[CHAPTER 2] — RED WOUNDEN

"The inhabitants of Equatorial Heaven existed in a unique liminality—they were not officially part of the five Novven clans, yet they remained within that classification. The distinction between them was as vast as the gap between the air currents separating Equatorial Heaven and Outsider Heaven. It all came down to one simple word: "surrender.""

The iron birds touched down gracefully in front of a sturdy wooden gate. They lowered their massive wings to provide a platform for Rabert and Rin to disembark safely. Once the two had alighted, the iron birds soared back into the sky and vanished into the horizon.

Rabert and Rin strode purposefully through a garden, bypassing the main residence and heading directly toward a small annex designated for patients. This room was compact, capable of accommodating only five individuals. Unfortunately, since Sir Sadan's arrival, most of the other rooms had been transformed into his personal wine storage space. Only six rooms remained: two bedrooms in the main house, a kitchen, a medicine room, and a room reserved for patients sent from Rigel for treatment.

Rigel, despite its sprawling plains and mountains that stretched for thousands of acres, and its abundant medicinal flora, had remarkably healthy inhabitants. The people of Estjanor rarely fell ill. When Rin had first arrived, she struggled to comprehend the purpose of this place. The medicinal garden had withered, the room reserved for patients was small and overrun with dust and spiderwebs. The furniture in the medicine room was in disrepair, and some pieces had been discarded. The one who greeted her was an old man, his eyes perpetually drooping, and his demeanor consistently lethargic. He wore disheveled clothing and emanated the pervasive stench of alcohol. He bore no resemblance to a religious figure or a doctor; he seemed more like a wandering drunkard. Rin had been deeply disheartened at the time and had no desire to enter, but the alcoholic was even less inclined to admit her.

The first time the old alcoholic saw Rin, he hadn't bothered to come out to greet her or arrange accommodations. He had merely glanced at her, taken a sip of wine, and promptly slammed the door shut. He showed no intention of allowing her inside the main house, relegating her to sleep in the patient treatment room for an extended period. Each day, she was tasked with cleaning the house and cultivating medicinal plants. Although he occasionally showed a modicum of interest in teaching her minor medical techniques, they paled in comparison to the skills expected of someone referred to as the Sir Sardan.

Ultimately, whenever a patient arrived, the Sir Sardan would retire to his bedroom and wheeze, leaving his disciple with knowledge of only three rudimentary medical techniques. It made Rin question who the true doctor was. The simmering anger she had harbored for so long was bound to erupt someday. Rin had initially been scheduled to accompany Sir Sadan to the Veerdars area today, as per the appointment with the Aves clan. However, last night, the old alcoholic had informed her that she would be going alone—a decision he had likely made long in advance. To complicate matters, today was also the day of Marhma teachings by Mharma.

Despite having spent nearly a thousand years in Estjanor, nearing a millennium in age, Rin had only recently awakened her body's consciousness. While some considered this quite an achievement for a human like her, she couldn't help but notice that individuals like Aves, who were her age, had already unlocked all five consciousnesses. She had been eagerly anticipating her Marhma teachings, but the obstacle didn't come from outsiders; it came from those close by.

Originally, Rin had intended to decline the visit to the Veerdars physician. However, the old alcoholic's insistence on her receiving treatment had robbed her of the opportunity to attend the Marhma teachings. After reluctantly preparing herself, she gathered all the medicinal herbs she had recently dried and tossed them into a bag. Then, she sprinted to the Purple Mountain to practice her spear. Although her anger toward the alcoholic lingered, Rin couldn't help but think of her spear and Rabert as she entered the patient room.

The two ranger brothers, Stanalav and Stanalov, immediately rose to their feet to greet Senior Brother Rabert. Rin had picked up the habit of addressing Rabert as "Commander" from them. When she was younger and her body consciousness had yet to fully develop, she hadn't comprehended the full meaning of certain words. Hearing the two brothers consistently refer to Rabert as "Commander," she had mistakenly assumed that it was his name. Even after learning Rabert's actual name, she continued to call him "Commander" out of familiarity.

Stanalav had a slender build, while Stanalov was plumper. The two of them stood beside a bed where a young man, approximately eighteen years old, lay, his entire body swathed in bandages, giving him the appearance of a mummy.

Rin respectfully nodded to the two brothers before turning her attention to the young patient. She began her examination by gently touching his forehead, noting the presence of a high fever. She then felt for his pulse, a challenging task through the layers of cloth. To gain a clearer understanding, she pressed her ear to his chest briefly before straightening up to examine the wounds hidden beneath the bandages. The young man's skin was marred with damage, bearing bruises, bloody cracks, broken ribs, and dislocated wrists. It was evident that he had endured some terrifying days.

"Is this the only person we managed to save this time?" Rin inquired; her voice tinged with sorrow.

"The others perished during the journey here," Stanalav replied somberly.

Rin moved her hand lower to the patient's lower body and shook her head. "I wonder if his fate will be one of fortune or suffering. Perhaps, in the future, living will be harder than dying."

"Can you not be so pessimistic?" Rabert interjected.

"It appears the field doctor has already done everything possible," Rin mused, her gaze now focused on the teenager's right wrist, which was still wrapped in a thin layer of bandage but appeared unnaturally raised. "It seems there's a problem here, perhaps poison or a neck injury."

With great care, Rin began to unwind the layers of bandage. As the cloth fell away, they were confronted with a swollen boil the size of a child's fist. Although the sharp wound no longer had a core, careless handling had caused a sizable hole to form in the wrist.

"Did Aves' physician handle this?" Rin asked in surprise.

"When I brought him here, it was already like that," Rabert replied.

Rin scrutinized the sunken area. "This wound has caused tendon damage, and it seems this hand may be rendered useless. However,..."

"However, what?" Rabert inquired.

"I'm not sure how to treat this," Rin admitted.