Aria was unpleasantly surprised to hear Dorothy's words. She paused for a moment and thought about the fact, muttering to herself, "F-five years... That's not possible." Aria tried to figure out the reason why it took her so long to recover. Was it because of her prior wounds? Or because she had died? Aria couldn't figure it out.
Dorothy had been observing her for a while now. As a healer, Dorothy had dealt with people faking their sickness, so she knew when someone was lying. But Aria was certainly not lying. Then, something crossed Dorothy's mind. She stood up and went to her work desk, searching through her messy paperwork.
Aria was surprised by Dorothy's actions and watched her intently. Then, as if she had found what she was looking for, Dorothy stopped and looked at a piece of paper. Aria grew nervous. "Hey, you said your name is Aria Nightbloom, right?" Aria, puzzled by the situation, answered honestly, "Yes." Dorothy then showed Aria the piece of paper. Aria was aghast to find her face on the paper with the words "Wanted, Dead or Alive" attached to it.
Dorothy then asked Aria sincerely, "Are you really Aria Nightbloom, the Apothecary of the Hero's Party?" She paused, unsure of the truth behind the words on the paper. "Are you the summoner of the Dark Goddess?" Aria froze, she was trembling to the fear of being wrongfully accused once more, she couldn't answer. She knew there was some truth to it, for it was her fault that the ritual had succeeded. But she definitely did not summon the Dark Goddess. Aria stopped trembling, gathering her strength and confidence, as she looked Dorothy in the eyes and said, "I did not summon the Dark Goddess!" Her eyes filled with sincerity and conviction. Dorothy saw this and was not a fool to believe everything without conclusive proof. Seeing Aria and her actions gave her all the proof she needed. She looked at Aria and said, "I believe you."
Aria's eyes welled up as she thought Dorothy wouldn't believe her. She tried to stop her tears from flowing and sniffed. "Thank you." Aria could only be grateful that her rescuer was kind. She couldn't help but remember Commander Rufus Adelard, who had also believed in her.
Dorothy smiled at Aria and patted her head. "You look much prettier in person than in that drawing." Aria gave a small laugh at Dorothy's little tease and wiped her eyes. "To think I'd have the pleasure of having one of the members of the Hero's Party in my home, life is truly full of surprises." Dorothy went to her small dresser in the bedroom, seemingly rummaging for something. Aria waited patiently for her. When Dorothy came back, she was holding an object. "I found this in your old clothes when I picked you up." She handed Aria a small green book. Aria took the book and examined the binding. It looked old and worn out. But when she opened it, her eyes welled up with tears as she recognized her master's handwriting. There was a small note on the first page.
"Aria my dear, If you're reading this, then I'm not around anymore. I want you to know that you are the best student I ever had. Your mother, Alice, would be proud."
"PS. This small notebook contains my more advanced discoveries in the world of apothecaries. This may even revolutionize the world in the right hands. So I impart this knowledge to you because I believe you are the best person to have it."
"Your Grandfather, Eredin."
Aria's eyes streamed with tears. Her Master and Grandfather Eredin, whom she never saw again after leaving for the Hero's Party, had saved her in the end. Dorothy knew this was an emotional moment for Aria, so she gave her a bit of space and time to recover. She stood up and went to the kitchen to fix dinner.
Aria wiped her tears and glanced at the small notebook's contents. There were many formulas she had never seen before. Eredin was a true Master Apothecary and even an inventor. At the end of the book, she found a piece of parchment. She couldn't understand what it was, but it seemed to be some kind of diagram to build something. She stared at the parchment, turning it, trying to find a proper position that would make sense. But she gave up and put it back in the notebook.
