The Price of Healing
Administer Unfinished Prototype GS-P27 to Bella
🎁 Reward: Progression of illness halted completely.
⚠️ Failure: Illness will gradually worsen.
"..."
Bennett bit his lower lip without realizing it.
It won't get any worse?
Bella's condition had been relatively stable lately, but that didn't mean she was recovering. Rather, it was the exact opposite—they were merely holding the deterioration at bay by pouring exorbitant sums of money into costly medicine. Even with all that, halting the disease's progression was fundamentally impossible.
And this can actually stop it from worsening?
Bennett, who had half-risen from his seat, caught himself and planted his backside firmly onto the chair once more.
Calm down. Keep it together.
His mind was already sprinting back home, but outwardly he maintained a placid, unbothered expression as he waited for the settlement.
After what felt like an eternity, the counter attendant looked up.
"The settlement calculation is complete."
"Please provide the full amount in cash."
Handling a far greater sum of coin than last time, the party members couldn't suppress their beaming smiles.
"Get some solid rest. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes, we'll see you tomorrow, Bennett-nim."
Parting ways with his companions, Bennett hurried his steps.
Flash Sprint Lv. 1
Abandoning his customary vigilance of scanning his surroundings, Bennett bolted straight toward home.
"Oppa!"
As always, his younger sister greeted him with a radiant smile. Feeling the accumulated tension and fatigue from the dungeon dissolve in an instant, Bennett smiled back.
"You didn't get hurt anywhere, did you... wait, what happened?"
Though Kyle's potion had served as emergency treatment, it hadn't granted a total recovery. Having taken the full brunt of offensive magic followed by a direct assault from an armored knight, Bennett looked thoroughly battered. The violent marks of combat gouged into his coat and tunic were unmistakably fresh.
Seeing Bella's expression twist in distress, Bennett drew her into a gentle embrace. Feeling the front of his tunic turn damp with her tears, he patted her back softly.
"I'm fine."
"Please, just be careful for once..."
"Mmh. Seeing you bawl like this, you've still got a long way to go before you're all grown up."
"Oh, seriously!"
As Bella pouted and made to storm off to her room, Bennett caught her arm lightly.
"What is it now?"
"...I think I can stop your illness from getting any worse."
Bella, wondering what nonsense he was talking about now, widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Wh-what did you just say?"
Bennett drew the vial of GS-P27 from his inner pocket.
"Wh-what is that?"
"Medicine I found in the dungeon."
"You found it... in the dungeon?"
"To be precise, it won't cure you completely, but it will halt the progression."
Though she stood blinking in stunned silence, Bennett, bound to her by blood, could easily read what was stirring inside her heart. For that reason, he said nothing of how tens, hundreds, or perhaps thousands of human lives might have been ground into dust to synthesize this single dose.
There's no reason for Bella to know.
While he felt sympathy for those who had perished, what was done was done. If it could heal his sister, he was prepared to do anything. In fact, he had already been doing just that for years.
"Could you go lie down first?"
"A-alright."
Bella lay back upon the spacious bed, specially prepared in the event of sudden seizures. Tucking a warm blanket over her, Bennett pulled her arm out from under the cover.
...Come to think of it, I don't even know how to use this.
At that very instant, the metallic implement resting in his grasp shifted shape. A fine needle sprouted from its previously sleek, seamless surface.
Do I just inject it?
After a brief hesitation, Bennett pressed the needle against his sister's arm.
"Agh!"
Bella shuddered as the foreign substance flooded into her veins. With a tense expression, Bennett watched her condition intently.
"How do you feel? Any pain?"
"N-no, it just feels warm... and kind of..."
Murmuring with heavy eyelids, Bella drifted peacefully off to sleep.
Although the notification announced an unlocked achievement, Bennett dismissed it without a second glance, focusing entirely on his sister's state.
Bella didn't regain consciousness until after he had watched over her through the entire night.
"Mmh..."
