okay, so it's been one week since I was Disabled in battle. turns out my hands were amputated due to acid Rot. If they had left them any longer, the acid would have eaten at them and poisoned me, killing me slowly over time. the nurse who cut them off was a cleric but doesn't know advanced healing, only minor healing.
that is what saved me from death. although I am a cripple now. I haven't let that stop me as I have been training with my master all night. during the morning I do exercises and then after lunch I help around town. In the first few days, all I could do was watch. now I help, I have been given a backpack that allows me to do heavy lifting. I am no more than a pack mule, while I am not much more than the jack ass. I am no slouch as I have taken to helping the Forge.
This village is very plain it had only a few thousand people, but most of them are Mercanaries or merchants. who travel through the village its name is Liam Village. the few people I have taken to helping are the Cooks, at the inn, the forge master and a few of the elderly people I have met. they are often around the infirmary that we are currently using as our home.
We have not left lumina alone. We all sleep in her room, and the nurses don't like it. But everything we earn goes to them and our bank. the ship vault, These people aren't some country hicks they are just a new founded village that has only been around for a few years.
the capital is about sixty miles away, but this is an unregistered area that was newly formed by a manawave overriding the natural elements. causing miles and miles of new land to form.
the man who founded it claimed the manarealm solidifying this claim with the kingdom of Azar. which is not in the capital but the royal Emporium. That was confusing because the capital is a place that has Mana gates too all over this planet. but also has a city above said hundreds of gates, some of which to enter you would need top level clearance from the church, government, or The kingdom Nobles.
The city that resides above it is called the capital because it is the spot on this planet that mana density reaches the point of purity, allowing Chaotic mana to stabilize using that power to do things like well power an entire city that is yet to finish growing!
I was lost in my thought as a Smith loaded my pack with Farm tools that were sharpened for today's field work.
" Silver the packs full you can go ahead, when you are on the way back can you stop at miss Wrigley's house and Pick up the coal and Fuels she made. We will need It for tonight's event, and the boss has something that he wants to see ya later today about. Now get going!"
" Yes, Mister Colbalt."
" Aye, call me Colby Bro. I ain't much older than you and my dad's mister colbalt."
I just shook my head as I began walking.
it takes about ten minutes without any breaks. the village is rather wide as two or three field plots separate most houses.
the place I arrived at was Miss Wrigley's. This house behind hers is used as the storage hut for tools. that took me about fifteen minutes to put them away. since it's still early, Miss Wrigley was barely finishing up breakfast.
" Well, it's pleasant to see you are settling in for the next few weeks. we need more young people here it's just old servicers and merchants. the few Mercanaries that visit never stay long enough or offer help to us old foggies."
" No ma'am we will be here for a month or two it's the least me and my brothers can do. Ken is great with mental work, while Mars and I can handle the hassle work for everyone."
her smile made it a little bit easier as I smiled back genuinely, feeling happy.
" I heard that an alchemist and a cleric are passing through tomorrow at the guild hall. he may know advanced healing. I don't mean to get those hopes up for nothing, but it is possible you can ask him for help."
I did exactly that as my hopes got caught in my neck.
" I need to hurry and finish my chores so I can let everyone know I'll be taking tomorrow off!"
I turned and kneeled down so she could load my pack. When she was done, I took off. I stopped quickly and thought to confirm.
" On my way back from the Stables, I will need as much fuel and coals as I can carry. I am going to upgrade to the bigger pack while I'm at the stables."
" Okay, dear, just remember to do in moderation. you don't need to work harder than others because you have less."
" I know, ma'am..."
I stood and got a move on it. taking no time, I jogged for the next ten minutes without mercy trying to rush. doing something master said not to. I coated my body in mana as I made short work of what usually is a twenty five minute walk.
although the consequences are often me needing to eat like a pig. but today I will say it's fine. I will pay the meal prices to speed this along!
when I got to the stables, though, I saw a few people. arguing with the master tamer around a carriage about the quality of a velvet scale lizard.
" I told you and that serf of yours that I wanted C Rank or higher these Beasts are E rank at best. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they were F Rank with paint on them!"
" Sir, We do not raise Beasts of such quality, These are E Rank, and the best I have are D Rank. In which case, they are just fielding Beasts with no carriage training. these velvet scales are the fastest, strongest, and most durable Beasts we have, in which case we are not leasing them but letting you borrow them. now I will sit here and take your anger, but I will not tolerate you looking down on my hostlers. They are free people like you, and I good sir, Now you may accept these Beasts and return them to my hostlers house in capital city they will return them post haste. now if that will be all I would like you to take your leave Sir!"
the Beast master walked away, mumbling his anger as the man stood there scowling at him. he jumped onto the carriage, leaving only to see me and Crane his neck.
" Out of the way cripple!"
