A Hospital in Another World? chapter-239

An hour after the battle, the second team of pursuers reined in their horses and began inspecting the scattered traces on the ground.

"There was a battle here."

"No doubt about it—" The second cavalryman dismounted, stooping down to examine the disturbed earth with narrowed eyes. Suddenly, he drew his sword and stabbed the ground a few times, lifting several clumps of soil in succession:

"There’s blood. And quite a lot of it."

"One person couldn’t have bled this much."

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"The scene has been tampered with. The ones who cleaned up the scene..." He almost lay on the ground, spreading his thumb and forefinger as far apart as possible, measuring the footprints on the ground:

"Only one. If our side had won, there would be no need to bury the bloodstains before leaving, so—it’s that intruder who harmed our brothers!"

"Find him, track him down!"

With his command, the squad dispersed, searching in all directions for traces. Before long, the cavalrymen began reporting:

"I have horseshoe prints here!"

"There are some in the direction behind us too! Judging by the depth of the prints, someone was riding!"

"To the left, down the slope, there are crushed grass leaves all the way!"

"There’s also a fork to the right up ahead!"

"This..." The captain hesitated. Lowering his head in thought, he pulled out a copper tube, vigorously striking the flint to ignite the fuse. The flare soared into the sky, and the captain turned to his subordinates:

"Continue the search! We must find more traces so that when reinforcements arrive, they can determine the target’s location!"

And so, Marcus Breno successfully delayed the pursuers’ steps. He rode wildly, traversing mountains and rivers, erasing his scent by wading through water, tirelessly wandering back and forth all day, and amazingly managed to elude the pursuers. —However, he was gradually reaching his limit.

His forehead was burning.

Breathing was difficult.

All the dry rations he carried were gone, and though he had found some black bread on the bodies of the few cavalrymen he killed, when he took a bite, the fiery pain spread from his gums to his palate. He managed to swallow down half a piece, but before long, he vomited it all out. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Is there... anywhere he could rest for a moment...

Marcus lay on the ridge, looking down below. In the twilight, smoke rose from the foot of the mountain, where a small village lay. A stream flowed out of the valley, winding its way past the village, then curved into a long oval lake. In the center of the lake rose a small island, densely covered with vegetation, resembling an open eye when viewed from afar.

Marcus’s spirits lifted. That island—that lake shaped like an eye, he had seen it on the map before he set out, with a teleportation array of the Holy See! As long as he could make it here, his mission would be at least halfway accomplished!

Observing the path down the mountain for a moment, he dismounted and turned his horse. Patting its rump, the horse neighed and took a few steps before standing still in confusion. Marcus, resolute, drew his dagger and stabbed it into the horse’s flank. Startled, the horse immediately galloped along the mountain path. With the sound of hooves fading away, it was soon out of earshot.

Then, the thief turned and dashed towards the direction of the village along the steep slope without a path, cutting through thorns and bushes, racing straight towards the village.

He was originally an eighth-level thief. Despite consecutive injuries and illnesses, weakening his strength further, he was still much stronger than an ordinary person. The overgrown slope of the hill could hardly be traversed by ordinary villagers, but it didn’t hinder him much. In the blink of an eye, covered in grass and dirt, he stood at the foot of the mountain, looking towards the village from afar.

Night fell fastest in the valley. Often, there would still be twilight on the ridges, but once in the valley, it was almost impossible to see the vegetation on the roadside. Marcus walked outward based on his memory, and in no time, he saw a dozen or so houses in the small village, with flickering lights and the faint aroma of food drifting in the wind.

Marcus hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to kill unnecessarily, so instead of walking straight in, he cautiously circumvented the village along the fence, intending to steal some food and leave. After walking a few tens of steps, he saw shimmering water not far away—it was a reservoir dug by the villagers. The gurgling spring water sounded refreshing, and Marcus suddenly felt thirsty. He bent down by the pool, cupping water to drink.

After just three or four sips, he felt discomfort in his chest and abdomen, churning like a stormy sea. Marcus tried to turn his head away, but it was too late. With a retching sound, the contents of his stomach surged out from his mouth and nose. Threads of vomit spread out in the pool, mingling with remnants of the dry rations he had eaten during the day.

Marcus lay by the pool, vomiting until he was exhausted, covered in cold sweat. His throat burned fiercely, accompanied by the sour and rancid taste in his mouth. He struggled to sit up, moving a few steps to the side and rinsing his mouth with the clear spring water.

Just as he rinsed, there was a rustling sound nearby, followed by a very tender and soft exclamation:

"Oops!!!"

"Who?!"

Marcus instinctively rolled to the side, his right hand reaching for his waist, gripping the dagger tightly. With his left hand on the ground, he crouched and sprung forward, the dagger already halfway out of its sheath.

However, the one who exclaimed ten steps away was just a small girl, no more than five or six years old. Barefoot, with a ragged woolen coat and tattered edges hanging down. Her red hair was bright, her eyes crystal clear, looking at him with curiosity and concern, without a hint of disdain or disgust.

Marcus’s hand weakened. This little girl... with her red hair and watery eyes, she looked exactly like his little Maria. Before Maria was taken away by the Holy See for training, she had the same innocent and lovely appearance...

It had been seven years since he had seen his daughter...

"You..."

Marcus involuntarily softened his voice. The little girl had already run to him in a pitter-patter, looking up at him:

"Mister, are you feeling unwell? Do you want to vomit? I just picked some fruits, they’re sour and eating them makes you feel better, you won’t feel like vomiting anymore!"

She raised her hands. A bunch of black berries, with twigs and leaves, was held up to Marcus.

