Chapter 221: Villain (1)

To the Naimus Empire, which had been built upon screams and pain through countless wars with neighboring countries since the distant past, doctors were a very important resource.

Among them, the Divine Doctor—meaning a doctor who takes the place of a thousand soldiers—existed only in the Naimus Empire and was a realm that only doctors belonging to the Hyde Family could reach.

And Oliver Hyde was a Divine Doctor.

It was the result of his obsession to save his younger sister, Daria, and the Hyde Family’s secret technique, [Time of Destiny], was the exclusive property of a Divine Doctor.

[Time of Destiny] was a type of barrier array that summoned a space for surgery on the spot.

It protected the subject from external intrusion and maintained the interior in a perfectly sterile state; it also maintained the subject’s body temperature and life while providing the effect of improving the doctor’s concentration and maximizing the five senses.

In a way, it was a modern operating room.

However, there was only one time Oliver had ever used it.

Right then, during Daria’s surgery.

He had never used it since.

‘And I thought I would never be able to use it again.’

With trembling eyes, Oliver watched Reina, who was floating in the air and being enveloped in a blue radiance.

“Re, Reina!”

The radiance surrounding Reina pushed away Rachel, who was next to her, and gradually swelled in size.

The pushed-back Rachel tried to reach her hand toward the radiance, but Oliver blocked her.

“Don’t worry. It’s okay.”

Rachel looked at him with complex eyes.

“Just what are you…”

“I’ll explain the details after everything is over.”

The radiance, which had been swelling and expanding its area, had stopped its expansion.

It looked like a barrier set up to protect Reina.

The interior could not be seen from the outside, and a somewhat cozy energy could be felt.

“Wait for me.”

Oliver, who tapped Rachel’s shoulder, went inside.

‘Whew. This is nerve-wracking.’

Oliver stared at Reina with nervous eyes.

A space perfectly for the two of them.

Reina, who had been having a seizure due to the poison, had fallen unconscious before he knew it.

To examine her condition, Oliver took out the box containing the surgical tools.

It was a surgical tool kit he was taking out for the first time in a while, but the feeling wasn’t bad.

However, there was no time to be soaked in sentiment.

[Time of Destiny] would be suppressing the action of the poison, but only for a moment. Time was flowing, and the poison would continue to erode Reina.

Ziiik—

Recalling that the place the Death Horn had attacked was the left leg, Oliver took off Reina’s pants.

There was no hesitation in that action, and soon the terrible affected area was revealed to the outside.

“…….”

His brow furrowed naturally.

A pungent stench.

Reina’s thigh, struck by the poison, was rotting in real-time, and dark blood was gushing out from the spot-like wounds.

If not for the life maintenance of [Time of Destiny], she might have died of shock long ago.

At any rate, since he had to stop the poison from spreading, he quickly tied a string tightly ten centimeters above the wound and propped the leg up.

Then, discovering a twist somewhere, he realized.

Coincidentally, the place struck by the Death Horn was the left leg that had originally been injured.

The muscle was certainly smaller than the right leg, and the bone was twisted.

‘……First, removing the poison comes first.’

Oliver gripped the scalpel in his hand.

And he used [Clairvoyance].

Soon, Reina’s interior was visible to his eyes.

Starting with the thumping heart, the internal organs, muscles, nerves, and even the blood vessels through which blood moved.

As he concentrated a bit more, he saw the movement of the blood near the affected area gradually slowing down.

The blood was hardening due to the poison.

A lucky point was that the bitten place was a leg far from the heart and there were no major organs nearby.

It was already too late to drain the poison.

And an antidote was needed for detoxification.

Oliver did not know what kind of herbs were needed to detoxify the Death Horn’s poison.

“……I should have studied Herbology a bit more, just like you said.”

Thinking of Daria, Oliver smiled bitterly.

And he took out one item from his breast pocket.

It was the Red Forget-me-not.

It seemed like fulfilling his younger sister’s wish would have to be postponed until next time.

***

“…….”

Outside the surgical field was filled only with heavy silence.

Rachel stared anxiously at the invisible barrier, and it was the same for Gerard, Yuria, and Karina.

However, even while doing so, Karina occasionally glanced at Rachel.

‘……Reina?’

She definitely called her that.

Reina was the name of Rachel’s younger sister, a name very familiar to her.

Could it be just a person with the same name?

Sisters who were hiding their names and didn’t look alike at all.

And Karina thought that Mitchell’s voice, which had cried out toward the injured Reina a moment ago, sounded exactly like Rachel’s voice when she called out to the demonized Reina.

It was then.

The radiance gradually grew faint, and Oliver walked out from within.

He was completely drenched in sweat.

First of all, Rachel ran to him and asked.

“What about my sister? What happened!?”

“It was resolved well.”

“Ah…!”

“See the rest for yourself.”

Before they knew it, the barrier had completely disappeared.

Reina was lying on the floor.

Rachel hurriedly ran to her, and the others followed behind her.

Reina was lying there with a peaceful expression.

A face that was a perfect contrast to the one having a seizure until just a moment ago.

No, looking at her now, her face had completely changed.

“……!”

And seeing that face, the three of them looked at Reina with eyes wide open.

Her hair had become shorter and her impression had changed strangely, but it was certain.

She was Rachel’s younger sister and the Reina they had saved from the demon Lilith a few days ago.

“Reina?”

“Then as expected…….”

Yuria and Karina looked at Rachel with eyes filled with shock.

Whether she was out of her mind or pretending not to know on purpose, Rachel was only checking Reina’s condition.

