“…There are still many things I would like to ask, but first, please raise your head.”
The chief was the one who broke the silence after some time.
Following his words, his amber eyes remained sharply fixed on me and his shocked expression from earlier had disappeared.
This must be his pharmacist character.
“Needless to say, it’s a given we’ll sell our medicine to the people in need. If what you’re saying is true, then there is no reason to hesitate.”
“…I can’t give you any evidence.”
I couldn’t prove my words even if they were the truth.
My face fell pathetically, but the chief simply shook his head.
“I’m not saying that you have to present any tangible evidence. Please, for now, just tell me what you know and I’ll evaluate your story after.”
I didn’t intend to withhold any secrets from them.
I told the chief and Wolf everything that I knew.
The outbreak was first confirmed in Grenze, a border town in the southwestern region of the Kingdom of Wind. Early symptoms were similar to the common cold; high fevers, uneasiness, and headaches. Drinking water, whether hot or cold, had almost no effect against the fever. This was identical to the report given by the sailor that Master Julius told me.
Therefore, there was a high chance that the medicine we were originally looking for would work on those in Grenze.
“I have heard of these symptoms before, but I cannot be completely sure unless I look at a live patient to confirm. However, perhaps I can still be of help.”
The reassuring words of the Chief eased my worry a little.
“Then-”
I was about to follow with ‘you are willing to sell your medicine?’ when the chief held up his hand.
“But there’s one more question I must ask you. Why did you come to this country? It’s not like you’re covering yourself up as a simple tourist, after all.”
“…Eh?”
I was deeply confused by the unexpected question that came my way. When I looked to Wolf for help, he, in turn, gave me a difficult face.
“Marie, you’ve always said that you wanted to find the medicine, haven’t you?”
“…Yes.”
When I replied, I thought about why Wolf was giving off such a grim expression.
It might be that the timing was too good. It’s hard to believe the fact that I was sitting right next to the person who could make the miracle medicine that would take care of this disease problem, just as the disease was breaking out.
It couldn’t be helped if they thought I was spouting some lies just to get my hands on their merchandise.
But even so, I couldn’t give him any other explanation.
I was at my wit’s end.
But I was called upon just as I was about to cave and drop my gaze once more.
“Your Highness, please don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t think what you’ve told us so far was a lie.”
“I agree. Marie isn’t someone who would lie like that.”
Wolf agreed with the chief and lightly patted my back. It felt like he told me ‘it’s fine, so sit up straight.’
“And those symptoms are not something that someone could’ve easily come up with. The story also lines up with reports about that place.”
“That place?”
“Right now, in the southwestern region of Grenze, the forests are being cut down as we speak. In places like these, diseases spread like wildfire, you know? There are a lot of sicknesses hidden in the woods that not even I know about.”
Some memories of my previous life came back to me. Stories about how there was a clear correlation between deforestation and epidemics on television shows were regularly aired.
It was said that the chance of human contact with wild animals that had been deprived of their homes due to deforestations would increase, and previously undocumented diseases would then spread. As a result of their ecosystem’s collapse, the number of small animals and insects that carried these diseases would also rise.
“Up until this point, there was nothing wrong with your story. Just that… the narrative is flowing too well. It’s as if you can see the future.”
I couldn’t do something like ‘see the future,’ but using the knowledge of the game and the knowledge I have now, it is possible to at least predict it.
But that was already a big enough cheat. Even if the story had already deviated away from its path, my knowledge of the events in the game allowed me room for preparation in the present.
“…”
I quietly glanced at Wolf and he was staring silently at me in return. I couldn’t afford to lose my cool now.
“Your Highness, don’t you have a mysterious power yourself?” The chief asked.
“No, this was all a mere coincidence. I am no one without my title as a princess.”
“There is also wrong in too much humility, you know? I heard from my son that you were the creator of the ‘Dew of the Sea.’ The treatment you did on the ship’s crew was also flawless.”
This is all because of the knowledge from my previous life. I really am just a normal girl.
But exactly because it’s something from a previous life that I couldn’t say it. And even if I did, no one would believe me.
“Exactly worthy of the ‘Goddess’ title.”
“…?”
I haven’t got a clue where the chief was going with that.
Uneasiness welled up within me. Even if it was a short time, I knew that the ‘Goddess’ was something revered in this village.
But it didn’t make any sense. Why would the chief refer to a girl like me as one?
As I sat confused, I felt two hands on my shoulders, and I knew who it was without having to look up.
“Don’t tell me, you want to use her as a tool to fool everyone?”
His rumbling voice was forcibly suppressing the erupting emotions boiling within. And, along with his harsh voice was an equally harsh glare… but even then, I knew the chief would not budge easily.
I felt that those amber-coloured eyes with carved wrinkles at the corners possessed calm and absolute resolution.
“Something like ‘If you can’t listen to the princess, then listen to your Goddess!’ Ain’t that convenient!”
“Yes, it would be.”
The Chief gave no excuses.
As if Wolf couldn’t accept the answer, the grip on my shoulders tightened.
