As the Elder was in a haste to leave, Sontra did not waste any more time, excusing himself right after saying what was necessary. Returning to the east side of the town, he continued sorting the cores until around evening.
During that time, several curious townsfolk called out and greeted him. Fitting for a peaceful town, they were as kind as could be. Some were also aware of Sontra's situation. They wished and prayed for his son's recovery and even offered to help if he needed anything.
True to his word, Sontra continued to help sort the cores. Though he was working alone, the task required so little labor that he did not feel burdened at all. However, he did not remain there for long, leaving an hour before evening.
The Elder had said the person who might help would be there by evening, and as irresponsible as he might seem, he knew it was inappropriate to keep them waiting.
As for Loik, he did not appear even once during that time.
"I apologize for being late today."
The first thing he did after getting back was to check on his unconscious son. While it was not something he preferred, he knew he had left the child alone for too long. Pressing his thumb against the boy's forehead, he once again exhaled helplessly.
"Someone is coming with the doctor. The Elder said he might be able to help."
Sitting at the side of the bed, he gazed at the child, whose hair was darker than his own. His eyes were contemplative.
Truthfully, he already had someone in mind. He was so confident in that person's ability that he wanted to leave town and go to them immediately. But fate did not have the same plan. Due to his circumstances, he was forced to stay in the town a while longer.
With few options, he could only hope that the old doctor, and the person the Elder mentioned, could help his son. He had especially high expectations for the newcomer, since the Elder had spoken of him so highly.
"Please bear with it a little while longer," Sontra said as he caressed his son's hair.
Sontra waited about an hour for the doctor to arrive. With him was a young man, seemingly in his early twenties.
"I am sorry for not checking on your son this morning. Something urgent came up."
"It's fine, Doctor. Loik already told us about it."
"This is my assistant, Haulz. His family usually learns medicine from me, but that is beside the point. The Elder should have told you already, but he will be helping us," the doctor explained calmly.
The young man wore a charming smile as he nodded to Sontra. He had wavy, brown hair and bright green, confident eyes. He wore an emerald green, gold-embroidered vest over a white, puffed-sleeve shirt. From his outfit alone, he looked like the child of a noble family.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. You may call me Sontra."
"The pleasure is mine, Sontra. Name's Haulz," Haulz spoke in a harmonious tone.
Without any delay, Sontra guided the two upstairs.
The doctor then proceeded with the usual routine, checking the vital signs and examining the child's overall condition. Standing silently by his side, Haulz helped by passing tools like a true assistant.
After an extended amount of time, the usual troubled expression decorated the doctor's face once again. Unfortunately, he reached the same conclusion even after running all sorts of different examinations; he was still clueless.
Helpless, he moved aside, quietly handing the patient over to his assistant.
"May I?" Haulz asked Sontra politely.
After receiving permission, he began his work. Unlike the doctor, who had brought tools, Haulz had only brought himself. Kneeling beside the bed, he carefully took the child's small hand.
Pinch.
He pinched the tip of the child's thumb, shut his eyes, and concentrated fully on whatever he was doing.
Haulz stayed in that position for a while. After only a few seconds, sweat was running from his forehead down to his neck. His eyebrows furrowed deeply. The two men stood back patiently, trying their best not to create any distraction.
"Hu..."
After a few minutes, Haulz was finally done. He exhaled deeply, his breathing labored, and gently placed the child's hand down.
"...How is it? Did you find anything?" the doctor asked.
"Doctor... it is related to the Arcane," Haulz said worriedly.
"Arcane? Are you certain, Haulz?"
Haulz stayed quiet, his eyes returning to the child. Letting out a soft sigh, he answered the doctor's question.
"Yes, Doctor. His core is damaged," Haulz said hesitantly.
"No, that's impossible. He hasn't even awakened yet. How could his core be damaged?" Sontra asked, his voice full of disbelief.
"No, Sontra, I am quite certain. And a core can be damaged not just by overworking it. His core has been exposed to an overwhelming amount of Arcana. It must have happened during that explosion of light."
"..."
Sontra fell silent. His eyes were in turmoil as he looked at the unconscious child lying on the bed.
"...How bad is the damage? Can you help fix it?" Sontra asked anxiously.
"His core is cracked, and I can sense remnants of Arcana within it," Haulz explained calmly. After a short pause, he continued, "It will be difficult, but I can try..."
"If the core is truly damaged, we will need the Three Lotuses. They are scarce, but we might be able to acquire them with the help of that merchant."
