Dry Drowning - Chapter 45

Two days have passed since Ian’s first search.

The campsite has still not been moved, and the injured members have improved quite a bit.

He did first aid in a hurry, but he thought it would get worse. When he thought of the poor tools or areas that could not be properly disinfected, the thought still remained. It was not long before Ian, who had doubts about the situation, was able to know the reason.

“Are you curious?”

Claude opened his mouth as he stared at the blue liquid in a small glass bottle. As soon as the wound is wiped off by wetting a cloth with a very small amount of that liquid, the unstoppable blood slowly begins to stop. It’s true that it was strange, so he nodded, and a wet cloth touched his open skin once again. It was a wound scratched by the claw of the derivative last night.

Yes, yesterday was already the third search.

Unlike the second time when he was in vain, Ian encountered derivatives again and did the job of a few people alone this time.

At the end, he was careless, so his arm was scratched, but it didn’t matter. This wasn’t a big injury, and it was a wound that would naturally heal if you put pressure on it.

Since he went out for three consecutive days, he was scheduled to wait at the campsite tomorrow. It was because Ian did not refute Claude’s claim that he overdid it in the beginning. In fact, apart from a little injury, nothing happened,…. But Claude’s expression was too dark to say so.

“…….”

However, Ian woke up the next morning and sensed something was wrong. A slight burning pain was creeping up his left arm. The tightly bound fabric is damp before he knew it. When he slowly untied the knot, what he saw in front of him was a wound that was still bleeding without healing.

It wasn’t even to the point where it had to be sewn in the first place.

It was strange that he was still bleeding, as it had been compressed tightly. He felt like he should change the cloth first, so he got up. When he showed his arm to Claude, who was passing by to go out for a search, he was brought in a haste.

“It’s similar to the symptoms of infection. It’s not like Schwartz’s level of skin necrosis, but it’s the same that the wound doesn’t heal.”

[T/N: Skin Necrosis – Death of skin cells or tissue through disease or injury.]

The inside of the barracks was as neat as the personality of the stayer. Ian, who gave his arm and looked around, turned his gaze to the words he heard. It felt somehow different from the infection he knew. Claude, who glanced down at the red cloth that fell on the floor, added an explanation.

“Sometimes it doesn’t heal like this when it touches the teeth, claws, or tentacles of a derivative. That’s why blue holy water is only given to the Northern Knights.”

There were two types of holy water in Shertian. The silver holy water that heals wounds and the blue holy water that only the Northern Knights use. They are contained in small glass bottles and are so scarce that even aristocrats could not get them. Thus, very little was given to the Knights.

“Usually, it is used only in battle. It’s a toxic ingredient that can poison derivatives with a very small amount.”

Therefore, putting a small amount on the tip of the arrow or sword makes the battle much easier. Infections were not very common, and Schwartz was the first case of skin necrosis, so most of the Knights used holy water for that purpose.

Ian had also seen the skin of the arrow-hit derivative turn black several times.

He wondered why, but it must have been the holy water.

When he nodded as if he remembered, Claude, who wrapped a clean cloth, said nothing for a moment. The silence crawled on the floor, but it was not awkward, so Ian also held out his arm until Claude opened his mouth.

It was a little later that he heard a voice.

“… I’m surprised that you’ve adapted better than I thought.”

It was a common idea not only for Claude but also for the entire Knights.

Ian with the sword looked like a completely different person.

Even when others take a step back, he is not afraid at all. Ian was the first to raise his sword for a beast much bigger than him. Unlike his delicate and soft appearance, he had no hesitations in his fingertips. They were ashamed to look down on him and ignore him because he was a prince who grew up preciously.

“Ian…”

[T/N: I wanted to let you guys know something, which is probably very unnecessary, but anyway. All the times that Ed or Schwartz or anyone except Kyle and some other of those bad knights calls Ian, they refer him to as Ian-nim. Most of you might know, that “nim” is an honorific that is used in Korean which is almost literally translated as “Sir” or “Mr.”. But I thought it would be weird for them to call him “sir” or “Mr”. It would also be odd if I keep it as Ian-nim since even though Ian is Korean, it is based in some western country, so it would be peculiar too. So I kept it as only “Ian”. So I just wanted you guys to know that those other people do not refer to Ian casually, they refer to him very respectfully.]

And Claude’s feeling when he saw Ian was polarized. The words he wanted to ask throughout the past three days have been filled to the tip of his throat. Shertian’s beliefs as a Knights Templar and the ideology of hating the corrupt aristocracy were in conflict throughout. Still, it seemed like the right time to say it.

Claude looked up at Ian, carefully putting down his carefully tied arm.

