Chapter 47 | The Unaccounted 7

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Several tents were erected to make a field triage for the victims until enough wagons arrived to take them back to Riverside. Most of the people were laid across the grass on a piece of cloth. All those abducted from town were accounted for. However, as information came in, it became apparent to Alisha about one thing: these people had no hope.

They had no family that they could depend on and with most of them being injured in a way that disabled them, what hope could they have to have a normal life? Most of those abducted from Riverside was burnt severely enough to be scarred for life. Most in the dungeon were missing limbs and their tongues and were tortured nearly every day.

Most of them were here because other traffickers had no need for them to even be sold elsewhere and were sent to be killed for vampire food. Jeromy said that the forty-three people taken from the Imperial triage would first be sent back to Riverside and then to Viennera the next day. The same for the other hundred-thirty victims but at a later date.

Although Gillesport was the closest town, it was very likely that some Imperial officials there were implicated in the trafficking and Jeromy didn’t want to risk the victims as bait.

With so many victims, this would likely light the fires of scandal within the Empire and greatly threaten the authority of the Association. Jeromy had to be ready for the eventual response to this incident. As such, he had to pay a visit to a certain someone who could be a great help in this respect.

“Selina,” Jeromy called for her as she was tending to her patients with her healing magic.

“Yes, Captain?” She responded.

“We’ll be going to Gillesport.”

“What about the people here?” Selina asked hesitantly. She didn’t feel comfortable leaving the scene to the others.

“There are other medics around. Now, come on.”

“…Yes, sir,” Selina said. She lifted herself from an anemic woman who had her legs amputated. This woman was non-verbal like the rest because of their missing tongues. She was very weak with bed sores and muscle damage from being hung to the wall. No square inch of her body was without injury or scarring.

No matter how much Selina wanted to help, there was nothing she could do with injuries to this extent. The most advanced medicine in the world couldn’t regrow lost body parts.

“Hey! Where are you going?!” Alisha cried out in her human form to Jeromy and Selina who were readying their horses.

“Nothing that concerns you, Alisha.”

“I’m a member of the Phoenix, right? I have the right to know too!”

Jeromy took a glance at Selina who shrugged. “Nolan has granted you a commission of an Officer. That’s the same rank as Selina. That entitles you to certain information but not this.”

Jeromy pulled his reins to go on his way when Alisha jumped in front of his horse to stop him. “What about the one-hundred and seventy-three victims? Do you honestly think sending them to Imperial custody would be the right decision?”

“What are you—”

Alisha interrupted Jeromy, “Yuli told me of her time in the welfare system of this country and it is lackluster at best. These people know that as well, don’t you believe they deserve better after what they’ve been through?”

“If it makes it better, I will make sure that the Association does it’s best to ensure the welfare of the victims and their treatments. Once they get to Viennera, they’ll be taken care of.”

“Thank you for that. But what about their injuries?”

“Do you want to try something? I know you wanted to help the refugees but there’s not much we can do for them.”

“I can regenerate their missing tissue and reconstruct their missing limbs. I can also treat them for several ailments beyond your medical capabilities,” Alisha proclaimed. Jeromy never inquired on what Alisha planned to do but reasoned that it wouldn’t be troublesome for her to try to treat the burn victims.

Jeromy pushed back, “I’ll take your word for it. But I still wouldn’t advise it. Suppose they all come back to Riverside in better health, that’d bring suspicions. It’ll make more trouble than it’s worth. Worst, if Commander Dustin were to find the connection between you and the victims, they’d be executed.”

Alisha was frustrated, “Not if you vouch for them. He wouldn’t dare to do anything if they were put under the custody of the Association. Was that not the purpose of having your soldiers here?”

“I had them come here so that this situation would be under our jurisdiction but we are still under the Empire. We still have to tell Commander Dustin about what happened.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I understand…” Alisha mumbled, bitterly. Jeromy wasn’t willing to take a chance on her and if things were to happen his way, these people would suffer.

“And, what do you understand?” He asked, passive-aggressively.

“You’re using this situation to score political points! If a Captain of Association Mercenaries were to retrieve the refugees lost by Dustin back to Riverside, there would be no reason for the Imperials to move against the Association for this matter and would also have Dustin to be implicated for incompetence.”

Jeromy chuckled, “You’re very clever. That’s why I cannot let you have them either. It would damage my credibility in this crucial time if I were to lose anyone. The situation with the Empire is far more complicated than you realize.”

Although not known by the populace, the situation with Association-Imperial relations were heading towards new lows. Prince Andrian assertions in the northern territories has been facing push back across the region by Association officials. Commander Dustin was a symptom of a larger machinations for Imperial domination. At a time like this, unnecessary complications like this could destroy the diplomatic balance act.

Alisha was only vaguely aware of the political situation. One thing she understood well was to avoid antagonizing the Imperials so they’d go away. Being the Devil Slime didn’t help matters.

