Chapter 223 – Desperate Options

Mana Observer zeroed in on the limping duo. One looked familiar, though Kai couldn’t be sure. He had never studied Makyn’s channels closely after how the man reacted the first time.

Why are there only two of them?

Sight would solve his doubts. He ran to the entrance of the chamber, heart beating in his throat. The wounded were being rounded up amidst pained moans, leaving only four soldiers to defend the passage.

Should I push through?

He was no healer. Running up to them would save a few seconds and be of no help. Finally, the guards heard the heavy steps. Their stances rose to prepare for a fight before recognition lowered their weapons.

Two bleeding figures limped forward. One used a broken spear as a crutch, he leaned on a taller man who walked backward to keep an eye on the tunnel. His faithful porter was fine. Reaching the light of the main group, Makyn relaxed enough to show a sliver of relief.

He had lost his bow and still gripped a sword wet with dark green ichor. There had been ten people in the rearguard, a squadron of elite soldiers who had advanced to Yellow with at least their profession. Two were all that remained.

Thank Yatei, he’s alive.

Kai hadn’t realized when he started liking the man. It had been amusing to tease him, and frustrating when he had to reveal his spatial artifact. Now they had reached a comforting understanding. It was probably an insidious side effect of having him constantly around while being surrounded by hostile strangers.

You sneaky boy. Only I should be allowed to corrupt you.

One of the soldiers on guard broke the formation to help them inside. She searched behind the duo, her mouth opened to ask a question when Makyn beat her to it.

“We were ambushed by the basilisk. Ceskelle and I are the only ones left.” The limping man, Ceskelle, accepted the help to sit down in the relative safety of the room. His empty eyes fixed on the scorched ground.

“What happened here?” Makyn swept his gaze over him to the devastation beyond with a grimace. “We heard the echo of an explosion.”

Yeah, what didn’t happen? And we still had it better than you.

“I— We— We were attacked.” The woman gazed at the dark corridors as if she still hoped to see someone else.

“The ruins summoned four six-legged flaming bears.” Kai jumped in to clarify. “It was going well till the last one decided to blow itself up. We had no way to avoid the explosion inside the chamber.”

Makyn looked at the massive burnt husks remaining from the fight. “C-ranks?”

“That’s my guess. Though you told me they were rare.” He couldn’t prevent a hint of accusation from seeping through. No one could have predicted this, and his mind struggled to accept there could be so much death without an explanation.

Makyn spoke almost as an afterthought, his attention was on the severely burned people being hastily tended. “They should be rare. A single C-rank species is enough to lord over a forest and they’re usually territorial. These summoned beasts must be coming from a high-danger area.”

This just keeps getting better.

“Why are they moving the wounded?” Makyn growled. “This is an easily defensible position. It might kill them if we don’t treat their injuries properly.”

Kai’s anger reignited with no delay. “Seryne’s orders. She wants to return to camp immediately.”

“Don’t—” If the man expected to see the hints of a joke on his face, he was disappointed. “I need to go report what happened.”

Makyn marched to where Captain Seryne was speaking with a circle of mages. Despite being physically unscathed, the mana professionals didn’t take the situation well. Many shook with pale lips, sobbing or catatonic.

“Ma’am.”

"Sergeant Makyn.” Seryne's eyes flashed around. “Where is the rear guard?” she asked, ignoring Kai’s glares.

“Me and Ceskelle are the only survivors, ma’am. We were guarding the back of the party from threats, but the basilisk slipped in between us and the main group and ambushed us in a chamber. No one expected it to try a frontal assault after how cautious it acted.”

“Dammit.” Seryne pursed her lips. “Did you at least manage to kill it?”

Wait…

Shaken by the event, Kai had yet to consider the possibility. How else would they have gotten away with the two of them? He couldn't stop the excitement from bubbling in his mind, and he hated himself for it. How could he think of his benefit in the middle of such a tragedy?

And yet… A carcass laying unguarded underground… He couldn’t and hadn't even considered such a perfect scenario.

I’m sorry, but I must make the most of the hand I’m dealt.

“No.” Makyn cut off his dreams before they could soar. “It’s possible it succumbed to its wounds, but it’s unlikely given the considerable resilience it showed.”

Seryne pursed her lips. “How did you survive?”

“The basilisk fled after I took his other eye. I thought it was better to come to inform you than to attempt to give chase,” Makyn said, back behind his impassive facade. “I request a team to go to retrieve the bodies of the fallen for burial, ma’am. I’ll be back by the time the wounded have been stabilized to be safely moved.”

