Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Emergency Measures
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(79) Emergency Measures
As the orc lowered his arm, Saph, who had been hanging onto it, fell limply to the ground.
"You're a fearless woman."
He said in an admiring tone.
"I'm plenty scared."
Saph said honestly.
The orc smirked and set Ruby down from his shoulder onto the ground.
"I was trying to take her out without letting the poison touch her, but it got on her anyway."
He tossed aside the awl that had pierced Ruby's neck and stripped off his gloves.
"You're not touched anywhere? If even a drop got on you, strip it all off. If it touched your skin, you have to cut it out."
Saph looked down at her near-naked underwear and said,
"I've already stripped everything. More importantly, what did you do to Ruby just now?"
"I paralyzed her bodily functions as much as possible with my saliva."
The orc also removed the shoulder armor that had touched Ruby's body and threw off his upper garment. His massive chest and shoulder muscles were revealed. His dark skin made him look like he was wearing steel armor.
"To reiterate, there's no living creature that can withstand Heldra's poison for more than ten minutes. Lucky ones might last thirty."
"Ruby's an angel. So she'll hold out longer against demon poison."
"An angel? What's that?"
"It exists."
"......Anyway, don't touch her right now. You wouldn't last five minutes."
The orc plucked three large leaves from a nearby plant. He muttered something that sounded like thanks or an apology to the plant.
"She must be pretty precious to you. I can tell from how you're risking your own life for her."
The orc wrapped Ruby in two leaves and tied them with the third.
Ruby was packaged like a lunch wrapped in leaves.
The orc hoisted her onto his shoulder in that state.
"Of course. Ruby came to rescue me, and that's how this happened."
Saph said.
"No, she got involved in my battlefield, and that's how it happened."
"Does that mean I interfered with you?"
Saph asked.
The orc headed off somewhere at a brisk pace without telling her to follow or anything. Saph had to trot to keep up.
The orc answered without even checking if Saph was following.
"This is a place I have to defend. Heldra's army was planning to advance on the elves' city 'Taimon,' and I was camped here waiting to stop them. This one got in the middle of it. But it's ambiguous to call it interference. Thanks to her, the advance has halted."
"You're the guardian of the Dark Forest, aren't you?"
"Yeah. Merald."
"I'm Saph."
"I know."
"I thought guardians were naturally elves."
"Well, that's what most people think."
Merald replied indifferently.
After walking for a while, he stopped in a thicket of dense foliage and said,
"Jade."
Jade staggered out from a pit hidden by the bushes. His face was deathly pale, almost like he was dying.
"Priest!"
Saph rushed over and hugged him immediately.
"You're safe."
"You're safe, Saph."
They said to each other at the same time.
"Saph, could you take a look at this wound?"
Jade pointed to the hole in his side. Blood was oozing steadily from where cloth had been pressed against it.
"Oh my god! You pulled this out by force like this? You did this, didn't you?"
Saph snapped at Merald.
Merald asked Jade,
"Is this woman always this bold?"
"She gets as bold as she needs to be when it's necessary. Not as bold as ripping me off a tree branch without mercy like you did."
Jade replied with a grudge-filled voice.
"Your description is wrong, Jade!"
Merald said in a deep voice.
Jade flinched for a moment and asked,
"W-what?"
"It wasn't a tree branch that pierced your side. It was a root."
"What?"
Jade stammered in disbelief.
"Wha, that thin little..."
In the meantime, Saph placed her hand on Jade's wound and said,
"I'm going to treat it now, Priest. Squeeze me if it hurts."
"If I hug you now, I'll crush your ribs."
"You won't have the strength for that."
Saph enveloped the wound in healing light.
Even though he braced himself knowing it was coming, Jade couldn't hold back the pain. He grabbed Saph's shoulder and groaned. As she said, he couldn't put real strength into it, so instead of crushing her ribs by hugging her, he simply collapsed.
Saph gently held him and carefully sat him down.
"It's a miracle you're alive with a wound like this."
"Actually, I think I died and woke up again about three minutes ago."
"This isn't the time for jokes."
"I'm not joking..."
Merald, watching from the side, urged them on.
"Just do emergency treatment and be done. We're still in the middle of a battlefield."
Saph pretended not to hear and tried to continue the treatment, but Jade reached out to stop her.
"Got it. But what about Ruby?"
Merald turned and started walking immediately, saying,
"I'll explain on the way. Follow me."
Saph helped Jade up and explained in his place.
"Ruby's in that leaf wrap on his shoulder."
Jade was startled.
"Ruby's in there? What happened?"
"She got poisoned. She won't last long, he says."
Merald glanced back and hurried them.
"Explanations later—how about walking a bit faster? The longer it takes, the lower her survival chances. Plus..."
As he spoke, he looked in one direction. Jade and Saph followed his gaze.
A massive snake's head rose above the trees, followed by an eagle's head lifting up, and a lion's roar echoed. The sun had already set, so it was hard to see clearly even in the fading light.
"...They've paused for now, but Heldra could resume the advance anytime. If we're late, thirty thousand elves die."
Saph's mind was reeling from the sudden flood of information. But right now, she was more worried about Ruby's life than thirty thousand elves.
"Where are we going?"
Saph asked.
"To Sage Granny."
"Who's she?"
"A witch called the Sage of the Dark Forest. She's the only one who can antidote this poison."
Merald glared back and said,
"But we have to get there in time. Even Sage Granny can't revive the dead."
"The priest's wound is still..."
Saph started to say, but Jade stopped her.
"He's right for now. Let's hurry. I'm much better. We can finish treatment later."
Saph knew Jade was lying. The pain was plain on his face. But she understood the situation left no choice.
"Got it. Lean on me more."
Saph supported Jade firmly as they walked.
