The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 23

“You don’t seem to be from this village. Are you travelers?”

“Yes, we are.”

When Hale confirmed, Semeion spoke with a troublesome expression.

“I’ve done everything I can for now, but it’s not perfect. It would be best to move the patient to my house for proper treatment. What do you think?”

There was no reason to refuse when treatment was offered. Without a stretcher, Edmil decided to carry Hamar on his back. Semeion secured the wound to prevent movement and picked up his medicine box and lantern.

The house we arrived at was at the edge of the forest. Simple and rustic, it was built from logs and had a straightforward structure. The interior was just one room, making it feel more like a temporary shelter than a permanent residence.

“Could you lay the patient here?”

Semeion, who had quickly washed his hands upon entering, pointed to the only bed in the house. Then he went to the kitchen area and began busily preparing something.

While he made the medicine, we sat silently on the sofa. Everyone stared at the unconscious Hamar with troubled expressions. It was clear that his injuries wouldn’t heal in just a day or two. The appearance of a Demonic Beast was problematic, but losing a key member of our team was even more concerning.

“Our schedule will be affected.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. It was just bad luck.”

Despite Hale’s reassurance, Edmil’s stern expression didn’t soften. As the head of security, he was a highly skilled warrior, surpassing even senior knights. He seemed to feel responsible for not protecting his companion. Camille, too, was burdened with guilt.

“It’s my fault.”

“What do you mean, Camille?”

“I… because I was focused on this incident, Sir Hamar pushed himself too hard…”

Camille couldn’t even lift his head properly. No matter how much others said it wasn’t his fault, he didn’t seem to hear them. Hale, seeing this, sighed deeply. I joined him in sighing. The situation had dealt a significant blow to team morale.

“What will you do now?”

Hale, lost in thought, gave a wry smile at Lisa’s question.

“First, we need to inform the Danju about the situation. The rest isn’t within our jurisdiction.”

‘Danju’ is a slang term for the Chief. He needed to be informed now that Demonic Beasts had appeared, despite the risk of exposure. The inevitable conclusion would be the same anyway: Hamar would be left behind, and the expedition would continue.

Suddenly, Edmil stood up. Seeing him swiftly readying his gear, Hale asked with a stern face.

“What are you doing, Edmil?”

“I’m going to find and kill that thing.”

“No. I can’t allow it. Don’t act recklessly.”

“It was weaker than the first one we encountered. It’s manageable.”

“Edmil!”

“I’m certain. I can capture it.”

Edmil’s expression was resolute. His unwavering attitude indicated he wouldn’t back down, no matter what was said. As Hale sighed in frustration, Camille also stood up.

“I’ll go too.”

“Camille, you too…”

“Even if the lord’s manor organizes a hunt, it’ll take a few days. What if the monster attacks the villagers again in the meantime? We can’t just let it pass, considering the potential future harm.”

“The monster may have already left this area.”

“Even so, we need to search.”

Camille’s resolute green eyes shone persistently. Even the Duke of Rouster couldn’t dissuade him when he looked like this. Hale sighed deeply, running his hand over his face.

“It probably hasn’t left the vicinity.”

Everyone was startled by the low voice that suddenly spoke. Semeion, holding the medicine he had prepared, stood there. None of us had sensed this large man’s approach until he spoke. But more importantly, what he had just said was critical.

“Pardon, what did you just say…?”

“When it starts rampaging, it tends to fixate on a single location. It’s probably hiding somewhere, waiting for the right moment. Since it avoids dense vegetation, you should focus your search on abandoned buildings or rocky areas.”

“What…”

“Aren’t you planning to capture the Demonic Beast?”

“…!”

This wasn’t just some half-knowledgeable guess. He clearly knew what he was talking about. Everyone gripped their weapons with a severe look. In the tense atmosphere that seemed ready to ignite at any moment, Hale asked quietly.

“How does the Master apothecary know about the Demonic Beasts?

The existence of the Demonic Beasts had not been publicly disclosed anywhere yet. It meant that the apothecary, whom they had encountered in this small village by chance, shouldn’t know about it.

