By Zephyria 
This week in Artifact class, we learned about Medical Artifacts.
When Professor Kaiser gestured, the class assistant, Hershey Milton, went around distributing three Artifacts to each of the children.
Professor Jurgen Kaiser began with an explanation that invoices would be sent to each family’s name, and students who wished to check the amounts would be guided at the academic affairs office.
The small ones were thumb-sized rods, the medium ones were round pendants, and the large ones resembled bandages about a span wide. I, ignorant of such things, could barely tell they were Artifacts thanks to the Mana Stones embedded within them.
Professor Kaiser slowly surveyed the students, holding a Chalk Artifact in his right hand and a small Medical Artifact in his left. Though the professor had a small build, his gaze was sharp.
“Of course, it is important to be familiar with the use of other Artifacts, but Medical Artifacts, especially those for external wounds, must be practiced enough to be used quickly and immediately.”
The chalk levitated on its own and began writing on the blackboard with a clattering sound.
It was a wondrous item, no matter how many times I looked at it. Next to a crudely drawn human figure on the blackboard, it was written how many hours one had to treat injuries to each part of the body.
I copied it down into my notebook.
Naturally, it was not much different from the Central Plains.
It was the kind of information that stated injuries to the head must be treated within three hours, and injuries to the limbs could be treated within a day, assuming the wound was not infected.
I, who had been listening rather listlessly, was surprised by what the professor said next.
“And when a limb is severed, it must be treated within twelve hours for it to be reattached.”
“…Reattached?”
“For extremities like fingers or ears, a Type 2 Limb Reattachment Device must be used within twelve hours. For amputations above joints like the elbow or knee, a Type 3 Limb Reattachment Device must be used within four hours for complete recovery. However, when the thigh is severed, one must be careful…”
Even when my twisted Energy Channels were healed with Recovery, I thought the medical technology of this land reached the heavens. But what was this talk of reattaching severed arms and legs to a human body?
I thought it impossible unless one was the legendary Shinui or Hua Tuo.
The thought of making such severe wounds disappear with these small Artifacts made my jaw drop.
The smallest of the three Artifacts I received was the Type 2 Limb Reattachment Device.
It was explained that the Type 3, which had the same shape but one more Mana Stone, was more expensive and had the same usage method as the Type 2, so it was not used in class.
The pendant-shaped one was a Type 3 Comprehensive Recovery Device with effects for overall hemostasis and increased recovery speed, and the one resembling a bandage was a Type 2 Skin Restoration Device for treating burns and lacerations.
As the explanation continued that before using an Artifact, the wound must be treated with clean water or high-proof alcohol to remove contaminants, I poured all my mental strength into controlling my expression.
I wished something like this existed in the Central Plains.
No, it didn’t. I desperately shook off the terrible afterimages that flashed in my mind.
If such miraculous items were brought to that land, I would have been plagued by thieves trying to steal the fortuitous encounters. Namgung Jeong-yeon of that land did not have the strength to protect such precious things.
All three Artifacts were devices that required the removal of a safety pin and pressing the buttons in sequence to operate.
When told to practice without removing the pin, all students wore serious expressions and pressed the buttons in order. Although the buttons to press differed depending on the wound area, there was a consistent rule in the sequence, which was good because once memorized, it could be used for multiple Artifacts.
The professor advised us to train until we could operate the buttons even with our eyes closed, as panic in a desperate situation could lead to improper operation, and I readily nodded.
After the children practiced the operating method a few times, Hershey Milton pushed a cart placed in a corner of the classroom forward.
On the cart sat a human-shaped doll wearing a white shirt and dark pants.
There were cracks on its head, chest, abdomen, and limbs. The doll, smeared with a thick blue liquid instead of blood, looked grotesque, causing me to furrow my brow.
“What you see before you is a Training Golem. It has been set up so that even after treating the wounds with Preservation Magic, the same type of wounds will be recreated. From now on, students sitting in the front left row will come forward one by one and use the Artifacts distributed today.”
Mage Boulder, with whom I study my Mind method every Tuesday, had also explained golems.
Boulder had said golems were similar to dolls made of earth and stone, but what I was seeing resembled a human more.
Even though the glass beads embedded in its wide-open eyes and the skin of its entire body were not human but animal hide, it still did.
