Polymath Redux

Chapter 17//Forced Hand

“It should be over in this direction,” said Ann. She guided Marianne and Graham to the spot indicated by the local map drawn by the illustrious ‘doctor’. It had taken around forty minutes to reach by foot, however as was previously explained to her, the ingredients did indeed grow in abundance. Though they were in a mildly thick forest, half of their surroundings had been covered by the purplish-pink flower and the other half by yellow flowers. “I believe these are it; the ‘Solea Flower’ and the ‘Pomgrain Flower’,” she explained as she confirmed with the sketchbook.

“Well, at least it wasn’t difficult to find,” Graham sighed as his face indicated that he just knew his role as the only man here would be to carry stuff. “Still, cartography and sketching; is this doctor even Human?” he asked as he flipped through the sketchbook and saw very detailed drawings of the local plants and other items of interest. He understood that many doctors knew how to sketch as they often did their own fieldwork to retrieve medical ingredients, but knowing cartography was going beyond- not to mention mastery over Healing and Elemental Magic. “His specs are so ridiculously high I’d be more inclined to believe he was some eternally young God.”

“Stop being rude to the doctor,” Marianne was quick to defend. “Of course he’s Human.”

“You can say that, but I mean, how long would it take to even master one of his many talents? Years? Decades? Yet, he has so many.”

Despite the amnesia, Ann was also grasping at how amazing the doctor really was. It was normally said the study of Magic was a lifelong endeavour, but for someone so young to have such adept mastery over it like the doctor may be a talent that showed perhaps once every two-hundred-years... or something like that. “To be honest, I also find it mysterious how the doctor has cultivated all his skills in such a short span of time. He looks even younger than I am.”

“I think he said he was twenty-four, which is a year older than me,” Graham answered as he continued to pick flowers. “Ouch!” he quickly retracted his hand when he felt a small sting at the edge of his fingers from the thorns. “Careful, these flowers bite,” he warned.

“Truthfully, there isn’t anyone nearly as talented as the doctor even in the capital, well, aside from maybe Prince Bradley,” Marianne nodded.

At her mention of that name, Ann froze for a moment. “Prince... Bradley? Do you know of him?” she asked.

“Huh? Oh, I don’t think there is anyone in this country that doesn’t know of him,” Marianne replied. “He single-handily pulled the country back from certain doom through his leadership. See, last year the war with the Empire was getting especially fatal, but at the last minute, Prince Bradley took command and fortified our defences and halted the enemy’s progress. It’s not only that, but several economic changes were introduced that both lightened the burden on the citizens but also increase overall productivity. Among some other stuff; basically he’s like some kind of saviour to most people. Though, I suppose even people like him have their limits, as things are now starting to looking grim again.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s the Empire; they’re trying to redouble their efforts in conquering Xagontetia. I’ve been hearing a lot of rumours from my contacts in the capital about a potential invasion from them soon. Then there’s also the problem with the ruling cabinet. King Aldern merged the powers of the Royal Family and the Ministry of War believing this would alleviate the situation by allowing them to act directly without approval every time. In theory it’s not too bad of an idea as it does make the progress of directing war more efficient; however, in reality it isn’t so great.”

“What’s so bad about it?” asked a curious and slightly worried Ann.

“The usual: corruption and incompetence mixed with a little bit of bad luck. That said, unless you’re on a first-name basis with the higher ups in the military, most ordinary people like you and I can’t really know the full extent of the situation. Most of the citizens’ worries are being kept at bay because they have trust in the First Prince, but I wonder how long that’d last,” Marianne trailed off with a depressed tone and sighed. “Huh? Are you all right?” she asked noticing Ann had stopped moving with a pale complexion upon her face.

“Ah, oh... sorry, it’s nothing,” she awkwardly laughed off as she resumed her quest of picking flowers for the doctor. Even she didn’t fully understand it herself, but there was a painful void in her chest as she heard the depressing situation the First Prince was facing. ‘It feels like... I shouldn’t be here doing this...’ she thought to herself, but without her memories she was lost on what else she could be doing. Desperation without an outlet; it was frustration.

