The Cult Leader in the Clergy Academy

Chapter 234

Following the order of Yuk Eun-Hyung and the mercenary who was treating him, the injured mercenaries gathered in front of the tent.

I surveyed the condition of the injured mercenaries. There were not just one or two people. Some had serious injuries that required the use of advanced restoration spells. I counted the number of people with my eyes.

I didn’t seem to have enough Voodoo magic power to sufficiently treat everyone. I had never tested the limits of my Voodoo magic power before. It was because I never needed to use spells that much.

"Cult Leader, you most likely don't need to treat those with minor injuries. The mercenaries are used to injuries anyway..."

"It's okay. I should have more than enough Voodoo magic power for everyone. Restoration spells don’t take too much time to cast after all."

To be honest, I didn't have the confidence to treat all these people. If I used up all my Voodoo magic power to treat the mercenaries, it would be difficult to defend against the attacks of the Romanican clergymen later on.

Despite that, I pretended to be confident. It was because it was necessary to do so, and it had to be done. It wasn't the time to question whether I could do it or not.

I unleashed Voodoo magic and drew a restoration spell array. "For those with relatively minor injuries, please come forward a little later for treatment. Those with severe injuries, please come forward first."

Patients who had suffered injuries so serious that they couldn't move on their own stood before me, supported by other mercenaries. I scanned their conditions. Everyone's injuries were severe to the point where no one could say who was worse off.

It was chaotic when we gathered the patients with severe injuries. The patients’ groans almost sounded like screams.

It seemed like just standing with the support of others was difficult for them. They were sweating profusely, screaming, and even rolling their eyes in an attempt to deal with the pain.

"...Just have them lie down."

Watching them suffer like this was difficult for me, so I told them to lay the patients down. If I knew this was going to happen, I should have just gone to the patients instead of asking them to come to me.

It was my mistake for thinking too much about my convenience. I had been so focused on the idea of treating them that I didn't consider their condition.

I drew a spell array on the spot where the mercenaries had laid the patients down. A dark, deep purple mist slowly moved toward their wounds and soon enveloped their bodies. The terrible wounds on their bodies instantly healed.

"Oh...!"

"It's a miracle, as expected...!"

Those who suffered relatively minor injuries or had enough strength left to speak marveled.

However, the sound of patients still crying out in pain did not stop. The restoration spell could heal the wounds, but it couldn't alleviate the pain. The groans and screams coming from their throats were disturbing.

"Do you have any painkillers?"

Yuk Eun-Hyung shook his head in response to my question and said, "No, we used them all in yesterday's battle..."

I unleashed Voodoo magic one more time and drew a spell array. It was not a restoration spell spell array but an enthrallment spell. To be more precise, it was a spell array for the intoxication spell.

The intention was to temporarily reduce their pain with a low-intensity intoxication spell. Yuk Eun-Hyung approached me with a puzzled look.

"Cult Leader, is that... the intoxication spell?"

"It's going to be used as a substitute for painkillers. The intensity will be adjusted appropriately. Don't worry."

"Ah, I see. Understood."

Yuk Eun-Hyung nodded in agreement and stepped back. He was also one of the executives, so he had enough skill to understand what kind of spell it was just by looking at the spell array.

The mist flowing from the intoxication spell array enveloped the faces of the patients grimacing from the pain. The patients' faces relaxed with comfort, and the screams subsided.

However, it was impossible to completely stop the groans and screams. It was because the effect of the pain relief was reduced due to the intensity of the spell being lowered. But this was the best option to prevent them from becoming addicted to the intoxication spell.

"Give the treated patients sufficient rest. Next."

I continued treating the patients.

In cases where the patient was in severe pain, I used the intoxication spell together with the restoration spell, and in other cases, I only used the restoration spell to treat the wounds. I gave food to the patients I treated and let them rest.

As I continued treating the patients, their conditions improved, and eventually, treating them with only the lesser restoration spells was possible.

"Ah, I... I'm fine."

Toward the end, some mercenaries even refused my treatment.

