[The Triage of the Damned]

B-Sector. A district teeming with hot-blooded adventurers who still haven't managed to let go of their lingering attachment to the freedom and exploration beyond the walls. The facilities that keep B-Sector alive are the Adventurer's Guild and the smithies. The shadows clinging to those places are mercenaries and assassins who will do anything for a price. That’s how it earned the nickname, "Cutthroat Alley." In this city, if you aren't a noble or a knight, you can assume that everyone who makes a living by the blade is gathered here.

"As you know, Teacher, the head of Cutthroat Alley is quite close with me."

The car headed toward B-Sector. Inside were myself, Wangcho, Ayla, and four of her friends. Wangcho began to explain the situation briefly. "When a messenger hawk arrived out of the blue this morning, I thought it was just some urgent order."

B-Sector and D-Sector have frequent exchanges. When the adventurers of Cutthroat Alley hunt down magical beasts, the meat, materials, and magic stones are separated in the Tanner's District. Furthermore, when adventurers or mercenaries who are short on cash get injured, they are treated at the D-Sector clinics for a low price. And one can't forget the adventurers who can't control their nightly urges and frequent the red-light district. In many ways, B-Sector is indebted to D-Sector.

Given this, it was only natural for the leader of B-Sector and Wangcho to become close. "But that wasn't it. As soon as I heard the news that the subjugation party that went out last night was being wiped out and retreating, my sleep vanished instantly."

Wangcho let out a rough breath as he spoke. Ayla and the students, who had been listening quietly, shrank back, their shoulders hunched.

"They say the variant magical beast that caused this incident wasn't even that strong. At most, it was the level of a small-sized beast."

If it were a small-sized beast, a party containing a 1st-Class superhuman would be more than capable of handling it.

"The problem is that when the thing died, it made a massive noise, like some kind of alarm. Because of that, a herd of large-sized magical beasts woke up from hibernation all at once, and the subjugation party is retreating after taking devastating damage."

"To think it would be large-sized beasts..."

If large-sized beasts wake up, the story changes. The rank of a large-sized beast is roughly 3rd to 4th Circle. A noble is required to subjugate one of them. If a large-sized beast leads a herd, an additional knight order is needed. Of course, this subjugation party included nobles and knights. So, if only one herd containing large-sized beasts had woken up, they might have been able to handle it. The problem was that it wasn't just one herd.

"They started the retreat at dawn, and wounded people are flooding toward the city gates right now."

Dawn would have been shortly after the subjugation began. They must have gone out targeting beasts that hadn't fully woken from hibernation, so it would have been the moment they were most off-guard. The situation was likely far more serious than anything I could imagine.

"We're in B-Sector."

As we left the alleys of D-Sector, the scenery began to change. The smell of grease and leather vanished, replaced by the scent of charcoal and iron filings. The street, which should have been filled with the sound of hammers striking anvils and swords being sharpened from early morning, was quiet. Looking out the window, I could see that everyone in the street was heading toward the city gates.

"There it is, Teacher."

Wangcho pointed to the open city gate. Beyond the gate, where the dawn light seeped in, I could see the landscape outside the walls, piled high with white snow. And through that gate, people were pouring in.

"This can't be..."

Ayla covered her mouth with both hands. A mercenary carried on a comrade's back. A knight limping, using his shield as a cane. A noble being dragged along, supported by two servants. A procession of miserable figures stretched out from the gate. Even they were the lucky ones.

Between the city gate and the central plaza, there was a large road connecting the two. A road that should have been bustling with carts carrying the carcasses of magical beasts. But the carts filling the road now were loaded not with spoils, but with the wounded and the dead.

"Ugh..."

"Save me, please save me..."

"My leg... my leg..."

Wails echoed from everywhere. Bloodstains spread across the white snow, and at the end of every trail of blood, a person lay fallen. At that horrific sight, Ayla and her friends couldn't utter a word. One of the students made eye contact with a corpse being carried on a stretcher and covered their mouth.

"Ugh..."

I feel sorry for showing them this on their first day. But I clearly received confirmation from them before we left. I told them that where we were going was a horrific disaster site, drenched in blood and filled with screams. I told them not to dream of a fun and wise clinic life. That there, I would have no choice but to treat them not as students, but as disaster relief workers. Even so, the students replied that they would follow. Therefore, I had no choice but to treat them accordingly.

"We've arrived at the Adventurer's Guild."

