Okami Wa Nemuranai

"Three more huh."

Norma was perplexed to hear the word coming out of Lecan's mouth.

"Eh?"

"You told us we'd be visiting four houses today, didn't you."

Norma was dumbfounded for a while before speaking up angrily.

"What are you talking about, Lecan! This isn't the time to worry about that!"

"Thank you, Norma."

"...Eh?"

"You're worried about Eda, right. It would cause a huge uproar if people found out she could cast <Purification>."

"Lecan. You're"

"Eda was summoned to the temple a few days ago."

"Eh"

"And the priests there were pressuring her into showing them her <Recovery> spell."

"A-and then?"

"I showed them my <Recovery>."

"Haa?"

"Then I told them. Eda, my inexperienced pupil could employ a slightly lesser version of that."

"And then? What happened then?"

"After some disputes, priest Casis ended up having his position stripped temporarily, and would be put on a temple trial of some sort. I'm stuck having to go to the orphanage nine times."

"I don't really get the latter part, but that first half was surprising. That Casis finally tripped over himself huh."

"Also, the vice temple head declared that they wouldn't force Eda into priesthood while in the presence of the temple head."

"...What?"

"I already knew that Eda was capable of <Purification>."

"Eh?"

"With her <Recovery>, Eda saved me who was hit by a curse. That <Recovery> had a hint of <Purification> in it."

"So that happened huh."

"Reason why I didn't let Eda use <Recovery> at the temple."

"I see."

"In any case, I've taken upon myself to protect Eda for as long as she's under my wings as a pupil. No matter what the temples or nobles are going to do, I shall keep Eda safe. If anyone tried to take her by force, I'll fight them. That's all."

"You're... really strong. If only father had even half your strength..."

"Hum?"

"It's nothing. Right. No point in stressing over something that hasn't happened. We've gotta do all we can do today. Alright! Lecan. Eda. Time to get to work."

"Got it."

"Yes."

Jinga was standing by the door.

Under his elegant mustache, his mouth was sternly clenching.

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

The second house call was at a luxurious house. But they had no family name, they weren't a noble family.

The patient was an elderly woman, she was skinny with an ill-looking yellowed face, she couldn't even get up in her bed.

An abnormality in her spine and a disease attacking her entrails are said to have caused this.

Norma thoroughly explained to Lecan how the problematic entrails should have worked originally, and what kind of abnormalities presently taking place.

While memorizing Norma's explanations, Lecan cast three extremely weak <Recovery> over a period of time. Come to think of it, Shira mentioned that the effects of <Recovery> are reliant on the caster's mana and the recipient's life force, if you cast a strong mana-filled <Recovery> that depletes the recipient's life force, successive <Recovery> will give no effects. As such, the best kind of <Recovery> for those with weakened life forces is a careful <Recovery> loaded with only the exact amount of required mana.

By the third <Recovery> the patient's complexion had visibly changed for the better, she could even get up. It was a dramatic recovery that made even the attending maids cried in joy.

The family prepared their lunch while they were doing treatment, and they decided to take up on the offer. Norma was planning to eat at street stalls. Lecan actually had a lunchbox Eda made, he decided to save it for dinner.

"Lecan. Are you aware of the difference between red potions and <Recovery>?"

"Red potions have fixed effects for each of its respective size, namely Large, Medium, Small. While effects of <Recovery> depend on mana put on it by the caster, and the recipient's life forces."

"Whoa now, this is a surprise. Looks like Shira-san is truly serious in drilling you with knowledge. No wait, I guess it only makes sense. I mean, you're the sole pupil Shira-san has ever admitted after all."

"As far as I know she had a few pupils before she arrived at this city."

"Hou. Is that so. Sounds interesting, but let's not go there for now. Well then, Lecan. Do you know that there are cases where taking red potions make the taker suffer instead?"

"What? No, I don't know that. Could something so outrageous be true."

"It's a very special case. And Prado-san was one of such cases."

"Hou."

"Let's assume that disease is a tree that grows in your body. The branches and leaves are symptoms. In other words, they're the pain, suffering, unmovable hands, blind eyes, holed entrails a patient suffer. The roots of the disease themselves are hidden to naked eyes."

"Umu."

"Red potions will erase those branches and leaves instantly. By way of a mysterious phenomenon that simply has no explanations. However, depending on the degree of red potion's effectiveness, it may not be enough to erase all the numerous branches and leaves present."

"I get it now."

"Red potions don't work at all on the roots. But if all the branches and leaves are cut down, the roots will naturally wither by itself. Or perhaps it loses the power to grow new branches and leaves. And even if it remains, so long as it can only grow tiny branches, it's virtually the same as having been cured of the disease."

"Yeah."

"Yet if the roots are strong, erasing all the branches and leaves does nothing but delaying another growth."

"And that's the case with Prado?"

"No, that's not it. Don't rush it now. Anyway, just remember that even if someone looks like they have been freed of all symptoms, they may still experience a relapse so long as the roots remain. But in such cases, there is a period of repose until the symptoms strike back, affording the patient enough time to regain their strength and fight back."

"I see."

"Now then, from here on is a hypothesis of mine. It hasn't been proven yet, and I'm still trying to form an analysis myself, so it may not be reliable. When a body has grown exhausted fighting a disease, there may be cases when the condition of being ill gets treated as 'normal'. I call this <Overwritten>."

"Hum? I don't get it."

"Diseases are an invading force. They attack, torment and make your body suffer. Then it surrenders. Like, <we swear obedience to your reign, so please don't torment us anymore>."

"Then, what?"

"It turns into a state of equilibrium. Meaning, you're still suffering from the disease, but it will be harder for it to progress any further."

"Occupied by the enemy huh."

"That's exactly it. Now then, let's consider how red potions think in this case. Red potions are a magic that restores human bodies back to normalcy."

"Magic?"

"Yep. Those things are no medicine. They're magic materialized. Here we have an <Overwritten> patient. They drink a red potion. What's gonna happen?"

"They're cured of course."

"The red potion issues a command to the Root of Life. Go erase the disease's branches and leaves. Yet on the other hand, the body which has yielded to the disease says this. The state in which the disease's branches and leaves exist is the correct one, reproduce them."

"What?...Fumu. I think I've got the picture."

"I've no clue what's what."

"Grand magic such as large red potions will result in a complete erasure of branches and leaves for a time. However, in case of an <Overwritten> person, the branches and leaves get reproduced the same instance they are erased, rampantly growing back to their original state in the blink of an eye. Patients with a chronic condition suffers from it for years, or even decades. Which means, decades worth of suffering come assaulting all at once."

"That's unbearable."

"I don't really get it it, but that sounds so sad."

"I was against it when they wanted to use small red potions. But Zepus wouldn't have it."

"Zepus?"

"He's Prado-san's grandson, successor to Goncourt House. 'Grandfather is not one of the <Forsaken>', he insisted."

"<Forsaken>?"

"Which country are you from again, Lecan? They are those forsaken by god's graces, patients which <Recovery> and red potions don't work on, one such persons is called <Forsaken> in this country, no, this whole continent. Those humans don't exist in real life though. It's nothing but a folklore."

"I see."

"After seeing how Pradon-san suffered from drinking small red potions twice, Zepus-san claimed that its effects were too weak and got his hand on a large red potion. Of course I was opposed to it again, but I was present when Prado-san took the potion. At first, it looked like his condition had improved. But then the suffering befell. It was such that I couldn't even bear to witness at. Now then, we've got to get to the next house soon. Let's continue this conversation afterward."