Though everyone stared at him with suspicion, Semeion merely smiled silently. Approaching Hamar, he began removing the bandages and applying an unknown liquid to the wound.

“I’m not mistaken, then. Are you perhaps people who came from the Imperial Palace? It seems there’s only one place where one could already grasp their identity.”

“What…”

“No need to be so wary. I’m just a simple apothecary who happens to know a bit more than others. I have no intention of causing you trouble.”

“How can we trust that?”

Swallowing nervously, Lisa asked sharply. An apothecary who knew such secrets and immediately identified our identities couldn’t be merely ordinary. Such statements would only heighten our suspicions.

“If you don’t trust me, there’s nothing I can do. Still, I’d like to focus on treating the patient for now. I think we can all agree on that at least.”

“…Are you really just an apothecary?”

“The results will speak for themselves. Right now, you have no other option but to trust me, do you? Furthermore, this is a critical time for the patient. Delaying treatment might mean he’ll never be able to use his arm again.”

At his words, everyone let out a collective sigh. There were no other apothecaries we could turn to right now. It was a situation where they had to grasp any available help. After a quick exchange of glances, everyone reluctantly withdrew their hands from their weapons. With the atmosphere softening, the tense air began to dissipate.

Semeion, with a smile, continued applying medicine to the wound. In the silence, the sound of the thick liquid being spread was the only thing audible. Edmil, who had been staring intently at the scene, finally asked,

“Do you know a lot about the Demonic Beasts?”

“Hmm, well, I’m not sure how much you know, but for now, I probably know more.”

“You mentioned abandoned buildings and rocky areas. Is there anything else we should know?”

After a moment of thought, Semeion explained that when cornered, they would spit blood as an attack, they could adjust the length of their claws freely, and that one should never look them in the eyes, among other things. All of this was new and valuable information.

“Why can’t we look them in the eyes?”

“They can control the minds of those who meet their gaze. You won’t be able to move.”

“…!”

Now that he mentioned it, the last victim of the serial murders had been strangely unable to resist. We had thought it was out of fear, but maybe they had been under mind control.

“On the other hand, their greatest weakness is also their eyes. It’s the most vulnerable part of their body. It’s best to aim for the head.”

Edmil and Camille exchanged a look and nodded.

“Thank you for your help.”

Nodding lightly toward Semeion, the two swiftly headed out the door. Hale couldn’t bring himself to stop them. Instead, he looked at Semeion with a complicated expression.

“How does the Master apothecary know all these things?

“I’ll just say I learned it while studying ancient texts.”

“Hmm, I see.”

We had identified the nature of the Demonic Beasts through texts as well. Our wariness slightly eased. Not just anyone could study ancient texts, but Semeion already looked like he was of noble origin.

“What have you been applying?”

Lisa asked after watching the treatment for a while. Semeion answered readily.

“I’m removing the remaining toxins and purifying the wound. It’s a mixture of Retiris fruit, Jomalon leaves, and the roots of Telin, combined with Emelu mushroom juice.”

“Isn’t Emelu mushroom poisonous? You used that?”

“Of course, it’s diluted. If used directly, it’s toxic, but when diluted, it becomes an excellent antidote.”

“I’ve researched Emelu mushrooms myself, but I couldn’t dilute its toxicity by any method.”

“In my case, I fermented the mushrooms sufficiently, then boiled them with Sena fruit and Wind Grass. The primary filtered liquid is then diluted multiple times.”

“Goodness, Wind Grass! Right, Wind Grass changes to an absorbent property when exposed to high temperatures! I never thought to try that!”

Their conversation continued for a while, filled with terms I didn’t understand, so I decided to give up on comprehending it. Seeing Hale’s dazed expression, it seemed it wasn’t just my problem.

However, through this dialogue, it appears Lisa began to trust Semeion a bit more. But the conversation didn’t last long.

“Isn’t it necessary to stitch up such a large wound?”

“Depending on the situation, I sometimes do, but I generally treat it with medicine only.”

“Then, will it take longer to heal?”

“There’s a difference in extent, but it shouldn’t take that long. For your companion, he should be able to return to daily activities by tomorrow.”

Lisa’s eyes widened at his calm response.