“I can’t spare the men, returning to camp is our highest priority.” Seryne examined the preparation.

Makyn pressed his lips and kept his tone even. “Forgive me, ma’am, but what could possibly be so important? It will be a very short delay.”

“That’s not for you to know, sergeant. This matter can’t wait. There has been an unexpected development. I need to access the long-range communication equipment at camp.”

What difference do minutes make when we’re alone in the middle of Veeryd? Are you afraid someone else will put together what you saw?

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Makyn stood rigid like an ice statue as if scared that any movement would betray unacceptable emotions. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll go help the wounded.”

What? That’s it?

Kai rushed after him. “Can’t you do something? You said moving the wounded is dangerous.”

“I’m not in charge. Besides making suggestions there is nothing I can do.” Makyn paused as his voice started to rise, exhaling slowly. “My job is to follow orders. If the captain says we must not be delayed, she must have her reasons.”

What sort of bullshit is that!

“What if those orders are wrong?”

“Following wrong orders is better than everyone going with their own head whenever they think they know best. Trust me. Human beings create and follow rules for a reason. Even when they’re not perfect, it’s the best we have.”

Kai stood rooted. His rational side could understand the reasoning, while every other part of him vehemently opposed it. Seryne was full of shit, and her hurry was guided by her self-interest.

People won’t listen to me no matter what I do or say.

Bonking the woman on the head would cause panic and possibly a life sentence. He could shout how the ruins summoned beasts from a hidden realm. But that would mess with his plans as much as hers.

Hmm… It’s not worth dragging us both down.

“Wait for me.” Kai followed his fastidious porter. Makyn was wrapping a white gauze on a young man with severe burns on half his face and the better part of his torso.

The skin was red and blistered, wet with blood where it cracked. A green paste had been clumsily applied. Even the best healing remedy couldn’t cure such wounds in minutes, and this balm was high orange at best, probably not made for burns.

“You’ll be fine.” Makyn stopped him from touching his disfigured face. His tone carried certainty that didn’t leave space for doubts. The young soldier weakly nodded, eyes hazy under the effect of some painkiller. He rasped his breath and passed out.

“You might want to use this for the burns.” Kai offered him a cyan jar. “It’ll prevent any infection. It’s lucky you brought it with you, isn’t it?”

Makyn uncorked the potion and applied the balm. “It must have fallen out of my pocket.”

“You can be quite clumsy.” Kai forced a smile. Using the ring with so many people around was a risk, but he couldn’t sit back while men died. The mages weren’t in any condition to spy on him with Mana Sense, and sleight of hand did the rest.

They moved between the worse wounded. A look from Makyn was enough to dissuade anyone from hurrying them. Not that most soldiers needed much convincing.

When they assembled to move, Seryne was fuming. Perhaps the solution was to say yes to your superior officer and do whatever you wanted. It was far too soon to move the most injured, hopefully they would survive.

I still have Dora’s potions…

Other than a few drops, they still rested in the engraved wooden case she gifted him. Too conspicuous to bring out even if he wanted. Despite his progress, he was still many years away from brewing something on that level.

A couple healing vials won’t make a difference for twenty people.

A chorus of suppressed cries and curses accompanied them into the underground maze. They didn’t have enough material to build stretchers for everyone. Those who could walk hobbled along in the middle of the group, while the others were awkwardly carried. At Yellow, no one lacked the Strength to lift a body.

Worse were the ones they left behind. After much insistence, the mages had sealed the chamber with a rock wall. As if cast stone could stop a determined beast. And even in the best scenario, they’d be food for the next summon unless they came back to get them.

They were still better off than the rearguard. The metallic stench drifted over them even if they walked around the scene.

It hadn’t been since the raid on Sylspring that Kai had seen so much death. Lives snuffed out with nothing to show for it. Just the greed of an uncaring officer who didn’t consider anyone beyond herself.

Out of mercy or strategy, Valela had made a wise decision by staying at camp. He’d tell her about what they saw. If the military was going to learn it anyway, it would be better to inform as many factions as possible.

The harder question was what he was going to do now.

“How badly did you injure the basilisk?” Kai asked for a distraction.

Makyn walked in front, carrying the other end of a stretcher with a passed-out woman. “Five slashes and more minor cuts. The only lasting blows will probably be the ones to its eyes and tail, unless it can regrow them.”

Huh. Blind and crippled… It would have been nice if it lost its head too.

“Do you think it ran away for good?”

“Most beasts would look for another territory, but this basilisk has already behaved unpredictably.”

“That’s a no?”

