Chapter 10

The identity of the ‘tap-tap’ sound that occurred at first was clear. 

“It seems Cherry aimed for the light that the professor turned on at first. Of course, since the light was on the second floor, she could only jump in place.” 

“……”

“The professor turned off the light shortly after, and Cherry, on her way back, ran towards the light I had turned on… That’s how it seems.”

Arno looked at Nathan with a questioning expression. Nathan didn’t even meet his gaze and replied, “Are you blaming me now? I clearly told you not to turn on the lights.”

“Of course not. I’m just curious about how much you know.”

“…… Everything you’re thinking is all there is. That woman goes crazy for light at night but doesn’t have the ability to climb up to the second floor. Still, don’t turn on the light from a high place trying to copy me. I won’t hear anything good if you’re caught.”

“I’m not doing that.”

Alice pulled out the rule sheet from earlier. 

Do not smoke, do not light fires at night, do not be lured by voices from the cliff…

What kind of dangers does each of these contain?

At that moment, Arno spoke up with a slightly brighter voice. 

“In other words, aren’t these rules a list of the residents’ weaknesses?”

Nathan’s mouth dropped open in shock. Alice’s expression likely wasn’t much different. Only Arno continued to shine with excitement.

“If you know something, go ahead and tell me more. Now that you’ve figured out that Cherry’s weakness is this damned cigarette…”

“Who are you planning to kill?”

“Who said anything about killing? The more you know, the better.”

“Stop with the nonsense. These rules aren’t just for the benefit of the residents.”

“Oh, who was it that made me do something unnecessary?”

With a thud, Arno put down the paper. 

“I came here to get you out, and all I know is that the residents of this town are out of their minds. I don’t have time to consider your feelings.”

“……”

“Especially your nonsense about how you’ll die if you go outside the village.”

“I saw it with my own eyes!”

“I didn’t see it.”

“I—”

“Stop it already! At this rate, Madam Adelaide will come back!”

Alice interjected. Nathan glared at Arno and turned his head away in frustration. Arno stood up without a hint of concern.

“Yes, I’ll diligently memorize the rules. If I find out anything later, I’ll come to you.”

The clinic door closed.

Alice picked up the rule sheet again. She was used to reading and memorizing texts. However, due to her thoughts filling her mind, those words didn’t immediately sink in.

Rules that exist to protect the residents.

Rephrased, these rules could also harm them.

“Professor, why did you have the light on last night?” 

Nathan narrowed his eyes. His expression seemed to say, “What does it matter to you?” but perhaps he was aware that Alice had covered for him earlier. He hesitated a moment before responding.

“I was checking the luggage.”

“What luggage?”

“Your trunk.”

“…My trunk?”

Somehow, I remembered that my belongings had been scattered messily across the floor last night. He added hastily, “I didn’t touch your personal bag. I just checked the trunk for anything that could be used as a weapon in case of emergency.”

“Ha…”

“If we were travel partners, it would be rude. But we’re in the same boat, right? Don’t take it too personally.”

“Then, Professor, can I go into the room on the second floor?”

I wasn’t even curious about the second floor. Yet, childish as it was, that sentence slipped out.

Nathan was momentarily at a loss for words but soon managed to respond as if squeezing out an answer like pus from a patient’s abscess. 

“…Go ahead.”

He didn’t stop there. “Want to come up now? Let’s be comfortable with each other.”

Climbing the old stairs to the second floor, the door opened, and Alice chuckled at the sight before her, reminiscent of Nathan’s research lab during their university days. It wasn’t an environment for one person to enjoy great wealth and glory alone; Nathan truly hadn’t changed.

Nathan cleared away some messy clothes from the bed and sat down. “If you’re curious about anything, feel free to look around.”

Alice casually glanced around before picking up a notebook from the desk.

[July 24]

Entered Reki. Upon revealing that I am a doctor, I was given the largest building which turned out to be the clinic. I will share it with two researchers.  

The town leader is a cheerful woman named Madam Adelaide. It seems like it will be a pleasant time.

[July 27]

Madam Adelaide said I could come over for meals anytime in the future. After relying on her hospitality for three days, I decided to only accept ingredients.  

Groceries are delivered from outside the village once every ten days, so she told me to let her know in advance if I need anything.

[July 28]

It seems other researchers are also nearing their limits; they got caught eating my bread yesterday. The water doesn’t taste very good either. It’s noisy at night.

[August 1]

I saw one patient. They said their face was swollen and limbs hurt. The skin had severe wrinkles. I prescribed hydration and dietary adjustments.

[August 2]  

I treated a child with a knee injury. They were brave and didn’t cry.

[August 3] 

The patient who came on the 1st returned with a leg fracture.

“There’s nothing here related to your real purpose for visiting. Did you censor it because you were worried about what the townspeople might see?”

“Yes. The important things are in my head.”

Then reading this notebook wouldn’t hold much significance, Alice thought until her hand suddenly stopped on one page.

