The Cure (3)
Rodeban had never considered himself a light eater.
Maintaining a knight’s body required substantial calories, after all. He ate four times more than an ordinary person, generously.
“Why does she eat so much?”
Tanya ate even more.
Rodeban stared at the empty plates and asked, “Shall I order another?”
“Um… just one more this time!”
This was the fifth time he’d said those words. His stomach felt as though a beggar had moved in rather than an elephant. Yet he still looked painfully thin.
Rodeban had been sipping alcohol because his belly was already full.
“Is this talent…?”
After the hearty meal, Tanya stretched as they left the restaurant.
“Hah! That was delicious!”
Rodeban praised her with pure sincerity. “You really eat well.”
“Ahaha… I’m a bit embarrassed. I haven’t eaten since lunch. Then, shall we go check the cure you mentioned?”
“Sounds good. Let’s go right away.”
They headed straight to Elise’s mansion.
While strolling the bustling streets, Tanya glanced at his face and asked, “Why the bandage on your face?”
“Ah, I bound my mask, so my skin is a bit rough.”
“Ah, that explains the bad feeling I kept sensing… Was it all from the Demon Eye leaking out?”
Rodeban asked curiously, “Is bad feeling the Demon Energy?”
She answered with a bright smile. “No, it’s not bad—it’s dirty!”
“…?”
Tanya suddenly recalled. “Oh, right! Before lunch, what were you going to say? I was too hungry…”
Rodeban finally got to the point. “Ah, have you ever heard of the Leaf of Eternity?”
The Leaf of Eternity was one of the materials needed to purify the Demon Eye, created when the ancient World Tree was destroyed. Its exact origin…
‘I don’t remember well.’
Forgotten.
He only knew it existed somewhere in the vast ancient forest and that a bishop in the Holy Kingdom had found it.
Tanya’s eyes sparkled. “Oh! That item entered the central branch recently! Bishop Toreto sent a team to the ancient forest area and brought it back!”
“Ah, I see.”
“Upon checking, it’s said to be a remnant of the ancient World Tree. I know it’s precious, but I don’t know its exact use. So I just put it in the holy relic warehouse. Do you need the Leaf of Eternity, Rodeban?”
Rodeban answered briefly. “Yes.”
He didn’t need to explain it was for Demon Eye purification.
Tanya looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “Um… how about this? I’ll help develop the cure. You, Rodeban, please defeat the demon worshippers appearing in the Holy Kingdom. Then, with additional compensation, I’ll give you the Leaf of Eternity.”
“…?”
Rodeban closed his eyes as if thinking. His ears hurt a little. He was talkative, and her high-pitched voice made his head spin a bit.
After one deep breath, he spoke calmly. “It’s not a bad suggestion… but I’m afraid His Highness might oppose it.”
Tanya asked with wide eyes, “Why?”
“Because it might look like I’m taking you to the Holy Kingdom.”
Rodeban’s calm explanation made her eyes widen. “Huh! I have no such intention… only a little!”
“Let’s do this. If you help develop the cure, I’ll assist with troop dispatch. I can’t go myself anyway—I’ll probably need the Empire’s permission.”
Tanya nodded enthusiastically. “Got it! Since there’s nothing else to do, let’s give it a try!”
“Alright.”
A moment later, Rodeban’s steps halted.
They had reached the front of Elise’s mansion.
***
Office.
Elise was completely absorbed in developing the cure.
It was work hours, yet as a knight unit cooperation officer, she had no specific duties assigned. It was literally a sinecure.
“Ah, it seems almost done…”
Elise ran her fingers through her golden hair.
The recent clinical test results had been decent. The problem was her.
Perfectionism.
That damned personality was holding her back.
“Sigh…”
On the desk lay the materials for the Black Heart Disease cure: the root of the forget-me-not from the western ancient forest, the flower petals of the starlight flower from the middle of the Tron mountain range in the southern empire, and the stem of the moonbarak from the outskirts of northern Tiliard.
The materials seemed appropriate. A patient whose condition had worsened dramatically had improved, confirming that the junior’s suggested ingredients were correct.
The problem was that damned junior had only told her the materials.
For over a month, she had spent every moment figuring out the manufacturing methods—whether to boil, bake, eat raw, or grind them. She had experimented with each one personally.
