Chapter 62 Subjugation Expedition (4)
Subjugation Expedition (4)
A single makeshift tent came into view. Unlike the other tents, this one bore a red cross—the treatment center where the wounded were tended, or so I'd heard.
The interior seemed surprisingly quiet. Then again, it made sense, given how few had been injured in this battle. Probably thanks to the power Yurp had displayed earlier.
Otherwise, the subjugation team would've suffered considerable damage. Of course, with Abel present, they wouldn't have been annihilated, but still.
I lifted the tent flap slightly and stepped inside.
The smell of disinfectant.
The sharp, sterile scent of alcohol—something I'd grown sick of in my past life. Strange to think hygiene concepts like this already existed in what was essentially a medieval setting.
The thought flickered through my mind, but I dismissed it just as quickly, remembering this was a Romance Fantasy world after all.
The infirmary was silent.
Inside, rows of iron beds stretched out, all empty save for one. It seemed Yurp was the only patient here.
I moved carefully, stepping closer to her bedside.
...It's worse than I thought.
Yurp lay with her brow furrowed, groaning faintly in pain.
Holy Power swirled around her, attempting to heal her, yet her pallor showed no sign of improving.
Settling into the chair beside her bed, I cautiously checked her pulse.
Weak.
Her heartbeat was sluggish, barely there—as if it might stop at any moment. I knew exactly what that meant.
I'd assumed she'd just fainted, but her condition was far more severe than expected. Despite the Holy Power actively healing her, her state remained unchanged.
Silpi.
[She's poisoned.]
Silpi answered before I could even ask, as if he'd been waiting for the question.
Poisoned?
Had she inhaled some of the toxin the monster sprayed earlier? But something about that didn't add up.
Holy Power should've purged any poison by now. So why was Yurp still suffering? Especially with Holy Power still circling her like this.
[Her constitution rejects Holy Power.]
Silpi's reply was succinct, cutting through my confusion.
"That's a thing?"
The words slipped out before I could stop myself, my voice rising in disbelief. Silpi, too, seemed intrigued as he studied Yurp.
[I've heard of it, but this is the first time I've actually seen it.]
I frowned at his words.
Without Holy Power, there'd be no way to expel the poison. And an antidote for a toxin from an otherworldly monster? Unlikely.
As I turned the problem over in my head, Silpi spoke up again.
[Why are you so concerned about her?]
His question gave me pause. Why was I so fixated on her?
...Because it doesn't feel like someone else's problem.
Something about Yurp overlapped with memories of my past self.
The way I'd lashed out at others without reason. The way I'd met their kindness with scorn.
This was before I'd taken over Adel's body.
Back then, I'd been cornered—financially, mentally. All that remained was a stubborn, near-delusional belief that this miserable life had no meaning, that I didn't need anyone's help.
Words spat out in that state became thorns, wounding those around me.
The memories were hazy now, but I'd probably said similar things even after becoming Adel. I'd definitely said something hurtful to Lily when she'd tried to help me.
Though that timeline had been erased by regression, the look on her face still lingered in my mind.
That's why I couldn't just walk away.
Especially because the last thing Yurp had said before collapsing—it sounded too much like the words I'd regretted most.
[I see.]
Silpi nodded, accepting my answer without further comment. Just then, a priest stepped into the tent.
Unlike the others, he wore black priestly robes. Spotting me, he froze, then studied my face intently.
Just as irritation began creeping in, he spoke.
"Are you... Id, by any chance?"
"Yes, that's me."
I nodded, and the priest immediately bowed deeply, his voice ringing out.
"Thank you for saving our priestess."
"Ah, no—it was just part of my duty as an escort."
Caught off guard, I stumbled over my words slightly. He straightened, his expression oddly moved as he looked at me.
"Even so, you saved her. That's undeniable."
When he moved to bow again, I flusteredly waved him off. The priest smiled faintly at my reaction.
"Are you here because you're worried about her?"
"Ah, yes. She doesn't seem to be doing well."
His expression darkened at that. Crossing his arms, he seemed to wrestle with something before letting out a heavy sigh.
Unfolding his arms, he stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"As you said, her condition isn't good."
His lips pressed into a thin line as he glanced at Yurp's still-pale face. Reaching out, he channeled Holy Power into her.
