Chapter 39

Despite the urgent situation, Altair could not decide on a direction and bit his lip tightly where he stood. Cain, who had followed Mari, tilted his head in puzzlement at the hesitant Altair. Mari, unable to urge him on, fidgeted with impatience.

“Milord?”

Unable to bear it any longer, Cain finally called out to Altair, reminding him of the urgent situation. Only then did his tightly closed mouth open.

“...We need to go to Dolsian.”

Compared to his long hesitation, his voice was calm. It indicated that he had already made a firm decision. However, unlike the calm Altair, Cain was startled as if he had been scalded, his eyes wide open. Sensing the ominous atmosphere from Cain's reaction, Mari trembled and cautiously observed the two men.

“Why Dolsian? Is there a problem?”

“...Dolsian is a village that belongs to the Kingdom of Kalthas.”

“Huh?!”

The Kingdom of Kalthas was a country that bordered the Lufes Empire, and due to geographical reasons, they had been in constant conflict, regarding each other as mortal enemies. Yet, Altair was planning to go to a village that belonged to that country? Mari looked at Altair with a pleading gaze, hoping for an explanation. Normally, Mari, who knew her place as a maid, would never dare to look at her master like that, but this was an emergency. Altair did not reprimand her for her impolite gaze.

“The nearby villages are Dolsian and Kudra. Dolsian is much closer in terms of distance.”

Dolsian was under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Kalthas, while Kudra was under the Lufes Empire. However, due to the characteristics of the eastern region, which bordered a foreign country, the village under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Kalthas was closer. Cain, who understood the reason for Altair's decision, sighed heavily and roughly ran his hand through his hair.

“Wouldn't it be better to go to Kudra, even if it takes a bit longer?”

“There's at least a three-hour difference. Time is of the essence.”

“That’s... true... but... why the Kingdom of Kalthas...”

The people of the Lufes Empire would not be welcomed there. That was why Altair had hesitated and could not decide on a direction.

“What matters most now is Nadia's treatment. We're going to Dolsian.”

“Then should we bring the knights...”

“Going in a large group would be like boasting that we're from the Lufes Empire. The fewer people, the better.”

Altair said this while unbuttoning and discarding the buttons on his coat, which bore the emblem of the Lufes Empire and the Eilsford family. These could reveal his identity to someone with a keen eye.

“Have everyone wait here and investigate the situation. This area is not known for monster attacks, so there must be a reason behind this sudden ambush.”

“...Yes.”

“And if you haven't heard from me in three days, return to Eilsford.”

“That’s... impossible!”

As Cain tried to protest, Altair shook his head, cutting him off.

“If news gets out that Lufes knights are moving near the border, it could cause unnecessary misunderstandings. This decision is not out of consideration for you, so follow it.”

“...Yes.”

Cain bowed his head in frustration. It seemed to bother him that he could not take the lead in this situation. Altair, who understood Cain's feelings, lightly patted his shoulder to encourage him.

“I'm leaving the cleanup to you, Cain.”

“...Please come back safely. And make sure to treat Lady Nadia properly.”

“Ha. Who are you worried about?”

Altair chuckled and lightly kicked Cain's shin. It was a much weaker kick than usual, and for some reason, it made Cain's nose tingle. He frowned slightly and handed Nadia to Altair. Altair carefully took Nadia and turned his head towards the direction he needed to go. The village of Dolsian, under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Kalthas. He was going there.

***

The peaceful border village was turned upside down by the appearance of a blood-covered man.

“Screams!”

The women who were washing clothes by the river screamed and tried to run away. The man with a fierce expression, covered in blood, approached them hastily. Before they could even take a step, his incredible speed made them freeze in fear, scrutinizing the man.

‘Oh my.’

From a distance, they hadn't noticed, but the man's face was quite handsome. In fact, it was very handsome. The power of a handsome face was so great that the women forgot the urgency of the situation and slightly opened their mouths. But the smell of blood soon brought them back to their senses. The man held a blood-soaked woman in his arms, motionless. Given the circumstances, it was clear that he had killed her and was moving to dispose of the body when he encountered them.

‘R, r, r, run!’

The women quickly exchanged glances. They needed to escape to the village and call for the security forces. But once again, the man's actions were faster than theirs. Fluent Kalthasian words flowed from his mouth.

“My wife is badly injured. Is there a doctor in the village?”

“...What? Wife?”

The unexpected words made the women blink. The man, who was holding the body, or rather, the injured wife, frowned slightly at their slow reaction and asked again.

