Chapter 81 – Chapter 3: Strange Guest – 1
Step by step. Step by step.
I headed to the door.
Tia said she went to the village below.
She should go down there now and say she was wrong.
I must say that I understand how difficult it was to save me.
For you, I will do what I can as the village chief.
I must swear to defend and protect you from the contempt of the villagers.
So please, stay safe.
Nothing happened… Just stay in Taildon.
I’m going now.
It was time to reach for Tia’s door to leave.
Thick!
“… !”
Suddenly, there was an unpleasant feeling in her fingertips.
As if he was holding me back from leaving this house.
A thick fog of illusion blocks the way.
I couldn’t see it, but I felt a stiff sensation.
A gloomy energy hangs over this entire house.
Above all, there was a large fragment of memory stuck in the doorknob I was trying to grab.
I was out of breath.
You don’t have to look.
All you have to do is not get dragged into your memories.
I know I don’t have time for this.
I have to go find Tia first.
By the way.
Why do these damned illusions keep blocking me?
“Ugh…”
Shoot-.
Illusions come into my eyes.
I didn’t want to see it, but I was forcing my eyelids open and rushing in.
Even if I closed my eyes, I could see it.
Her arms swung forward, but she couldn’t stop them.
“No… “No!”
Why do I keep seeing it?
Because I can’t control this crazy power?
No. It can’t be.
You could only see the past by touching it with your hands.
I could have chosen.
And yet, seeing this…
Haaaaah don’t I not?
It is visible.
Tia’s face in the flashing light.
… As soon as I saw that face, I realized it.
Not anyone else.
‘I’ want to see this memory.
It’s not an illusion that hits me.
Because I want to see this moment.
I was able to see the memory itself left in space without even touching the object.
My heart that brings out illusions everywhere.
That… It started with just one question.
‘What was Tia doing at that time?’
Why did Ruev come out of Tia’s house that night?
The illusion of memory illuminated the truth to my empty questions.
* * *
An interior filled with cold air.
Tia’s house with a handful of warm sunlight coming through the window.
The owner of this house was sitting at the desk and reading a book.
I thought the only books he would read were 〈 World Adventures 〉, but the size was a little different.
A very old and tattered book.
Inside, you can see pictures of medicinal herbs and long written descriptions and annotations.
That book… 〈Herbology Volume 1〉.
Tia mutters while calmly reading a book.
After reading for a while, turning the pages of her book.
Eventually, she thought she had gotten what she wanted, so she closed the book.
She gets up, puts on a cloak, and leaves the house.
She stepped back.
The place where Tia arrived was a pharmacy.
The pharmacy was a mess because it was not managed properly.
My things are scattered around, and even they are covered in dust.
The sight of spider webs everywhere made me wonder if something like this could happen in just two months.
Tia began to clean up the messy pharmacy.
I dusted off the messy items with my hands and then arranged them neatly.
She took a broom and removed all the cobwebs.
After finishing cleaning, Tia goes into the barn.
This place was just dusty, everything was the same.
She ventilates and cleans again.
As soon as she finished the simple cleaning, she opened all the drawers in the barn and counted the remaining medicine.
Tia took out the necessary medicine and rested her chin.
“Mushrin’s 3 days’ worth.”
It was an tiny amount.
Mushurin was a medicinal herb that was not available in large quantities because it was very precious and had a short shelf life unless the roots were trimmed.
In particular, trimming the roots took a lot of work, so it was a medicine that I didn’t handle well.
However, the ‘recovery medicine’ that Tia would make contained this Mushurin as an ingredient.
“… Still, we have to make it.”
He immediately started preparing to make medicine.
Raise the fire and prepare the medicinal ingredients.
Tia hated making medicine.
She doesn’t have a calm personality, and she said she couldn’t do delicate things, and she only did things to get rid of me.
But to the point where she couldn’t even think of it as a ‘first time’.
The guy started making medicine with great skill.
Step by step the recipe written in the book.
She finally created a healing potion that resembled the color of a strawberry.
Lastly, the medicine is transferred to a glass bottle and carefully wrapped with a cloth.
Tia excitedly heads to Aunt Sherry’s house with the finished medicine.
I bowed to her aunt and carefully entered the room where I was lying.
“Ritz? Are you awake?”
Is it because I just woke up and have no energy?
I was sound asleep without even knowing that Tia had arrived.
Tak.
Tia quietly placed the recovery medicine next to the bed.
Then he looked at my face and smiled.
“Take your medicine when you wake up. “I made it for Ritz.”
After kissing his forehead, he returned home.
In winter, the days are short.
The sun was already setting, and a dark evening was approaching.
Tia immediately kicked the belt without even having time to catch her breath.
Where are you going?
She even took her rose saber and left the house.
Rustling. Rustling.
He headed to the stream right below the house.
He walked down the stream a little and stopped in front of a thick forest of grass.
There was no road there.
It was a cliff that was hard to see, was connected to a steep valley followed by a stream, and was even dangerous because it was overgrown with thorny vines.
Suddenly, Tia went in there without any fear.
