By Zephyria Hugo, carrying Leonardo and using Teleport repeatedly along the barrier line, had almost exhausted his Magic Power by the time he reached the base camp located in the northern plains.
The long battle with the core, controlling Leonardo’s runaway Magic Power, and setting up an ice wall at the last moment of escape to prevent the collapse of the barrier. An ordinary person would have been shocked, but thanks to his innate Magic Power reserves and mental strength, he was able to withstand the numerous trials.
But he was, after all, a human with limits.
Using Teleport continuously in a situation where he had little Magic Power left was physically draining, consuming not only Magic Power but also mental and physical strength. Moreover, since he had accompanied someone other than himself, the consumption would be at least twice as much.
Because of this, Hugo’s complexion, when he appeared at the base camp, was as bad as Leonardo’s, whom he held in his arms. The two looked so miserable that all the waiting commanders were surprised and rushed over at once.
He wanted to quickly show their condition to the medical team and receive some treatment, but the problem was that there were too many casualties in a more serious condition than the two of them.
There were those like Rainer whose body parts had been severed, and those who were on the verge of death due to excessive bleeding. Of course, Leonardo’s physical condition was no less severe, but Hugo, caught between the insufficient medical personnel and the cries of the members, had no choice but to make a decision.
“Take care of those who are more urgent first. I will head to the temporary headquarters in front of the Gate with Leonardo.”
Afterwards, Hugo took a stimulant that temporarily drew out Magic Power, and then, amidst everyone’s dissuasion, borrowed the power of a Magic Tool to open a Portal heading north.
There were far more medical personnel waiting at the temporary headquarters for the Eldermilli Peninsula subjugation operation than here. He planned to convey the situation here to them, deploy some personnel to the peninsula, and have Leonardo’s condition examined by the medical team in a safer place.
However, the process of moving there was not smooth either. Due to the irregular terrain changes of the peninsula, they sometimes fell in unexpected places instead of the set coordinates, and due to the unstable atmosphere, low pressure formed, causing heavy rain to fall.
Such difficulties pushed Hugo’s mental strength, which had been barely holding on, to its limit, but fortunately, Gray Scott, Cordelia Hares, and Flynn, the deputy commander of the 12th battalion, whom he met along the way, assisted him and accompanied him to his destination.
Thanks to this, Hugo succeeded in reaching the border area of the Eldermilli Peninsula around dawn, escorted by the royal guard. However, demon beasts trying to escape outside were swarming in front of the Gate, and it took another time to kill them and cross the defense line.
Even after barely entering Fidele Territory, the medical team stationed at the temporary headquarters was busy taking care of the injured who were pouring out due to the prolonged siege.
Hospital beds were woefully inadequate, and there were too many emergency patients. In the desperate situation, Cordelia, who was acting as the lord’s proxy, made a suggestion to Hugo.
“Your Excellency, if you go a little further north from here, there is a residential complex that has been prepared as a temporary shelter for the territory’s people in preparation for demon beast attacks. I will urgently summon the territory’s doctors to that place, so how about moving there with the slightly injured who are able to move? It’s not far from here, and the environment will be better than here.”
The Council’s medical personnel were currently so short-handed that they couldn’t even handle it if they had two bodies. If he could alleviate their hard work and care for even one more injured person, there was no reason for him, as the person in charge, to refuse the offer. Hugo immediately agreed.
“I’m counting on you, hurry.”
He was guided by Cordelia to the temporary shelter within Fidele Territory. After passing through the seventh Portal in a day and flying for about five minutes, the place was a vast open space with several cabins forming a grid structure, stretching out endlessly.
Cordelia guided Hugo to a cabin that was larger and slightly separated from the other shelters. As soon as he entered, a knee-high deck installed at the edge caught his eye. Hugo laid Leonardo properly on it and hurriedly began to undress him.
On the way, they had encountered rain, and both of their clothes were soaked. It was a major factor in lowering body temperature, and it was necessary to remove all the moisture in contact with Leonardo’s skin.
However, the damp and twisted clothes clung tightly to the limp body. As it didn’t come off as easily as he wanted, Hugo created a sharp ice spear and tore Leonardo’s clothes apart.
His momentum, with his impatience at its peak, was so fierce that the doctors who followed him flinched and took a step back. Even so, he carefully put his arm inside the clothes so that the edge of the ice wouldn’t touch Leonardo’s skin.
After pushing the tattered magic robe to both sides, the moment Leonardo’s upper body was fully revealed.