At Wangcho's voice, I prepared to get out of the car. The other children also prepared to disembark. As the car stopped, Wangcho jumped out as if he were running. I hurried my steps toward the guild building, following Wangcho.

"Teacher, this way."

The B-Sector Adventurer's Guild headquarters was a stone building north of the plaza, closest to the city gate. As I opened the door, the interior of a common fantasy-style guild unfolded. A space that served as both a tavern and a waiting room stretched out wide, and further inside, reception windows and a bar counter were visible. However, the space that doubled as a tavern had transformed into a command and control center.

"How many B-rank or higher are still left outside!"

"Three! No, four! We haven't made contact with Lina's party yet!"

"Check the clinic beds! If we're short, clear out the smithy and lay people down!"

"Did you send letters to the noble families?! Are you confirming who is where!"

"Contact the upper sectors too! Quickly!"

Using the request bulletin board as a briefing chalkboard, a middle-aged man was shouting at the top of his lungs. Where request forms and subjugation notices should have been densely packed, there was a map drawn in chalk by someone. The approximate number of wounded and estimated deaths were being updated in real-time.

Shouts were layered upon shouts. Wangcho navigated through the heart of that chaos without hesitation. "Move!" Throwing aside the adventurers who were in the way, Wangcho walked toward the board. I and the students followed the path Wangcho had cleared. Before long, we arrived in front of the board. A man was standing on a table placed in front of the chalkboard.

"Alexei! I'm here!"

At Wangcho's call, the man on the table lowered his gaze. The man called Alexei was in his late forties, with a scar crossing his forehead and chin. A wolf emblem inlaid with silver on his black leather coat glowed faintly. "Tao Chen. You're here quickly."

"Teacher. This guy is Alexei. He's the B-Sector Guild Master."

"Greetings, Director Shun. I have heard much of your reputation."

The Guild Master jumped down from the table, gave me a light bow, and offered a handshake. As I grasped the right hand he extended, the feeling of cold metal was transmitted. It seemed his right hand was a prosthetic.

"The situation is urgent, so please forgive us for not being able to offer proper courtesies."

"It is fine. So, what should I do here?"

"There are still many parties and teams isolated outside the walls. Even focusing on rescue operations is not easy."

Alexei sighed and pointed to the board. On one side of the chalkboard, a map of the area outside the walls was drawn. On it, several team names were circled in red and marked with exclamation points.

"I will take charge of the rescue outside the walls. Please take charge of handling the wounded who have entered the city walls, Director. Before that, by any chance, how many healers did you bring?"

"Healers belonging to the Merkur Merchant Guild are on their way."

I had sent out messages on the way here. When I conveyed the situation to the Guild Leader, he had puffed out his chest and said, — "Excellent! This is a golden opportunity to further boost our guild's image!"

It was a choice of words typical of a corrupt, wealthy merchant. Of course, even if he said that, I knew very well that wasn't his true intention. He was just a wealthy man who admired the spirit of noblesse oblige. Contrary to his image, the Guild Leader was one of the few good-hearted people I could trust. In any case, the healers were also on their way here.

"Thank you, Director."

"It won't be too late to thank me later."

"Understood. Then I will inform the other team leaders as well."

Guild Master Alexei called over a clerk who was bustling about. "Marius. Tell the guild staff and the party leaders. From now on, if they cross the city walls, they are to follow this person's instructions entirely regarding the handling of the wounded."

"Yes, sir!"

The clerk glanced at my mask for a moment, then drew a montage of me on paper in an instant. A black suit and a crow mask. The clerk took that montage, which captured my features exquisitely, and disappeared past the counter. Alexei pointed to the chalkboard with his right prosthetic hand.

"The guild also has a treatment center. Besides that, the additional spaces you can use are the guild meeting room and the smithy warehouse next door. I've attached about thirty porters for now; let me know if you need more."

"Understood. I will arrange for additional support separately."

As I said that, I turned to Wangcho. "Wangcho."

"Yes, Teacher."

"We need more people."

"I'll bring some guys from the slaughterhouse who are good with heavy lifting."

"You can use my car and the merchant guild's carriages freely."

"Understood."

Since it was Wangcho, I trusted him to handle it, knowing he wouldn't do anything foolish with the vehicles in this situation. Wangcho gave a nod and disappeared back the way he came. After confirming his back had vanished, I turned my bag upside down on the table. Flags dyed in four colors spilled out.

"All D-Sector clinic directors, gather here."

"We are gathered."

