Chapter 4
‘No, no, no.’
Alice had read her brother’s will so many times that she could recite it by heart.
But what good was memorizing the content?
The beautiful sentences that Aubert had inscribed with his trembling hands during his illness were both a stimulant she had to swallow every morning and a sleeping aid she drank at night.
To lose that?
‘No!’
Sister, I will always support you.
Don’t feel guilty towards family.
You will definitely become a doctor.
Then I will be happy enough.
“Aubert…”
It had been quite some time since she lost sight of the back of the man. Her aimless running ended when Alice stumbled and fell onto the dirt ground.
The talisman that had helped her endure her hellish university life and the torturous past three years slipped from Alice’s grasp.
***
When Alice explained the situation, the local officer couldn’t help but laugh.
“Didn’t the locals tell you not to go to ‘there’?”
“I had to go.”
“Yes, I suppose you did. What did the thief look like?”
“He was very tall, with gray hair and… his eyes were…”
Were they black? He was so high up that the colors blurred as if mocking her. Just like the cheerful pirates from old adventure novels…
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
With a snap, the officer set down his pen.
“I’ll look into it, so please wait.”
“Is that it? Is that all?”
“Yes. You may go in. It’s fortunate that your party is arriving tomorrow.”
Alice stood up with a feeling of unease. As she greeted the officer, she belatedly noticed a poorly drawn ugly cat on the paper where he was jotting down the suspect’s description, but there was no opportunity to question it.
After returning to the inn, she spent a sleepless night in her utterly exhausted state.
In the early morning, during a brief moment of sleep, she dreamed of her brother lying beside her in bed—the child who had been burning with fever until the end.
Alice covered her brother’s open abdomen with a blanket. Aubert lay with his eyes closed, gently patting her hand.
The next morning, after eating the pale soup handed to her by a server, Alice met a man sent by Maria in front of the designated meeting place at the town hall residence.
He looked to be in his early forties. With a round face but muscular build and fierce eyes, he introduced himself as ‘Arno.’
“So you’re Alice Boucher? A doctor?”
“Yes.”
“I think I read about you in the newspaper before.”
Arno’s curiosity ended there, and Alice concluded that her first impression of him was ‘somewhat lacking.’
Of course, those who evaluate should also be prepared for evaluation.
“You had your wallet stolen? Right in front of you?”
“…Yes.”
“Huh, you look strict but are quite gullible. Have you only studied your whole life?”
“…….”
“Let’s split the deposit and settle it slowly. If there are any materials you absolutely can’t lose, pass them to my bag.”
Does this give the impression that I’m a ‘fool’?
Alice lowered her blushing face.
“I reported it to the officer yesterday. Since it’s a small town with not many people coming and going, once they catch the thief…”
“They won’t find him.”
“What?”
“Who would help a woman who got scammed while looking for a guide after being told not to? Once you get your wallet back, who knows what else you might do?”
“……”
“The scammers who heard about the outsider are not just any ordinary ones. Don’t let yourself get scammed twice and lose your wallet again.”
“……Yes. I’ll be careful.”
Though she felt it was a bit harsh, Alice nodded. This was clearly her mistake.
However, right after acknowledging it, she felt a twinge of regret upon seeing the smug smile spread across Arno’s face as if he believed he had successfully established his superiority. But it was already too late.
Ignoring the sharp gazes behind her, Alice climbed onto the small cart that Arno had brought from the previous town.
Seeing the bag that was nearly the size of her torso, Arno warned, “If the horse gets tired, we’ll have to take turns holding the reins.” Fortunately, the old, plump horse moved steadily without any wobbling.
“Now, let’s go over our identities again. Professor Nathan is a doctor doing volunteer work, you’re his assistant helping with his tasks, and I’m your guard and guide. Well, we don’t have to memorize anything; it’s just as it is.”
“Lies about identity are the easiest to see through. We should simplify as much as possible.”
“But are you really going to say you’re a doctor?”
“……”
“The moment you say you’re a female doctor, I bet you’ll be accused of being a witch by the locals and burned at the stake. The villagers still call upon adult names during sowing and blame witches when their crops fail.”
“City dwellers don’t exactly accept female doctors objectively either. Especially since they believe they’re at the pinnacle of civilization.”
“Ha! Miss, I hope you won’t cry to be sent to a beautiful city as soon as you see the state of the village’s restroom.”
“Yes. I also hope I won’t have to examine you.”
