Chapter 78

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 78

Chapter Title: Adventure 12: Sleeping Potion

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After vanishing from Nobira, you made contact with Shadow Summoner Chao, whose whereabouts had been unknown. From what she told you, it seemed she had no intention of returning to Kongori.

But that didn't mean she refused your request. Despite looking busy, she asked you for one favor as you headed to Shade Canyon.

Her true identity is the final disciple of Gregory, one of the top Shadow Summoners. And to gain genuine knowledge from her, you've now arrived at the location written on the scroll.

You must faithfully complete the task she assigned. If only to learn even a single line from her.

'Plenty of time this time too.'

Chaining long adventures together was mentally exhausting.

Long-term quests varied wildly in difficulty, and if progress stalled, your resolve could waver just as much.

Kang Seol stretched his body slightly.

Swoosh...

"Body still feels heavy..."

"You okay?"

"Did I drink too much water...?"

While moving via the expedition system, Kang Seol hadn't yet brought up Karen's change of heart.

If only Karen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had stayed fine, they might have escaped even with pressure from that unidentified being. But things hadn't gone that way.

'Karen's been through a lot mentally...'

As Kang Seol had feared, Pandea was full of sad and painful events.

Innocent people died, and others met lonely ends caught in atrocities too horrific to speak of.

That's just how Pandea was from the start.

When Kang Seol first set foot in the Eternal World, Pandea, this was why he'd sighed in dismay.

'Karen hasn't accepted it yet.'

He didn't know her era, but even now, such things happened everywhere. It made sense that Karen, witnessing it firsthand, would be shaken.

'Still, we can't let this happen again.'

Fortunately, this adventure had some leeway, so it seemed necessary to address that point clearly.

Rustle.

Kang Seol set aside his thoughts about her and unrolled the scroll. It detailed Chao's request.

- Once ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you arrive at Mist Village, stay there and observe. It won't be long before you learn what's happened.

Your job is to take the Sleeping Potion from the man whose face I've kindly sketched for you.

But don't go asking around carelessly about this potion, or he might vanish for good. Got it?

"Bossy as ever."

It was the epitome of arbitrary instructions.

'There must be a way.'

Kang Seol changed back into his original gear—he didn't recall when he'd swapped clothes—and stood up.

Creeeak...

As he opened the door, Sera greeted him.

"Oh, you've changed already!"

"Thanks for the consideration, Sera. But how did you manage to bring me all the way here?"

"The villagers helped! I... I couldn't carry Snowman on my own."

Sera was a simple country girl.

No freckles like in stories, nothing noble or strikingly beautiful about her. But she gave off a pure, clean impression.

"Sera, as an outsider, am I not unwelcome?"

"N-no way! Everyone will welcome you. If it was that kind of place, they wouldn't have carried Snowman into the village."

Sera waved her hands emphatically, telling Kang Seol not to worry.

'Looks like I need to gather some info...'

An outsider lounging idly in the village was basically screaming 'I'm suspicious, please investigate me.'

"What do people usually do around the village?"

"Me? Or the villagers?"

"The villagers."

"There's a small farm... but it's hard to tend properly now."

"Pardon?"

Sera's face darkened slightly.

Kang Seol wondered why this cheerful girl looked so grim.

"...Everyone's sick."

"Sick how?"

"Guess I need to explain. This way."

The village wasn't large.

It was amazing how they'd found it so quickly.

In front of what looked like the village hall, Sera spoke.

"Don't... be too shocked."

Creeeak...

Sera opened the door to the building.

Inside were patients.

Over ten beds, all occupied.

Everyone lay with eyes closed, as if peacefully asleep.

Sera pressed a finger to her lips, signaling silence.

Kang Seol nodded and exited the hall with her.

"What the hell's going on?"

"The villagers... they're sick. All from Mist Sickness."

"Contagious?"

Sera shook her head.

"Doctor Gunt says it's not contagious."

"Doctor Gunt?"

"The village doctor. He was passing through on a house call but the sick folks begged him to stay, so he's here for now."

"Hmm..."

A non-contagious illness.

And the villagers suffering from it.

Kang Seol probed further.

"What are the symptoms?"

"They sleep."

"Sleep? That's the illness?"

"They won't wake. Even as their bodies rot and waste overflows... they keep sleeping."

"And then?"

"...They sleep eternally."

In other words, they slipped into endless sleep, motionless, until death.

Kang Seol suddenly recalled this adventure's content and the potion vial on the scroll.

Sleeping Potion.

The scroll didn't detail its effects, but it felt eerily similar.

'Could Mist Sickness be caused by the potion?'

Or perhaps the potion itself was the means to create this disease.

'Chao sent me here for a reason.'

Everything about this sickness would come to light once he found the potion's owner.

The key was that the owner might hide out of fear.

'I need to stay in the village carefully. Find a fitting approach...'

Sera forced a bright smile.

"About half the village has it now. Everyone's depressed..."

"No cure?"

"Not yet... Doctor Gunt's desperately searching for one, but no luck."

Karen placed a hand on Sera's shoulder.

"Uh, huh?"

"Anything we can help with, Sera?"

"He-help... the village?"

"Yeah! This guy here and the fairy are the nicest people ever!"

Kang Seol didn't stop Karen's actions.

Without any prior coordination, her behavior felt perfectly natural. And Kang Seol wanted exactly this situation.

For them to blend in seamlessly.

"Really... really? We sent word to Audenin too, but they said no help."

