Chapter 98 The Aftermath of Disaster

"Damnit!!" Shouted Jerome as he pounded his fist into the top of the table he sat at. He was currently inside his room at a luxurious inn. After his failed attempt to join the fight, Jerome was whisked away by his mercenary captain, Ghost.

Due to Ghost's rough handling of Jerome's body, the captain had inadvertently caused Jerome to pass out due to how high strung and tense Jerome's mind was at the time. While passed out, he had a continuous nightmare of his traumatic experience which eventually woke him hours after the battle ended.

He was then called to meet with Shizu and Yashimu to discuss the relief efforts to combat the issues that will arise from this sudden monster attack. Jerome expected to get a tongue lashing from both of them, but he didn't expect what was now on his table.

After their meeting, Yashimu gave Jerome a packet of papers and was instructed to review them for the meeting that would take place the next day. It was already the middle of the night but Jerome, a "hard working" council member, pushed forward with his pride as his fuel for energy.

But, this energy soon waned at a speed faster than his resolve to fight as after the first two pages, he was enraged.

"What the hell do those brat mean by, REREVIEW OF POSITION. I did my job! Casualties? Pff. What circumstantial details." His tirade continued for a few minutes as he cursed and spoke obscene words of contempt about Shizu and Yashimu. After getting the anger out of his system, Jerome sighed and refocused.

Jerome did not worry about anyone hearing his words as the room he was in was secured and was solely reserved for his use.

While he knew what he was saying was hypocritical and could possibly endanger his position, he didn't think he would have to worry as even if he got his position re reviewed he could still buy his way back with the support of his business partners.

He believed that the blacksmith's of Shisayama would be willing to vouch for him on this incident if he offered them a supply of materials instead of the merits he promised.

As he thought about the "gifts" he planned to hand out, he flipped to the next page. Reading only the first three sentences, he then screamed in his mind.

'FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

On the third page was the decision made by the blacksmith's of the village of Shisayama. They opted to cancel their business contracts with Jerome's refined steel production as they wanted to start their own business ventures.

The cost of canceling these contracts was hefty, but the blacksmith's chose to do it anyway as they found something new to invest their time into.

Through gritted teeth, Jerome hissed his command to his mercenary captain.

"FIND ME ANYTHING YOU CAN ABOUT THIS BLOOD STEEL. I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT IT."

Ghost nodded with his masked face and slipped into a dark corner of the room, his figure then began to meld with the shadows and soon his figure was gone from Jerome's sight.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jerome sat back in his chair and attempted to push his rising headache with two fingers pushing down on the middle of his forehead.

With no success, Jerome opted to read the documents tomorrow morning and instead chose to relax for the rest of the night as he slumped onto his luxurious bed.

*****

Meanwhile, during the cold night, Elder Sung was still up as she was tending to the many patients she had to oversee. While the number of apothecaries were numerous in the village of Shisayama, this did not put off the fact that they needed to oversee their now numerous bedridden patients.

Many suffered light injuries but almost just as many suffered heavy wounds that were life changing. All were asked to stay at the impromptu medical encampment a few meters away from Kajima's house. Bonfires were made to keep the patients warm and thick fur blankets were brought out by the village merchants to aid in the effort to combat this disaster.

Writing away with a charcoal pencil, Elder Sung's hand stopped as she asked a question to the person she knew had entered her tent.

"What's the matter Kajima? Are you here to comfort an old lady like myself from the cold?"

A sad grin formed on Elder Sung's usually upbeat expression but she hid it from Kajima.

"No." Said Kajima. "I had something else in mind."

Taking out a bottle of sake and two cups from his bag, he set them down in front of Elder Sung, who sat at a table in the tent assigned as her temporary accommodations.

With her back still turned to him, Kajima then told her. "Also, wipe that expression off your face. It doesn't suit you."

"How can you tell?" Said Elder Sung, her tone tinged with a bit of surprise.

"It's been over a decade since we've known each other. Just as you know me, I know you. NOW, let's drink. We could both use one after such a terrible day."

Sighing, Elder Sung turned around without changing her expression and nodded in acceptance of his company this cold night.

The two sat next to each other and drank in silence but after the first few cups of sake, Kajima told her what he had to say.

"The mercenary you sent for treatment didn't make it. It seems that there weren't any apothecaries that could treat him. I can't blame them, the wounded kept coming."

Elder Sung trembled a bit at his words as she thought to herself.

'It's my fault. I damned that mercenary to death. I should have tended to him first but if I did, Azi could have…..died.'

Sighing, Elder Sung took another swig of sake as she thought about what kind of hurtful things the family of that mercenary would say to her.

"They would say that you killed him." Said Kajima.

Frowning, Elder Sung begrudgingly nodded in agreement and went to grab the bottle of sake to refill her cup, but Kajima deftly grabbed it first and continued.

"But Azi's family would thank you for saving him." Kajima then grinned and added. "And his father would also like to tell you to stop trying to drug him with aphrodisiacs."

Her brows rising at his words, Elder Sung was stunned silent for a moment before the sound of a liquid filling her cup caught her attention. Her sad grin changed to a more positive and upbeat manner and Elder Sung drank her cup with a speed that made Kajima wonder if he should continue giving this mischievous woman more alcohol.

