"Ah, it's been a long time."
Tom smiled softly and waved his hand toward her. Just as he was about to go literally anywhere else to avoid her, she grabbed his shoulder hard.
"… Why are you running away?"
"Running away from troublesome things is the best way to live."
"You say things too straightforwardly!"
"You say things straightforwardly too. That's why I'm running away."
"… What do you think I'm going to say?"
Tom only smiled awkwardly as he avoided her eyes instead of answering. Kulvo left his seat. He was going to meet the goblins who had gathered up after hearing that Kulvo was in the Orcs camp.
Lulu left his seat to switch out with Luli.
Only Tom and Ellin were left. Ellin cleared her throat as she looked straight at him and bowed.
"I'll introduce myself formally. I am one of the 12 Apostles, Ellin. it's great to see you, Devil of Lania. I won't forget your help in saving Her Highness, the Demon Lord."
"… So sudden! What is this?"
Tom was put off by her unexpected shift in attitude. Ellin relaxed her stiff posture, shrugging as she said,
"Aah, just gratitude!"
"… Is it?"
"Why? Is it not enough? Or should I kneel down and bow and say 'aah, thank you for saving her!'?"
"I don't like that, sounds burdensome."
"Then it's done! I'll treat you to something later as a show of gratitude!"
Ellin smiled and looked around from on top of the stockade. The Orcs' city was located between two mountain ranges, so even without their additions, the city already had strong natural defenses. It also meant that if this place was successfully sieged, taking it back would be incredibly difficult. Ellin stared down from atop the wall, amazed at how the Orcs and Ogres were building the stockade.
"Whoa… they are doing this right somehow?"
"… I was skilled in civil engineering in the past. Once, I secretly listened to a lecture about the process of building rampart. Well, since I brought the blueprint for rampart from Lania as well…"
"Civil engineering? As a Holy Knight, you…?"
As Ellin tilted her head and asked, Tom smiled at her.
"Yes, in the past somebody faced hardships when trying to build a small house. Because of that, I studied civil engineering for almost a year."
"Uhm… So he knows how to make a house." Ellin muttered.
It never crossed her mind that the house he spoke of was one she knew very well, in the past.
Tom's expression turned bitter seeing Ellin like that.
To Lily and Ellin, he was no different than a 'stranger'. Ellin had a memory of Thoma, but nothing about Tom. Lily became another person due to reincarnation, not the Ellie he knew in the past.
Both of them were still precious for Tom, but both of them knew nothing about him. It was like their fates kept missing each other on the way.
"…Mr. Tom."
The moment Karakul approached them Ellin stiffened and stood at attention. Karakul glanced at Ellin and said to Tom,
"There's a problem."
Karakul brought Tom to the place where the injured demons were gathered.
They were the demi-humans escaping from the capital. Many were hurt during their escape, with injuries ranging from minor wounds to serious, life-threatening injuries. Unfortunately, the demons' medical knowledge wasn't at a level that was capable of helping the more seriously injured. Applying medical herbs gathered from the forest was all they could do. Even though it did have a positive effect, there were many cases of it causing certain side-effects depending on the species.
Tom frowned, peeking under some of their bandages.
"Your wound… is bad."
'…It needs to be amputated.'
The skin had turned black and pus was oozing out of the wound. The nerves were definitely swollen and dead.
"Can you cure them?"
It was a decision Karakul made after much thought. It wasn't good to be overly dependent on him, but he had no choice this time.
"Could you prepare some water?" Tom said to Ellin.
"Water?"
"Yes, a lot of it, please give it to me in two big containers."
Ellin ran out and quickly returned with containers with water as Tom asked her to.
Tom dipped both hands in one container. With his hands as the center, the water began to ripple before becoming clearer and brighter. It even gave off a fragrant scent. Ellin's eyes widened as she craned her neck, looking at the water.
The bottom of the deep container could be seen clearly. Also, as if it was a mirror, Ellin's face as well as the blue sky behind her were reflected clearly.
Tom dipped his hands into the next container. This time the water turned black.
It turned into such a murky liquid that the bottom couldn't be seen at all. A vicious odor rose from the container as the liquid bubbled ominously.
Ellin stepped back seeing that.
Tom cupped his hands and scooped out some of the clear water, spraying it onto the demi-human's wound. The water streamed across the demi-human's skin, seeping into their wounds
"…?!"
The eyes of the injured demi-human were as wide as saucers.
A blue thread appeared out of thin air, and began sticthicing their wounds closed. Broken bones were regenerated, torn muscles were healed, and rotten flesh melted away, replaced by healthy skin.
"This is holy water. Most serious injuries, curses, diseases, and other such ailments can be cured with as much as a handful."
Ellin looked back and forth between the demi-human's wound and Tom, still in shock.
"… Are, are you sure you're not an angel? The kind that the human worship! Re- really, you're not like a messenger of God…! Oh my god… it seems like I'm going crazy! I'm starting to believe in the humans' religion!"
"No. That can't be right. I'm not that grand. I'm just an apprentice Holy Knight."
"Stop bringing up that ridiculous apprentice Holy Knight title!"
Tom then scooped rotten water from the other container and threw it to the ground.
The rotten water contaminated the ground, sending a black smoke rising into the air.
"The strength has dropped a bit, but this is a nerve poison. Simply dipping them in and pulling them will paralyze demons with even the strongest vitality. In the case of humans, this is a strong poison that could kill them in as little as a day if they don't get help." Tom glanced at Karakul and said, "If you are reluctant to kill your opponents, at least make good use of this."
Even the eyes of Karakul, who knew Tom's capabilities, widened.
'…Ama…zing.'
The water he made with good intentions became blessed holy water, while the water he made with bad intentions became a cursed poison.
Just like Ellin said, this was a power befitting a messenger of God.
'I didn't expect to feel so relieved he's not an enemy.'
Karakul never expected to feel so glad to be serving him, the man he called his master.
— Ω —