SWNOVELXO Chapter 89
Chapter 89. Divinity Level 10 In The Wilderness
The onslaught of gigantic iron arrows had ceased.
It was unclear whether they had run out of arrows or if further attacks were deemed unnecessary, but parts of the castle walls had completely crumbled, piling up with brick rubble.
“The inside was made of brick, huh?”
Still, it’s impressive how well they managed to break it down.
At the crumbled section, a group led by the fishing guild chief Bahar and another group led by wave technique dojo master Max charged in with angry shouts.
“We’re going too!”
“R-right!”
I followed the elf Yaralai with my handgun ready. It seems the dwarf Hag will cover our rear.
Climbing over the pile of rubble seemed tough, but perhaps thanks to being surrounded by waves, I managed to cross relatively easily. Still, we couldn’t keep up with the dojo group and got separated.
The battle had already begun in the courtyard. The kingdom’s forces were noticeably sparse.
From where I stood, I could barely see the castle gate. It seemed to be heavily guarded by a large number of soldiers.
The gate itself was barricaded and well-fortified.
“That bastard Bahar used the crowd as a decoy, huh?”
The kingdom’s soldiers were clearly flustered by the intruders from the supposedly impenetrable west side of the castle wall. Disorganized soldiers rushed in, only to be easily picked off one by one by the dojo students.
Man, these dojo students are strong!
With real “Hyaah!” cries, they decisively took down soldiers in overwhelming numbers. They probably could win one-on-one, too. I finally understood what Hag meant by “combat-oriented.” Terrifying.
“I’ll go too.”
We caught up to Bachal, who was beckoning from deeper inside, and finally succeeded in infiltrating the castle.
――――
Let’s avoid details.
Before us, who are breaking through the center, heavily armored soldiers appear, and the Bachal Squad pushes through. In that opening, only we advance deeper.
“Akira! Save Cherina… at all costs!”
“Bachaaal!”
We exchange such typical lines, becoming quite bloody (mostly from the splatter of enemies defeated by Hagg and Yaralai), finally cornering Pig King Pilatus II.
I’ll leave the detailed descriptions to everyone’s imagination, but it was exhausting enough to be breathless.
It must be his private chamber, a splendidly luxurious room.
No, it’s just a disgusting room with furniture that lacks coordination. A huge bed sitting in the center of the room looks oddly grotesque.
In reality, Cherina, wearing light clothing, was sprawled on the bed, pinned down by the pig king.
Cherina, frozen in fear, notices us and shouts.
“Akira-sama!”
“What the hell are you, people!?”
Don’t they know what’s been happening until now…?
By now, the crowd must have noticed the collapsed walls and would be pushing through the rubble, and the city gate would have fallen. The castle interior has turned into a hunting ground for armed civilians.
The heavily armed soldiers in the passage leading to this room are the only obstacles, but Bachal will handle them somehow.
Three armed men suddenly leap out from the back of the room.
But.
Shush! Crunch!
Boom boom!
In an instant, they turn into corpses.
With black needles from Yaralai the Elf. With a hammer blow from Hagg the Dwarf. With bullets from my pistol.
Any sense of guilt about killing has long been numbed by this journey.
“Gyowaaa!”
Ignoring the pig king’s cry, I shift the magazine out of my pistol to check the remaining rounds. Three left. No time to reload.
I check the position of the pouch where the light sword is stored and aim my pistol at the pig king.
“Move your filthy meat, you pig!”
Hagg and Yaralai flank me.
He let his guard down.
He probably thought I’d resigned myself to it.
The pig king, whom I thought had weakly bowed his head, pulls out a knife from somewhere and puts it to Cherina’s throat while strangling her.
“Ah!?”
I thought about blowing the pig’s head off, but Cherina was too close!
“Darn it!”
Hagg and Yaralai moved too, but my movement seemed to hinder them instead.
Too clumsy! I want to punch myself!
“Hehehe! You’ve come quite roughly into my sacred sleeping quarters!”
