Mirelle and I went around the treatment area to heal people despite Mirelle and Clara's protest against me immediately casting healing magic on people, but I assured them it was fine. Being unconscious for 2 whole days has made my full again, though asides from the body soreness I felt in some parts of my body, I was back to full health now. Remembering how people started panicking when I casted [Healing Magic] on them, as well as other [Healing Magic] users was adamant against me from immediately getting out of my tent.
We all eventually came to a compromise, I would not use healing magic too much and to not cast any powerful [Healing Magic], and when it is time to rest, I had to rest. So, throughout the day I went around healing people. The wounds on them were now a bit lighter compared to a few days ago, a testament to just how much monsters were pouring out from the [Dark Forest].
"Lady Witch is really kind~" Mirelle spoke as we walked to our tent. I immediately responded to Mirelle. "I just did what I had to". "Ehehe~" Mirelle only giggled in responses, as she laid her head on my shoulder as we continued to head to our tent, holding one of my hands with both of her hands.
Just as we were going to our tent, numerous bells started ringing and shouts of soldiers could be heard from atop of the walls of Eisenwald. "The Monster wave is coming; High Level Monsters are coming!" were shouts Mirelle and I could hear from the soldiers as they continued on to say. "Prepare for battle, Adventurers get into positions, Knights prepare-" just as we were listening, it was overshadowed by the rumbling noises coming from outside the Eisenwald's walls.
The bell kept ringing as people evacuated, and Adventurers, Knights, and the Towns guard immediately getting to their positions, readying their weapons, and going outside the walls. The scene before Me and Mirelle was a testament of their years of experience, seeing their decisiveness Mirelle and I immediately geared up and went to back to the treatment area.
'Where's Clara?" I asked Mirelle, concerned for her wellbeing. If the monsters broke through again, it could make this area dangerous. "Clara was with Ela, Lady Celeste." Mirelle replied, putting on the last of our equipment on, as we continued to rush to the treatment area. We, who could use [Healing Magic] were not only responsible for healing the wounded, but also boosting other Adventurers, Soldiers, and Knights.
Upon arriving at the treatment center, Mirelle and I could see many more wounded than before. A testament to how much monsters were now pouring out of the [Dark Forest] compared to when they first started pouring out. It was also this moment, where I started speculating the whole forest being one big open dungeon, as that would somehow explain the absurd amount of monster coming out of the forest, or the whole forest might have been bigger than I had initially thought, and another realization came to mind. What if the Orc Camp was far larger than we expected, and it wasn't the only one in the [Dark Forest]?
Mirelle and I were completely focused on healing and tending to the people in the treatment center. The injuries on them weren't all that bad, but they weren't all good either. Some had quite the severe injuries, while the others were okay enough to be ignored for the moment but not for long, and with the amount of people coming into the treatment center not calming down, the healers and I were having a difficulty managing to heal the wounded.
The situation had drastically changed, from a moment of peace and silence to that of cries of agony and sounds of metals clashing to flesh rang out throughout the southern gate. It was incomparable to how silent and peaceful the earlier scene was, but despite everything the healers and I continued to heal the wounded, providing support and buffs to the people on the front fighting against the invading monsters.
As the situation continued for a while, the healers were getting exhausted and so were the people on the front line, the situation was getting too dire that Clara was now learning [Healing Magic] from Elaria and the other healers in the treatment area. But it still wasn't enough, Clara could only cast [Healing Magic] a few times due to her low mana count, and with the amount of people coming and going to the treatment center was really too much for healers and I.
Sounds of monsters could be heard here in the treatment center, from outside the walls. From the looks of the situation, there were now more people coming into the treatment center than we could heal and get back into the fight, and with less people fighting the monsters, the less likely we were in our success in defending Eisenwald. Thinking of this, I decided I couldn't really allow for the situation to continue as is, we had to provide more manpower in repelling the monsters.
"Mirelle, I'm going outside the walls and join the other Adventurers in fighting off the [Monster Wave]." I said to Mirelle, without turning to look at her I kept looking towards the big gate leading outside the walls. Mirelle who had been assisting me in the treatment area now spoke, her voice carrying determination just like mine. "I will be supporting Lady Celeste in whatever she does." I turned to look Mirelle in the eyes.