" fuck you pretty boy."
he looked at me yanking back on the reins. he made no noise as he jumped off the carriage seat. he landed two steps from me, but I felt his hand across my face. I felt the ground as the pack I was carrying spilled the hot tea that Miss Wrigley packed spilled down my back.
he kicked me, and I couldn't hear what he said.
" Dumb piece of shit cripple, don't die. Hold on a moment, let me heal you turd!"
he cast magic on me, and I felt my wrists iching while the wounds he caused burned as they closed and healed.
" Good, good, I will use you to take my anger out on."
he beat and kicked me until I was unable to breathe, then healed me. it went on like this until the beast master of the stable heard me screaming. it was inevitable when he took his knife cutting off my ear.
He cast stronger magic as I felt the burn in my ear as well as the burn in my wrists.
I managed to open one eye as he swung his knife down once again. it sliced me on my face. Just below my eye as the blood seeped out his smile Twisted with a sick look.
I glared at him this time. My scream was seathing anger. No sound came out. Just an evil growl came from my throat. as I couldn't muster words in the pain. he didn't heal the wound as he laughed, looking down on me.
" Oops, I went a healed the cripple!? it's fine. I can fix that."
he swung his knife at my hand on the ground hard as I felt pain in a spot I hadn't for days now. I looked at my hand, noticing the finger missing on an actual hand!! I pushed myself up, shoving hands at his throat only to feel a boot hit my chest. he kicked me multiple times as he cast light healing each time. each and every time he hit or stabbed me.
" Don't think you are going to die, The reason I became a cleric was so I could torture useless souls like you!"
I heard his words, and my heart began to burn! this bastard this piece of shit was the cleric I was going to beg for help!?
" You are a cleric, Haah, sure more like a demon Cults Minion sl*t. he needs someone to fuck and here you are."
his face went stark Cold as his Knife came down quickly aimed for my neck.
I closed my eyes, expecting the end.
" Petry, I sent you here for a ride. How come you are taking so long!"
a man dazzled in gold, and Platinum armor with a long green cape dragging behind him.
He looked down at me, who was under this knife. He looked through me as if I wasn't there.
" Hurry up, we have a demon general to hunt. we can not waste time with idle things like slaves."
the beast master with a gaunt face stepped forward to speak.
" That boy is not a slave nor serf. Sir, he is a free born. I do not employ slaves or serfs for reasons that are clear. this man has taken Against, a child of less than eighteen. Do you wish to leave without compensation for him or I, as a Grandmagister?"
he looked at the cleric whose face went white.
" Nay lord, I have administered him healing aid free of charge as he was a cripple. There is no need to compensate for such lavish care that I have administered."
he looked at me and then spoke.
" Is this true boy were you cripple before his Heal was administered."
without hesitation, I thought about the moment before I ruined my own hands!
" No sire, He wounded me on my hands, ear, and Face. it is true he has administered light healing. but nothing to heal limbs. as you can see. "
I, with the one good eye, glared into that man's eyes, I wasn't lying, and this was the truth. I held up my hand to him as I had tears forming in my eye, stinging my eye for some reason.
" Fine, heal the boy, and let's move on!"
he flicked a coin at the man. It was Bright white with a glow of its own. the man stuck it in his pocket faster than I could see. making me flinch!? this was my chance!
" Sire, I am fine with my wounds. Could I request another service!?"
he stopped looking at me with a disgusted eye.
" What is it, Boy?"
" Sire, may I request you heal my sister! I see you are headed in the direction of the forest. My sister is in the Infirmary before you leave the Gate. Could you please see to it that she is healed from her coma!?"
I scrambled to my knees and hands, kneeling to him, not caring if I was bleeding or not. Yes, it hurts, but it is not worse than watching lumi lay there!
I couldn't see him, but with a motion, I felt a burning sensation. I took this as a no since the cleric healed me. it was just enough to close my wounds three of them. My index finger was still missing the ear and my cheek. I was able to open my eye, happy it still worked! I looked at him, who was walking away.
" Thank you, Sire, for showing me kindness."
I did not dare to disrespect him waiting for him to leave. The man Behind me looking at me, and I could feel his stare.
" You got nerve boy. I'll just say you are fired, don't come back here."
I got up setting my backpack down bowing to him.
" Thank you, sir, for the opportunity to work here."
when I stood up to look him in his eyes, he flicked a coin at me.
"It's only a single gold coin, but its food and board. Get those siblings rounded up and leave soon before that man finishes his mission. You can only pray to any other lord that he never meets you again."
he turned and walked away dragging the pack behind him with one hand.
I looked down at that coin bowing once again. I wasn't exactly hurt physically, but bruises appearantly aren't priority wounds, so healing didn't help them to much rather than closing the wounds. it seems over time the healing will fix them, but it wasn't instant relief as I felt sore and beat. it's going to be a long, long walk home.