<Chapter 74>
#8. A Frightening Encounter (6)
He calmly ignored Calix’s irritation-filled words. Showing that his mood was just as foul as Calix’s, he lowered his gaze. His expression became much more comfortable than when looking at Calix, and he pushed up his glasses while smiling gently.
“It’s been a while, Melty-ssi.”
“Huh…? Johaim-ssi?”
Melty’s eyes widened at the unexpected appearance. The man smiled slightly as he watched Melty’s dumbfounded expression. Calix, who had been looking back and forth between Melty and Johaim with a hardened expression, took a large stride forward to block the space between them.
“So why exactly is a Sarvie here? Shouldn’t you answer my question first?”
“Sigh. Obviously, I’m here because I have business, aren’t I?”
Calix gritted his teeth at Johaim’s response, which had ‘Why are you asking such an obvious question? Are you stupid?’ written all over his face. His insides naturally began to boil at having such an unpleasant and irritating person right in front of him.
“That’s why I’m asking what exactly that business is, isn’t it? Ah, I should have explained one by one more slowly to accommodate the Sarvie. I guess I summarized too much. Feel free to ask if there’s anything you don’t understand. Ignorance isn’t a fault, you know.”
Calix smiled cheerfully with a relaxed expression after conveying his meaning to Johaim, thoroughly pressing in the message: ‘Can’t you even understand that kind of question properly! Your lack of comprehension can’t be helped.’ Johaim, who understood the hidden meaning in Calix’s words very well, firmly pressed his thumb and index finger against the corner of his eye.
“It’s truly fortunate that Calix-ssi knows what ‘consideration’ means. Though it seems you might need to relearn it.”
“I’m a very considerate person, but that’s the extent of consideration I can offer you. As for you, it seems you need to relearn how to have a conversation? I have no idea when you plan to answer my question.”
Johaim hardened his expression at Calix’s words, who had exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders. Braiante lightly clapped his hands to clear the air as the two appeared to be engaged in a verbal fight that was no different from pulling each other’s hair, despite seemingly having a gentle conversation.
“I knew you two didn’t get along, but it’s worse than I thought. It might be better to continue this conversation inside rather than standing here on the road.”
A look of displeasure crossed Johaim’s face at Braiante’s glance seeking agreement. After quickly managing his expression, he turned around with a low sigh.
“Let’s go in.”
Calix, who had been staring intently at Johaim’s back, turned his head to glare at Braiante.
“Is this why you didn’t tell me who it was?”
“If I had told you, you wouldn’t have come here.”
Calix, who lost his words at Braiante’s statement, closed his mouth and ran his hand through his hair with a neurotic motion. As Braiante said, if the person he needed to meet was Johaim, Calix wouldn’t have bothered to come here. They weren’t close enough to see each other’s faces, and his family, the Padrians, and Johaim’s family, the Sarvies, were virtually enemies.
“You should have told me anyway.”
If he had known Johaim would be here, he would have left Melty at the mansion no matter what. Even at the recent exchange meeting, Calix had done his best to prevent Johaim from approaching Melty. Recalling how Johaim had immediately tried to act friendly with Melty as soon as they met face to face, Calix’s mood soured again.
“Calix-ssi. Since we’ve come all this way, wouldn’t it be good to at least have a conversation?”
Melty carefully tugged at Calix’s clothing while speaking, having noticed Calix’s wildly fluctuating mood. Calix, who had turned his gaze from Braiante to Melty, strangely felt his surging anger cool down.
“…I don’t understand why I have to speak with him at all.”
At Calix’s deflated voice, Melty chuckled softly and pulled his hand.
“Oh, I really don’t want to.”
“Stop complaining for nothing and walk with your feet. Braiante-ssi, please come quickly too.”
Despite grumbling with his mouth, Calix was diligently being pulled along by Melty. Given their obvious size difference, if he had resisted with strength, Melty wouldn’t have been able to overcome it. The small and petite Melty was leading the way, pulling Calix, and Calix was following him obediently with trudging steps, making a displeased expression.
A small laugh escaped Braiante’s mouth as he watched his son’s behavior. His son, Calix, had always had firm likes and dislikes since childhood. Moreover, he was seriously hostile toward people from the Sarvie family, so he didn’t even deal with them except in external situations. He had been wondering how to induce them to talk, but he hadn’t expected it to be resolved so easily.
Braiante watched Calix, who was whining like a child, as if observing something rare. Above all, he couldn’t get used to the sight of his son being pulled along by the hand of a hamster beastman who was much shorter than himself. He had guessed it from the way Calix doted on him with Melty at his side, but it seemed his son had finally found a match.
“Hurry up. Hurry.”
“Alright, alright, I’m coming, aren’t I?”
