Episode 26.7

"I believe it must be hard for you to move around. You should also find it difficult to bend your body. Have you ever feel a sense of languidness or in pain? Does your face feel stiff?"

"Fumu. It is as Norma-dono said, all of that is correct."

"No. That can't be true! Guide Skalabel can't have been cursed with Petrifaction curse!"

"Kotojia. Apothecaries are obliged to listen carefully to what is told. Norma-dono never said anything about Petrifaction Curse."

"My father also gathered documents pertaining Petrifaction Curse during his research on this matter. And he came to a conjecture that the Crystallization caused by Petrifaction curse, the way it manifests on and changes a patient's body is entirely different. However, he had no evidence to make a conclusive verdict on either."

"Norma. Your father was truly an excellent researcher. He even guessed right what lies beyond what was visible presently."

"Shira-san. Thank you."

"A researcher that good must have left behind a hypothesis to deal with it, has he?"

"He has."

"What."

"Eh."

"Norma-dono. Would you tell me. It matters not even if the hypothesis is inconclusive."

"It's simple. You simply rinse it off with another <Purification>."

"That's impossible! No one else in this world is better at <Purification> than Guide Skalabel!"

"No. The <Purification> itself doesn't have to be of a high level."

"Hou."

"However it has to be from someone with an abundant mana pool."

"What?"

"<Purification> done with little mana won't have any effect. Since the Guide's body has memorized all the <Purification> it received. In order to erase that, a <Purification> cast with a plentiful of mana is required to rinse off the body's memory."

The two people sitting next to Skalabel dropped their shoulders.

"My oh my. What's the matter, dropping your shoulders like that."

"Shira-sama. Guide Skalabel's <Purification> was originally not at a high level when the guide first became known as the <Healing Hand of the King>."

"Hee."

"However, due to the Guide's natural abundance of mana, the Guide could afford to cast <Purification> on the king, the queen, and the prince anytime and even had spare mana left to heal the sickly on the streets. That led to the guide gaining the king's trust."

"For some reason, most people who manifest <Purification> possess a low amount of mana pool. Guide Skalabel was an exception among exceptions."

"Norma-dono. Exactly how much is plentiful here. Just how much mana does the caster must possess over the former caster?"

"Cawin-dono. Father had calculated that it would require around twice of the former caster's mana or more."

"Twice..."

"Twice as much as the Guide's. Someone like that can't possibly exist."

"My goodness. Twice, twice you said?"

"Don't you have another <Purification> user among your entourage?"

"Master. There is none. As it is rare for <Purification> to manifest in apothecaries."

"Hmm. I see. Lecan."

"Yea."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm on board if you believe it's for the best."

"Really. Eda."

"Yes?"

"Will you do it?"

"Err, what do I do?"

"Do you mind if you show off your power here?"

"Ah, you mean that. Lecan can decide it for me."

"Norma."

"What can I help you?"

"How is that mana measured, like say, pouring 5 mana in 10 hours, or pouring 10 mana in 5 hours, which is more desirable?"

"It cannot be rinsed off unless enough mana is continually getting poured in. And the condition will revert back if the pouring isn't maintained for a certain period of time. All of that will have to be twice as high or more than the former caster."

"Really. Lecan."

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"Hm?"

"Is your <Necklace of Intuador> charged with mana?"

"Yea. I've put it away though."

"Take it out and put it on Eda."

"Got it."

<Necklace of Intuador> can replenish mana of mages who don't know <Absorption>. In that situation, the necklace will automatically refill the wearer's mana once it's got reduced to a point. Knowing how to use <Absorption> is better if you want to replenish a huge amount of mana momentarily at your own discretion.

"Ah, Norma."

"Yes."

"Is there a drawback if you fail this rinsing of <Purification> thing?"

"I don't believe the symptom will worsen even if it fails."

"Really. Eda's got a lot of innate mana, but maybe a lil' help won't hurt."

Shira glanced at Eda after saying that. She's curiously touching the <Necklace of Intuador> Eda wore.

"No. She'd better off not relying on some half-wit wand, it'd come out nicely that way. Skalabel."

"Yes. What do you need, Master."

"This girl will cast <Purification> on you."

"What."

The three people next to him stared in amazement.

"Well, doesn't look like you'd be worse off even if it fails anyway. Just take it easy. Lecan, that table is in the way."

Lecan shoved the big heavy wooden table to the side.

"Eda. You heard us. Treat it as if you're washing mud off children using a lot of water. A trickle won't wash away the mud. A cup of water won't wash it away either. Pour it down like a barrelful of water going zaazaa. Wash away all the bad things inside Skalabel's body with your <Purification>."

"Got it. I'm gonna give it a try!"

Lecan handed over a special made Mana Restorative to Eda.

"Take it."

"Un."

Eda swallowed down the biggish pill.

"That necklace is loaded with my mana. Use as much as you want. Don't make any cutback. Just pour out all the mana."

"Gotcha!"

Pushed by Lecan, Eda stood up and held her hands out in front of Skalabel.

The way she's holding her hands is a bit peculiar though. Her palms are facing upward.

She's muttering something.

"From barrel down like zaazaa. From barrel down like zaazaa."

Then she breathed in greatly and flipped her palms downward before energetically recited the spell.

"<Purification>!"