When Rose helped the rebel leader, she became part of the country's rebellion.
She hadn't realized it, but she had killed several people who seemed to be National Army soldiers. Harboring rebels is a serious crime anywhere. If the King were Efergan, he would have sentenced her to death. However, what had been done was done, and there was no use regretting it. Rose felt she had to accept her fate. Since things had turned out this way, she would just have to keep going. For now, she worked as a medic, caring for a man named Raul.
"Raul."
"Yes."
"If you don't mind me asking... why did you decide to rebel?"
Rose checked Raul's wounds. Raul didn't take his eyes off her.
"Because I'm worried about the future of this country."
"Because the King was incompetent?"
"No!"
Raul's voice grew louder.
"I'm sorry if I offended you. I don't know much about this country."
"My apologies. I was rude to the person who saved my life."
"It's no problem."
The two were silent for a while. His wounds were healing well, Rose thought. She was impressed by how strong soldiers really are. Efain had recovered so quickly, too. However, she also noticed that his right hand was broken. Rose used some branches and vines she found in the cave to stabilize his right hand and cast a healing spell.
"This country has a Great King who has ruled for decades."
"Yes."
Rose took bread and ham from her food bag and sliced them thinly while listening to Raul's story.
"The Great King has five sons from his various Queens. The Fifth Prince was chosen to be the next king."
"Is it because the Fifth Prince is the son of the First Queen?"
"No. It's because he has the highest abilities."
"Ability?"
"Yes. The Fifth Prince is intelligent, highly skilled in both martial arts and magic, and he's kind and compassionate to the people..."
"Then why were you unhappy about having such a good person become king?"
"I'm not unhappy. In fact, I'm happy."
"Really?"
Rose raised Raul slightly. She sat him against the cave wall.
"Please talk while you eat."
"Thank you."
"It's portable food, so the taste might be a bit low. It's all we have for now, so please bear with me."
"This is more than enough food."
Raul munched on his bread, slicing it into small pieces. Seeing Raul's appetite, Rose smiled and began to eat the bread.
"One day, the Great King fell ill. According to the country's laws, the throne was quickly transferred to the next King, the Fifth Prince, and a new King was born."
"I see."
Rose put cheese on the next slice of bread and handed it to Raul, who had finished his ham bread.
"However, the Third Prince was not happy about this. He and several ministers started a rebellion and tried to kill the new King..."
"What? Isn't that a big deal?!"
"Yes. The First Prince was trapped in another dimension while he was out protecting the Great King. The Second Prince is in poor health and resides in a villa, but he has since retired from power, so he is unaware of current affairs. The Fourth Prince had retired from the power struggle, but he strongly opposed the Third Prince's actions and was killed."
"Oh dear."
"The Fourth Prince's wife and the other princesses were imprisoned in another dimension, but Princess Milene managed to escape and took refuge in the mansion of a relative in another country."
"Oh?"
"I serve the First General, and I was searching for His Majesty, but we couldn't find him, so I thought maybe His Majesty had also been trapped in another dimension. I asked Princess Milene, who was living in another country, to help rescue him."
"Wow, the Princess is an incredible person."
Rose nodded as she ate.
"Yes. She has the power to open another dimension, and she is our only ray of hope."
"Is that so?"
Rose poured hot water into a cup and handed it to Raul. He drank it with relish.
"Do you want more?"
"No, that's enough. Thank you for the meal."
Raul handed the empty cup back and clasped his hands together.
"So, Raul, you tried to help the new King with the Princess?"
"Yes. I decided that the false king was no good after all, so I rebelled. He was incompetent, and the ministers were embezzling, taking bribes, and undermining the country. I decided that I couldn't let them get away with it any longer."
"I see."
Rose checked the contents of her food bag. There was only enough left for about a day. It was precious food, so she had to eat it carefully. The problem was finding hot water. She had no choice but to find a nearby village and ask for some.
"Raul, would you like some painkillers?"
"Yes, please. Thanks."
Rose took a painkiller packet out of her pocket and handed it to Raul. She poured some hot water into it, and Raul drank it without hesitation.
"Rest here for a while. I put a rock in front of the cave, so I think you'll be fine. I'd like to get some hot water."
"Yes."
Rose laid Raul back down. The damp ground was a bit of a problem, but there was no other place to rest for now.
Rose pushed the rock in front of the cave back and closed it again. It was very bright outside, and the weather was beautiful. The water droplets on the grass sparkled beautifully in the sunlight. Now, since she didn't know where to go next, it was important to explore the surrounding area first.
There was a river in front of the cave. A little distance away, there was a forest and a hill. Climbing the mountain, she could see farmland in the distance. She could see several houses, but it was difficult to make them out from up here. Rose carefully moved toward the village.
