Chapter 62: Subjugation Campaign (4)

A temporary tent came into view. Unlike the others, this one had a red cross drawn on it. This must be the treatment center they mentioned.

The inside looked fairly quiet. Understandable, considering there were barely any injuries in this battle. That was probably thanks to the power that Yuruf had displayed.

Without it, the subjugation team would’ve suffered considerable damage. Of course, with Abel around, they wouldn’t have been wiped out entirely.

I gently pulled aside the curtain and stepped inside.

‘The smell of disinfectant.’

It was the familiar scent of alcohol I’d grown tired of in my previous life. Even in a medieval-like world like this, they already had some concept of hygiene?

The thought crossed my mind, but remembering this was a fantasy romance world, I decided to let it go.

The treatment room was silent.

Several metal cots were lined up inside, but aside from Yuruf, all were empty.

I stepped quietly toward her side.

“…It’s worse than I thought.”

Yuruf was groaning, her face twisted in pain.

Although divine power was gathered around her, trying to heal her, her complexion showed no signs of improvement.

I sat on the chair beside her and cautiously took her pulse.

‘Faint.’

Her pulse was sluggish, barely holding on—like it could stop at any moment. I knew exactly what that meant.

I had assumed she’d simply fainted, but her condition was far more serious than expected.

Even with divine power actively healing her, she remained the same.

“Sylphi.”

[She’s poisoned.]

Sylphi answered me almost as if he’d been waiting.

Poisoned…?

Could it have been from the toxic mist the monster released back then? But that didn’t quite make sense.

Divine power was supposed to dispel poisons. Then why was Yuruf still in a poisoned state? Even now, divine energy lingered around her.

[Seems like her body rejects divine power.]

Sylphi answered my unspoken question with ease.

“Wait, that’s actually a thing?”

I asked aloud without meaning to. Sylphi looked at Yuruf curiously and replied,

[I’ve heard of it before, but this is my first time seeing someone like that.]

I furrowed my brow.

If divine power didn’t work, then there was no way to cleanse the poison.

And it’s not like there’d be any kind of antidote for otherworldly monster toxins.

While I was lost in thought, Sylphi spoke again.

[Why are you so concerned about her?]

That question made me pause.

Why was I so concerned about her, indeed?

“…Because it doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem.”

Something about Yuruf reminded me of my past self.

The way I used to lash out at people without reason. The way I returned kindness with cynicism.

That was before I ended up in Adele’s body.

Back then, I was at my wit’s end—financially and mentally.

I believed my life had no meaning and that I didn’t need anyone’s help. That stubborn arrogance was all I had left.

The words I spoke in that state became barbs, hurting those who tried to get close to me.

The memories are a bit hazy now, but even after becoming Adele, I think I said some of those things again.

Even to Lily, who had come to help me—I’d said things that must have hurt.

Thanks to my regression, those events technically never happened…

But her face—how she looked after hearing those words—is still seared into my mind.

That’s probably why I can’t help but worry.

Especially because the last thing Yuruf said before she lost consciousness…

Was almost identical to the words I once regretted more than anything.

[I see.]

Sylphi nodded calmly, as if he understood.

Just then, a priest entered the tent.

Unlike the others, he wore black priest robes.

He spotted me and hesitated for a moment, studying my face carefully.

Just as I was starting to feel uneasy under his gaze, he spoke.

“Are you by any chance… Lady Yde?”

“Yes, I am.”

I nodded. He immediately bowed deeply and spoke loudly.

“Thank you so much for saving our priestess.”

“Ah—no. I was just doing my duty as part of the escort team.”

His sudden gratitude caught me off guard, and I stumbled a bit over my words.

He looked at me with a touched expression.

“But the fact remains that you saved her.”

He started to bow again, and I quickly waved my hands to stop him. He smiled kindly at my flustered response.

“Did you come because you were worried about the priestess?”

“Ah, yes. She… didn’t look well.”

Hearing that, the priest’s face darkened. He crossed his arms and seemed to ponder something before exhaling a heavy sigh.

Then he uncrossed his arms, stepped closer, and lowered his voice.

“As you suspected, her condition is not good.”

His lips tightened as he glanced at Yuruf’s pale face.

He extended a hand and tried to send divine power into her again.

But the divine energy simply bounced off her body and lingered around like a ball bouncing off a steel plate.