The five clinic directors who had arrived with me gathered in front of the Guild Master's table. Behind them, guild members also stopped one by one, wondering what was going on, and looked this way. I immediately gave instructions to the clinic directors.

"Tell the healers who haven't arrived at the site yet but have reported to the clinics to stay at the clinics. We need backup."

There is a limit to the treatment that can be performed on-site. Therefore, personnel who haven't arrived at the site yet should wait at the clinics.

"And from now on, the clinic directors and I will focus on sorting the patients rather than treating them."

I spread the bundle of flags out on the table. Red, yellow, green, and black. They were flags for Triage classification. In a large-scale disaster situation where resources like time and manpower are limited, one cannot provide the best treatment for each individual. The moment multiple medical staff members rush to one patient, the remaining ten are neglected. Because of this, in such disaster situations, medical care aims not for the best, but for the survival of the greatest number. And Triage classification is a method of determining priority by classifying patients according to severity.

"What I am explaining now is Triage classification. I believe you all have experience working in emergency rooms, so I will explain it simply."

First, green. "People who can walk on their own. People who can communicate and are conscious. Classify them with this flag. Treatment is the lowest priority."

Yellow. "People who cannot walk but are conscious, and while treatment is necessary, they have about an hour of leeway. We will treat them, but only when there is spare holy power."

Red. "People who must be treated right now. People whose consciousness is clouded, whose breathing is labored, or whose bleeding is abnormal. We will prioritize treating these people."

And black. "...You all know, right?"

There are many ears listening, so I will omit the explanation. But if they are people who have worked at my clinic, they are colors they all know. Black. No hope. "We will not perform procedures that take a long time, such as CPR, neurosurgery, or regenerative surgery."

"Yes!"

I continued the explanation. "There is a rule when classifying. 30 seconds to 1 minute per person. Do not spend more than that. The criteria are breathing, pulse, blood circulation, and consciousness."

The most important thing in this situation is classification. Even just proper classification changes the first digit of the survival rate. However, if time is delayed because of that classification, it is no different from putting the cart before the horse.

"Do not agonize over it. If you cannot make a judgment, treat them as yellow for now."

The healers nodded in unison. "Now, then, divide the zones by each color—" That was when it happened. A loud trumpet sound rang out from outside the guild. Pruuuu! It was a trumpet sounding from the city gate. The guild staff listened to the trumpet sound, which was cut into four parts. One of them said to me, "It seems the Basilisk subjugation party has returned."

"How many people are there?"

"Approximately 80."

"It's going to get busy."

I handed the flags to the clinic directors and finished my words. "Each of you should divide the zones according to the flags and classify the patients. Let's start right away."

I gave a short command and picked up the bundle of flags. And I gestured to the students who were looking this way blankly. "Students, follow me."

*

I took the students around and began handing out flags to the patients. I examined an adventurer in leather armor whose ankle was twisted. "What is your name?"

"... Ma... tin..."

"Green flag."

He can't walk, but he is conscious, and there are no findings suggesting a threat to life. People don't die from a twisted ankle. Therefore, green. I told the patient to hold that flag and get help from other patients who could walk to head to the green zone.

The next patient was a knight with a thorn the size of a forearm stuck in his stomach. "Patient. What is your name?"

"Mom..."

Mom, I'm hungry, I'm cold. These are the classic lines of people waiting for the ferryman before the River Styx. As soon as I heard that line, I immediately flipped his eyelids and pressed and released his finger slightly. His condition was bad. His breathing was shallow and fast. It was a level that would easily exceed 30 per minute even if I measured it roughly. However, if we pull out the thorn and cast a heal, we can ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠expect his condition to improve rapidly.

"Red."

Click. Ayla tied the flag to the knight's arm. Not long after, the laborers Wangcho had arranged loaded the knight onto a stretcher. And they began to move him to the place where the red flag patients were gathered.

"I will pray for you, Sir Knight."

Before the knight left, Ayla cast Refresh. In principle, one should save holy power in this situation. But I made an exception for Ayla. The past few months. I had never seen Ayla's holy power exhausted after she used Refresh. There were days when she used it nearly 100 times and was still fine. That was why I allowed her to cast Refresh on patients with red flags. Because it was possible that their survival rate might increase even a little by doing so.

"That one is green."

"Here is yellow."

"This person is..."

Black. Every time a black flag was stuck next to a patient, the students' expressions darkened. Ayla also parted her lips, but no voice came out. They also knew. The moment one discusses reckless miracles in reality, how terrible a tragedy will unfold. That was why they, too, were silently sticking in the black flags. It was a reality I didn't want to show the growing dream trees if possible.