“……”
A wave of regret washed over Alice through the rough driving, wondering if that remark had been too harsh. But it wasn’t an untrue statement.
“Arno, did you hear how someone died in that village?”
“I did. As soon as Reki was mentioned in that town, I could feel the residents treating me like a walking corpse.”
“I don’t expect you to save me when danger strikes. I wouldn’t either. Instead, how about we agree to bury each other if something happens?”
“……”
“Before we end up in some grotesque situation. Even if it means chopping up the body.”
“That’s the only thing you’ve said today that I actually like.”
Alice stroked the trunk in her arms without responding. While she had packed it for convenience, she hoped she wouldn’t need to use the saw.
***
The rough road continued.
Alice completely understood the feelings of the prisoners being dragged to the detention center.
‘Is this my butt or a cushion?’
Having run out of curses, Arno began to shout the names of past kings every time the cart jolted. Not that knowing history would be difficult. “Rama the 10th, Rama the 11th…”
“Rama… Ah, damn! Here we go! Hey, is that it? They said it was a detention center, not the original village!”
Alice stuck her head out of the window.
On the land, where only a few tufts of grass poked through the yellow sandy soil, stood sparsely placed single-story square buildings.
“I’d hope for a stable… but that’s unlikely.”
“Haha! Dream big. It looks like they’re using the old detention center isolation rooms as homes; I bet sleeping there will be quite comfortable.”
Arno’s expression wasn’t very pleasant either. In such a backwater, those relying on ruins couldn’t possibly be normal citizens.
The cart came to a stop in front of a recently built shiny wooden fence, contrasting with the gloomy buildings.
Arno stood stiffly like a bear in front of its cave, swallowing hard.
“We’re going in now. If you’re scared, say so now.”
Where did his rough demeanor go?
But Alice had no leisure to mock Arno. Unlike the dilapidated buildings, this meticulously repaired fence felt like both a shield for the villagers and a final warning not to approach recklessly… like bones scattered around a carnivore’s den.
“Oh my, who are you?”
At that moment, someone’s voice broke the tension.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Did you come to deliver something?”
“Ah, well… I’m here to meet someone. My party arrived here first.”
Arno immediately fell into his role-playing. Alice leaned out of the window in surprise.
Beyond the fence stood a robust middle-aged woman who looked like a lumberjack; upon spotting her, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh my, what a cute young lady!”
Alice’s mind went blank. Cute? She hadn’t heard such praise since she was ten years old, not even from her mother!
The woman continued without any hesitation.
“Who are you looking for in this humble village? I hope you didn’t come all this way for nothing.”
“Nathan, Nathan Labouff. The doctor.”
“Really? You found him exactly! The professor’s guests are our guests too. Come in quickly! You need to let your horse rest as well!”
A woman reached out her hand, large enough to resemble a pot lid, toward the horse.
Alice tensed and clenched her fists.
If the horse suddenly bared its teeth and foamed at the mouth like a scene from a horror novel, or raised its front legs with wild eyes, she would have to run away without looking back.
But nothing happened.
Surprisingly, the horse accepted the woman’s touch calmly.
“Good boy. I have some tasty grass for you.”
The woman turned to look at Alice and her party. Her thick, full lips curled into a smile that had a strange charm, making others smile back at her.
“Of course, for our guests too. You should hydrate first, right?”
Both Arno and Alice replied in unison, “Yes.”
The cart moved forward through the sharp wooden fence.
The woman, who introduced herself as ‘Madame Adelaide,’ led the guests to a small two-story house. Among the rough mud-brick buildings, this place looked like a proper home and was likely where the detention center’s caretaker resided.
“You say you came as Professor Nathan’s assistant?”
“Yes. I received word that help would be appreciated. Of course, the villagers need to allow us to stay here. And if necessary, I can provide living expenses.”
“Alice is considered an assistant, but what about that gentleman over there?”
“I’m just a handyman who came along to guard the lady. If there’s any work needed in the village, feel free to call on me.”
“How reassuring!” Madame Adelaide smiled brightly.
“We also came here by chance as castaways from the abandoned detention center, so we will never drive anyone away. Please choose your accommodations comfortably; we will clean them for you.”
“Oh, thank you!”
“But there are rules to follow during your stay. I’ll explain them when you come for dinner later.”
Alice and Arno exchanged glances, wondering if they should get up already while gripping their glasses tightly. Alice asked, “Is it okay if you explain now?”
“Hmm, don’t you want to meet Professor Nathan first?”
It was an offer she couldn’t refuse.
