NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 97: Journeys, Warriors And Healer
Mizetta was no stranger to travel. To be precise, she was accustomed to being transported. She never had to plan the trips, pack her bags, or handle the myriad preparations that came with journeying.
Whenever it was time to depart, she simply nodded and sat quietly in the luxurious carriage prepared by House Illyrius. There were times they camped along the way or stayed overnight in roadside inns, but these were no hardships for her.
So, this time as well, Mizetta waited while others busily completed the travel preparations. With nothing else to do, she participated in another study session led by Karna and Niomi, her two devoted attendants.
Once again, their concentration was shattered as the door swung open without warning.
This time, it wasn't Victor Illyrius. Instead, it was a young swordsman with short-cropped blonde hair and a man who had once been a prisoner: Jack Frigate and Norman.
"Hey, long time no see, Mizetta," Jack greeted cheerfully, raising a hand in a friendly wave.
"This time, we've been assigned as your escorts. We look forward to working with you," Norman said in a stark contrast to Jack's demeanor, bowing slightly with a serious expression. Both were men Eckhardt had personally discovered and employed. Though in Norman's case, it seemed more a matter of circumstance.
Victor's face popped up from behind them, grinning. "What a way to enter a lady's room. Apologies, Mizetta. But I thought introductions were in order."
Ignoring Victor's hypocrisy, Mizetta turned to Jack Frigate, her brow furrowing in concern. "So, the mission in the Tiant Territory is that dangerous?"
Her mind drifted back to the war against the demon forces in the Escard Territory.
These creatures were terrifyingly strong, often requiring the lives of ten to thirty men to bring down just one of them. They were not invincible, but their sheer power and speed made them formidable foes. To defeat them, you either needed a powerful mage to strike with magic or an equally formidable warrior. The former involved using many decoys to distract the creature while the mage delivered a fatal blow, often resulting in high casualties.
The latter option was someone like Jack Frigate.
Occasionally, among humans, individuals emerged with strength rivaling that of demons. The reasons were unclear—perhaps it was talent or something else entirely. Mizetta herself was such an anomaly. Even the combined healing magic of all noble bloodlines couldn't compare to hers.
Jack Frigate was another such extraordinary individual.
During the war in Escard, the appearance of a particularly powerful demon had caused chaos on the battlefield, leading to a surge in injuries and deaths. Mizetta had been overwhelmed with the injured brought to the healing tents, each more grievously wounded than the last.
The demon in question had been a commanding figure among its kind. The injured were in horrific conditions—every one of them missing limbs, and some were dead upon arrival. The demon's attacks, though seemingly simple punches and kicks, had devastating effects. A mere graze would result in severed arms or gouged shoulders, injuries beyond conventional treatment.
This demon even managed to nullify the spells of noble mages with brute force, a terrifying testament to its power.
Jack Frigate had faced this powerful demon in single combat. Mizetta had heard about the battle afterward. Jack had met the demon head-on, matched its strength, and ultimately slain it. However, he hadn't emerged unscathed. Both he and the demon had landed blows that could have been fatal. Jack survived, but the demon's strike had severed his left arm—not by a clean cut, but by a brutal, crushing blow.
Jack had been brought to the healing tent, his expression a mixture of every regret imaginable. Fortunately, he had his severed arm with him, which Mizetta was able to reattach using her healing magic.
His elation at having his arm restored was unforgettable, and since then, Jack had taken a peculiar liking to her.
"I wasn't exactly off guard last time, but this time I'm giving it my all from the start. Especially since I'm assigned to protect you, Mizetta. I won't hold back," Jack said with a cheerful grin.
Mizetta nodded with a resigned sigh. She was used to being thanked by those she healed, and recently, she had even grown accustomed to being feared. But honestly, it didn’t matter much to her.
After all, whether it was the nobles she healed under Leopold's orders, Jack standing before her, or perhaps even Norman, these people were nothing like the villagers Mizetta once knew. They existed in a different world, far removed from hers.
To the nobles, the villagers wouldn’t even register in their peripheral vision. To Jack and Norman, they were likely just faces in a crowd. Yet, those villagers’ happiness was what Mizetta cherished most.
It felt like a distant memory now.
At first, Victor Illyrius had kept his distance from Mizetta, not even bothering to introduce himself. But lately, the gap between them had begun to close.
If asked if this made her happy, Mizetta would be a bit perplexed. She didn’t quite understand Victor Illyrius.