It was a terrible sight. Rose sighed and entered the village. There were mountains of corpses there. Men, women, children, and even the elderly had all been massacred. It seemed they had been caught up in the fighting. She could also see what appeared to be soldiers. She could not see any survivors.
Rose couldn't see any troops that looked like the National Army, so they were probably far away. Rose thought that seeing such a pile of corpses would be a bad feeling, let alone getting some hot water. But if they were left alone, wild dogs would come and eat the bodies. Plus, the smell would become too strong and could cause illness.
Rose used magic to dig holes in the vacant lot and bury the bodies one by one. Their names were unknown, they had been murdered in such gruesome ways, and then abandoned. It was so sad... so pitiful. There were so many people, Rose couldn't even count them all. She silently built graves for them. She sang mourning songs and piled the soil on the graves. She made simple stone tombstones. After finishing the graves, she went into a house in the village and took something portable, like pots. Rose had no intention of stealing, but she thought that all the homeowners who might have had those goods had probably already passed away.
"I'm home."
Rose entered the cave and stared at the sleeping Raul. He was probably the same age as Haintz. A young, honest warrior, embroiled in foolish politics. Rose draped the blanket she'd brought with her over him to keep him warm. Rose cast a healing spell, but he woke up.
"Did I wake you?"
"No."
"You can rest a little longer. I just got back from a nearby village, so it took a while."
"The village? Ah. I think it's the four farmhouses on the outskirts of Ober Village."
"Yeah. There were four houses... but all the residents were killed."
"Oh... I see."
"It took a while because I had to build a grave for everyone. I'll boil some hot water now, so please rest a little longer."
"I'll help with something too."
Raul tried to get up.
"No. Raul, you need to heal your wounds first. We don't know when the enemy will show up, so you must get better quickly."
"I understand."
"Good. It's easier for a medic to have a patient who listens to what he's told."
Rose smiled, stood up, and left the cave. The river water was clear, which was a relief. She washed the dirty pot and boiled water in the makeshift stove. She gathered some leaves from the area and placed them inside the cave. Raul woke up again. Since Raul was awake, Rose gently moved him and laid him on the ground, covering him with a layer of leaves and a blanket. This would help him sleep a little more comfortably. Sleep is the best way to heal wounds.
Rose went outside again to get some water. When she returned to the cave, Raul was not asleep. Rose grabbed a pot of hot water and a towel and wiped him clean. She changed him into a clean shirt she found at the house. Raul's clothes were tattered and dirty. Rose wanted him to feel a little better by changing into clean clothes.
"Okay, now you can get some rest."
"Thanks, Rose."
"You're welcome. Now I'll prepare some dinner."
Rose picked up the pot and went outside again. She boiled water again and cleaned her face and hands a bit. Rose didn't have any clothes in her size, so she had no change of clothes.
Rose made soup by boiling ingredients she found in the village in a pot. The only seasoning she had was salt, so it was all she could manage. She wishes she were a better cook... She couldn't even find the words to console herself for her terrible cooking. The potatoes varied in size, and the eggs had clumped together.
What should I do...? Rose thought as she sighed. But it didn't taste bad. Salt is a great thing anyway.
"I made a strange soup, would you like some?"
Rose smiled wryly as she picked up the pot and entered the cave. Raul looked surprised, but then smiled.
"Thanks."
"Okay, wait a moment."
Rose woke Raul up and sat him down again. His complexion had significantly improved, much better than this morning.
"If you stir it a little with a ladle, it will improve."
Raul offered some advice.
"Like this?"
Rose picked up the ladle and began stirring the mixture into the clumped eggs.
"Yes. Slowly."
"Like this?"
"Yes."
"Is it okay now?"
"Yes. I think it's okay."
Raul was smiling. Rose thought he seemed to be a better cook than she.
"Here you go."
Rose poured soup into the bowl she'd brought from the village and handed it to Raul. His hands were still weak, though. Spilling would be a problem, so Rose gave him a little sip with a spoon.
"Sorry, I'm a terrible cook."
"It's delicious."
"You don't have to compliment me if you don't like it."
"I don't lie."
"Really?"
Raul nodded seriously. He ate his soup obediently. He even ate bread with one hand. His right hand was broken, so it was difficult to move. It was a little swollen. Rose thought it must hurt.
"Would you like some more soup?"
"What about Rose?"
"I'm fine. I've already saved some."
"Then I'll take you up on your offer and have another..."
"Yes."
Seeing Raul eat the potato and egg soup with such gusto, Rose was delighted and smiled as she poured it into his bowl. Raul doesn't talk much about himself. Rose also tries not to talk about herself. If her identity were revealed, it would become an international issue. After Raul finished his meal, Rose began to eat the soup.
"Thanks for the meal."
Rose finished her meal and drank the rest of the soup. Raul seemed a little surprised at Rose's appetite.
