Chapter 69: Miracle

The inside of the camp was even more chaotic.

All around us, wounded soldiers groaned as they received treatment.

Medics rushed from one patient to the next, never stopping, tirelessly tending to the injured.

Our group silently watched the scene as we walked forward.

The sharp scent of blood still clung to the cold air,

And the desperate voices echoing from every direction only made the atmosphere heavier.

Just before we stepped deeper into the camp—

Liel quietly spoke.

“Teacher.”

I stopped and turned to look at her.

Her eyes were still trembling.

“…Seeing so many wounded people… it’s really painful.”

Her voice shook as she spoke.

Her hands fidgeted in front of her chest, betraying her unease.

“But… is there any way I could help them?”

For a moment, I was speechless.

Liel had always been a kind-hearted child.

But this scene—no matter how much she was called a Saint—was something no ordinary girl could accept so easily.

Yet, she was asking to step into the middle of it.

I hesitated.

This was the front line.

A place where anything could happen at any moment.

But.

I let out a quiet breath and, in the end, nodded.

“…Alright. If that’s what you want, you can go help.”

At my words, Liel’s expression brightened slightly.

She lowered her head with a small, relieved smile.

I glanced around.

And soon, I spotted Harp, still standing outside the camp.

“Harp.”

At my call, she slowly turned her head.

“Yes, Teacher.”

I gestured toward Liel and spoke.

“Liel wants to help the wounded. I’m going to assist as well.”

Harp paused in thought for a moment before nodding.

“I see. Well, Sua and the others will be handling the strategy meeting anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Then, she quietly added,

“But just in case, I’ll go with you.”

Liel let out a small sigh of relief and softly said,

“Thank you, Harp.”

Harp smiled faintly.

“It’s my duty. Don’t mention it.”

With that, the three of us made our way toward the area where the injured were gathered.

Medics were already moving busily between the wounded, but there were still far too many left unattended.

Soldiers groaned in pain as they lay sprawled on the ground.

Others sat pale-faced, their bodies wrapped in bloodstained bandages.

Some had already fallen into silent despair, their eyes empty.

I let out a quiet breath and spoke.

“Alright. Let’s do what we can.”

With those words, the three of us took a step forward—

Ready to help.

“This is it…”

Snowflakes still drifted in the air as we stepped into the large medical tent filled with wounded soldiers.

Inside, the sight was even grimmer.

Men lay groaning on the ground.

Some still bled through their bandages, despite the desperate efforts of the medics.

The thick scent of blood clung to the cold air.

And from every direction.

Pained, agonized moans filled the space, echoing in our heads.

“…This is…”

I was at a loss for words at the sight before me.

Liel and Harp also froze momentarily, their gazes sweeping over the scene.

Liel bit her lip tightly.

“There are too many…”

She clasped her hands together and took a deep breath.

“…But we have to do what we can.”

At her words, Harp nodded as well.

She raised her hand slightly, and a soft glow began to emanate from her fingertips.

“Then let’s begin.”

Without hesitation, we started treating the wounded.

Liel used her divine power to heal their injuries.

A warm light spread from her fingertips, and wounds slowly began to mend.

The injured soldiers let out faint sighs of relief.

Harp used healing magic.

Her spells worked more directly, sealing wounds and stopping the bleeding.

The deeper the injury, the more magic it consumed—but she didn’t hesitate.

Beside them, I assisted however I could—wiping away blood with a cloth, wrapping bandages, and tending to the wounded.

At times, I brought water or spoke softly to the conscious ones, offering them reassurance.

“You’ll be okay. Just hold on a little longer.”

But.

“Teacher! Another wounded soldier just came in!”

“Over here too! The injuries are severe!”

No matter how many we healed, the number of injured never stopped growing.

For every soldier we treated, two more were carried in.

An endless cycle of suffering.

Too many wounded.

We were already exhausted.

But we couldn’t stop.

Clutching the bloodstained cloth in my hands, I forced myself to keep moving.

Liel and Harp, though clearly exhausted, kept moving their hands.

But.

Even catching our breath was becoming difficult.

My vision blurred as fatigue took hold.

Can we really keep going like this…?

We had reached our limits.

The medics had long since collapsed from exhaustion, and both Liel and Harp were breathing heavily, struggling to stay upright.

I could barely squeeze the cloth in my hand anymore—my strength was almost gone.

