Even though the attack was repelled, dealing with the aftermath of a bloody conflict is arguably more painful than the conflict itself. It’s not physical pain though. My injuries from battle amounted to a few scratches that were easily healed. This could be called a flawless victory even though my opponents were a bunch of parasites. Nonetheless, any sense of satisfaction quickly fades when I see sobbing mothers pick up the bloody pieces of what used to be their family. The parasites really did not hold back at all. I wonder if father made that kind of face when mother died. Unable to stand looking at this any longer, I’m forced to turn away.

I begin healing anyone still alive with serious injuries, starting with those in critical condition. I believe they call this triage in the military. Using the body’s natural healing power enhanced with arcane and water magic, critical injuries are treated until the victim’s life is no longer in danger, after which I move on to others. Healing takes time and energy. If I took too long to mend everyone, others would die before their turn arrives. At least I have plenty of mana left over after the fight.

Several of the villagers are confused or wary of me. This comes as no surprise since many of them must have seen me slaughter the bandits with magic they have not seen before. Mages in general are feared because they wield great power and can harm their own allies. It’s not uncommon for magical accidents to claim lives. Actually, that’s the main reason why exotic magic schools were banned. It’s too difficult to control for the average mage but it’s also an attractive subject, leading to unfortunate events caused by incompetent people who were a little too ambitious for their own good. Their stories are etched into my memory to avoid making the same mistakes.

The villagers calm down when they see me healing their family and neighbors. They might still be worried about what I will demand in exchange. Saying that I’m doing this out of the goodness of my soul will just sound suspicious. Maybe pretend to be a selfless priest… No, that would backfire for sure. It’s best to say nothing unless asked and wait for help to arrive from the nearby town. If no one comes by tomorrow morning, I will personally go kick their doors down and demand action. It’s common sense to help fellow countrymen.

“Master Artemia, let us express our deepest gratitude once again on behalf of the village.”

A few villagers approached me and bowed as they said that. I’ve already been thanked enough though. One woman would not stop bowing after I healed her sister…

“Do you know if help will arrive anytime soon? The lord of this area won’t abandon your village, right?” I get straight to the point.

“Yes, yes. Someone from the town of Batna should be here by evening. Our village is not wealthy but I’m sure our protector, Lord Arfan, will present you with a generous reward. Until then, would you like some of our fine wine to help you relax? Lord Arfan says it’s the best in the region.” A man responds with expectant eyes.

What a diplomat. It was a life-threatening situation just hours ago and he’s already trying to build relations. Surely he will become a great merchant. I suppose it won’t hurt to accept his offer. The healing is almost done and it would hinder my goal if I’m perceived as shy. The rest is up to the survivors.

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Captain Asher was staying temporarily in the town of Batna, near the mountain forest that acted as a border between Amisos and Zamora. He is the leader of an elite unit of soldiers known as Bloodmoon that answers directly to the king of Zamora. Instead of fighting directly on the battlefield, they specialize in covert operations such as spying, deception, scouting, assassination, misdirection and other methods of hindering enemy activities before a battle begins. His team stopped to rest in Batna along with 1000 other soldiers on their way to Amisos. At the king’s direct order, they were preparing to meet with the main army.

This plan is delayed when he received word that a barbarian raiding force from the Western Plains was spotted on its way to a nearby village. He reported this information to the commander in charge of the regiment, after which he immediately rallied his team and left to defend the village. Sending an elite unit to fight off barbarians was not common practice, but it was decided that his unit would reach the village much faster and possibly catch the raiders as they were returning. Barbarian raids are a plague in this region and he wanted to do his part to eliminate the threat even if he won’t be in time to prevent the attack. Bloodmoon numbered 80 people, all riding the fastest horses the royal stables could produce. Despite their low headcount, there was no doubt that their strength would be enough to defeat the barbarian attack.

Asher was quite surprised when he found the barbarians running away from the village mostly on foot. He took 40 people with him and ordered the rest of Bloodmoon to hunt down the stragglers, an easy task for fighters of their level.

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Far away from Rigel’s location, the capital city of Amisos kingdom is in grave turmoil. Many buildings are damaged or completely destroyed. Collapsed roofs, large holes and smouldering ashes can be seen on buildings which are still standing. The city is smothered in a layer of dust caused by the ongoing destruction. Broken weapons, shields and pieces of armor litter the streets. They are colored with the blood of men and horses. The air is so bad that people need to cover their faces with cloth to be able to breathe. The extremely unsanitary conditions are perfect for the spread of deadly illness.

The only living beings in the streets are rats, insects and scattered individuals who are scavenging for food. Most of the surviving civilians have already left the city, though not before many lives were ruined by the sudden conflict. No one knows exactly how many perished in the ensuing chaos, but it’s estimated to be in the tens of thousands due to the densely populated area.

On a particular rooftop on the outskirts of the city is Selene, dressed in leather armor with her fiery-red hair fluttering in the morning breeze. She is lying on her abdomen while observing the surroundings using a cylindrical tool called a spy glass which allows her to see objects at a distance much better than with the naked eye. It’s an important tool for things like scouting enemy positions and observing the course of a battle. She is perturbed when hearing footstep noises behind her. She turns around in a quick, practiced motion with her sword drawn and fierce determination in her eyes.

“Oh, it’s only you…” she sighs with relief after seeing the familiar figure of her friend, Laila.

“Anything new happen since I left?” her friend asks.

“Not much. The main hostilities have died down for the moment. There are scattered pockets of conflict, but they don’t result in any big changes. They are only wasting lives. All sides seem to be at a stalemate.”

“It won’t last for much longer. There is heavy movement coming from the north. A large army is approaching the city. Judging by the size of their formations, there must be between ten and twenty thousand.”

“Twenty thousand!? Are they from Amisos or is it a foreign army?”

“I saw several banners from the northern clans. Most of the army seems to belong to Lachlan’s faction but there were also the Padraig, Valdez and Hadwin clans.”

“That’s… So this isn’t just an isolated event. All of the major northern clans must be involved. If they can afford to send a force of this size despite the tension on the Athenite border, they must be serious about taking over this city.”

“I did not see Cassius’ banner but it’s probably because his hands are full with the recent events at Lapithos. Still, a force this big will easily wipe out any remaining resistance in this city. If we don’t leave soon, we will be swallowed up in it. They will be here within a few days. What do you want to do?”

Selene frowns and rubs her eyes in frustration. She doesn’t have a clear answer to give. The two of them arrived in Delos just two days ago and were shocked at the devastation. Delos was the shining jewel of Amisos kingdom, a modern city with great power and prestige. Now it is nothing but a smoldering ruin. The worst part is that she can’t find out what exactly happened. There are rumors that the conflict started with the death of King Leo Artemia, but it’s not clear who started the fighting and why. The situation became chaotic before anyone could understand what was happening.

“I only wanted to find out what happened to Rigel… How did things end up like this? Why are the major clans fighting each other so desperately? I don’t understand it...” she looks down with a defeated expression.

“Maybe it’s better if we don’t know. This conflict is too big for a couple of lone warriors like us. We should just return home and be happy that we weren’t directly involved.”

Selene raises her head and says “You can go. I’m staying until I find the truth. It’s the least I can do after failing to help Rigel at Lapithos.”

“No, if you’re staying then I’m staying too. I may not know this Rigel person very well, but I can’t just sit on my butt while my best friend is fighting in a civil war.”

With a bitter smile on her face, Selene mutters “Thank you, Laila.” She then turns around and continues to study the city though the spy glass.