Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Crack in the Blade
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A fine crack had formed in the sword blade. It was the price for slicing through the magical beast's shell. Not bad for an item bought from some nameless workshop.
Lander set the sword down. It hit the ground with a clear metallic ring and shattered into pieces.
He approached Guchi, who lay sprawled on the ground. He visually assessed him for signs of corruption. It was a serious injury that would keep him down for a while, but fortunately, no part of him had been corrupted.
"The man over there is in worse shape, so please hold on just a bit."
"I'm managing fine, so Perrun, that guy..."
Guchi coughed dryly and grimaced. Lander gently pressed down on Guchi's shoulder before heading over to the man called Perrun.
Perrun was staring back and forth between the magical beast—split in half and still twitching—and himself. He looked utterly confused.
Lander glanced at Perrun's left foot. From midway down his thigh, it had turned black. The skin bubbled and boiled in cycles before calming again. The corruption had already set in.
"Tell me if you can feel anything."
He picked up the curved sword lying next to Perrun. Perrun's eyes gradually widened.
"Wh-what..."
Before Perrun could finish, Lander thrust the curved sword into the blackened skin. Perrun flinched and gaped.
"Did you feel that stab?"
"Yes. And the pain?"
"None at all. I thought it was weird. My leg's in this state, but there's no pain whatsoever. It's like everything below my thigh isn't even mine."
"The corruption is complete. You'll have to give up your left leg."
"Give up...?"
"I'll cut it off. There won't be any pain. The nerves around the stump are already numb. Once treatment starts, the pain will get intense, but it's better than dying, right?"
"If you don't cut it off, I'll die?"
"Yes. It'll devour your whole body. There are a few ways to suppress it, but none available in a place like this."
He raised the curved sword. Perrun blurted out in a panic.
"I-isn't there another way?"
"Not that I know of, at least. If we cut now, we can save about half your thigh."
Perrun's chest heaved up and down. It must have felt absurd. To suddenly hear he needed his leg amputated. Unfair, too.
"Half my thigh..."
He muttered in a deflated voice.
After battling a magical beast, injuries were almost guaranteed, and about half of those involved some body part being corrupted. Even his valued subordinates were no exception.
Faced with the reality of surrendering the body they'd trained their whole lives, his men would sometimes cry like children. He'd soothed countless numbers of them before severing the corrupted flesh.
"If you think life without one leg is worse than death, I can help you with that. There's no pain now, but give it a little more time, and the agony will be unbearable. You'll be begging for death. Let me take care of it before then."
Among his more capable subordinates, some had chosen death.
Even with magical engineering providing cutting-edge prosthetics, they could never fully match the original body. He understood the sense of loss that stole one's will to live.
Perrun's eyes darted left and right before he squeezed them shut.
"Even with one leg gone, I have to live to see. I've got two people waiting for me at home."
"Wise choice."
Lander gripped the curved sword tightly. He traced the exact boundary of the corruption. No blood flowed. He examined the cut surface.
A white, mucous-like substance—different from fat—began slowly covering the stump. The immediate danger was averted. With evacuation and proper treatment, he'd pull through.
"When are you going to cut? At least warn me first. I need to brace myself."
"I already have."
At those words, Perrun cautiously opened his eyes. He stared blankly at his detached foot, then covered his face with both hands.
"Damn. Not a dream."
"You won't feel anything for about a day. After that, sensation returns, and from then on, it'll hurt—a lot, though it varies by person."
"If I'm alive, what's a little suffering? Anyway, how's that guy?"
Perrun pointed at Guchi with a finger. Since he could move his upper body without issue, he seemed fine aside from the corrupted area.
"I'll need to check closely, but he looks okay for now."
"That's a relief."
"Rest up first. People will be here soon."
A political officer would have stationed people nearby for information control. He'd leave the follow-up care to them.
He went to Guchi. He was grimacing and stifling groans, the pain clearly intense.
"Has the pain gotten worse?"
"No. It's just been hurting enough to keep me from dying since earlier."
"Good. As long as it's not enough to kill you."
He supported Guchi's body and flipped him over. He seemed able to hold his neck and back steady.
Lander gently touched his right shoulder. Deep wrinkles formed between Guchi's brows.
"From what I can see, no issues with your spine or cervical vertebrae."
"You can tell that too?"
"I know the basics. But don't get too comfortable—I'm no expert."
"They say long-time soldiers know their bodies inside out. Seeing you, it rings true."
"It's our job to get hurt, after all. But if you can keep talking like this, you must be in decent shape?"
"Keeping my mouth shut makes the shoulder hurt worse. Annoying as it is, be my conversation partner for a bit."
True to a hunter who frequented danger zones, his mental fortitude was impressive. Even with a wound that made it hard to move his mouth, he hadn't lost his composure.
Lander removed his cloak and wrapped it around Guchi's shoulder to stabilize it. A makeshift fix, but better than nothing.
"You amputated his leg."