I shuddered all over, thinking how cruel this Preservation Magic would be if cast on a living person, and I couldn’t speak.
The sudden, cruel spectacle before my eyes was equally bewildering, as I heard gasps of surprise from the children here and there.
Seeing the first student called hesitate and fail to step forward, Professor Jurgen Kaiser spoke in a firm voice.
“In reality, when you use these Artifacts, you will see more gruesome sights. If you learn to treat them calmly without panicking, you can ensure the safety of your comrades, and ultimately, your own safety. Begin.”
“…Yes.”
The first child stepped forward and removed the safety pin of the pendant-type Artifact.
The slight tremor in their fingertips as they pressed the button was clearly visible even from my distant seat. The professor glanced at the sight and continued.
“Many of you will likely embark on long journeys after graduating from the academy. I repeat: safety is bought with money. If there is no Mage who can use Healing magic at a high level, you must carry twice the number of Medical Artifacts as your traveling party for all journeys.”
Soon, the first child successfully operated the Artifact.
Using my Eye Force to observe, I could see all the wounds on the golem twitching. The edges of the wounds intertwined with each other, closing the gaps.
The way the wounds healed was as grotesque as their appearance.
As the wound reopened, a child standing nearby shrieked and ran back to their seat.
The professor, paying little attention, called the next student.
Watching carefully to see if the children were pressing the buttons in the correct order, the professor spoke again.
“While the practical training proceeds, I will give a lecture on how to purchase Artifacts at a reasonable price. Medical Artifacts are eligible for imperial subsidies if their purpose and usage are clearly defined. Before purchasing an Artifact, you must first fill out a subsidy application and report it to the relevant tax office…”
I copied down what the professor was saying while waiting for my turn.
Every time I felt how much the Sierran Empire valued human life, my ribs ached. It was phantom pain from the spot where I was last stabbed before dying in my past life.
It was absurd. There was nothing more foolish than dragging a wound that no longer existed into this life.
Like the other students, I successfully healed the golem’s wounds and watched them reopen.
For some reason, my mouth felt bitter, so I brushed my teeth immediately after class.
❖ ❖ ❖
In Tuesday’s Advanced Swordsmanship class, we continued practicing Combined Swordsmanship.
Maelo Sanson’s sword swings were at a strangely high angle and height. He was swinging his sword with monster battles in mind.
When I realized this belatedly and mentioned it, Maelo Sanson nodded with a pleased expression.
“That’s right. Those of you learning advanced swordsmanship, I know you will visit the Yuil Mountains at least once in your lives, even if I try to stop you. All the monsters in the Yuil Mountains are quite tall. An Ogre would swing its club from this very position I’m swinging from now.”
It was a name I had seen in fairy tale books.
I knew about four types of monsters: Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, and Trolls. I still found it hard to believe that creatures with green skin and grotesque faces actually existed.
They were truly monstrous.
Maelo Sanson explained that even monsters of the same species had different tribes, and each tribe had different characteristics, demonstrating their movements with his body.
Imagining tall monsters, I followed Maelo Sanson’s movements with my eyes. Looking at the simple trajectory of his powerfully swung steel sword, I could understand the monsters’ ferocious nature.
During a short break, I caught Maelo Sanson and asked him about the Yuil Mountains.
Maelo Sanson spoke without hesitation about how he was recruited into the Imperial Knight Order immediately after graduation.
I had heard related stories from Ian Venters, the vice captain of the Magnolia Knights, during the summer break, but hearing it directly from him was a different experience.
Maelo Sanson did not mention at all that he had graduated at the top of his class or that he was specially recruited into the Imperial Knight Order upon graduation. Instead, he said with a broad smile,
“Well, anyway, swordsmen are all the same, aren’t they? They want to know how strong they are, they want to show off, and they want to become stronger. That’s why I went to the Yuil Mountains. Sparring with my academy peers doesn’t give me a sense of how much stronger I’ve become because our skill levels are not that different.”
“You went right after graduation?”
“It wasn’t a reckless approach. As you all know, the Imperial Knight Order is broadly divided into two: the Imperial Guardian Knights who protect the Imperial Palace, and the Special Imperial Knight Order who participate in subduing the Yuil Mountains.”
The students listening responded with “We know,” their voices merging into a murmur. Maelo Sanson nodded, crossing his thick arms.