Chương 60: Frenzied

Nathan opened the door and regarded Lealia and me with a look of scrutiny.

"What is it?" he asked. I spoke up.

"Can you join us to visit the remaining patients this afternoon?"

"... I don't have healing abilities. I won't be of any help."

"We're trying to find the source of the poisoning. Since your deductions match Lealia's, you might be able to provide some useful insights." Nathan clearly looked reluctant. I found myself wondering if he would be reckless enough to use mind manipulation to make me change my mind, but then he said:"Wait a moment. Let me get ready." About fifteen minutes later, we set off for the next patient's house under the guidance of a Church soldier. Along the way, I tried to strike up a conversation with Nathan.

"You weren't a student at Imperia before, were you?"

"No."

"Neither was Lealia. I imagine you find it quite stifling; that academy has so many rules, doesn't it?"

"It's alright."

"..."

"..." Well, he was certainly a tough nut to crack. By the time we reached the patient's house, I still hadn't managed to extract any further information from Nathan. The patients this time were a well-to-do family of three. Their home was a small brick manor with beautiful architecture that stood out sharply against the other wooden houses in town. Both Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey, along with their teenage daughter, had fallen ill, and their symptoms were severe.

Fortunately, the family was wealthy enough to employ a butler and servants, so all three were still being cared for. The man who received us introduced himself as Hamlett, the butler. He was elderly and appeared to have served the Dempsey family for many years. The fact that the manor remained intact and ran smoothly while all three masters were unconscious proved that Hamlett was a very responsible man. The couple had been placed together in one room, while the daughter was in her own.

The butler even thoughtfully prepared tea and biscuits for us while Lealia performed her examination. Lealia carefully assessed their condition, her brow furrowing. It seemed their status was quite poor. I turned to the soldier who had led us here and asked, "Who was the first Candidate to examine this household?" Stolen novel; please report. He replied, "It was Mr. Nathan."

"And did anyone else come after that?"

"Mr. Nathan had us pass a message to Ms. Iris, but she was busy with other patients."

"When you passed the message, did you mention that their condition was dire?"

"... Yes. But Ms. Iris said the other patients needed her just as much." I got it. Iris was likely afraid that if she came here and failed to save all three of them, it would tarnish her reputation, so she found an excuse to delay. That meant the remaining names on our list would likely be the most difficult and stubborn cases. This was going to be a long afternoon. While Lealia examined the couple, I stepped into the daughter's room to check on her.

I had intended only to take a quick look, but the moment I opened the door, I froze. The daughter had regained consciousness and was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her head hung low, and her long brown hair fell forward, completely veiling her face. I offered a greeting: "Hello. I'm with the group sent by the Church… how are you feeling?" The girl didn't respond, nor did she move an inch. Thinking she was simply exhausted from the effort of sitting up, I moved forward to support her.

Before my hand could even touch her, she snapped her head up. Her eyes were wide - so wide they looked as if they might pop out - and were thick with shattered capillaries. Now that I could see her clearly, the veins beneath her skin were bulging unnaturally, looking as if they were on the verge of bursting. Suddenly, she lunged at me. Her speed and strength were still only that of a young girl, so I managed to catch both of her arms easily.

But the moment I tightened my grip even slightly, a vein in her right arm ruptured. Blood began to pour out rapidly.

"Lealia! Get in here, now!" I shouted, not daring to use more force yet unable to let go. Lealia rushed in and recoiled at the sight. I barked an order: "Sing!"

"... Huh?"

"Or recite poetry, a lullaby, anything! Just do it now!" Lealia hesitated in confusion for a few seconds, but then she began to sing a familiar Averulan nursery rhyme.

"One little lamb, two little lambs... Be good now, little lambs... Leap over the fence, into the meadows... The sky is so blue, the breeze is so cool... Three little lambs, four little lambs... Drinking water by the pool..." As the song rang out, the girl's resistance weakened. Eventually, she collapsed, falling back into unconsciousness. I quickly checked the pulse in her neck; fortunately, her heart was still beating. Lealia stopped singing, her voice trembling as she asked, "What... what just happened?"

I turned to her, lowered my voice:"It's definitely Miasma poisoning. This girl was seconds away from entering the frenzy stage. Quick, get me some bandages." A maid approached with several rolls of gauze but stood at a distance, too terrified by the blood to come closer. Losing my patience, I snapped:"Give them to me!" Lealia snatched the bandages from the maid and helped me stanch the bleeding on the girl's arm.

"I need my herbs. Soldier, bring me my kit from the other room!" Once the bleeding had slowed thanks to Lealia's medicinal powder, I lifted the girl back onto the bed. Everyone else was ordered to wait outside to keep the noise down. Lealia inserted several acupuncture needles around the wound and at specific points on the girl's forehead. Her hands were shaking; she had to use one hand to steady the other just to place the needles correctly. I gave her shoulder a firm squeeze to ground her.

After the needles were set, Lealia whispered, looking as though she had spent all her energy:"She's stable for now. But Asher... I still don't fully understand what happened..."

"It's the 'Frenzy' state of Miasma poisoning. You were taught about this."

"Yes, but..." But seeing it with your own eyes is a different kind of terror, I understood that without her having to say it. She paused, then asked, "But why did you tell me to sing? And why did she calm down when I did? How did you know something that even I didn't?"