[Raul's POV]
A night of the full moon...
The moon in this world is far larger than the one on Earth. Rumors say it is the place where the Demons now dwell. However, that is not true. The Demons are currently on the planet Nebulandia, which shares the same solar system as this planet. There is a Barrier erected by the Goddess to prevent high-level demons from returning to this world.
"Captain, what are your plans after graduating from the academy?" asked Eric, one of my members in the disciplinary committee.
Currently, the two of us were atop the city walls performing guard duty, accompanied by a glass of beer to warm our bodies.
"I don't know, perhaps visiting Athelion—the Land of the Elves," I answered casually.
"Whoaaa! Isn't that land difficult for humans to enter?" Eric asked, looking curious. "I heard they are very reclusive regarding diplomatic affairs as well."
"It's true that humanity used to cooperate with them often," I replied, explaining the shift in the Elves' attitude. "However, due to human greed and the lust of those who kidnapped Elves to be sold as slaves, the relationship between the two races soured, leading to the state we are in today."
As I was talking with Eric, my gaze caught a faint light approaching. Not long after, a human figure appeared, covered in wounds, walking while carrying a lantern.
"Help... someone, please..." the man said weakly.
I glanced at Eric and signaled him to bring a Priest. I then leaped from the top of the wall and approached the man.
"What happened to you?" I asked.
"Ah, thank goodness! Have I reached the Fortress City of Cataluna!?" the man asked back.
"Indeed," I answered. "Don't worry, you are safe now. A Priest will arrive shortly to heal your wounds."
The man shook his head frantically. "There is no time! Quickly, inform the security forces—my village, Zamora, has just been attacked by a horde of terrifying monsters! I beg you! You must save them quickly!"
I nodded and handed the man over to the Priest's care. Next, I headed to Emilia's residence to report the information I had just received. Once the man's identity was verified, the combat readiness alarm in the soldiers' barracks blared to life.
***
[Ariel's POV]
I had only just fallen asleep when I was awakened by a member to immediately head to the field and listen to instructions from our superiors. Upon arriving, I saw soldiers already lined up according to their respective companies. I hurried to the line where my members stood.
"You have been lined up here tonight to check the condition of the villages within the Margraviate of Cataluna!" shouted Marquis Fran, standing before the ranks of soldiers. "We have received information that the Village of Zamora to the east has been attacked by a horde of monsters. I want you to protect the villages and evacuate the citizens as quickly as possible. Do you understand!?"
"Yes, Commander!"
"Yes, Commander!"
The entire force answered in unison.
"Good. I will distribute the tasks and the villages each of you will head toward!" the Marquis exclaimed. "First Company, Virahon Village! Second Company, Baltimore Village! Third Company, Neumar Village!"
As their destinations were called, several ranks of soldiers began to leave the field to gather their gear.
"And finally, the academy students will head to Zamora Village!"
Once our objective was named, Raul led us to gather the necessary supplies. We then headed to the main gate where horses and carriages had been prepared for the evacuation.
"Is everyone ready!?" Raul asked, looking around.
The members had all mounted their horses, while I sat in the carriage with Raul.
"Very well, let us depart!"
The group began to move, though not too quickly since it was night. We were only equipped with lanterns to light our surroundings, so it was risky to rush. While waiting to arrive, I lay back and watched the beauty of the full moon illuminating the night sky. I hoped we would arrive in time; I hoped the villagers could still hold out against whatever monsters were attacking them.
Zamora was the village we had visited just this morning. I couldn't believe that after our departure, it had been attacked by a horde of monsters.
After nearly three hours of travel, our group finally stopped. From a distance, I could see the village engulfed in flames. Raul then signaled Piers, Eric, and Viera to scout the area before we all entered. I was incredibly anxious, worried about the villagers and wanting to heal them immediately.
Shortly after, Piers gave a hand signal indicating it was safe to enter. Raul nodded and ordered us in. The houses were destroyed; corpses lay everywhere. I stepped down from the carriage and walked around.
Blood was splattered everywhere; severed human limbs were scattered on the ground. The pungent, rotting stench of death filled the air. I wanted to vomit; it was horrific—everyone had been killed with such brutality. Had the monsters done all of this?
Continuing forward, I reached a house that was very familiar to me. There were no signs of life inside. I walked to the back and found the body of a man who had lost half of his face; his arms were hacked to pieces, and his entrails were spilled.
I knew this man... the man who had smiled so happily when I gave his child a name...
