Chapter 19
Chapter 19
“…Understood. I’ll do as you say. But is there really a way to treat him?”
“Yes. Have them prepare the medicinal ingredients I mentioned.”
Treating Demonization was part of the Main Scenario Quest, so I knew the recipe for the medicine.
‘The quest was to gather the ingredients for the medicine and seek help from the Medicine Sage.’
This time, I would have to play the role of the Medicine Sage myself.
‘I have to succeed. If I don’t, the Demon Saint will die. And my easy life will be over, so I have to pull this off no matter what.’
“Have them prepare medical books, too.”
“…Pardon?”
“Especially books with anatomical diagrams relating to the mana road.”
“……”
I knew absolutely nothing about this field, so I had to study first.
Suspicion filled Lairan’s eyes.
“…You really can treat him, right?”
“Of course. Or is there someone else who can? If so, you may leave him in that person’s hands.”
As expected of the Black Flame Dragon.
Even though I was about to cram at the last minute, I exuded such overwhelming confidence that Lairan was cowed by it and nodded.
“I-I wasn’t trying to doubt you. I’ll put my faith in you, Young Master.”
There was no time.
While Lairan hurriedly went to gather the medicinal ingredients, I frantically crammed the medical knowledge I needed for the treatment.
The more I studied, the more cold sweat streamed down my face.
‘…Is the treatment success rate really 83.5%? This is way too difficult.’
The mana road.
The path along which mana flowed.
In this world, mana was as important as blood, so most illnesses and treatments were closely related to it.
Understanding the structure of the human body in relation to mana made this far from easy.
‘Is this Thousand Changes Versatility trait even working properly?’
Anxiously, I checked the odds again, but they were still the same: 83.5%.
Before I knew it, the time for the treatment had arrived.
“Young Master, preparations for the treatment are complete.”
The Demon Saint was in a hideout here in the Four Dragon Fortress.
When I arrived, there was someone I hadn’t seen before, besides Lairan.
“Watcher, are you really going to leave the Saint’s treatment to this man?”
A white coat. A stern gaze.
I had a rough idea who he was.
‘He’s a medic with the Rebel Army.’
He looked as though he simply couldn’t accept the idea of leaving the treatment to me.
‘Understandable. I don’t trust myself, either.’
Lairan said to the medic, “Didn’t you see the Demonization suppressant Young Master Ban made?”
“Grr… Of course. I can’t understand how he knows the recipe for such a miraculous medicine, but even so, I can’t trust him.”
The medic looked at me as if I were a swindler, then declared, “When he treats the Saint, I’ll be treating him alongside you!”
Lairan glanced at me, looking apologetic.
But, to the contrary, I was secretly overjoyed.
‘Works for me. If something goes wrong, I can share the blame.’
What was the fundamental rule of getting along in society?
When things go well, take the credit. When they go wrong, make it someone else’s fault.
“It makes no difference to me whether or not you take part in the treatment. But I’ll warn you of one thing in advance: do your utmost not to get in my way. It would be troublesome if your lack of skill caused a problem.”
“!!”
A subtle attempt to lay the groundwork for shifting the blame in advance if things went wrong!
I lifted the corners of my mouth in an unpleasant smirk.
“If you don’t have the confidence, you can back out now. You’ll only be in the way.”
“You insolent—how dare you…!”
The moment the medic, huffing with anger, took the bait—
A chill suddenly ran down everyone’s spine.
Whoosh!
A sinister energy surged from inside the sickroom where the Demon Saint lay.
Demonic Energy—the power of demons!
“!!”
Everyone fell silent.
“…Could this be?”
I gave a solemn nod.
“It’s the blooming phenomenon.”
Once inside, I swallowed a groan.
‘The Demonization has fully bloomed.’
The Demon Saint, Yohen.
That was Yohen’s official title in the later part of the scenario. In reality, though, people had a different nickname for him.
—Deer Saint.
He had earned the nickname because of his gentle, mild-mannered nature.
His appearance was deer-like, too.
A small frame, soft brown hair, and bright, sparkling eyes.
He wasn’t exactly my favorite protagonist, but I remembered that he was very popular with women.
However, Yohen had another nickname as well.
—Darkened Deer.
As the scenario progressed, Yohen was increasingly affected by the power of demons and gradually began to change into something like a demon.
‘…It’s ironic that he gets even more popular as he darkens. Why do people like obsessive characters?’
In any case, the figure before my eyes now was close to the “Darkened Deer.”
‘Yohen’s Sacred Power can’t withstand that Demonic Energy right now.’
Later, his Sacred Power and the Demonic Energy would reach a balance, allowing him to endure even as the Demonization bloomed. But not now.
He would be swallowed by the Demonic Energy and die.
“Cast Holy-Demonic Magic to suppress the Demonic Energy.”
“W-what did you say?”
“Now! There’s no time to dawdle!”
My voice had grown urgent, too.
The Black Flame Dragon’s pressure intensified, and the medic shut his mouth and obeyed me.
“You’ve been administering the medicine as I instructed up to this point, correct?”
“…Yes.”
“Bring me the treatment materials.”
I drew a breath.
Everything was ready.
All that remained was the “procedure” to remove the Demonization.
“Here they are.”
Clatter.
Silver stakes lay scattered before me, gleaming.
‘It’s impossible to remove the source of the Demonization—the “seed.” Instead, I have to use these silver stakes to cut off its branches.’
The medicine had already been administered, weakening the growths of the Demonization.
The problem was where those growths were located.
They were in the mana road.
