GDTEA Chapter 77

Trying to Do It

The first festival for Ashu’s village held deep meaning.

Regardless of its scale, the mere fact that they could send all kinds of lanterns up to the sky under the sunset and spend a boisterous night filled the residents with a tremendous sense of liberation.

“Mom, it looks like giant fireflies are flying around in the sky.”

“Dad! Now I don’t have to go to bed early tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow either, right?”

“……Yes. You can look at the stars at night and greet the moon too.”

The children’s pure joy moved their parents to tears.

Tasting emotion, enjoyment, and overwhelming elation, people clinked their glasses together.

They were filled with anticipation of being known not just as a hidden village anymore, but as a proper territory.

“…….”

Only one person.

Only Sharti in the entire village hadn’t left her lodging and was crossing her arms with a serious expression.

‘Why isn’t any of it working?’

What lay before Sharti were the purple poisonous herbs she had gathered during the day.

She was currently experimenting with half of the purple poisonous herbs she had abundantly collected during the day.

Sharti, who had rolled up her sleeves enough to show all the disgusting scars remaining from her left hand to her arm and was even wearing gloves, looked at the antidote bottle in her hand.

‘My antidote isn’t omnipotent, but to have absolutely no reaction like this?’

Sharti glanced at the various types of antidote bottles she had taken out from her bag.

Not a single antidote among them had shown any reaction to the purple poisonous herbs. It wasn’t a matter of the herb’s poison being strong.

Literally, no antidote worked on it at all.

‘If it’s such a dangerous poisonous herb, why doesn’t the village know about its danger?’

Sharti had gone to find the village chief as soon as she collected the purple poisonous herbs.

The village chief, thinking it was curiosity and questions about new medicinal herbs, made time for Sharti despite being busy with festival preparations.

[The village doctor who was here before, that is, that surveillance agent, had told us about it. He said it contained strong poison and warned us not to handle it carelessly.]

Even after hearing the village chief’s words, her doubts weren’t resolved.

The purple poisonous herbs were spread throughout the village to the extent that children might unknowingly touch them, and they had such a flashy appearance that curious children of that age would have touched them at least once.

[Yes. There were times when children used those poisonous herbs when playing house. But there was never an incident where children got sick or something serious happened because of the poison.]

‘Nothing adds up at all.’

Why did that doctor only give a warning while knowing it was a poisonous herb, but not remove it from the village?

Why were the children who played with those dangerous poisonous herbs perfectly fine?

Sharti lightly poked the poisonous herb with her gloved fingertip.

‘The poison seems to be in the roots.’

The root particles of the poisonous herb were so minutely attached that they couldn’t be burst with a needle. They looked somewhat like berries at first glance, but as time passed and the particles gradually dried and drooped, they unmistakably took the shape of roots.

It seemed like they were naturally drying up after absorbing nutrients from the soil until there was nothing left to absorb.

‘I’d need to dry these roots and grind them into powder to be sure.’

She considered the case where the poison only worked when ingested, not when touched.

‘I might need an antidote later, so it would be better to hurry, right?’

Until now, as a hidden village, outsiders’ entry had been strictly controlled, but things would be different going forward.

Many people would visit the village, and the village’s secrets would soon become widely known to the world. Then naturally, external checks or intentional slander would follow, and the poisonous herbs spread indiscriminately throughout the village had a high possibility of being used maliciously.

‘If someone takes these poisonous herbs and develops and spreads them on a large scale, it would be a disaster.’

As a doctor, Sharti had to prepare for crises in advance.

Then, hearing the boisterous laughter from beyond the window, Sharti suddenly turned her head.

Before she knew it, time had passed and the night sky was spread out.

‘Is Ren outside?’

For Sharti, who was focused on the new poisonous herb, Ren had temporarily stepped aside.

Of course, there had been a slight argument.

[You’re going to handle poisonous herbs? Then I’ll do it.]

When she refused, saying it wasn’t an experiment to entrust to a beginner, Ren showed his displeasure openly.

[But why do you insist on doing it now? Isn’t this all something you accomplished, Sha? If you won’t accept thanks or want compliments, then at least you should enjoy the festival they prepared.]

From Ren’s perspective, it didn’t matter that Sharti was the one who solved the problem. Since she, who was like a benefactor to the village, was trying to hide alone like a sinner instead of enjoying the festival, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

‘It’s not that I don’t feel regretful, but……’

The residents of Ashu’s village and the Krofl Mercenary Group were fine, but she was somewhat reluctant about the Magic Tower. The general mages belonging to the Magic Tower were fine, but the Tower Master and Deputy Tower Master were burdensome presences.

Since the Magic Tower also had a secret relationship with the Neweiton Imperial Family, it was better for Sharti to stay as inconspicuous as possible.

‘Besides, the village officials heard about my identity. It would be better to be careful. Anyway, once out of sight, memories will become blurry too.’

Although Ashu’s grandfather and the village chief had promised in front of her to keep her secret, it was only a verbal promise. A mere promise in words that bore no responsibility even if they made a slip of the tongue at some point.

Creak-. Sharti leaned her back deep into the chair’s backrest.

‘Come to think of it, I took off my hood in front of those people too, but I’m only trying not to take it off in front of Ren.’

Sharti taking off her hood was her way of paying a price to persuade Ashu’s grandfather and the village chief, but it resulted in showing her face to the village officials as well.

‘They overheard my identity too.’

Although it wasn’t something Sharti confidently confessed but rather something she was caught doing, anyway, it was no different from people she trusted less than Ren knowing her secret first.

‘Hmm……’

She felt uncomfortable.

