SHIRO
"Now that we already have a rough idea of where our enemies are hiding, how are we going to verify this?" asked Mister Keiro. "And don't even dare suggest that we have to go to the sewers to reach that place. I would rather dive head-first into battle than into a river of sh*t. Count me out if that's your plan, and you will never, ever convince me."
Mister Riku snickered. "Don't worry, Keiro, because we don't have to do that. We'll just have to get close enough to them for my scrying magic to reach. And yes, I can do it even on the surface. Though I have to apologize in advance that it'll take me some time. Support magic isn't really my field of expertise."
Is he referring to Miss Shino? Now that I think about it, Miss Shino really fits the description of someone who would rather use support magic than offensive ones. She's just too gentle to be fearsome.
"Then, that's settled! We should conclude this for now. Night is already deep. Riku has to sleep better to do his job properly tomorrow," Mister Arano suggested, which we all agreed on.
"Follow me. I'll bring you to your room," Mister Glancis invited after he returned the papers into the metal canister. He then started climbing the stairs while we tailed behind him. Not long after, we were inside a huge room with a huge bed in it. "Sorry for the dust and dirt. I stopped bothering to maintain the whole place clean because I find no reason to do it anymore."
"It's fine, Mister Glancis. We can take care of it."
"Glad to hear that," Mister Glancis smiled, but it instantly turned into a frown. He bit his lower lip and his fingers were restless. He looked a bit uneasy, as if he wanted to say something but something was stopping him.
So, I initiated to ask him, "What is it, Mister Glancis?"
Mister Glancis jumped out of surprise when I raised the question. He looked at me both worried and shy, while the others wore a clueless look.
"Is something wrong, Mister Glancis?" Mister Arano asked.
"N—No. Not—Nothing. It's just that..." Mister Glancis started to shake nervously as if he was having a panic attack. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his fingers became more restless. We were starting to get worried for him.
"Are you okay, Mister Glancis? What's wrong?" Mister Riku frantically asked while holding Mister Glancis's shoulders. "Breathe, Mister Glancis. Breathe."
Following Mister Riku's lead, Mister Glancis breathed in and out rhythmically. He repeated it several times until his body calmed and relaxed.
After heaving a very deep exhale, he spoke for the second time, "Sorry for the sudden nervous breakdown. It happens when I'm too nervous."
"What made you nervous?" Mister Keiro inquired, wearing both an annoyed and suspicious look.
"I was just thinking if..." Mister Glancis looked at Mister Daku in worry, "...if your friend can help me heal my daughter."
His daughter is still alive? Well, he didn't mention she died, so why did I think she's dead? Did I just kill her in my head?
"Your daughter? The one that you mentioned earlier?" Mister Arano asked for clarification, which Mister Glancis responded to with a nod.
"Is that it? I thought it was something more serious by how you trembled earlier," Mister Keiro commented, earning a scowl from both Mister Arano and Mister Riku. "What?! I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought like that!"
"It may sound like a small favor, but for me, who received countless help from you, asking for such a small thing is kind of a challenge. Probably because I was thinking how to ask for it without sounding selfish," Mister Glancis explained while his head was down.
"You helped us too, Mister Glancis."
"Shiro was right. And it doesn't matter who helped the most. However, only our friend can decide if he would help or not. But no worries. He is a good guy. And a good guy can't ignore a man who seeks help."
Mister Glancis raised his head and looked at Mister Daku. His eyes were determined to get Mister Daku's help in healing his daughter—so determined that he would do anything just to earn Mister Daku's favor.
But Mister Daku didn't have to be pleased so much for him to help. He didn't even have to be pleased in the first place. Just ask for it and be honest with it. Without question, he would help.
And just as I expected, Mister Daku nodded. We left the room Mister Glancis lent us and joined him to his room where his daughter was.
Along the way, Mister Glancis narrated how his daughter fell ill and how she miraculously endured the illness up to this day. Even for my apothecary-apprentice mind, I couldn't fathom how she managed to survive.
Mister Glancis described his daughter's symptoms as recurring night fever, pale skin, profuse sweating, and hoarse coughing. I had a fair share of ideas of what the illness could be, but even if I was right, I lacked the medicine or the tools to make one for me to treat her. Our only option now was Mister Daku.
Eventually, we reached Mister Glancis's room. It was poorly lit, and the only light present here was the candle on the side table next to a bed where a figure was silently lying. A familiar odor lingered in the air, signifying a present and looming bad energy brought by the illness.
"She's right over there, Mister Daku. She's now in your care," Mister Glancis stated while looking at his unconscious and sick daughter.
Mister Daku approached the left side of the bed where the candle was, while Mister Glancis stood on the right side. The rest of us watched from the bottom portion of the bed.
Mister Daku stoically looked at the girl and gradually lowered himself until his right knee touched the floor. Mister Glancis did the same gesture and held his daughter's hand tightly with both his hands before he pulled it close to his lips.
Mister Daku silently raised his right hand and hovered it on top of the girl's chest. And without wasting any more seconds, a medium-sized green magic circle appeared between Mister Daku's palm and Mister Glancis's daughter's body.
We all watched how Mister Daku bathed the girl with his healing magic. The green glow it emanated became the room's illumination, casting all of the shadows away.
It persisted for about two minutes before Mister Daku ceased the flow of magic. The end of Mister Daku's magic was also the beginning of the girl's second chance to live. With her complexion better than before and her breathing no longer shallow, I bet she would wake up tomorrow feeling like an infant who just gave birth. Her faint smile made sure of that.
Mister Glancis cried out of pure joy when he saw his daughter's condition get better. I couldn't help but smile at the scene before me.
Mister Glancis then kissed the forehead of his slumbering daughter before approaching Mister Daku, who had just gotten up from kneeling. Mister Glancis thanked Mister Daku several times, but with Mister Daku's condition, what he received as a response was an expressionless look from Mister Daku's face.
After Mister Glancis extended his gratitude enough, we all started leaving to go back to our room.
But before we were able to fully leave the room, Mister Daku glanced back into it as if he left something he forgot to bring with him. However, that was just my guess. A guess far more innocent than what his face was trying to say.
It was unnoticeable at first glance and from afar, but if one looked closely, one could say that something bad caught Mister Daku's attention. His slightly converged eyebrows and the way his eyes spoke implied that he found something he didn't like.
Curious, I looked at it as well, but I only found Mister Glancis sleeping on a chair next to his daughter. I found it peaceful and pleasing, yet Mister Daku told me otherwise.
If it wasn't for Mister Arano's invitation to leave, Mister Daku wouldn't have moved and would have stared at something inside the room for hours—like he always does when he stares outside the window back at his room in Thorn.
Because of what I witnessed, questions and suspicions flooded my mind. Was it Mister Glancis? Was it his daughter? No one knew. Only fate would reveal the truth.