Nightmare (2)
“Ren.”
Temarr called Ren’s name only, as if broken.
“Ren.”
As if Ren would open his eyes if he called like that.
“He, he didn’t die.”
The physician barely managed to say that.
“He’s alive!”
If he didn’t say that, it felt like everyone here would be trapped in this night’s nightmare.
“He’s alive! He didn’t die!”
Right now it was a situation where he was barely kept breathing, but still, wasn’t it true that he was alive!! Even this is a miracle! It’s a miracle that he kept breathing until treatment like this could be done!
“Huuuk… huuuueong….”
Only then did a pitiful cry burst from Princess Coco’s mouth.
“……Hueok.”
Temarr also gasped for breath and collapsed to the floor.
He clutched his chest.
He had no sense of reality.
Ever since Ren had accompanied him on the journey to the capital.
Temarr had felt strange.
With his younger brother who had always been apart now at his side, it was awkward and uncomfortable. Temarr could never get used to Ren who always called him hyung, hyung-ah, while smiling. If Ren had done something wrong and was being scolded, Temarr could have quickly gone and stopped his younger brother, lectured him, and then comforted him. He could do that kind of affectionate older brother role to some extent, but Temarr didn’t know how to deal with Ren who hadn’t done anything deserving of scolding.
He thought it was awkward but not unpleasant.
It was just uncomfortable and strange.
It was strange that someone suddenly barged into Ren’s relationship where there had only been himself, but it was bearable.
Throughout the journey to the capital, listening to Ren’s voice, Temarr felt like he was dreaming. Because he had the illusion that he wasn’t departing on a journey where he might die at any moment, but was traveling with Ren.
Like a dream he’d once had.
But what was before his eyes was Ren soaked in blood.
With a pale and gaunt face, not even blinking, not calling him ‘hyung’, not smiling, lying there like a corpse, ah… Ren, who could die at any moment and it wouldn’t be strange.
So this…… the journey heading to the capital together wasn’t something like a sweet dream… it was a nightmare.
Temarr regretted.
But he couldn’t tell exactly what he was regretting.
The physician who caught his breath thought he should treat the remaining people.
He’d need time to catch his breath, right? It’s definitely not because he’s scared.
The physician avoided Temarr, who seemed like he’d behead him at any moment, by scooting away on his bottom and stuck close to Ren.
But then something caught his eye.
It was dark green tea leaves that had burst out from the upper garment pocket torn by the sword that pierced his chest. The physician grabbed those tea leaves without hesitation and made a puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“……”
Strange. It’s not something that would be used as tea leaves?
More than that…… it was rarer than the medicine bottle he’d just used that he’d barely obtained after almost half a year. Rare but not very useful… it also had a strange scent, as if something more had been added to make it. The physician’s eyes sparkled.
“Physician-nim.”
“Ah… I’m sorry. May I take these herbs?”
“……? It’s not mine… is there some problem?”
“Those are just tea leaves that Ren drinks.”
Ruman’s eyes narrowed.
“More importantly, what’s his condition?”
Just saying he was alive wasn’t reassuring.
Seeing the physician calmly asking for the tea leaves, it must be certain that the crisis had passed.
The physician who had been staring intently only at the tea leaves only then seemed to realize he’d just been looking at a critical patient, and made an awkward face.
It felt like sweat was coming out of every pore in his body.
“What I can do is about keeping him breathing…… If, if he’s a noble, please also receive help from a priest.”
The physician’s expression brightened considerably when he discovered Princess Coco’s attire.
He spoke as if gently ‘recommending’ it, but his true feelings were ‘only a priest can save him!’
“There won’t be aftereffects, will there.”
Ruman’s muttering words were clearly demanding an answer.
Ruman’s words sounded like if there were aftereffects, he would behead the physician who performed the initial treatment.
Though that wouldn’t be the case.
It wouldn’t be… right?
Outside had now completely sunk into darkness.
“Let’s move…. To the mansion. There’s a resident priest.”
Princess Coco said while steadying her breathing.
“We can go, right? With the Hero’s ability……”
Even if it didn’t exist, they had to be able to go.
Coco’s eyes scanned the Hero’s face.
If he could move to the middle of a cliff, he could surely go farther distances too. Didn’t he bring the physician too?
Hugh placed his hand on Coco’s shoulder as she barely suppressed her emotions.
As if to say it’s okay. But seeing his completely broken wrist, Coco squeezed her eyes shut.