"Next..."

That was when it happened.

"Why! Hurry, treat this body!"

A shout rang out in the plaza. I stopped my hand, which was organizing the flags. Ayla and her friends also stopped their steps at that shout. In the corner of the plaza. In the green zone, where people were relatively less busy, a man was grabbing a healer by the collar. The healer was being lifted up, his robe crumpled by the fist of a man more than a head taller than him. The man holding the collar was a man wearing a flashy blue coat, appealing with his whole body that he was a noble. A hawk was embroidered on the chest of the coat. Of course, just by seeing that emblem, I didn't know which family he was from. But I would soon know the man's identity.

"Do you know who I am and dare to!"

The man shook the healer's robe roughly. "I, the second son of the Karimzad Viscount family, have entered the city walls, so how can a healer stand by and do nothing in front of me!"

"Y... Young Master... There are many more urgent people right now..."

"What? More urgent people?"

The man's voice rose. "Are you saying that even after seeing my thigh and forehead? Where could there be a more urgent wound than this!"

I quickly assessed the wound from afar. The wound on his forehead was certainly deep. If left as it was, it would certainly leave a scar. The wound on his thigh was also by no means small. But the blood on his forehead and thigh had stopped long ago, and the second son's consciousness was clear. Unless he had even severed an artery, it was correct to evaluate it as green. Since he was a superhuman anyway, his lifeline would be tougher. But to the pampered second son, that wound felt like a wound ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he could die from at any moment.

"Even with spare holy power, how dare you not treat me!" The second son's shout rose another tone. "Think about which one is more valuable to the Empire, this commoner lying around in this plaza or me!"

The second son's logic was extremely simple. Instead of healing a commoner, cast a heal on me. It was the logic that wouldn't that be socially beneficial as well? Perhaps strategically, it was correct. One 1st-Class superhuman has the value of more than ten 0-Class soldiers. However, it was logic I could not agree with medically. And the healer who had his collar grabbed seemed to have a similar thought to me.

"Young Master. Still..."

The healer couldn't continue his words. He was clutching a brass cross while his collar was grabbed. But he didn't use that cross to cast a heal. While working at my clinic, he had come to know. How many miracles a single low-level heal could cause. That was why he couldn't easily use a low-level heal. Just saving this holy power could move several people under the red flag to the yellow flag. That was why the healer retorted in a trembling voice.

"I understand the Young Master's words, but... if I use a heal on you now, the five people under the red flag who will come a little later..."

"Shut up! How dare you..."

"Sir Karimzad."

I, who couldn't watch anymore, intervened. The second son turned his head sharply toward me. And this time, too, embarrassment took the place where anger had been sitting just a moment ago. It seemed this person also knew my face. To be precise, my mask.

"Ah, the crow mask. Are you that Director ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Shun?"

The second son's voice tone dropped. It was a soft, gentle tone, completely different from his roar earlier. "To meet in a place like this, this meeting must be the grace of His Majesty the Emperor."

The second son let go of the hand that was grabbing the healer's collar. And he lightly tapped his chest with his fist. "I am Arno Karimzad, second son of the Karimzad Viscount family. Under the infinite mercy of His Majesty—"

I let his greeting flow through one ear and gestured to the healer. I would handle this, so go look at other patients. The healer bowed his head slightly and quietly stepped back from his spot. Meanwhile, the second son, who had finished his introduction, called me.

"Director Shun. By the way, are you not curious about how this wound was caused? In today's subjugation, I encountered a medium-sized magical beast alone. A Black Bristle Wolf, I don't know if you've heard of it, but it was a beast equivalent to 2nd Circle. When it dug into my side, I—"

Arno proudly tilted his forehead wound to show it off. It was probably a story about how he sacrificed his thigh to take the wolf's neck. The tooth marks on his thigh were the proof. But I wasn't interested in his heroic tale. So I cut him off in the middle.

"Sir. Do you know this?"

"...?"

I've experienced many such troublemakers in my past life. As a trauma surgeon, I've dealt with many such troublemakers alongside emergency room doctors. And I know how to effectively make such people shut their mouths.

"This is an urgent situation. I believe you don't not know... the meaning of a state that requires the full attention of healers in such a situation."