Braiante momentarily had to doubt his own eyes at the sight that didn’t seem like his son at all—Calix’s languid voice, completely in a good mood, following Melty’s stubborn voice urging him on. They say children change as they grow, but no matter how he looked at it, this didn’t seem like his son.
“Aren’t you coming?”
Calix, who was being dragged by Melty, asked with his head tilted back. Only then did Braiante realize that he had been standing there blankly, mesmerized by his son’s unfamiliar appearance. He smiled slightly and waved his hand.
“I’m coming.”
Braiante’s gaze turned to Melty, who had turned his head toward him following Calix’s voice. The round brown eyes blinked innocently. If he had shown even a slightly cunning look, Braiante would have believed Calix had been brainwashed. With a small smile at the welcome change in his son, Braiante willingly moved his steps inside.
***
Johaim, who looked alternately at Calix, Melty, and Braiante seated around the table, put down his tea. Calix, who had been staring intensely at him, responded with his arms crossed.
“Why don’t you give a proper explanation now? I thought you would have naturally gone home after the exchange meeting ended. Tell me exactly why you’re here.”
“This wasn’t originally where I had business. Of course, I had no intention of coming, but…”
Johaim, who had been looking at Braiante with narrowed eyes, let out a small sigh.
“It seems you weren’t briefed in advance, but to summarize the key points, I came because of herbs.”
“What herbs?”
“…That’s the problem.”
Johaim, unable to readily answer Calix’s question, continued while stroking his chin.
“The Sarvie family typically receives many requests for medical care. Especially in cases where people are refused treatment or declared untreatable, they often contact the Sarvie family as a last resort.”
Melty nodded enthusiastically as he listened to Johaim’s story. He too had heard a lot about the Sarvie family when he was young. Of course, in Melty’s case, it was closer to persistent minor illnesses rather than major untreatable diseases, so there was no need to contact them, but his family members would often raise their voices saying they would contact the Sarvie family.
“I didn’t want to hear about your family. What does that have to do with why you’re here now?”
“Recently, we received an urgent request from a place. The reason I moved immediately after the exchange meeting ended was also because of this.”
Calix, who made a disinterested expression at Johaim’s explanation, glanced sideways at Braiante. It was common for people from the Sarvie family to travel around, so he didn’t feel any particular interest. It bothered him a bit that the area he moved to for the request was near here, but that was all.
“Then you just need to treat them. There shouldn’t be a shortage of herbs going to the Sarvies. Wouldn’t it be sufficient to sell from a nearby branch in the first place?”
“It’s different if one doesn’t know what herbs are needed.”
Braiante, who had been quiet, added. Calix turned his head at his words and raised his eyebrows.
“What do you mean? What do you mean you don’t know what herbs are needed?”
“It’s the same as saying the type of disease can’t be identified.”
“What? You mean it’s a new disease?”
Johaim nodded at Calix’s question. Melty, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, also widened his eyes considerably.
“The main symptom is fever, so we’ve tried all types of fever reducers available on the market. But they’re ineffective.”
“Hmm… Is this something I need to hear?”
Calix’s gaze turned to Braiante. It seemed that this kind of situation could be adequately handled by him as the head of the family. The Padrian family grew and dealt with many herbs, so it would have been enough to just give Johaim whatever herbs seemed necessary.
“It’s not a matter to take lightly. The number of deaths is increasing.”
“Isn’t it common for people to die from diseases? Well, in this situation, it would be troublesome for the Sarvies who couldn’t prescribe proper treatment.”
Braiante didn’t say anything in response to Calix’s indifferent remark. As Calix said, the Padrians were only responsible for producing and distributing herbs as requested. Treatment wasn’t their responsibility, but this matter wasn’t something to take lightly.
“The place where the deaths occurred is the smallest village among the regions operated by the Spangky family.”
“…And?”
Calix quietly laughed at the mention of Bain Spangky’s family, who had harmed Melty. Braiante, who knew full well that he had personally ordered the eradication of that family’s roots, narrowed his eyes.
“By the time I arrived, the number of deaths had already exceeded twenty people.”
“…Twenty people?”
Calix hardened his expression at Johaim’s words as he moistened his throat with tea. Melty, who had been attentively listening to the conversation, was equally shocked by the alarming number.
“Could it be… an epidemic?”
“We’re still investigating.”
Melty took a short breath at Johaim’s answer. His gaze, which had moved sideways, fell on Calix. Calix, with his expression hardened, stared intensely at Johaim. It didn’t seem likely that he would have come all this way just to treat an unknown disease. It was a simple intuition, but he strangely felt certain. Staring at Johaim, Calix opened his mouth.
“What’s the cause of the disease?”
Johaim, who put down his teacup after taking a sip, looked straight at Calix and said:
“I can’t be certain yet, but all the crops were dead, and the ground was cracked. As if there was a ‘drought.'”
