What Do You Wish For With Murky Eyes: Record of Highserk War - Chapter 27

“Hold on, just a little longer. Don’t sleep. You’ll die. Keep your eyes open.”

On an improvised stretcher, a soldier with nearly severed arms groaned, barely clinging to life.

A fellow Ferrius soldier covered the wounded with a makeshift tourniquet, wrapping the opposite hand around the injured soldier’s side on the stretcher, attempting to reduce the bleeding.

The the upper arm, cut in a circular shape, was a wound inflicted by an ice spear classified as water attribute magic. Just minutes ago, they had engaged in a fierce battle with the Jáfe Cavalry Battalion and narrowly emerged victorious. The problem was the cost.

Numerous personnel were lost, and an equal number were injured. The Ferrius soldier’s comrade was among the latter. Unlike companions who had vital organs hit, there was still hope for him suffering on the stretcher.

“Is there a healing mage around!? The bleeding is severe. Using cauterization won’t save them!!”

The Ferrius soldier shouted as if his throat would give out, but the response was heartless.

“Out of magical power. The healing mage can’t handle it anymore.”

“Sorry, but it’s impossible.”

Soldiers rushing into the camp searched for a healing mage, but they had all exhausted their magical power treating the severely wounded.

“Is there no healing mage!?”

Using fire attribute magic for cauterization required both strength and blood, with a strong risk of shock-induced death. However, there was no other option. Blood continued to overflow endlessly from the pressure on the wound.

“Damn it, we don’t have time.”

Just as the soldier was about to start searching for a replacement with a fire attribute magic user, a knight from the neighboring Kingdom of Craist, stopped the Ferrius soldier.

“You can receive treatment. Follow me.”

“R-Really?”

Hastily following the knight, he found a space with tents set up around a wagon. The security was extraordinary. Twelve fully armed knights kept a watchful eye on the surroundings.

Addressing the soldier, who was scrutinized from head to toe, the Rehauzen Knight spoke.

“Leave your sword here and come in.”

Handing over his sword to the outstretched knight, the Ferrius soldier cautiously stepped into the tent.

The field hospital had an overpowering smell of blood, typical of a makeshift treatment area in the battlefield. The Ferrius soldier was taken aback but felt something amiss.

“Lay down there.”

Following the instructions without grasping the source of discomfort, a figure appeared before the Ferrius soldier. What the soldier saw was an unusual black-eyed, black-haired girl. Her gentle round eyes were narrowed in a serious expression. Her long hair was tied to avoid interfering with the treatment.

Considering her out-of-place presence on the battlefield, she was perhaps an assistant or an apprentice, and the Ferrius soldier called out to the knight.

“U-Um, Sir Knight, where is the healing mage?”

“She’s right there, isn’t she?”

Before the knight could finish speaking, warm light spread throughout the tent. The Ferrius soldier, speechless, regained his voice upon witnessing his comrade’s wounds closing and even the missing parts being reconstructed.

“Unbelievable. Treatment for missing body parts!?”

“It’s fortunate that he was wounded near here. Among the transported soldiers, there hasn’t been a single death.”

The knight proudly informed the Ferrius soldier. When the Ferrius soldier looked around, regardless of the amount of bleeding, everyone lay peacefully with serene expressions, breathing steadily.

“Thank you. Thank you so much!! You’re like a saint!”

The healing mage girl briefly smiled at the Ferrius soldier and then focused on her treatment once again.

On this day, more than just one or two soldiers who were supposed to lose their lives were saved, and it was inevitable that rumors would spread about the Kingdom of Craist having a battlefield healer.

————

Just a few months ago, Sugimoto Ayane attended high school and was a typical high school student enjoying her youth. She rarely saw blood except during exercise or an occasional unfortunate fall, and she had never witnessed the moment someone died.

With many relatives in the medical field, including doctors and nurses, Ayane was also studying to become a nurse in the future.

Her fate decisively changed when she and her childhood friends were transported to another world. Coping with different cultures, customs, and environments was an understatement, and after a struggling journey, Ayane adapted to the world and understood her role.

Unlike her childhood friends Yuuto and Makoto, Ayane didn’t develop offensive abilities. While Yuuto and Makoto protected people from monsters and got injured in the process, Ayane could only watch from a distance, feeling her own powerlessness and impatience. Yet, the ones who saved her from these feelings were her childhood friends.

The talent for healing magic blossomed by chance. When she firmly pressed on Yuuto’s injured shoulder during a bandit subjugation, healing magic activated without an incantation.