"Still, it's better to receive treatment. We don't know when we'll have to fight again..."

“With this kind of wound, it’ll heal even without any treatment.”

"Scars will remain, and there could be an infection.”

"A few scars are badges for mercenaries," the mercenary said, bowing his head in submission.

"Please, take care of those more seriously injured than me, Cult Leader."

"...Understood."

Without saying anything more, I nodded. There was no reason to treat him if he didn't want it. Thanks to the mercenaries who refused treatment, it ended earlier than expected.

I thought I would be lacking Voodoo magic power, but I still had plenty left. I watched as Yuk Eun-Hyung took care of the mercenaries, and the mercenaries took care of each other.

Even in this situation, they didn't lose their sense of humor. Both the mercenaries and Yuk Eun-Hyung were the same. They genuinely worried about each other, shared food, talked, and laughed together. They looked like a family.

Was it possible to live like a family even without sharing the same blood? Could a long-time friend really replace the empty space that a family member left behind?

I used to think that nothing could replace the empty space left behind by a family member, but it seemed like I was wrong.

"Cult Leader—!"

At that moment, I heard a voice call out to me. The voice was loud enough to echo in the vicinity. The tone sounded urgent. I quickly moved toward the direction the voice had come from and I entered the tent.

There, I saw a pale woman lying down, gasping for breath, and a man kneeling beside her, crying uncontrollably.

"...What happened?"

"Ah, Cu-Cult Leader! Th-this friend got injured. We didn't realize it until we came into the tent... She ne-needs medical treatment. I'm sorry. Please, Cult Leader, we beg you..."

"..."

I looked at the woman who was lying down. Her condition was not good, and it wasn't just because the extent of her injuries was severe. With the use of an advanced restoration spell, even serious injuries could be treated.

The problem was that even with treatment, it didn't seem like she would survive.

There were two reasons for this. One was that it had been a long time since she had gotten injured, and she had lost too much blood. The restoration spell had the potential to cure her, but it could also make her suffer and die. Another reason was...

[10 minutes.]

Because Baron Samedi was there. He smoked his cigar as he looked down at the dying woman. I caught a glimpse of Baron Samedi's flickering red gaze and smelled the pungent scent of the cigar spreading inside the tent.

[In ten minutes, this woman will die.]

"Cult Leader, what are you doing? Hurry and treat her...!"

"..."

Baron Samedi said that the woman would die in ten minutes. That meant that her death was inevitable. It meant that her death couldn’t be avoided no matter how much I used the restoration spell.

Nevertheless, I unleashed my Voodoo magic power. I kneeled beside the woman and drew a spell array. The Voodoo mist enveloped her wounds. Her wounds healed, but her pale skin did not return to normal. Her breath was gradually becoming shallower.

"..."

The mercenary, who had sobbed and pleaded with me for her treatment, alternated between looking at the woman and me. The mercenary’s expression, which had briefly formed a smile upon seeing her wounds healing, turned dark.

"Is she already beyond saving?"

[Say it is so.]

"...I don't know," I cautiously said as I unleashed Voodoo magic power.

I drew a restoration spell array. I didn’t care whether it was advanced or intermediate. I simply used every type of restoration spell I had available. I thought that would be enough to bring her back to life.

[It's a death that cannot be undone.]

Baron Samedi's prophecies had been wrong a few times. I drew more spell arrays.

[I have never been wrong about death.]

I drew more spell arrays. However, the woman's complexion did not return. Her breath was getting thinner and thinner. Eventually, her breathing became so thin that it stopped entirely.

Her eyes were closed, and her small lips were tightly shut, forming a faint smile. Death was more peaceful than I had imagined.

No matter how many times I used the restoration spell, I couldn't bring the woman back to life. The moment I had decided to escape from fate, I had already been in its clutches. I used a restoration spell on the woman’s lifeless body.

The mercenary grabbed my arm. "...That's enough, you can stop now."

Drip, drip.

Tears of blood flowed out from my eyes. The blood that came out of my eyes fell onto the woman's body. Red marks were engraved on her pale white skin. It was a drawback of using up all my Voodoo magic power.