Not a single bit was absorbed.

“We’ll have to see how things progress but…”

He took a deep breath and continued.

“At the moment, all we can do is hope for natural recovery.”

Natural recovery.

Those words made her frail, emaciated figure come into sharper focus.

Even the priest who said it didn’t seem to believe it himself—he just sighed again.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke up.

“For an ordinary person, Angor’s poison is lethal unless an antidote is administered.”

Angor’s poison. So that’s what she inhaled.

I had thought the monster seemed unusually weak—but it was a specialized poison-type.

Even healthy people couldn’t survive that poison without an antidote.

For Yuruf, who had been fasting, it was nothing short of a death sentence.

“With her current state… she likely won’t make it through the day.”

He gently lifted Yuruf’s thin arm and sighed before laying it back down.

“It’s… truly unfortunate.”

With those parting words, the priest turned and walked away—

Already having given up on her.

I couldn’t bring myself to stop him. I just stood there, watching his back as he left.

I didn’t feel sad. After all, it had only been two days since we met.

It was just… unfortunate.

The way she lashed out at others like a porcupine with her quills out.

The lifeless look in her eyes, like someone who had endured every kind of pain imaginable.

And yet—even so—how she reflexively jumped forward to save others.

It all reminded me so painfully of who I once was.

“Ah, Lady Yde!”

A man with blue hair—Karl—entered the tent and greeted me warmly.

His cheerful expression made it clear he didn’t yet know about Yuruf’s condition.

Despite his rough speech and demeanor, he genuinely cared about her.

Which meant I had to tell him.

It left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I opened up.

“Yuruf… her condition is very serious.”

“...What?”

“The priest said… there’s nothing they can do.”

Karl froze in place.

His lips quivered into an awkward smile, but his eyes shook uncontrollably.

He was clearly shaken by my words.

“B-But you saved her, didn’t you, Lady Yde?”

He stammered, and I had no answer. I looked away from his gaze.

He stumbled a bit, leaning against the wall for support.

“Karl?”

“No, I—I’m fine. I’ll… I’ll be fine.”

His face said otherwise. But he forced a smile and kept muttering the same thing.

He slowly walked to Yuruf’s bedside and sat down on the chair next to her.

Seeing her groan in pain, he shut his eyes tight.

Taking deep breaths, he tried desperately to calm himself.

“What am I supposed to do…?”

His voice trembled, trailing off.

I silently watched him before pulling a paper from my coat.

A white sheet with golden letters inscribed on it…

It was a sheet infused not with divine power—but with some strange, condensed energy.

The item the Pope had given me, calling it a panacea.

Karl was clutching a cross tightly, eyes firmly shut.

Right in front of him, Yuruf was gasping for air, her face twisted in pain.

‘He told me to use it the moment I thought it was necessary.’

Even when I received it, I had thought it was a bit excessive.

Now that I think about it, the whole situation had been incredibly odd.

Out of all the people there, he had walked straight up to me—offering it as a gift of apology, no less.

There’s no way the Pope—the leader of the Holy Nation—would’ve failed to recognize that my artifact was a mere decoy.

Most likely, he had already figured out who I was and wanted to burden me with a sense of obligation.

‘Does that mean I’m… that important?’

Otherwise, there’s no reason for the Pope to have handed me something so grand.

Which meant that, right now, my course of action was simple.

[Are you sure about this?]

“Yeah. This is the best option we have.”

I nodded at Sylphi’s question, then slowly approached Yuruf.

Holding the white paper in one hand, I came to stand beside her.

“Lady Yde?”

Karl, startled by my sudden approach, called out in confusion.

Then his eyes flickered in panic as he caught sight of the item in my hand.

“How do I use this?”

“W-What? I—I mean…”

“Please, just answer me first.”

I spoke firmly. At that, Karl, who had been hesitating, quickly responded.

“J-Just focus on the target and pray. That’s all.”

So I just needed to focus on the person and pray.

Simpler than I expected.

I closed my eyes and carefully pictured Yuruf in my mind.

Wuuung…

A low hum echoed in the air, and a light leaked through my shut eyelids.

When I opened them again, I saw Yuruf—her face visibly more at ease.

It was the first time I’d ever seen such a peaceful expression on her face.

Without even realizing it, a faint smile tugged at my lips.

– – The End of The Chapter––

 

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