“Yuda! What’s going on?!”
Perhaps Jeanne who had been outside heard the commotion inside, burst through the door. The bell hanging on the door jangled wildly. The arguing couple fell silent at her sudden appearance. Expecting a fight between Yuda and the shopkeeper, she looked baffled despite her forceful entrance.
But thanks to that, the couple seemed to realize someone else was watching and stopped fighting, calming down. She cautiously approached Yuda, gauging the atmosphere.
“Was this a bad time for me to come in?”
"No, you came in at just the right time. I was getting tired of just standing by and watching."
Yuda was already debating whether to intervene or not. The shopkeeper’s wife left through the back door of the shop with tears streaming down her face, leaving only the middle-aged man, who sighed and apologized.
"Sorry about that, I must have made a scene."
“No, it’s fine. But it seems like something’s going on.”
"There is, and it’s quite a long story. Phew— I’d like to share it with someone. If you have time, would you listen to my story?"
This was a quest. Though Yuda already knew the details, he nodded with a feigned look of interest.
“Hmm, thanks. There’s no good place to talk inside. Shall we step outside? …It’s also a bit stifling here.”
Outside the shop, there was a bench where they could sit and rest. Yuda and Jeanne sat on the bench, and he perched on the edge of a flowerbed with a large tree next to it. Being in a secluded spot, there were no passersby, making it perfect for conversation. A cool breeze was blowing just then.
“Sorry for my late introduction. My name is Edsen. I’m a blacksmith and a weapons merchant. The woman earlier was my wife."
“I’m Yuda, and this is Jeanne. We’re adventurers, though we’re only copper badge holders.”
“I’m about to become a silver badge holder.”
Jeanne spoke as if asking for a correction, but Yuda didn’t react. She might get a silver badge later, but for now, she was still a bronze badge holder like him. Edsen found the exchange amusing and let out a chuckle.
“Right, a bronze and a soon-to-be silver. That’s a small party for adventurers. Usually, it’s at least four or five people.”
"We haven’t found suitable companions. I haven’t met anyone as skilled and trustworthy as Jeanne yet. And the two of us are enough. Even if we’re bronze badge holders, we’re confident in our skills. The dagger you sold me was bought with money earned from quests."
It was a quest received directly from a lord, not the guild, but there was no way this blacksmith would know that. Edsen looked slightly surprised at Yuda’s words.
“That’s impressive. You don’t seem to be lying, which makes it even more surprising.”
Yuda shrugged. A brief silence fell between them. Since they weren’t acquainted beforehand, it was only natural.
“I don’t know where to start. Hmm. I have a daughter and a son.”
He gave an awkward smile and slowly began to speak.
“My daughter took after my wife, my son after me. …Looking back, we were really happy. The kids were mischievous but well-mannered. Just ordinary happiness. This shabby shop’s been here since my great-grandfather’s time, so word-of-mouth brought enough customers to keep us comfortable. But then, my daughter suddenly fell ill.”
“An illness?”
Jeanne muttered sympathetically. Edsen, despite his large frame, slumped his shoulders and nodded gloomily.
“Yeah, an illness. A rare one. No matter how much she ate, her body kept wasting away and caught every little sickness. At first, we were clueless. We thought she was just frail, so we got medicine and visited priests for healing, but something was off. Even if she was weak, getting three or four illnesses in a month? That’s not normal. So we went back to the temple, but the priest said nothing was wrong.”
It wasn't that there was nothing wrong. ‘Mana Deficiency Syndrome’. That was the disease’s name, set by Yuda when designing this quest. Just as blood flows through everyone, people carry innate mana. Mana is used for casting magic or enhancing the body for advanced swordsmanship, but normally, it bolsters immunity against diseases. With Mana Deficiency Syndrome, mana leaks out like water from a breached dam, lowering immunity. Victims catch illnesses easily, eventually succumbing to multiple diseases and complications.
