Chapter 120 – Chapter 4: Four Steps
From the next day, Tia looked through the book.
It was to find a cure.
Check each part that could be a clue.
She placed her bony fingers on the letters and read them carefully.
She had already read it once. I read it again and again to see if I missed anything.
Thud. Boom.
Posao was wandering nearby.
Around this time, Tia cooked, but since there was no news, she was just trying to attract attention.
But Tia didn’t react because she was reading a book.
In the end, the hungry pig spoke first.
“Hey, T-Tia… ?”
“…”
Even if I called her once, she didn’t answer.
Her ears were closed and her face seemed to be buried in words.
Posao called again.
“Tia?”
She finally succeeded in getting attention.
Tia looked back at Posao with an expressionless face.
“Now what… Shouldn’t we eat something?”
“Eat alone.”
“What about Tia?”
“I’m fine.”
The conversation ended with her turning back to her book.
‘It’s okay,’ she said, but she wasn’t okay at all.
Tia’s withered limbs looked as if they would collapse at the slightest shake, and there was no life left in her face.
Since she wouldn’t eat, she was keeping her promise to buy more books and medicine with the money.
Posao seemed to be worried about Tia, who was becoming increasingly haggard. She persuaded me again and again with a fearful look.
“Tia. Ah, no matter what, I have to eat to survive…”
“I said it was okay!”
“… Ugh, huh!”
Posao was frightened by the firm refusal and retreated.
In the end, he had no choice but to leave the house.
Left alone, Tia continued reading the book.
When she discovered a viable treatment, she immediately did her calculations.
“No.”
But no matter how much she read, she couldn’t come up with any clear numbers.
Sasasasak!!
She scribbled nervously with her quill and erased her note.
“Ha…”
Tak.
Tia held her sweaty forehead.
She knew it herself.
That I am not in my right mind.
When she suddenly looked down, her bony body was revealed.
Even thinking about it herself, she has changed in an amazing way.
Her shoulders and arms were strong enough to show flowing lines, and her thighs were quite thick thanks to her swordsmanship practice and lots of hiking.
Now, I have completely lost weight and become as skinny as a frail Marie.
Moreover, when you lose weight, your body should feel lighter, but instead, it just felt heavier.
“…”
Tia had always felt sorry for Marie.
Because her body was so weak that she could barely go outside, she had to stay indoors.
But now… She found herself in that situation.
Tick.
Tia moved her dry fingers.
There was no life in her at all, and her movements were strange, as if her skeleton was moving.
“Ah…”
Okay. It must be hard enough to make you lose your mind.
I think I’m going crazy just watching.
Blank eyes looked back at the hospital bed.
I can see myself sleeping.
If it were me in that situation.
On the other hand, if Tia was lying in a hospital bed.
What did you think?
Honestly. If it is a ‘person’.
The reason my life fell into this abyss is because of Tia… Is it possible not to think?
Her fingers are getting closer and closer to my face.
If you strangle her with your dry fingers right now and put an end to it.
This hellish pain would also end.
… Tia didn’t do that.
Like her mother, she just gently stroked my cheek.
Suddenly Tia took out her coat, which she hadn’t worn in a long time.
She put on her cloak, took out her old herb bag, and slung it over her shoulder.
She opens the back door of the general store and climbs deep into the mountain.
Hwieeeeeing-!!
It was snowy and windy.
You shouldn’t go out in this weather. Moreover, going into the mountains was very dangerous.
Soon her eyes become foggy, her surroundings are filled with gray, and she becomes unable to distinguish between her front and back, leaving her isolated in the mountains.
But Tia just presses her hood deeply and writes.
She didn’t stop walking.
What on earth are you looking for on this winter mountain?
The ground was completely covered with snow, so there was no blue to be found, but he continued to wander the mountain in search of ‘something’.
Sabak. Sabak.
Crispy!
“Ah!”
My foot fell into a hole covered in snow.
Tia, who fell, stood up with her body trembling.
There was a cut on her knee, but she roughly wiped it away with her eyes and started walking again.
A forest of grass appeared. She froze and plowed through the snowdrifts with her red hands.