...Yes, just like little Maria, her heart was the kindest...

Marcus tremblingly accepted the bunch. Picking one, putting it in his mouth, not knowing what it tasted like, he swallowed it with saliva. His chest didn’t feel as heavy, and he rinsed his hands in the pool, shaking off the water, and touched the girl’s head:

"Little girl, thank you. Mister still

has something to do, so I have to go."

"You... you’re leaving?"

The little girl seemed disappointed. But after a moment, she suddenly clapped her hands and exclaimed:

"I know! I can take you to the teleportation array! My home is on the island in the middle of the lake. We can cross the lake on a boat!"

Marcus hesitated. He couldn’t refuse such a warm-hearted child, could he? He didn’t have the heart to disappoint her, so he nodded with a smile:

"Okay, lead the way."

The little girl happily took Marcus’s hand. Although her palm was thin and soft, her grip was firm, leading Marcus towards the village.

Along the way, Marcus carefully observed the surroundings. The village was not big, and there were only about twenty or so small houses. But unlike other places he had passed through, there were no guard dogs barking, and the villagers didn’t show any signs of fear when they saw him. On the contrary, they smiled and nodded to him as if he were a passing traveler. Could this be a peaceful and harmonious village? Marcus felt somewhat doubtful.

After crossing the village, the little girl led Marcus to the lake shore. A small wooden boat was moored there, with two paddles lying flat in the boat. The little girl jumped into the boat agilely, turning around and gesturing to Marcus:

"Mister, come on! Let’s go!"

Marcus also jumped into the boat. Sitting down in the center, he picked up one of the paddles and rowed slowly towards the island. The little girl sat at the bow, her red hair fluttering in the wind, giggling and chattering non-stop.

"Big brother, are you from outside? Why are you here? What’s your name? My name is Anna, and my father’s name is Julian. He’s the village chief. Oh, oh, we’re almost there!"

Marcus listened quietly, occasionally responding with a smile or a nod. The little girl’s innocent and lively voice warmed his heart, dispelling the coldness and desolation that had surrounded him for so long.

Soon, the boat reached the island. Marcus leaped out first, holding the boat steady for the little girl to disembark. Then, he pulled the boat ashore and looked around.

The island was not big, only about two acres in size. However, it was densely covered with trees and bushes, forming a natural barrier. In the center of the island stood a quaint wooden house, surrounded by a neat vegetable garden and a chicken coop. Smoke curled up from the chimney, and the sound of laughter and chatter came from inside the house.

The little girl tugged at Marcus’s sleeve and said excitedly:

"Let’s go, big brother! My father is waiting for us!"

Marcus nodded and followed Anna towards the house. As they approached, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with a kind face stepped out. He wore a simple linen shirt and trousers, with a wooden pipe in his mouth. Seeing Anna, he smiled and said:

"Anna, you’re back! Did you pick some berries again?"

"Yes, dad! And I made a new friend! This is big brother!"

Anna pointed at Marcus with a smile. The man’s gaze fell on Marcus, and his expression changed slightly. He seemed to sense something unusual about Marcus, but he quickly smiled and extended his hand:

"Welcome, big brother. I’m Julian, the village chief. Please come in and have some tea."

Marcus hesitated for a moment before shaking hands with Julian. He felt a warm and sincere energy emanating from the man, dispelling the doubts and fears in his heart. With a nod, he followed Julian into the house.

The interior of the house was simple but cozy. A fire was burning in the fireplace, and a pot of tea was simmering on the stove. A middle-aged woman with a gentle smile was sitting at the table, peeling potatoes. When she saw Marcus, she greeted him warmly:

"Welcome, young man. I’m Julian’s wife, Sarah. Please have a seat and make yourself at home."

Marcus nodded gratefully and took a seat at the table. Julian poured him a cup of tea and sat down opposite him. The atmosphere was peaceful and harmonious, far removed from the chaos and violence of the outside world.

As Marcus sipped his tea, he couldn’t help but wonder: Who were these people, and why were they so kind to him? Was it just their nature, or did they have some ulterior motive?

Before he could ponder further, Anna suddenly exclaimed:

"Dad, big brother is injured! Look, there’s blood on his clothes!"

Julian’s expression changed slightly as he glanced at Marcus’s torn and blood-stained clothes. He frowned and asked:

"Big brother, what happened to you? Were you attacked by bandits?"

Marcus hesitated for a moment before nodding:

"Yes, I was attacked by a group of bandits. But I managed to escape and stumbled upon your village. I apologize for intruding like this."

Julian’s expression softened, and he shook his head with a smile:

"Don’t apologize, big brother. You’re welcome here. We may be a small village, but we believe in helping those in need. Sarah, could you bring some bandages and medicine? Let’s take care of his wounds."

Sarah nodded and quickly fetched a first aid kit from a cupboard. She carefully cleaned and bandaged Marcus’s wounds, applying a soothing salve to ease the pain. Marcus couldn’t help but feel touched by their kindness and compassion.

As he sat by the fire, surrounded by the warmth of the family, Marcus felt a sense of peace and tranquility wash over him. For the first time in a long while, he felt safe and at ease, far away from the dangers and hardships of the outside world.

As he sipped his tea and listened to the crackling of the fire, Marcus couldn’t help but wonder: Could this village be his sanctuary, a place where he could find refuge from the chaos and turmoil that plagued the land? Only time would tell.

But for now, he would cherish this moment of respite, grateful for the kindness of strangers who had welcomed him with open arms.

And so, Marcus Breno found himself embraced by the warmth and hospitality of the village, his heart filled with hope and gratitude as he embarked on a new chapter of his journey.