Dardin was Yurik's strategist, but in this position he was also the adjutant and representative of the 3rd Prince who had come to command 7 banners.
Those who saw him for the first time had been looking down on him as merely a servant attending to Yurik, due to his silently smiling face and the gentle speech characteristic of nobles.
However, the first thing he had done at the command post garrison was to fabricate supply distribution records.
Though Yurik had lent slight assistance,
With that alone he had confined all the Banneret Knights and presented Yurik with rights equivalent to supreme commander of the wasteland army,
And once Yurik became the person with full authority and he became his representative, he truly showed his capabilities.
Dardin was not as well-versed in all military matters as Yurik.
However, he had a natural talent.
In this way, Dardin first secured the supply lines that could be called the army's lifeline,
Extracted specific information about each banner's situation from the confined Banneret Knights' adjutants,
And began processing administrative work that had been tangled or stagnant due to the commanders' interests according to priority.
Of course, since most of the soldiers were lying like dead, he didn't need to consider things like military reorganization or soldier training.
Of course, even so, he would need to create a report describing in as much detail as possible the things the former commanders had messed up.
Inside Yurik's tent, Dardin's quill flew across paper without stopping.
The messenger stood beside Dardin, waiting for orders that might fall at any moment.
From his perspective, Yurik and his companions were a typhoon, but not such a bad one.
Hadn't they saved him from nearly being eaten by bugs and also locked away his rude superior somewhere?
Though only four days had passed since Yurik took office, his popularity within the garrison was quite good.
Of course, only among regular soldiers and conscripts. The former Banneret Knights confined to their tents and their adjutants were still grinding their teeth.
The messenger quickly scanned the inside of the tent with his eyes. By the way, where had the owner of this tent gone?
"Is there anything to report?"
"P-pardon?"
"If something is bothering you, report it immediately."
The man called Yurik's adjutant, Dardin, also had something strange about him.
Seeing that he could clearly write, he must have been either the son of a quite wealthy family or someone of a status that could receive education.
Yet he spoke politely to him, who was merely a messenger.
The messenger asked with half displeasure and half fear.
"There's nothing particular to report. I was just thinking that His Highness the Prince has..."
"Supreme Commander."
"...rather, that the Supreme Commander seems to be away from his post for a long time."
But was it proper for him to worry about such things? Wouldn't he be scolded for being presumptuous?
While the messenger was caught in sudden contemplation, Dardin answered more obediently than expected.
"He went to the main force."
"T-to the main force? What did he go there to do?"
"Well, to successfully withdraw the 3rd and 4th banners. As you know, those banners and others are currently incapacitated."
Huh. The messenger found that amazing.
The former commander and Banneret Knight of the 3rd and 4th banners had just raged about those idiots who couldn't even withdraw,
But hadn't come up with any further measures.
Actually, the messenger had also thought there was no proper solution.
Carrying back those who couldn't even move one by one would require manpower,
And the former commanders were absolutely not the type to give up the guards who protected them for such things.
But the 3rd Prince, no. The Supreme Commander had now jumped directly into the field?
"But what if the Kin-, Supreme Commander gets injured?"
"Injured?"
Dardin's pen stopped briefly. Then the adjutant who seemed to know nothing about fighting turned his head toward him.
Was this wrong? The messenger thought he had said something wrong, but what was on the adjutant's face wasn't displeasure or anger.
"I'm telling you this in case you waste mental energy on useless thoughts, but the Supreme Commander is not someone who would be injured by such things."
What was there was only amazement.
A faint smile like one might show when looking at someone who asked 'Don't the moon and sun rise at the same time?'
Dardin spoke as if stating a natural truth. The messenger was momentarily speechless at this sight.
"B-but, it might be groundless worry, but doesn't staying in the wasteland for long make people strange? They can't even move. So for the Supreme Commander's safety."
"No. If the Supreme Commander were someone who could be affected by such things, he wouldn't have come here in the first place."
"But."
"I don't have time for idle chatter."
Dardin turned his head to the documents he was writing.
He added a few sentences in light, flowing handwriting, then handed them to the messenger along with other documents.
"Please take care of this. The one at the bottom is a list of new supply items, so deliver it to the supply officer coming from the royal castle, and the top one is a permit I wrote as the Supreme Commander's representative."
"A permit?"
For what? The messenger stammblingly deciphered the letters on the document.
No, what was this? What kind of bizarre plan was this?
The messenger, who had been burying his nose in the document for a moment, looked up at Dardin with disbelief.
Dardin, wearing his usual gentle smile, began writing a report for the purpose of denouncing the former commanders.
* * *
Hell. If hell existed in this life, would it be right here, right now?
Cellinne rubbed her eyes, blurred with sweat, demon slime, and blood.
