Alessandro (3)

Magnus wasn't thrilled with Gregory's request but decided it would be impolite to refuse further, so he accepted. Gregory also asked Magnus to deliver a letter to the Dawn Knight Order.

He did this in advance, worried that Walter might grow anxious if he couldn't find Gregory or Alessandro.

Having made preparations, Gregory left the Radiant Light Order with Alessandro.

Gregory asked Alessandro,

"So, where exactly are we supposed to go?"

"Actually, I know a place where there's a lot of that herb."

Alessandro said the herb he was looking for could be found in abundance on Kardul Mountain, and suggested heading there.

"What? Kardul Mountain?"

Hearing that, Gregory looked at Alessandro, dumbfounded.

He knew what kind of place Kardul Mountain was, as he had attempted to climb it in his previous life, trying to take the castle next to it.

It had been one of the hardest places he ever tried to invade in his former life.

The terrain was steep and treacherous, and since it rained often, it was very easy to slip.

On top of that, harvesting herbs would likely mean venturing deeper in, and given the characteristics of the landscape, a misstep could result in serious injury.

"Can't we go to another mountain?"

"We could... but everywhere else is far away, so it'll take much longer."

Gregory considered it wiser to harvest herbs elsewhere than to deliberately head for such a dangerous area.

'Going to Kardul Mountain is less productive than training with my comrades.'

But the herb in question thrived in damp, moss-covered areas, which left them little choice.

And traveling to a different mountain would definitely delay them.

Realizing that turning back when the rare herb they sought might be nearby was foolish, Gregory decided to take the risk and head to Kardul Mountain first.

"Fine. What could go wrong? Let's just give it a try. Finding this herb is the priority right now."

***

Kardul Mountain. Even the entrance was unusual.

A dirt path littered with pebbles stretched out between dense trees, and even after walking for a while, the scenery never seemed to change.

The whole time, Alessandro focused on herbs and didn't just move thoughtlessly.

Gregory was pleased at the change in atmosphere. Still, curious whether Alessandro was only pretending to work hard, he asked some questions along the way.

"Why are you checking every spot? From what I see, it's all just weeds."

"Ah, haha... see, herbs don't just grow everywhere in abundance. Uh, how do I put this... Ah! Even if we're not looking for a specific one, some herbs are precious on their own, so I'm just checking to see if any are hidden under the leaves."

Alessandro showed genuine excitement as he spoke about what he knew.

"I see. But if the herbs themselves are precious, does that mean we're looking for the rarest of the rare?"

"Mm... that's right! The herb we need might not even be here. Technically, this area has the most according to records... but luck has to be on our side, too."

Gregory agreed with Alessandro's words.

Then he asked yet another question, wondering if Alessandro's unusually serious demeanor was because Walter was truly in critical condition.

"I see... By the way, you only saw the commander's face—what kind of illness are you suspecting? Are you looking for a cure because you have a guess about what he has?"

After hesitating and nervously looking around, Alessandro quietly spoke.

"I'm only telling you this because it's you. You really can't tell anyone what I say, okay?"

Gregory grew even more curious about Walter's condition, given Alessandro's secrecy.

He'd only heard from Ernest that Walter was gravely ill but knew nothing about the actual disease.

Moreover, no matter how skilled someone is at herbal medicine or healing, diagnosing an illness just by looking at someone's complexion was nearly impossible. Gregory wondered how Alessandro felt so confident.

Gregory nodded cautiously.

"Alright."

Soon, Alessandro shared the secret. Gregory thought, this is why they say even a slow worm has its own tricks. He listened, full of anticipation.

"In truth, I don't think he's infected by a very strong poison. But if we leave him as is, the poison could weaken his immune system, and if complications set in, it'll spiral out of control."

That made sense. If it were a strong poison, Walter's condition would have deteriorated beyond help already.

But a disease that gradually weakens and slowly kills is also dangerous.

Walter wasn't young, so an abrupt complication could strike at any time.

"I see. I get the situation. But is it really necessary to keep this a secret? What are you really trying to say?"

Alessandro countered Gregory's words.

"Hey! I was just about to say the important part, Gregory—don't cut me off like that!"

Gregory finally lost patience and began to vent.

"You're really pushing your luck since I've been putting up with you, huh?"

Frightened, Alessandro quickly confessed.

"Ah, okay, sorry! I'll tell you. See, the famous saying goes: fight poison with poison."

Gregory had no knowledge of this approach and asked Alessandro,

"What do you mean?"

"Just what it sounds like—using a stronger poison to fight a weaker one."

"Okay, I get that. But what does that have to do with herbs?"

Striding confidently, Alessandro replied,

"That's where my family's proudest secret comes in! Using herbal medicine to neutralize poison just right so it becomes a cure for mild illnesses—that's the key to my family's growth."

Gregory couldn't grasp Alessandro's roundabout explanation.

'So basically, you're going to find a herb and use its poison to cure another poison, huh?'

Gregory narrowed his eyes and studied Alessandro, who was sweating nervously.

"S-so, of course, you can't just feed it to someone! If you use even a little of the wrong part of the herb, it isn't medicine anymore—it becomes a deadly toxin that's dangerous even to touch."

But that wasn't the answer Gregory wanted. Giving Walter an unknown poison without even knowing the correct diagnosis would be no different from gambling with his life.

So Gregory questioned Alessandro again.

"Are you really saying it's okay to use that poison when you don't even know what the real illness is?"

Finally, Alessandro's expression showed he realized what Gregory had been asking the whole time.

"Ah, you wanted to know the answer to that! If that's it, it's simple. The special poison handed down in my family is practically a panacea."

"Are you trying to tell me a panacea exists in this world?"

Suddenly, memories of the innocent people and allies who had unjustly died before, whose deaths could have been avoided if only he'd had more time, flashed before Gregory's eyes.

Just as his eyes began to tear up, Alessandro shook his head.

"No, what are you talking about? There's no such thing as a panacea. It's just a panacea only when it comes to poison, nothing else."

Gregory pounded Alessandro on the head with his fist.

"Aagh!"

"How is that a panacea, idiot? Words matter—explain things properly."

Pouting at being scolded, Alessandro muttered,

"Alright, alright... I-I just meant that if I can get the herb, I can cure Walter... because I know how to work with it."

"Ugh, whatever. Quiet down and get moving. You talk too much."

Gregory reflected on how he'd started thinking about comrades from his previous life.

'I ought to focus on the people I have with me now, so why did my mind wander to them? Maybe it's just that same familiar feeling I had back then.'

Alessandro, sulking in disappointment, fell silent, and Gregory too was caught up in a strange, unexplainable sense of nostalgia.

But the silence was short-lived. Quickly enough, they found themselves having to talk again: a fork in the road appeared ahead.

Alessandro still felt a bit hurt but recognized that, for now, they needed to work together, so he spoke up, as if granting a favor.

"Uh, which way do you wanna go?"

Gregory chuckled at his attitude and replied,

"I don't know, you dummy. Just follow me."

His tone sounded petulant like Brea, but since he smiled mischievously as he spoke, Alessandro's resentment quickly melted away.

Gregory continued,

"Let's try this way first. I've got a good feeling about it."

At the fork, where the path split left and right, Gregory chose the left.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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