Slowly, Bella opened her eyes. Her limbs weren't heavy, nor was her mind clouded as usual. On the contrary, she felt astonishingly refreshed. Waking up had always been an ordeal plagued by lingering fatigue, often causing her to crash back into slumber.
Today was different. Her head was clear and bright—an unfamiliar sensation she hadn't experienced in years. She realized just how soundly she had slept. Normally, she would wake up intermittently through the night, yet this time she hadn't stirred once.
Outside, birds were chirping merrily.
She turned her head toward the window. Warm morning sunlight poured obliquely into the room, bathing it in gold. Naturally, Bella felt that comforting warmth against her skin. After gazing blankly for a long moment, she sensed a presence beside her and turned her head in surprise.
"Oppa?"
"Sleep well?"
"Don't tell me... you stayed up the whole night watching me?"
Bennett offered a faint smile without answering.
"How does your body feel?"
Taking stock of her condition, Bella nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, I really feel fine! My body feels so light, and my mood is great."
Her smile was radiant. Bella might not have realized it, but Bennett could see genuine relief reflected in her expression.
Administer Unfinished Prototype GS-P27 to Bella (Complete)
🎁 Reward: Progression of illness halted completely.
There were no experience points or bonus rewards, but for Bennett, this was more than enough. For now, it merely froze the illness from worsening, but he harbored a sincere hope that one day, he would find a definitive cure.
The Union—an organization forged by fallen nobles who had lost their bygone glory. Having yet to establish a proper foothold, the headquarters was usually quiet, but today it was exceptionally noisy. At the epicenter of the commotion stood Leonard Reed.
"Wait, Baron!"
"Out of my way!"
The office door burst open with a loud clatter. Duke Jeffery, who had been attending to administrative duties, raised his head to look at Leonard.
"M-my deepest apologies, Your Grace!"
"No, it is fine. You may leave."
As the flustered secretaries and bodyguards withdrew, Duke Jeffery set down his pen and inquired calmly:
"What is the matter, Baron?"
Leonard urgently shoved forward a small crystal sphere. The hazy image lingering across its surface began to play back. Within the projection, a man could be seen aiming a Dwarven repeating crossbow. After what seemed like a brief exchange of words, a bolt tore through the air, sending the viewpoint violently shuddering. The scrying crystal briefly illuminated the man's face before shaking erratically and plunging into pitch black.
"This crystal was synchronized with Rose."
"...You have my condolences, Baron."
Duke Jeffery bowed his head slightly in courtesy, but Leonard had not barged into this room to hear polite words of sympathy.
"I have no need for empty condolences. I want vengeance."
"..."
"Revenge for my deceased daughter!"
A fiery wrath blazed within Leonard's eyes. Duke Jeffery lapsed into brief silence before replying smoothly:
"Of course. It shall be done."
"I place my full trust in Your Grace. Until then."
With an expression somewhat composed, Leonard exited the office. Duke Jeffery replayed the recording in the crystal ball once more, then summoned his confidant.
"Did you summon me, Your Grace?"
Without a word, the duke played the footage on the crystal ball. Grasping the situation, the aide's brow furrowed.
"So this happened."
"Can I leave this in your hands?"
"Understood. I will see it handled."
It was the first incident of its kind since the founding of the Union. How they resolved this matter would dictate the organization's credibility and standing. As a precedent case, it demanded thorough, decisive execution.
"You are dismissed."
Receiving the duke's command, the confidant moved swiftly.
"First, verify that man's identity."
"Right away, sir."
Identifying the target through the information guilds operating within Dungeon City did not take long, particularly because several background inquiries had already been made regarding the individual recently.
"His name is Bennett, a mercenary. He's been active for over ten years, approaching his eleventh."
"Ten years as a mercenary? Then he's no mere dilettante."
Confirming further reports that the mercenary held a solid reputation, the aide folded his arms. The operative who had carried out the investigation cautiously voiced a suggestion:
"Should we mobilize the execution squad?"
"Have you lost your mind? Mobilize an execution squad over a single mercenary?"
While the aide acknowledged Bennett's veteran experience, he flatly rejected the idea of deploying an execution squad.