“No one would be happy with a lie like that…”
“Then do you have a better plan?”
“…”
The chief calmly refuted Wolf, leaving him at a loss for words.
“Her Highness is a good lass. I don’t think you’ll ever find another noble who is this kind-hearted and carefree as her. With time, I’m sure she can become a great master for our clan. However, time is what we don’t have. When the last of our family perishes, there will be nothing left to rule.”
I was deeply curious about the situation he talked about, but there was something that caught my attention even more. Was I correct regarding the little time they had left?
I wanted to hear it, but after looking at the atmosphere between the two, this wasn’t the time to ask.
“I know that! I know that we don’t have much time and the fact that something must be done now! But can’t you see that this is different? The Kua Clan may be full of big-headed idiots, but they are also not unyielding and will almost always forgive your actions. But not when it comes to the Goddess. They will take these grudges down to their graves if you used their deity as a tool for your own convenience. She’ll be crossing a line that’s too deep to come back out of. We can’t have this child… our Master, carry this heavy burden by herself!”
Wolf’s voice gradually regained its composure as he continued to speak. I unconsciously sat up when he said ‘our Master’, even though I haven’t given him my reply yet. Back when I said I couldn’t be the clan’s master, I expected him to give up with a ‘it couldn’t be helped.’Instead, he replied, ‘that’s irrelevant,’ without hesitation.
“Our Master, huh?” The Chief repeated Wolf’s words.
He wasn’t mocking him at all. Rather, it was as if those words were truly settling in.
“…What?”
“So you’ve finally decided?”
Wolf made a grimace towards the chief’s question, but the agitation disappeared soon after, and he nodded with a serious face.
The Chief’s face relaxed and muttered out a gentle voice, ‘Is that so.’
“Father…”
“Don’t you worry. I’ll be the one to take full responsibility for this.”
“Eh?”
With the unexpected flow of the conversation, a small voice involuntarily escaped my mouth. The chief’s gaze turned on me.
“Your Highness, I’m very sorry, but I must have you stay with us for a bit longer.”
“Um, what do you mean by…?”
“I’d like you to act as the Goddess from the legends. I was thinking of having you show some mysterious powers to persuade the people, do you happen to have anything in mind?”
Despite me not able to get a word in, the conversation continued.
“U-Um? A mysterious power? Well… if it’s just an act, then I can’t say I have nothing.”
When I thought about it for a moment, those things came to mind, the objects that were safely kept in my pocket all this time.
“Then it’s settled.”
Contrary to the chief who was nodding in satisfaction, my anxiety levels had reached an all-time high.
“…There are still many things I would like to ask, but first, please raise your head.”
The chief was the one who broke the silence after some time.
Following his words, his amber eyes remained sharply fixed on me and his shocked expression from earlier had disappeared.
This must be his pharmacist character.
“Needless to say, it’s a given we’ll sell our medicine to the people in need. If what you’re saying is true, then there is no reason to hesitate.”
“…I can’t give you any evidence.”
I couldn’t prove my words even if they were the truth.
My face fell pathetically, but the chief simply shook his head.
“I’m not saying that you have to present any tangible evidence. Please, for now, just tell me what you know and I’ll evaluate your story after.”
I didn’t intend to withhold any secrets from them.
I told the chief and Wolf everything that I knew.
The outbreak was first confirmed in Grenze, a border town in the southwestern region of the Kingdom of Wind. Early symptoms were similar to the common cold; high fevers, uneasiness, and headaches. Drinking water, whether hot or cold, had almost no effect against the fever. This was identical to the report given by the sailor that Master Julius told me.
Therefore, there was a high chance that the medicine we were originally looking for would work on those in Grenze.
“I have heard of these symptoms before, but I cannot be completely sure unless I look at a live patient to confirm. However, perhaps I can still be of help.”
The reassuring words of the Chief eased my worry a little.
“Then-”
I was about to follow with ‘you are willing to sell your medicine?’ when the chief held up his hand.
“But there’s one more question I must ask you. Why did you come to this country? It’s not like you’re covering yourself up as a simple tourist, after all.”
“…Eh?”
I was deeply confused by the unexpected question that came my way. When I looked to Wolf for help, he, in turn, gave me a difficult face.
“Marie, you’ve always said that you wanted to find the medicine, haven’t you?”
“…Yes.”
When I replied, I thought about why Wolf was giving off such a grim expression.
It might be that the timing was too good. It’s hard to believe the fact that I was sitting right next to the person who could make the miracle medicine that would take care of this disease problem, just as the disease was breaking out.
It couldn’t be helped if they thought I was spouting some lies just to get my hands on their merchandise.
But even so, I couldn’t give him any other explanation.
I was at my wit’s end.
But I was called upon just as I was about to cave and drop my gaze once more.
“Your Highness, please don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t think what you’ve told us so far was a lie.”
“I agree. Marie isn’t someone who would lie like that.”
Wolf agreed with the chief and lightly patted my back. It felt like he told me ‘it’s fine, so sit up straight.’
“And those symptoms are not something that someone could’ve easily come up with. The story also lines up with reports about that place.”