"Saph, it's really, really lucky you're overflowing with strength."
"This isn't the time for jokes."
"I'm not joking... By the way, what happened to your clothes?"
"Poison touched them, so I ditched them."
"I must be really hurting. I'm so out of it I didn't even think to sneak a peek at your naked body."
"...That wasn't a joke either?"
"Probably not."
*
For someone who said they were in a hurry, Merald didn't seem to be rushing much. He detoured around empty plains unnecessarily or backtracked along paths they'd already taken. He'd walk fast like he was rushing one moment, then stroll leisurely like he was on a walk the next.
He didn't explain why he was taking such routes, so Jade grew increasingly impatient.
'Are we caught in another demon trap?'
He even reverted to his initial doubt about whether this orc was really the guardian. The pain was dulling his judgment too.
A short while later, they emerged from the suffocatingly dense forest into a more open area.
There were fewer trees relatively speaking, but with the sky visible and trees spaced out, Jade felt like he could breathe a bit easier.
The sun had set, and stars were sparsely visible in the sky.
Merald put his index and middle fingers in his mouth and blew a long whistle. Two deer with antlers that curved sharply backward appeared from somewhere. Their antlers faintly glowed, lighting the way.
Merald said something to them and placed the leaf-wrapped Ruby on one's back.
"You two ride together on that one."
Since it was an unfamiliar animal, Jade had no idea how to mount it.
Merald pointed to the antler with his finger and explained how to ride.
"First, grab one antler with your right hand, place your left hand on its ■back, then your foot..."
While Merald was explaining, Saph hopped on effortlessly.
Merald slowly lowered the finger pointing at the antler and asked,
"Have you ridden a Campion before?"
"Campion? Is that this animal's name?"
Saph asked matter-of-factly.
"Yeah. Looks like it's your first time..."
Merald waited for Jade to mount like Saph, then nodded.
"Ah, you're injured."
He picked Jade up like a child and seated him behind Saph. Then he himself mounted a Campion with light movements. Despite his massive bulk, the Campion didn't budge.
"Campions find their own way, so no need to lead them. They'll follow on their own. Questions?"
Merald asked.
"What's the light from the antlers for?"
Jade asked.
"Is that an important question right now?"
Merald frowned.
"Just curious. Doesn't the light make them targets for other beasts?"
"Many trees in the Dark Forest emit light like this at night, so it can actually help hide. But no beast can touch a Campion anyway. In terms of combat ability, it could easily take down a bear like the ones you know."
Merald explained quickly and spurred his Campion ahead.
"Since you're asking useless questions, I guess no other ones. Don't fall behind."
Merald vanished into the forest darkness in an instant, leaving only the faint glow of his antlers visible.
"Priest, hold on tight."
Saph gripped the Campion's antler, and Jade wrapped his arms around her waist. Naturally, his breath touched the nape of her neck.
"Your breath is hot. Are you okay, Priest?"
Saph asked.
"Not sure."
Jade said weakly.
"Just hang in there a bit."
Saph said to the Campion,
"Please. Run gently."
As if understanding, the Campion started trotting slowly. It gradually picked up speed, but there was hardly any jolting.
Passing through the forest like the wind felt less jarring than riding across a desert. Merald was out of sight ahead, but Jade trusted Saph and closed his eyes.
'I hope Ruby's okay. But right now, we have to trust the guardian.'
After about half an hour, the Campion slowed down.
"We're almost there."
Saph said.
The Campion carrying the two emerged into a clearing with almost no trees.
Merald had stopped his Campion and was waiting.
"You followed well. Good job."
Merald said.
Jade couldn't tell if that was directed at Saph or the Campion.
Seeing Merald dismount, Saph followed suit right away. But Jade couldn't get down. There'd been no great pain on the way, but he couldn't fathom dropping down from such a height.
"Priest, I'll catch you."
Saph held out both hands from below. But Jade waved her off.
"No. That would put you in more dan— Ugh!"
Jade momentarily lost his balance and fell to the opposite side from Saph. As he tumbled helplessly backward, Merald stepped up and caught him.
Thankfully, his head didn't hit the ground, but the pain from his side slammed through his whole body.
Jade could no longer hold out and passed out.
"Priest!"
As Saph rushed over in alarm, Merald held out a hand to reassure her.
"Just fainted."
"Let me see."
"It's fine. Breathing's steady and..."
"I'll check myself!"
"......Do what you want."
Merald laid Jade on the ground.
Saph checked Jade's face and the wound in his side. The bleeding, which had paused briefly, had started again.
"Ah, you were holding it in after all... Must've hurt a lot."
Saph enveloped the wound in healing light.
Merald shouldered the leaf-wrapped Ruby and said,
"That's not efficient. Slowing the Campion because it hurts could endanger this one's life."
Merald blew a short whistle with just his lips. The two Campions vanished back into the bushes.
Merald said to Saph,
"That's enough. A little further, then you can finish there."
Saph withdrew the healing light and said as she stepped back,
"Then is there a stretcher or..."
"I'll carry him."
Merald picked up the prone Jade with one hand and slung him over his shoulder opposite Ruby.
Saph followed Merald with anxious steps.
"How much farther?"
Merald pushed aside reeds as tall as himself and said as he entered,
"Less than ten of my steps. Just walk faster."
The reeds were so huge Saph had to wade through them buried up to her height. But there was no stuffiness or dampness. The foul smell was completely gone.
Feeling like the space itself was changing, Saph asked,
"This isn't the Dark Forest anymore, is it?"
"Good instincts. A magic barrier is centered on this reed field. You and these two passed through unaffected, so none of you are evil beings."
"Your magic?"
After passing the reed field, a cabin appeared.
Merald nodded toward the house and said,
"Nope. The granny who lives there."