“There are no other mana-dense areas that can sustain it on the archipelago. It would slowly weaken if it left the Heart, the only way it has to recover is to improve its grade.”

Well, it’s better than it disappearing. What do I do…

The situation was slipping out of his grasp no matter what he tried. Lost in his own head, Kai risked dropping the stretcher when they came to a sudden halt.

“Careful.” Makyn snapped.

“Sorry.”

The unconscious woman was fine—apart from the life-threatening injuries. With a grinding of stone, the gate was opened, and they filed into camp. Bright artificial crystals and a small crowd of people greeted them.

Kai left the stretcher to a medic as a mayhem of questions rained down on them. Shock and horror were the most common reactions, though he also observed bits of schadenfreude.

“What happened?” Valela stood out flanked by her bodyguards.

“There were more beasts than we anticipated with an affinity for fire.” Seryne curtly said. “You’ll be briefed after the injured are looked after.”

She ignored every question, beelining for her quarters and whatever tools she kept there. Kai was about to slip away when an unpleasant man barred his path.

“You, boy. Come with me. The captain wants to talk with you.” Bert didn’t wait for an answer and grabbed his arm to drag him roughly.

She just walked away. Couldn’t she tell me when we were stuck together in a room?

This day was severely testing his self-control. He had never wanted to stab people so badly. “I can walk.” He tried to jerk himself free only to hurt himself. There were probably manacles with more give than the scout’s grip.

Where did my porter go? Damned physical professions.

Bert shoved him inside a storage room and closed the door. “We wait here.”

“Shouldn’t we go to her quarters if she wants to see me?” This affair stank like a rotting fish.

“The captain’s busy, she’ll call you when you’re needed.”

Did she notice the ring?

Improvisation strained to maintain his outer calm. “Can’t I go grab something from my lodgings?” he asked with a yawn.

“No.”

“It’s just a few meters away. It will take like twenty seconds.” Kai reached for the door. He barely had time to react when Bert forcibly shoved him back. Empower surged to absorb the blow, but his ribs still painfully crashed into a crate.

“Sit and shut up. Next time I won’t be so gentle.”

You’re making a very good case for the stabbing plan.

With the scout's eyes fixed on him, Kai couldn’t even swallow his ring. He needed to get rid of the jerk if he wanted to run. But once he crossed that line, there was no turning back. He’d be a criminal, or a fugitive at best.

Bert never glanced at my finger, so at least he doesn’t know. With that crazy captain, it might be anything…

After considering all the ways he could castrate Bert with a well-aimed spell, Kai opted for caution. He couldn’t jump to conclusions. He had never shown his Earth magic to anyone in the expedition except Lou, and perhaps Valela. There would be more chances to run, he’d be ready to swallow the ring just in case.

Kai jolted when the door finally opened to reveal his porter.

Better late than never.

Makyn glanced at him with a somber look. “The captain wants to see him.”

Oh, great.

“What’s going on?” Kai whispered as soon as they were out. He gave a subtle hint in his hand. “Is it about…?”

“No.”

Thank the spirits.

“What then?”

“The situation changed.”

There was no time to ask for clarification, Seryne’s office was a few steps away. Inside, the woman waited behind her desk with a disturbingly wide smile. Several documents were arranged before her. Translations of the Vastaire glyphs, reports on the mana anomalies and two papers covered with an intricate web of mana.

“Please, take a seat.”

Kai glanced at his porter for any hint, but the man was back into his frozen aloofness.

“How may I help? I know I shouldn’t have questioned your decisions earlier.”

I should have kept the water shield to myself and let you burn.

“There is no need to apologize. We were all quite shaken after what happened and said things we shouldn’t have.” She gave him one of her affable smiles. “I’ll make sure the injured are taken care of as we prepare to return to Wildepoint, and I’ll send Sergeant Vert to retrieve the bodies.”

“We’re leaving?” Kai blurted out. After all the efforts the Republic had put in, they weren’t going to give up. Everyone knew Seryne was tied arms and legs to the success of this mission.

“I’m afraid we’ve all underestimated this task. Rest assured the military will take care of the matter and make the archipelago safe for all its people.”

She must have sold the information.

“That’s very nice to hear, ma’am. But why am I here?”

“I was getting to it. You’re a bright kid right, Kai?”

“Guess it depends on who you ask.”

“Don’t be humble, everyone praises your contributions to the Vastaire research. Or at least they did. Lately, it seems you’ve stopped trying.” She offered him the document with the most recent translation. “Do you have any idea about the Blessing the writings keep mentioning?”