Chapter 23

I am now at the battlefield.

To be precise, I'm on the way. Mixed in with the kingdom's army sent as reinforcements, I'm making my way forward, step by step.

"You didn't have to come here too..."

I say this to Noem, who is walking beside me, and to the ghostly woman of Abinion.

"I will go wherever Ruya goes!"

"I'll go wherever it's interesting!"

I wish Abinion would at least say she's following me.

And so, with the usual group, we head towards a new battle.

The road is filled with people, people, people.

Most of them are equipped with armor and helmets, fully prepared for combat. They are the reinforcements sent by the kingdom to fight against the demons.

The clanking of armor is deafening.

"Still, there are so many. How many are there in total?"

"A thousand."

The voice from beside me belongs to a female knight in full armor.

Her name is Lesleaza, right?

"Currently, six thousand soldiers are fighting the demons with their lives on the line. With our reinforcements, it will be seven thousand. This will be the last line of defense for the kingdom."

"Just seven thousand humans? That's not enough against the demons."

Abinion's teasing voice makes Lesleaza's presence sharp!

Cut it out, you non-human! Don't invite trouble!

"We must make up for any shortfall with spirit and resolve. No matter what, we must protect our lord and subordinates. That is the way of a knight."

"Such cheap talk. It's the kind of thing an incompetent person would say."

That's why I'm telling you to stop!

We need to change the topic before this hostile atmosphere gets any worse!

"Hey, Abinion, are you familiar with the demons? You are one of them, after all, right?"

"It's insulting to be lumped together with those lowlifes."

Beside us, Lesleaza is trembling at the word "lowlife." It must have been quite a shocking phrase.

"Perhaps in the sense of living beings who dwell on earth, I and the demons are the same, but it's a crude categorization, like saying 'humans and frogs are the same.' Demons are the lowest of the transcendent beings, the only ones bound by physical form, and the most pitiful of all transcendent beings."

"R-really...!?"

The total number of demons is the most among transcendent beings, seventy-two. They are classified in detail from soldier level to demon lord level based on their strength. Their levels can go up to <999>, so their existence and strength vary widely.

I'm also very interested in what level of demons we'll be facing on the battlefield we're heading to. I turned to Lesleaza to see if she had any information, but she shook her head silently.

"To us, demons are nothing more than vicious enemies we must fight to the death."

"Well, that's true. Multiple humans with restraints can probably beat soldier or knight level demons, but they can't beat nobles, no matter what. It's quite a challenge for humans to face such opponents."

If it's my duty as a knight...

The female knight Lesleaza, her fiery eyes shining through the gaps in her iron mask.

"I have already dedicated my life to the country and the king. I don't mind losing it anywhere. If necessary, I will cut off a demon's arm before I die!"

"They can regenerate limbs in an instant, you know?"

But from the conversation alone, it's clear that Lesleaza is a serious knight.

I learned that she is a formidable fighter from the match she had in front of the king, and she is serious and capable, with a bright future ahead.

"By the way, Lesleaza..."

"What is it?"

"Aren't you going to take off that iron mask? It's about time you showed us your face, don't you think?"

As soon as I said that, Lesleaza became uncomfortable...

"I cannot casually reveal my face as a knight. I hope you will forgive my rudeness."

"Is she really that ugly?"

Abinion, that's rude.

And to avoid further questioning, she moved away from us.

◆

Finally, we arrived at the front lines where the battle against the demons is taking place.

It was a scene of carnage beyond our imagination.

"A sea of blood...!?"

It was filled with the wounded to the point where it seemed like all six thousand soldiers were injured.

"What is this...!?"

Even Lesleaza, who had been composed, was visibly shaken by the sight.

She approached an older knight who seemed to be the senior commander...

"General Gasanto! What is the meaning of this!? The Exposions were supposed to have been delivered in an emergency! Yet, there are so many injured...!"

"The Exposions... have been used up..."

"What...!?"

The senior commander, a man of sound judgment, looked deeply troubled...

"Suddenly, the demons' offensive intensified... The soldiers fought bravely, but their strength was not enough...!"

"Is this the result...!?"

"Even the Exposions we received were like a drop in the bucket... Without them, the casualties would have been much worse, and the situation would have been completely irreparable..."

It seems the situation is already irreparable.

The groans of pain from all directions. A chorus of suffering.

"In this state, even adding the thousand reinforcements I led will not be enough to launch a counterattack...!"

Lesleaza's voice was filled with despair.

And then, from behind her...

"Move! Move!"

A voice full of energy burst in.

"Noem!?"

"I'm starting the treatment! Abinion, the tools!"

"Sure thing!"

Something's starting!?

Wooden boxes roll out of Abinion's skirt, defying volume!?

"I received a lot of preparation money from the king, so I bought all the useful medicines and materials I could find and had Abinion bring them here!"

"Hehehe, using me as an item box, what a tough girl."

Wow, Abinion's skirt!

Is it connected to a fourth dimension or something!?

"First, here! These are additional Exposions I made before we left. Please use them on the most severely injured first!"

"What...!?"

"Then, I will make more! I will also make Potions and High Potions in parallel, so please use them according to the severity of the injuries. The materials are not infinite, though!"

"Can you really do that!?"

"I can! I am an... Alchemist!!"

Noem's initiative is also impressive.

That girl is becoming bolder in her actions. I wonder whose influence it is?

"Got it...! Medics! Did you hear? Everyone, line up and receive the medicine! Use it carefully! And don't forget to thank the alchemist!"

The atmosphere of the place changed dramatically in an instant.

The field hospital, filled with a sense of despair, was now brimming with energy and hope.

"Stay strong! The medicine has arrived! You will be saved! You will be saved!"

"Reassess the critically injured! Those we thought were beyond saving might be cured! Don't get the priority wrong!"

"It's getting busy all of a sudden...!"

The eyes of those treating the wounded also lit up with renewed vigor.

The place is full of energy...

"I want to do something too..."

But as a <Skill-less> person, I can't do anything special.

No matter how much I level up, there's really only a limited amount I can do on my own.

"Hey, Abinion!"

"What is it, master?"

I call Abinion, who has finished unloading her skirt and is now free.

"Can you use Energy Drain? If so, can you do the opposite?"

...

I explain my idea to Abinion and have her execute it immediately.

A mist fills the field hospital.

"Whoa!? What is this!? Mist!?"

"Why is there mist in a place like this!? We can't see our feet!?"

The mist created by altering Abinion's spirit body is like a part of her.

While enveloped in this mist, it's the same as touching her body.

And Abinion, with the power of a demon spirit, can drain life force from living beings she touches.

And the opposite.

I have her drain life force from my body and inject it into the weakened injured.

This will boost their natural healing and life-sustaining abilities. It should help those on the brink of life and death.

"What is this...! The patients' faces are getting better!?"

"This patient... I thought they were beyond saving due to blood loss! Give me an Explosion! Maybe it's not too late!!"

The scene became even more energetic.

Although I can't do anything on my own, thanks to Abinion's help, many people can be saved.

"It's like providing a lake to stranded travelers in a parched desert. A huge lake, like an ocean that can't be drained by thousands of people."

Thanks to Noem's efforts, there were no deaths since we arrived, and we managed to bring the treatment to a temporary conclusion.

This was our first task upon arriving at the battlefield.