The pig king tightens his grip on Cherina. The knife cuts into her throat, blood flowing.
This guy, I’m going to kill him.
I aim the gun at his forehead, but the pig king sways his body to hide behind Cherina’s head, seemingly understanding that the gun is a projectile. What an idiot, even though it’s impossible to miss at this distance.
“Ah… Akira… sama…”
Cherina lets out a painful voice. Sorry, just hold on a little longer.
“Silence, you slut! It’s rude to speak without permission in front of me!”
The pig king tightens his grip on Cherina while hiding behind the edge of the canopy bed. At this point, even Hagg and Yaralai can’t intervene.
Next to the bed is a pile of buttered potatoes.
Is he stupid even at a time like this?
“Coward, release the girl.”
Yaralai speaks with a menacing tone.
“Hah! An Elf acting all high and mighty! Your era ended long ago!”
The pig king responds hysterically.
“Hmph. From any angle, you look like a pig.”
“You’re a dead man! …Huh? You! Aren’t you the lover who was with Cherina?”
Realizing it now? And don’t call him a lover.
“Yeah, your crimes seem to have lightened quite a bit. Weren’t you accused of rebellion and public execution and various other false charges?”
“Killing the guards right in front of me! It’s a current offense!”
I glance at the three corpses in a pool of blood.
“That’s right. This time it’s not a false accusation.”
When I acknowledge it, the pig king nods weakly.
“But who on earth will judge that?”
“What… do you mean?”
Cherina’s exposed eyeball stares at me from between her hair.
“Don’t you realize yet? Even in such abnormal circumstances, no one comes to help… And can’t you hear the noise outside?”
“What are you talking about?”
I signal to Yaralai with my eyes, and he smoothly moves to open the window of the room. It’s a luxurious item made with plenty of glass. Immediately, angry voices and sounds of destruction flow in continuously from outside. It seems that the window was quite soundproof.
“Is the vibration from earlier… perhaps your doing?!”
Talking about the ballista attack?
It’s been a while since then, but did he not even bother to look outside?
This muddy pig has zero sense of crisis.
“It’s not ‘our’ doing, but the work of people from this country.”
“What do you mean?!”
Damn, I thought if I shook him up, he’d show an opening, but Cherina’s knife remained shallowly embedded. She’s surprisingly tough since Hagg and Yaralai can’t move.
“Yeah… If you release Cherina, we’ll let you go?”
“Huh?”
Oh, he reacted. Maybe this will work.
“Anyway, there must be one or two escape routes, right? The guys outside are after you, but we’re fine as long as Cherina from there returns. It’s not a bad deal, right?”
Come on. We can actually let him go. Bachal will probably chase him to the ends of hell anyway.
“I don’t mind if you don’t let go of the knife. If you release Cherina, we won’t pursue you.”
I gently place my pistol on the floor. Seeing that, Yaralai places his black needle on the floor. Hagg hesitates for a moment, then drops his hammer roughly on the floor.
“Kuh…”
A deflated sound escapes from the bowed pig king. What’s wrong?
“Kuku…”
Then the pig king lifts his head. His face is filled with madness.
“Kuhahaha! Stop mocking me! All I want is Cherina! I don’t care what happens to the rest of you! Besides, I hate you!”
Darn it! I completely misjudged the strategy!
Veins pop on the palm of the pig king’s hand. The hand holding the knife.
I saw it.
Cherina’s neck is torn apart, and blood splashes up to the ceiling.
My spine freezes.
But.
The reality was different.
The one who won that reality was Cherina herself.
“Hah!!”
With a burst of determination, Cherina swiftly elbows the pig king’s side, causing the lump of pig flesh to sway.
The three of us move simultaneously. Yaralai grabs the pig king’s face like an arrow, while Hagg pounds his side with a fist like a rock.
And I clumsily dive in and grab the pig king’s knife.
Who cares about the blade part!?
I forcefully pull it away from Cherina. Thanks to adrenaline, I don’t feel the pain in my fingers.
