A single tent stood nearby, distinguished from the others by a red cross painted on it. This was the place for medical treatment, if I recalled correctly.
The interior appeared fairly quiet. Of course, there were hardly any injuries from this battle, so it made sense. It was likely due to the power Yurph had displayed.
If not for her, the extermination team might have suffered significant losses. Of course, with Abel around, they wouldn’t have been completely wiped out.
I gently pushed aside the curtain of the tent and stepped inside.
‘The smell of disinfectant.’
It was the smell of alcohol that I had grown tired of in my past life. Was the concept of hygiene already known in this medieval era?
A fleeting thought crossed my mind, but upon remembering that this world was based on a fantasy setting, I decided to let it go.
The ward was quiet.
Inside, there were several iron bedsteads lined up in a row. Without exception, they were all empty aside from Yurph’s, meaning there were no other patients.
I carefully approached her bedside.
“…It’s worse than I thought.”
Yurph was frowning, moaning in pain.
Despite the divine force gathering around her to heal, her condition showed no signs of improving.
I sat on a chair next to her and gently checked her pulse.
“It’s faint.”
Her pulse was so weak it seemed like it would fade at any moment. I well knew what this implied.
I had assumed she had merely fainted, but her condition turned out to be far more serious than expected. Even with divine healing clearly in effect, her state remained unchanged.
“Sibley.”
[She’s been poisoned.]
Poisoned?
Could she have inhaled some of the venom that monster had sprayed earlier? But something didn’t feel quite right about that.
Divine power should be able to expel poison, yet Yurph was still in this condition even while divine power swirled around her.
[It seems her body rejects divine power.]
To that question in my mind, Sibley offered a simple explanation.
“Can that kind of constitution exist?”
Without realizing it, I questioned him out loud. Sibley also looked surprised as he regarded Yurph and replied.
[I’ve heard of it, but this is my first time seeing it in reality.]
Upon hearing Sibley’s words, I unconsciously frowned.
If divine power can’t be used, there’s no way to purge the poison. There’s no chance there’s an antidote for venom from a creature of another dimension.
While I was lost in such thoughts, Sibley spoke up from beside me.
[Why are you so concerned about this girl?]
At his question, I paused to think. Why was I so worried about her?
“Just… it doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem.”
In Yurph’s demeanor, I saw an overlap with my past self.
The memory of mindlessly attacking others, of responding to their kind gestures with cynicism.
That was before I possessed Adelle’s body.
Back then, both economically and mentally, I was cornered. The only belief that remained was an almost stubborn conviction that this terrible life held no meaning and that help from others was unnecessary.
In that state, my words were like thorns, inflicting pain on many people around me.
Although the memory is a bit hazy, I’m sure I must have said such things even after becoming Adelle. I definitely hurt Lily, who had come to help me.
Although those events have been erased thanks to the reset, her face when she heard those words still lingers in my memory.
That is why I couldn’t help but feel concerned.
Especially since the last words she muttered before losing consciousness bore an eerie resemblance to ones that I deeply regretted.
[I see.]
Sibley nodded understandingly. Just then, a priest entered the tent.
Dressed differently from the others in a black priest’s robe, he paused upon seeing me, scrutinizing my face.
As I started to feel a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, he spoke.
“Are you Id?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
I nodded, to which he immediately bowed deeply and spoke loudly.
“I am truly grateful to you for saving our priest.”
“Oh, um, it was just part of my duty as the guard.”
Caught off guard by his sudden action, I stammered slightly. He looked at me with a slightly moved expression in response to my words.
“Still, you did save them.”
As he was about to bow again, I hurriedly stopped him. Upon seeing my behavior, the priest smiled wryly.
“Did you come because you were worried about the priest?”
“Yes, I came because her condition seems bad.”
At my words, the priest’s expression darkened. He crossed his arms, seemingly deep in thought for a while, then sighed heavily.
He uncrossed his arms, approached me, and lowered his voice.
“As Id says, her condition isn’t good.”
Her pallor, which showed no signs of improvement, caused his lips to tighten. The priest extended his hand again, pouring divine power into her.
But the divine force merely bounced off her body, swirling around her instead.
Just like a ball bouncing off a steel plate, the divine power couldn’t penetrate her body at all.
“Perhaps we’ll need to monitor her situation for a while, but…”
He took a deep breath and continued.
