Chapter CLXXXVII - Sneaking In (part 1)

"Thank you, masked devil. Now leave it to us to clear their base."

The soldiers said after they approached me.

I have fully taken over the enemy's most front base, and I have confirmed that all the demons have fully fled out of this base. They didn't even get the chance to burn the base to bury information because they were so afraid to get killed.

The alliance soldiers who just arrived at the demon base seemed to be high ranking commanders, so I guess it's fine to leave the situation here to them.

I nodded at them and I flew back to our base. I sneaked silently into the bathroom of the medical station, and changed into my doctor outfit.

But during the changing process…

"Hueekkk!!!!......."

There goes all of my breakfast…

This has to be the worst I have ever felt. For a very… very long time, this has to be the one moment I feel so much hatred.

Hatred for this world. Hatred for the people who keep messing with me.

And hatred towards myself, for being me.

I lifted my face from the toilet and lifted my hand. I stared at it, still bloodied and dirty…

Still trembling.

What… have I done today?

Was it truly necessary…?

Was there really no other way than killing one another…?

Demons… Demon king. What the hell was it that you wanted out of this war?

Why are you… starting this war?

While pondering in the bathroom, I can hear some loud noises coming from outside. It seems like the wounded soldiers have arrived on the base, and they are being brought to the medical room at this very moment.

I finished changing into my doctor outfit and cleaned myself from all the blood using soap. I was able to make it to the healing room just in time when the first injured soldier was brought in.

"Place him here!"

I pointed at the nearest bed while still catching my breath, and the other soldiers quickly placed the wounded adventurer on the bed. Somehow, he got stabbed near the shoulder with an arrow by the demon army that uses a bow.

I healed the wound, and it was closed instantly. The adventurer tried touching his shoulder, and laughed from relief.

"That was… really fast. It's my third time seeing it, and I'm still shocked."

"You're welcome."

After him, more and more wounded soldiers were brought in. I healed them instantly before they even made it to the beds, except for the ones who lost a limb.

And while I was healing a knight that just arrived, I overheard the recently healed soldiers resting and chatting at the beds.

"For real…? No one got killed?"

"Yeah! Actually!!"

The five of them were talking about the amount of deaths that we received from the battle earlier, and I became rather shocked at that.

No one… was killed…?

How many soldiers from our side were present on the battlefield, today? Over seven thousand?

Things were going wrong right before I arrived. My old teammates were there too, wishing to fight alongside the soldiers of the middle base. Did I really… save them…?

"And how many demons died?"

"Definitely over five thousand. It's impossible to count."

… Right.

There will always be… a cost to something.

In just less than ten minutes… I have killed… that many?

"Madam Rize?"

The newbie healer in front of me suddenly called, and I snapped back to reality. I noticed that the wound on this knight's head was already healed a long time ago, but I kept on using healing magic as if there is more to do. But, the newbie healer isn't stupid, despite being a newbie.

"Ah… right."

I stopped healing immediately, and I shrugged the back of my head. I apologized, and the knight left me to go to meet his friends at the beds.

There were no more people arriving after fifteen minutes, and it seemed like that was all for the heavily wounded soldiers.

Less than fifty wounded soldiers… today is such a wonderful victory for our side.

Before the newbie healers even got the chance to celebrate with me about it, another person slammed the door open. 

Valon?

"Chief Healer Rize… Come with me."

I got called by the Office master coldly, and I followed him silently to his room, and I immediately thought I would be scolded for going out and fighting. 

But when I entered the room, the other two war generals were also here, sitting on the chairs inside the room. Hod and the Knight General are both sitting next to a small table as they listen to a device placed on the table.

"The Axelons are about to begin."

Valon said to me as he walked to the table.

"O-Oh…"

Right… that was also today, wasn't it?

Thank god I'm not being scolded.

I turned my attention towards the device that was placed on the table, and I can hear jokester voices coming out of it.

Is that… Cane?

It's like listening to a radio, and Cane is the main commentator. It sounds like they are live-streaming the battle over there through a magic radio, that way we could hear what was happening.

I sat down with them, and the four of us listened closely to what was going on with the Axelons.

This advanced communication device works on any range infinitely, so it can still connect even from the demon kingdom to Naverne, the furthest human kingdom.

The way the device works is that a group of these items are connected to one another, like a group call. And to be able to talk into the item, one had to press the button and talk.

But in this group, no one is pressing the button but Cane. He probably had duck taped the button to always turn on, and he placed the device on his chest pocket.

This particular group is connecting the Axelons, the generals on the middle base, and the kings and queens of Mazino and Xyphon on the main castle.

Meaning we are the only ones that can listen.

At the beginning, it's just Cane talking about what the demon kingdom looked from afar. He commented on how gigantic and wide it is, starting from the tall buildings and the tall middle castle and dark tower that looks super evil. All using his words.

While we were listening, a knight entered the room. He seemed to be a captain from the squads, and he had the authority to talk with the generals.

"Generals… We have taken the demon's base."

"W-What?! That early!?"

Valon and the other generals quickly got shocked, but I stayed silent.

"Yes. It was all possible due to the help from the Masked Devil."

Hearing that, Valon and Hod quickly turned to me angrily, and I turned to the knight.

"Hey, do you guys want to hear what is going on?"

I asked while pointing at the radio that is sounding Cane's voice. The knight looked confused hearing my question, but Valon quickly waved his hand.

"G-Give us some time..."

Valon said to the knight, and the knight left with great confusion in his face.

"Rize! What were you thinking!"

Hod quickly shouted at me the moment the knight left.

"I also get itchy to fight sometimes. Come on."

"But you were forbidden from--"

"You really think I would just stay put?"

Hod gave up, and let out a long sigh. This time, I turned to Valon who was wearing the concerned expression.

"It's fine. I have two identities."

"The fact that they know that there is an Axelon member at the base is going to make it more difficult for us in the future…"

"It doesn't matter. I don't want to sit down anymore while people are literally dying."

I said that last part coldly, without any hint of jokes. Hearing that, both Hod and Valon understood what I meant.

After all, yesterday was a heavy day for both the combatants and their healers. To have that kind of tragedy again happening… as their healer, I can't.

I won't be able to stay put and take it.

I am… not a goody two shoes anymore.

I won't follow their words… anymore.

To trust myself, and my own calls.

To be the hero that receives no orders from anyone.

"What is going on?"

The general knight looked really confused as he asked, and the two other generals let out a sigh almost simultaneously. 

He is very old, while everyone else in the room is younger than him. Valon might be the queen's youngest sibling, but the general is probably as old as his father, the previous king. On the other hand, Hod and I are from the younger generation. His age is probably triple ours.

The two turned to the general, and began explaining. Disappointingly.