chapter 46.2

There were around 200 prisoners in total . That is quite a low number compared to the number of students you’d see in an a.s.sembly hall at a slightly larger school . 1

I started walking around the area while searching for them so everyone’s gaze was gathered at me . They’re not here . They didn’t die, did they? I quickly headed towards the area where they’re treating injured soldiers and saw both the dog-eared and fox-eared old man .

「Old man!」

「Caam!?」

Near them was the cat-eared old man lying face down . Looking closely, you could see that there’s a large wound on his back with lots of blood coming out . It seems like they’ve tried stopping the bleeding using the dog-eared and fox-eared old men’s shirts .

「What about the treatment?」

「They don’t have enough medicine so they said they’re putting off the treatment for the prisoners . We wanted to stop the bleeding at the very least so we used our shirts」

「What the h.e.l.l? In the end, they’re just treating you as sacrificial p.a.w.ns……」

It was a bit noisy so, while groaning, the cat-eared old man opened his eyes .

「Yo Caam . I screwed up . Haha」 He said weakly .

I couldn’t bear it any longer and was about to find a nurse or a medic or somebody who can use recovery magic but the old man put his hand on my shoulder and said .

「There’s nothing we can do about that . Thanks for being angry for us」2

I can’t even use my recovery magic since I would definitely get found out and overworked if I used it here .

「It’s alright if I use my own, right……?」

After saying that, I went back to Keith, who I entrusted with my luggage .

I took the box with the needle and thread, the potion bottle set I bought from the store, some distilled liquor and several sheets of cloth then ran back to where the old men were .

「Cat-eared old man, this might hurt a bit so can you handle it?」

「More painful than this?」

He gave a joking reply but I didn’t mind it and just started with my preparations .

I gently bent the sewing needle to turn it into a surgical suture then placed it inside a hot 【waterball】 I created together with the thread . After that, I took a cloth, dipped it in the hot 【waterball】then used it to clean the wound .

If I remember correctly, you st.i.tch it in the middle first then gradually work your way outwards until the wound closes . 3

While I was thinking that, I sanitized my hands using the distilled liquor then took out the needle from the hot 【waterball】 .

「This might hurt a bit so please bite on this towel for a while」

I began suturing his wound after that . The other two old men were watching but they understood that I was treating him so they didn’t say anything . Once I was done, I sprinkled the potion all over the wound, folded the cloth I brought a few times, applied it to the wound then used the remaining cloth to wrap it around his body . I think that the pressure from this should also stop the bleeding . The potion should also help in closing the wound .

A small blood stain started to appear on the cloth but after a short while, and the stain didn’t get any bigger than that . Has the bleeding finally stopped?

「I-I think it’s probably alright now . It has already stopped bleeding after all」

「Probably!?」

「This is the first time I did something like this after all」

「I……So I was just a test subject……」

「I only knew what treatment to administer but I’m just an amateur so I don’t know exactly how to do it okay?」

「Well, it’s all good if it stopped bleeding…… I’m gonna sleep」

After saying that, he took a deep breath then closed his eyes . Then, the dog-eared old man came to me and said .

「I can’t thank you enough . I don’t know how to pay you back right now but I’ll do whatever you ask once we’re free and if we get out of this alive . Thank you, really」

He held my hand tightly while shaking it as he said that in a low voice .

「It’s okay . I know you so I couldn’t just overlook it . Also, I’ll leave this to you three so make sure you’re able to return it to me someday」

While talking in an even lower voice, I took out 2 potion bottles out of my potion box then gave the rest to them .

「But, we don’t know where Caam is from」

「Remember the sake I used earlier? This Beryl Sake? This sake is named after the village where it was made, that’s where I’m from」

While I was saying that, I shook around the sake I had in my hands .

「The village near Aegirine?」

「That’s right」

「Got it . I’ll be sure to pay you back for these potions」

「All that’s left is to wash your clothes」

We went back to talking normally after that .

「Ha?」

「I mean, it’s covered in blood desu . It’d be difficult to get rid of it if it dries after all」

While saying that, I put their clothes inside the now just lukewarm 【waterball】 and made it roll around .

「Ah, c.r.a.pー . I should have brought soap as well」

Once their clothes were clean, I wring out their shirt before giving it back to them . After that, I moved on to fixing the cat-eared old man’s clothes .

I noticed that the other prisoners around us were looking at us bitterly . I’m sorry but I don’t have to do anything since you guys are unrelated to me . I can wash your wounds but I’d like it if you would spare me from suturing your wounds and giving you potions .

「Knowledge is a fortune you can bring anywhere with you so I think that you should try learning useful things that could be helpful to you in the future」

The three of us were chatting as I sewed the cat-eared old man’s clothes when one of the soldiers who was treating the other injured called out to me .

「U-uhm . I have a request」

「Hah?」4

He’s a part of the group who said they were putting off the treatment for the prisoners and left the old man to die . My mood turned sour after I realized that and even I was surprised at that low threatening voice that came out .

