Chapter 005
Afterward, I met several people. The first was an elderly woman.
“This is Betty. She is in charge of the kitchen in the Underground City.”
Aha, so this is the person responsible for Jin’s meals? I asked her in detail about what he had been eating.
“The Leader hasn’t had any appetite lately, so he often skips meals. I try to force at least a few spoonfuls down, telling him he has to eat to recover, but……”
Betty replied with a deeply worried expression.
I knew it. Sigh, this guy Jin. He’s practically fast-tracking his own funeral.
“From now on, please consult with me to plan Jin’s menu.”
My medical knowledge might be that of a quack, but there were few people in this world who knew as much about ingredients and nutrition as I did.
Back at the company, while developing new products, I had studied not only ingredients for snacks but every healthy superfood under the sun.
Ugh, I never thought that miserable office life would actually be helpful.
“The new attending physician is very meticulous,” Betty said, looking touched. It seemed the previous doctors hadn’t cared much about Jin’s diet. Those dimwitted doctors. The basis of treating any illness starts with managing what goes into the mouth!
Next, I met the laborers who cleaned Jin’s room.
“Change the bedsheets once every two days. And the curtains should be changed at least once a week…… Oh, and wipe down the area near the bed several times using strong alcohol.”
I couldn’t achieve a sterile field, but I had to perform some level of disinfection. Everyone looked shocked at my demanding tone. I felt like I was being treated as a germaphobe.
‘For a patient with a weakened immune system like Jin, all of that is poison, pure poison. I’m not just being picky!’
I wanted to scream out of frustration, but I held it in.
Finally, Richard took me to a place that looked like a laboratory.
“This is the lab shared by our alchemist and engineer. Let’s go in.”
I entered the lab with a racing heart.
“Rick, Louis.”
At Richard’s call, two men and women who looked to be in their early twenties approached.
“This is Rick, our alchemist.”
Richard first pointed to a pretty young man with silver hair and purple eyes. That appearance, and the name Rick… it felt familiar, yet I couldn’t recall seeing the name in the original work.
“……Rick? Rica’s brother?”
Suddenly, a face came to mind, and I spoke while covering my mouth.
Rica was a girl I—no, Astrid—couldn’t save. Five years ago, in winter. The memory of having to let go of that suffering orphan girl surfaced vividly.
“Teacher Aubert……”
It seemed there were many boys and girls here whom Astrid had saved. I had already met two in the short time I’d been here.
Rica was only eleven when she passed away. My heart ached at the memory of Rick’s grief-stricken face when he had to bury his younger sister.
“How have you been?”
“……Yes. Have you been well, Teacher?”
“I have.”
An incredibly awkward atmosphere settled after our greetings. Richard and the woman named Louis hovered nearby, sensing the tension.
“……Ah, I’ll be heading back now. I have things to discuss with Jin.”
Richard broke the awkward silence.
Are you running away, Richard? Honestly, I want to run away too, ugh.
Once Richard left the lab, the already stifling atmosphere sank even further. Astrid was the one present when Rica died, not me, so why did I have to feel this awkward?
“Have you come as the Leader’s doctor?”
Rick asked. Finally, the heavy silence was broken. I let out a deep sigh and forced a smile.
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I recommended you. To Lord Richard.”
Rick’s answer was completely unexpected. I thought Rick would resent Astrid, but it turned out he was the one who recommended her to be Jin’s doctor.
“Do you not resent me?”
At my question, Rick turned his head away with a sulky expression.
“Why would I resent you, Teacher? You know how much Rica adored you.”
As he spoke, the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
Wait, what kind of cutie is this? Why was a kid this precious never mentioned in the original story?
Then, the reason why Rick, Louis, Finn, and Betty were never mentioned in the original work dawned on me.
After Jin died, the people of the Liberators all scattered, died, or went missing. Naturally, they wouldn’t have been mentioned.
The root of it all was Jin’s death. Suddenly, a fire of determination ignited within me. I had to save that fragile, sunfish-like man.
Awkward silence drifted through the lab again. I spoke up to break it.
“I didn’t expect you to be an alchemist for the Liberators.”
It was truly a surprise. Rick, who had been a poor orphan wandering the streets five years ago, was now practicing alchemy.
“The Leader taught me alchemy,” Rick said pouted.
Just what kind of person was Jin?
Astrid was the one who taught Rick how to read when he couldn’t even recognize a letter. And in five years, that boy had become an alchemist capable of creating an incredible cleanser. Of course, it was only possible because Rick had the talent.
“That’s truly amazing. What exactly is that cleanser? It’s so fascinating.”
I asked in awe. On the surface, it looked very similar to modern soap foam. I wondered if the function was the same.
“Um…… it’s a bit complex. Well…… it’s a substance where components that like water and components that dislike water coexist…… and when it meets water, the interfacial tension……”
Rick began his explanation.
I listened blankly, but I couldn’t understand a thing. Rick, unfortunately, your big sister here was a liberal arts major. No matter how hard you explain, I won’t get it.
“So, I named it a surfactant. What I made is a liquid with very weak alkalinity that helps remove stains and foreign substances from the hands……”
At the words ‘surfactant’ and ‘alkalinity,’ I jumped in surprise. Those were the only two words I understood, but they meant the ingredients were similar to modern soap. Overwhelmed with emotion, I grabbed Rick’s hand.