The doctor, who had been watching quietly from the side, spoke. He wore a regretful expression. Truthfully, he had tried his best to find the cause and a cure for the child, but once Haulz mentioned the Arcane, he knew he could not be of much help. Nevertheless, he still had some knowledge to rely on.
"You are right, but the lotuses alone won't be enough. As shameful as it is to admit, I have no expertise in refining them into medicine. We need to acquire the prepared doses instead, but that will be far more expensive."
Three Lotuses. They were the essential ingredients used in refining medicine to treat damaged cores. Rare and precious, each was worth a fortune. Even the lowest quality among them, the Green Lotus, could cost as much as a commoner's lifetime savings.
Furthermore, only a handful of people could refine the lotuses into medicine. As a result, the cost of the ready-made dose was nothing short of outrageous.
"Usually, it's possible for a cracked core to heal naturally. It takes a long time, but it's certainly plausible. But..." Haulz said, his voice gloomy.
'He has not yet awakened.'
That only applied to those who had awakened.
"..."
"Sontra, could we talk for a moment?"
Haulz looked at Sontra with a concerned expression. He could tell right away that Sontra had a lot on his mind. He understood the helplessness of the situation, but he knew he still needed to do his part.
He brought Sontra outside to discuss privately how they could move forward with the child's treatment.
"Sontra, I am aware it will be difficult to obtain the medicine, but you cannot give up."
"I know... As long as he can be cured, I will do whatever it takes."
Haulz smiled upon hearing that.
"That is good. I will do my best to stabilize the core while we wait for the medicine."
Haulz then explained that while they needed the Three Lotuses for a full cure, he knew ways to stabilize the core in the meantime. However, he said he would need Sontra's help to gather some ingredients and materials.
"I understand. Haulz, I do not know how to thank you."
"Please, I do not deserve thanks yet."
Getting straight to the point, Haulz said he needed a specific herb to begin his work: Sylvarin. He described it as having needle-like leaves with a faint silver shimmer. Its stems were slender and woody, turning greener towards the tips, and it bore small, delicate, pale purple flowers shaped like trumpets.
"They grow deep in the forest. You should be able to find them in the Erla Forest. I suggest you go next morning; it's gotten too late now."
"I will," Sontra said determinedly.
"But Haulz, I have a question," Sontra continued.
"...Sure, what is it?"
"If his core is only cracked, why did he become like this... unable to wake up?"
"It is because it happened before he awakened."
Sontra muttered something under his breath. He seemed to understand clearly now.
"I see. I will get the herbs first thing in the morning."
"Um, will you head there alone? The deeper parts of the forest are dangerous, so you may want to ask the Elder's son for help."
After a brief talk, they went back into the room. The doctor, who still wore a helpless expression, was waiting patiently. He did not seem to mind their private conversation, as he believed Haulz must have had his reasons.
Wrapping up their visit for the day, Sontra escorted them out. As they left, Haulz's face remained pale. Examining the child's core seemed to have drained him more than he had let on.
"We will be back again in the morning," the doctor said.
"Please be careful on your way back, and thank you once again."
***
Soon, night arrived. Just like the previous day, Marvin came home fairly late and was greeted by Sontra, who was sitting alone in the guest room. Unlike before, Sontra was clearly waiting for him.
"So that's what happened."
Not wasting any time, Sontra got straight to the point, explaining everything that had happened that evening. Although Sontra had yet to make his request, Marvin could guess what was coming next.
"Don't worry, I will figure it out."
Marvin's eyes grew calculating as he thought about how to acquire the medicine as early as possible. The names of merchants and trade associates flashed through his mind as he planned his approach.
"Marvin, please use this."
Chink.
A heavy, brown pouch fell onto the table with a dull thud. The pouch was filled to the brim, only able to be fastened partially. Surprised, Marvin saw the glint of silver reflected from inside. He was stunned.
"This..."
While he was surprised by the amount of money, he was more cautious about where Sontra had gotten it. When Marvin had brought Sontra to town, he was sure Sontra had no belongings with him. All he'd had was a strange-looking scroll and a tiny pouch kept in his robe.
However, Sontra had already given him that tiny pouch when he first regained consciousness.
"Is something wrong?"
"Wh-I cannot take this…"
'It is too much,' was all he could think.
But, just like before, Sontra insisted strongly, urging Marvin to use the money to acquire the medicine. Sontra even told him to ask if he needed more.
"...I will get it. I will surely get the medicine."
"No need to rush; please take your time."
"Also, can you keep an eye on the child for a bit?" Sontra continued.