「I know that you are angry at us for not treating the prisoners even though we were just following orders . But even so, I still have to ask this of you」

「Okay . I’m agreeing to hear you out for now but just know that my response might be different」

「Yes… We’re currently running short on clean cloths and water . Because of that, we were wondering if you could give us some water with that magic you used earlier . With that, we’ll be able to clean the injured soldiers wounds and wash the used cloths」

「Ahー……」

As I uttered that, almost all of the people around had their gaze set on me . It seems like I won’t be able to avoid looking like a narrow-minded, horrible b.a.s.t.a.r.d if I refuse here . I guess it’s alright if it’s just that .

But still, getting called a horrible b.a.s.t.a.r.d seems kinda cool . Like those AT pilots . 5 No no no, I shouldn’t be thinking about that right now . I need to remember that this would benefit everyone .

「Fine, it’s okay if it’s just that」

「Thank you very much」

I was in a bad mood so I gave them a sn.o.bbish reply . They immediately went to get a bucket after that so I produced 2 【waterb.a.l.l.s】that were a bit bigger than usual . One was hot and the other was just lukewarm .

「Please just draw from that . I’ll add more once it gets smaller」

「Thank you very much」

It seems like they were really grateful . Well, they’re going to use this for a good cause so it can’t be helped . Since I’ve already gone this far, I guess I’ll help them out some more .

「Ahー, if anybody wants to wash their bodies, I’m going to produce another one so please come with your own cloth ready」

I created another【waterball】 then made it float . Once it became muddy, I threw it far away then created a new one .

「Hey, is Caam actually someone amazing?」

「It seems like he actually is」

I heard the fox-eared old man behind me say that so I looked back and showed them a smile .

After a while of doing nothing, a combat medic whose supposed to be treating somebody right now came over and asked .

「Aren’t you experiencing any symptoms of magic power deficiency?」

Hm? What’s that? Ahー, is that the sluggish feeling I experienced during my first time harvesting back in the village?

「I’m still alright . Thank you very much for worrying about me」

「I understand . Please tell us if ever you feel unwell」

After saying that, he went back to curing the injured soldiers .

Ahー what a nice way to pa.s.s the time . I have the lovely sound of groaning as my BGM and is accented by an occasional 「Gua!」 and 「Ahhh!」 . While I was thinking about that, Keith arrived .

「I didn’t think you were coming back so I just came here instead . I have something I need to do so I brought you your luggage」

He handed my rucksack and equipment back to me after saying that .

「Thanks . Are you going to the prost.i.tutes now?」

「I’m not like you」

He went off to somewhere after giving me that slightly annoyed reply .

However, looking at his figure from behind, you can see his tail rapidly swinging about . That guy’s pretty bad at lying, isn’t he? He’s the same as me .

「Ahー, I wonder how long I should stay here」

It seems like it’s about to end soon so I started to brew some tea to drink while observing the treatment of the remaining injured soldiers . Didn’t tea have disinfecting properties in it? That was green tea, right? I wonder if it’s the same for the plants in this world?

How long will I remain in such a dangerous place like this I wonder?

-Idle Talk-

Evening of that day .

「Hey, did you see how that catapult was destroyed?」

「Yeah . It looked like the ground suddenly crumbled swallowing the humans who were near it」

「Do you know who did it?」

「Someone from the reinforcements most likely . If not then one of the magician here in the fort」

「As I thought」

While they were talking about that, another soldier joined in .

「I was on the defensive side but did you see that large waterball appearing in the sky and dropping towards where the humans were gathered? The humans who were confused jumped into the moat because of that . There were talks about how that waterball must have been made out of hot water because of how much steam came out . That helped us out a lot . Don’t you think that’s the same person who destroyed the catapult?」

「Hot water? Now that you mention it, there wasn’t enough water to use to treat the injured so I heard that one of our combat medics asked a guy from the hired group earlier today to give us some with his magic . Not only did that guy agree, he even gave us some hot and lukewarm water . It was a lot too」

「Oi oi . If that’s true then those guys must have been the ones covering for us right?」

「I guess so . We knew that their reinforcements were gathering by the right side of the hill and we were bracing for their attack but no matter how long we waited, they didn’t come . This is the 7th day since they attacked right? Because of that, we were almost out of arrows, tar, and the soldiers were losing morale so we weren’t expecting to be able to push them back . We didn’t know where they were supporting us from so we really didn’t know what was happening at first」

「Such an amazing guy came . We might actually survive this」

「Yeah . It seems like we can hold out until winter」

-Idle Talk 2-

Inside a large tent the night before the attack .

「Forgive me for bringing this up while we’re eating but I have received a report that the soldiers we sent to disrupt the supply line of the demons still haven’t returned」

「What!?」

「Were they able to delay the transportation of goods? Or could it be that they were all killed」

「Even though we sent close to 50 commando units?」

「Yes . I’ve tasked several people to not partic.i.p.ate in battle so that someone can give us a detailed report just in case something happens . Due to that, I was certain that a report would arrive . They were supposed to be here yesterday but it didn’t seem like even one of them would come back」

「Did you try to send more units? Or is it possible that they took another path?」

「No . We were sure that the demons would take their usual transportation route so we had 45 men waiting in the forest but we also a.s.signed several people to check the other routes . Since they were keeping watch for the entire day, considering today’s lack of report, I think the demonkin’s reinforcements will most likely arrive tomorrow at noon . I suggest we send some soldiers defending the base as insurance」

「I understand . You do just that . Select 200 men from the ones stationed to defend the base」