I lightly lifted the red flag and pointed to the east zone of the plaza. Arno's gaze instinctively followed that direction. People with red flags already stuck to them were gathered there. An adventurer whose left arm had disappeared entirely from below the shoulder. A knight lying face down whose breastplate had completely melted from the back. A mercenary whose jaw was dangling strangely downward and half of whose face had disappeared. The second son's face, having seen the zone where they were gathered, stiffened slightly.

"If necessary, I can help you receive the attention of healers in that place."

"... Are you threatening me?"

"Well."

For reference, every time I used this method, complaints were often filed. That the doctor threatened the patient or something. Thanks to that, I also frequently frequented the disciplinary committee. Of course, our hospital had a hospital director, a thoracic surgery department head, and center directors who were even more extreme, so I was always found innocent.

— "Originally, if a doctor works, it's okay to throw around some crazy parents. You did well, Yunho."

— "Department Head... That's something only you do at our hospital. And I don't want to go to the disciplinary committee."

— "If you receive discipline several times, it's like receiving a medal, and if you get used to it, it's okay. As long as it's not a red line, it's fine."

Especially thanks to the pediatric department head who was close to me actively defending me, later I also started to go a bit extreme like that person. Later, I had piled up a tower of complaints filed before my name. ...Damn it. I learned only strange things from that person. Anyway.

"Sir Karimzad. Shall I guide you to that side? If you don't like red, I will guide you to the black side."

"..."

The blood drained slightly from Arno's face. Soon, he shook his head. "Now that I think about it, it would be the duty of a noble to wait in this place."

"I will perform a simple emergency treatment."

Still, it was a bit much to leave a noble's son completely neglected, so I decided to perform a simple treatment on his thigh. Of course, not by me, but by the clumsy hands of the trainees.

"Student Ayla. Try practicing suturing an open wound with your friends."

"Hmm? Why not you... Ugh!!"

Sometimes, very sometimes. Thinking about it every time like this. It was good that dark fantasy was an era where romance lived and breathed, so I didn't have to worry about the aftermath.

*

Arno was caught by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the students and became an excellent teaching aid. I told the students to come back to me after they had studied enough, and then moved my steps again for classification. It was while I was leaving the green zone. One side of the green zone. A man was sitting on a rock in a stiff posture. Deep bronze skin. His nose bridge was high, and his eyebrows were thick. His jawline was neat, and his short-trimmed black hair sparkled with a bit of gray at the temples. He was about his early forties. A family emblem embroidered with gold thread on dark red silk was visible.

'Who is it?'

Freya could tell which family it was just by seeing the emblem. Tsk. Charlotte and I couldn't tell who it was even if we saw something like that. Fortunately, I was able to know the man's identity right away.

"Count Mukadar. It seems it would be better to call a healer."

A person who looked like a retainer was saying in a low voice next to the Count. "Regarding the wound on your side. The range where the bruising is..."

"It's fine."

The Count waved his hand. "As I said, this much is bearable. It's just a bruise, isn't it? We shouldn't waste holy power in a place like this."

"Didn't you hide your wounds last time too, and they became scars?"

"Invisible wounds are a noble's medal. To think that the medals will increase, that's even better news."

"Count, is now the time to be joking!"

"Haha. Cough."

The Count laughed lightly and coughed. "I'm really fine, so check on the knights' conditions."

"That won't do. You must receive treatment. Didn't you get hit squarely by a troll's club? There might be invisible wounds inside, so at least you must receive a heal."

"My, you are persistent too. What's all this fuss about a mere troll club..."

The Count was talking to his retainer, then turned his head behind his back. And he said to me, "...What are you doing right now?"

"I am performing a physical examination."

"Is it the famous Director Shun's examination method to approach a Count without a word and place a hand on his back?"

I nodded. "Yes. Thanks to that, I was able to know the Count's condition."

"Haha. As I heard, you have an eccentric side."

"Thank you. However, I have something to tell you before that."

I gestured to whisper to the Count. The Count was wary of me for a moment, but soon nodded and allowed me his ear. I leaned my body toward the Count and whispered low into his ear. "I understand that strength is the proof of a noble title, but there is no meaning in dying while keeping your pride."

"...?"

"It hurts below your left chest every time you breathe or speak, right? You're struggling to hide the cough as well."

The Count looked at me with surprised eyes. I pointed to a tent with a nod, no, a beak gesture. And I said in a voice that others could hear. "If you are fine now, I have a personal favor to ask of the Count. Is it possible to talk for a moment over there?"

It was saying that I would treat him over there where no one could see. The Count pondered for a moment, then soon nodded.