The Stone of Days Chapter 27

  Doctor Nauke opened the door, and seeing me struggle, he kindly helped me out. Come to think of it, I'm meeting a lot of acquaintances today.

After attempting to arduously hold up the spoon, I decided to stay still and allow Doctor Nauke to feed me. In other words, I figured out what to do.

I asked him while rolling the soup around.

"It seems I have seen all my acquaintances today."

Uhhk…… my voice was still the same. It was alright in my dream.  

"Uh, not really. Ryujia came here yesterday?"

Huh, yesterday?

I must really not be alright. Perplexed in the moment, I decided to attack Doctor Nauke's spoon while recollecting my senses.

"Haaa……so it was like that."

"Mmhm. Did Ryujia say she was going to conduct a prophesy for you? Do you have the fee?"

"Eh… … yes?"

I didn't even think about that. Well, since she said fate and stuff, so I thought she was doing it for free? It seems that Ryujia is a much more formidable person than I had imagined.

But that's that. My store is ruined, so what money could I possibly come up with?

After uselessly thinking of such things, my mouth had opened.

The soup started to spill out my mouth.

"Eeeub……."

Doctor Nauke, after taking a glance at my face, resumed his normal asking tone of voice.

"Fabian brat, didn't you know that if a fortune teller doesn't receive her fee, her divine powers would weaken?"

"… … eh…."

"This time, it seems that Ryujia is properly preparing for something huge. You need to firmly prepare for the fee as well. If anything, after your body heals up, won't you help with my work and earn at least a tidy sum? I can help you with that at least?"

"…  A doctor's a.s.sistant?"

"Brat, even that isn't as simple as it looks. When I take my money out, I usually take it all out. Where do you think my sister's personality came from? You saw it too right?"

I had realized. Although the Nauke family had two different methods, but they have amazing ways of appealing to shocked people, no, at least convincingly on how to handle people like 'me.'

As I began to think about money, I had strangely become more rational……eh, Doctor Nauke sure knows how to grasp my personality well.

"… …. We're still famous fortune tellers… …."

"Haha, then can I expect something grand then?"

Doctor Nauke, who was relentlessly feeding me soup, chronic questioning disease had not been treated at all.

If only this body wasn't that of a patient, I would attempt to treat it right away.

"That's that, I met your father… …."

The soup was finished. Doctor Nauke kindly wiped my mouth with a handkerchief and laid me back down while I was starting to think about the existence that's my father at the same time. Mister Nauke, I wonder how you saw my 'father' as.

"He comes here every day and stays at the main floor of the inn before returning. Although I told him to just stay at the inn, he told me that you wouldn't be in the ideal condition for him to be able to do that as he had so said. As for the explanation, he said he would delay it until you were fully recovered."

That dark-blue hair. I turned my head and saw my hair scattered on the temple. Since my hair wasn't that short, it wasn't difficult to see strands of hair lying around. Raising my head, I lightly touched it. Smooth. Although I've heard that my hair was lovely a lot of times, strangely, I haven't heard that once from my mother.

I wonder why. Was it because she didn't want to remember my father?

What relations.h.i.+p could the two have had, to eventually not be able to see each other once despite my father having come here.

"Perhaps, he could be still residing downstairs. I'm pretty sure that he stays here until dinnertime. He has all his meals here so."

My body was becoming warmer. Although my bed had quite a few warm water bags, they didn't have the effect that this chicken soup had. My blood began to circulate… … if you think about it, the chicken soup seems to be more instantaneously effective as well… …

Uhk, I shouldn't be thinking about this.

"Fabian, your complexion looks better."

… as if you weren't an acquaintance.

"How long have I laid here for?"

"Hmm… … it's the 5th day.

"That long, I'm amazed how I'm still alive despite not eating for that long."

"I'm amazed as well. But, if you were to see the mirror, than you see something more amazing."

"Show it to me."

"Be patient. If you receive another mental blow, I'm afraid it'll be even more difficult to recover this time."

To say such fierce comments in such a normal tone of voice was quite surprising.

"… how much… damage occurred?"

Doctor Nauke scratched his head. He was smiling slightly. But feeling something unfamiliar, I decided to ask again as I a.n.a.lyzed his face once more.

There was a long wound that ranged from the top of his head to his ear below.

"The damage to Big Deer's Habiyanak was the largest. I'm not too sure, but it seems that it'll be difficult to recover for many years. After that, it's Snowflower Sedenborum. At least there were a few survivors there. The people at Rose Ember, though, didn't have too large of an impact as the majority had already fled, so not a lot had died either. As for Laurel Bay's Grillard, well… …it's as it is."

I was sure it wasn't there before. Probably a knife scar? But, the man was smiling as if it was nothing.

I wonder if there were no survivors in Habiyanak.

"Habiyanak……."

He shrugged his shoulders as if he knew what I was going to ask. Afterwards, he quietly lowered his head.

"Excluding you, there has been one other confirmed survivor."

"Who?"

Who could it be.

"Flame Snowy Mountain Inn's Gorman's wife."

"Ahhh……."

The image of fallen Mr. Gorman lying down in the snow on my way up the road grazed past in front of me. Tears began to flow down my face slightly.

"But, her condition is as if she's already dead. Not only is she severely wounded, she's barely conscious. It's a miracle for her to even be alive, probably due to her younger brother. It seemed that the man had protected her with his body."

I see.

The energetic and feisty image image of her materialized. Lefty Gorman was her name. I remember Mr. Gorman calling her 'Lefty!'.

Come to think of it, d.i.c.k was dead as well.

d.i.c.k's appraising, no I wonder if that jewel appraising shop is still there.

"Fabian, it seems certain that your recovery has improved greatly. To be able to hear these reports like that."

Is… that so?

I could feel the nape of my neck becoming cold. Those dead people.

I could feel my rough face, to be able to feel was evidence that I was indeed recovering.

Raising my lower lip momentarily, I stared at Doctor Nauke. I wonder what you've lost.

But then, if you think about it, Doctor Nauke was indeed a doctor.

He had fixed his disease by himself.

He's replying very well.

"By the way, do you perhaps know where Mirbo Genz had gone to?"

"Mr. Genz… the man that carries all those sparrow nets you say."

TL Afterword

Glad to see Doctor Nauke alive, but it's pretty sad nevertheless.

Translator: Calvis
Proofreader: Sai101, Kajin