She then lashed out with her rose saber at the thorny vines stroking her arms.
Crispy-! Crispy!
Every time you swing the sword, a path opens.
The rose saber was a keepsake of Tia’s mother, ‘Helina,’ who was an adventurer.
Although this unusual shortsword was a sword designed for combat.
The vines could be easily cut down to suit the characteristics of an adventurer pioneering a rough path.
Until the sun completely sets, and the moon rises.
Tia made her way through the bush, creating this path that did not exist in the first place.
The trees are thick and everything is dark.
Still, we continue to move forward, relying on the moonlight.
Every time it passed by, it left a mark on the tree and rolled dangerous rocks down into the stream.
“Ha… Ha…”
Although the road was fairly clear, there were still many blocked places.
I raised my head. The night was already deep. It’s soon time for the patroller to appear.
Tia wiped her sweat and went back home.
The next day was the same.
During the day, he makes medicine and brings it to me.
As soon as night falls, the road is cleared.
I saw Tia’s tired face.
Still, Tia’s eyes were shining brighter than the moon as she made her way without the villagers knowing.
When the moon hangs at the end of the sky.
Finally, Tia’s ruined boots stepped on an open area.
“…”
The guy wiped the sweat from under his chin and raised her head.
A house built in the dark.
It is… It was a general store in Posao.
They created a path that connects to the backyard far away from the main gate and is difficult to find if you don’t look carefully.
Tia carefully went down to the general store.
It seems the owner hasn’t returned yet.
The door was locked tightly, and there was no light coming from the window.
No matter who looks, there is no one.
Tia approached cautiously and placed her hand on the window sill.
Knock.
There is no answer.
Knock. Knock.
Let’s knock a couple of times again, as if to signal some kind of signal.
Surprisingly, the sound came back from inside.
“T, Tia?”
“Yes. It’s me, mister.”
“Tia!”
A huge shadow suddenly appeared beyond the dark window, and she quickly opened the window.
It was Posao.
“Shhh-.”
Tia put her index finger on her hand, telling her to be quiet.
She looked around her carefully, then whispered in a low voice.
“Long time no see… Uncle.”
“T, Tia… I miss you…”
“Me too.”
A glimpse of joy appeared on Tia’s face as she said that.
Posao asked.
“What happened? Why… She left a note telling me to hide as if I were dead… ?”
“The situation has become dangerous.”
“It’s dangerous?”
“The soldiers of Deseo came all the way here. “I want to catch you.”
“Naaah?! Well, well… What?”
As her frightened Posao trembled, Tia gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Calm down. I’ll explain the details later. “First of all, you prepared as written on the note, right?”
“Uh, huh.”
Posao showed the silk pillow and thin blanket under his arm.
Tia nodded her head and gestured.
“… Please follow me.”
Holding Tia’s hand, Posao struggled to climb over the window.
And like a man and woman running away at night, the two took a secret passage and went up the mountain.
Although time was running out.
Tia led and pushed Posao, who was panting from exhaustion, all the way up the road.
“Here. “My home.”
The place they arrived at was Tia’s house.
It was only after bringing Posao into the house that he could breathe a sigh of relief.
Posao also came to his senses after taking a long time to catch his breath.
He asked in a confused voice.
“T, Tia. Now explain… What happened? Well, what is the road we just passed… Why did you bring me to Tia’s house?”
“Because it’s safe here.”
Tia opened the door to the underground warehouse.
She said as she pushed the posao there.
“Soon, the soldiers will come to your general store. Until they are ‘dealt with’… “You just need to stay here for a moment.”
“Che, processing? Dedeseo’s soldiers… W-what way?”
It was a strange thing.
Tia’s tone made it sound like everything would be resolved if we just waited.
“I made a plan. So you don’t have to worry.”
“But…”
“Leave the rest to me.”
It was a small but firm voice.
I remember.
That… This was what Posao said to Tia when she left Deseo.
Posao, who received it back as is, was blank for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“Okay… But can I go to Tia’s house and stay with her? ?”
“You shared a dorm with me. It’s okay.”
“Is it… Hehe.”
“Instead, never come out of the basement. I’ll be away from home during the day because I have to go make Ritz’s medicine. However, I will prepare the food on time, so don’t worry too much.”
“Yes…”
The basement warehouse seemed very small for a fat Posao, but it still fit perfectly as I lay down on a bedding and a silk pillow.
Before Tia closed the door to the warehouse. Posao said while lying down.
“T, Tia.”
“Yes?”
“If… Hey, are you having a hard time? You look very tired.”
Tia, startled, waved her hand.
“Oh, no! Are you okay! “Nothing difficult.”
“… Okay? Everything, I’m glad.”
Posao laughed heartily.
“If something is difficult… Yes, tell me. “I will help you.”
“…”
The red eyes shook slightly.
The white hands holding the warehouse door also trembled.
The guy dropped his head for a moment.
He smiled faintly.
“You always say that… Thank you.”
Dalgak.
The door was closed.
Tia hugged her shoulders and curled up on her bed.
Why?
A sobbing sound was heard from under the blanket.
