Chapter 146: Blood and Sutures
One of the agents ran to the residence and returned within seconds holding the leather briefcase. Ever since the hunting party had been on the brink of death in the forest, Kellar had prepared this first-aid kit for emergencies.
Kellar opened the case on the snow. He pulled out a bottle of antiseptic, concentrated alcohol, and a curved needle threaded with wild pig tendon—a strong, sterilized material the tribe had never seen before.
Instead of performing the procedure himself, Kellar looked at Brak, who had stepped forward with a pale face. Thanks to his passive skill [Medical Knowledge (Level 1)], Kellar clearly understood every step of the process: the depth of the incision, the angles of pressure, and the exact tension points required to close the tissue without damaging the muscle.
"Brak, take the needle," said Kellar, pointing to the wound.
Brak’s eyes widened. He took the needle with trembling fingers, hesitating as he looked at the blood on the officer’s side.
Smack!
Kellar delivered a firm slap to the back of Brak’s head, making the hunter flinch and grit his teeth.
"Control those hands!" said Kellar, letting his voice ring out harshly over him. "You have to be strong! I am not going to be at your side every time something happens out there when you go out to patrol or fight! Do it now!"
Brak swallowed hard, adjusted his posture, and nodded firmly. Guided step by step by Kellar’s precise instructions—who directed him where to pour the antiseptic, how to hold the wild pig tendon, and the exact distance between each stitch—Brak began closing the wound. Although his movements were stiff at first, the shaman’s firm voice forced him to maintain focus until he sealed the cut with clean, tight knots.
"The dagger did not hit any vital organs," said Kellar, observing the final bandage as Brak wiped away the excess blood. "Take her to the infirmary to rest. She will be back on her feet in a few days."
Mentz and the officers watched the procedure wide-eyed. Seeing Brak suture the skin under the shaman’s expert guidance instilled an overwhelming sense of respect in the young police force.
"Thank you, Great Shaman..." said the officer in a weak voice, looking at Kellar and Brak with deep gratitude before being carefully lifted by her comrades.
Kellar turned toward Mentz, whose expression reflected a mix of suppressed rage and regret for having allowed the attack to happen.
"Let this serve as a lesson to everyone," said Kellar, locking eyes with the Chief of Police. "Vigilance is never lowered, not even when the situation seems under control. Starting today, patrol units will always operate in cover teams of two. One officer intervenes; the other watches the surroundings."
"Understood, Great Shaman," said Mentz, bowing his head with a raised fist. "It will not happen again."
Kellar walked toward the hunter’s corpse still lying in the bloodstained snow and looked at Brak.
"Clean up this mess and make sure the rest of the village gets the message," said Kellar, adjusting his coat as he looked toward the horizon. "Abundance demands order, and the law of the Overlord Tribe is not negotiable with anyone."
Kellar left the courtyard and walked toward the woodworking and engineering division, where Lennis was inspecting several wagons loaded with surveying tools and detailed blueprints.
Helga had sent a message days earlier requesting more skilled workers to expand the defenses and extraction tunnels at the Mountain Fortress. Initially, Lennis planned to travel in person to oversee the construction, but Kellar was unwilling to halt progress in the main village. Consequently, Lennis had spent the last few weeks intensively training twelve highly reliable builders to serve as team leaders in the north.
"Everything is ready, Great Shaman," said Lennis, pointing toward the organized wagons. "The twelve leaders know exactly how to direct the expansion without my presence."
Kellar nodded with satisfaction. The plan for military and logistical redistribution was already laid out. The twenty professional soldiers currently guarding the fortress would not remain there permanently. Instead, Kellar would send ten of the twenty new police officers to take over internal security and civil control of the northern stronghold.
With the police securing the fortress, Kellar would take the full army to march into the Red Forest and the Lizard Forest, areas Ignis had previously cleared. The primary goal of this expedition was to completely sweep away any remaining threats and build a direct road connecting the main village with the Mountain Fortress.
Currently, the journey between both points took a full day at a hunter’s fast pace, and two to three days for civilians or heavy transports due to the rough terrain. This delay complicated the steady shipment of metal supplies and gunpowder from the north, a fortress that now housed half its original population following the execution of the traitorous nobles and the enslavement of their relatives and descendants.
Finally, Kellar returned to the main residence for a final check. There he found his women finalizing the details for the departure. They had selected ten of the most advanced children in reading to serve as teaching assistants.
Elia and Liora were set to travel to the Mountain Fortress to oversee the literacy training of the twenty stationed soldiers and the entire northern population. The cultural education of the territory could not be halted under any circumstances. Even though Kellar was reluctant to send his women to the Mountain Fortress—given that it was their main expansion point and located dangerously close to the dragon’s territory—there was no better option to carry out the task.
"Are you ready to leave?" said Kellar, stepping closer to the two sisters.
"Yes, master," said Elia immediately, bowing her head with respect.
Kellar stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes.
"Wait, wait... I think I heard a certain word..." said Kellar.
Elia flinched slightly and blushed at once, while Liora nervously wrung her hands.
"Forgive me..." said Elia, swallowing hard. "I mean... yes, my love..."
Both sisters still carried the internal stigma of being the daughters of Kellar’s former enemy. Because of that past, they did not dare view themselves as equals to Kellar’s other women, maintaining a respectful distance that he had no desire to see in his home.