Not far from the house, I saw footprints. I followed them until I found the bodies of two women and a headless infant.
— Thud!
Falling to the ground, I cradled the body of the baby I had named just this afternoon...
Why did this happen to them? Why could something this cruel befall these innocent people? The baby's blood began to stain my clothes, but I didn't care. It made no sense; the villagers only wanted a peaceful life. Why did they have to die so miserably, and why was their home destroyed like this?
My hands throbbed as I clenched my fists tightly, suppressing the raw emotion surging in my chest.
"Ariel, we have to leave."
Turning at the voice, I saw Raul walking toward me.
"We found no survivors at all," Raul said, looking into my eyes. "We must move to the next village. There is a chance these monsters moved there after slaughtering this one."
The village closest to this one, if I wasn't mistaken... was the village where the children I taught, like Dio and Sena, lived.
"Raul! We must hurry to that village!" I cried, grabbing the black-haired man's collar.
He nodded, and we returned to the group.
"Captain! Judging by the footprints of these monsters, I believe they moved out only about 20 minutes ago!" Viera informed us.
"Very well, we must rush to the next village! Most likely, when we arrive, a battle will already be underway between the monsters and the company deployed there!" Raul declared.
We left the ruined village behind and headed toward the next one: Carmona Village. The journey would take an hour. However, Raul ordered the group to be more vigilant. Along the way, we encountered several monsters that had lagged behind and had to face them.
Most of the monsters we found were Lycanthropes.
A Lycanthrope is a wolf that walks on two legs like a human. It differs from a Werewolf, which is a human cursed by a Warlock to transform into a giant wolf. Lycanthropes are a type of demi-human inhabiting this world. They are aggressive and often dwell in mountains or vast forests. Standing at an average height of two meters, they are classified as Level 5 monsters. However, a pack of Lycanthropes carries a danger equivalent to a Level 12 monster.
Upon arrival, we saw that the monsters had just breached the wooden walls surrounding the village. The Lycanthropes began to flood the village in great numbers. we circled around to find another way in.
"Five of you stay and guard the carriages and horses! The rest, follow me to evacuate the residents!" Raul commanded.
After hiding our horses, Raul and 14 other members entered the village. We saw the soldiers here struggling to hold back the onslaught of the attacking Lycanthropes.
"You're the academy students, aren't you?" one of the soldiers noticed us.
"That's right, Captain. Is there anything we can do to help?" Raul asked.
"All of you help the soldiers who are retreating," the Captain said. "I also need your healer at the building where the wounded are being kept."
Following the Captain's words, Raul ordered me to head to that building. I was escorted by a soldier to the village's multi-purpose hall. Inside, villagers waited for news of the ongoing battle. Many soldiers lay on the floor, their bodies covered in wounds.
"Sister Ariel!"
"Sister Ariel!"
Suddenly, many children ran to me. They were the ones I taught to read and write.
"Dio, Sena, and everyone... I'm so glad you're safe," I said, stroking their hair.
"I'm not scared! In fact, if the Village Head hadn't stopped me, I would have helped the soldiers defeat those monsters!" said Dio, always full of spirit.
"Hmph, he only acts like this when Sister Ariel is around!" Sena remarked, looking annoyed at Dio's bravado.
"Alright, I will talk with you more later. Now, I must heal the wounded first."
I approached a villager who was screaming in pain. His abdomen was pierced, a hole left by a Lycanthrope's claw. Looking closer, his intestines were slightly torn; he wouldn't last more than a few minutes.
"A-am I going to die...?" the man whispered, enduring the agony.
"Stay calm, you will see your family again," I replied, smiling at him as I gathered Mana in my right hand.
After reciting the healing incantation, I placed my palm on the wound. Slowly, the tears in his intestines closed, and his open abdomen regenerated as if new. Within a minute, the man was restored.
— Clap! Clap! Clap!
Suddenly, the sound of applause filled the building. I realized everyone had been watching me heal the man.
"Did you see Sister Ariel's smile? It took his pain away!"
"I saw it! I'd want to be hurt too if I could get a smile that beautiful!"
I ignored the children's chatter and moved to heal the next wounded soldier. However, the door suddenly swung open, and several soldiers carried in a comrade who was in critical condition.
"Sister, please help our friend!"
The soldiers laid their wounded comrade on the floor.
"Aarrghhhh! Just kill me! It hurts so much!" the soldier screamed.
"You three, hold him down! I need to examine the wound first," I ordered.