Unexpectedly overwhelmed, she burst into tears at the realization she could save her friends and people suffering from pain. Her childhood friends, as well as the Rehauzen Knights she shared her daily life with, were all delighted.

She dedicated herself to supporting others with healing magic, even during the scraping away of the demon territory and the subjugation of lake dragons, finding joy in her role.

The situation changed when the surrounding countries simultaneously opened hostilities, joining the battle between Ferrius and the Highserk Empire.

According to the story conveyed to Ayane by a knight, the Highserk Empire invested heavily in its military strength and was a hegemonic state that repeatedly engaged in aggressive wars under the guise of defensive warfare.

If left unchecked, the surrounding countries would be swallowed one by one. The knight told Ayane that the plan was to dismantle the Highserk Empire through the Four Nations Alliance centered around the giant lake area.

Honestly, Ayane hated wars. She disliked both causing harm and witnessing people getting hurt. Above all, she never wished for her childhood friends and the people of the knight order to be in danger, both physically and mentally.

Nevertheless, she understood that there were times when she had to fight. Ayane was aware that this world had a cruel and immature side with a propensity for violence.

Day after day, Ayane continued healing in the tent. There were moments when she witnessed injuries that were hard to face and lives she couldn’t save, and her heart felt like it was about to break.

Still, the serene faces of the patients, the grateful words of the soldiers, and the support of her companions allowed Ayane to continue healing on the battlefield.

“For now, the treatment is complete, right?”

Addressing Ayane in this way was Maia, the healing mage who had been assisting with the treatment.

“Thank you for your help today as well. It’s all thanks to Maia-san that I, with strong magical power but lacking experience, can perform healing.”

Although Ayane had some knowledge of medical practices, she was merely an amateur. She well understood that she was following Maia’s lead in the precise treatment of the wounded and other preparations.

“Oh, Ayane-sama undervalues herself too much. Please have confidence.”

Maia said with a troubled expression.

“Oh, by the way, Yuuto-san and Makoto-san were nearby.”

“I hope they’re not injured.”

“They’re not injured. But since their participation in the battle, they’ve been roughed up by soldiers and knights in the camp, saying they inflicted significant damage on the Jáfe Cavalry Battalion that had been bothering us.”

Prompted by Maia’s smile, Ayane chuckled.

“After cleaning up, I think I’ll go see them.”

“That sounds good. I’ll join you.”

Even though magic could twist reality, it wasn’t omnipotent. There were various tools for tidying up wounds, buckets for cleaning, cloths, and more. Ayane couldn’t leave everything to Maia, who assisted her with understanding the tools and confirming their conditions.

As Maia began cleaning the tools with water attribute magic, Ayane wiped away the dirt from the instruments and stored them in a magical bag.

After being engrossed in work for half an hour, Ayane stepped outside, and her two childhood friends were there.

“Both of you came. I was planning to go see you now.”

“The military council has also finished. Johanna-san and the others are discussing future operations and strategies. We were told to rest first.”

“I’m beat today. Each member of the enemy Jáfe Cavalry Battalion is too strong. Not knight-level, but it felt close.”

Makoto said with a weary expression.

“Yeah, they managed to slip through our magic and come at us. Johanna-san and the others helped drive them away, but just between us… it was nerve-wracking.”

“That’s… terrible,” replied Ayane.

Yuuto had spoken modestly, but in reality, he felt fear facing the cavalry that approached him, scattering internal organs.

Without training and the support of the knight order, Yuuto would have been more shaken. Unlike battles with monsters, he realized that this kind of combat was wearing him down both mentally and physically.

When the conversation seemed to shift towards combat, Maia, who had been standing behind Ayane, spoke up.

“Have both of you already had your meals?”

“No, not yet.”

“Nn, haven’t eaten.”

“The Ferrius Kingdom’s military generously provided extra rations. It seems there were individuals among those saved by you three with noble blood, and this is their way of expressing gratitude. We received soft white bread, cheese, and sausages.”

“Eh!?”

Hearing Maia’s explanation, the three of them leaned forward eagerly. Their dietary habits had been deteriorating steadily since coming to this other world, especially on the battlefield.

In their growing years and with the demand for calories due to magic use, the three of them could consume an astonishing amount that would surprise even robust warriors.

While anything edible was an improvement, food with more calories and deliciousness had a firm hold on the hearts of the trio.

“I want to eat, I want to eat!!”

“Yeah, I’ve been getting tired of just beans, potatoes, and meat recently.”

“I… want to eat too.”

Even the Three Heroes, whose names resounded in the surrounding countries, showed age-appropriate reactions. Maia smiled warmly, but at the same time, she worried that they might be too easily lured away by food.