I carried the woman's body and stepped out of the tent. Yuk Eun-Hyung came running from afar. With a shocked and sorrowful expression, he embraced the lifeless body of the woman in my arms.

"...So she’s dead."

"Is there a place nearby to bury her?"

"We usually cremate the body instead of burying it."

"I see," I said calmly, as did Yuk Eun-Hyung.

The mercenaries watching us bowed their heads in silence. No one mourned or showed anger at the death of their comrade.

Tears of blood welled up in my eyes and streamed down my cheeks. I wiped them away with my collar. I put on my mask, wore my poncho, and grabbed my staff. The day was dawning.

* * *

Thump—!

Do-Jin saw the approaching Cult Leader. When the Cult Leader lightly tapped the ground with his staff, a loud noise echoed, and the ground trembled. The entire terrain vibrated, shaking the tents where the crusaders were resting.

Rumble, rumble...

"What the...!"

The ground shook, causing Ye-Jin to stumble and fall. The crusaders inside the tent quickly came out. They each held their weapons in their hands.

Do-Jin pulled out a sword from the scabbard strapped to his waist. Then, he helped up Ye-Jin up from the ground and said, "He's the Cult Leader. Bring the anti-Voodoo masks."

"...Cult Leader."

Ye-Jin ruminated on Do-Jin's words and nodded.

The anti-Voodoo mask was a mask that provided immunity to certain Voodoo spells. As long as they wore it, they wouldn’t have to worry about losing consciousness due to spells.

While Ye-Jin went to get the anti-Voodoo mask, Do-Jin continued to watch the approaching Cult Leader from a distance.

There was no rain, thunder, or lightning. The wind was barely blowing, and it didn’t seem like they were manipulating fire or water either. Furthermore, the only person who had exited the mercenary corps barracks was the Cult Leader alone. None of the mercenaries could be seen.

It was strange. They had heard that the Cult Leader could control the weather. If that were the case, it would have been better if he had manipulated rain, wind, thunder, and lightning to create noise and launch a surprise attack from behind.

However, the Cult Leader was walking toward them without pulling any tricks whatsoever.

Was he surrendering? Or was he currently unable to use his power to control the weather? Or was it just a simple trap? He didn't know the exact reason, but for now, he was relieved.

The Cult Leader was currently defenseless. Do-Jin just had to jump in front of the Cult Leader with the power of blessings and slit his throat in one go.

"I brought it!"

At that moment, Ye-Jin brought an anti-Voodoo mask. Do-Jin put it on his face without even saying thank you. And then he covered his legs with the light of blessing.

Holding the sword in both hands, he silently stared at the approaching Cult Leader from a distance. While watching Do-Jin like that, Ye-Jin said, "Wait, can you at least tell me what you're planning to do...!"

Bang!

In that instant, Do-Jin disappeared from Ye-Jin's sight. The ground where Do-Jin had been standing caved in. Do-Jin reached the place where the Cult Leader was with a single leap.

The Cult Leader was still defenseless. There was no Voodoo mist, and he did not even attempt to draw a spell array.

Clench.

Suddenly, Do-Jin clenched his teeth and swung his sword, aiming for the Cult Leader's neck. The blade reached the Cult Leader's neck.

At that moment, Do-Jin's vision turned black. He couldn't understand what happened.

His vision, which had gone pitch black, gradually returned. Do-Jin regained consciousness.

The Cult Leader had just been in front of him a moment ago, but now he was far away. Do-Jin stood up, supporting himself with the sword.

"Ugh..."

Then, he felt an intense urge to vomit. His ears began to ring, and his vision repeatedly went from bright white to pitch black.

"Blergh...!"

Platter.

Do-Jin leaned over and vomited. A crimson lump spilled onto the ground. A searing pain, as if all his intestines had burst, boiled in his belly. Do-Jin finally realized what had happened to him.

He hadn’t succumbed to a spell, nor had he been struck by lightning. The Cult Leader had simply punched him in the stomach, hard.