Could they take Ren to the capital? Could the boy endure the long-distance light travel?
The Hero’s ability couldn’t be used carelessly. It was the power of the promise, and could only be used with the permission of the King, master of the Seven Stars. There was much about its stability that hadn’t been determined. In fact, bringing the physician was also close to a gamble.
His life might go out on the way.
She had such a strong premonition.
For the first time, Ruman lacked confidence.
“Why, why aren’t you answering…. You can do it, right? You can go, can’t you…!”
Coco’s voice now had a metallic edge. Looking at the desperate girl’s face, Ruman bit his lip.
They had to go no matter what. He thought so too.
“How long can he hold out?”
Ruman narrowed his eyebrows.
The Hero’s ability wasn’t something that could be pulled out and used at any time.
Even during wartime, Heroes preserved part of their abilities… but today, that couldn’t be done.
Anti-Hero combat weapons.
The two people who experienced the reality of the weapons under development for the first time had nearly died. If it hadn’t been the ability that burst out miraculously before death like during the 7-Year War, it would have been Ruman and Temarr lying on the floor, not Del Belkerman.
Lives barely preserved, limbs severed and reattached. Even setting aside the Heroes’ prohibition, there couldn’t be any ability left to use more.
“Until the fever rises……”
The physician trailed off.
Having lost that much blood, there was no way a fever wouldn’t come.
The crisis was starting right now.
So how could they not move? How could they keep prohibitions and such?
“……We’ll depart in an hour.”
Ruman, who had been looking at Ren and Temarr, closed his eyes.
Even if it means burning his life, shouldn’t they save him first?
“We have to go.”
If you heard it briefly, it was a leisurely voice. As if he’d been assigned a light mission.
But he couldn’t hide everything.
Ruman roughly tore off the hair stuck with dried blood as if pulling it out.
Silent anxiety oozed from his rough hands.
Ruman looked at Princess Coco.
If a high-ranking priest was in residence, Ren would surely be able to live.
“……”
“……”
Unspoken words passed between the two.
Ren’s labored breathing filled the cavity.
Everyone was concentrating and trying not to miss that breathing sound. As if the breathing sound was hope itself. They couldn’t help but know that Ren’s breath had become much hotter than before.
If they delayed, it might be too late.
More than that, Ruman couldn’t be confident he could take Ren there alive.
Even if he went and sought help, he was even less confident whether Ren’s breath would remain intact.
But the physician was wise enough not to make the mistake of voicing those words.
To survive from this artificially made cavity on the cliff, someone first had to go out and request rescue.
There was no one suitable to go request rescue.
The Hero who had brought him to this place was crouched on the stone floor, frozen as if his soul had been stolen.
So right now the only one to trust was Hero Ruman, but…….
The physician’s eyes rolled from Temarr to Ruman.
From various parts of Ruman’s body, sticky blood was dripping thickly like oil paint.
The remaining humans went without saying.
Hugh, who had just had his deformed bent wrist set, had all his ribs broken, and that princess went without saying…….
The physician who squeezed his eyes shut then opened them looked desperately at Ruman, their only hope right now.
He hated dying in this place!
Darkness billowed from outside as if to swallow the cavity in one bite, and whenever clouds covered the moon, it seemed to dig in deeper. It was scary and creepy to the point of going crazy. He’d managed to keep Ren’s breath going, but his back still tingled because Temarr was emanating murderous intent. To make matters worse, when night deepened, fierce cold would strike.
The sweat he’d profusely shed from tension was cooling and his body was gradually getting colder.
Everyone didn’t show it, but they were all hunching their bodies and struggling to endure the cold.
Being able to endure was probably because this boy’s life hung by a thread.
Once Ruman left with Ren, those who lost something to concentrate on might collapse quickly.
The key would be for Ruman to ‘safely’ take Ren to Princess Coco’s mansion and ‘save him’ and safely bring personnel who could rescue them to this side.
So Ruman absolutely couldn’t collapse on the way there, nor collapse after arriving.
The physician gulped.
It was a situation where nothing could be guaranteed.
“At, at least let me wrap you in bandages!”
The physician’s hesitantly uttered words sounded like determination at the end. His face was dripping with sweat from how nervous he was. In fact, even if Ruman refused, he wanted to rush at him eagerly and wrap him up tightly…!
The physician was startled by Ruman’s gaze.
“Please take care of the remaining people. I’m fine.”
“But in that condition……”
Won’t you die on the way?