Yet, the tent was still filled with the agonized groans of the wounded.

“…Harp.”

Liel turned to Harp with difficulty.

Without a word, Harp slumped onto the ground.

She didn’t even have the energy left to cast another spell.

“…There are still… people left.”

Liel’s voice trembled as she forced herself to stand.

A faint glow flickered at her fingertips.

Alarmed, I reached out to stop her.

“Liel, that’s enough. If you push yourself any more—”

“I can’t stop.”

She shook her head weakly.

Then, she slowly extended her hand.

“…If I can save even one more person… I have to.”

I grabbed her wrist.

If she didn’t stop now, she would collapse.

“Don’t overdo it. If you fall, it’ll all be for nothing. The only way to end this is by defeating the Demon King. Before that, if you—”

“Teacher.”

Her voice was firm.

I couldn’t say another word.

And then.

She raised her hand and cast her final spell.

At that moment.

Boom!

A sudden burst of light forced me to squint.

Liel’s divine power, which had spread from her fingertips, was somehow resonating with my body, glowing in sync.

“…Huh?”

I stared at my hands in shock.

From the point where Liel’s hand touched mine, a pure white light began to spread.

And then.

Whoosh!

The healing magic surged explosively.

What should have been a spell meant for a single person—

Now spread outward like a massive area spell.

Brilliant white light filled the entire tent.

And then.

“My arm…!”

“My leg… it’s back…!”

A miracle had occurred.

Limbs that had been lost began regenerating.

Fatal wounds sealed shut in an instant.

One by one, soldiers who had been groaning in pain started rising to their feet.

“…What’s going on?”

Harp gasped as she looked around.

Liel stared blankly at her hands, completely dazed.

And I.

I took a quiet breath, staring at the faint light still lingering at my fingertips.

“…What is this?”

I couldn’t use magic.

That was a fact.

And yet.

Just now, with our hands touching, the spell had transformed into something far beyond ordinary healing magic.

A miracle.

I looked down at my hands again, watching as the glow slowly faded.

The soldiers, who just moments ago had been writhing in pain, were now standing.

Even those who had lost entire limbs had been completely restored.

This…

This was beyond magic.

I slowly clenched and unclenched my fist.

Strangely enough.

I didn’t feel as though I had used any magic at all.

“Teacher…?”

Liel’s quiet voice called out to me.

Her expression was filled with both awe and confusion.

“…Could it be that we—?”

I turned to look at her.

The pale exhaustion that had been on her face just moments ago was completely gone.

Harp, now standing, checked herself in surprise and clenched her hands tightly, as if testing her strength.

And it wasn’t just them.

Even the medics inside the tent, who had been drained from overwork, now looked at each other with renewed energy.

Their breathing was no longer labored.

I was stunned.

“…Wait. No way…?”

I instinctively looked down at my hands again.

What I had just done.

It wasn’t just healing magic.

Did I… restore their stamina too?

That was impossible.

According to what Harp had told me before, healing magic only treated wounds.

Recovering lost stamina was an entirely different matter—on a completely different level.

And yet, somehow.

I bit my lip hard.

Outside the tent, countless wounded soldiers were still groaning in pain.

“…I don’t know exactly how this is happening, but”

If it was possible.

I couldn’t stop here.

Without hesitation, I stepped out of the tent.

Harp and Liel, their faces still filled with shock, quickly followed behind me.

As we emerged, the sight of injured soldiers lining the streets filled my vision once more.

Slowly, I reached out my hand.

Liel, already preparing another healing spell, gently clasped my hand in hers.

Boom!

Once again, light burst forth.

In that instant, the sounds of groaning and pain that had filled the air began to fade, one by one.

The wounded soldiers slowly rose to their feet.

Those who had been wrapped in bandages now stared in shock at their fully healed limbs, their expressions blank with disbelief.

Even the soldiers stationed along the crumbling fortress walls peered down, wide-eyed.

“What… What just happened?”

“My wounds… They’re gone!”

“W-What in the world…”

And then.

One soldier collapsed to his knees.

His hands trembled as he stared at them, his face ashen with shock.

“I… I’m alive…?”

I looked at him.

His body had been cold and still just moments ago.

He had died.

And yet, now—his eyes were open.

I swallowed hard.

This wasn’t healing magic.

This was.

A miracle.