Chapter 58 The Former Fiancée Recognizes His Greatness
Leaf's former fiancée, Dokuonna.
She was experiencing a survival trial in the Abyss Wood in preparation for her final exam to become a Pharmacist.
"Ugh... ugh..."
She suddenly wakes up. How nice would it have been if it were morning already?
But it feels like the night has just begun... or rather.
"Is it night now, or is it day? I can't tell...!"
The dense trees of the Abyss Wood block out the sunlight, making it unclear whether it's morning or night.
"It's so dark... and cold..."
Dokuonna's body starts trembling.
"Anyway, I need food... and a fire... Ouch!"
She's injured her right arm and left leg in an attack by an orc.
The bones are completely broken, and the injured areas are swollen and hot.
"First, I need to suppress the inflammation... but oh, I don't have my magic bag, no materials, no equipment..."
There's no way medicine could be made in such conditions.
But the pain keeps increasing. The stage of pain relief from adrenaline must have long passed.
It just hurts. It's so hard...
"It hurts... it's so painful... someone help me..."
But there are no healers here, not even pharmacists.
No, she's a pharmacist herself, but due to her injury, she can't prepare medicine properly.
"I can't make delicate compounds like this... in such a distracted state..."
No, there's one moment...
...it was back when she and Leaf were still living together.
That day, food poisoning was spreading among the villagers, and Leaf was making medicine to cure it.
During such a busy time, she said...
'Hey, is my meal ready yet?'
...Even though the situation was clearly not suitable, she tried to get Leaf to make her meal.
'Sorry, I'm in the middle of making medicine...'
'Then cook while making the medicine. You can make that kind of medicine half-heartedly, right?'
...At that time, there was no way he could make it.
She realized that after actually trying to make it herself.
Medicine is not just a convenient item for healing people.
Medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin. This is because medicine is also a harmful substance to the human body.
In order for it to work well in the human body, Pharmacists need delicate Compounds.
Yes, it's not something that can be done half-heartedly. That's what medicine is.
After starting to make it herself and finding herself in this situation, Dokuonna finally understood.
"Making medicine... half-heartedly, in a state of lack of concentration... is impossible..."
Currently, she's unable to make the Compound. What a foolish thing she has done.
...and at the same time...
"Leaf was amazing..."
Back at that time, Leaf followed Dokuonna's orders and showed off his cooking and medicine-making skills at the same time.
And get this, he was making tons of perfect medicine! And the food tasted great too.
"Leaf... he's like a monster, huh?"
She couldn't believe it. In that state, using his non-dominant hand, there's no way he could delicately mix those tiny amounts of herbs in milligrams.
But... he did it.
"Leaf... is really... an amazing pharmacist..."
Dokuonna slowly got up, dragging her body, searching for herbs.
Complaining won't change anything.
Even with just one arm, even if she lacked focus, she needed to calm the intense pain running through her body.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to escape if another monster attacked.
"Huff... huff... I can't find it at all... the ingredient to stop inflammation..."
Dragging her body, she walked through the dark forest. Honestly, there's no way she'd find herbs in a place this dark, where light barely reaches.
"Ah..."
Once again, Dokuonna recalls the past.
It was back when they were still living together.
There was a time when Leaf was a little late for dinner.
'What are you doing, you lazy bum! Dinner time has already passed!'
'S-Sorry... It hasn't been raining much lately, so the Shouen mushrooms aren't growing as usual, making it difficult to find them...'
'Ughhh!? Enough with the excuses! You're just slow! You should be able to easily find mushrooms, right!?'
...That was so foolish.
Easily find them? There's no way that's possible.
"In a dark forest like this, finding something... it's impossible..."
Still, Leaf always managed to find the materials he was looking for.
In a place with such poor visibility, in a forest where he doesn't know what kind of herbs are growing.
Even though Dokuonna searched endlessly, Leaf was the one who found what couldn't be found.
"Ugh... Sob..."
And in this way, standing from the perspective of a Pharmacist, Dokuonna finally understood.
Leaf was an incredible... pharmacist.
"Enduring my selfishness... going into the forest every day, gathering herbs, making medicine... ugh... ughhh... waaahh..."
It must have been unbearable, the intense workload.
It's amazing Leaf didn't get angry for years.
"I... really... was stupid... didn't understand anything... his struggles, about being a pharmacist... nothing at all..."
She felt like she understood his greatness only after he left.
The true value he held was something only understood by pharmacists.
...No.
Even if he wasn't a pharmacist, if only she had used a little imagination for him, who worked hard every day, sweating.
If she had just said a word, like "It's always tough, thank you," maybe... she wouldn't be experiencing this painful feeling now.
Maybe she wouldn't have lost him.
"I'm sorry... Leaf... I'm sorry..."
But no matter how much she apologize, it's futile.
Even if she understand his hardships and struggles, he has already left the village and started a new life.
Even if she pass this exam, his heart will never return to her... forever.
She has foolishly abandoned such a kind and talented pharmacist.
She was foolish, and there's no turning back.
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