Chapter 73

The next day. The moment we stepped into the forest to introduce Elvira to the spirits, countless particles of light surrounded us—no, Elvira. The next instant, we were guided to the source of the spring. Perhaps the spirits reacted to Elvira's illness, I thought, while also feeling relieved that we were guided safely even without Lucash.

I turned around. Arnold had his eyes wide open, and next to him, his sister Elvira had the same expression. They are siblings, I realized once again, as I shifted my gaze to the side. Mercedes had a flushed cheek and was looking around with great interest.

"That large tree over there is the Great Spirit Tree, and the spring water that gushes from its roots is called the 'Spirit's Drinking Water'..."

I glanced at the Great Spirit Tree and then turned back to Elvira and the others.

"The spirits are gathering..."

Elvira was completely surrounded by the particles of light. They must be able to tell that she is suffering from her illness, I thought, and my heart swelled with hope. Elvira cautiously reached out to the spirits floating around her. The moment her fingertips touched them, the particles of light were enveloped in small flames.

"They're burning!?"

For a moment, I thought Elvira had used magic, but then I noticed that her fingers themselves were burning, which was strange. A few seconds later, I realized it was a symptom of her self-destructive disease. The flames suddenly attacked her small body without any warning.

While I was still in shock, Mercedes rushed over and started treating the burns on Elvira's fingertips with magic. I felt relieved when the burns disappeared quickly with the healing spell. It must still be a mild symptom.

"...I'm sorry."

Elvira apologized in a low voice to the spirits that had been burned by her. The particles of light floated to the spring and submerged themselves in the water. A few seconds later, they emerged—completely restored and flying around energetically. Seeing this, Elvira seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Her side profile, with her tightly clenched fingers, made my heart ache. I wanted to save Elvira Roco. It wasn't out of sympathy or a sense of duty, but rather a protective instinct for a young girl much smaller than myself.

"Elvira, come this way."

I reached out to Elvira. As she hesitantly placed her hand in mine, her fingertips suddenly curled up. For a moment, I thought she was still wary of me, but then I realized she was probably remembering how she had injured the spirits with the flames from her own body.

For a young girl, it must be terrifying to know that she can hurt others. If I were in her position, I would probably try to avoid contact with others. That's why I took her hand. I smiled at Elvira, whose eyes were wide with surprise, and led her to the spring. I scooped up a small amount of water with a cup and offered it to her.

"Can you drink it, Elvira?"

Elvira stared at the water in the cup for a few seconds before gulping it down in one go. After drinking it quickly, she slowly opened her mouth.

"...My chest feels a bit clearer, maybe."

From Elvira's words, it seemed that the water hadn't had a negative effect, but it was a difficult answer to judge. I couldn't help but turn to Arnold for confirmation. Mercedes was walking towards us, so I entrusted Elvira to her and approached Arnold, who was standing a little distance away. I stood next to him and asked in a low voice so Elvira wouldn't hear.

"How often does Elvira's self-destructive disease attack her body?"

"The symptoms like the spontaneous combustion occur about once every ten days. But recently, she has been complaining of heartburn. I suspect that is also a symptom..."

Arnold's answer helped me understand Elvira's words more accurately. She had been suffering from heartburn-like symptoms, and after drinking the Spirit's Drinking Water, she felt her chest clear up. This meant...

"If that's the case, maybe it's working a little..."

The water didn't have an immediate dramatic effect, but perhaps there was room for hope. In a game, if a teammate was poisoned, their status would show the poison, and using a healing potion with an antidote would remove the poison indicator, making it clear that they were cured. In reality, however, it's not that simple. Elvira's status might still show the self-destructive disease, or the Spirit's Drinking Water might have cured it. It's frustrating, but we have to be patient and make a calm judgment.

"---Hehe, thank you."

I looked up at the sound of laughter and saw Mercedes playing with the spirits. She was playing with the particles of light with her fingertips, and Elvira was watching her with a tilted head. I walked a few steps towards Mercedes and asked in a louder voice.

"Can you hear the spirits, Mercedes?"

"Vaguely, but yes. They are very worried about Elvira."

As expected, the elves, who are said to have spirits as ancestors, can hear the spirits to some extent. However, Elvira seemed to not understand what Mercedes was saying, tilting her head repeatedly. The spirits' words might not have reached her ears. I turned to Arnold and asked him.

"Can you hear them, Arnold?"

"I can't. ...Our elven blood is too diluted."

"Our elven blood is too diluted."

I tilted my head, trying to understand the implications of his words. Before I could ask for clarification, Arnold spoke again.

"I don't know if 'disappointment' is the right word, but I can't really feel it."

Arnold's voice was hoarse, perhaps from fatigue, and I nodded. If this scene had been in a game, there might have been an emotional and grand background music, leading me to believe that the self-destructive disease was cured. Or if there was ominous music, it would be a sign that it wasn't cured. Reality, of course, doesn't provide such clear-cut expressions.

To be honest, I wasn't entirely confident that the Spirit's Drinking Water alone could cure the self-destructive disease. That's why I couldn't feel it.

(...At least she seems to be doing better now.)

Regarding Elvira's self-destructive disease, we need to observe her for a while to make any conclusions. It's possible that the Spirit's Drinking Water cured her, or it might have just suppressed the symptoms temporarily. However, we now know that the Spirit's Drinking Water has some effect on the disease, which is a significant discovery. Even if it doesn't cure her, we can use it as a base for further concoctions, and perhaps we will eventually find a solution.

"We can't say it's cured yet. Let's observe her for a while."

Arnold's voice was still firm, but his black eyes clearly showed relief. He was gently looking at his beloved sister.