Crimson Karma (Jinhongui Karma) - Chapter 8

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Translator: Rhyme

Editor: Nush

“The divine healer is really great. In truth I thought I wouldn’t be able to survive.”

Since God was the one to save her, she believed that she wouldn’t die quickly. But her whole body used to be covered in blood and screaming with agony.

“You might be destined to live! How is your chest and stomach?”

Lunaen was worried about her internal injuries. When Kasia took a long breath Lunaen became worried and began to check the condition of her lungs. But all of a sudden her stomach produced a gurr sound.

“.…. I am starving.”

She looked at Lunaen with a slightly awkward gaze. On the contrary Lunaen became all the more happy and ran out of the barrack saying she would bring the food immediately.

‘She really is a good child. Nursing a stranger to such an extent…’

For Kasia it was a difficult task to understand Lunaen’s heart. But she was very thankful for her deliberate and delicate care. It was only because of her that she could hang on all this time.

‘Though I am not clear about the situation of the battlefield, if possible, I want to protect that child.’

The desire to protect someone for the first time, even towards herself, felt awkward. But she didn’t hate that feeling.

“Since your stomach has gotten much better, I have brought you some soup with veggies and bread. Rice gruel won’t give you much energy.”

Kasia felt so hungry that she craved meat. But thinking about her current condition she was not sure whether it was fine to eat meat, as it might affect her stomach. In short she decided to eat the breakfast Lunaen brought.

The watery soup had a lot of meat flavoured veggies inside. Maybe because the soup base was made of meat, it tasted savory with a tint of oil. Though it was her first time eating this food, for some reason, she felt very accustomed to it.

‘Is it a taste remembered by the body?’

She ate it hungrily and almost dived her nose into the bowl. When she slightly raised her head, she saw Lunaen, who slowly ate a single bread along with water.

“Lunaen, where is your soup?”

“At the moment soup is only served for patients and Noble sires. You should eat well without being concerned about me.”

After hearing Lunaen’s words, Kasia, who wished for meat, felt bad. In a wartime there was no way for abundant supply of goods. Furthermore being thrifty with the supplies, it was even possible that they had shortages.

Her own soup was already showing the bottom of the bowl. She thought that if she was served with soup again, then for sure she would share the half with Lunaen. Thinking like that she soothed her sorry heart.

After the morning breakfast she made some movements with her body. Surprisingly she felt that her skills could be used with her current body too. At first she was busy with changing the gauze and applying the medicine, but now her body had almost recovered so there was no need for further medication. So now she had time to leisurely relax.

Lunaen, who also became comfortable with her, diligently looked at the moving Kasia.

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“Everything is fine, it’s just my face that is a little itchy.”

“Scabs on the wounds are falling off, that must be the reason your face is itchy. If you just hang on for some days all the scabs will fall off and it will be fine then. For the time being please don’t touch it with your hands.

At the moment Kasia was itching her face with her hands, so Lunaen cautioned her. The face which looked like it was covered in tree bark, was now left with only slight scabs which were also smoothing out. Though she didn’t know about the original face of the body, the face which gained a new layer of skin after scabbing, felt soft and smooth.

The condition of her face improved and now it could be recognized. Therapists already knew about it, so she was not surprised to see Zeke coming into the barrack room along with some soldiers.

“Oh, the condition is much better than I thought.”

Seeing the Kasia who stood up from the bed and saluting him, Zeke was astounded.

“Thank you for giving me a chance to get treated.”

Her intuition told her that, getting a chance to be treated by a divine healer was not something anyone could get. If everyone got such a treatment,  they would all get well miraculously and that troop would become invincible.

At that moment one of the soldiers who followed in after Zeke called out the name ‘Kasia’.

Turning towards the sound, a husky soldier wearing a lousy leather armor was jumping up and down with a gleeful expression.

“As I thought you really are Dame Kasia. I had to bring all those who knew the three female knights in order to confirm your identity. That knight was the only one who knew Kasia…”

The soldier who identified Kasia was looking at her with a jingling laugh while Kasia slowly smiled.

“Kasia? Look, it’s me, me. I am Krone!”

*     *     *

Her body had almost fully recovered so it was impossible to stay in the nursing barrack, comfortably.

“I want to reinstate. My physical strength has fallen by a large margin because of lying down with no additional movement. So I want to restart my training.”

It might be God’s consideration to be reborn in a body which also did a job similar to her previous life. So it was not as hard as expected to adapt to the life of a knight for Kasia who lived as a soldier.

“I wanted to ask you to rest more, but the condition now is pressing. I will affiliate you to Krone’s division, so you can receive his help. I will put forward my words.”

Requesting for reinstatement to Zeke who came to check her situation, got her the permission to get back without any delay.

Lunaen teared up as she had grown attached to Kasia since she watched her closely all the time. Kasia consoled her by promising to come to meet her in the near future and followed Zeke who stood behind her.

