Episode 339
"Partial amnesia?" I asked.
Assad said, "It isn't the worst situation. It is the lesser of two evils. It isn't that his mind itself has become younger, but that he has lost all his memories as the Iron-Blooded Lord."
"What point in time has he regressed to, exactly?"
"Based on the conversation, it seems all memories after receiving his blessings have been lost."
I sighed without saying anything, thinking, This is annoying.
Suddenly, Assad asked, "By the way, do you believe me?"
"Of course."
"Really? Delac having amnesia would be hard to believe, especially for Delac's child."
"Ah."
The Iron-Blooded Lord had lost his memories. In other words, his current condition reflected a side of him from the past. How many citizens of the empire would instantly believe that the cold and ruthless Iron-Blooded Lord once had such a frail appearance?
I was different, though. Still, the other person was a mage suffering from severe paranoia. I was forced to explain, "Actually, when I stopped by the academy for a while, I saw the dean... No, the former dean's collection. That is when I glimpsed Father's history."
"The academy? Ah, are you referring to Alderson's doll? He hasn't changed his hobbies even in his old age, I see."
It was true, but it was a bit strange for a fellow mage to be saying it. Wasn't this prejudice toward his own kind?
"Delac was twelve years old when he went to the academy. It was before the blessing ceremony, so his mental age must be similar to that time," Assad said, clicking his tongue as he analyzed the situation
What the hell? Where did I make a mistake? I thought as I was forced to think through the situation seriously.
I went over the treatment process step by step. Upon reconsideration, there was no part that could be called a mistake. Rather, it had been perfect. Unlike before my regression, when I was pressed for time and had to consider escaping, this treatment had completely expelled all the Dark Qi in the body.
I wondered if the problem was that the treatment had been too perfect, but that didn't make sense.
"Don't look so down," Assad said unexpectedly. I hadn't expected to be comforted by someone like him, so I could only look at him with some surprise as he continued, "It has been a few weeks since the miasma eroded his body. I expected that there would be some side effects. It might actually be a relief if it is a mental issue. There is still a possibility of a full recovery. It is probably better than a permanent disability."
It was natural for Assad to say that. He'd almost lost the Iron-Blooded Lord, so it had to feel good that the latter woke up.
I was different. At this time, I was the only one who knew that the treatment of the Iron-Blooded Lord had failed. I was certain, because I witnessed with my own eyes that the Iron-Blooded Lord before the regression was walking around with a healthy mind.
Of course, I didn't know if his body had been completely cured. It had been a day of heavy rain and my condition wasn't good, so I couldn't remember the Iron-Blooded Lord's physical state. It was a world that had already disappeared, so I couldn't ask anyone. It was frustrating, and I sighed again.
Assad continued, "Of course, this matter must be kept absolutely secret."
His gaze was on Verita, not me. Verita also nodded in agreement without saying anything else.
"Of course," I said.
"Excuse me. I have to go talk to Delac now," Assad said.
"Please do so. By the way, should I hide Father's situation from my other siblings?" I asked.
Assad pondered the question for a moment before nodding. "We can't hide it from everyone, but on the other hand, telling everyone would cause difficulties. For example, Aquata has already become part of another family. Aerts and Everan are loose-lipped. In the case of Dolber, he is naturally weak-tempered. There is a possibility that he wouldn't be able to overcome threats or torture and would confess."
I wondered what sorts of torture scenarios Assad was imagining. Thinking about it, he wasn't even technically a Badniker, yet he seemed more like a Badniker than anyone else. Then again, Assad had been involved with the family almost since the founding of the Badnikers. It was possible that his own temperament had shaped the harsh environment of the family.
Assad looked at me and said, "For now, just rest in your room. I will contact you later."
***
Of course, there were still things I could do in my current state.
The moment I thought of someone I could investigate the current situation with and get advice from, I headed to the underground library.
Strangely, right after I stepped in, I felt a different atmosphere in the mysterious space. I reached the center of the books and witnessed quite a rare sight. Lise Ladygoth was on the mountain of books as usual. However, she wasn't turning the pages, but standing. Of course, she wasn't standing on her own feet; instead, her hair acted as her legs.