She then stood up and went to help Dorothy prepare dinner. Dorothy welcomed her help and as they finished preparing, they both sat down. Dorothy, who only had one pair of utensils, gave them to Aria so she could eat first. "I'll eat after you," she smiled at Aria. Aria was a bit uncomfortable about this but she didn't want to be rude to her host. She started eating, with Dorothy watching her all the while. "You're an Apothecary, right?" Dorothy inquired. Aria, who finished swallowing her food before talking, gazed at Dorothy and said, "Yes, my Master Eredin taught me." Dorothy's eyes sparkled as she stood up abruptly. "Eredin!? You mean 'The Eredin'? The greatest apothecary?" Dorothy was ecstatic about this new information. "He is my hero, you know!" Dorothy's eyes lit up as she recalled Master Eredin's discoveries and achievements. Aria was happy to have found a person she was comfortable being around. Dorothy, who noticed her out-of-character behavior, cleared her throat and sat back down. Aria finished eating and went to clean her utensils so Dorothy could eat as well. When she was done, she prepared Dorothy's meal and gave it to her. Dorothy was grateful as she ate while regaling Aria with more of Eredin's stories. Surely, Aria had already heard most of them, but she was happy to see Dorothy like this.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
"You have to teach me some of your concoctions, I'm sure you have so many!" Dorothy exclaimed after she was done eating. "I know, come with me tomorrow to the Blighted Town." Aria was readily going to agree when Dorothy asked with curious eyes, "What rank are you right now?" Aria was confused. "What rank?" Dorothy thought for a bit but then remembered that Aria had been asleep for five years. "Right, you were asleep for five years, that is also something worth investigating, but the Blighted Town needs help first." Dorothy thought for a while. "I can't bring you along yet, only bronze-ranked adventurers and above can enter the Blighted Town." Dorothy then took out her necklace to show Aria. "You need one of these first." Aria looked at the coin-like object attached to the necklace. It had the symbol of the Alliance, a fist on a hexagram. The coin was made of silver.
Dorothy then began to explain. "After the events in the Kingdom of Merthol, the Dark Goddess spread her influence over large parts of Solandis. In just five years, she has conquered more than the Demon Lord." Aria was shocked by this revelation. In just five years, the situation had become even more dangerous than she thought. "The Alliance, made up of the most powerful kingdoms - the Beastmen, Elves, and the Drows - agreed to create a ranking system for the Adventurer's Guild, in order to assign adventurers to missions that correspond to their abilities. In this way, more lives will be saved, both adventurers and the people." Dorothy explained to Aria the new developments of the five years she was gone. But then she reluctantly added, looking at Aria with reluctant eyes, "They say the biggest reason why the ranking system exists is because there hasn't been a new Hero, and the reason was because the previous one and the apothecary summoned the Dark Goddess." Aria's eyes became sad. The Hero's name had been tarnished beyond recovery. But she sighed. She knew the truth and believed that someday the Hero's name would be cleared of this.
Dorothy, seeing Aria sad, gently spoke. "I'm sure those rumors are lies, after all, I have the alleged summoner right here." She gazed at Aria with a smile. Aria smiled back, and then Dorothy continued. "Adventurer's Guilds are now in every major place, even here in Sylvenspire. The Elf Queen finally agreed after four years, after what happened in Elmaris Town." Dorothy referred to the place now called the Blighted Town. "Next month, they are going to have application exams for new adventurers. I'll take you there then. For now, just get your strength back. Five years is a long time to be sleeping, you know." Dorothy advised Aria with a little joke, and Aria agreed. Dorothy then took something out of her pocket. "By the way, I also found this in your pocket when I disposed of your old clothes." Dorothy gave Aria a laced pouch. Aria examined it. The pouch seemed to be made of holy cloth, a precious relic. But Aria felt uneasy about opening it, so she just stuffed it in her pocket for now. Something made of holy cloth should not be taken lightly, and Aria wondered how it came into her possession.
The next day, as Dorothy went to the Blighted Town, Aria cleaned the house, tended the garden, and studied Eredin's notebook. She also read Dorothy's books in her spare time. When Dorothy came back home at night, they talked about medicine and concoctions. Aria showed Dorothy some of Master Eredin's concoctions, which made Dorothy pleased. One time, Dorothy came with Aria to visit the graves she made for her friends and master, planting flowers around and talking to them. In the few weeks Dorothy had been with Aria, she saw her as a girl who was very kind and caring towards the people she had fondness for.
The month flew by so fast, and now the day had come for Aria to go to the Adventurer's Guild to apply for a rank. Dorothy helped Aria with her new clothes, clothing that Dorothy had bought for her. It was the same style as hers, a Plague Healer's garb outfit consisting of a long, black, waxed coat, gloves, boots, and a wide-brimmed hat. But Dorothy had a special item made for Aria. "Here, wear this. It's so no one can identify you at a glance." Facing the mirror, Dorothy placed a round pair of glasses on Aria's eyes. The glasses complemented Aria's freckled face and her braided white hair. Aria looked at Dorothy in the mirror and thanked her. "You need to change your name as well, but only when you're with other people." Aria looked at Dorothy and then gazed at herself in the mirror. "Alice," she muttered. Dorothy smiled and said, "Let's go, Alice."