"What if a critical situation arises while the execution squad is deployed elsewhere? Will you personally take the field then?"
"I-I apologize, sir."
Deploying the execution squad was entirely unrealistic. Furthermore, Leonard and his daughter Rose held merely the title of Baron within the Union. Their standing within the hierarchy was among the lowest rungs. Considering that titles in the Union were determined by the capital and resources donated, their internal contributions were hardly significant.
Mobilizing an elite execution squad for a mere Baron was out of the question. The captain of the execution squad would raise bloody hell. Why the fuck should I run errands for a nobody baron? he would surely bark.
Suppressing a sigh, the aide issued his orders.
"Forget the execution squad. Contract those people instead."
"By 'those people,' you mean..."
"Welcome to the Mercenary Guild! How may I help you today?"
A female receptionist with an amiable smile, whom Bennett had encountered once before, greeted him warmly.
"I'd like a referral for a mage."
"Are you seeking a companion to delve into the dungeon?"
"I need someone to handle magical procedures, and someone to join our expeditions."
Nodding in understanding, the receptionist gestured toward the first-floor lobby.
"If you wait over there for a moment, I will assist you with the arrangements."
Bennett, Kyle, and Edgar settled into an area off to the side.
"I had no idea the Mercenary Guild offered recruitment matchmaking," Kyle remarked.
"It's only possible because this is Dungeon City," Bennett replied.
In branches located outside, such referrals were unheard of. If an incident occurred after recommending someone, the guild would bear the brunt of the blame. However, Dungeon City was an exception. There was an unending stream of adventurers seeking trustworthy party members, and the Mercenary Guild had seized upon the demand. Thanks to this service, some even registered with the guild despite not being mercenaries. People had taken to calling this 'matching.' What started as internal guild jargon had eventually spilled out into common parlance across the city.
"Of course, whether you can truly trust that person is something you have to verify yourself," Bennett added.
"That is very true," Kyle agreed.
It was no easy feat. For that reason, Bennett prioritized finding someone capable of performing magical dispels and enchantments over recruiting an immediate dungeon-delving companion. They needed to inspect the contents of the Sub-space Pouch obtained from Fredrik's corpse as soon as possible.
"Here is the list of registered mages you requested!"
The two sheets of paper handed over by the receptionist contained a roster of mages registered with the guild. Having secured the list, Bennett's group wasted no time, heading out to track down the mages starting from those situated closest to the Mercenary Guild.
"You want me to crack the security?"
"It's a Sub-space Pouch sealed with a mana pattern."
"Ugh, yeah, no way. This is way beyond me."
Was Fredrik more capable than anticipated, or were these mages simply incompetent? After drawing blanks at every turn, Bennett found himself standing before the residence of the very last mage on the list.
The outer district beyond the city walls.
Perhaps due to its proximity to the slums, the neighborhood exuded an eerie, dreary atmosphere.
A mage lives in a place like this?
Harboring doubts, Bennett knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"We're here on a referral from the Mercenary Guild."
Accompanied by the patter of hurried footsteps, the door swung open. The figure that appeared before them was a brown-haired woman. Her hair was dry and brittle, and her complexion so pale it seemed she lived without ever seeing the sun. Wearing spectacles, she looked every bit like a shut-in recluse.
"Erika-nim?"
"Yes! That's me, Erika."
Stepping inside behind Erika, the interior of the house was surprisingly spacious compared to its exterior. The only problem was that, apart from the immediate entryway, mounds of miscellaneous clutter were piled up everywhere.
"We acquired a Sub-space Pouch from a dungeon, but it's locked with a mana pattern security ward. Can you dispel it?"
"I'd like to take a look first."
Kyle drew the pouch from his backpack.
"Hmm... I can do it!"
"How much would the fee be?"
"The mana pattern itself isn't a big deal, but there's a tracking spell anchored to it. That part's a bit tricky."
"...A tracking spell?"
Knock, knock!
Every eye in the room snapped toward the door.