But all she could see was weeds.
“Cheonjinju…”
Tia was looking for the medicine that I was going to give to her chief.
It was not clear what use Cheonjinju had. Just… She seemed to firmly believe that I could only wake up if I personally found the precious medicine.
Was it not because of the erroneous belief that only by suffering like this would my sins be diluted and that only through suffering could I be saved?
No matter how proud Tia is… In the face of the worst situation, judgment was bound to be disturbed.
The guy didn’t know what he was supposed to do.
Because I had lost hope and couldn’t stay still, I was doing that.
Wandering endlessly through the snow, looking for grass that doesn’t exist.
Before we knew it, Tia had reached the deep forest.
She was only following what was immediately in front of her, and suddenly she seemed to realize that she had gone deep.
She looked around.
Whiooooo-!!
The snow wind has become stronger, and the snow fog is thick.
Because she didn’t leave a mark, she couldn’t find her way back.
It was a colder winter than ever.
Tia’s coat was covered in white. The hood that her breath touched was covered with ice.
Everywhere is pure white.
If death was white, it seemed like there was only death all around Tia.
Whisk.
Tia, feeling weak, leaned against a tree.
Her red hair blows in the strong wind.
“Ha-ha-ha-.”
I hugged her tightly.
However, my body, which did not eat properly, just became cold.
“… “I’m sleepy.”
The guy blinked at her. It seemed like I was getting drowsy.
Curled up close, she slowly began to fall asleep.
Whieeeee!
As her consciousness faded, she gradually entered death.
“… Ah… !”
A small sound was heard in Tia’s ears.
“… Tea… Ah!”
She lifted her frozen eyes in the direction of that faint sound.
Through the white fog, someone was coming.
It was Posao.
“Tia!”
“… Ah… “Me?”
Looking at the growing shadow, Tia closed her eyes.
Full seats.
At the same time she collapsed into the snow. Posao ran over and hugged Tia.
“Tia? Hey, come to your senses! Tia!”
The limp girl had no answer.
* * *
Tia opened her eyes.
The first thing I felt was warm heat.
There was a quietly burning furnace right next to it. The body was lying on a soft bed.
As soon as she realized she was lying in Poh Sao’s bedroom, Tia felt a deep sense of relief that she was alive.
I rolled my eyes and looked to the side to see Posao dozing off.
I tried to open her mouth and start coughing.
“Kolok.”
Posao lifted his head at the sound of coughing.
“T, Tia? Are you awake?”
“Kollock. Cough!”
“Naaaaa- don’t overdo it! Nu, lie down!”
Squeak-.
Posao filled a cup with warm water.
“…”
Tia just gaped at her.
No voice came out of her throat.
Even when I coughed, I had to frown because of the pain that felt like my voice was going to break.
Her arms and legs also felt like they were being pricked by a needle, so she couldn’t move.
She lay still and fell asleep again, again and again.
About a day later.
“Lee, you need to make Ritz’s medicine?”
“… Yes.”
Tia, who could barely speak, said the first thing she did was that she was worried about me.
Posao sighed.
“How are you going to make medicine with that body?”
“I could… Cough, Clock.”
Tia tried to get out of bed but lost her balance and stumbled.
Posao woke up in a hurry.
“No! No, I can’t! T, Tia… Please… Then I got really hurt!”
“…”
“Please… Tia! Now, take care of yourself first.”
She held Tia’s hand and pleaded with her earnest voice.
“T-Tia must be healthy… Let’s protect the Ritz!”
At least it wasn’t wrong.
It seemed that Tia would die before me, but she showed no signs of stopping.
The only person who can stop that rampage is… There was only Posao.
“I, I will do it! Tia is resting!”
“Cough! Even money to buy medicine… “There is none.”
“I will rescue you somehow. Then, that’s okay, right?”
Then she put on her coat proudly.
“I’ve prepared something to eat. “If you’re hungry, eat.”
She pointed to the stew next to the brazier and went outside into her blizzard.
“Knock, call!”
Tia leaned her head against her window.
Po Sao’s back was seen heading down to the village below her.