As Hagg and Yaralai pull the pig king down, I embrace Cherina and pull her close.
“Cherina!”
“…Akira-sama!”
Cherina hugs me tightly. Well, I was hugging her too, so it’s more like we hugged each other.
Bloody Bachal jumps in. Then Max and the others rush in like an avalanche.
“Cherina!”
“My lady!”
“Miss Veliero!”
Bachal, who quickly assesses the situation, exhales a sigh of relief and instructs his subordinates loudly.
“Miss Cherina Veliero is safe! We’ve captured King Pilatus! Spread the word! Capture those who surrender alive! Kill those who resist! And to avoid further chaos, do not let anyone else into this room! Got it? Move out as soon as you understand!”
“Understood!”
As the armed fishermen scatter in the corridor, Max also orders his disciples, “You guys, come and help!” and kicks them out of the room.
“Well… done, Akira.”
Bachal, unusually with a smile, approaches me… then glances at Cherina, whom I’m embracing. He snorts at me.
“I can’t bring myself to like you.”
“I just got the same line from that pig over there.”
“That’s… disappointing.”
Both of us couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
“So, we can hand over the pig king now, right?”
“Do as you please… just make sure he’s punished.”
“There’s clearly no way he’s going to survive.”
“Well, that’s a shame.”
I’d prefer to tear him apart myself.
I look at the restrained pig king.
“You… lowlifes!”
“The revolution succeeded. You’re no longer a king or anything. If anything, you’re the lowlife here.”
Bachal says coldly.
“So… it’s about time you let go. Cherina.”
I’ve been hugging her with all my strength, so it’s starting to get uncomfortable.
“And we need to get her treated.”
I reluctantly release Cherina and finally notice her expression.
Tears flow incessantly from her red eyes, her body trembles, and she clings to me so as not to collapse. I sit Cherina on the edge of the bed and check her neck.
Surprisingly, the wound seems deep and the bleeding won’t stop.
“Hey, someone bring a doctor!”
“Got it. Hey! Doctor!”
Bachal shouts down the corridor.
I close my eyes and imagine “a first aid kit… the best quality possible.”
-Approval confirmed. Additional items in SHOP inventory-
Let’s check the list.
-First Aid Kit = ¥7,600-
Purchase without hesitation.
Remaining balance: ¥4,765,961.
-Divinity level increased to 10-
-Container capacity increased to 55-
-Quests are now available for purchase-
… What?
No, no, ignore that for now!
I discreetly take out the first aid kit so others won’t notice.
“It stings.”
I spray disinfectant on the wound.
“Eek!”
“Hey?”
Bachal reacts to Cherina’s scream.
“It’s okay. I just disinfected it.”
“Disinfectant?”
“Yeah. I applied a medicine that prevents the wound from festering.”
Half correct answer to keep it simple.
I apply gauze to the wound and wrap it with a bandage.
“The bandage… is quite long.”
Finally calming down, she speaks with her usual flair, although her voice still trembles.
“If I put it around your neck, it won’t be too tight, right? The bleeding… should be considerably reduced.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Then Cherina notices my hand.
“Akira-sama… there’s blood!”
“Oh, yeah, sorry, it’ll stain.”
I try to wipe it off with my pants, but Cherina grabs my hand with both of hers.
“I will bandage it myself.”
“Hmm… alright, thanks.”
After spraying the disinfectant myself, I hand Cherina the gauze and bandage.
“Is that medicine expensive?”
“No, it should have been about 80-90% alcohol, so if you have the skill to make alcohol, you could make it yourself, right?”
Was it supposed to be thinner? I vaguely remember reading that 80% or so has strong sterilizing power… but I’m not sure. I remember reading something about it being around 80%… but it’s too vague.
“Hehe… as always, Akira-sama.”
She smiles faintly as she slowly wraps the bandage. It seems like she’s finally calming down.
“What do you mean?”
