Chapter 3 – Part 1 (Calohas 1)

The road to Calohas was long and rough.

It had been more than two days since they had set out. They pitched their tents on the side of a mountain and prepared to camp.

The soldiers were sitting on the dirt, resting, with their commander by their side.

Anne stood before one of the soldiers who had been struggling to move and was now groaning in pain.

“Are you in any pain?”

“…Between my toes, it’s really bad.”

“Which part exactly is bothering you?”

Anne pulled off the soldier’s shoes and socks. Evan, who was watching, looked at her in disbelief.

“It looks like a blister has burst. Are these not your usual shoes?”

“Yeah. My old shoes got worn out… so I got new ones before we moved.”

Even at a glance, the shoes looked new.

Anne nodded and took a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic and placed it on the man’s big toe.

“Bear with the pain for a bit. Since the hygiene here isn’t great, it could get infected. We’ll keep disinfecting it for now. Take this.”

Anne shoved the gauze into the man’s hand.

“It’s good to cover the blister with this.”

“Thank you.”

Anne stood up straight, looked around, and called out.

“If anyone is not feeling well, please tell me right away.”

“Yes!”

Anne left the roaring voices of the soldiers behind her and sat down in front of a lake to dip her hands in.

A large hand grabbed hers.

“Commander?”

“It’s just a blister.”

Anne quickly pulled her hand away from Evan and wiped it roughly on her pants.

“If a blister isn’t treated promptly, it can become a problem.”

Evan snorted and whispered in her ear.

“Do you know that some of the men I brought here are quite ignorant of the rumors?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“They think the relationship between Lieutenant Riley and the Commander is just one between a superior and a subordinate.”

Anne gave a small smile and breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t that Evan had deliberately chosen such men, but it still made her feel more at ease.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“A relief?”

Evan looked into Anne’s face to see if she truly thought so.

When a soldier went to the medic for something as minor as a blister, they usually got yelled at and sent away. Knowing this, a soldier complaining about a blister must be trying to impress Anne because they liked her. However, Anne didn’t seem to notice this at all and instead looked at Evan strangely.

“When will we reach our destination? And what exactly am I supposed to do there? I haven’t been told clearly.”

Throughout the journey, Anne had been pondering over the purpose stated in the documents: “medical support and supply procurement.” She was unsure about the extent of the medical support required as there were no clear guidelines.

“We’ll soon reach Dehart Fortress.”

“A fortress?”

“It’s located in a basin area, so it’s a natural fortress. However, on the opposite side of the fortress, fierce battles are still ongoing, so don’t even think about going out there.”

“…Then, the supplies we’re bringing won’t be enough…!”

Evan shook his head.

“We already have enough supplies in the castle basement, but….”

“But what?”

“There are too many casualties; most of them die while waiting to be treated. So prove yourself here.”

“You mean I can try the blood transfusion here?”

“…Yes. Inside the fortress.”

Anne looked at him uneasily.

Blood transfusions, as far as she knew, were proven safe, but there was no telling what variables would be involved here.

Besides, she thought, the soldiers had given their consent beforehand, with the stipulation that it would only be performed if the man’s life was beyond hope.

Anne threw her hands up in the air in denial.

“I can’t do that.”

“…Why?”

Anne glanced at him, then continued coldly.

“Transfusions with healthy soldiers will likely be rejected because it would weaken our fighting force and the act itself could be traumatizing.”

Anne cleared her throat nervously.

“What I mean is, we should only draw blood from those who have given prior consent and are near death. It’s a cruel idea, you know that, right?”

“Yes.”

“But if blood transfusions became commonplace, the number of people who survive would be exponentially higher than it is now.”

Anne lifted her head and looked Evan straight in the eye.

“This whole premise requires a system to be set up among the field hospitals scattered around the country to make sure every soldier is consenting, and that’s not something we can do right now because we can’t even get consent from those who are in combat right now.”

Anne pushed her frustration aside and threw a rock into the lake.

The plump stone splashed into the water, creating a refreshing sound.