She knew he was the nephew of Leopold and acted under his uncle’s instructions. He handled travel plans, guided their journey, arranged various logistics, and negotiated with local nobles. This allowed Mizetta to focus solely on her healing magic, with only minimal noble pleasantries required from her.
He wasn’t necessarily a good person. Nor could she definitively call him a bad one. In a broad sense, perhaps he was. Nobles were often schemers, and Victor seemed no different. But the purpose behind his schemes remained a mystery to her.
What did they truly want? It wasn’t solely personal gain, she sensed that much. Leopold could have easily ignored the 'Twin Gillettes', Euphemia Grimwood, and even Mizetta herself.
Probably this time as well.
"So, what kind of place is this Tiant Territory we’re heading to? And what’s the deal with the attack on the long-eared girl?" Jack asked, settling down next to Mizetta in the carriage.
Victor, sitting across from them, turned his large, intense eyes—so reminiscent of his uncle Leopold’s—toward the scenery outside. He fell silent, contemplating the question before finally responding.
"There's a forest called the Demon Woods that separates the lands of humans and demons. The Escard Territory prevents demon incursions from this demonic forest, some might call it enchanted forest by the way. That’s why the Escard Territory is a borderland, and the Escard family holds the title of Margrave equal to my uncle in official terms, unlike whatever my uncle claims in public to make himself more mysterious. Anyway, this Demon Woods stretches from the north to the west of Louisse’s domain."
Victor traced a horizontal and vertical line with his fingers.
"From the Escard territory, head southwest to where the Demon Woods narrows. East of that forest is the Spade territory. If you cut through the forest west of Spade, you'll reach the Beastman territories. Thus, Spade serves as a borderland to keep an eye on the Beastmen."
He shrugged, indicating that unlike the demons, they hadn't been at war with the beastmen, hence Spade was only a barony. Perhaps he didn’t value Spade much or simply found it irrelevant to the current discussion.
"Heading west from Escard and north from Spade, you’ll find the Tiant territory. The lord there is Baron Slack Tiant. He’s around twenty-five and has been the lord for about two years."
"What about the threats from demons or beastmen?" Norman asked.
Victor chuckled at Norman’s directness before answering.
"From Tiant’s perspective, the Demon Woods lies to the north, west, and northwest. The forest is so dense that traversing it from one side to the other is an ordeal—probably ten ordeals. Demons and beastmen aiming for Louisse’s land wouldn't bother with Tiant."
Indeed, it made more sense to approach from an easier route. Even humans avoided treacherous mountains and dense forests.
"But hey, we’re talking about a possible war with beastmen, right? That’s why Norman and I were called to guard Mizetta," Jack interjected.
"Exactly. An incident occurred in Tiant, a place the beastmen usually avoid."
Victor had mentioned that a long-eared woman, who was under Tiant’s protection, was attacked by Beastmen.
"Who exactly is this long-eared woman?" Mizetta asked.
"She belongs to the long-eared tribe that lives in the forest. They call themselves the 'Aelvs.' They possess high magic power, similar to demons, but their physical abilities are comparable to humans. They have long lifespans and rarely leave the forest. But sometimes, an eccentric one ventures out."
"Eccentrics exist everywhere. So, this Aelvs was attacked by beastmen?" Jack pressed further.
"An eccentric Aelv had become a guest of the Tiant family. With their unique magic and herbs, housing one eccentric wasn't an issue for the Tiant family. She’s supposedly very beautiful, possibly even a concubine of the lord."
Victor shrugged off the specifics.
"And this beautiful Aelv was attacked by beastmen?"
"We don't know all the details, but she was severely injured. The healers in Tiant couldn't treat her, so they called for the 'Saint of Healing.'"
"If commanded, I will heal her. But why might this lead to war with the beastmen?" Mizetta questioned.
"The Tiant family is reportedly furious," Victor said dismissively.
"Furious, indeed," Mizetta thought. This meant the Aelv was highly valued by the Tiant family. But how could such an important person be attacked by beastmen? If others weren't also attacked, the story seemed suspiciously odd. A more direct incident, like Tiant citizens being attacked, would seem more likely to lead to war.
"We’ll confirm things once we arrive. Jack and Norman, stay close to Mizetta. It’s possible that savage beastmen might still be lurking within the territory."
"Savage beastmen, huh?" Norman mused.
"Who knows? In the Kingdom of Louisse, there’s no interaction with beastmen. Spade might have some contact, but they aren't interested in us, and we’re wary but uninterested in them—well, we weren’t."
Victor glanced at the carriage roof, lost in thought.
Cruel nobles and savage beastmen—who was the lesser evil? Mizetta pondered but found no answer.