“Pus in wounds is a common problem in this world. There are various hemostatic agents and miraculous medicines, but their formulas are all secret. Many of them are not proven to be effective, and there are many counterfeits in circulation. …Yes, I’ve heard that the Elf’s secret hemostatic agent, known as the Elf’s Elixir, not only stops bleeding but also prevents pus.”
When I turned to Yaralai, an elf, he was just handing over the naked, fully erect pig king to Bachal. He nodded as if he had heard and answered.
“Not the elixir. But there are herbs for healing wounds. I don’t have any on hand right now.”
He lowered his head slightly, looking apologetic.
“Don’t worry. I received Akira-sama’s elixir,” Cherina said with a smile.
Yaralai nodded in response.
“Humans are weak.”
“Dwarves are too rough.”
The two glared at each other. Hey, don’t start a fight here of all places, okay?
“It’s done. Does it hurt?”
The bandages were finished, but Cherina’s hands were still on mine. Normally, I would have shaken them off, but for some reason, I let them be.
What’s gotten into me, I wonder?
“Aren’t you hurt too?”
“A little, yes.”
“I figured.”
Mostly my neck. It’s bleeding quite a bit. As long as the artery isn’t severed, it should be okay, but I’ve heard that if the neck artery is cut, blood gushes out like a fountain, so it’s probably fine.
“Both of you, try to focus on the defense wave.”
Hag suddenly said.
“Defense wave?”
“Yes. The wave also has a healing effect. Try to focus on stopping the bleeding.”
Cherina and I nodded together, repeating the breathing technique to activate the defense wave that we had been taught, deeper than usual. When I concentrated on the wound on my hand, it began to glow faintly.
“Oh? Your technique is quite good for just learning it. That should prevent you from bleeding to death.”
That’s a relief. Cherina’s neck was also emitting a faint light from between the bandages. Good. She seems to be okay too.
As we relaxed, someone entered from outside. An old man with white hair, carrying a large bag in his hand.
“The doctor’s here.”
Bachal invited the old man in.
“Oh, Cherina! You’re alive!”
“Well, if it isn’t Doctor Rainer. It’s been a while.”
“I’m glad, I’m glad! When I heard you were taken to the castle, I was worried sick. Since I can’t wield weapons, I’ve been treating the injured in the rear instead.”
“Well then, I must return immediately.”
“What? I was told it was for the lady’s treatment, so I hurried even with the severely injured.”
“Come, let me see the wound.”
Saying so, he reached out his hand towards the bandage, but I grabbed it before he could.
“What’s this? A young one?”
“Wait a moment, disinfection comes first.”
Without waiting for his reply, I sprayed disinfectant all over the doctor’s hand.
“What? It’s cold! Didn’t you wash your hands with clear water?”
“Doctor, this is a secret medicine to suppress suppuration. Please rest assured.”
Cherina smiled.
“Oh?”
Rainer looked around and stopped at Yaralai, an elf.
“I see… That’s valuable.”
Seems like he misunderstood something, but it’s not a problem, so I let it pass.
The doctor, surprised by the bandage, still peered into Cherina’s wound. There was still a lot of bleeding.
“Hmm. Sewing should do the trick.”
“Sewing? With what?”
“What do you mean? I’ve been saying… this.”
From his bag, the doctor took out a small spool of white thread and needles laid out on a cloth. They definitely didn’t look disposable.
“It’s a silk thread. Not like the cotton thread some quack doctor would use.”
“Just a moment.”
I closed my eyes and wished.
Suture Needle Set (10 sets) = 6,300 yen
Remaining balance: 4,759,661 yen.
I pretended to take it out of my pocket and handed the doctor individually packaged suture needles with thread.
“Use a new one for each stitch.”
“What’s this?”
Rainer examined the needles packaged in plastic bags closely. I tore open one bag without a word and handed it to him, exposing just a bit of the needle from the plastic.
“Just use this.”
I handed him tweezers from the first-aid kit as well.
“Hmm… Are the needles warped…? These seem easy to sew with.”