They nodded and held their comrade's limbs. I noticed a deep wound in his thigh. It seemed something was lodged deep inside. Taking a deep breath, I reached in to find it. The man's body shook; he screamed at the top of his lungs, testing my focus. Blood splattered from his thigh, soaking my robes.
"Alright, I have it," I murmured, pulling out a sharp tooth five centimeters long. "Now I will neutralize the remaining toxin and close the wound."
Reciting the healing and anti-toxin spells, I placed my palm on his thigh. A yellow light appeared; this process would take two minutes. Once finished, the soldier calmed down and began to rest.
"You are truly amazing... Sister Ariel..." I heard one of the soldiers mutter.
"Indeed. Even the Priest in our Company said our friend had no chance of survival."
My work didn't end there. Casualties from the battle continued to mount. The screams of soldiers in pain echoed in my ears, causing me immense stress.
— Thud!
Suddenly, the door opened again. This time, Raul entered the medical area. He glanced around as if searching for something. When our eyes met, he walked over.
"Ariel, come with me. We are taking the women and children out of this village," Raul commanded.
"But there are still so many wounded here. They still need me," I replied, refusing.
"That's an order, Ariel." He looked at me coldly as he said it, making my body tremble slightly with fear.
Noticing the blood on Raul's hands, I realized he was also injured. I nodded in agreement and followed him out. We saw women and children lining up at the carriages we had brought.
"Captain! We only have room for 50 people!" Eric said, his expression grim.
"We will take as many as we can. Get them ready to move," Raul ordered.
"Yes, Captain!"
I approached Dio, Sena, and the other children who didn't get a seat and had to wait for their turn.
"Don't worry, okay? Sister promises to come back for you," I said to calm them.
"Don't worry, Sister! I'll be waiting!" Dio said confidently.
"We'll wait for you to evacuate the rest of us!" Sena added, trying to smile.
I hugged them both before mounting the horse Raul was on.
"Is everyone ready!?" Raul asked loudly.
"Ready, Captain!" the members shouted.
"Let's get out of here!" Raul commanded.
The carriage procession carrying the women and children began to move. The disciplinary committee members protected the carriages on all sides to keep the monsters at bay.
"Report, Captain! Four Lycanthropes are heading for the group!" Viera shouted from the front.
"Viera, Piers, Tazz! You three intercept them. The rest, don't stop—keep moving!" Raul ordered. The black-haired man then looked into my eyes. "Ariel, can you ride a horse?"
"I think I can, after practicing at the barracks lately," I answered.
"Good. Take the reins," Raul ordered.
Once I took the reins, he leaped off to help Viera and the others fight the Lycanthropes chasing us. Throughout the journey, we were constantly blocked by packs of monsters. Raul and the others fought to keep them away while protecting the women and children.
Finally, we broke free and took a brief rest by the roadside once it felt safe.
"Raul, why don't we drop off the women and children we have and go back for the rest?" I asked.
Raul paused before answering.
"We are not going back to that village. We are taking everyone here back to the Cataluna Fortress," Raul said flatly.
"But there are still many children and villagers trapped there! Why aren't we going back to save them too!?" I asked, my voice rising.
"There are too many monsters attacking. If we had stayed any longer, we would all be dead and unable to leave that village," Raul answered.
No...
What about those children? Would they suffer the same fate as the residents of Zamora? I had promised to return for them... How would they feel when the Sister they looked up to failed to return as promised? Just the thought of those children being eaten alive made me nauseous.
I started to run toward one of our horses, but someone suddenly grabbed my arm. Turning back, I saw the black-haired man holding me.
"Ariel, if you go back there, you will die," Raul said seriously.
"I won't leave those children alone and afraid! I promised I would return to bring them to safety!"
Wrenching my arm from Raul's grip, I mounted a horse and sped back toward the village.
***
[Raul's POV]
I watched Ariel's figure on the horse vanish into the distance. There was no mistake; she would die if she returned there, even if she managed to save some villagers.
I deliberately didn't stop her so that her mental endurance and resolve would increase, fulfilling the requirements for one of the Saint's Trials. However, this was incredibly risky. On the other hand, Ariel had to solve this evacuation problem herself to gain the Goddess's recognition during the Night of Blessing. But it would all be for naught if she were killed during this "Trial."
"Everyone is ready to continue the journey, Captain," Eric said, approaching me. "Are we heading straight back to the city?"
"Eric, you lead this group back to the city," I ordered him. "There is something I must do first."