Year 697, April 2nd, 09.15 AM
Prontera Barrack's Infirmary
"Why, hello there. My name is Lucrida Andatch."
Facing such a beauty, Clay was dazzled for a second. And, as he tries to act as proper as possible, he bows and said...
"It...It's an honor to meet you here, Lady Lucrida. My name is Clayton Age. I'm here on my... friend's... request to help the other priests in here."
Hearing that, the Arch Bishop Lucrida just smiles.
"There's no need of formality, Mister Clayton. You and I are just the same servants of the same God, who were trying to help our fellow comrades. We are an equal. You can just call me Lucrida, should you wish."
But hearing that, Clay can't help but being flustered.
"No! It...It was far too rude for someone like me to call you that! I can't think of anything but called you Lady Lucrida!"
"...then at least call me Sister Lucrida, just like the other priestess. You should be fine with that, right?"
"I...well... Alright. Then, please just call me Clay."
"Fair enough. Well then, please follow me, Clay."
After that, she turned back, walking away while giving cue to Clay and the other to follow her. Seeing that, Clay and the other follows her behind.
Year 697, April 2nd, 09.20 AM
Prontera Barrack's Infirmary Hall
Tap, tap, tap...
"As you may know, our force in Geffen has suffered a great defeat against the Cavalier of Glast Heim and the Orcs combined. Many of our comrades have fallen, while most of the remaining peoples are wounded..." Lucrida said.
"...yes..."
Clay was reminded of Lyre once again. The feeling of sadness was trying to flow from inside of him, but he hold it back inside.
"...our job description is simple, yet hard to do at the same time. We need to treat the wounded peoples, but not only the physical wounds. If possible, we also need to treat their psychological wounds, so they can stand on their own two feets again. But such a thing wouldn't be possible without reaching into the inside of their heart."
They've arrived in front of the infirmary. The door was in front of Lucrida. But Lucrida just stand in front of the door without doing anything.
"...well then, we shall be going on ahead." Milena suddenly said as she took the kids with her.
"Eh? Why? I also want to see what's inside."
"Shhh! Yulie, come on. Both of you, we're going to the kitchen, so you can have a lunch. You two haven't eaten yet, right?" Milena said.
""Yay!""
The children were shouting in joy. They then left together with Milena to the barrack's kitchen, leaving Clay and Lucrida alone.
"...please brace yourself... The scenery inside wasn't pretty at all." Lucrida said.
CREAAAK...
What's inside the big, spacious room, was...
"...what...is this..."
What assails Clay as he saw the inside of the room, was a gruesome scene, as if it was a picture of hell itself.
"Aaaah..."
"It hurts... It's hurts..."
"I can't see... Someone..."
"Mom... Dad... Help..."
Many of the Pronteran and Geffenian soldiers are lying on the bed. They're wailing and moaning. Their wounds are intense, and from the area it spreads, Clay doesn't think that some of them would be able to ever recover fully, or even survive.
He has been to the previous infirmary, but the condition in here is far worse than before.
"What the hell is this?!"
"...the enemy used a poison, an unknown one. We're trying to remove it, but it seems that it wasn't possible. You've saw those peoples in the infirmary I've just attended? They're some of the victims who were able to recover from a light wound, but most of the peoples here are those who received a heavy wound and haven't recovered yet."
"That's terrible! Is there anything I could do to help them?!"
"There's nothing but a temporary solution, right now. We can only heal their wound using our magic. That's all. Right now, the alchemists are trying to find a cure. But I don't know whether they would succeed or not."
Clay can only standing silently as he heard that. He looks painfully at all of the soldiers in front of him.
"(If only I was stronger...)" he thought.
"Well then, would you assist us, then? We may only prolong their suffering, but I believe that God wouldn't abandon them easily. I'm sure that He has a plan to save them all."
As she said that, Lucrida returned to the soldiers and started healing them again. Seeing that, Clay move forward, following her suite, and started healing the other soldiers.
"Aaaah..."
A big-sized man was lying on the bed. His body was bandaged in many places. Blood was seeping through the bandages as he writhes in pain.
"Please relax yourself! ...Divine light, answer the prayer of your people and cure their wounds! Heal!"
Clay started to cast the healing magic at the soldier. The soldier's wound still hasn't recovered yet, but he started to breathe easily.
"T-thank you... I feel better..."
"Just relax. You will be fine after having a rest."
But he just smiles ironically. Seeing that, Clay feels unrest.
"What's wrong?"
"...heh... Please don't give a false hope to me... I heard the other priest's conversation. The poison inside my body was a fierce one. Many of my friends have passed away in Geffen because of this poison, too. I'm sure I was able to stay alive even now because I was stronger than most of my friends."
"...I see..."
Clay can only say that. He doesn't know what to say, as even the Arch Bishop herself couldn't do anything. The soldier was watching the ceiling as he rest, seemingly in despair.
"Just look at the other. They all can only writhe in pain. It was the same for me..." the soldier said.
But then Clay asks him...
"...So you're giving up?"