“Try not to use your hands as much and use those tweezers.”
“Got it. Let me try.”
The doctor’s skill was quite good, and he quickly stitched up the wound. The bleeding stopped after about five stitches.
“Hmm. Unfamiliar needle and thread. Secret medicine… What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to explain.”
I sprayed disinfectant on the wound again and wiped it along with the blood with gauze. I applied a new gauze and wrapped it with a new bandage.
Using disinfectant may not be the best method now, but considering the situation in this area, bacteria are more frightening. Maybe it’s okay to reuse the bandage after boiling it in hot water, but safety is the top priority right now. Besides, I can buy as many as I need. Luckily, I have money.
“Isn’t it a waste? Let’s use the cloth from earlier.”
Cherina picked up the bandage she had just used.
“No, it’s not. The old one must be discarded. Never use anything that has been used once, whether it’s needles, bandages, or gauze.”
I said with a stern voice.
“Is there a reason for that?”
“I can’t explain it in detail, but there are tiny particles, smaller than grains of sand, invisible… like germs. They remain on old bandages.”
Maybe it’s okay to sterilize the bandage with boiling water and use it again, but safety comes first now. Besides, I can buy as much as I want. Fortunately, I have money.
“Is that so?”
Cherina tilted her head.
“I’ve heard a similar story before. Elves don’t recycle for healing. It’s a tradition.”
Murmured Yaralai softly. It seems that elves have some knowledge based on experience. Could it be one of the reasons for their longevity?
“Well then, I’ll be heading back. Cherina, I’m truly glad.”
“Yes. Thank you very much,” she replied.
I stuck the remaining suturing needles into the first aid kit beside me and handed it to the doctor.
“Take this with you. It might come in handy.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s a token of appreciation for the treatment.”
“In that case, thank you. Farewell then.”
Doctor Linal said as he left.
“Are you feeling calm now, all of you?”
Bachal stood up.
“I’m fine. Hagg and Yaralai are fine too, right?”
“Of course.”
“No issues.”
Truly warriors.
“I’m also fine.”
“Is that so? Then return to the guild tonight. We’ll provide escorts.”
I furrowed my brows.
“The cleanup isn’t finished yet, is it?”
“What’s to come isn’t just cleanup. It’s massacre and looting.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ll try to contain it as much as possible, but once the crowds start moving, there’s no stopping them. It’ll probably continue until the castle is emptied. Well, it should calm down by tomorrow morning.”
“Seriously…”
“Unfortunately… yes. We’ve managed to secure the lives of surrendered soldiers and maids, but rape and abuse are common in war. We can’t stop the looting until we restrain that. By the time the sun rises, things should have settled. So, let’s gather again around noon tomorrow.”
“Aren’t you going to rest?”
“If I’m not here, who will lead? Akira, can you take over for me?”
“Sorry. Do your best.”
“Hmph.”
Bachal gave orders, and sturdy fishermen and Max lined up. It seems they will be the escorts. Reliable.
“By the way, what happened to that guy from Molmore?”
I asked Max, trying to recall.
“I smashed his hands and legs as promised. Last I saw, he was still alive.”
Max replied, flexing his muscles. With a smile.
“Paul Molmore… turned out to be even more insignificant than I thought.”
“Can you believe you’re saying that?” I chuckled at Cherina’s response.
“Master Max, I appreciate you taking revenge on my behalf.”
“No, no! Can’t forgive a bastard who betrays the lady! I made sure to handle it properly, so rest assured!”
He’s still all about power… Or is he just weak for Cherina?
“Then please escort us to the guild.”
“Leave it to me!”
I couldn’t help but smile wryly at Max’s flexing muscles.
With Hagg, Yaralai, and Max alone, it’s already excessive firepower, but with the addition of sturdy seamen, it’s reassuring.
As I was about to leave the room, Bachal called out.
“We’ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow. Rest until then.”
I raised one hand in acknowledgment.
Tomorrow seemed like it would be just as busy.