"By the way, did you recover that monster's cleaver?"
"There wasn't any cleaver." The soldier looked utterly puzzled. "Apart from the silver sword you dropped, there was only a broken old broom in the courtyard."
Dick silently regretted the loss. It seemed that was merely a skill unique to the Broom Witch, one that could turn her broom into an incredibly sharp, powerful weapon.
He had originally thought he could melt down her cleaver afterward and make a new weapon.
Still, losses came with gains. This was already a good outcome.
Dick nodded again, while the soldier beside him held a full set of leather armor with a shield resting on top.
The soldier said, "Master Dick, Young Master Kebi said your armor was damaged in battle, so please wear this set when it's time to defend the city.
"The Jatu soldiers are all outside now. They're skilled archers, so you can use the shield to block their arrows.
"Most importantly, wearing this armor, they won't recognize you as a witcher. Even if..."
"Even if what?"
"Young Master Kebi said that even if we fail to defend the city, dressed like this, you won't stand out as a witcher. With your skills, you'll have a good chance of escaping."
"That was thoughtful of him." Dick took the armor, reflecting inwardly:
Kebi had still seemed so rash when they hunted Drowners together. He hadn't expected him to grow so quickly in just a few days, or to become so considerate.
If this immense burden didn't crush him, then after being tempered by war, Kebi would surely transform into a very formidable man.
There were only a few men in the courtyard, so Dick had no reservations and quickly stripped off his armor.
The witcher armor he wore, both the short leather cuirass on his upper body and the armored trousers below, had been left in tatters by his battle with the shapeshifting crone.
Dick felt a little pained, but this was war. War always brought losses, and the armor had fulfilled its purpose by keeping its owner alive.
The moonlight illuminated his powerful physique:
He wasn't especially tall or large, but two clearly defined pectoral muscles stood out on his chest, with six neatly arranged abdominal muscles below;
His powerful arms also displayed the witcher's sheer ferocity, and the wounds on his body that had slowly begun to scab over made Dick look even more brimming with masculinity.
Only then did the soldiers beside him notice the dozens of scabbed wounds on Dick's body. They clicked their tongues in astonishment, unable to imagine how brutal the battle had been.
At the same time, the respect in their eyes deepened.
As Dick changed, he examined his scars. He noticed that the old scars, which had been there for who knew how many years, seemed to be slowly fading and shrinking, while some of the small wounds he had just received in battle were already gradually healing;
Even those scabs seemed close to cracking and falling off. Even the wound across his chest from the Broom Witch's sweeping slash, which had originally been deep enough to expose bone, was now slowly healing, with a thin membrane of flesh growing over its surface.
He knew this was the effect of the [Intermediate Self-Healing] he had acquired.
Though this self-healing ability wasn't as fast as a Swallow Potion, it had no toxicity and could remain active continuously.
Just as he thought this, Dick's stomach growled, and he suddenly felt ravenous. It seemed this self-healing ability consumed a tremendous amount of his body's energy.
Once he had put on the armor, Dick looked at one of the soldiers and handed him the Broom Witch's bag:
"Sorry for the trouble, but please put these materials in Xiya's laboratory. It's on the left side of the room; you'll find it as soon as you enter. There's a sealed steel chest in the corner. Open it and arrange these materials neatly inside.
"That's the laboratory's freezer."
"Rest assured, I'll see it done."
The soldier took it, turned, and went inside to carry out Dick's instructions.
Another soldier beside him handed over some food.
"Master Dick, Kebi said you'd surely be hungry after the battle. We prepared food long ago, though it's only military rations...
"It's made from black bread with a little honey and cheese added. It doesn't taste good, but it'll quickly replenish the energy your body has lost."
"He really was thoughtful."
Dick took it and ate where he stood, occasionally drinking a mouthful of water from a cowhide waterskin.
After a while, Dick felt his hunger fade and looked in puzzlement at the two soldiers who had arrived later. "Aren't you leaving?"
"No. Master Dick, when it's time to defend the city, we'll go with you."
"All right. I'm going to rest for a while."
"Please rest. We'll call you when it's time to leave."
Then Dick found a quiet spot in the courtyard, knelt down, and began meditating to restore his energy.
After an unknown amount of time, a soldier's voice reached his ears.
"Master Dick, the Jatu-the Jatu are attacking the city! Did you hear that horn?"
Dick had already heard the long, drawn-out sound in the distance. It was the horn of war-the Jatu were attacking.
Dick nodded. Holding the shield in his left hand and carrying his steel sword at his right side, he headed silently toward the city gate, with the two soldiers following close behind.
Soon, the three reached the gate.
The street was deserted except for several orderly ranks of fully armed soldiers.
But when Dick looked at their faces, they were all as frightened and bewildered as the soldier who had delivered the message earlier, showing no sense of security about what was about to happen.
Standing before these soldiers was a fully armed knight, clad in armor and wearing a heavy silver helmet. His visor had been removed, however, revealing Kebi's resolute face.
"Brothers," Kebi shouted, his voice echoing through the castle, "the Jatu outside are brutal by nature, like the demons of Hell in the stories.
"If we fail to protect this city and let them break in, this place will become a living hell.
"They'll burn, kill, plunder, and commit every evil imaginable. Our homes and loved ones will face utter destruction."
The soldiers listened quietly, their bewilderment gradually fading.
Their commander's words reminded them:
No one knew what the future held, but if the Jatu broke in, they and their families would face utter destruction.
Seeing this, Kebi decided to press harder. "I know you're afraid. In truth, I'm afraid too. But we have no choice. We must hold Odinburg."
The knight-in-training paused, then continued passionately, "If we fail to defend the city, a few lucky ones among you may survive, but most will die.
"Those who survive may think, can't I keep living if I just surrender?
"But let me tell you this: the Jatu never accept surrendering soldiers. There has never been a case of them doing so.
"Nobles are an exception, of course, because the Jatu have leaders too, and they'll exchange captured nobles for their own captured leaders.
"But I'm different from you. As the adopted son of Baron Odin III, I'm a noble by birth.
"I may have a slim chance of survival, but what about you?
"They'll kill you without hesitation, kill your loved ones, and violate your wives and daughters, because keeping you alive has no value to them. Killing you, on the other hand, can demonstrate the valor of the Jatu Demons.
"You're not like me...
"You have no way out!"