Episode 32.10

"A curse can come from a mage who specializes in shamanic art, aka a shaman, or from Dungeon items' Graces, or a divine punishment. Which one do you think this one is from?"

Riol and knight Jakof's faces suddenly turned grim.

"I'm not well versed in shamanic art."

Eda didn't miss how the light in Norma's eyes glimmered for an instance.

"However, there are several mages adept in shamanic art at Kogurus. Their investigation suggested that it wasn't done by any shamanic art they were familiar with. Kogurus also houses people knowledgable in Curse-related Graces, and the symptoms do not match any Grace items they know. Lastly, we had also invited priests to perform a nine day ritual, which revealed that the curse wasn't a handiwork by any known god."

"Fumu, fumu."

Norma put down her memo, closed her eyes and repeatedly tapped her pen on her forehead.

"When did those investigations done by shamans, Grace Gear experts, and priests' ritual take place?"

"The first and second were done about a decade ago, and they would get called from time to time for their opinions. The ritual one was done five years ago."

"When did the symptoms worsen?"

"On month nine last year. Before that, he was acting like usual despite occasional pass out. It never hampered his judgment or memory. Then on the ninth of last year, ever since he passed out once, his consciousness remained turbid, and no matter how many medicine or <Recovery> we administered and even all kinds of <Blessings>, we could not manage to wake him up. His body visibly went into decline before our very eyes."

"It's possible to undo a curse even if you don't know its true nature."

"Yes. We had looked for and bought a <Dagger of Harut> that was dropped in a certain dungeon seven years ago. However, his conditions did not improve."

"I see."

Norma closed her eyes and sank deep into the sofa, contemplating.

She eventually opened her eyes, straighten her posture and spoke.

"Thank you. I think I've heard all what I needed to hear. Thanks to it, we can now skip unnecessary procedures. I would have called shamans and priests to ask for their opinions had not for it. But it's clear now that there's no need for that. If not even <Dagger of Harut> could lessen the symptoms, then the curse has likely been assimilated with the patient himself. His life would have been forfeit had you taken a bit longer to come here."

"Do you mean to say that it's possible to cure him then?"

"There is a chance he could be saved."

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"Oh, god!"

"Praise be!"

"The fact that a treatment is possible was made clear earlier. And now we have to work toward slowly gaining additional allies."

"Gaining additional allies?"

"That's right, Riol-sama. All of his organs have switched side right now. They should have been working to support his body, yet now they're slowly killing him. We must regain those organs back as allies. If we manage that, the match will be over in one decisive strike."

"Uumu. Not sure if I follow, but tactician-dono you are saying we have a chance, are you not?"

"Yes, Jakof-sama."

"Then we shall follow every last bit of your order, tactician-dono!"

"Some of you are going to take turn watching over the patient, I take it?"

"Indeed. Two bodyguards will always be present. Besides them, either Riol-sama, an official, or medic Aterna will also stay."

"It'll be a long drawn out battle. Go ask where your lodgings are and get some rest. Taking a rest is also part of the battle. Take a good long break, eat well and get your condition in order if you want to be of use."

"Ooh. Acknowledged."

"Norma-dono."

"Do you need something Aterna-dono?"

"You were checking each organs when you held out your wand earlier."

"Ah. So you could see that. You must be able to see mana then."

"Yes. Only faintly however. What exactly were you doing then?"

"I was tampering those organs to help them recall their original functions."

"Can something like that be done?"

"Yes. Once you have learned the structures and functions of those organs as well as ways to restore dysfunctional organs back to normal, you can do this treatment with a little bit of mana."

"Just how much knowledge have you amassed at such a young age."

"It wasn't all my effort and study. The research left behind by my father laid the foundation for me."

"Pardon me, but could I have your father's name?"

"He's Sasfrey Wazrof."

Norma inadvertently spoke the house name as well.

After knowing that her uncle, Godfrey called her father that, she had been wishing to call his father that herself one day.

Reacting to the name Wazrof, Riol and knight Jakof looked shocked, but they managed to keep silent.

"Sasfrey Wazrof-dono."

Medic Aterna spoke the name with her mouth as if digesting the information before asking again.

"You exercised your magic for quite a long time, I'm astounded by how much mana you used."

"Haha. It's all thanks to this."

Norma took a mana restorative pill from her pouch and handed it over to medic Aterna.

"And this is?"

"It's a mana restorative pill made by apothecary Lecan. Your mana will keep welling up for half a day if you take one. As I only had an extremely miniscule amount of mana, I have been devising up ways to use my usable mana to the fullest. These pills enable the treatment I showed earlier."

"I see, so that's how. Those pills were the secret to Eda-dono casting so many <Purification> in quick succession as well as those <Recoveries>."

"Uh well, that's."

"Apothecary, Lecan!"

A belligerent expression one could mistake as rage came up on medic Aterna's artificial-looking face as she glared hard at the mana restorative pill in her hand.