“That place?”
“Right now, in the southwestern region of Grenze, the forests are being cut down as we speak. In places like these, diseases spread like wildfire, you know? There are a lot of sicknesses hidden in the woods that not even I know about.”
Some memories of my previous life came back to me. Stories about how there was a clear correlation between deforestation and epidemics on television shows were regularly aired.
It was said that the chance of human contact with wild animals that had been deprived of their homes due to deforestations would increase, and previously undocumented diseases would then spread. As a result of their ecosystem’s collapse, the number of small animals and insects that carried these diseases would also rise.
“Up until this point, there was nothing wrong with your story. Just that… the narrative is flowing too well. It’s as if you can see the future.”
I couldn’t do something like ‘see the future,’ but using the knowledge of the game and the knowledge I have now, it is possible to at least predict it.
But that was already a big enough cheat. Even if the story had already deviated away from its path, my knowledge of the events in the game allowed me room for preparation in the present.
“…”
I quietly glanced at Wolf and he was staring silently at me in return. I couldn’t afford to lose my cool now.
“Your Highness, don’t you have a mysterious power yourself?” The chief asked.
“No, this was all a mere coincidence. I am no one without my title as a princess.”
“There is also wrong in too much humility, you know? I heard from my son that you were the creator of the ‘Dew of the Sea.’ The treatment you did on the ship’s crew was also flawless.”
This is all because of the knowledge from my previous life. I really am just a normal girl.
But exactly because it’s something from a previous life that I couldn’t say it. And even if I did, no one would believe me.
“Exactly worthy of the ‘Goddess’ title.”
“…?”
I haven’t got a clue where the chief was going with that.
Uneasiness welled up within me. Even if it was a short time, I knew that the ‘Goddess’ was something revered in this village.
But it didn’t make any sense. Why would the chief refer to a girl like me as one?
As I sat confused, I felt two hands on my shoulders, and I knew who it was without having to look up.
“Don’t tell me, you want to use her as a tool to fool everyone?”
His rumbling voice was forcibly suppressing the erupting emotions boiling within. And, along with his harsh voice was an equally harsh glare… but even then, I knew the chief would not budge easily.
I felt that those amber-coloured eyes with carved wrinkles at the corners possessed calm and absolute resolution.
“Something like ‘If you can’t listen to the princess, then listen to your Goddess!’ Ain’t that convenient!”
“Yes, it would be.”
The Chief gave no excuses.
As if Wolf couldn’t accept the answer, the grip on my shoulders tightened.
“No one would be happy with a lie like that…”
“Then do you have a better plan?”
“…”
The chief calmly refuted Wolf, leaving him at a loss for words.
“Her Highness is a good lass. I don’t think you’ll ever find another noble who is this kind-hearted and carefree as her. With time, I’m sure she can become a great master for our clan. However, time is what we don’t have. When the last of our family perishes, there will be nothing left to rule.”
I was deeply curious about the situation he talked about, but there was something that caught my attention even more. Was I correct regarding the little time they had left?
I wanted to hear it, but after looking at the atmosphere between the two, this wasn’t the time to ask.
“I know that! I know that we don’t have much time and the fact that something must be done now! But can’t you see that this is different? The Kua Clan may be full of big-headed idiots, but they are also not unyielding and will almost always forgive your actions. But not when it comes to the Goddess. They will take these grudges down to their graves if you used their deity as a tool for your own convenience. She’ll be crossing a line that’s too deep to come back out of. We can’t have this child… our Master, carry this heavy burden by herself!”
Wolf’s voice gradually regained its composure as he continued to speak. I unconsciously sat up when he said ‘our Master’, even though I haven’t given him my reply yet. Back when I said I couldn’t be the clan’s master, I expected him to give up with a ‘it couldn’t be helped.’Instead, he replied, ‘that’s irrelevant,’ without hesitation.
“Our Master, huh?” The Chief repeated Wolf’s words.
He wasn’t mocking him at all. Rather, it was as if those words were truly settling in.
“…What?”
“So you’ve finally decided?”
Wolf made a grimace towards the chief’s question, but the agitation disappeared soon after, and he nodded with a serious face.
The Chief’s face relaxed and muttered out a gentle voice, ‘Is that so.’
“Father…”
“Don’t you worry. I’ll be the one to take full responsibility for this.”
“Eh?”
With the unexpected flow of the conversation, a small voice involuntarily escaped my mouth. The chief’s gaze turned on me.
“Your Highness, I’m very sorry, but I must have you stay with us for a bit longer.”
“Um, what do you mean by…?”
“I’d like you to act as the Goddess from the legends. I was thinking of having you show some mysterious powers to persuade the people, do you happen to have anything in mind?”
Despite me not able to get a word in, the conversation continued.
“U-Um? A mysterious power? Well… if it’s just an act, then I can’t say I have nothing.”
When I thought about it for a moment, those things came to mind, the objects that were safely kept in my pocket all this time.
“Then it’s settled.”
Contrary to the chief who was nodding in satisfaction, my anxiety levels had reached an all-time high.