“At this moment, apart from hoping for natural healing, we have no other options.”
Natural healing?
Her frail frame, gaunt from fasting, came to my attention after hearing those words.
Even the person speaking those words didn’t seriously believe natural healing was possible, only sighing deeply in response.
After hesitating for a while, he spoke again.
“To a normal person, the venom of Angor is an incurable poison without an antidote.”
Angor’s venom. So that was the identity of the poison Yurph had inhaled. I had thought it was a particularly weak monster compared to others, but it must have been specialized in poison.
Since it was deadly enough to kill normal people, it was no less than an ultimate poison to someone fasting as she was.
“Let alone someone in Yurph’s condition—it’s a poison that could kill her within a day.”
Approaching her, the priest gently lifted her arm. Seeing her emaciated arm, he sighed again and put it back down gently.
“It’s regrettable, but that’s the state of things.”
Saying that, he slowly walked away. The priest already seemed to have given up on her, leaving the tent.
I silently looked at his retreating back, unable to stop him.
I didn’t feel sad. It had been just two days since we met after all.
It was simply regrettable, as the priest had said.
Her prickly nature, which left thorns that hurt those around her. Her eyes, which looked lifeless, as if she had experienced all the suffering in life.
Yet, she still reflexively stepped forward to save others. Something about her reminded me of my former self in uncanny ways.
“Ah, Mr. Id.”
A man with blue hair entered the tent – Cal. Upon spotting me, he greeted me happily.
His usual cheerful demeanor indicated that he didn’t know about Yurph’s condition yet.
He was someone who, despite his rude speech and actions, cared for Yurph. That made it all the more necessary to inform him of her condition.
Though I felt a twinge of bitterness, I decided to speak.
“Ms. Yurph’s condition appears serious.”
“..What?”
“The priest said there isn’t much they can do.”
Taken aback by my sudden announcement, Cal stopped in his tracks.
His lips were trembling awkwardly, as were his pupils, visibly moving. It was clear he was shocked by my words.
“H, but didn’t Mr. Id save her?”
Cal stammered, questioning me. I had no answer to give, so I avoided his gaze.
In response to my reaction, he wavered slightly in place, then leaned against the wall.
“Mr. Cal?”
“Ah, no. I’m fine. I’ll be… fine.”
Though his expression clearly showed otherwise, Cal forced a smile as he repeatedly muttered those words.
He slowly approached the bed where Yurph lay, then sat on the chair beside it.
Seeing her squirming in agony, Cal tightly shut his eyes. He tried to calm himself by repeatedly taking deep breaths.
“I don’t know what to do…”
His voice trembled as he trailed off. Quietly observing him, I pulled out a piece of paper I held in my pocket.
A white sheet with some golden text written on it. A piece of paper infused with an unusual energy, not divine power. It was the panacea I had received from the Pope, who claimed it as such.
Cal was clutching a cross tightly, eyes closed. Beside him, Yurph panted and moaned in pain.
“Use it when you need to,” the Pope had said.
I thought the item had been excessive at the time.
Now that I think about it, it was a curious incident.
Out of so many people, he randomly approached me and gave me this supposed panacea as a gift of apology.
The leader of the Castle State, the Pope, surely couldn’t have failed to see through the pretense of a simple artifact.
Perhaps he had identified me and had given it to bear the burden of my heart.
‘Could I be such an important individual?’
But if that weren’t the case, there would have been no reason for the Pope to give me something so significant back then. Therefore, the action I must take now is clear.
[Are you sure about this?]
“Yep. This is the best choice.”
Responding to Sibley’s inquiry with a nod, I slowly approached Yurph, gripping the white paper in one hand.
“Mr. Id?”
Surprised by my sudden approach, Cal asked, his tone slightly anxious. His eyes widened when he spotted the item in my hand.
“How do we use this?”
“Huh? What is that…”
“Please answer my question first.”
Speaking firmly, Cal hesitated for a moment before responding.
“You… You just need to think of the target and pray.”
To think of the target and pray, huh. The method seemed less complicated than expected.
I closed my eyes and slowly envisioned Yurph’s image in my mind.
A deep hum resonated through the air, and light seeped through my eyelids. When I opened my eyes, I saw Yurph’s face, which appeared much more relaxed.
The peaceful expression on her face, which I had never seen before, caused an involuntary smile to appear on my lips.