But the energy simply bounced off her body, dispersing uselessly into the air.
The Holy Power bounced off Yurp's body as if repelled by an iron plate, failing to be absorbed even slightly.
"We'll need to observe a bit longer, but..."
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"As things stand now, there's nothing we can do but hope for natural recovery."
Natural recovery.
Hearing those words, her emaciated frame became painfully clear in my vision.
Even the priest who had suggested it didn't seem to believe it was possible, letting out nothing but a sigh.
He hesitated for a moment, chewing on his words before speaking again.
"Even for an ordinary person, Angor's poison is fatal without an antidote."
Angor's poison. So that was the nature of the toxin Yurp had inhaled. I'd thought the monster was unusually weak compared to others—turns out it specialized in poison.
If it was lethal even to a normal person, then for her, already weakened by fasting, it was nothing short of a death sentence.
"Given Miss Yurp's current condition, surviving even a single day would be difficult."
He approached her, quietly lifting her arm. The limb was frighteningly thin, and the priest exhaled sharply before gently releasing it.
"It's just... heartbreaking."
With those words, he slowly turned away. The priest left the tent as if he had already given up on her.
I could only watch his retreating back, unable to stop him.
I wasn't sad. After all, I'd only known her for two days—too short a time for grief.
But just as the priest had said, it was heartbreaking.
The way she bristled like a hedgehog, hurting those around her. The lifelessness in her eyes, as if she had tasted every suffering life could offer.
And yet, the way she still reflexively stepped forward to save others. Somehow, it reminded me painfully of my own past.
"Ah, Id."
A blue-haired man entered the tent—Kal. Spotting me, he greeted me with what seemed like genuine warmth.
His usual bright expression told me he still didn't know the state she was in.
Though rough around the edges, he was someone who genuinely cared for Yurp. Which was exactly why I had to tell him.
My mouth felt a little dry, but I steeled myself to speak.
"Yurp... Her condition is serious."
"...What?"
"The priest said there's nothing he can do."
Kal froze, clearly caught off guard by my words.
The corners of his lips twitched awkwardly, his pupils trembling faintly. He was unmistakably shaken.
"B-but you saved her, didn't you?"
Kal stammered the question. I had no answer, so I averted my gaze.
At my reaction, he swayed slightly before leaning against the tent wall for support.
"Kal?"
"A-ah, no. I'm fine. I'm... fine."
His face said otherwise, but he forced a smile, repeating the words like a mantra.
Slowly, he approached Yurp's bed and sat on the chair beside it.
Seeing her pained expression, he clenched his eyes shut, taking deep breaths in an attempt to steady himself.
"What... what should I—?"
His voice trembled, trailing off. Watching him quietly, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper.
White, inscribed with golden letters.
It radiated a strange energy—not Holy Power—condensed within. The panacea talisman the Pope had given me.
Kal sat with his eyes tightly shut, gripping a cross in his hands. Before him, Yurp struggled to breathe, her face twisted in agony.
"Use it when you deem it necessary," he had said.
Even back then, I'd thought it excessive.
Now that I thought about it, it was strange.
Of all the people there, why had he approached me? And why give me something as significant as a panacea talisman, calling it a "gift of apology"?
There was no way the Pope—a leader practically synonymous with the Holy Kingdom—couldn't see through a mere disguise artifact.
This had to be a calculated move. He must have figured out who I was and wanted to burden me with a moral debt.
Was I really that important?
But if not, there was no reason for him to give me something so extravagant. So in this situation, the choice was simple.
[Are you sure?]
Yeah. This is the best option.
Nodding at Silpi's question, I slowly approached Yurp, the white paper in hand.
"Id?"
Startled by my sudden movement, Kal looked up in confusion. Then his eyes widened violently as he noticed what I held.
"How do I use this?"
"W-what? That's—"
"Answer me first."
My firm tone cut through his hesitation, and he quickly replied.
"Y-you just... pray while focusing on the target."
Pray while focusing on the target. Simpler than I'd expected.
Closing my eyes, I slowly pictured Yurp in my mind.
Huuuung—
A resonant hum filled the air, light seeping through my eyelids. When I opened my eyes again, Yurp's face had softened into peace.
Seeing her calm expression for the first time, I found myself smiling faintly without realizing it.