A wave of bittersweetness washed over her.

Before, she had thought transfusions were a chance to save many lives. But now, she was torn between saving those with no hope and prioritizing those who might survive.

At that moment, Evan spoke.

“Do it anyway. It doesn’t matter how cruel or unethical it is.”

“Commander!”

“I’m your superior, and I’ll take full responsibility. Just proceed. Can’t you just collect the consent forms as you go?”

“This isn’t something that can be brushed aside! This brutal choice is my doing!”

“I’ll sacrifice one for the deaths of four.”

Anne was speechless, grappling with the moral implications of Evan’s directive.

“That’s the problem!”

Evan turned to Anne with a smirk as her voice rose.

“Let me ask you something. If you and your brother were both seriously injured in battle and on the brink of death, and your brother could be saved by the method you mentioned, would you refuse?”

“That’s….”

“If using unconscious soldiers bothers you so much, why not also give the option of using healthy ones’ blood?”

“That’s…….”

Anne was visibly struggling with the dilemma, unable to hide her confusion. Evan gently tousled her hair and spoke.

“This is your chance. Use your skills to save lives. But there’s one rule you must absolutely follow.”

“What is it?”

“You can only do your work within the fortress walls. Remember that.”

Evan Davis’s eyes were filled with certainty as he looked at Anne. His actions, as if she held such immense value, left Anne speechless and staring at him with parted lips.

Why?

Anne looked at him seriously, sensing the trust he had in her, which stirred a deep-seated fear within her.

“Do you think I could have done this if I were a slave?”

Anne Riley finally opened her mouth.

She hadn’t wanted to reveal this, but she feared that if this situation grew too large, it would become problematic.

Her heart was pounding wildly, and she regretted her words almost immediately.

“Ha, are you trying to test me with that lie? If you were a slave, you wouldn’t have been able to touch soldiers’ bodies, even in war. Slaves would be used as human shields at the front lines. Don’t say such things lightly.”

Anne blanched at the coldness with which Evan Davis spoke, even though it was so obvious.

‘I’ve started a lie I can’t handle. Just like in my previous life, I’m struggling in this one.’

Anne recalled being called a “lowly thing” in the Einers household. She felt compelled to hide the days she spent sewing the maids’ clothes in the unlit basement.

Anne feigned nonchalance and took Evan’s hand.

“…Sometimes, a girl just wants to see how a man reacts. I appreciate you acknowledging my abilities. I’ll do it.”

“That’s a good idea, and I’ll make sure you put it into practice as soon as we get to the fortress.”

Anne clasped her hands together and smiled nonchalantly. But her hands were trembling.

* * * While procuring supplies on the middle supply route, Anne looked around. The steep mountain ridges stretched out in a magnificent display.

If they followed the path through the mountains, they would see sights not yet witnessed. Unlike the rear with the field hospitals, fierce battles were said to occur daily beyond this point.

The soldiers bustled about, quietly packing up.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, I am.”

Shouldering her medical kit, Anne slipped through the middle supply line.

One thing was certain: camping outside was extremely tough. Despite holding out as much as she could, the physical fatigue and the mental strain of heading to a battlefield were accumulating.

Anne quickened her pace, but the distance between her and the well-trained soldiers kept growing.

By the time the fortress walls came into view from a distance, she had opened a hidden underground passageway in the forest. It revealed a deep hole with no visible bottom.

“Everyone, go in.”

At Joseph’s command, a dozen men jumped down the hole without a moment’s hesitation.

Anne peered into the passageway. It was too dark to see anything, and she couldn’t gauge the depth, making her hesitate.

“I’ll go down first, Anne Riley. I’ll catch you at the bottom. Just trust me and jump.”

Anne bit her lip. Looking at the hole, it looked like….

For a moment, Anne was dazed, as if she’d been hit with a large rock on the head. She’d felt that sensation of looking down from a great height before.

However, she quickly forgot what she was thinking as her vision flashed white. A voice from below snapped Anne out of her daze.

“Lieutenant Riley, jump.”