“I need a doctor. My wife has lost a lot of blood, and we can't afford to waste time.”

“Oh my!”

Realizing the situation, the women threw their laundry aside and approached the man.

“What happened to your wife?”

“She was attacked by a monster during our travels.”

“Oh my. That's right. There are many monsters here. This is not the time, so follow me!”

***

Altair followed the kind-looking woman who started walking with a concerned face, carefully observing the atmosphere.

‘Fortunately, it seems they haven't noticed I'm from Lufes.’

Kalthasians and Lufesians look similar, and his natural use of Kalthasian seemed to have worked well. Eastern nobles, who often dealt with Kalthas, learned Kalthasian from a young age, but he hadn't expected to use it like this. The kind-looking woman, unaware that Altair was observing her closely, chattered away.

“It's a blessing in disguise. Our village is small, but we have a proper clinic. With the monsters and the Lufes scoundrels... we often have many injured people.”

The mention of 'Lufes' in her grumbling made Altair's eyebrows twitch slightly. He cautiously observed her, but it didn't seem like she was suspicious. However, Altair raised his guard in case of any unforeseen situations. He could handle anything alone, but now he had to protect the heavily injured Nadia, so even a small threat could be a big problem.

“There's the clinic!”

Looking in the direction the woman pointed, Altair saw a small building with a white flag indicating it was a clinic. Without waiting for the woman's guidance, he sped up and ran to the clinic.

“Oh! What did you eat to be so fast? C, come with me!”

The kind woman, who had kindly guided Altair, also increased her speed, but it was impossible for an ordinary woman to catch up with a knight who could use aura. Altair quickly reached the clinic and burst through the door. The doctor, who was organizing medical tools, turned his head in surprise and then stiffened when he saw the blood-covered Altair and Nadia.

“Bring the patient this way.”

No long explanations were needed. The doctor quickly pointed to an empty bed and prepared the treatment tools, and Altair silently followed his instructions, laying Nadia on the bed.

“She was injured in the head when our carriage was overturned by a monster attack. I've already stopped the bleeding, but she lost a lot of blood and lost consciousness.”

As soon as the doctor approached Nadia, Altair briefly explained the situation. The doctor, who had been pressing a blood-soaked coat, looked at Altair with a flash of recognition.

“...You did a very good job stopping the bleeding. You're quite skilled.”

The doctor's voice had a hint of something more than just praise. Altair, who had learned basic first aid through sword training, had been noticed by the doctor's expert eye.

“...I'm a knight in the Kalthas regular army. I know how to stop bleeding.”

Altair mixed a lie with his explanation. He knew the structure of the Lufes army, so he could make a plausible lie.

“Ah. I see.”

Fortunately, the doctor seemed to accept the lie and began to focus on the treatment.

“The wound is long and deep, so it needs to be stitched.”

The doctor skillfully disinfected and stitched the wound. His hands moved so quickly, thanks to his experience treating many injured people in the border region, that Altair momentarily forgot the situation and marveled.

“The problem is consciousness... how long ago did the accident happen?”

“About four hours ago.”

“Considering the amount of blood lost, it's difficult to predict the outcome, but I'll do my best.”

The doctor, looking at the pale Nadia, turned to the kind woman who had just arrived at the clinic.

“Mrs. Riti. We might need more bandages... can you get some thin cloth from the general store? Tell them I'll pay later.”

“Of course, doctor. I'll be right back!”

The doctor's kind request made the kind woman, Riti, nod and quickly leave the clinic. The door slammed shut, and a strange silence filled the clinic. Neither the doctor nor Altair spoke, their mouths tightly closed. Altair was the first to move, walking over to the medical tool box on the desk and overturning it. The tools inside spilled out, including some bandages.

“You wouldn't have forgotten about the bandages after just organizing them.”

“...”

“Your decision to send the woman away, even with a lie, suggests you sensed something.”

Altair picked up a pair of scissors from the spilled tools and slightly raised one corner of his mouth. The doctor clenched his fists, sensing the cold threat. Altair slowly approached the doctor, holding the sharp scissors to his throat.

“Do anything foolish, and the situation will get unpleasant.”

The threat was sharper than the scissors. Despite the tense situation, the doctor remained calm, standing still and looking at Altair. The calmness in the doctor's eyes made Altair's eyes glint with interest. After a long moment, the doctor, still with calm hands, gently pushed the scissors away from his throat.

“I'm the only one who can treat the lady, so you won't kill me, Lord Eilsford.”

The doctor's words revealed Altair's true identity.