“You don’t have to worry about anything I would do to damage your reputation. After all, it’s their choice,” Alisha said her farewell and ran into the camp. Jeromy and Selina did not attempt to stop her. She shouted so that everyone could hear her.

“Everyone! May I have your attention! My name is Alisha and I am the Devil Slime!”

Eyes of recognition to her name were everywhere. Even as slaves and locked up in a dungeon, they heard of her. Selina and Tasha were in disbelief that Alisha, who was so private about her identity, would just announce that she was the Devil Slime to everyone.

“I’m afraid rumors of the terrors I committed were a bit exaggerated. I have no reason to harm any of you and I want to help you all to recover. I have very good regenerative properties in my slime and if any of you are willing, I can help you all! If anyone wants my help, please make your will known!”

Alisha held a shining spell gem for telepathy above her head to make her intention known to everyone. Those without tongues could communicate with her with this. With a gem this large, the telepathy range stretched the entire camp. One by one, voices of the victims appeared.

“What is she saying? Can she really help me?”

“The Devil Slime? Is she serious?”

“How can we receive help from a demon?”

“It’s hopeless. My life is hopeless.”

“Am I really going to be free? Where will I go?”

“We’re finally free…”

“Please help me… someone…”

Alisha’s eyes full with determination began to wither as no one was considering her help, even in their thoughts. This was until she heard one voice out of the one-hundred seventy-three,

“Please help me…Alisha. Please let me see my parents, my husband, my children…”

“You! Where are you?!”

“Over here…”

The person she arrived at was a burnt refugee woman. It pained Alisha to see this woman in this state. She was burnt beyond recognition on her face and arms. Her skull was visible in the portion of her head that was completely burnt off. Her cheekbones were damaged, her nose was missing, half of her beautiful blond hair was burnt to the root, and her eye sockets were empty.

“You don’t have to worry about it anymore. Please trust me,” Alisha said. She sat over the woman as she secreted her slime and enveloped the woman from head to toe. The woman just allowed it to happen without a fight. The Phoenix militia gathered around her to see what she was doing.

“What are you doing?” One said.

“I’m attempting to regenerate her tissue. Now, quiet everyone.”

Everyone looking over them witnessed a miracle. At some point, Jeromy and Selina also came and were looking over them. The woman’s skin came back with patches everywhere until they recombined together. Her head and facial hair didn’t grow back to their original length but everyone could see the beginnings peeking out of her new skin.

Her injuries and discoloring throughout her body returned to a healthy state and as Alisha began to retract the slime from the woman’s body, it became clear that she seemed to be in excellent health. The woman slowly opened her eyes and peered into the light she thought was lost to her. She slowly rose from the ground and sat up with the help of a medic.

“I—I can see…” The woman said and begun to inspect her body with her new eyes. Not one thing seemed to be wrong. Even the scars she had from her back from whipping were gone. “I can’t thank you enough!”

After that, she was guided to her son and husband. Alisha healed them both and the family threw their arms around Alisha appreciation, she heard many other voices from her telepathy spell.

“That was amazing.”

“Is she really the Devil Slime?”

“She just healed them in seconds!”

“She’s god-sent!”

“Please, me next!”

Alisha soon encompassed the entire camp in her slime to heal the trafficking victims. Her slime attached itself from one body to the next. She needed Guide’s help for this endeavor and had him expedite the repair processes. Her Time Dilation ability was also helpful to increase the rates of recovery.

Her mana reserve soon collapsed and she started to siphon mana from gems. After she went through all the gems, she had to take mana from the people willing. The Phoenix militia was very accommodating. She was still injured herself and all this mana use made it worse. The small nick in her soul gem was becoming a hole but she needed to work quickly.

After only an hour, everyone in the camp was on their own feet. Jeromy, Selina, Alan, Lycus, and the Phoenix could only stand by as Alisha worked her magic, stopping only to replenish her mana. A crowd gathered silently around Alisha as she healed the last person. Alisha looked around her and saw faces she couldn’t describe fully.

They seemed truly grateful and more. Back in her old world, she saw this face once with her friend, Samantha. But to have all these people appreciate her with all their hearts was too much. The feeling she was experiencing was indescribable.

Alisha was tired and was about to fall from her knees until she was caught by Selina. Jeromy was also there.

“You did it. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” Jeromy said in gratitude without a hint of disdain. “Alisha, you changed the lives of all these people for the better and in a way, I could never imagine.”

“You can tell everyone that a traveling wizard came by and healed everyone.”

Jeromy chuckled, “Do you think Commander Dustin will buy it?”

“He’ll have to,” Alisha said and laughed together with him.

After all, what choice did he have but to believe it? She also checked everyone and didn’t think anyone would have the gall to tell who truly healed them. To think the Devil Slime would heal anyone with its healing magic would be absurd.

“So, I did well?”

Jeromy laughed quite a bit at that, “Yes, you did well.”