Her entire body, overworked by excessively intense physical labor, began screaming.
Moreover, her brain, exhausted by fatigue, no longer functioned properly. Normally she might have tried to think positive thoughts, but now it was absolutely impossible.
"Cellinne!"
A cold, ruthless voice shouted.
Only then could she see ahead properly. Two bugs had just burrowed into the ground and disappeared.
She briefly placed her hand on the ground. Faint vibrations moved around confusingly, then finally gathered at one point.
Cellinne didn't hesitate to punch toward the bare ground.
"Haah!"
-Crack!
-Bang!
A short battle cry. The ground shook from the impact. The ground layers caved in around her. Ice protruded jaggedly through the gaps.
Cellinne couldn't control the recoil and fell backward. At the same time, two bugs shot up from behind her and opened their terrible maws toward the interloper.
"Grandfather!"
As she shouted, an axe blade flashed above her head.
-Swish!
-Screech!
His arm swelled greatly with fierce muscles, then passed through the middle of the bugs' bodies in an instant.
Along with his terrifying strength, the cut surfaces of the bugs were disgustingly revealed. The once-frozen surface couldn't attach again,
And they writhed while oozing something that might have been slime or bodily fluid, then quietly died.
Valter looked at them tiredly while dripping sweat.
But there was no time for this. The bugs were tightening their stranglehold moment by moment.
Only three people were guarding the campsite where the 3rd and 4th banners were located.
Cellinne and Valter formed a team to guard the southwest, while Yurik alone guarded the northeast.
They weren't simply defeating demons that swarmed here.
The demons were vicious and also somewhat strategic. Those in the form of black bugs had come seeking human minds and the power contained within,
But after being stopped by Cellinne, Valter, and Yurik, they began using underground tunnels to move.
They deliberately formed groups and used tunnels to get near the campsite,
Then when one shot up to the surface to draw attention, another would pick out and devour a conscious patient.
Of course, the patient's body was fine, but turning a soldier Eva had barely improved back into a living corpse was maddening.
Thanks to this, Cellinne and Valter learned the technique of tracking and finding bugs from a distance.
When bugs dug new tunnels, they made severe scratching sounds, and when using existing tunnels, their bulk caused faint vibrations.
With just those two facts, Cellinne found bugs and threatened them from above ground.
When she punched toward underground, bugs surprised by the suddenly appearing ice and frost would pop out,
And Valter would immediately deal with them.
At first it was manageable. Honestly, she had thought the biggest issue would be staying awake without sleep.
But it was too naive a thought. The more Eva fulfilled her role, the more bugs began swarming.
Later, they absolutely couldn't rest, and she and Valter had to frantically block bugs.
They had seen so many bugs. Later, even dozens of eyes, densely packed layered teeth, and disgustingly writhing bodies began to feel like nothing.
If there was one thing Cellinne most desperately wished for right now, it was only for Eva to complete treatment.
And Valter had the same wish. Though he kept his mouth shut because he couldn't complain in front of a miss who was like his granddaughter.
Actually, if he saw Yurik now, he felt like he would shout 'You're abusing an old man!'
When Eva would bring good news was also a big problem.
Of course, Eva was just as desperate as the two of them.
Running around the campsite caring for over a hundred people was no ordinary dangerous task.
Moreover, last time Yurik, Cellinne, and Valter had at least helped.
Now she alone had to handle meals, hygiene, and treatment for over a hundred patients.
She made meals three times a day and fed them to patients. She gave bowls to those who could sit, and helped those who couldn't herself.
And condition checks. She coaxed and soothed patients who couldn't even hear her words to take specially prepared medicine.
For people who could regain consciousness even crudely, she prescribed medicine for energy recovery and mental stability.
She constantly talked to patients to remind them where they were. Of course, the effect was minimal.
And whenever she had time, she manufactured medicine for patients. She added various herbs according to appropriate prescriptions.
Grinding, putting in water to boil, cooling sufficiently, sometimes reducing or solidifying.
Solid pills, liquid potions, bitter powder packets. Everything depended on the patient's condition.
Sometimes bugs shot up from the middle of the campsite. Then more work was added.
For patients injured by being crushed by bugs, she disinfected wounds and prescribed painkillers.
She made splints to apply and fixed arms with bandages.
She swore on her deceased parents' graves that she hadn't closed her eyes once since setting foot in the wasteland.
She had also received the blessing of blood that Yesung shared. But that was ultimately for those who received the benefits of ice magic.
Currently, for her, Yesung's blood only prevented mental erosion in the wasteland,
And helped maintain a slightly better physical condition than usual.
But everything was the worst. The worst quality situation she had ever experienced.
It wasn't because of patients' vomit or blood.
