"Don’t worry. He’s weak, but his will to live is very strong," the doctor replied, still fanning Kai’s burning, feverish body.
Sylas knelt down next to the slave, wondering if he was still alive. Kai didn’t make a sound or whimper at all, only trembled and remained tense. His face was flushed, his lips pale, cracked, and dry.
Alvaro came closer, watching Kai’s wounds boil like water. Blood and wide marks erupted, slowly turning black and bruised as if rotting beneath the skin.
Kai occasionally pursed his lips, gritting his teeth. But he made no sound at all.
Alvaro was curious how the slave endured the pain as he watched the ointments and potions take effect—an already horrifying process to witness.
"Does it hurt?" Alvaro asked.
The doctor nodded. "I gave him the highest dose. It was better for him. And I don’t think you’ll be here for very long."
Alvaro nodded, then opened his palm. There were claw wounds, but they were only a few inches deep and already drying out. He held it up for the doctor.
"Can you give it to me too?" he asked.
The doctor nodded. "If that’s what you want," he said, reaching for a nearby bowl. "You will feel a bit of pain, though."
Alvaro just nodded. Seeing Kai’s reaction, he was sure he could handle it. He quickly rolled up his sleeves, making it easier for the doctor to apply the ointment to his palm, leading up to his wrist. He felt a chill as the thick liquid from the bowl touched his skin.
Not too bad, Alvaro thought. But it didn’t last long. Two seconds later, he felt the wound begin to heat up.
Alvaro winced as the heat and pain radiated through his body from just the small cut on his hand. He could see how the medicine reacted with the wound, which now looked like a blister, inflamed and angry.
"Damn!" He gritted his teeth, shaking his hand, trying to reduce the heat. But the burning intensified until he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He groaned and swore, clenching his hands into fists.
"What did you give me? Damn it, this hurts!" Alvaro shouted, gripping his arm tightly.
Sylas approached, watching how the knightly Alvaro moved wildly in pain.
"Take it easy, it won’t last more than an hour. But after that, the wound will dry up," the doctor said calmly, still fanning Kai’s trembling body.
As Alvaro struggled with the pain, he shuddered at the sight of Kai’s body, which was covered in all kinds of wounds. With only a few inches of injury on his hand, Alvaro was already struggling. He couldn’t imagine the level of pain Kai was enduring.
Yet the slave made no sound at all. He was silent. His face was red, his breathing irregular, and his hands clenched tightly. Alvaro just now noticed that Kai’s lips were trembling slightly. He could feel the slave’s pain and understood what he was going through.
Alvaro approached Kai, trying to ignore the pain in his own hands. He didn’t want to look weak. Sitting at the slave’s side, he held Kai’s tightly clenched hand. The slave’s hand shook violently in his grasp.
"Hey, you don’t have to hold back. Scream if it hurts!" said Alvaro.
Sylas looked at them both. Then he spoke to Alvaro. "Does it really hurt?"
Alvaro looked at Sylas. "Imagine burning your hand with a hot iron. That’s how it feels. And imagine that it stays like that for an hour."
In horror, Sylas winced, appalled at the thought of the pain Alvaro described. Then he looked at Kai, who was still motionless and deathly pale.
"If he were an ordinary person, I’d have to tie him up so he wouldn’t move. But he’s a slave, so this kind of pain is normal for him," the doctor said, noticing their concern.
"Still, he doesn’t react at all. Is he okay?" asked Sylas.
The doctor nodded. "Of course. I won’t kill him."
The doctor then explained that slaves have excellent self-control. They are trained to keep their feelings and thoughts to themselves, living only to serve their masters’ every whim.
Sylas couldn’t understand that concept. "He’s human. How can he survive that kind of life?"
"He doesn’t know anything else. Especially in Omino. Since birth, all he’s known is training and more training. His way of thinking is different from ordinary people. He was trained to be obedient." The doctor rubbed the wounds that were now drying on Kai’s body. The source of thɪs content is novel•fire.net
The doctor knew many things about Omino, having worked there in his youth for several years before deciding to leave.
Sylas shook his head. He felt sorry for a slave so weak and helpless, yet still forced to work as if nothing were wrong.
"Doctor, can I leave him here? Please take care of him," Sylas asked. "I’m sure he’ll help you."
The doctor smiled. "You won’t be able to make him stay here. I don’t mind if he wants to stay."
Kai seemed to lose consciousness. His hands relaxed, and his breathing weakened. But the doctor remained calm, continuing to treat the wounds all over the slave’s body with practiced patience.
Sylas gave him some gold coins, which the doctor refused.
"I don’t accept payment. Keep them to care for him later," the doctor said.
Sylas shook his head. "I won’t take him. He’s free. I don’t need a slave."
The doctor was silent. He said nothing, but he also didn’t accept the gold coins despite Sylas’ insistence. Finally, Sylas gave up and excused himself to leave.
For the last time, Sylas looked at Kai, who was still lying there, limp and unmoving. The slave’s handsome face was calm at this moment. He hoped the slave would live a better life in the future, far away from chains and cruel obedience.
"We’re leaving," Sylas told Alvaro.
They left the slave behind. They didn’t know how terrible it would be for Kai—how the slave might die just because he felt abandoned and unwanted.
The doctor simply waited for the slave to wake, but he was certain the boy wouldn’t last long in his place.