──I successfully managed to shake off the hero brigade.
It seems my plan worked as intended.
As I expected, after witnessing the battlefield firsthand, they probably decided that supporting other combat efforts was more important than chasing after me alone. Even that priestess who seems to know me didn’t follow.
“Now then, what exactly should I do next?”
I folded my arms, pondering atop the running Zombie Soldier.
Not only did I fail to return to Kirose, but I’ve found myself in the very heart of Elden, the target for recapture.
“Honestly, I’d like to just hide and wait this out… but standing around doing nothing in the middle of a battlefield doesn’t feel right, does it? I mean, there’s something to be said for courage… Besides, I don’t want anyone mistaking this for desertion.”
I asked the Zombie Soldier carrying me, “What do you think?” but of course, there was no reply, only a groan from Shes.
Then,
──Bang!
A single gunshot echoed through the relatively quiet street.
Close by.
I instinctively ducked.
“It seems there are Kingdom soldiers here… but?”
Just one shot? That’s odd.
Wait… I get it!
“Almost all of the Kingdom’s main forces are gathered near the North Gate, which means the forces here must be spread thin. In that case…”
With the strength of this Zombie Soldier, the Zombie Thief, and Shes, I could probably operate freely in this unguarded rear area of the Kingdom army.
And if I manage to capture one of the Kingdom soldiers… ideally, an officer… as a prisoner—
“Heh heh heh… that would be quite a significant accomplishment.”
Alright, then. Let’s find the source of that gunshot.
But let’s be cautious. And let’s stop with the shoulder ride, as it’s a bit conspicuous.
I dismounted from the Zombie Soldier and moved towards the building that seemed to be the origin of the sound—a rectangular, spacious structure with gray walls that felt vaguely familiar.
“Hmm…”
We hid around the corner of an alley. In front of what looked like the building’s entrance, two guards were posted. They didn’t look like officers, but—
“—Move it along, you little demons! We’re in a hurry here!”
Voices came from within the grounds of the building.
It seems there are others inside.
And that voice… I recognize it.
…Alright, time to make a move.
I patted the shoulder of the Zombie Soldier.
“Neutralize the two guards in front of the gate.”
〔……!〕
The Zombie Soldier crouched briefly before sprinting faster than the wind, decapitating the two guards with a rusty, blackened sword in a flash.
“What the…?!”
I quickly ran to catch up.
…Ah, well, they’re definitely dead.
“I did say to ‘neutralize them’… although I suppose this is a form of neutralization. Language is tricky, isn’t it?”
I’ll have to be more careful next time.
Anyway.
I cautiously peered beyond the gate into the inner grounds, and indeed, he was there.
“You… you’re…!”
The man’s mouth hung open in shock, as if he’d seen a ghost. It was Lieutenant Colonel Schwizen, the one who had taken the clinic from me.
I thought it might be him when I heard his voice, but to actually meet him here… Should I say “Long time no see”?
“…Oh?”
But before that, something caught my eye.
Connected to a rope extending from Schwizen’s hand were demon children. That was disturbing enough, but one of the boys was bleeding heavily from his head and shoulders.
“Do you need a dark healer, boy?”
If he has a head wound, I should tend to it quickly. Brain injuries could be serious.
“You… you fiend!”
As I approached, a rifle was raised with a sharp click.
I assumed they were Schwizen’s subordinates. Four Kingdom soldiers stepped in front of Schwizen, aiming their rifles at me.
“How dare you harm our comrades! Fire!”
The sound of continuous gunfire echoed as they aimed at me.
However, all the bullets were blocked by the sound of metal clinking.
〔……〕
The Zombie Soldier, positioned in front of me, deflected each shot with his armor. Even if a bullet found a gap, the Zombie Soldier felt no pain, so there was no real damage.
“Alright, Shes. Neutralize those attacking soldiers. Try to keep them alive if possible.”
〔Vaa〕
Shes, who had been hiding with me behind the Zombie Soldier, jumped out, wielding a rusted holy sword.
“Ahh! My arm!”
“This thing is so fast! The bullets won’t—Aaargh!”
I couldn’t see the scene behind the Zombie Soldier, but the Kingdom soldiers’ screams suggested that Shes was overwhelming them.
“Damn it, he’s too strong! Colonel, please get the priest on guard inside! We’ll handle this!”
“Ah… ah! Understood…!”
Hmm?
Amidst the ongoing screams, I heard footsteps running away.
I stayed hidden, knowing full well a single bullet would kill a weak healer like me.
After a while, the sounds of fighting ceased, so I peeked out from behind the Zombie Soldier.
All the Kingdom soldiers had collapsed, lying in pools of blood, their rifles scattered on the ground.
Whether they were alive… was hard to tell. Some were moving, others were not.
…Even with instructions to “keep them alive,” this is how it turned out.
“It’s a shame, truly… but that’s a matter for later. It seems he managed to escape, after all?”
Among the fallen soldiers, Lieutenant Colonel Schwizen was nowhere to be seen.
He had left the demon children tied up and fled into the building.
From the earlier conversation, it seems he went to call for the priest.
“This is troublesome. I’d like to chase him, but…”
But as a dark healer, my duty is to treat the injured first.
I suppose I’ll have to make an exception here, though it does worry me about defense.
“Zombie Thief, pursue the fleeing man and prevent him from meeting the priest. And try not to harm him too much, or kill him.”
〔……〕
The Zombie Thief, who had been guarding me, slipped silently into the building at my command.
…Ah.
“Come to think of it, I forgot to include ‘capture him’ in the instructions… Oh well.”
Trying too hard not to harm him, I ended up omitting the real objective from my command.
I sighed.
“Alright, let’s get to healing. Does anything hurt?”
To my question,
“Please… help me… my arms, both of them…”
One of the collapsed Kingdom soldiers looked up at me with tearful eyes.
Well, that’s a shame.
“Sorry, but I don’t heal humans.”
If they want treatment, they can go to the Kingdom’s medics.
I was asking the demon children.