[August 6], patient with leg fracture visited again. [August 7], both arms fractured. Limbs gradually becoming emaciated. [August 9], jawbone fractured during a meal.

[August 12], clinic closed due to personal reasons.

Alice looked up from the notebook.

“The researchers who accompanied me ran away on August 10th. Then, around the 13th, one of them came back and died the way I described…”

“Professor, what about this patient?”

“What about them?”

“This patient has been coming in almost every day with fractures since August 1st.”

“…Just as you see.”

Nathan sealed his lips, a heavy sigh escaping him. 

“I dove straight into research, so my clinical experience is short. But any professor at the Canary University Hospital would say they’ve never seen a patient like that.”  

Rickets? Osteoporosis? Or maybe bone cancer…? No, if fractures were occurring daily, Nathan must have tied him to the bed.  

“It was strange from the start. When I asked how old he was, he said five at first but then changed it to thirty; his skin was sagging. It felt damp, like touching a shedding lizard.”  

“…….”  

“I stabilized the fractures and sent him off, but he worsened day by day. By the end, his jawbone seemed completely shattered and was mushy… He didn’t even make it back to the clinic next time; he died.”  

Nathan’s demeanor was neither the regret shown by young doctors nor the indifference of seasoned ones. 

It was clearly fear.  

“The residents here, whether patients or not, all seemed off in some way. Their characteristics were so varied that it couldn’t be attributed to ethnic traits. Alice, you thought these residents were refugees, right?”  

“Yes.”  

“I wondered if they might be humans who escaped from a freak show.”  

Freak show. A show where deformities or rare diseases are displayed for profit—one of the most unethical forms of entertainment. The moment Alice heard that word, her face twisted in disgust.  

Nathan continued with a different kind of revulsion evident on his face. 

“If you look closely, everyone is somehow not ‘average.’ I suspect these people escaped and found refuge here. Given that it used to be a detention center, they might have expected medical tools.”  

“…….”  

“But hidden diseases in that detention center met their hosts and revived, manifesting symptoms that rot their insides when they leave this land. That’s my theory. The fact that Reki is referred to as ‘the cursed land’ likely relates to disease.”  

This aligned with the hypothesis Alice had considered yesterday. 

Rotting innards are one of the symptoms of endemic diseases. The townspeople’s warning to “get special treatment from Doctor Esha before leaving” serves as some form of preventive measure—though it’s certainly not trustworthy.  

“What about information on the Marquis’s son?”  

“I couldn’t find anything. Mercenaries dispatched ahead of me were supposed to gather clues… But when I arrived here, all I saw was one mercenary trembling in fear—not information at all. He soon went missing as well.”  

“Did he break the ‘rules’?”  

“What does that matter? No, it might matter after all—if Madam Adelaide were to transmit some disease to someone who broke the rules!”  

Nathan snatched the notebook away from Alice and pointed at the words “Clinic Closed” dated August 12th. 

“Is it important now that we discuss the Marquis’s request? I just want to avoid those freak show monsters until Maria persuades her father to wipe this town off the map!”  

There was no guilt or hesitation in Nathan’s mouth when he uttered the word “monster.” Alice stared at him blankly before managing to speak again. 

“What about the endemic disease? We can’t just wipe out a disease.”  

“We’ll need to research with Dr. Esha, the local physician—but only after we receive a promise of cooperation when ‘that day’ comes.”  

“…….”  

Nathan smiled. The twisted curve of his lips seemed more like a display of the emotions he wanted to convey, rather than a reflection of his true feelings.

Roughly speaking, it was like dogs barking loudly in front of something they truly fear…  

‘How did Professor Nathan end up like this?’ 

He wasn’t a coward but also not someone who would reveal raw emotions in front of others.

“……I understand. I’ll keep looking for any other information I can find.”  

“Sure.”  

As Alice turned to leave the room, she looked back and asked…

“Are you not going to resume treatment? The townspeople, especially that Cherry girl, seem to be expecting it.”  

“I’ve told you what I think. I have no intention of doing so until Madam Adelaide chokes me.”  

“Understood. Then take care. I’ll continue using the first floor.”  

As Alice stepped out of the room, she heard Nathan let out a sigh of relief.  

Ha, did he think we would be lying together on that cramped bed?  

Back on the first floor, Alice pulled out the rule sheet from earlier. Each rule started with the number 1, as if to assert that all rules held equal value.  

[1. Do not light fires at night. Leave the night as it is. You never know what might approach or what you might be drawn towards.

1. Do not smoke. Give us air.

1. Do not block the path of someone going straight. Especially if you’re not as sturdy as a tree stump.

1. Ignore voices from people on the cliff by the sea. The more you listen, the more demanding they will become, asking for unreasonable things from you. Make sounds like barking dogs or hissing cats!]

Alice read each sentence three times before moving on.  

‘Did they say not to leave home until I memorize everything?’  

And then, thirty minutes later, Alice left the clinic, heading towards Madam Adelaide.