With Gordon’s help, Dayton and Yerna escaped from the information room.
However, something seemed off with Gordon’s condition after their forced breakthrough.
“Gordon, how badly are you hurt?”
“It’s nothing serious, just a bit tired.”
“You’re bleeding from your head.”
“I’ve had that happen from time to time. It’s just because I’m getting old.”
“Is this really the time for jokes?”
“Hahaha. Or maybe it’s because you hit me.”
Dayton thought he still seemed like a cheerful old man even in this situation.
A moment later, Gordon wiped the smile off his face and said.
“More importantly, we need to get out of here quickly. All the troops are heading this way.”
“Gordon’s right, we have to leave here fast.”
Yerna agreed with Gordon’s words.
Perhaps there wouldn’t be another opportunity like this.
“Gordon, lead the way.”
However, Gordon shook his head.
“I have to check something until the end. You two go out and wait.”
“What? What do you mean? In this situation, what do you need to check? We need to leave quickly!”
Dayton looked confused, not understanding, but Yerna seemed to grasp the meaning behind his words.
“… You’re saying you’ll buy us time, and we should escape.”
“Indeed, you’re quite perceptive.”
Gordon smirked.
“I’ve lived long enough. You two need to survive. Go, be faithful to your family.”
“….”
At his words, Yerna’s expression dimmed.
She then turned her body and pulled on Dayton’s wrist, saying.
“Let’s go, Dayton.”
“I guess I won’t be getting that invitation.”
It seemed those words were rather unlucky.
“No… wait a moment!”
At that moment.
“Stop joking! If we escape now, everyone can live!”
Dayton shook off Yerna’s hand and picked up Gordon.
“Ugh! Wait, just a moment!”
“Stay still!”
——
“…….”
“…….”
Thus, the escape was successful.
However, Gordon was unable to open his eyes.
The penetrating wound in his abdomen… when had it appeared?
It had probably been there from the beginning; perhaps he had known this, which is why he said he would stay behind to buy time.
Though he had applied pressure to stop the bleeding, blood continuously flowed, likely because the vital spot had been pierced.
As a result, Gordon lay still, unable to open his eyes.
The longer the time went on without him conscious, the more rigid their expressions became.
This was a situation that could be truly dangerous for the aging Gordon.
“How long has it been?”
“Well…?”
Dayton asked.
“What should we do? Don’t we need to take him to a hospital?”
At the mention of a hospital, Yerna thought for a moment.
“A hospital is out of the question… It’ll be even more dangerous there.”
Dayton scratched the back of his neck, puzzled by her response.
“Then what do we do? This person is like your father, isn’t he? Shouldn’t we save him?”
“… But.”
Yerna looked up at Dayton’s fidgeting expression.
It was naive of him to suggest taking him to a hospital.
In dealing with the intricacies of the underworld, one inevitably makes many enemies.
To always be an ally here means turning others into foes.
So for Gordon, a leader of mercenaries in the underworld, he already had quite a few enemies.
Simply taking him to a hospital could have them on his tail.
That made taking him to a hospital a significant mistake.
Yet, if he survived at the hospital, she would certainly consider it. But right now, she just didn’t know.
Soon after, Yerna began to develop a calm plan, based on her rational thinking.
She was trained to do so.
“If it’s a situation we can’t save him from, then it’s better if we just bury him ourselves….”
“W-What a grim joke! That’s not acceptable!”
Dayton’s face went pale at her response.
Of course, it wasn’t an appealing solution.
However, sometimes an ambiguous disappearance is better than certain death.
Witnessing Dayton’s shocked expression, Yerna sighed, realizing she had to clarify it was just a joke.
“… Hah, that much is true.”
“What are we going to do… ah.”
As Dayton pondered, he finally found a solution.
“By the way, didn’t Luke have some kind of ability to heal injuries?”
“What? You’re suggesting to use that ability?”
“Isn’t there any other way? You said the hospital isn’t an option.”
“… It seems there’s no other way….”
Yerna shook her head, recalling Luke’s mysterious power.
The ability that could heal wounds that modern magic and medicine could not was far beyond her understanding.
Perhaps he could heal Gordon too.
