Chapter 17
“Mr. Arno.”
Alice’s expression stiffened. Nathan didn’t stop there; he jumped up from his seat.
“What did you just say? Who did you involve, and how?”
“The errand boy who was supposed to help free you today came by, but I’m sorry, the plan has changed. I asked if he could come back tonight. In the meantime, I let him into the village for about a minute.”
“W-What?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t understand.”
“This is an experiment! With someone else’s body!”
Alice shouted with a tense expression. Arno shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t believe in curses. But since you all seem to need me here, I figured I’d ease your worries by asking someone else to handle it instead.”
“I explained before that curses might not just be superstitions; they could be another expression of endemic diseases!”
“Then it’d be even funnier if such a disease stopped dead at a fence barely half a foot wide. Unless the fence sprays disinfectant, how could it draw such a perfect line for a contagion? Maybe I’m here to debunk your superstitions instead.”
While that wasn’t entirely wrong, the idea that a disease would neatly respect boundaries was absurd unless the fence was spewing disinfectant.
Still…
Nathan rubbed his forehead and sighed as he asked,
“And how exactly did you get him to enter the village? He couldn’t have made it here without hearing of Reki’s reputation.”
“Right. Just passing through nearby villages, they scare you with talk of ‘Reki being a cursed land.’ The errand boy I contacted beforehand is a tough guy, but on his way here, he seemed hesitant after hearing all the nonsense.”
“So how did you get him to come over?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Money.”
Arno grinned.
“At first, I told him, ‘Sorry, the schedule has changed, and I can’t rely on you anymore. You can go back. I’ve already paid the deposit, so we’re even.’ His face went from trembling to furious because the final payment was quite large.”
“Ha…”
“And since he came all this way, there’s no way he’d just let the contract go without a fight. No matter what insults he hurled at me, I ignored him and took a few steps away, then he grabbed me by the collar right after crossing the fence.”
Nathan chuckled through clenched teeth as he assessed the errand boy.
“A greedy monkey caught in a gourd.”
“Exactly. Of course, as a good trader, I promised to pay him the remaining balance and extra fees and told him to come back tonight.”
Arno looked back and forth between the two doctors as he spoke.
“If the errand boy returns in good condition, then you should stop making excuses and come with me.”
“……”
“Better start packing.”
Alice packed her bag with a sense of unease, including only the essentials like her wallet, just in case they had to make a sudden escape.
In the meantime, Arno had made lunch without anyone asking him to do so.
The meal was delicious. Somehow, it had grated Grana Padano cheese on top that whetted her appetite.
Arno cheerfully explained,
“I met the delivery boy yesterday while chatting and got this from him. It seems you all think of Reki as a village of monsters from stories, but not everyone in the outside villages believes that.”
“Really?”
“At least some merchants don’t. The delivery boy said Madam Adelaide pays well for delivery fees; she’s nice and never delays payments.”
“Where does that money come from?”
“It seems Madame Adelaide and the town residents make something to sell. Fiore transports it.”
“Has the delivery boy ever entered the village?”
“Nope. He said he was told repeatedly not to enter since he started working here, and Madam Adelaide also told him not to cross the fence.”
“He sure does well in that unpleasant job.”
“How many unfair jobs do you think exist in this world? Plenty of people smile and serve trashy employers daily. Compared to that, staying outside a fence is easier than a pre-meal prayer.”
When Arno spat out “with a smile,” his gaze lingered pointedly on Nathan. Nathan responded with a low, grumbling sound but chose to shovel soup into his mouth rather than express his unease.
Arno continued casually,
“I hope today’s meal will be my last here; these rural vegetables are tougher and tasteless…”
“Wait a moment, Arno.”
Alice spoke up.
“What happened when you asked Fiore about treatment?”
“He said he doesn’t need treatment as a resident; that’s why he often takes on errands going in and out of the village.”
“I see. Then we were mistaken.”
“I didn’t get much else.When I asked what treatment was, he vaguely replied that it was similar to taking a bath and dressing up before an important task.”
“…Bathing and dressing up could refer to disinfection procedures. What do you think, Professor? Disinfection is generally preventive but might be an exception in this case—”
Nathan interrupted her with a mocking tone.
“Wow, you’re really enjoying yourself, aren’t you? Does this feel like solving a puzzle to you?”
“Professor, it’s not like that!”
“When you’re looking at a rotting corpse, try to piece it together then.”
“Later…?”
“You’ll have to figure it out yourself while looking at decaying corpses.”
“……”
Nathan seemed convinced that the errand boy wouldn’t return in good condition.
Arno clicked his tongue in annoyance. His attitude had become increasingly sharp since the beginning when he was somewhat polite. Alice silently filled her stomach with food while feeling tense, hoping she could run away at full speed if necessary.
After finishing their meal in this damp atmosphere, Arno stood up.