What's going on? I wondered.
Lise stood at what looked to be a worktable, manipulating dozens of strands of hair. Occasionally, I saw a flash of green light and smelled a foul stench. Overall, it was a very strange sight.
On closer inspection, what Lise was handling was the Linchal mask I had handed her. She had already started the modifications.
Lise glanced at me as if she had noticed my presence. Then she turned back to the worktable and said, "Wait a minute. It will be over soon."
"Yes." I nodded quietly. Then I put the cooking utensils and books I had brought here in the empty space.
As Lise said, the work was completed in a short time. She said, "Now. Come here."
"Uh..." I trailed off, catching the mask as the strands of hair threw it to me. It didn't look much different on the outside, but the part that touched my face on the inside had complex patterns engraved. I asked, "Is it already over?"
"Yes," Lise replied simply.
It seemed the word "soon" hadn't meant today's work was ending, but that the modification would be completed almost immediately.
She continued, "Just as you wanted, I have increased the number of transformations. You said an ordinary person and a lizardman warrior, right?"
"Yes. Ah. How do I decide which form to transform into?" I asked.
"There are keywords. Use Sisk to transform into the original appearance, Sositiu for the ordinary appearance, and Doralizard for the lizardman."
"It is hard to memorize."
"Have you not learned the old fairy language?"
"No, I haven't," I replied. In response, Lise gave me such a bewildered look that I hurriedly made an excuse. "I can live normally even if I don't learn it, right?"
"That is the kind of thing said by those who don't know anything. The fairy language is the first language of the continent and the origin of all scripts. In the past, all the intelligent races on the continent only conversed in the fairy language," Lise explained. I blinked in surprise and she continued, "Judging by your actions, you often stop by places like ancient ruins. It would be a good idea to learn the fairy language. Most of the ancient scripts in such places are the old fairy language or related languages."
"Even so, there is no place for me to learn it."
"You are saying something stupid. Who is in front of you right now?"
I was taken aback again. I asked, "Can you teach me?"
"I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't intend to teach you."
I thought about it before nodding. "Yes, I would be grateful if you could teach me."
"Hmm. You don't seem to know what a precious opportunity this is. Well, you will know eventually. It has been a long time since I've organized class materials," Lise muttered with a rare hint of pleasure. Teaching others seemed to suit her more than expected.
Then she asked, "So what brings you here today?"
"Ah. I have something to ask you."
"Say it."
"So..." I explained my question to Lise. Of course, I couldn't say that I had turned back time, so I had to phrase it a bit indirectly.
Lise listened to everything before remarking with a nod, "I see. In other words, that nun has the skill and confidence to provide treatment, and she was actually successful. Still, it is unbelievable that Delac's mind has been adversely affected."
"In short, yes."
"It is amazing that you successfully removed the miasma. What kind of divine relic did you use?" Lise asked. Her voice was filled with both curiosity and suspicion. A slight chill ran down my spine as the expected question followed. "Can you show me the broken relic as well?"
"Sister Razbet owns it. I heard it is a precious item. Even if I ask for it, I don't think she will agree easily," I answered. For some reason, I felt that this black mage would immediately notice if I showed her the relic. Lise Ladygoth's knowledge of black magic, demons, and ancient relics no doubt surpassed even Assad's.
Lise licked her lips and said, "Really? It is too bad. In any case, Luan, you seemed to be certain that she could cure Delac."
It felt a bit strange that the one who had always been calling me Badniker was now using my name. Still, I didn't show it. Unlike the earlier unexpected request, I already had an answer prepared for this question. I replied, "Yes, actually. Sister Razbet is the most versatile person in the Seventy-Two Churches. Her total amount of divine power surpasses that of an archbishop. She can fully heal someone even if their arms are cut off or their eyeballs are plucked out."
"Wow. I would like to dissect her."
"In any case, thanks to that ability, Sister Razbet previously fully healed someone who suffered injuries similar to my father's."
"How many people?"
"Only one, I think."
Of course, I was the one who had treated him, not Verita. Naturally, there was only one patient.