"...what else should I do? It's only a matter of time until I die..."
Clay sighed at his words. He feels some kind of weird feeling when he heard that.
"...my younger sister was passed away in that war too."
"...you do...?"
"She was the same as you, right now. Yes...if only she didn't give up at that time...perhaps she would survive and still with me now..."
Clay said that painfully. He gripped his fist so strongly. He then continues...
"This is just my selfish request, but why don't you try to stay alive, in exchange of the lives of many peoples who died in that war? And don't you think that all of your deceased friends would be sad should you didn't survive, too?"
"...heh... I guess you're right. Anyway, all of my friends would just kick me out of Nilfheim should I chose to give up now. In that case, perhaps it would be better to just stay alive for now."
The soldier seems to be looking better now. Clay feels happy at his change of attitude.
"Say... How much time has passed ever since that war?" the soldier asks.
"...4 days."
"I see... What's the status of our side?"
"We've lost. The Geffenian have all retreated to Prontera."
"...so that's why this place looks so crowded now. I can hear many voice of peoples even from this room."
"Yes."
As he said that, Clay changed the soldier's bandage. When he opened it, he also examines it. His wound just looks like a normal wound, but the blood that came out of it doesn't seems to be thickening to stop the flow. It's as if the wound can't regenerate at all.
"(...at this rate, he would die slowly from blood loss. I should take a healing potion for him later.)" Clay thought.
He patched the wound and closes it with another clean bandage.
"There. It should stop the wound for a while. Try to stay strong, okay?" he said.
"Alright, it won't be hard to try."
The soldier was started to rest easily. Not long after that, he seems to be asleep. Clay then leave him alone, intending to check another patient.
"(But this is worse than I thought. At this rate, we would only prolong their suffering rather than helping them...)" Clay thought.
He tends another patient, as well trying to giving them a motivation to not giving up. Some of them was responded positively, but there's also many of them who responded rather negatively.
"What do you know about my suffering?! Don't act like you can help me!"
"It's over... Please just let me die..."
"...if only I never enlisting to be a soldier..."
Hearing their response, Clay's heart was aching. His heart was still wounded by the death of his younger sister, and yet, they wasn't wrong about the part where Clay didn't understand on what they're feeling right now.
"(...if only I was stronger...!)" he thought.
Suddenly...
BRAAAK!
"The healing potions are ready!"
A voice shouts from the forcefully-opened door. A blonde twin pig-tail haired female alchemist that was pulling a cart behind her was entering the room. Her short height and western face make her looks like a doll. On the cart, many healing potions, ranged from red coloured to yellow, was carried.
"You're late, Esela. What took you so long?" Lucrida said that while approaching her.
"I'm sorry for the delay. The apprentice alchemists were all inexperienced in making the potion, so I need to teach them carefully. We also have a problem with the insufficient herbs stock."
The alchemist said that, as she panting... It seems that she was using all of her strength to bring all of those medicines here.
"I see, you have it tough. Thank you for your effort, then." Lucrida said that as she started to distribute the potions on the cart to the nearby priests. They then give it to all of the patients.
As Clay following the other priests, he overheard Lucrida's and the alchemist named Esela's talking...
"What's the status about the cure for the poison?" Lucrida asks.
"Bad. The poison itself looks like one of the poison that the Assassin's Guildmaster uses, but from the composition, the potency, and its purity, it was more ancient, but deadlier than the one we know now. The regular cure can't be used against this level of poison."
"Then what are the others doing?"
"The Three Commanders are currently going to Payon for assistance, while Lord Balzac was currently going towards Al De Baran for the help from the alchemist guild. On the other hand, Lord Guldar was organizing the army, and trains the new recruits."
"...what about Shion?"
"...well, Lady Shion was training as always in Mjollnir Mountain, preparing herself should another attack came."
"...truly the goddess of war, she is. I'm kind of worried as her friend since she's only good for anything related to war. She's not good on anything else."
Lucrida sighs as she said that. They continue their treatment as they talks.
"(They shifted their topic of conversation to a girls talk...)" Clay thought.
He took one of the yellow colored potion, and going to apply it at one of the patient as he opens it. A sweet smell was flowing out of the potion's bottle.
"Ah, Clay, if you're going to use the yellow potion, then treats the patient whose condition was worse, first." Lucrida said.
"I see. Alright, I'll do that."
He then treats each patient with the potion. One bottle of potion was barely enough for one person. There're more than 50 peoples in here, while the amount of the available potion was less than half of it.
"(Damn... There's simply too few of it. We can't treat even half of the patients at this rate!)" Clay thought.
CREAAACK...
"The anodynes are ready!"
Another voice was echoed through the room. It was a same blonde twin pig-tailed female alchemist from before.
...
"(Wait...there's two of them?!)" Clay thought.
"Ah, there you are, Seria." Lucrida said.
"I'm sorry, the ingredients of anodyne was hard to come by. We're having a difficulty of making this many."
The alchemist named Seria was pulling a cart, filled with many slim bottles with a white-transparent looking liquid inside of it.
