OPDSP 12

The result was much cleaner than Mason had expected, and there was little bleeding.

“Administering antidote. Fedel, give me the antidote.”

Without lifting his gaze from the wound, Aeryl extended his hand. Fedel’s face twisted in displeasure.

Being ordered around by Aeryl was extremely irritating. But as a medic, he couldn’t defy the military physician’s command—especially not with so many eyes on them. Gritting his teeth in humiliation, Fedel handed over the antidote.

“Brace yourself.”

Aeryl poured the antidote onto the wound. It fizzed, bubbles rising—clear evidence that the antidote was working.

“I’ll cast healing magic now. It’ll be all right, Sir Mason. I promise I’ll heal you.”

Aeryl spoke with quiet confidence. His calm expression and intelligent eyes were more than enough to inspire trust. Mason, pushing down his anxiety, gave a small nod.

“I’m in your hands.”

Aeryl brought both hands together over the wound. He didn’t care that they were soaked in blood and antidote. Drawing mana from within, he recalled the incantation for the healing spell. As he followed the sequence, mana surged and a radiant light burst from his palms. For a moment, it felt like the entire forest had been illuminated.

“Wow. Healing magic!”

Someone nearby gasped in awe, but Aeryl remained focused on the treatment. People often believed healing magic was a cure-all, but Aeryl knew better. Its effectiveness varied greatly depending on the caster’s medical knowledge and ability to guide the spell accordingly.

Precise, but without hesitation.

He had studied medicine deeply and trained to use healing magic with maximum efficiency. That training was paying off now. The blackened area of Mason’s poisoned arm shrank steadily as the wound began to heal.

“!”

Mason was stunned. He’d received treatment from other military physicians before, so he could clearly tell—Aeryl’s healing was progressing at an unusually fast pace.

Fedel was even more shocked. The effect was beyond good—it was exceptional. This wasn’t a wound that should’ve healed so completely, yet it was almost as if full recovery were within reach.

“H-How…?”

Mason stared, speechless. Aeryl’s skill was on par with Kyla, the most renowned military physician.

This guy? How is this possible? Mason had privately assumed Aeryl was just a useless appointment with connections, so the sheer level of competence was staggering.

Aeryl, unaffected by the attention, remained focused on healing. Once he was sure the treatment was complete, he gradually drew back his mana. The glow faded, revealing the now-visible wound beneath.

“Ohh.”

Someone whispered in amazement.

Mason’s arm looked completely different from before the healing. The spot where the poisoned arrow had struck was now reduced to what looked like a minor prick. The incision Aeryl had made to remove the arrow had already vanished without a trace, and the darkened flesh had returned to its natural tone.

“Am I… all right now?”

Mason asked cautiously.

“The poison’s been neutralized, and the wound has been treated. Yes, you’re fine.”

As Aeryl spoke, Mason sprang to his feet.

“Thank you—thank you so much, sir!”

Aeryl’s skill wasn’t just equal to Kyla’s—he might even surpass her. He had perfectly restored an arm that might otherwise have been lost. More than proving his ability, he had saved Mason’s career as a knight.

“You’re my savior, sir!”

Mason clasped Aeryl’s hands and bowed repeatedly. Aeryl accepted the gratitude with an awkward smile, feeling a quiet swell of pride. It was his first time handling such a dangerous injury in a field emergency, and the successful outcome brought genuine satisfaction.

“Still, don’t overdo it. If anything feels off, no matter how small, come see me immediately.”

“Of course! I, Mason, will never forget this debt.”

“Mason, how’s the arm?”

“Look at this, Pardine. Good as new! The doctor’s skill is no joke!”

“Is that so?”

At some point, the Black Knights had returned from battle and now gathered around Mason. He proudly showed off his healed arm, and the knights all turned to Aeryl with newfound respect.

Like most of the purge unit, they had distrusted Aeryl. He had only joined the unit that day, was a stranger, and had no proven record. Many of them had planned to tough out their injuries and wait to be treated back at headquarters.

If even Mason’s praising him this much… maybe he’s really that good?