"I'll clean up a bit and then get ready for bed."
"Okay."
Rose took the pot and bowls to the river to wash them. When Rose returned to the cave, Raul was still sitting. Rose used her magic to create a rock to block the cave again.
Rose focused her magical powers on the portable magic lamp she had brought with her, illuminating the cave. She had found it at Miraiya's house and brought it with her, hoping it would be useful.
"Here, painkiller."
She handed Raul the painkiller and a glass of hot water. He obediently took the medicine.
"Your arm is swollen. I'll put a little magic on it."
"Thank you."
Raul nodded. He stared at Rose in silence.
"Where are you from, Rose?"
After a moment of silence, Raul asked about Rose.
"It's a faraway country, far away from here."
"If you don't mind knowing..."
"Aotake..."
"It's a country I've never heard of."
"Yeah...it's a small country, far away."
"I see."
"I was blown here by a magical experiment."
"That must have been difficult."
"No. I'm sure it was difficult, but meeting Raul and learning about a country I've never known about, I think it's fine."
"I see. I'm also happy I met Rose."
Hearing Raul say that, Rose continued to treat his arm without saying a word.
"Does it still hurt?"
Rose asked, and Raul shook his head.
"I'm fine now. Thank you."
"That's good. Well, it's getting dark outside, so let's go to bed early."
Rose shifted Raul's body a little, gently laying him down. However, she lost her balance and fell on top of him.
"Oh, sorry."
Rose quickly pushed herself away, but Raul's left hand grabbed onto Rose's.
"It's okay."
Raul slowly let go of his hand. Rose felt a little nervous, but decided not to dwell on it.
"Good night."
Rose turned off the magic lamp, put a blanket over Raul, then wrapped herself in the blanket next to him and fell asleep.
When Rose woke up, she panicked. This was because she had hugged Raul in her sleep. She had dreamed of having a good time with Efergan. She slowly pulled away from him and woke up. She was glad Raul was still asleep. Otherwise, she would be embarrassed and wouldn't know what to do.
She quickly pushed aside the rocks blocking the cave door and boiled water in a pot. The morning sun shone beautifully on the earth. Rose used the hot water to dry her face and body with a towel.
"Good morning."
A voice came from behind her. Rose turned around to see Raul emerging from the cave.
"Good morning. Are you ready to get up? Don't push yourself, okay?"
Rose hurried over to Raul. But Raul smiled and shook his head.
"I'm fine now. Thanks to Rose, I've made a significant recovery. My arm isn't swollen anymore."
"I see. Well, wait a moment, I'll bring some hot water."
"I'll be there."
Raul slowly walked over to the makeshift stove. He picked up a towel from the remaining hot water Rose had used and wrung it out thoroughly. But Rose thought her right hand still seemed to hurt. The towel fell into the pot again.
"I'll help you. It's best not to move your right hand yet."
"Sorry..."
"If you push yourself too hard now, you'll never be able to grip your sword again."
"Okay."
Rose picked up a towel and wrung it out. Then she stripped Raul of his clothes and wiped his face and body. After that, she put his clothes back on. She brought a food bag from the cave and toasted the remaining bread and sausages over the campfire before offering them to him.
"Let's have breakfast."
"Thanks."
Raul slowly ate the grilled sausages. He seemed, as always, quiet. Seeing him like that, Rose was reminded of Efain. Suzukinoyama's bodyguard, Efain, was also calm and a good eater. However, because he exercised a lot every day, he didn't gain weight. Raul had a lot in common with Efain.
"I want to join Princess Milene as soon as possible, but my weapon is nowhere to be found in the cave."
"I left your sword on the battlefield. Your armor was heavy, so I couldn't bring it with me."
"How did you get here?"
"I carried you on my back and walked all the way."
"It's quite a distance, I think..."
"You were desperate... I couldn't let the life I'd saved go to waste."
"Rose..."
Raul was shocked, but Rose just smiled.
"After we finish eating, I'll take you back to your unit."
"It's dangerous."
"I'm a medic. It's my duty to treat patients."
"But from here, we'd have to get through the checkpoint."
"I'll figure something out."
"No."
"It'll be fine, we'll figure it out."
"No."
Raul shook his head.
"Then, stay here and recuperate quietly until you can use your right arm again."
"But..."
Raul protested. But Rose shook her head.
"That's an order from the medic. If you try to break through the checkpoint in that condition, you'll only die in vain."
"..."
"I'll manage the sword. I can probably find one or two at the battlefield."
"Okay."
"The wound on your neck has healed quite a bit, so it's fine."
"Okay."
After breakfast, the food bag was almost empty. Rose needs to go hunting for a bit.
Rose took out a notebook from her bag and carefully drew a magic circle to summon the spell. Raul stared at her in silence. When she finished, she tore the page out of the notebook and took it with her.
