The man hangs around the girls while they are working and helps when they ask for his assistance, until the sun starts setting and the whole village sheds a new color.

Apothecary: Ok, that’s everything. I think we all deserve a break before anyone hurt themselves during the festival.

Apprentice: The ceremony is about to begin right? Shouldn’t we go early?

Apothecary: I mean, if you want a good view, it’s already too late. But maybe there is a chance.

Apprentice: I can watch over this place while you show him around the festival.

Apothecary: That’s sweet of you, but you always looking forward to this festival.

Apprentice: I’ve been experiencing it for all my life, missing it once won’t affect me much. Besides, if he got to experience the festival, our village might get more travelers like him.

Man:…

Apothecary: hehe, yeah, he will return after experiencing the festival.

Apprentice: That’s amazing. Umm, will you finally put on your festival outfit?

Apothecary: We spoke about this before, I will probably have many people to tend to during and after the festival, so can’t wear that outfit.

Apprentice: Don’t worry, you and I are kind of equal in this department. Your reason for training me was so I can take care of patients, while you are out to find herbs.

“And all of that training come to fruition, after what happened to you yesterday.”

Apothecary: Exploiting your Master's downfall is not a good quality.

Apprentice: Please, you work yourself all year, take a break once, please.

Apothecary: *sigh* I get it, I get it. This will be your reward for working so hard… I hope it’s not too loose.

Apprentice: Oh don’t worry, I made sure to bring it to the tailor and have it fit your size.

Man:…

Apothecary:…

Apprentice: What?

Apothecary: That’s quite weird, for your standard.

Apprentice: No, I use the measurement of your health checkup to see if the outfit still fits you. Plus you leave it here and never bring it home for some reason.

Apothecary: Well, this is my home too… but thank you, I’ll go change now.

*Go up to one of the upstairs rooms*

Apprentice: It will take a bit, why don’t sit down?

Man:…

Apprentice:…

Quick footsteps ran down the stairs, and the apothecary appeared in a whole different outfit, that still had some of the style of her previous outfit.

Apothecary: I’m done.

Apprentice: That’s fast!?

Apothecary: I don’t like the cold after a bath, so changing clothes quickly has become one of my talents… So how do look?

Apprentice: You look amazing!

Man: *hand gesture so-so*

Apothecary: Above average and without make-up, I’ll take it.

*Grab the man’s hand*

“We’ll be going now.”

Apprentice: You two have fun.

The apothecary dragged the man out the door without closing it. Then the two make a run through the not-so-crowded street, to where the festival ceremony is. Until they made it to the ceremony’s ground, which was packed with people and no way to squeeze through.

Apothecary: Well, looks like the journey ends here.

Man:…*crouch down*

Apothecary: Stop! I’m not gonna sit on your back like last time. Also, this is for you to see, not me. Maybe you should be sitting on my back.

Man:…*ignore her and look in other direction*

Apothecary: What, you think I can’t carry you? You and I are nearly the same in height and body proportions. I may not be as strong as you but you are not that much heavier than me.

The man suddenly grabbed the apothecary, which surprised her.

“What are you up to this time?”

Then he quickly jumps from roof to roof with the apothecary in his arm until they reach the perfect view of the ceremony.

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Apothecary: Ok, that was not something I could do… but isn’t this kind of dangerous?

Man:…

Apothecary: What? Attacking you was my own doing, this, this is your doing.

The man sighed then grabbed a hold of the apothecary’s hand and the two of them leaned over the top of the roof, watching the ceremony.

On the ground floor, there is an assembly of the guard and a big man with a face full of beard in the middle, all have their hand on the hilt.

Apothecary: The person in the middle, that’s my father.

The Man’s vision starts showing him a thick aura that immediately flies straight to the apothecary’s father and wraps itself around him.

*sigh*

Then the ceremony starts, the sound of the drums vibrates the surrounding silent atmosphere. Then all of the guards that were presented for the ceremony, drew their swords and each summoned a water serpent from thin air.

Then it was the sword master's turn, he drew his sword and summoned a giant water dragon from thin air. The dragon and the serpent movement, are being controlled by the way the guards and the master swing their swords.

The dragon flew around the whole village while being chased by the serpents. The chase created multiple strong wind blasts across the whole village and lasted for a few minutes until all of the serpents caught up and constricted the dragon, killing it in the process.

As the water dragon fell from the sky, all of the guards sheathed their blades, except for the master. When the dragon with many serpents constricted to it hit the floor, water splashed everywhere, but was stopped.

All the water waves formed after the fall, flowed back to the center to morph into a giant serpent, that immediately launched up into the sky and disappeared.

When the master sheathed his sword, the sound of the drums slowly stopped, and a light rain fell from the sky. When it’s ended, everyone starts leaving.

Apothecary: that’s the ceremony *cough*cough*. what do you think?

Throughout the ceremony, the man didn’t pay that much attention to the apothecary, but he did feel her squeezing on his hand and hearing her muffled coughing.

When he turned to face her, she was covering her mouth with her outfit while hiding her other hand.