Guchi said, eyeing Perrun's severed limb.
"No other choice."
"I know a bit about magical beasts myself. Restoring corrupted flesh requires top-tier magic or medicine. Probably only possible in the Holy City."
Guchi slowly extended a finger. He was pointing at the beast's corpse, which had twitched for a while before going still.
"Is that one dead?"
"Yes. Some split apart, but that one's gone."
Guchi's eyelids fluttered and closed. A deep sigh of relief followed.
"Thanks. You saved our lives."
"Everything's sorted for now, so rest. Better to keep your eyes shut."
As he lifted his knee from the ground to stand, Guchi grabbed his wrist.
"Once ran into a magical beast in uncharted territory. Had a 3rd-class mercenary with me. He was skilled, but like a child against the beast. Couldn't do a thing. Nothing."
"Monsters are like that."
"And you killed one. So effortlessly."
His eyes demanded an explanation. Lander carefully pried Guchi's hand away.
"Rest is what matters right now, I think."
Guchi, who had been staring intently, finally nodded.
"You're right. My apologies. Seeing something unbelievable right in front of me, I couldn't help asking. But as you say, that's not important. What's important is that you saved me and that guy."
Guchi gripped Lander's knee tightly. Truly grateful, he said. Lander smiled faintly and stood.
People carrying refined auras were approaching. Likely under the political officer. They divided into groups, securing the perimeter and tending to the wounded as if this were routine.
"We'll handle cleanup here."
The man from the guild building saluted militarily. His name was Mekel, right?
"Mekel."
"Yes."
"As you can see, he's got corruption. I've done emergency measures, but follow-up treatment is crucial."
"Don't worry. The political officer gave orders."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
People gathered around the beast's corpse. They collected it carefully to avoid secondary contamination. It would go to one of the Empire's think tanks.
"Control officer!"
A man came running from the village, shouting urgently. Standing before Mekel, he glanced at Lander before speaking.
"A First-Class Noble has entered the operational zone."
"That'd be Lady Ariel."
"Tried to stop her, but she's on horseback—no chance. We could force it, but she's a First-Class Noble, so..."
Mekel yelled orders to his men. Prioritize transporting the corpse. As the beast's body was loaded onto a horse and carted away, Ariel came into view.
"Looks like she has business with me."
He nodded to Mekel and walked toward Ariel. She reined in her horse right in front of him.
Catching her breath from the saddle, Ariel scanned the surroundings.
"What happened here?"
Lander pointed at the injured men still on the ground.
"As the alarm bells signaled, a dangerous beast appeared. It's been dealt with now."
"That one's missing a leg."
Ariel pointed at Perrun.
"It had venomous fangs. Incurable poison—amputation was the only option."
Carts arrived from the village. Under Mekel's lead, the wounded were loaded up.
"Hold on."
Ariel stopped Mekel, who was directing.
"What unit are you with?"
Mekel hesitated before answering. The cool demeanor from the operation was gone from his face.
"The village vigilante group. Heard the bells, gathered men to scout the area, spotted the signal flare. Came running and found this mess..."
"Your name?"
"Mekel. Did I do something wrong? If so, forgive me."
He bowed deeply, hands clasped. Ariel, who had watched silently, softened her hardened gaze.
"Take the patients back to the village. If you need support, request it in the name of Tian."
"Thank you."
Mekel led his people away. As he climbed onto a cart, their eyes met—he flashed a subtle smile, as if entrusting the rest to Lander. A subordinate just like his boss.
"What brings you here, my lady...?"
With Ariel clamping her mouth shut, Lander spoke up. After staring down from her horse for a long moment, she extended a hand. Lander helped her dismount.
"I went to the guild to talk to you. But I saw something unbelievable right outside the building."
"What did you see?"
"Someone moving faster than a horse—speed no normal human could achieve."
"I see."
"Lander."
Ariel took a step closer. Her round eyes fixed on him, as if determined to read him completely.
"You said you were a lowly soldier."
"Yes."
"Still claiming to be a lowly soldier? Even after I saw that?"
"Nothing else to say. Just a soldier with nothing to his name."
"Look me in the eye and say that. You expect me to believe it? The Empire wouldn't let a soldier with that kind of physical prowess go to waste. They'd scout him, make him a hero. They love creating legends. But I've never heard the name Lander."
The horse beside them snorted. The faint sunset glow had vanished, thick darkness settling in.
Lights began flickering on one by one in the village behind her. He stayed silent for a long while. He'd thought himself skilled at lies, but Ariel's direct assault left him with no retort.
"Whatever I am, it shouldn't matter to you, my lady."
"No. It matters to me. Because you were on the battlefield with my father."
He scraped his tongue against the roof of his mouth a few times before giving an awkward smile.
"Worried about the patients—I should go."
"Answer my question."
"Sorry, but my answer's the same."
He bowed and stepped aside. He heard her call to wait from behind, but didn't stop.
*Continued next time*