Episode 13.3 (2/2)
”Now that you mention it, your face does look alike somewhat.”
”Nothing fazes you huh. My mother is Prado-san's daughter. But since the mother of my mother was a low born, they never formally admit me as family.”
”I see.”
”The place I'm living in now was originally owned by a certain medical practitioner. That medical practitioner fell in love with my mother, and they got married. Prado-san custom ordered an expensive wand as a present to my mother for her wedding. And this is that wand.”
”Fumu. Looks like he still loved her as his kid.”
”My mother had an aptitude in <Recovery> but it was nothing special. But thanks to this wand's assistance, she could help my father in medicine-making. Eventually they were blessed with a child, but then they brought the still-baby me to the town of Mashajain.”
”Where's that?”
”You don't know? Now that's a surprise. You're just a bundle of surprise, aren't you. It's the marquisate, you know? The one situated right before Royal Capital if you go from here.”
”Why would you go there.”
”My father was the sixth son of the marquis. Both my parents weren't high in the strata, so my father was allowed to be free. He lived freely and opened a medical center here in this town. The marquis fell down with a serious illness, and was asking to see his cute grandkid. So my father went back to Mashajain. It was to be a temporary stay originally.”
”Ended up not the case huh.”
”One day, a present was delivered to mother. When she opened it, there was a Flat White Snake (Urasurin) inside. It was the work of a noble aiming for my father's wife position by killing mother. They had a misunderstanding, thinking that father would take over some sort of position or property since he was called there by the dying marquis. The snake that was intended for mother went to bite me instead.”
”And then?”
”Mother frantically pointed her wand at me and recited <Recovery> spell. The light that emerged at that time was not big, but it was a dazzling one, and had the color blue.”
”I see.”
”Mother had cast
. She collapsed on the spot due to mana starvation afterward.”
”Fumu.”
”<Recovery> is capable of detoxifying Flat White Snake venom. There was no need to cast
. But how could I blame her for drawing out her deeply hidden talent because of her strong desire to save me.”
”Depth of desire huh.”
”In the beginning, father was probably the only person who realized what had occurred. However, my father was a honest man to a fault. Once my mother came to, he told her about how she saved me and congratulated her for her newfound power.”
”Doesn't read much as a tragedy up until that point.”
”Until that point that is. A few days later, mother cast
under father's order. And right after father had confirmed that mother possessed
, he made her cast it on the ailing marquis the day after.”
”How did it go?”
”The marquis felt an indescribable sense of comfort. The next day, and the day after, mother kept casting
on him. With mother's mana pool, one weak
a day was her limit. By the seventh, the marquis got up his bed and had meals. An old man who was on his deathbed regained his full health.”
”Doing that in front of everyone and reciting
spell, there would be no way to keep that a secret.”
”Yup. But since my father was the marquis's favorite kid, there was no worry of us receiving an unjust treatment. Father was given a new mansion. Where I grew up until my 17th birthday.”
Considering she's living in this mansion now, her life in that town must have come to an end. And most likely not in a good way.
”Mother would cast
on the marquis once every ten days. My father and I would accompany her every time. That might have been some sort of ritual, but the marquis was full of smiles, we were truly a family then.”
Norma spoke nonchalantly with a deep longing gaze while ignoring the now cold partially drank tea.
”Anything we wanted was granted. Father cultivated all kinds of herbs in the garden. He got his hands on rare books, and they would even send patients our way. It must be hard to find another medical practitioner who could continue their research in such an ideal environment. Every day was a bliss, to mother, and to me.”