It wasn't because of the bugs that kept attacking.
It was simply because there were no extra hands in a situation where every second counted. That made Eva despair.
If she had just a little more leeway, she could have seen patients over there,
If she had one more pair of hands, faster treatment would have been possible.
If there was at least one more physician, she could have discussed methods to restore these people's minds!
The fact that the moment would come when Cellinne and Valter's stamina would be exhausted was too frightening. Because of that, Eva ran around frantically.
Before the last grain of sand in each other's hourglass fell, to save all these people.
Of course, her body had long since reached its limit. Her teeth chattered. Her bloodshot eyes were dry. She felt nauseous. She heard ringing in her ears. Her hands and feet trembled, so even measuring medicinal ingredients began taking time.
Whenever her head became dull, Eva poured cold water over her own head. The thought that she might not be able to achieve her goal no matter how hard she struggled began to strongly emerge.
But by any means necessary,
She was a physician, so she had the responsibility to restore these people.
As her older brother had done, and furthermore as her father had always said.
Her father, who had been the former chief royal physician. Her older brother who had worked as the head pharmacist of the royal medical office.
Both had been executed a few years ago for failing to save the 1st and 2nd Princes. It was the Queen's order.
People said the Queen was extreme. They knew it wasn't the fault of the physician or pharmacist.
But because of the Queen's grief and anger over losing her sons, they only protected themselves, and no one defended her father and older brother.
They presented gifts, sweet comfort, and handkerchiefs to the Queen who had ordered the execution,
But said nothing to Eva, who had lost half her family in an instant.
Not only that. They blamed her father and older brother, saying they had died due to lack of ability.
Eva hated them. She hated them so much she couldn't bear it. She wished they would all die. She wished they would burn in fire.
But what was even more unbearable was herself, who could do nothing about the loss of beloved family.
So she had to save them.
That was a physician. The virtue and responsibility of a physician that her father and older brother had emphasized.
All medical arts exist to save people.
For her mission, she was prepared to grab even those standing on death's boundary by the collar and drag them up.
Eva moved to the next patient.
A patient whose arm was broken after being crushed by a bug was sweating coldly from pain.
She had already prescribed medicine with pain-relieving effects once,
But his mind and body were so weak that it didn't seem to have much effect.
What to do about this.
The medicinal ingredients she had prescribed to this patient might cause poisoning symptoms if overused.
After thinking briefly, Eva returned to her medical bag as if remembering something. There was a small glass bottle that Yesung had given her.
Black powder.
The painkiller that His Highness the 3rd Prince had supposedly used. She had given it to Yesung, but he had never used it in the end...
Would this be effective? Would it cause side effects by interacting with the medicinal ingredients she was already using?
After much deliberation, Eva took out a tiny amount of powder. Then she put it in clear water and stirred it.
There wasn't any special combination method.
Eva took it and returned to the soldier with the broken arm, pouring it between his lips.
The soldier's Adam's apple moved several times.
Before even half the water in the bowl had disappeared, the soldier's expression became noticeably comfortable.
Not only that? Just moments ago his dimly opened eyes had lacked focus,
But now he was looking at her clearly.
Eva thought something was strange.
The soldier who had been making eye contact with her suddenly smiled broadly and brightly. It was quite a foolish smile.
"Eriel!"
"What?"
"Eriel, did you come to help Dad with farming? How good you are. I don't know how long Dad slept. Sorry. Oh my."
The soldier who had been groaning just moments ago even sat up by himself.
Eva was flustered and unconsciously asked.
"Are you, are you okay?"
"What do you mean? Dad is always healthy. At this rate we'll miss the time to plant seeds. Let's go, Eriel. If we're any later, Mom will scold us again."
While Eva watched blankly, he got up and walked around, looking at the soldiers lying around.
His posture with hands on his hips was truly one a farmer cultivating fields might take.
The person who had been collapsed just moments ago had gotten up. His mind should have been drained by the wasteland demons, so how exactly? More than that, what was all this nonsense?
If there was something different from usual... She looked down at the water in her hand.
Black powder dissolved clearly without a single sediment.
Eva smelled the water. The water hadn't rotted.
After looking at the bowl with suspicious eyes for a while, Eva turned her gaze to the patients lying beside it.
A moment later.
"Sw-sw-swat! Our good doggy, how did you get here? Oh my, this pretty one. The most handsome one in the world. When did you come back? Sit. Roll over. Shake!"
"Dad? I thought you had passed away, how are you here? Dad? Is it really you, Dad? Did you come to see me when I was having a hard time?"
"Jeanne! How on earth did you get here! What? Second sister is worried about me? Mother too? Father too?"
When the water in Eva's bowl was all used up,
Around her, the miracle of living corpses jumping up was taking place.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter