Chapter 48: When Autumn Breathes, Healing Begins

The red sun rose, and I began a pleasant day with a morning walk.  

The weather was clear, so my view stretched all the way to the dust shop.

“Mmm! So refreshing!”

I breathed the cool morning air deep into my lungs.  

It felt like the inside of my chest was becoming refreshed.  

Early September, the beginning of autumn; the ginkgo leaves on the mountain were turning yellow, and delicious fruits were ripening temptingly.

The trees were changing color, a chilly wind was blowing, and for some reason I felt sentimental; all sorts of thoughts came to mind.

What should I eat for breakfast? Ginkgo nuts? Chestnuts?

…Autumn really gives you more choices.

Anyway, after that I thought back on the past seasons.

So many things had changed, and now even entering the beastman village was just around the corner.

Before expanding the business, as I told Bernard last time, I need to first solidify the foundation.

It’s not just about making money and growing bigger; the desire to truly “heal” people has become stronger.

While I was lost in thought, Dorori came up beside me.

“Piiit.”

“You have something for me? What is it?”

When Dorori opened its beak, something fell into my palm.

“This… it’s a chestnut?”

The chestnut was perfectly round and looked fully packed inside.

“Did you find a chestnut tree nearby?”

“Piiit!”

Perfect. Breakfast today will be chestnuts!

I immediately went around the Floating Island and harvested fresh chestnuts.

Boogle boogle.

The chestnuts made delicious sounds as they cooked.

I twisted off a well-roasted chestnut, peeled the shell, and the yellowish flesh inside was revealed.  

Just looking at how plump it was made my mouth water.

“Peel one for me too.”

Elenia landed on my shoulder and lightly tapped my cheek.

I kept peeling chestnuts.

Elenia and Dorori stretched out their hands and beak like baby birds waiting to be fed, receiving the chestnut flesh.

“Uhehe.”

“Pihihit.”

Just eating seemed to make them laugh on their own.

“I’ll be off now.”

After filling my stomach with chestnuts, I hurried to the pharmacy.

“Welcome, Fabir!”

The moment I entered the shop, Baski greeted me with open arms.

“How’s the work going?”

“It’s really fun. Watching the customers’ reactions is quite rewarding.”

“I’m glad you like the job. Here, take this.”

“What is it?”

“Chestnuts. Freshly picked, so they’re sweet and delicious.”

“The chestnut season has come around again already. I’ll enjoy them.”

“By the way, I don’t see Miss Elris?”

“She comes in earlier than me every day and locks herself in the lab the whole time. I haven’t even seen her face in days.”

“Really?”

I carefully opened the door to the back warehouse where Elris’s lab was.

“Uungh. This isn’t it.”

Elris was flipping through a huge bookshelf with a very troubled expression.

“Good morning, Miss Elris.”

Startled!

Elris jumped to her feet.

“Ah? Mr. Fabir.”

“Sorry for interrupting your reading, but may I come in for a moment?”

“Of course. Come right in.”

The warehouse that Mr. Bernard and I had cleaned together was now a complete mess.  

I carefully stepped inside, avoiding the notes scattered on the floor.

When I looked around, Elris hurriedly explained as if making an excuse.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up right away!”

“It’s fine. Were you looking for something related to atopy?”

“Yes. I was checking if there was any clue that could help with treatment. But I haven’t found any clear answer yet.”

Unlike before, Elris looked dejected.  

Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, it seemed she had stayed up for several nights straight.

“Have you eaten?”

Elris shook her head.

“No, not yet.”

“Research is good, but you mustn’t skip meals. If you don’t eat properly, your head won’t work. You must be hungry; at least eat this first.”

I handed her the chestnuts and watermelon juice I had brought.

“Thank you.”

“Go ahead and eat.”

“Ah, yes.”

Elris brought the watermelon juice to her lips.

Glug glug.

She gulped down the whole bottle in one go. She must have been very hungry.

“Ha… I feel strength returning.”

Her face brightened considerably.

“I’m sorry for giving you such a difficult task from the start.”

“It’s something I love doing.”

“You still have to take care of your body while working. How about calling it a day?”

“I’m fine! I want to be helpful to the shop as soon as possible!”

Miss Elris frantically waved her hands.

She looked like she was being chased by something, obsessed with results. 

She didn’t seem like she would listen even if I tried to stop her.

“Then, is there anything you need?”

“I don’t need anything in particular. Rather…”

“…?”

“Um, actually… there’s something I wanted to tell you.”

“What is it? Don’t feel burdened, just say it.”

“Well, the truth is… um… actually, I’m a wi, witch…”

Elris paused longer than ever, her face extremely tense.

Could that be the reason?

“Are you trying to say that you come from a witch family, Miss Elris?”

Elris’s eyes widened.

“Ah, you already knew?”

“Mr. Bernard said he saw you in the newspaper.”

“I wasn beca I was deliberately hiding it! I just…”

Elris bit her lower lip hard. It seemed she had been uncomfortable about it all this time.

“…I’ll gladly accept it even if you tell me to leave right now. I don’t want to be a burden to the shop.”

She lowered her head deeply. Guilt shadowed her face.

She must have suffered all kinds of groundless rumors and bad reputation because of the “witch family” label. 

She probably tried hard to quickly prove her skills and be recognized.

Did I put too much pressure on her?

What words would comfort her?

She doesn’t have to force herself to show results. 

I can already feel that Miss Elris is sincere about this work.

…Many things I wanted to say swirled in my head.

“Miss Elris.”

I called her firmly.

“It’s okay.”

When I thought about it, I didn’t need to worry about what to say. 

I just decided to convey my honest feelings.

“Where you come from doesn’t matter to me at all. I saw your passion and potential, not your background.”

Elris’s eyebrows shot up. Her eyes sparkled with a special light.

“…Do you really think that way?”

I nodded.

“I… I…”

Then Elris’s lips trembled.

“I love this job so much! I’m really glad I applied to this shop!”

Soon she broke into a huge smile.

“You look good when you smile.”

Perhaps my sincerity reached her. She regained her smile.

“First, let’s eat properly. Then take plenty of rest; your mind will clear up.”

I held out the wooden bucket full of chestnuts to Elris.

Elris quickly picked up a chestnut and put it in her mouth.

Munch munch.

“It’s, it’s delicious! It tastes sweet on the outside!”

“They’re ‘candied chestnuts’ made by simmering in sugar.”

“You made them yourself? Your cooking skills are amazing!”

“I’m glad you like them; bringing them was worth it.”

“Just eating this gives me strength. What kind of magic did you use?”

“Magic? That’s too much praise. I just used healthy ingredients.”

“Healthy ingredients?”

“Yes. Eating good food makes the body better. Eating bad ingredients can cause food poisoning instead of health, right?”

“Food poisoning…”

Since they’re nutritious foods grown with care in the healthy soil of the Floating Island, her fatigue should soon disappear.

At that moment.

“Ah! Maybe!”

Jump.

Suddenly, Elris shot up from her seat.

“You were right, Mr. Fabir! After eating, my head feels like it’s spinning perfectly!”

“I, I’m glad it helped.”

I didn’t know what was going on, but it seemed she had found a clue.

“Mr. Fabir. There’s something I’d like to ask!”

Elris’s eyes sparkled.

***

Bernard entered the branch store.

“Mr. Baski, how much Gas Vitality Potion stock do we have?”

“I’ll check right now.”

Clank clank.

“What’s that noise?”

“It sounds like Fabir and Miss Elris are making something in the warehouse.”

“Mr. Fabir is?”

Busy movement sounds came from inside the warehouse.

Is he even getting into alchemy now? Just how many more amazing things will appear?

“While you wait, try this.”

“What is it?”

“It’s the ‘candied chestnuts’ Fabir brought. They’re sweet, nutty, and absolutely divine.”

They were chestnuts coated thickly with brown syrup. 

The subtle chestnut aroma was very savory.

Gulp.

Saliva flooded my mouth. 

Unable to resist the temptation, Bernard hurriedly put a candied chestnut in his mouth and rolled it around.

“Mmm!”

The moment he bit down, his eyes snapped wide open.

A sweet taste like caramel coating.

Then the chestnut crumbled softly in the mouth, delivering a pure, rich flavor.

Not overly sweet; the natural, healthy taste of the ingredient itself.

“Delicious! I’ve never had a snack like this in my life!”

“Right? It gave me goosebumps all over my skin too.”

As expected, anything Fabir makes is extraordinary.

I heard the kimbap that adventurers ate in the dungeon was also incredible. 

Now I understand why they were so crazy about it.

From farming to cooking, and now metallurgy and pharmaceuticals.

His endless path leaves me in constant amazement with everything he does. 

It goes beyond admiration to awe.

Even a simple dish like this is this delicious; how good must the kimbap be?

Slurp.

Just thinking about it made saliva pool. 

If I get the chance, I want to try Fabir’s kimbap too.

While Bernard savored the candied chestnuts slowly, lost in various thoughts.

Bam—

Suddenly, the warehouse door burst open and Fabir stepped out.

“Oh? Mr. Bernard, perfect timing.”

Facing Fabir’s expression, Bernard instantly sensed something extraordinary had happened.

Because a triumphant smile was plastered on Fabir’s face.

Gulp.

Bernard swallowed nervously.

Just what astonishing thing was about to unfold before his eyes?

“Mr. Bernard. Please contact the Rose Inn right now.”

“The Rose Inn? Why all of a sudden…?”

“There should be a child and mother staying there.”

“The child and mother… you mean that mother and son from last time?”

“Please tell them to come to the shop as quickly as possible.”

“…Then, could it be?!”

Bernard’s guess was correct.

Fabir emphasized with a triumphant smile.

“I think we’ve found a way to treat atopy.”