That kid Rodeban was utterly clueless.
Why had he allowed the cure development so easily? He probably planned to dump everything on others from the start.
“Use less than his face…”
After chewing out the junior for a while, someone knocked on the office door.
—Miss. Sir Rodeban and Priestess Tanya are here.
Even tigers come when told.
She answered irritably, “Open the door.”
When the door opened, Rodeban and Tanya entered.
Elise recognized Tanya at once. “Oh, it’s Priestess Tanya.”
“Hello! Lady Elise! Long time no see!”
They had met a couple of times in social circles.
Rodeban said with a calm face, “I brought a subordinate.”
A vein popped on Elise’s forehead. “…Now?”
“Sorry.”
“What’s there to be sorry for?”
When she caught the tail of his sentence, Rodeban closed his mouth.
He knew exactly how to act in such situations.
Bang—!
He immediately bowed his head to the floor.
Tanya and Elise’s eyes widened simultaneously. “W-what are you doing—!”
“R-Rodeban?”
The empire’s hero suddenly in a saluting posture.
Elise rushed over and forcibly pulled him up. “Hey! What did you eat wrong? Act like a hero! Not even in the old days, why bow your head…”
The word “crazy” almost slipped out.
Rodeban answered calmly, “I’m just called hero. Nothing changed from before? I don’t even get a carriage.”
Elise shook her head in disgust. “I knew since the old days—you’re really cowardly.”
“…?”
The hero scratched by “cowardly” protested specifically. “You didn’t see me not giving the Holy Fluid? I can’t even receive the reward properly—what hero…”
It was a somewhat appropriate example, so Elise’s mouth closed.
In the middle, Tanya interjected, “S-She drank a bit too much alcohol earlier…”
Rodeban felt a pang of betrayal. ‘I even bought food— is this right?’
He had indeed drunk a lot. But since he didn’t get drunk, it didn’t matter.
Elise, knowing all of it, said with a “you got caught” expression, “Hah, somehow… today you seem a bit off. Go get some fresh air. Now I see, the alcohol smell is strong. By the way, how long are you keeping the mask on?”
The mask disappears after exhausting all Demon Energy. Recently, with no fights, there had been no need to exhaust it. Of course, Elise hadn’t brought it up to discuss boring, pedantic topics. It was a roundabout way to say your personality changed because of the mask, but as a noble lady, her personality was quite vicious.
Suddenly Elise handed him a letter. “This letter came yesterday—the Duke sent it to you?”
Rodeban unfolded the letter. A few lines were written in the Grand Duke’s rough handwriting.
—Holy Fluid is in the Secret Cave. The cure seems almost complete, so you should move to the 7th peak of the L’Pierre Mountains first. The exact location is written in this letter.
The first thought was ‘finally…’
The Secret Cave was the training facility used by successive heads of the Crusias family. The 7th peak of the L’Pierre Mountains was essentially the summit.
Hiking there would take quite some time.
‘I should start immediately.’
Rodeban folded the letter. The location of the Secret Cave was imprinted in his mind—similar to the map position from the game, easy to remember.
Elise asked, “What does it say?”
“The Duke says the Holy Fluid is in the Secret Cave. I should depart immediately. You two focus on developing the cure.”
Rodeban immediately left the office.
From behind, Elise called out, “…What? Hey! You have to take Luce!”
“I’ll take some escorts only. Tell her to come to the Secret Cave with this letter.”
Rodeban closed the office door after answering vaguely.
Since he was wearing the mask, even if enemies came, he could handle most. Above all, he wanted to consume the Holy Fluid quickly.
‘They’ll do well on their own.’
Elise and Tanya.
No big worries about the two. An old woman and a gluttonous woman. Both had deep knowledge in pharmacology—a promising combination.
After leaving the mansion, as he boarded the carriage, he said, “Let’s go to the L’Pierre Mountains.”
“Understood!”
The carriage started with force.
Today, Luce was visiting the knight unit headquarters with Seria. She didn’t need to come immediately. ‘After all, it takes time to break through the Secret Cave.’ A few days delay should be fine.
Actually, all excuses.
Rodeban shifted his gaze out the window.
“…”
The sky without clouds welcomed him.