take the hands of those who desperately reach out for me in search of salvation.”
Matia knew it. She clearly understood. How many lives did she kill in the war so far? How many people fell in her schemes? Matia could not even laugh at herself, after saying that she really wanted to be a Saint to save people’s lives. She felt as if god mocked at this situation.
“This is hypocrisy. This is deception. Yes, this is one of those foolish acts. Ah, this should be the act I hate the most.” Matia thought deeply to herself.
However, Matia was not a person to give up on anything, even things that seemed impossible.
“Again, this is his entire fault. I saw him desperately reaching out to the battlefield, even though he seemed irrational. He looked helpless. A person who needed support and guidance.”
Matia put the iron in the flames and pressed the hot dagger against Vestaline’s shoulder. A slight sob leaked from Vestaline’s lips. Her frail-looking eyes opened slightly, but her gaze looked hollow.
「Someone, give her water. 」
If she regained consciousness, then she could drink water. Matia believed that drinking water could give her some energy to save her life. From this point on, it was up to her fate.
After this short moment, Matia pushed the iron dagger against Vestaline’s shoulder one more time. The unpleasant smell of burning flesh struck her nose. The direct feeling of Vestaline’s body trembling incessantly transmitted to her hands. Matia’s breath was also raging with a sense of urgency, and she could no longer maintain her normal state. Matia finally realized that her surroundings were dark. It was already night.
“…Then, I finally realized the distorted light that covered the surroundings.”
Matia’s eyes flickered reluctantly. Her gaze left Vestaline for a short time. A creepy green light covered Belfein. A light of a great magical power. Matia shook her lips, while rounding her big eyes.
“Should we stay here now, or should we retreat immediately?”
In a situation that seemed to be too abnormal, Matia’s brain hesitated for a moment. Reason shouted to her brain whether it was the correct answer to remain here. Vestaline’s moaning struck her earlobes. Matia blinked her eyelids several times without stopping.
“I’m feeling useless. Why? Because I’m no good right now. As the Heraldic leader, I should think about the Heraldic Order first. I am the Saint of the Heraldic people after all. However, I do not feel like leaving this place now.”
Matia couldn’t leave because there was a human being in front of her that had to be saved. Matia was the last resort designated by Lugis himself.
After confirming that the blood had stopped, Matia took the dagger away from Vestaline’s wound. Then, when she touched the medicinal herbs, she suddenly noticed. She looked at her surroundings involuntarily. But he was nowhere to be seen. The figure of the human who should have been pouring water to Vestaline’s mouth.
There was no Bruder in the vicinity.
Matia’s spine instinctively hardened and her lips distorted.