“I’ll head to the meeting place ahead of time.”
“Oh, already?”
“I told the errand boy to come back quickly if anything felt off with his body; I want to be there early just in case.”
“If he feels sick, wouldn’t he avoid going to the villsge?”
“Nope. I told him that sudden pain would definitely mean a curse, and the only place to break it is here in the village.”
“You really…”
“I need to see for myself if Professor Nathan is right or not.”
There was no hesitation or embarrassment on Arno’s face at all.
“It’s going to be fine. I’ve learned one thing throughout my life: there are no curses or miracles in this world.”
“……”
“A person’s desperation cannot overcome another’s malice.”
Alice knew. The classmates who had cursed her every night were living healthy lives. It would have been better to promise a better outcome by putting a dead rat in their pockets during school days.
As Arno stepped over the clinic’s entrance, he said,
“Make sure to come out before sunset. The meeting place is about 50 meters from Cherry’s house at the 1 o’clock direction, near the fence.”
“That’s closer to the residents than I thought. What if Cherry finds out?”
“The trees are dense, so I don’t think it’ll be easy to get caught… Besides, we know how to handle that person now.”
Arno pretended to strike a match. There was not a hint of worry on his face.
“Is everything explained? I’m off then.”
He left without waiting for a response.
Alice turned back to see Nathan still sitting blankly in the restaurant, responding to her gaze.
“Are you expecting me to agree with you and say ‘what a jerk’?”
“Yes.”
“Arno is indeed a jerk. But I believe he will be more helpful to all of us than you.”
“……Did you pack your things?”
“No point when I’ll just come crawling back.”
“I understand. Then I’ll go ahead.”
Alice packed her bag again, this time not just with escape items but also with her medical bag.
“Is anyone there?”
After persistent knocking, Cherry opened the door.
“Who’s… Oh, it’s the doctor.”
“Hello! I came to check if you’re feeling any better.”
“Will I be okay? “Are you sure? That thing on my nose is heavy. And not lying down is tiring—I keep dozing off sitting up.”
She complained while pouring out her thoughts, but her expression didn’t look bad at all. Moreover, as soon as she saw Alice’s face, she opened the door wide as if welcoming a guest.
Alice stepped into Cherry’s room.
The environment was just as she remembered it. Even during the day, it was dark, and each breath brought in a cool humidity filled with the smell of fallen leaves.
Alice tried not to look at the corners piled with dirt and leaves as she examined Cherry’s wounds. There wouldn’t be much improvement in just one day, but there were no signs of infection either.
“You don’t need to force yourself to stay awake. It’s dangerous for your nose if you lie on your stomach, but lying on your back is fine now that your nosebleed has stopped, right?”
“It’s more comfortable lying on my stomach… Hmm… Okay, oh this.”
Cherry handed something over.
“Fiore said to give this to you.”
In her hand was the same box of caramels that Arno had shown Alice that morning. It seemed what he had given to Fiore had made its way back around to Cherry.
“This… for me?”
“If you don’t want it, give it to Professor Nathan.”
“Oh no, I’ll share it! Thank you! Have you eaten some already?”
“I took some out for eating.”
As she said that, there was exactly one caramel sitting on the side table. Whether she had a small appetite or had eaten enough was unclear.
Well, snacks are always appreciated. Alice put the caramel box into her bag.
“Thanks again. By the way… did you leave the leaves in the house on purpose?”
She asked knowing it might upset Cherry; after all, cleanliness is essential for health as a doctor—it couldn’t be helped.
Cherry replied sharply,
“Why? You’re going to meddle?”
“I won’t. Take care of yourself.”
As Alice grabbed the doorknob, she heard Cherry’s voice soften slightly compared to before.
“Next time, bring snacks with you.”
Alice mumbled an ambiguous response as she closed the front door behind her.
Next time?
Thinking about Cherry’s usual way of speaking made it seem like she was indirectly inviting Alice back again.
‘Moments like this make them seem like ordinary villagers.’
Both Fiore and Cherry felt that way. They visited neighbors, shared treats, and expressed joy in their reserved, awkward manner when someone came to visit.
‘…I’m glad I stopped by.’
Now that she confirmed Cherry’s condition hadn’t worsened, she felt she could leave with a bit more peace of mind.
Of course, that was only if the errand boy returned in good condition.
‘Nothing will happen; really.’
Curses are usually tied up with hope or fear created by chance.
Nathan’s fear stemmed from experiencing such poor rural conditions for the first time in his life.
Although that process wasn’t commendable, Arno would break Nathan’s blind faith in curses.
And my baseless anxiety too…
‘Fifty meters from Cherry’s house at one o’clock.’
It was early still, but Alice wanted to calm her rising anxiety as quickly as possible.
She roughly wiped her increasingly damp hands on her skirt before starting toward the direction where Arno would be waiting for the errand boy.