“……Let’s ask later, for now.”

Gerard said.

The two of them nodded.

“More importantly, were you a person of the Naimus Empire?”

Oliver wiped the sweat flowing down his chin and nodded.

“Yes. Oliver Hyde is my real name.”

“Why on earth did a person of the Hyde Family come to the Frey Empire?”

Oliver pondered for a moment.

But it wasn’t long.

“Well, it’s not like I have anything to hide. Instead, keep it a secret that I came from the Naimus Empire.”

He told them the story of why he had crossed over to the Frey Empire, even while risking being chased by the Naimus Empire.

It was not long after that Reina woke up.

“U, Unni?”

“I was so worried!”

Rachel hugged her tightly.

“Heehee. I’m sorry. But.”

Reina immediately realized that something about her body had changed.

“……I. I feel sensation in my legs.”

“Huh?”

The darkness was leaving already, and the day was breaking.

***

Inside the airship bound for Icata.

Someone approached Oliver, who was leaning against the railing and blankly looking down at the passing clouds.

“Thank you.”

It was Rachel.

“It’s the fifteenth time.”

“Huh?”

“Saying thank you. Including this time, it’s the fifteenth time. So you can stop now.”

“But you, the Red Forget-me-not…….”

“I just didn’t want to lose a useful bodyguard.”

Oliver continued his words nonchalantly.

“Michelle…… no. You said her real name is Reina. No matter how important the Red Forget-me-not is to me, Reina is someone who saved my life. The request isn’t over yet and another attack might come, so I can’t lose such a talented person.”

“…….”

“You’re the same. Protect me well until we arrive in Icata.”

Rachel wore a smile.

She could feel Oliver’s kind heart as he spoke as if it were nothing.

She now knew Oliver’s circumstances.

And what the Red Forget-me-not meant to him.

That was why she was even more grateful.

“Of course. If you told me to go into the Naimus Empire and take even the Emperor’s head, I would.”

“Don’t overdo it. I’ve had enough of that, so just protect my body well.”

“Fufu.”

“……More importantly, Reina. How is her leg?”

“Thanks to you.”

While catching the toxins, Oliver had treated Reina’s leg as well.

In fact, that was more difficult than catching the poison; retying the severed nerves while avoiding the arteries was not an easy task even for Oliver.

“If there’s ever anything you want to entrust to me, tell me. Whatever your task is, I’ll resolve it for you without payment.”

Oliver did not refuse even that.

Since he was being chased by the Naimus Empire anyway, he needed at least a minimum means to protect himself.

“No. Since things have turned out like this, how about you join our guild?”

“Hmm? Guild?”

“Yes. You must have heard of it before.”

He had heard of it?

If so, it was certain to be very famous worldwide.

Because there were not many guilds Oliver knew, having stayed in the Frey Empire for only a short time and having chased only the Red Forget-me-not since coming.

“Where is it?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“……Are you joking? You want me to join without even telling me where it is?”

Rachel laughed, “fufu.”

“Just think about it for now. Because I have to ask the higher-ups about the specifics, too.”

He thought it was a fairly strange recruitment proposal, but he just went with it.

‘It must mean it’s a place that’s just that secretive.’

From covering their faces with face masks and changing their identities, it had been suspicious.

He would be reluctant toward such a place.

It was because a dangerous smell was wafting from it.

“Hmm. I should head inside.”

Oliver said that as he saw a group coming out onto the deck.

“Ah, right.”

Rachel also nodded.

They were Academy cadets.

Oliver’s request would be over soon, but the problems with them had to be resolved now.

“See you when we arrive.”

Oliver left and the Academy cadets filled that spot.

“What’s going on, Rachel?”

“That’s…….”

“Don’t pretend not to know. I already know it’s you.”

“…….”

Rachel, meeting Yuria’s ice-cold gaze, eventually let out a deep sigh.

It was impossible to deceive them any longer.

“……Yes. It’s me.”

She was going to ask, ‘Have you been well?’ but she ended up swallowing it back down.

Because Yuria stepped forward and hugged her.

“Yu, Yuria?”

“I missed you.”

“I… let’s move somewhere else first. There are too many eyes.”

At the gazes pouring in from the surroundings, the four moved to an empty room.

And so, the four had a reunion after a long time.

“How have you been all this time? I was very worried.”

At Yuria’s question, Rachel answered awkwardly.

“……I’ve been well.”

“Don’t lie. There’s no way you could have been well!”

Karina, who struck the table with a thud, looked at Rachel.

“Those Shadow bastards aren’t here either. So you can talk honestly. You’re being monitored, right? Are they here, too, by any chance?”

“……Karina.”

“Anyway, it’s a good thing. Since Reina is here, too, those guys won’t be able to threaten you using your sister anymore. Let’s go back to the Academy with us.”

Rachel’s eyes gradually became stained with sadness.

Karina was deeply mistaken.

Thinking that the Shadow was holding her by using her younger sister as bait.

But the truth was the exact opposite.

The two sisters had wanted to join the Shadow, and this request was an extension under the name of a qualification exam.

‘And I passed it.’

It was just a moment ago that she had shared that joy with Reina.

The two sisters had been happy and excited, saying they wanted to return quickly and inform their comrades of this news.

If Karina found out about this fact, just what kind of expression would she make?

‘She would surely be angry.’

She was afraid.

And beyond fear, she was sad.

About this situation.

‘But.’

She couldn’t deceive them any longer.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I am…”

Even for their sake, it was now time to face it.

“Because I’m a villain.”

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