“Oh! Um, how’s the doctor recently?” trying to rid the awkward tension in the air Marianne suddenly shifted topics.

“Eh?”

“You know, because I’m always at the garrison I don’t get to see him that often. So I was curious,” she explained.

“Don’t you mean to say you were worried because some mysterious beauty is now living under the same roof as him?” Graham taunted in a whisper, to which divine punishment was doled out in the form of a swift elbow to his sides.

“Sh- shut up, you fool!” she shouted with her face red either from anger or embarrassment- perhaps both.

“I’m not sure what he was like before I showed up, but he’s very kind and treats his patients well. Nothing really seems out of place, though if I had to say something negative about him, or rather his lifestyle, it’s that he works a bit too hard. Every day he sleeps later than me and yet somehow wakes up earlier. It almost seems like he doesn’t sleep at all,” explained Ann.

“That does sound like the doctor,” Graham wryly applauded his laborious lifestyle.

“Eh? Is that so?” somehow this news surprised Marianne. “The last time I saw him he looked perfectly fine. I mean, if he’s really living the kind of lifestyle you’re describing, shouldn’t he look constantly exhausted?” when she put it like that, that was quite the mystery. Far from looking like a withered husk, the doctor’s complexion seemed healthier than even the village girls who took great care in their appearance. “Wait, don’t tell me he’s taking some sort of drugs to keep up that appearance?!”

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“Come on, we’re talking about ‘the’ doctor here,” said Graham. “The guy would probably saw his own arm off if it meant he could stop a child from crying. No way he’d do something that vain.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“There was one other thing,” Ann spoke up. “I think the doctor was involved with some kind of group or party.”

“You mean like an adventurer party?”

“Possibly...”

*

*

*

- A few days ago -

“Did you two have another fight?”

Standing before Mordred with pouty faces was a young girl and boy; two children who could be considered the leaders of the other children around the village. ‘Lily’, the young girl had bright, shoulder-length amber hair and freckles. She was a little tanned around her arms and legs owing to her outgoing and playful nature. Despite being the youngest, or perhaps because of it, the other children often gave in to her and listened to her demands. That said, while she could be quite bossy, she never did anything malicious and was cordial with the others. All except for one: ‘William’, a young boy with a perpetually dishevelled dark blonde hair and a frown upon his face. It was clear he disliked the fact Lily was the de facto leader of the children’s group and often fought for the position, though nothing physical.

“We didn’t fight! Lily was just being bossy as always!” William denied but had a distressed and guilt-ridden expression on his face. The answer to why was clear as on Lily’s leg was a small, bloody scratch from having fallen down. It was easy to imagine how this came to be; most likely he had accidentally pushed her.

Lily, with teary eyes tried to hold in her pain and emotions. She covered her face with both her hands while wiping away the rogue tears and escaping sniffles. “I... I’m not bossy! William is just an idiot!”

“What did you say?!”

“Now, now,” Mordred tried to mediate between the two. He gently patted both their heads and offered a warm smile. “Let’s all take a deep breath and think about this calmly, okay?” by now Mordred’s position in the village allowed him to garner the respect of the children, thus they had listened to him. “William, no one will be angry, so tell me. Did you push Lily?”

“... Yes,” he admitted.

“Did you apologize?”

“... No.”

“You don’t believe you should?”

“...” yet he only kept his silence.

“I know the two of you have had problems in the past, and I’m not going to try telling you that you should always get along or that you shouldn’t fight. Because the truth is that even those kinds of things can become a happy memory when you’ve become adults. Five years, ten years... who knows, but once you’ve grown up and decide to go your own paths, there’s no guarantee that the two of you will always be next to each other,” Mordred told them almost as though he was reminiscing about his own past. “There will be hard times and good times, but when it becomes especially difficult, the fond memories you make with your friends now can help give you the strength to continue forward. You’ll think, ‘even though we fought, we were still good friends’. So, treasure these moments to your hearts’ content. Play together, fight together, and eventually forgive each other.”

The two children glanced towards each other and then turned back to Mordred.

