“We would like two military medics to accompany us on the ‘Operation to Rescue Lord Urklow.'”
The order came suddenly from a man sent by another division—a centaur with chestnut-colored fur, serving as a brigade commander in the Demon Kingdom Army.
Hearing this, I continued examining the magical condition of a lizardman who had lost both legs, all the while letting my thoughts wander.
“Operation to Rescue Lord Urklow…?”
“Urklow… That name rings a bell.”
“Yes. Like yourself, Lord Urklow is a high-ranking member of the Demon Kingdom, of the magical wolf species.”
The centaur brigade commander glanced back and forth between me and the injured soldier I was treating, his expression tinged with concern. No worries about the patient, though.
“Pardon me, but I’ll be finished shortly.”
With the diagnosis complete, I had gained full knowledge of this individual’s unique physical characteristics, which vary from one person to another regardless of race. Thanks to that, the speed of my Dark Heal had increased dramatically. I poured in magic all at once.
“—Whoa!?”
With a strange cry, the lizardman’s new legs burst forth in a flash.
“Good, no problems now. Off you go.”
“A-ah, a-aahhh! M-my legs grew back!?”
“Indeed. As long as your head remains intact and you’re alive, I can restore anything. Now, return to the front lines.”
“A-ah, thank you so much!!!”
“Good… Now then?”
Turning back to the brigade commander to hear the rest of his story, I saw him staring dumbfounded at the lizardman’s departing figure.
“Commander?”
“A-ah, my apologies! I’d heard rumors, but I never imagined your Dark Heal would be that powerful. Let me get back to the matter at hand.”
After clearing his throat with a cough, the brigade commander composed himself.
“The origin of this situation lies in the failed operation to push forward the Second Division’s battle lines, ten hours ago, north of here.”
“A failure?”
“I will explain in detail.”
The brigade commander took out a map showing the vast territories of the Demon Kingdom to the east and the Western Elven Nation to the west. He drew a large red circle on the contested zone of Westwood, where we currently were, and extended a thick arrow westward into the elves’ territory.
“This arrow represents the advance of the battle line?”
“Exactly. At the tip of this arrow, Lord Urklow led the charge, wreaking havoc on the front lines.”
In the Demon Kingdom, high-ranking officials like Lord Urklow hold positions akin to that of a commander serving directly under the Demon King. One might think they would remain in safer rear positions, but that is not the case here.
High-ranking officers in the Demon Kingdom are one-man armies, each excelling in specific fields. Just as Agito led the charge and clashed with the Hero’s forces during the Battle of Elden, they are expected to act as game-changing superweapons on the battlefield.
“While Lord Urklow was engaging the elves, we were supposed to fortify our positions in the rear… However,” the brigade commander marked an X on the flanks of the arrow on the map, “the elves executed a pincer attack here, behind Lord Urklow. They tricked us into advancing too far. As a result, our newly established positions and the rear units were destroyed, leaving Lord Urklow isolated at the front.”
“I see. What of the rescue team?”
“We sent them immediately, but they encountered heavy resistance from the elves. The enemy clearly understands the importance of eliminating Lord Urklow.”
“So, at present, you have no confirmation of Lord Urklow’s status?”
“We haven’t confirmed it, but there’s no way she hasn’t survived.”
The brigade commander’s phrasing was peculiar. As I tilted my head in puzzlement, he explained further.
“Lord Urklow, known as the ‘Iron Maiden,’ wouldn’t fall to ten elves attacking her at once. She is the most resilient of all demons in the Demon Kingdom. Even physically, she surpasses Lord Agito.”
Urklow, a magical wolf, belongs to a subcategory of beast-type demons. In simple terms, she’s a bipedal werewolf with a body covered in gray fur.
Beast-types are indeed more robust than ordinary demons. However, they are not invincible, and holy magic is highly effective against them. Despite this, the belief in her survival and her comparison to Agito suggest her abilities are exceptional.
“That said, without supplies or recovery, even she would eventually fall into peril. We must quickly establish a support system to sustain Lord Urklow.”
“Ah, so it’s not a rescue but a support mission. As long as she’s given the resources to fully utilize her strength, she can make it back herself. That’s why you require dark healers for support?”
“Exactly. I’m grateful for your quick understanding.”
Rather than sending a large force to rescue her, it was more effective to provide support that would allow Lord Urklow to fight at full capacity. This was the reason for requesting several military medics.
A female magical wolf, huh? That’s quite a rare species. I’ve never treated one before.
“Very well. I’ll go myself.”
“What!? No, no, absolutely not!”
The brigade commander immediately objected.
Why?
“Lord Alaya , you are a high-ranking official of the Demon Kingdom! We cannot risk losing two such figures in the event of a failed rescue!”
“Oh, come now…”
What a predicament. To think that my position as a dark healer would obstruct my ability to act!
“U-uh, may I go instead!?”
The voice belonged to Swan Veister, a harpy cadet who had been listening to the conversation while treating the injured.
“I have experience treating magical canines! I believe I can apply that knowledge to aid Lord Urklow!”
“Splendid!”
The brigade commander’s eyes lit up as he turned from Swan to me.
“I apologize for taking one of your subordinates, Lord Alaya , but given the emergency, would you be willing to lend her to us?”
“Hmm…”
I looked at Swan, who nodded confidently. She seemed more than ready.
If her aptitude is sufficient, I suppose it can’t be helped.
“Very well. I’ll assign Swan as a military medic for your mission.”
“Thank you! This is immensely helpful! If possible, could we have one more medic?”
“Certainly. The other medic will be me.”
“Yes, that would—wait, what!?”
“I’ll accompany her as her supervising instructor.”
“What!?”
The commander’s reaction seemed to suggest, What is this man talking about? But I didn’t mind.
“As a high-ranking official of the Demon Kingdom, I’ve been entrusted with Swan’s training. It is my duty to oversee her development.”
I decided to fully exercise the authority granted to me as a Demon Kingdom official.
Surely, this couldn’t be considered an abuse of power.
After all, this is a mission assigned to me by Demon King Lumac himself. Monitoring progress is essential, wouldn’t you agree?