Mason, though now brimming with excitement like a child, was usually a stoic man. If someone like him was offering such high praise, then Aeryl’s skill had to be exceptional. That thought made the pain from their own wounds suddenly more noticeable.

“Excuse me, doctor. I was scratched by a goblin’s claw here.”

One knight was the first to speak up about his injury. And as if on cue, others followed one after another.

“I got bitten by a monster earlier.”

“My wrist’s been aching since I blocked an attack.”

“My shoulder…!”

A cascade of confessions poured out at once, and Aeryl let out a sheepish laugh.

People really are simple.

Just moments ago, they’d been pretending they weren’t hurt to avoid being treated by him—yet now, the moment they saw his skill, they flipped completely. It was ridiculous, but not unpleasant. After dealing with the twisted, scheming nobles of the imperial palace for so long, these straightforward people were almost refreshing.

‘They acknowledged my skills.’

To be recognized by the Empire’s most elite knights—those he had long admired—was a thrilling feeling.

“I’ll see each of you one at a time. Please wait your turn.”

“Yes, let’s line up, everyone.”

Watching them form a neat line with such discipline filled him with pride. So this is what a sense of accomplishment feels like. Humming inwardly, Aeryl began treating each wound in turn.

From a distance, Grand Duke Asirion was watching the scene. Seeing where the Duke’s gaze had landed, the vice-commander of the knight order spoke up.

“He’s called Aeryl, right? Now I understand why Your Grace suddenly decided to accept him into the purge unit.”

Military physicians weren’t selected on skill alone. To serve in the demon-infested lands, one needed strong mental fortitude to resist the corrupting aura of the Demonic Frontier and the composure to stay calm in unpredictable emergencies. Because so few met those standards, there was always a shortage of military physicians on subjugation missions. Yet Aeryl, surprisingly, met every requirement.

“He isn’t affected by the forest’s aura and shows no fear of monsters. He kept his cool in a crisis. And he’s got skilled hands—Lady Kyla will be pleased. As expected of Your Grace. I’ve learned something from your keen eye and foresight.”

The vice-commander looked at the Grand Duke with genuine respect. Asirion, brushing off the praise with indifference, was deep in thought.

…This is unexpected.

In truth, he hadn’t expected much from Aeryl. The young man had seemed bold enough to bring along, and since Asirion’s own condition was unstable, he’d thought it would be useful to keep Aeryl close. That was the extent of it—there had been no grand foresight or careful planning as the vice-commander suggested.

‘I wasn’t expecting much from him as a physician.’

A sweet scent drifted in on the wind, brushing past the Duke. It should’ve been irritating—but instead, it felt like having a piece of candy in his mouth. Sweet enough to be dizzying.

“Your Grace?”

The vice-commander’s voice snapped him back to the present. He’d allowed himself to drift off for a moment.

“We move.”

“Yes, sir!”

The subjugation wasn’t over yet.

***

“Owwww…”

Aeryl blinked slowly, his eyes adjusting to the unfamiliar ceiling of the tent above him.

‘We finished the battle… came back to base… and I was just going to rest for a moment, but I ended up dozing off.’

After treating Mason and the other knights, the combat units had moved out again. They’d encountered several monster packs and fought more battles.

Aeryl stayed behind, gradually getting used to treating the wounded as they returned. Since there weren’t any serious injuries, the regular medics could handle most of it, and Aeryl didn’t need to step in often. Mason, who had decided to rest just in case, had stayed nearby and kept him company with constant conversation.

‘Thanks to Mason, I learned a lot.’

Mason had taught him plenty about the purge unit, the snow-covered mountain, and the forest. Thanks to that, Aeryl had a solid grasp of how things operated.

He lingered in bed a bit longer before getting up. It was nearly midnight.

He prepared to go see the Grand Duke and ate the bread Mason had left behind. There was a note explaining that Aeryl had seemed to fall asleep without eating dinner, so Mason had left food. After declaring Aeryl his savior, he was now going this far to care for him. It warmed Aeryl’s heart, and he savored the bread with a smile.

A short while later, Aeryl slipped quietly out of the tent, taking advantage of the cover of night as he made his way to the Grand Duke’s quarters.