"How much of it was available? It seems there's more than enough for the peoples in here."
"We still haven't gone to another room yet, so there are still about 150 of it."
"I see... There are still 49 rooms excluding this room. Seems like we can only take about a sixth of the anodynes. Seria, Esela, please help put the anodynes in here for about 25 of it."
""Alright!""
The twins are putting the anodynes together as fast as they could.
"Everyone, please use the anodynes as little as possible. The stocks we have right now are limited, after all." Lucrida said to the other priests.
Clay, who heard that, was doing exactly as he told. But...
"(This is bad. Even with the anodynes, the poison is just too strong! At this rate, the soldiers wouldn't last long...)" he thought.
He tried to use the potions minimally, but some of the patients was in a severe condition, and even needed more than one potion. He tried to enhance the effect with the healing spell, but it still wasn't enough. He can see that the wound won't close up easily without a good amount of the potion, even with his healing power.
"(...damn! So I'm still not powerful enough, after all!)" Clay thought as he curses himself.
Suddenly...
"Sister Lucrida, it's time." one of the priest said.
"Yes."
"…?"
Clay was wondering what they are talking about. At that time, Lucrida stretches her hands towards the center of the room, as if trying to give a blessing.
"Tree of life, the shining pinnacle of genesis. Arise from the world of the dead and bring forth a revelation of new hope to this world! Epiclesis!"
TRIIIING!
As a clear, translucent voice echoes in the room, a tree, shining with a brilliant light, was sprouting from the floor, through the ceiling. But strangely, the ceiling didn't seem to be broken at all. When Clay looked at it closely, he realizes that the tree itself was created from the light itself, so it looks more like an image created with a light. Near the tree, Lucrida was standing.
"(Epiclesis? So that was the sacred tree generated from the purest holy magic of the church...)" he thought.
He examines the patient he's currently treating. His wounds are recovering much better with the Epiclesis's recovery effect.
"(…what a powerful healing effect.)" Clay thought.
"...Everyone, please treat the other patients. I shall return shortly." Lucrida said.
After she said that, she then leaves the room. The door was closed carefully to not make many sounds.
"Well, we should get going, then. We shall leave the anodynes here." Seria said.
"Good luck, everyone." Esela added.
They then also leave the room along with their respective cart. Clay and the other priests are then continues their treatment on the rest of the patient.
"They sure are beautiful, aren't they?"
"...?"
Someone suddenly said that to Clay. When Clay looked at the source, a male priest with a brown ponytail hair was standing near him while treating a patient.
"Especially Sister Lucrida. Man, it almost like she was carved by the God itself! Just look at her face and body!"
"...are you sure that you're a priest?"
Clay said that to the man. The man just laughs at that.
"Hahaha. Of course I am. You're new here, right? My name is Deanark Cunningham. What's yours?"
"Clayton Age. Just call me Clay, though."
"I see. Clay, isn't it?"
Deanark seems amused somehow.
"Say...which of them that you like?" he asks.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about those girls who just leave, duh!"
"Well...I've just met them today. How should I know?"
"Idiot! I'm talking about their appearances! From head to toes! From the way they talk and their mindset! You just need to see them once to know about it! That's what I'm talking about!"
"...I'm not a true believer myself, but I just know that you're not a good example of what a priest should be..."
"Bah! I'm a man of my desire! It's normal for a youth like us to be...err...faltering in our belief at times!"
"..."
Clay just silently treating the patient in front of him.
"Sheesh, you're no fun. Loosen up a bit, will you?" Deanark said.
"...shouldn't you focusing on the patient instead?"
"Don't worry. It's not like they would die should we talks like this while treating them."
Deanark continue to laugh heartfully. On the other hand, Clay continues to treat the patient seriously.
About 2 hours later...
All of the patients were finally healed. The tree of light that Lucrida created was seemingly accelerated their recovery.
But it still wasn't enough. Soon, the wound would be opened again. They should found a way to fix this, fast.
"(If only there's a way to erase the poison...)" Clay thought.
"Haaah! Finally done!"
Deanark said that as he sat on the floor.
"You seem tired." Clay commented.
"Of course. Actually, you seem to be the only one who doesn't seem tired."
"I'm used with this kind of repeated healing. I could easily do a healing three times I do in here."
"Wow, that's amazing! Which division are you in previously?"
"No, I don't belong in any division. I'm just a wanderer from Juno."
"What? That was...what can I say... A waste of talent...!"
"Shut up. I'm the one who will decide for whose my power shall I use."
"Whohoo! Didn't you think that it was pretty selfish of you? Wasn't that unbecoming of a priest yourself?"
"As I've just said before, I'm not much of a believer. So I don't care about such a thing."
But Deanark just laughed heartfully at each of his words. He doesn't seem to care about it.
"Oh yeah. Why don't you join our battalion, then?" he suddenly said.
"What battalion?"
Deanark just smiles at Clay's words.
"Gwenfordt battalion, The 13th battalion!"