"What are you doing?"
"Preparing for the hunt. I need to get some food for us."
"Food..."
"You won't get better quickly unless you eat a good lunch and dinner. That's what this food is for."
Rose smiled and stood up. She placed her luggage next to Raul.
"Wait here, I'll take it down quickly."
"Take it down..?"
"The ingredients for today's lunch."
Rose moved away from Raul. This was flat ground, making it easier to fight.
"Barrier Shield!"
Rose cast a wide-area barrier spell. This would prevent anyone summoned from getting out unless she died.
"Come out, three-eyed monkey!"
BOOM!
"Roaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!"
With a loud bang, a giant, ferocious three-eyed monkey appeared. Raul stood up in surprise.
Rose took out her whip. She cast a spell on herself and attacked the monkey. This was her daily routine, so she was familiar with the three-eyed monkey's attack patterns.
Monkey, be quiet and become my food! Rose thought as she attacked the monkey.
After playing with the monkey for a bit and tiring it out, it was time to finish it off. Raul was so worried that he came closer.
"Whip, five times stronger!"
The whip, riddled with spikes, became five times heavier. Without hesitation, Rose struck the monkey over the head with it, knocking it unconscious. Then she hardened the whip and stabbed it into the unconscious monkey's vital spot with one stab. It was done. The monkey was already dead, so she released the barrier spell.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! The meat is ready."
Rose laughed as she made the whip disappear. She took out a dagger and was about to turn the monkey into meat.
"Rose! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. No worries."
Rose used magic to dig a large hole in the ground and poured the monkey's blood into it. If she poured it into the river, the water would smell like blood and become unusable.
"We need to drain the blood."
Rose began to butcher the monkey efficiently. She'd done this every day at Miraiya's training grounds, so she was pro-level skilled.
"I'll help."
"That'll be a big help. Skinning is hard, though. But don't use your right hand, okay?"
"Okay, I get it."
After digging the hole and placing the monkey's internal organs in it, the two of them began skinning it. It was a large animal, so the skin was pretty tough. However, it was of high quality, and they might be able to sell it for a high price.
"Today's monkey is relatively small, but that should be enough for two of us."
"More than enough... I mean, is this even edible?"
"It's delicious!"
"Really?"
Raul tilted his head and helped with the butchering. Working together, they completed the job quickly and obtained a large quantity of high-quality meat. Rose cut the meat into small pieces and slowly grilled it. One convenient use of fire magic is for cooking. Rose imitated Rinka's cooking method, slowly grilling the meat. Since she didn't need the bones or organs, she used high-power magic to burn them to ashes in a hole. Burning unnecessary items leaves a strong smell, so she surrounded them with a barrier spell. This is convenient because it doesn't produce smoke. Once it was all reduced to ashes, she buried it in the soil.
"Ah, it smells delicious."
Rose sniffed the slowly grilled meat. She sliced it up, sprinkled some salt on it, and handed it to Raul. He took it hesitantly and put it in his mouth.
"Delicious..."
Raul ate it with a surprised look on his face.
"Right?"
"Yeah, it's delicious. This is the first time I've ever eaten such delicious meat!"
"Hehehe♪"
Rose also took a slice, sprinkled some salt on it, and ate it. Delicious.
"It's a little early, but shall we have lunch?"
"Yeah, sure."
The two of them were satisfied after eating the meat they'd grilled. Raul relished the taste of this new meat. He placed the remaining meat on leaves to dry in the sun.
"Let's cut the skin into small pieces and dry them. We'll be able to pass through the checkpoint as a leather merchant."
Raul agreed with Rose's suggestion.
"But I'm well-known."
"Why not just disguise yourself?"
"How...?"
"We could change the color of the fur."
"We don't have any dye."
"Let's look in the woods over there."
Rose looked around. There were many familiar and unfamiliar plants, including roots and leaves. Surely some had color. They also needed tools, so Rose and Raul went to the village.
In the village, Rose gathered clothes and tools that she and Raul could use. She even found a wheelbarrow. They didn't have a horse, but it would be fine for transporting leather. On the way back, Rose saw a sword in relatively good condition and gave it to Raul. He fell silent as soon as he picked up the sword.
"Is it the sword of someone you know?"
Rose, noticing Raul's expression, asked.
"Yes, it belonged to a man who was under my command."
"Oh, really?"
"I think he was in that tomb you made."
Raul gazed at the many tombs before him.
"Yes, probably. However, I didn't remember which one it was. I'm sorry."
"No, I'm grateful. You even made the tomb for him... I'm so grateful."
Raul faced the tomb and placed his hand on his chest. Tears were streaming from his eyes. After returning to the cave, he revealed that he had lost all of his comrades in the recent battle.