"I-wha-huh—"
"Less talk, more fixing."
I threw a line of injured men down in front of the Doc, perhaps a bit too roughly.
But come on, can you blame me?
I've saved people from the Quietus Forest for—how many times now?
Three?
Three.
The third is this, the second was right after I cleared the Void-Stag, and the first was….uh…when I was the one getting hunted down by the humies.
Which still counts, by the way.
I was saving them from themselves.
As the Doc clamored to get her supplies or something, I watched over the bleating pile of humies, Tomas and Roric included.
"Goddess almighty, this hurts!"
"Tomas, we all know it hurts; so shut up and wait! I'm tired of hearing your voice echo in my ears!"
"Oh, gettin' uppity now? Is it because my arse landed on yah when I collapsed? I was exhausted, yah know?! And you were walking right behindme!"
Loud as ever, I suppose.
However, they were holding up far better than the others, despite their rather unhealthy bodies.
Maybe it's because they really do have a somewhat similar grandiose strength to the versions of themselves they talk about.
Or maybe it's because they weren't afflicted with that Darkness mark.
Who knows?
As I speculated how they still had the ability to yap, the Doc finally arrived and started diagnosing and treating them.
…or at least, is what was supposed to happen.
"Why isn't it working…?"
The Doc looked on forlornly at the wounds of the group she just tried to sew up.
They had reopened again.
For the umpteenth time.
"Doc?"
I called out to her to see if I could help, but she wasn't responding.
All she was trying to do was sew the wounds up again and again.
"Please…!"
But her efforts were fruitless.
It wasn't until I held her in place that she finally stopped.
"Gugh…Grul? Get out of my way."
"No."
"Grul."
"Nuh-uh."
"Grul…Grul!"
"Calm."
"'Calm'? Calm?! How can I be calm when I can't even do something about their injuries?! My one job as a physician and I can't—I can't do it!"
"Doctor, you are. Doctors must be calm."
"…"
She stopped squirming after what I said.
Instead, she gazed at the wounded, anxious people that were looking back at her.
"How do I…help them?"
It felt like she wasn't asking me, but herself.
And even if that question was directed at me, I couldn't answer.
All I knew was that she wouldn't be able to help out in her previous state.
"It would appear my arrival here was well-founded."
As I attempted—and miserably failed—to help out the princess slash doctor and her patients, an angelic voice spoke out; bringing along with it the rush of holy revitalization.
'Oh, holy light.
Shine down on the downtrodden souls.
Bless them once more with life.'
One by one, the once mortally wounded were healed.
Better yet; they were at their peak form.
There was only one person I know who could do an AOE heal the way this one did:
The Saintess.
"Saintess!"
"Saintess, please come back!"
And the shouts that ensued right after proved my guess.
Looking over, the form of the Saintess could barely be seen—having already been blocked out by the armor of the paladins that are probably supposed to be her escort.
The scene soon erupted into chaos.
The trappers/scouts/whatever they were that were wounded before were, to say the least, very grateful to the Saintess.
Some were clamoring toward her, but they were blocked by the paladins.
"Saintess! Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
"I owe my life to ya!"
And not just the wounded, but other people were starting to come along, either spurred by the current show or from when I was dragging another group of humies from the Forest all the way to the Doc's quarters.
Sooner or later, more would be arriving.
Right now, when everyone is in awe of the Saintess's power, is the best time for me to slip away and not get dragged into this mess.
Speaking of the Saintess.
She was looking at me.
Like, right at me.
And I could guarantee it this time.
She wasn't just glancing like before.
Once she realized I was staring back, she mouthed a message to me.
Something about 'meeting later'.
If it's later, then it's not a problem now.
I subtly nod and proceed to vacate the premises.
My job was done, after all.
Plus, my restless urge to do something was gone…I think.
I guess I'll go and buy myself some bread and go back home—
-Quest Received-
▣The Doctor Princess's Worries▣
Instructions: Find the Elven Princess and encourage her
Rewards: ???