But if that happened, what about Luke?
“Wouldn’t Luke be shocked?”
Gordon’s injuries included bruises, a penetrating wound, and fractures…
To a child, wouldn’t these seem serious injuries?
“Are you kidding? For now, saving a life is more important.”
It was indeed a big problem that they had to rely on a child to save someone.
Dayton spoke in a low voice.
“… I don’t think he’s the type to be shocked by something like this.”
Perhaps.
—–
A little while later.
Just after returning home, having put the kids to bed and finished his bath, Luke frowned as he looked at the old man, who was in a state that could be described as either a person or a corpse, brought in urgently by Yerna and Dayton.
“So, this is the person you brought to me.”
“Yeah, I wondered if you could possibly heal him….”
“Why bring him to me and not to the hospital? Is there any reason?”
“Uh, the hospital is out of the question. Something big will happen there.”
“The hospital is out of the question….”
Now that she mentioned it, it seemed there had been similar circumstances when it came to the Third.
Could this be one of those cases?
However, before he could diagnose, curiosity struck him.
These were clearly injuries caused by magic.
What on earth had he done to receive such injuries?
Luke looked at Yerna and asked.
“What exactly happened?”
“I’ll explain in detail later. Do you think you can help him?”
“Uh-huh.”
Luke stroked his chin.
Of course, he had the ability to heal.
With divine power, he could even revive the dead, so healing these wounds should be a given.
“But is it really okay to do this…?”
Even though it was his suggestion, Dayton still seemed troubled.
Entrusting a patient to a child just wasn’t something reasonable.
However, for some reason, that kind of common sense didn’t apply to Luke…
Dayton muttered, and Luke nodded in agreement.
“Hmm… Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”
“Really? Are you sure? That power is something you want to keep hidden.”
“It is indeed a power I should keep hidden, but there are times when practice is necessary to use it well when needed.”
Luke thought as he stroked his chin.
In life, families could get hurt in accidents.
Someday, he might find himself in a situation that magic couldn’t resolve.
Up until now, he had relied on luck and instinct to get by, but it was uncertain whether luck would accompany him then.
After all, he couldn’t just injure someone on purpose to practice his divine powers.
That said, given the current situation, it looked like he wouldn’t be able to talk about the hot spring travel coupon he had just won today.
“Then, Dayton. Could you lay him down on my bed?”
“Sure, got it!”
With Luke’s permission, Dayton immediately laid the old man down on Luke’s bed.
After that, he started to look at Luke as if asking what to do next.
“Could you step outside? Please don’t come in until I’ve finished speaking.”
“Huh? Suddenly you want me to stay out… Why?”
Because he would need to summon his wings and halo to bring someone back to life.
…was something he couldn’t say.
“You need to change clothes to use your power.”
“… Uh, understood.”
It wasn’t a lie about needing to change clothes.
When he activated his power, his body would grow for a while.
And both Yerna and Dayton were already aware of that situation.
With Luke’s words, Dayton and Yerna obediently exited the room.
—–
Once he confirmed they had left, Luke brought out a handkerchief and covered the old man’s face.
It wouldn’t be pleasant if blood got on the pillow during his prayer.
After that, Luke quietly began to raise his focus.
Slowly, he felt the area above his head beginning to brighten, and a tingling sensation in his back as if it were stiffening.
His halo and wings began to appear.
Luke spread his wings slightly, checked the halo floating above his head, and nodded.
This truly resembled the appearance of a ‘angel’ that was only spoken of in legends.
Though in reality, the wings were merely a side effect of his body’s growth mixed with dragon blood, the halo was something else entirely.
It was a phenomenon caused by the resonance of divine power and the mana in the air.
Unlike the magic that occurs based on knowledge and reason, divine power, which utilizes belief in higher beings and the life force of the corporeal, suppresses reason in contrast to magic, which suppresses emotion.
Thus, similarly to how a circle is inscribed on the heart to suppress emotion, the halo represents suppressed reason, floating above the head.
The emergence of such a halo was certainly a testament that he could now use his divine power.
Luke took a deep breath to quell the floating feeling as if he had been drinking, then opened his mouth.
“Heal.”
The room began to fill with a gentle light.