"Trust me, sis. I'm Karen. You can drop the formalities, right?"

"Y-yeah... Karen... sis. But age... Ah! Fairies live way longer than humans, so you're older than me!"

"That's right!"

Sera's expression visibly brightened.

Like someone finding salvation from an unexpected source, she spoke cheerfully.

"Thank you so much... It's been really tough."

"...Yeah."

"Everyone just says no, no one helps..."

"It's okay now. No worries while we're here."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

And so, in an utterly unforeseen turn, Kang Seol's group blended into the village.

Chao's words—'It won't be long before you learn what's happened'—probably referred to the village's current state.

Days passed, and Kang Seol continued helping with village chores while discreetly investigating.

"Is this enough water?"

"You filled it already?"

"This sis is super strong, right?"

Karen grinned and flexed her bicep. Sera beamed at her.

"Truth is, fetching water's a chore even adults hate, so they pass it around."

"Got it. Leave it to me from now on! I could haul a whole river if needed."

"Thanks!"

"What's next?"

"Um... we need firewood for tonight..."

"Wait just a sec!"

Watching Karen dash off, Kang Seol felt mixed emotions.

He'd shared the scroll's sketch of the suspect with her too, so if she wanted to end this adventure quickly, she'd help find the culprit spreading Mist Sickness.

Yet Karen was oddly enthusiastic about helping the village and Sera.

'Does she need a break? Yeah... I should talk to her about it.'

He had an idea of her feelings, but hearing it directly was better.

Kang Seol approached Sera.

"By the way, isn't Doctor Gunt around?"

"Oh, a neighbor village called for a house call. Doctors are scarce... and even pooling money, it's hard to afford, so everyone wants Gunt."

"Why only him?"

"He barely charges. Plus, he's the only one who knows anything about the sickness."

"Hmm..."

"Nearby villages... same situation."

"I see."

In truth, Kang Seol had zero leads these past few days.

'Hmm... Haven't seen anyone matching the scroll.'

The man with droopy eyes from the sketch. But no one like that in the village.

Kang Seol had expected an easy find in such a small place, but hit a snag.

'This is everyone... He must be here, hiding.'

Watching patients increase while concealing his identity.

'The issue is how to flush him out...'

As Kang Seol pondered, Karen approached from afar.

"Done, Sera!"

"Huh?"

"Firewood! Stacked it in the shed!"

"N-no way..."

"For real?"

Karen wouldn't lie. Sera checked the shed, confirmed, and fell on her butt in shock.

"That shocking?"

"Sis, you're amazing! Takes the men a week!"

"Well, comparing normals to sis is kinda rude. Kahahat!"

Thus began the daily life of Kang Seol, Karen, Sera, and the villagers.

Rather than grueling adventures, this routine dulled their sense of time.

A week already of unchanging days, helping Sera without incident.

"Workin' hard today too, fairy miss!"

"You gotta work harder, mister!"

"Heh, cheeky..."

"Ain't wrong though, kek... kek..."

"You little!"

Kang Seol was impressed watching Karen banter casually with villagers.

"Adventurer, when you gonna adventure?"

"Got spare time, so quit nagging, mister?"

"Grr... At least say when you go."

"Worried you'll miss me?"

"Haha! Bet she'll cry all night handin' over a packed lunch!"

"Shut it!"

Laughter filled the village since Karen arrived.

Despite hardships, the group was a real help.

Creeeak...

"All done?"

"Yeah. You too, boss?"

"Feels weirder hearing that now."

"I... just said it and cringed."

In just a week, perfect peace settled in their hearts.

Lying on separate beds, Kang Seol and Karen talked.

"Hey, boss."

"Yeah."

"Wouldn't it be okay like this?"

"...Like what?"

"Maybe... living like this?"

Kang Seol focused on her words.

"What's that mean?"

"Y'know. No worries, no killing, no clashing ideals wearing down your heart. Just quietly living with good people."

She'd fully immersed in peace.

"From that last village?"

"Yeah, partly. Do those villagers even know they did wrong? Is killing evil but weak folks what we must do?"

"If we hadn't stepped in, more would've died."

"...Maybe."

"I have things I must do. No room to hesitate. Instead of agonizing, I fix what I can reach. No time to debate if it's right."

Kang Seol had the grand goal of Ascension. And he must confront the gods behind it all.

So he pressed forward. Even stumbling toward Ascension, he had to reach the end.

And prove it right in the results.

"Still... dunno."

"Karen."

"How nice if we could just stay still like this."

"People who know the world's cruel but can't change it would envy you."

"Oho, lecturing me now!"

"Just sayin'."

Karen smiled brightly.

As if shedding lingering resentment.

"Sorry."

"For what?"

"If I'd snapped out of it then, we wouldn't have struggled so much. Should've caught that guy..."

"The one chasing me."

That day's memory flashed in Kang Seol's mind.

But no face for his pursuer.

Hooded robe hiding it, ominous aura, nothing else distinctive.

"Next time, I'll catch him. Promise."

"Sure."

"For real. No more incidents. You're safe now!"

"Got it."

Karen seemed to have steadied her unstable heart somewhat. A relief for Kang Seol, who needed to trust her.

Now, only one thing left to gain from this village.

"Still no sign?"

"Nah. Not even similar looks."

"With such distinct features, either not here or hiding..."

"Latter's more likely. So how do we find him..."

That's when it happened.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Someone pounded the door fiercely.

"H-hey! Big trouble!"

With the villager's panicked shout, the group's peaceful days met their end.