Man:…?

Apothecary:…

The man let go of his hand, resulting in the apothecary falling off the roof, but he was fast enough to get onto the ground before her and catch her from hitting the floor with both of his hands.

Apothecary:…

Man:…

They stared at each other for a moment before the apothecary slapped the man in the face, leaving some wet texture on the spot.

Letting the apothecary to stand on her own two feet, then wipe whatever she just slapped on his face with his outfit. That is when he saw blood on his outfit and noticed the apothecary losing her balance.

Standing next to the apothecary with one hand on her shoulder to keep her stable, while the other hand showed her the blood on his outfit.

Apothecary: haha…ha, it’s seems my condition acting up again. such a hassle. *showing the blooded part of her outfit and pulling out a clean, small coin bag*

“Here money, you don’t have any right? Go and enjoy the festival. I’m heading back.”

The man grabbed the money from her, but not letting her go, instead, he took her to the better-illuminated street and to the stall where her and her apprentice bought the last food.

Due to the ceremony, the stall wasn’t that full of customers.

Shop owner: Hello, it’s you again and you have the apothecary with you… We’ve never seen you during the festival at all.

Apothecary: That’s because I’ve to always be on guard in case someone injured themselves on this day. So I minimize going around because people know where to find me.

Shop owner: So what made you want to enjoy the festival today?

Apothecary: He needed a check-up and asked about the festival. So I’m here showing him around while my apprentice takes my spot.

Shop owner: Well then, I hope you have a good time and hope that we’ll meet each other yearly. So one for each of you?

Apothecary: Yes.

Man:…*nod*

Shop owner: Here you go and enjoy the festival!

*The man and the apothecary leave and walk down the street with their food*

Apothecary: You sure, you want to enjoy the festival with me?

Man: Why not, take it as an apology for that time.

Apothecary: I knew that you can talk *cough*cough*, sorry. There is still blood, I wish it could just go away.

Man: I’ll be here with you all night, let’s hope that I’ll be more painful than that condition of yours.

Apothecary: You sure? You were more of a pain when you didn’t talk.

Man:…

Apothecary:…

Man:…

Apothecary: Two can play at that game *cough*cough*.

Man: I’ll be the distraction. You are so stubborn and strange.

Apothecary: I can say the same for your romantic gesture. Broke a girl’s arms just to carry her back to her village, not gonna work on all girls.

Man: That’s just courtesy. Besides, you started it first. There is no romantic feeling between you and me.

Apothecary: Suure, you say that now, but do you know who you are talking to?

Man: A deranged and sick apothecary that likes to nibble on people while unconscious.

Apothecary: I can- wait what?... Did I actually do that while you were carrying me?

Man: I don’t need to make up anything you did.

Apothecary: It was the injuries you caused that changed how my mind works.

Man: So, no different. Maybe banging your head on the door was my fault too?

Apothecary: Fine! Maybe all that was my doing unconscious or not. But that is what pulls you to me.

Man: Eat some food first, all that blood loss clouded your mind.

Apothecary: I can see your soul, remember that. You can lie and dodge all you want, but I will always know the truth. That fire may be small now, but with the right event, it can be devastating.

Man:…

Apothecary:*munch*munch*

Man: You sure you in the right field, Miss? Shouldn’t you be a matchmaker with that ability?

Apothecary: Don’t know.

Man:…

Apothecary: Can I join you on your trip?

Man: No, never.

Apothecary: Why not? I’ve proven my capability, I stabbed you once. I’m an apothecary, which will be useful if you get into more fights. I’m the best person to bring on your journey.

Man: Skeptical. You are ready to leave your village behind just to travel with a stranger you just met. Also, you are this village's best apothecary. Trading many lives for one isn’t something an apothecary should do.

Apothecary: Of course, that is why I have an apprentice. She was there for a reason?

Man: For you to abandon your job?

Apothecary: heh, close enough. It’s because of my condition. I hate diseases, I hate conditions that have no cure, I hate that they sometimes make me feel like dying for a moment then acting like nothing happened.

“It’s like they are taunting me and my patients. Saying that, today might be the day you’ll die then nothing. Giving a false hope, just to kill us at the most unexpected moment.”

“I’m the best apothecary with a condition that no one has, if I can’t get rid of it, then who can?! That’s why, I need my apprentice to deal with curable diseases and conditions, while I look for cures for the unknown one.”

“So, traveling with you might be what I need to cure my condition. But if I die…no no, haha that won’t happen. I'll show it the consequences for taunting me this long.”

Man: I’ll think about that. Your reason may have persuaded me but let’s just enjoy this festival.

Apothecary: ok, I’m sorry for dampening the mood.

Man: It seems that you are not that close to your apprentice to tell her those words.

Apothecary: Well, sometimes there are things that you can’t share with people who are closest to you…

“Also, have you been holding on to your sword this whole time, and not drawing it?”

Man: Oh, that's just habit. Traveling so much and you’ll get paranoid that almost everyone will try to attack you... Like you for example.

Apothecary: I did for a good reason, don’t lump me with those thugs.