Hugo and the doctors, who were clutching the pieces of cloth, couldn’t help but be shocked.
“…What is this.”
Leonardo’s left shoulder to his upper arm was darkly stained. The shape, as if it were a pool of blood, was slightly different from the red spots he had seen before. It was a gruesome sight that made one suspect necrosis, and the color was so dark and the area so large that it completely covered the scar that had been there.
At that moment, the memories of the past battle quickly flashed through Hugo’s head with a hardened expression. Leonardo, whose left arm was attacked by the core and was falling, and the moment of confrontation when he pushed the core so that he couldn’t chase after him, came to mind.
Soon, the demonic claws that collided with his sword and the dark red blood flowing from the end flickered before his eyes.
The turbid voice of the monster, which had already disappeared, giggled and whispered in front of him.
‘He is already dying.’
The words echoed in his ears like a curse.
The rising sun quickly passed over to the other side. Deep darkness fell behind the retreating sunset.
Was it because of the amount of blood shed? A red moon rose that night.
The occasional sound of owls echoed through the bushes like a dirge.
The empty cabins were now filled with the Council members who had moved in large numbers. Faint groans and the stench of blood never ceased in each house, and suppressed sobs occasionally leaked through the window cracks.
The gloomy night air weighed heavily on their shoulders, as much as the weight of death. Apart from the territory’s people who were busily moving to carry medicine and food, no vitality could be found in the vast area where so many people had gathered.
In the meantime, the door of the temporary shelter that Hugo had entered carefully slid open. Two medical officers and Flynn came out together from the place where warm orange light was leaking out.
While seeing them off, who had kept their seats until late, Flynn was able to briefly hear about Leonardo’s condition.
“As I said inside, you must keep his body temperature warm and check his pulse steadily for the time being. His physical functions are significantly impaired due to hypothermia, and even the poison has been spreading for a long time, so his blood is quite viscous.”
The medical officer continued the explanation in a somewhat serious tone.
“If the viscosity of the blood increases, the circulation in the body slows down, resulting in a lack of oxygen supplied to the brain. In that case, the human body naturally stops physical activity, and various metabolisms decrease, inevitably falling into a near-death state.”
“…Yes.”
“Still, since we have primarily removed all the poison, I think we should watch the progress while expecting an immune response. …Please keep in mind that absolute rest is necessary. This also applies to the Legion Commander, so your adjutant must pay more attention. If you continue to endure in that state… even the Legion Commander can become seriously ill.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Flynn, who had heard the repeated requests, answered sincerely while making a troubled face. The medical officer recited the precautions, the medicine to be taken, and the frequency of changing bandages once more before hurrying away to take care of other injured people.
Flynn, looking at their receding backs, eventually sighed deeply and lowered his head.
‘Bleeding and internal injuries, bruises all over the body, fractures. There is not a single place that is intact. It’s a miracle that he’s alive.’
The medical officer’s words, which seemed like a chilling sentence, kept lingering in his head. At that moment, the corners of his mouth twisted at the rising emotions, but since all the members guarding the front of the shelter were looking at him, Flynn desperately held back his tears and composed his expression.
Then, he cleared his throat and cleared his voice, left a word of thanks to the members, and entered the cabin again.
Creak―
The inside, which he entered by opening the door, felt a little stuffy. It was because the internal temperature was so hot that sweat was forming, not just because of the atmosphere.
It was something that could never be imagined in a place where the Commander was usually, but now this place was filled with all kinds of heating equipment and the heat he was emitting. Since it was an environment for only one person, Flynn closed the door, being careful enough not to make a sound.
“……”
He walked forward a few steps, but Hugo’s gaze still didn’t move. He, who always cared about his clothes, was now shirtless and only had bandages wrapped around his abdomen, chest, and shoulders. Shadows fell on the voluminous muscles each time his bare arms moved slowly.
The navy blue hair, which had been neatly swept back, now covered his straight forehead. The blue eyes, barely visible through the gaps, were coldly sunken to an unfathomable depth.
His eyes were so lost in thought and lowered, only towards the pale face lying as if dead.
In the middle of the deck, which was installed to block the cold air rising from the floor, was a figure buried in thick bedding. The way he was lying down without even a breath was like looking at a beautiful but lifeless sculpture.
Hugo’s thick arms, which seemed angry, relaxed at the end of his long fingers. Then, he slowly caressed Leonardo’s smooth forehead, as if handling glass.
Flynn, watching the scene, somehow couldn’t approach any further. He felt a strange feeling that he shouldn’t be in this place right now.