Chapter 18: The Resolution to Set Off
“Munch, huff huff, gulp gulp.”
The elf girl, who had been lying down until earlier, is now currently vigorously eating the milk porridge with bread that Tina brought for her.
The milk porridge is made from adding honey to warm goat milk. There are pieces of bread put in there. It’s a dish that is sweet and full of nutrition, perfect for most sick people.
The children are looking at her with envious gazes. Both my examination and her own statement indicate that she collapsed without being able to move due to an empty stomach.
“Then, how did you collapse?”
“Munch, gulp. The reafhon wafh,”
“Stop there, it’s okay not to answer. I’ll listen to you once you’ve finished eating.”
I have so many things to ask, but I decided to wait until the elf girl is done eating.
☘
“Huuuff, that was delicious. You brought me back to life.”
With the corner of her lips white from the milk, she murmurs in satisfaction. She’s a beautiful type with golden hair and blue eyes, but something about her gives a messy impression. She’s so energetic that I can’t connect her to the person who collapsed not too long ago. I should be able to ask her without worrying though.
“I’ll ask you again. Tell me, how did you collapse?”
When I ask, the elf girl makes a small pondering gesture before opening her mouth.
“I, set off on a journey, to a human kingdom, from the spirit village. But, no matter where I went, I couldn’t find any humans. I ate all my rations, I failed to hunt, then I collapsed because my stomach was empty. Generous man, thank you for the meal. You saved my life.”
The elf girl speaks apologetically.
“Well, don’t mind it. Why did you come to a human kingdom in the first place?”
Elves are an exclusive race; they live self-sufficiently without mingling with other villages, living by themselves in the village and forest where they are born until their death, or so I heard. That’s why, even though people have heard about their existences, those who have seen them personally are exceedingly rare.
“Right now, the spirit village is in a bad situation...... a plague has spread, everyone collapsed. Me, who was still healthy, went out to buy medicine. Elven medicine didn’t work. But, I think human medicine might.”
I see, it fits my previous knowledge if she set off from the spirit village in order to save them. The medical development in human towns will be superior to a secluded village.
“But, I’m glad that I’ve arrived in a human kingdom in this way. At a glance, you seem to be a doctor. Can you cure everyone’s illness?”
The elf girl stares at me earnestly. What to do? She seems to have concluded that I’m the doctor here from my medical examination and the reaction of the people surrounding us.
“I haven’t heard about the patient’s condition, but regarding diseases, there are those that can be healed and cannot be healed. The result and the necessary medicine are also different. There are diseases that can’t even be healed by medicines in the first place. If possible, I’d like to hear the full story.”
I have a bad feeling about this. This elf is more ignorant than I thought. She wasn’t even aware how important it was to be specific about the disease. She spoke as if a good medicine would work effectively on any disease.
“Uh, there are violent coughs, then collapsing, then the fever goes really high. No appetite. In weak ones, they die after a month. Really terrible illness!”
The elf girl tries to describe the disease as best as she can.
“It’s no good. It’s too vague. I don’t have knowledge of it...... and most likely, the others are the same. I can make you medicine to stop the fever, though. But I can’t declare that it will save everyone more than that. I’ve told you this earlier, but there are medicines that will cure the symptoms, but there are also a lot of diseases that cannot be healed by medicines.”
“It can’t be.. Then, why did I go for. At this rate, the spirit village,”
A plague that makes an elf’s village perishes. If it happens in a human town, it will become a huge topic. I never heard anything like that happening recently, either in the Arnold fief or in Margrave Fernande’s territory. Most likely, it’s an unknown disease.
“If it’s Kurt-aniki, aren’t you able to cure them? See, you saved Mille, don’t you have that miraculous black medicine!?”
Johann cuts in from the sideline.
Indeed, in order to hide my power of Recovery, I made up something about a black medicine that could heal anything.
“Such a thing!? Please! I beg you, share that medicine! I, not only me, but all of the elves will give you anything in return, as long as we have them. Elves are bound by their vows, we will never lie. Trust me!”
When she heard Johann’s words, the elf girl deeply lowers her head.
I lost the chance to tell her that I cannot do that.
I’m hesitating.
I can cure the elves.
Should I let them die to protect the secret of Recovery? Is it really good to cast despair on this desperate girl? However, I don’t know if I can protect my secret if I do something as showy as curing an entire village. My Recovery is so dangerous that I have to be prepared for an instant destruction once someone else finds out about it. Its utility value is too high.
“I beg you!”
The elf girl pleads again.
When I’m still pressed for words without actually being able to answer, the elf girl raises her head to see my response. Then her eyes go open wide. Within her sight, there’s Tina.
“Culrina-anesama?”
The girl calls Tina with a name that I didn’t recognize.
“Culrina-anesama, why are you in this kind of place? Please, I beg Culrina-anesama as well. The village, the village will disappear, everyone will die.”
The elf girl grabs Tina’s shoulders then makes a desperate urging.
Tina is in dismay.
That’s not a reaction for an unknown Culrina to her.
“Tina, do you know this Culrina person?”
When I ask her, Tina nods, then slowly opens her mouth.
“It’s, my mother’s name.”
That one sentence is enough to surprise every single person here.
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