“Rick, you’re a total genius!”
Rick looked at me with a bewildered face as I rejoiced.
He probably didn’t understand. This young man clearly had no idea that his invention was a revolutionary one that could extend human lifespans by decades.
“But Teacher, you seem a bit different. Compared to before.”
Rick’s face was turning quite red. I quickly let go of the hand I had impulsively grabbed.
“I—is that so? I’m not sure.”
I spoke with a forced air of calm. Indeed, the original Astrid probably wouldn’t have just grabbed Rick’s hand like that.
“You’ve become a bit more…… cheerful, I suppose? I like the current you better. You feel more like…… a person, like me. Before, you felt like some kind of transcendent being.”
I felt my face flush at those words. A transcendent being? Does he mean an angel? Was Astrid really such a holy figure that she felt distant?
“It’s embarrassing to be praised by you, Teacher. I just made it because I hated the sticky feeling left on my hands after alchemy experiments.”
Rick blushed. He spoke humbly, but I couldn’t stop being impressed. For whatever reason, the fact that soap existed was something to be deeply grateful for.
“No, Rick. This is going to be a huge help to me.”
Since I wouldn’t stop looking at him with admiring eyes, Rick turned away, seemingly overwhelmed. His earlobes were burning a bright, fiery red.
* * *
Richard hurried back to Jin’s bedroom. Not only did it weigh on his mind to leave his friend’s side for even a moment, but he also had much to discuss with Jin.
As he was about to open the bedroom door, Astrid’s warning flashed through his mind, and he froze. She had said everyone entering must wash their hands and even wear a mask.
He had been annoyed by her attitude—treating him like he was some filthy creature—but thinking there might be a reason his dull mind couldn’t grasp, Richard washed his hands first.
Then, he wrapped his usual black cloth around his face to cover his nose and mouth. Even that strict doctor shouldn’t have anything to complain about now.
“Jin, I’m back.”
No response came from the bed. Richard’s heart sank. Surely, it can’t be…… Cold sweat began to pour.
“Jin……?”
He noticed Jin’s chest rising and falling weakly as he lay on the bed. Richard let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. He was simply asleep.
‘You scared me, Jin.’
Richard looked down at Jin’s slightly flushed face. He reached out to check for a fever, but Jin’s ebony hair, which had naturally fallen over his forehead, got in the way.
Richard brushed the hair aside and checked the temperature. He felt a bit warm.
Just then, at Richard’s touch, Jin opened his eyes.
“Sorry, did I wake you?”
Jin shook his head as if to say it was okay.
“……I shouldn’t be sleeping yet. I have things to say. Help me up.”
Richard helped Jin sit up. His skeletal friend felt weightless. Even before he fell ill, he was the type who never seemed to put on any weight…….
“What’s with the mask? Did you decide to listen to the doctor?”
Jin asked with a playful smile. Richard didn’t bother answering. Even without a word, Jin, who understood Richard through and through, would know his thoughts.
“What do you think, Jin?”
Richard threw out a short question. Even without specifying the subject, the quick-witted Jin knew exactly what Richard was asking and gave the answer he wanted.
“You mean Teacher Aubert? Hmm…… I’m not sure. She’s a fascinating person. I get the feeling she has knowledge that surpasses mine in certain fields.”
Richard couldn’t help but snort at Jin’s answer. It wasn’t that he looked down on Astrid; he simply believed no one in this world could be smarter than Jin.
“Don’t scoff, my friend. I mean it. She is a difficult person to understand,” Jin said, frowning. Richard couldn’t understand it. He didn’t think she was such a remarkable person.
“But she’s a bit different from the rumors. In the rumors, she had the image of a literal angel without wings. The Angel of Aube Street.”
Jin continued playfully.
Richard entirely agreed with that sentiment. She was so different from the rumors that he had wondered if she were a completely different person.
“I agree. But she said it herself—that rumors are bound to be exaggerated.”
Hearing that, Jin stroked his chin and gave a small smile, as if finding it amusing. After being lost in thought for a while, he spoke with a sad expression.
“That woman also seems to think I only have a few months left to live.”
“Jin, don’t talk like that,” Richard said hastily. Every time Jin spoke like this, his heart felt like it was dropping into his stomach.
The doctors who examined Jin had all diagnosed that he wouldn’t last more than three months.
Richard had desperately tried to stop the doctors from saying such things in front of Jin because he didn’t want Jin to give up.
But his friend, smarter than anyone else in the world, read the truth in the doctors’ eyes even without them saying a word. It was a tragedy.
“Richard. Now…… it’s time to consider how to lead the Liberators without me. You shouldn’t just live in denial.”
At Jin’s watery voice, Richard clenched his fists. It felt as if he would burst into tears at any moment.
He first met Jin when he was four years old. Twenty-eight years had already passed. Twenty-eight years. He was a precious friend who had been like a part of his own body for that long time. He didn’t have the confidence to live on after sending such a person away.
“No. Don’t say that, Jin. You aren’t going to die.”
I will never let you die. Richard swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to say.
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