She quietly watched the scene and then tucked her body into her blanket.
* * *
That night.
Posao did not return.
Since she was the one who always returned before nightfall, Tia often found herself looking out her window.
Even though it was so dark outside that I couldn’t see anything.
Tia said to me while lying on her hospital bed.
“I think you’re a little late… Collock. What happened?”
And he leans his still-heated body against me.
“I’m sorry you’re sick. Cough… Cough! “When I feel better, I’ll go get some medicine again.”
“…”
“However… Now I don’t know either. There is a way to wake up Ritz… Does it really exist? Cough, Cough!”
“…”
“I guess there is? … Okay. There must be… I wish I had…”
Tired, Tia looked up at her window again.
When will Posao return?
Is it possible to come today?
I wonder if something bad might have happened.
She waited with her worried eyes.
Before we know it, dawn is approaching.
A time when the faint sound of a wolf could be heard somewhere in the distance.
Tia, who was dozing in front of the furnace where only ashes remained, heard the sound of the door opening.
Crash!
“Huuuk-huuuk-!”
Posao walked stomping forward, breathing heavily.
When she came to greet Tia, she couldn’t help but be surprised.
… His fat body was a mess.
It is torn everywhere and there are countless injuries.
“Mister? What… Is it work?”
“Oh, huh? Yes, I went to the mountains…”
“Kollock. “You said you were going to the village below.”
“I can’t find it anymore… I’m going to dig it up myself…”
Posao scratched his head.
“Well, I brought it anyway. Hehe.”
He took out a handful of ‘Cheonjinju’ from his pocket.
Tia’s eyes widened.
She took it with her trembling hands.
Seeing that Cheonjinju frozen so coldly… The girl couldn’t say anything.
Drop.
Drops of blood fell on the floor of the general store.
There was a big wound on Posao’s torn pants.
“Mister…”
“This, this? Not a big deal…”
It wasn’t.
It looks like he lost his footing while wandering around the snowy mountain and got seriously injured.
With legs that can’t even walk properly… I had walked all the way here.
“Tia. That’s enough, right?”
“No. It’s not enough… Cough, Cough! As for this… “I can’t do anything.”
“Ri, Ritz… Then… What is the medicine and how many days are left?”
“It ends tomorrow.”
“Naaah-!”
Posao turned his head in a panic.
“I know where else I am! I’ll go one more time, I’ll come back…”
Then I tried to move my limping leg again.
But then.
Crash.
Tia crossed the fossao and closed the door.
“… T, Tia?”
“…”
And she sat down in front of the door.
Tia knew.
Now is the time to make the ‘choice’ that you have been putting off again and again.
The things Tia did just to save Ritz… It all became a terrible disaster.
The village chief passed away.
A rebellion breaks out in Deseo.
Ruev and Marie leave.
The people of Brisden were taken away.
In Taildon, he was wanted as a murderer.
Even after going through all this humiliation, Tia thought she could endure it.
She believed that if only Ritsu was saved, everything would be resolved.
But Tia’s unstoppable will… She was driving Posao, who had been by her side until the end, into danger.
When Tia saw her bleeding wound, she realized.
She can’t hold on to Ritsu forever.
She has hopes that have already been shattered, but all that remains is despair.
She couldn’t delay any longer.
I had to choose.
Something she thought she could never do, that she could never do…
The time has come for her to speak.
Hot tears flowed down Tia’s cheeks.
“Don’t go…” . Mister…”
“Yeah, but then Ritsu…”
“… Now…”
Tia said while sobbing.
“Now… I’ll let Ritz go…”
The words of giving up on me echoed through the general store.
She couldn’t think of anything.
That bitter pain of something suddenly breaking… Cut my heart to pieces.
“Therefore… Because of me… “Don’t get hurt.”
“…”
“Huh… Black…”
Posao looked down at Tia who was sobbing in silence.
And then he stumbled and knelt down on his injured knee.
A girl who gave up on ‘the man she loved’… I hugged him tightly.
My sleeping body left alone in a cold, dark place, even after hearing such sad cries…
I couldn’t do anything.