Lise said, "Then there is nothing strange."
"Huh?"
"Even if two people caught the same disease, the symptoms wouldn't be exactly the same. The time it would take to be cured varies greatly. For instance, if you caught a cold, a day or two of rest could make you feel better. Meanwhile, it could be a matter of life or death if an elderly person caught it."
"That might be true, but the person Razbet treated has a lot in common with Father," I said hesitantly.
"You are saying something strange. I don't know who it is, but there is no other person in the world like Delac."
That was true. I couldn't say anything.
Lise stared at me for a moment. I wondered if she was starting to have doubts. That said, it was fine if she asked who the person treated was. I could just say it was a secret of the church and I didn't know.
Fortunately, she nodded instead of asking more questions, continuing, "The same would be true even if they were twins born in the same womb. They would have the same genes, but their bodies would be shaped differently due to environment, experiences, exercise, and diet. There are also too many variables with an unidentified disease."
"Variables?"
"For most illnesses, taking action quickly is the right approach. However, sometimes it is necessary to observe the progression a bit longer. Acting quickly can worsen the condition, so the body's own immunity should handle it."
"Do you know that for sure?"
"I don't." Lise continued with an indifferent expression, "Such details can only be grasped by accumulating a huge amount of data over time. Even minor illnesses that can be cured with a simple dose of medicine now were deadly diseases in the past that claimed hundreds or thousands of lives. This is why records are important."
"Records?"
"Yes. This is why doctors study new diseases until they die and pharmacists never stop experimenting with herbs."
I finally understood. In short, this mess happened because I'd treated the Iron-Blooded Lord earlier than I did before my regression. I complained inwardly with a sigh, No. This is too unfair.
Still, one fact was clear. This was mostly my fault.
"By the way, what did Assad say?" Lise asked.
"He didn't seem to think it was a big deal. First, he was relieved that Father's life was saved. He said that since it is a mental issue, it should recover soon."
"Kukukuk." Lise openly sneered. "Such an optimistic and hopeful outlook. His brain seems even stiffer than mine, even though I live underground."
"What do you mean?"
"Mental problems are much more serious than physical problems. It is difficult to diagnose the causes and the rehabilitation methods aren't standardized. So, you will have to assume the worst. There is the possibility that Delac will never return to his original state again."
I sighed deeply before saying, "Then Lise, you should diagnose him yourself later."
"Bah. I have no intention of letting Delac in here."
"Then you can go and see him yourself."
"Are you making fun of me now?" Lise snapped at me in annoyance.
—Luan Badniker?
At that moment, a voice echoed in my head. I frowned for a moment. Then I realized it was a kind of magic; the voice that echoed in my head belonged to Assad.
—Where are you now?
"I'm just taking care of something important for the moment. Why?" I replied.
—Come to the Small Iron Hall. Right now.
I could sense an urgency in Assad's voice that wasn't typical for him. I wondered what else had happened.
I looked at Lise uneasily, but she didn't give me a strange look even though I was talking to myself. It seemed she noticed that Assad had sent me a message through magic.
I told her, "I made a deal with Assad, and it turned out well. If things go smoothly, you should be allowed to leave here once a month."
"What?"
"I forgot today, so I'll come back next time with the key. I'm a bit busy today, so I'll be going now. Ah. I will wear the mask well."
"W-wait! Are you saying I can leave here?"
I left the bewildered Lise behind and went to meet with Assad. I hoped that the reason why he'd called me wasn't a big problem.
***
"An uninvited guest has come," Assad said loudly when he saw me.
"An uninvited guest?" I replied.
"Yes."
I saw his stiff expression and started to wonder who could make an Archmage change his expression like this.
"Contrary to his name, he is the master of spring whose presence isn't good at all," he continued.
"The master of spring? Ah. Is it the head of the Goodsprings?"
"Yes. Hatem Goodspring came to visit. Listen carefully, Luan Badniker. Delac cannot respond to this in his current state. It means that you will need to meet with him." Assad's voice was very serious as he said, "Keep this in mind. Never let Hatem Goodspring discover Delac's condition. Do you understand?"