Chapter 34
‘This herb… If it’s what I think it is…’
His mind was instantly reorganized.
He forgot about the nauseating residents and Arno’s attitude of daring to match him, a professor, just because he’d been through some hardships.
The second-floor bedroom of the clinic instantly became a laboratory.
‘The book those researchers left behind… This is the one, right? Good. Let’s lay out the sample here…’
He was fortunate to have Alice under the same roof. Instead of nagging him to exercise or not be selfish, she fulfilled her role as an assistant.
When he went downstairs at the right time, simple meals were always set on the table, and when he’d gone too long without food, he’d find a plate with bread and water just by opening the door. Best of all, Alice never made a fuss about it.
How many days had passed like that?
Only when his hypothesis about the herb’s effects had solidified did his eyes finally take in his other companions.
Arno seemed to have lost some weight.
“Arno. What have you been up to lately?”
“Making your meals.”
His voice was sharp. He added after a moment.
“Professor. Have you examined the villagers here?”
“Yes. In the beginning.”
“Were they all ‘normal’?”
“Arno. You seem to have something to say, so just get to the point. I don’t want to waste time.”
“Well… I know this sounds ridiculous, but…”
After sighing into his hands several times, Arno asked.
“What do you think about werewolves?”
“…Are you seriously asking me that?”
Despite knowing the mockery in Nathan’s question, Arno nodded roughly.
“The other day, I almost got into a fight with a resident named Doki, and the way she tried to pin me down was like a hunting dog. I know because I’ve dealt with hunting dogs before, I swear! It was exactly how large dogs fight.”
“…”
“Don’t give me that look! It’s not like I’m asking for silver bullets or anything. I just mean… like how people who get bitten by rabid dogs start acting like crazy animals. Maybe there’s some kind of scientific explanation?”
Even with Arno’s lengthy addition, Nathan’s frown didn’t ease. After all, what was firmly stuck in that fellow’s head was the word ‘werewolf.’
“Have you been reading horror novels? Werewolves don’t exist. Even the werewolves displayed in freak shows and circuses turn out to be patients with diseases causing excessive hair growth. Such patients are usually recognizable at a glance.”
“But the way they she fought-“
“If a person fought with a human body, then they’re human. Next you’ll be asking if someone who headbutts is a rhinoceros-human.”
“…”
Though Arno’s expression showed he had more to say, he seemed to know it wouldn’t get through to Nathan and didn’t add any more nonsense.
What was slightly concerning was Alice’s reaction.
When the talk of residents and werewolves came up, her lips twitched as if looking for a chance to add something, but when Arno retreated after being shut down, she closed her mouth again and just munched on bread.
He wondered if she had discovered something about the residents, but-
‘If it was important, she would have said something.’
Whatever the topic was, it must have been as far-fetched as werewolves, so she wisely held back.
Coldly understanding her own position.
That was Alice’s – somewhat pitiful – strength.
As her former mentor, his job should be not to change that personality, but to guide her to feel even a little bit of her own worth.
On the day the research was nearing its end.
Of all times, that was when they ran out of a few essential supplies.
Nathan called Alice and handed her a shopping list.
“Should I give this to Madam Adelaide?”
“No. Give it to Fiore. He handles the outside errands, doesn’t he?”
“Ah. But…”
Confusion spread across Alice’s face.
Why was she hesitating instead of answering directly? The usual Alice would have gotten straight to the point.
“Alice. Did something happen with him?”
“No!”
Alice was startled. Not only that, she frantically waved both hands.
Nathan sighed inwardly.
Could even Alice, a person of solid reason, not help but be affected by this bizarre village?
However, he didn’t have the luxury of counseling his student.
“Can you deliver it or not? Just answer one or the other.”
“I’ll deliver it… But somehow, Fiore seems to be avoiding me, so it might take a while.”
“Avoiding you? Are you sure it’s not your imagination?”
“I’m sure. When I approach him alone, he flat-out dodges me. Even when we’re in a group, he goes out of his way to ignore me. Others have even tried to comfort me about it.”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
What could Fiore be thinking?
A country bumpkin who couldn’t distinguish between rudeness and cheerfulness. He must have solved most of life’s problems with that well-developed body of his, and was probably just as stupid.
He wouldn’t have meshed well with a smart city woman like Alice in many ways.
There’s no value in wasting time pondering such an obvious fellow’s thoughts-
Nathan threw out a different question.
“Alice. Why did you approach Fiore?”
“What?”