Wiping her mouth of the excess liquid on her lips, Elder Sung commented with her typical mischievous look on her face.

"Well, you can tell the father that he's going soft and that that will never happen."

"It was worth a try." Added Kajima, who then brought his right arm around Elder Sung. After placing his right hand on her right shoulder, Elder Sung leaned her head on Kajima's side and mused about the past.

"If only Luna were here, you would have two beautiful flowers in your arms." Said a joking Elder Sung.

"Oh you don't have to worry, Luna is still here with us. She's looking down on us as we speak."

Kajima then looked at the ceiling of the tent and it took Elder Sung a few seconds to figure out what he meant.

Elder Sung wanted to make a jab at him for becoming such a softy, but knew that there were more appropriate and pressing words she should say.

"We have to take care of those kids. Shizu, Yashimu, Rulu, the 4 little brats, Azi, and so many more. We have to help them."

"I know. I'll meet with Ozen when I get to the capital with Azi. For now, let's just enjoy this moment. We have a lot of work ahead of us and with Uzuru making its move. We have even more on the way." Groaning Kajima. He then turned his sight to his right and looked down at a now sleeping Elder Sung.

Kajima patted her head and saw the smile on Elder Sung's face grow a bit wider.

Passing by the tent, Saki poked her head in and caught a glimpse of the old couple's happy moment. Luckily she was unnoticed and promptly left the scene without a trace.

Saki decided to put this little discovery deep into her back pocket.

*****

The morning of the day after the festival, Rulu was helping the relief effort by tending to the lightly injured and doing the more menial tasks in the medical encampment.

Nosuri and Ougi were following behind as they carried what looked like wooden crates full of what looked like black colored breast plates. These were Azi's prototype creations of Rulu's disposable healing breastplate. Kajima had told Rulu to get these from his house as Azi had left a couple crates behind in his workshop as Azi told Kajima he could use them for his own blacksmithing projects.

After walking through the encampment, the trio arrived at the general medical tent and caught the attention of the head apothecary in charge. The man was elderly as the wrinkles on his brows made it quite apparent, but those wrinkles showed the stress he had experienced which showed just how experienced he was.

"Lady Rulu? What are these?"

"These are thaumaturgic tools made by Kajima's apprentice. He said that these could come in handy and help to heal the wounded."

The head apothecary scoffed at the idea that armor could heal the injured.

"I'm sorry Lady Rulu, but I don't think that armor would come in handy at this point. The battle is already …"

Mid sentence, the head apothecary failed to notice that Ougi had walked past the uninformed head apothecary and stood next to the patient he was tending to.

Before the head apothecary could protest Ougi's actions he was somewhat blinded by the blue glow that now emanated from the broken black breastplate that laid on his patient's chest.

The head apothecary marveled at the sight as his wrinkled brows raised with invigorated astonishment. The glow lasted for a few minutes and when the blue glow died down, he saw that the patient's bruises and small cuts had been healed.

What was more surprising was that the patient woke up from his unconscious state and had enough energy to talk. To the head apothecary, this was a miracle and he wanted to find whoever made such a useful tool but his years of experience reminded him of the pressing situation.

Many were starting to show secondary after effects of their injuries, so the apothecaries needed to stabilize all the patients before they passed a point of no return.

He then called for his associates and he ordered them.

"Follow what Lady Rulu says and start using these black breastplates on the most dire patients."

Rulu hesitated to take command as she was still fearful of messing up and causing trouble, but with a pat of encouragement on her back from Nosuri all hesitation ceased.

"We have your back." Said Nosuri.

"Alright." Whispered Rulu. She then had Nosuri and Ougi hand out the black breastplates while she explained how to use the thaumaturgic tool that Azi had created.

After playing their part, Nosuri and Ougi took a break outside the tent but continued to watch over Rulu as she worked.

Nosuri's usual upbeat expression had somewhat changed to a troubled expression. Ougi gave her a look which prompted her to speak.

"Azi's quite amazing. He fought so hard during the battle, so much so that he bore so many injuries. Just, where does he get the strength to push forward? All we could do during that last fight was kill the smaller enemies. We were so ineffective that Lady Shizu told us to leave."

"Jealous are you, Sister?" Asked Ougi, a bit of concern tinged in his voice.

"NO! I'm just…. *sigh*. I wish I could have done more or had overwhelming strength like Azi, but…. I know I can't have as much strength as him." Nosuri's shoulders slumped after she said her words as she thought about what she could have done.

She thought to herself. 'I can't be as strong as Azi and I can't make tools like he does. But what can I do…'

Ougi's squinted eyes opened a bit in concern but he kept his silence.

After a few minutes, Nosuri's shoulder perked up and she pumped herself up in a somewhat prideful but resolute tone.

"Bwahahaha, as if I would be brought down by such a small matter. A good woman stands no matter the situation. Now, come Ougi, we have work to do!"

"Oh? And what might that be sister?" Asked Ougi his eyes now squinting as he returned to his typically stoic and amused expression.