“I couldn’t trust the temple’s priests. So I sought out renowned mages and alchemists visiting Aslan. They all said the same thing after examining her. That her mana was leaking from her body.”
He let out a long sigh.
“When I asked what to do, they said it was their first time seeing this and couldn’t help. But they suggested mana stones might work, since they contain mana from magical beasts. It made sense, so I bought mana stones for her. Thankfully, they helped. She was wheezing like she was on the verge of death, but after consuming the stones, she could move around like she did before she got sick."
“That's a relief.”
Edsen scoffed at Jeanne’s words.
“A relief? Hah. I thought so too at first. It cost money, but at least we had a way to keep her alive. But it wasn’t. It was just a stopgap. The leakage worsened, so she needed more mana stones, and it pained her to take them. Preparing them pained us too. Our savings kept shrinking.”
"……."
“Then my son heard something somewhere and said he would go to the Land of Magic, 〈Kalypso〉. Che… Che—what was it?”
"Chercerian."
Yuda answered for Edsen.
“The name of a mana herb. Sounds like he went to get it.”
“!”
Edsen’s eyes wide with shock at his words. Unfazed by his stare, Yuda looked at the ground, swinging his legs, and continued.
“I don’t know who he heard it from, but your son must have gotten lucky. Your daughter’s illness is ‘Mana Deficiency Syndrome.’ It’s a disease where mana depletion disrupts bodily balance. And Chercerian is an essential herb for treating it. Kalypso, a land brimming with mana where mages have lived since ancient times, makes rare mana herbs like Chercerian relatively easier to find there.”
“My God, the disease has a name? Even skilled mages didn’t know it?”
Of course they wouldn’t know. Not many know about this illness. It’s not well-known, and it’s so rare that only a few, like the dragonkin or the tower masters of 〈Langrithsa’s Magic Tower〉 in Kalypso, might know the cure. Of course, since Yuda doesn’t know everything about this world, there could be more who know than he thinks. Glancing at Jeanne sitting beside him, Yuda continued calmly.
“I only know by chance. Do you know about Serenia Castle?”
“Of course! The only region where a fragment hasn’t been found… and a place where adventurers and mercenaries flock, chasing riches from ancient Magic Empire relics.”
“Right. I’m from there. The lord built a library for the residents, with plenty of books from the old Magic Empire. I read about it there, so it’s certain.”
“Then! Do you know the cure?”
Yuda looked at Edsen. His eyes were trembling.
“There is. But I’m not sure if it can fully cure her. I only read it in a book. If the book’s true, it should work. Even if it doesn’t cure her completely, it’ll improve her condition.”
Edsen stood, walked to Yuda, knelt, grabbed his hands, and bowed his head.
"Please, I beg you to help her. I’ll pay whatever you want. If it’s needed, I’ll even give you family heirlooms. Please, will you treat my daughter? I’m begging you! Please save her! I’ll give you anything you want!"
[Quest: Edsen’s Request]
[Edsen, owner of a rundown weapon shop in the capital of Philoria, Aslan, is desperately requesting you.]
[If you create medicine for his daughter suffering from Mana Deficiency Syndrome, he’ll consider you a lifelong benefactor.]
[Of course, this is not a task that will bring fame, and the reward may be small compared to the effort.]
[But you’ve given him hope. Having said you know a cure, why not help him now that you
[Who knows? Helping Edsen might lead to …]
While Yuda was carefully reading the quest details through the holographic window in front of him, he was startled when the message, which had been scrolling as if glitching, suddenly stopped and disappeared.
"I’ll help you."
“I’ll help you. So please stand up.”
“?”
At the same time, Jeanne, who was sitting beside him, answered on his behalf. What? Yuda turned to look at her. Meeting his gaze, she gave him a look that seemed to say, Weren’t you going to help him anyway? As a flustered Yuda opened and closed his mouth, Edsen bit his lip tightly and trembled.
"Oh, heavens. Really. Thank you!"
And then a new window appeared before his eyes.
[You have accepted the quest.]
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