And she began to think.

“It’s ambiguous…….”

Although she said she was being careful, she had already shown her face to Ren several times.

And yet, she had frantically covered her face and trembled in front of him many times.

Was this really a meaningful action?

‘It’s because I shouldn’t show my face to someone whose identity I don’t know.’

Rather, wasn’t it more dangerous that the village officials, whose identities were clear but whom she didn’t know well, came to know her identity?

At least Ren was a life she had directly saved, and as long as he didn’t decide to leave, they would be together, so her trust in Ren was greater than her suspicion.

‘……A secret.’

Sharti was afraid of trusting people. She did so even though she had no memory of being betrayed.

Having become accustomed to hostility and disregard from childhood, as if being wary of sudden happiness, Sharti received people’s kindness as unfamiliar and strange.

She didn’t try to trust because she didn’t want to get hurt.

‘He wouldn’t hurt me…… though.’

She suddenly remembered when she had held hands with Ren.

Ren’s warm body temperature, his grip that held her tightly as if he wouldn’t let go, disturbed her heart.

Ren’s embrace, which had held her carefully yet strongly when she was frantic, was broad and warm as if it could embrace all distrust, wavering, suspicion, wariness, and anxiety.

Ren’s consistent appearance, always trying to smile and use gentle words only in front of her, made Sharti comfortable.

‘My shameful secret, the past that only I must bear, if it were Ren……’

He might even get angry on my behalf.

Just imagining it made her eyes sting.

Even knowing it was a vain hope, it was so sweet and sad.

“Should I go out for just a moment?”

Sharti murmured softly while fidgeting with the tips of her gloves.

Just then, the colorful lights from outside the curtain cast over the desk. The laughter echoing on the walls was getting louder and more varied.

“…….”

It wasn’t an unfamiliar moment. Having colorful scenes before her eyes but being unable to even reach out her hand, with loneliness becoming so familiar that resignation was a daily repetition.

However, there was definitely something different from before.

Before she could finish her thought, Sharti, who had been taking off her gloves, suddenly stood up from her seat.

‘Ren might be waiting for me.’

Unlike before, Sharti wasn’t alone. Besides Vireta’s family who had pitied and comforted her even when she said she would stay alone, there was someone with a different approach by her side.

Unlike Vireta’s family who were careful yet cheerful, there was someone who was careful yet bold now beside her.

“Sha-.”

As soon as she opened the door and went out, she saw Ren leaning against the wall.

Ren had been waiting inside the lodging, really just waiting for her to open the door and come out.

When Sharti uncharacteristically flung the door open and came out of the room, Ren seemed surprised as he unfolded his arms and quickly approached.

Sharti looked at Ren approaching and let out a weak giggle before biting her lips.

[Can you handle it?]

Still, her answer was ‘no.’

Sharti was already overwhelmed with just her own heart at the moment. She didn’t have the luxury to handle another person’s heart as well.

However, now, at this moment, something else was ready.

[I’d actually prefer someone who lacks many things.]

Someone who feels they lack more than her and continues to strive to become a better person.

[Someone who doesn’t make me feel shabby about myself, that kind of person would be nice.]

Someone who calls her precious and treats her preciously.

“Is it all finished? Quickly stretch out your hands. Is there anywhere that’s problematic? Are you okay?”

Sharti nodded. Then she shook her head.

Seeing her fidgeting and speaking incoherently, Ren’s expression hardened.

“Don’t tell me the poison…….”

Ren urgently grabbed Sharti’s hands.

Sharti quietly watched his eyes carefully examining from her fingertips to her palms, then slowly opened her mouth.

“……I’m trying to do it.”

Instead of Sharti’s hands that seemed to have no problems, Ren, who was about to examine her body, suddenly looked up.

The slightly enlarged teal eyes were trembling just a little.

“……Sha, just now…… what did you say?”

Sharti stared at Ren for a long time, who had a surprised expression as if he had heard something he never expected.

“I’m trying to handle it.”

“……Handle?”

Ren’s voice became lower than usual.

Sharti was trying to handle something. With just that one statement from her, Ren felt his mouth go dry.

“My vain hope.”

“…….”

It was the moment Ren’s lips were about to move.

Knock knock-.

“Are you there~?”

A frivolous tone was heard from beyond the lodging door.

Knock knock knock knock-. Even the knocking sound was being cheeky.

“I heard there’s an acquaintance of the mercenary group mage who bullied our kids here.”

“……!”

The Deputy Tower Master?

Among the people who might come looking for Ren, who helped Shukadi to secure the workshop location, only a high-ranking mage could refer to mages as ‘kids.’

When Sharti tried to grab the door handle to go out instead, Ren was one step faster.

“Who is it?”

As soon as the knocking was heard, Ren, who had put on his blindfold, opened the door, and a long-haired man in flashy attire was standing there blankly.

The man, who had been knocking with hands full of rings on all ten fingers, took out a scroll from his chest and unrolled it as soon as Ren came out of the lodging.

“I need to check the description, so first, how about taking off that blindfold?”

In front of the man who was grinning while saying he would compare the composite sketch without warning, Ren raised his eyebrows in a crooked posture.

“I’ve never taken off my blindfold when bullying someone.”

“Is that so?”

The man wasn’t flustered at all and lightly snapped his fingers.

Then Ren’s blindfold loosened by itself.

“……!”

As soon as the flustered Ren closed his eyes, the man put the scroll back in his chest.

“Bin-go.”

The Tower Master’s eye smile deepened when he saw the man who looked like the spitting image of Leodelt Gwendhill’s portrait—as if they were twins.