However,

“……”

Claude’s body stiffened as he met someone’s eyes looking inside through a crack in the barracks. As if he had read his thoughts, Logan, who had not appeared for several days, was looking this way with an expressionless face. A cold shiver went up his spine. If he did more useless things, his neck might be broken.

Dying didn’t matter. If he could die with honor, he would have been no greater glory as a knight. But Claude had some unfinished business.

So there’s nothing more to add.

Claude, who had captured the emotions, opened his mouth like a machine.

“Take a good rest today.”

“……”

He seemed to ask something but suddenly ended the conversation.

Ian remembered that he had been acting strange for the past few days, even though he didn’t have a bland personality.

Ian narrowed his eyes and followed Claude’s strangely hardened gaze. He slowly turned his head back, but there was no one. He felt like he made eye contact with someone…

Ian looked around the empty barracks one more time and gave Claude a curious look, but the mouth never opened again.

Ian, who came out of Claude’s barracks, had nothing to do after a long time. In the beginning, he spent all his time moving because he was not good at horseback riding, and after that, he went out to search and the day passed quickly.

Plenty of water ran under bridges

[T/N: A proverb which means ‘So much time passed by.’]

In fact, no one would say anything even if he rested well, but the campsite was quite busy because of the injured people. Ian stopped walking and looked around as he remembered Dayden’s request with an embarrassed face. He felt a strange gaze from earlier, but as usual, he was ignoring it moderately.

Just then, an empty bucket was seen under the tree, and Ian, who approached it, picked up one. He hurt his left arm but still had to strain it himself.

However, it was the members who secretly glanced at Ian’s appearance. It was a pretty familiar face that approached him with astonishment.

“Th-Th-That, Why are you holding that?”

It was the knight who was bitten on the shoulder during the first search.

He thought his bones were crushed, but fortunately, it didn’t seem to be a big injury.

Although one arm was wrapped around a cloth and fixed with wood, and there were many small wounds here and there, it was a very lucky case. Confirming that he was in good spirits, Ian looked down at the wooden bucket in his hand and raised his head again.

Why am I holding it? Can’t you tell by looking at it?

The thought seemed obvious from his expression and the man, being flustered, hurriedly reached out.

“Give it to me! I’ll go!”

…. With that arm?

He just said he was lucky, but he was seriously injured anyway.

Ian couldn’t tell when he was going to go to the stream to draw water and come back. He would be glad if he didn’t miss the bucket on his way back.

Am I not that trustworthy? 

Seeing that he was trying to take away the bucket as if extorting it with such a body, Ian thought he was quite annoyed. Well, a few days ago, he was in the middle of a discussion about being lucky as a man from Rox. It seemed like he wanted to poison the water.

[T/N: No, Ian, he just wants to repay your kindness. 😂]

Unable to notice Ian’s bewildered gaze, the man limped up and took the bucket away.

“……”

I would really like to do something.

Ian, who quickly became empty-handed, turned around with a short smile, but the problem was that it was the beginning.

“Uhm, why are you holding it?”

The firewood he was holding was suddenly taken away.

“I’m in charge of this! You, oh? Go over there and get some hot tea and get some rest!”

It was the same with the hay he was going to give to the horse.

“Hey, newbie. How dare you touch my dishes?”

Even the bowl he ate was robbed in a second.

Ian, who became empty-handed again, was amazed at the situation, which was repeated several times. They didn’t even talk to him at first, but it seemed like they all took some kind of medicine today. When they saw Ian standing far away in a daze, they made a fuss about why he didn’t go to sleep in the barracks. If he slept, he was going to get asked why he didn’t sleep well.

“…..”

What do you want me to do, you crazy people?

He continued to breathe, standing still, as they quarreled.

They weren’t usually on good terms, but they were especially severe today.

As Ian’s expression became cold at the apparent coldness, the knights who were watching it also grew colder. What is it? Somehow the situation was getting weirder and weirder.

In fact, it was the best service for the Knights.

There were some members who were saved from being eaten by the beasts, including those who were treated by Ian, so they just wanted him to rest well today.

However, since the guy who has never drank soup, drank it*, showed good intentions, and didn’t even become awkward, from Ian’s point of view, it was just a new way of harassment.

[*T/N: It is just a way of saying when a person who has never done something does it, it would of course seem weird to others around them. Like for example, if you never sit to study but one day you suddenly start studying, won’t your parents think there is something wrong with you? It’s just like that.]

Something feels odd.

I don’t think this is it.

By that time, they were also tilting their heads more and more among themselves.

“Aaghh!”

Eventually, the incident broke out.

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