Mirelle had been carrying and been doing physical labor in the treatment center, and those people she carried to be healed or carted off somewhere because we were too late, were people in the Adventurers Guild who had been sparring with Mirelle. It was people from the Adventurers Guild, people we knew and interacted with, were now heavily injured or dead.
It wasn't a pleasant scene for neither of us, it only fueled our determination in going to the front and fight off the [Monster Wave], we couldn't bear to watch anymore of the people we knew come back heavily injured and never seeing some of them again. "Big sis Celeste, Big sis Mirelle, please don't go!" Clara had heard our conversation and voiced her protest against our plans. "Celeste, you just recovered from overusing your Mana." Elaria's voice rang out from one direction.
"It won't happen again." I turned to look Elaria in the eyes, showing my resolve and determination, reassuring her. "I had collapsed because the spell I casted wasn't fully completed." Elaria was silent, only staring at me with this worried look on her face. "You've seen me fight the Orcs, I will be fine." I reminded Elaria of our first encounter, but she still remained silent as she continued to stare at me silently.
Only after a moment of silence from everyone, did Elaria spoke. "Just be safe, okay?" her voice carrying a worried tone, it felt sincere but heavy. Elaria was truly against it, but with the power she had saw from our first encounter, she knew that I would be fine, but she just couldn't help but worry. "I will, I promise." I reassured her, as I placed one of my hands towards my chest. "...Are you really going?" Clara had tears in her eyes, as she spoke.
"Yes." I replied to her, making sure my tone carried the weight of its meaning, along with my confidence of returning safely. "Don't worry Clara, I'll be with Lady Celeste!" Mirelle chimed in, as she pumped her fist to her heart. Clara was obviously still against Mirelle and I from fighting the monster wave, but she eventually gives in.
Another deciding factor which made me want to fight the monster wave, was because of something I overheard from one of the town's guards. It seemed other gates were also having difficulties, and reinforcements weren't something they could just send over to us, as they were preoccupied, if they tried to send reinforcements without care, they could be the one to suffer, which made every single gate being protected all on their own.
I kneeled on one knee, gently caressing Clara's head, looking into her eyes about to burst into tears. "Clara, I'll be okay. I swear." I reassured her, taking my hand away as I reach my pinky finger out. "...What's this?" Clara asked curiously, "This is a symbol of promise, we interlock our pinky and make a vow." I explained how pinky promise vaguely work to Clara.
"Like this." I raised Clara's pinky finger and wrap my own pinky with hers. "I promise to return to Clara, safely." shaking our hands before eventually letting go. "We'll be back." I said to both Clara and Elaria, as we left. Clara held her pinky finger close to her heart. Mumbling something to herself, as Elaria stood beside her praying for our safety. Truly a fitting image from someone who was raised by a priest.
Mirelle and I quickly approached the gate preparing ourselves to face countless monsters with Tsukihana in my arms. As we got closer to the gates, the sound of fighting grew ever louder. Reaching the gates, what we saw outside was different from what we expected, it was far different. Numerous weak monsters rushing towards the gate, as other monsters were attacking the Adventurers and Knights, some were even only looking at the fight, some sneaking around, it was pure chaos.
Suddenly without warning, a whoosh passed by Mirelle and I followed by a loud bang. Looking back, we saw a big stump imbedded into the ground far behind us. The big monsters were using the trees from the [Dark Forest] as a sort of throwable weapons, they were all far smarter than I had thought. There were even some monsters I've never encountered during my time in the [Dark Forest].
This was truly a dangerous fight; it wasn't something on the likes of dungeon exploration, nor was it anything like I have ever experience, we had to be careful at all times. It wasn't the time to be staring blankly, Mirelle and I immediately went into stance as we locked unto our first target. It was numerous Gnolls with various weapons, who surrounded a Party of Adventurers who looked like they were having a hard time.
"Mirelle, help them." I said to Mirelle, "Yes, Lady Witch!" Mirelle responded as she swiftly lunged towards the Party of Adventurers. "Tsukihana, stay on my shoulder." I ordered Tsukihana, as I quickly followed Mirelle to not only provide support for her, but for the Party of Adventurers we were heading to.