A while ago, the soldier named Krone who visited and identified Kasia, felt shocked because of not being recognized by her. He fretted and fidgeted in deep contemplation. Kasia didn’t feel repulsive towards him because even though he was a burly man outside, he had big pure eyes.

She did not know whether it was a feeling left behind by the body or the feeling that sprouted within herself. Since the body was already hers now, it was not a big deal.

“Dame Kasia is assigned to the 8th Unit. Sir Krone is ordered to help out Dame Kasia to adjust to the situation.”

After giving the orders, without another word, Zeke went back.

The knights of Unit 8 indiscriminately peeked at the rumored Kasia, the lone survivor of  the Mist Forest incident.

“Kasia! Is your body really alright now?”

Krone looked at Kasia with his usual worrisome expression.

“Yes, I am fine. But due to the reduced physical fitness, if I am to participate in a battle, I need to start my training as soon as possible.”

With her straight and respectful words Krone became all the more sad as if he would cry the next moment.

“Kasia… you, why are you like this….? You don’t remember anything?”

“Yes, I am sorry. That’s why I am asking. I will be grateful if Sir Krone would mind to explain to me about the sort of person I used to be.”

More than Kasia who didn’t have any memories, the person who lost his calm was Krone.

“Sir Krone. Since it was ordered by Sire Zeke, you have to explain to Lord Kasia clearly. Be in time for the afternoon training.”

The unit leader of unit 8 who stood behind Kasia ordered Krone.

“So you are saying that we are from the same commoners’ unit and are friends born and brought up in the same village? I am 22 and Sir Krone is 24? I entered the Knighthood at the age of 8?”

“Um… talk to me in a casual way. What I mean is, don’t talk to me as if we are strangers.”

Looking at Krone who was watching her like a large purebred dog, Kasia felt like laughing.

With that laughter Krone’s expression changed to being glad.

‘If he had a tail, it might have been wagging excitedly at the moment.’

Unknown to Kasia the smile she had couldn’t be taken back even if she wanted to.

Kasia felt glad because it was Krone who knew the real personality of the previous Kasia. If the person was not Krone and someone with fake affections, she wouldn’t have been able to adjust to this world easily. Also, it might be possible to have difficulties in living here and she could get swayed too. A person who got swayed by others, one was enough – her previous self.

“Is it only Sir Krone that knows Kasia, is there… no one else?”

She used the casual speech that was not accustomed to her tongue instead of the formal speech. Because she needed help from Krone, earnestly.

“There were many originally. But… they all died.”

Seeing his disheartened face, she couldn’t help but think of a big dog with long droopy ears.

“Hometown… If we go to the village won’t there be others who know me?”

“I don’t think there would be anyone who would recognize us, whether it is you or me, both of us entered knighthood at a very young age. There is none that can be called a family.”

According to Krone’s explanation, it was common for young children to enter knighthood as it was difficult to take care of them in this world. Also those families got a hefty sum as the price for cutting off their future line.

Only by this one can understand why there were so many young knights. Knighthood is the dumping place to abandon all the children, female children too, where they only have the option to do their best.

‘Many things here are similar to the previous world. Here too, children grow up with military troops…..’

Scratching the back of her head, the bitter expression on her face faded.

“So for people like us, we are family to each other. You don’t know how much I cried, when I heard the news that you died…..”

Maybe because he remembered those things, knowingly or unknowingly tears hung on to the rim of his eyes.

“That’s right… to live on and to survive is important.”

Even though Kasia didn’t fear death, God Himself sent her back. She felt that there was a reason for it. Even if she couldn’t find the reason at that moment, she felt like she would eventually come to understand as she continued to live in this world.

“Tell me about combat methods and weapons. Yes, also about Mana attacks. I barely survived this one, I don’t want to die that easily.”

“You have become a little scarier than before. You used to be so bright….”

“Try visiting Death’s door. Many things will change.”

Kasia calmly answered Krone who was looking at her with worrisome eyes.

*     *     *

“With the help of Lord Krone and the others from Unit 8, she is adapting very quickly. Also as per the words of the 8th unit team leader, her skills have grown significantly compared to her previous self. By any chance does this have any connection with being caught in a mana explosion and having survived it? I don’t understand.”

Hearing Zeke’s report on Kasia, Tasel narrowed his bluish-gray eyes. There were many strange things which didn’t make sense.

To be a lone survivor of that explosion, to lose her memories as if everything was planned ahead and that calm attitude, more so, the difference in her current skills and her previous self…

And above all of it, he was more concerned about the words of the divine healer, Arhen,

–Even if the patient loses his or her memories, or their mind is wrecked, I can penetrate into their unconsciousness. But for this person, it’s quite different. It can be said that it is completely shut. Whether it’s her conscious doing or her unconsciousness, I am unable to even insert a finger.

If one was to consider her as the spy planted by Ernon among the corpses to infiltrate their knights, then the fact that Sir Krone remembered and recognized her could not be explained. Even if she was suspected to be manipulated by Ernon in her unconscious state, the amount of time Ernon spent after the Mana explosion was very short.