“Are... are you like that too, doctor?” Lily asked through her tears.

Hearing this, Mordred let out a soft chuckle as he thought back to the times he spent along with his guild mates. After his parents had passed away, those moments of doing nothing and just hanging out or battling against other players and guilds, those were the most fun he had. Even now his memories flicker back to them almost as though they had happened in person. With a somewhat melancholic smile he replied to the young girl’s question in honesty and not as ‘Mordred’, “Yes. A long time ago I had friends just like you and William are to each other. We would play together, but also get into fights with one another. We never really agreed a lot of the time, but we always forgave each other with a smile and greeted the next fight with the same smile. Even now those memories help me get through. It’s because I had friends like that I am what I am today, and that I have the strength to continue on. So, cherish your friendship.”

Heeding his advice, the two children nodded with a smile.

“Okay,” they both agreed.

“I’m sorry,” William truly apologized from his heart.

“Me too, I’m sorry,” Lily too offered an apology and smiled.

“That’s good,” Mordred praised both of them and once more patted their heads. “Now, let me take a look at that scratch,” he placed his hand over the young girl’s injury and with a brilliant and soft flash of white light her wound had disappeared as though they were never there. “It doesn’t hurt anymore, right?” he asked.

Lily shook her head. “No, thank you,” she replied. Her face was still a little red from crying.

After making up, the two children left the clinic with a brighter expression. In their place, the village’s elder came in and applauded Mordred’s speech about growing up. “That was a wonderful speech, doctor,” he clapped. “Play, fight and forgive each other, was it? Those are definitely words of wisdom I couldn’t have said better myself. It makes me want to entrust you with the position of the village’s next chief. How about it, doctor?”

With a wry laughter, Mordred replied, “I’m grateful for the offer, but there are things that I need to do. I apologize.”

*

*

*

“And something like that happened,” Ann finished explaining.

“Heeh, the doctor really is one-of-a-kind. What do you think, Lieutenant?” When the question was passed onto her, she had been frozen solid. “Huh? Is something the matter?”

“N- nothing, nothing’s wrong!”

“But your face is red!”

“N- No, it isn’t! Stop looking this way!”

“Aha, I get it. That story about the doctor really affirmed your love for him, didn’t it?”

“I said shut up! You idiot! Don’t go saying strange things!”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed,” Graham continued to taunt. “Heck, if I were a woman even I’d be going for him. But are you going to be all right? There are a lot of women in the village who are eyeing him, you know?”

“Argh, can’t you keep your mouth shut for...!” before she could finish that sentence they heard a strange rustling come from the bushes. At that moment, a clear ‘clicking’ sound echoed through the forest. It was as though a switch had been flicked deep in their minds. An ominous sensation crawled up their spines as the rustling in the bushes became louder. “Who’s there?!” Marianne shouted as she drew her sword.

“Why did you even bring that when we were only going to pick some flowers?” Graham asked.

“A soldier’s job is to be prepared at all times. I’m more worried you didn’t bring one.”

As they continued to banter, several well-armed and heavily armoured knights bearing the symbol of the Baliazoural Empire emerged from the thicket.

“What the...?! Knights from the Empire?!” Graham shouted in surprise. “What are they doing all the way out here?!”

“Graham, you take Ann and get out of here first!” Marianne instructed as she poised her sword towards the opposing knights that seemed to keep coming out from the bushes. There were easily a dozen.

“There’s no way I’m going to let you take them all on alone!” Graham protested.

“You idiot, then who’ll protect Ann? Just take her and call for back up!”

Graham’s face soured as he was faced with a horrible dilemma. It was obvious that she didn’t really want him to call for backup but instead to get the garrison ready to defend the village. There was no way she could take them all on by herself, but he was also a soldier and knew his duties. “I’ll get the captain, so just hold on, Lieutenant!” He took Ann’s hand and tried to leave, however his path was impeded by the appearance of another dozen knights from the opposite direction. “What the hell?! Is this an entire platoon?!”

“Kill them all,” the most decorated knight ordered as he pointed his sword at the three.