“You just said it. You approached him both one-on-one and when he was with others. What business did you have that required so many attempts?”
“Well…”
After hesitating slightly, Alice said.
“I wanted to thank him for helping support Arno.”
“Thank him?”
“Yes.”
“You could have said that when others were around. You could have just called out ‘Thanks for the other day’ to the back of his head and been done with it.”
“…True.”
Though she verbally agreed, Alice’s eyes seemed to say ‘That’s not right.’ Like she’d returned to her twenty-year-old self, still harboring irrational rebellion against the world.
Could it be…?
Nathan again went straight to the point:
“Alice. Did something happen between you and Fiore? Something that—well, how should I put it—would be a little embarrassing or awkward to talk about?”
The response came after a brief silence. Alice’s mouth fell open.
“Professor… What are you saying? Ah, I understand what you mean! Did I do something wrong? Did I make you misunderstand something? Huh?”
“I just found it strange that you’re dragging out something that could be finished with a simple thank you, acting like you absolutely must meet Fiore. Calm down.”
“No! It’s just because Fiore keeps avoiding me, so I got stubborn about it! There’s really nothing strange going on, please don’t misunderstand!”
Alice shook her head violently. Just when she seemed to calm down, she looked up again with a serious expression.
“Was I… really that strange? Enough to make you misunderstand?”
“Calm down. I won’t misunderstand anymore.”
“…Okay.”
Alice always accepts rational proposals.
During university, Nathan had trained her to be that kind of researcher. Of course, this was only possible because Alice had the seeds of excellent reason within her.
Even now, she looked like she had all sorts of confused thoughts bubbling up inside her. But instead of letting them spill out, she would probably just swallow them down along with a cup of hot tea.
Sometimes that aspect of her was pitiful.
But still, there would never come a moment when Nathan found her lovely as a woman.
Nathan thought for a moment before standing up.
“Then I’ll ask about this shopping list myself. Where’s Fiore’s house?”
“They say Fiore doesn’t have a house. He’s always moving around.”
“Really? How unusual.”
“I heard he mainly repairs the fence when he’s not running errands.”
“I see. If I walk along the fence where he’s working, I’ll run into him eventually. Like exploring a maze.”
It’s already becoming annoying. Damn, isn’t he too hard to find for someone who’s supposed to be the village’s errand runner?
His displeasure must have shown on his face because Alice jumped up.
“Professor, I’ll go! Even if he ignores me, he’ll at least take the errand!”
“No, it’s fine. I should take responsibility for making my student overthink things. Sorry for putting unnecessary thoughts in your head.”
“Ah…”
“I’ll be back.”
Nathan waved his hand as he left the clinic.
Alice’s expression in his last glance seemed… truly mixed with all sorts of complicated emotions.
The autumn sunlight stung like arrows. Nathan’s skin, whiter than even his fiancée’s from being cooped up in the lab, turned red.
‘Should I have just stayed inside?’
Just as he was thinking he’d have to ask Madam Adelaide if he couldn’t find Fiore after walking another 100 meters.
The other man spotted him first.
“If it isn’t the great doctor! I thought you’d burn to death if you left the clinic, but you seem fine.”
A man in casual attire was walking toward the fence. Nathan frowned and tried to back away, but Fiore’s shadow covering his face felt comfortable enough that he couldn’t retreat further.
“Mr. Fiore. Coming back from somewhere? Village errands?”
“Just went out on patrol.”
Fiore easily jumped over the waist-high fence. Nathan looked him up and down. Of course, he couldn’t find the reason why this man could come and go from the village so freely.
“Hmm? Doctor, do you have business with me?”
“Yes. I have some items I’d like you to get.”
Nathan handed over the memo and money pouch.
“Most general stores and pharmacies should have these. If not, I’d appreciate it if you could bring back a mail-order catalog from the store.”
“No need to make two trips. If it’s not in the next town, I’ll head to the nearest city.”
“Really?”
“Nothing’s impossible for this poor errand boy if you throw in some snack money.”
The man, who looked far from pitiful, grinned broadly. With the sun at his back, his expression was more readable from the changes in his facial contours than his mouth’s shape.
Such a refreshing smile. Quite unfitting with the previous topic.
‘How vulgar.’
Could this man, who seemed willing to do anything for money, really have been avoiding Alice? Or was this just Alice being overly suspicious?
While adding a few more coins to the money pouch, Nathan asked Fiore.
“Are you deliberately avoiding Alice?”