‘It’s an incredibly sensitive place.’
I had to cut away only the growths of the Demonization, with absolute precision.
If I damaged the mana road, it could lead to a fatal complication.
‘I have to do this properly. No matter what.’
“Healer, what’s your name?”
“…Galak.”
“Good, Galak. Once I cut away the growths of the Demonization, you’ll be responsible for treating the damaged mana road.”
“!!”
“Bear this in mind. If you fail to do your job properly, this boy could suffer fatal consequences.”
This wasn’t just me laying the groundwork to shift the blame onto him.
There couldn’t be even the tiniest mistake. If anything went wrong, it was over.
Galak swallowed hard, tense.
“W-What…!”
“We don’t have time. Shut up and focus!”
Steeling my resolve, I picked up a silver stake.
I traced the Demonic Energy to determine the paths taken by the growths of the Demonization.
I had to cut them away one by one, starting with the uppermost growths.
—You have to cut the passage carrying the Demonic Energy, right in the middle of the growths of the Demonization curled up deep within the mana road.
I recalled the words I had heard while progressing through the scenario.
—Only the Medicine Sage in this world can do it.
I moved my hand.
Deep inside the mana road.
Toward the passage at the very center of the tangled mass of growths, as thin as a bundle of thread.
It was something only the Medicine Sage, who had treated mana roads countless times, could do.
But why was that?
The moment I thrust in the stake, the anxiety in my heart vanished.
In its place, a single thought came to mind.
—I can do this.
An incomprehensible confidence.
And yet it wasn’t false.
As my stake pierced the growth—
—Kiaaaaaaah!
Along with a chilling scream, one of the leaves of the Demonization that had sprouted across Yohen’s body disappeared.
“N-No way?! How?!”
Healer Galak cried out in shock, but his voice reached me only faintly.
The world around me drifted beyond the reach of my perception.
There was only Yohen and me in this world.
No—there was only the growth of the Demonization.
Just as a surgeon sees nothing but the surgical field.
It was a state of intense concentration.
‘So this is the Versatile Talent of a Thousand Changes.’
I swallowed hard.
—“You’ll possess ‘unprecedented talent’ in every field!”
It was true.
My hands moved as if possessed.
Every last one of the smaller offshoots was pierced by the stakes.
The leaves that had spread out in all their glory withered and vanished.
“I-It’s impossible?! Watcher, wasn’t that man Young Master Ban the Wretch? Could he perhaps have been the Medicine Sage all along—the secret identity that’s been shrouded in mystery?!”
“…I doubt that.”
“Aaah! To think I looked down on someone with such incredible skill. I can only imagine how ridiculous I must have seemed to him.”
…The strange healer’s fussing had the familiar air of a middle-aged wizard.
At last, I reached the final stage.
Now that I had removed all the smaller offshoots, I had to cut away the growth connected to the flower bud.
The most dangerous stage.
My cowardly instincts were starting to well up again, so I gave Healer Galak a stern warning.
“This is a crucial stage. Suppress the backlash with Holy-Demonic Magic. The outcome of the treatment rests in your hands, so get a grip.”
If this went wrong, it’d be your fault!
That was what I meant, but his response was strange.
“To entrust me with such a grave responsibility! I’ll do my utmost!!”
“…All right.”
I nodded, then moved the silver stake.
Shhk.
The moment the final growth was cut, something unusual happened.
Sssrrr.
The Demonic Energy began leaking into the mana road!
‘The Demonic Energy is far more concentrated than I expected.’
I looked troubled.
Now that I had cut the growth, it was inevitable that some of the Demonic Energy flowing through it would leak out.
The problem was Yohen’s condition, as I had repeatedly pointed out.
With Yohen’s Sacred Power at its current level, even this much Demonic Energy could be fatal.
“What are you standing around for? Hurry up and cast Holy-Demonic Magic!”
“I-I am! Gah!!”
Healer Galak let out a short scream.
He couldn’t handle the Demonic Energy.
‘The Demonic Energy is too concentrated. Even a high-ranking healer can’t suppress it.’
I had to come up with another way.
‘Me, use Holy-Demonic Magic? No. There’s no way I can suppress it with my walnut-sized amount of mana.’
I bit down hard on my lip.
There was one way.
A gamble.
I absolutely didn’t want to do it, but this wasn’t the time to weigh the pros and cons.
‘Damn it. The principle of business is give and take. I’ll make damn sure you fight for the world in my place!’
I took Yohen’s hand.
Was it just my imagination?
I felt Yohen’s hand twitch.
“In the name of Ban Ecclesia, I declare that I will never let you die.”
Even in this situation, I launched into the cringe-worthy, Black Flame Dragon-style theatrics—and my gamble began.
Yohen’s Demonic Energy flowed into my body.
—You are a great person who will bring glory to us.
In the depths of darkness,
Yohen’s consciousness drifted.
—O great saint.
‘…How tiresome.’
Yohen thought absently.
So many people praised him, but he knew the truth.
He wasn’t someone as magnificent as a saint.
If anything, he was an utterly wretched being.
‘So this is how I die.’
Yohen calmly accepted death.
Perhaps it was better for someone as wretched as him to die now.
But then—
—I … declare in the name of…
A voice came from beyond the darkness.
—I will never let you die.
Ah.
Who could it be? It was a noble voice he had never heard before—not even once.
It was utterly different from someone as false as himself, a saint in name only.
Yohen’s heart gave a sudden, wrenching lurch.
‘…I don’t want to die.’
He wanted to take the hand of the owner of that mysterious voice.