LIGHTNOVELONLINE The Nerd Turned Out To Be The Tyrant
Chapter 120
The medicine had very complex and unclear effects. It was surprising enough to have identified just the base, as Arthur had said.
However, Luce, who had been living in the basement of the flower garden since the magic tool was fixed, had a slightly different opinion. “I’ve actually taken this medicine before. I remember falling asleep immediately after taking it. So, I’m focusing on matching it with herbs used in sleeping pills…” There wasn’t a single herb that matched. Luce trailed off at the end of her sentence. Arthur nodded as if he understood what she had left unsaid. “If determining the ingredients of a medicine were as easy as having a machine, then there wouldn’t be unique recipes for each apothecary. The fact that you’ve managed to get this far without any information is impressive in itself.” Arthur narrowed his eyes and stared at the bottle. “You fell asleep as soon as you took it?” “Yes. I didn’t even know when I fell asleep.” “But this isn’t your medicine, is it? Did the original owner of this medicine experience those effects as well?” “No, not really. The owner of this medicine is the person I know who sleeps the least.” “But why did you check the sleeping herb first?” Luce, who had been fiddling with the numerous herb leaves, lowered her head. “The owner of the medicine took it very frequently and for a long time. While he developed a tolerance and it no longer worked as a sleeping pill for him, I thought it might still have an effect on me since I was taking it for the first time.” “However, I think that’s not a suitable reason for your research into this medicine. If, as you say, tolerance has developed, then the medicine would no longer be useful for patients.” “…Even if that conclusion is reached, it’s still necessary to continue the research, Grandpa Arthur.” “Why?” A deep wrinkle formed between Arthur’s eyebrows as he asked. “So you don’t think it’s a matter of tolerance to the herbs, then?” “Yes. I think it might be that he has developed a tolerance to the poisonous plant…Then I should study it even more.” “…Lucette.” “It’s not medicine that has an immediate effect, it’s poison.” Of course, there are poisonous plants used as medicine. Even though they are poisonous, a very small amount can become a valuable remedy, like the Lily of the valley. However, what Luce was considering sounded more like someone’s malice rather than misuse or overuse. Arthur, whose eyesight was poor, couldn’t see Luce’s expression clearly. However, he had a sense that she was extremely angry and at the same time looked troubled. Sometimes, not seeing can make one feel things more deeply. “Have you told the owner of the medicine? About your suspicions?” “I plan to tell him once I become a little more certain—when I’ve identified at least one of the ingredients. For now, since he’s already not taking the medicine, I don’t want to cause unnecessary anxiety prematurely.” Arthur put down his cane and leaned back in his chair. “You seem to care about the owner of the medicine.” Luce was silent for a moment, then gave a small nod of agreement. “I thought you were going to make your headache medicine since you said you use a machine.” “Oh, did you know?” “Isaac said that you take the medicine like a squirrel eats acorns. He cautiously asked me if it’s okay to consume even the best medicine like that, without any water.” Arthur clicked his tongue. “It wasn’t just Isaac; your friend Dominic also asked me. He seemed ready to argue about what kind of illness could cause a headache that hasn’t improved over two years.” He snorted and continued speaking softly. “The difference between advice and nagging depends on whether the person knows about it or not. Since you’re well aware, I didn’t want to sound like an old fool, but I really hope you’ll take better care of your medicine first.” An awkward laugh was heard from the direction where Luce was. “I know you’re worried, but. This isn’t nagging.” “If it’s not nagging, then it’s even more reason to discuss it. How is your headache? Isn’t that more urgent?” “My headache can’t be solved with medicine, Grandpa.” Arthur’s face turned pale as he pondered Luce’s words. Surely, this young one is pitiful… So that’s why she took care of someone else’s medicine before her own! So that’s why she said she’d make a book to fulfill this old man’s last wish! That’s why she worked so hard on the flower garden and dedicated herself to her tasks as if time were running out! Arthur’s dramatic conclusion caught fire. He muttered, wiping his eyes. “Oh my, you poor thing.” “Yes?” She heard the sound of someone covering his mouth. “Oh my, you’re mistaken! I don’t have an incurable disease or anything!” “Otherwise, there’s no way you could have a headache that couldn’t be solved with medicine!” Arthur managed to get Luce to open up after giving a lengthy lecture for twenty minutes on cases of patients who ignored initial symptoms and ended up with more serious illnesses. She hesitated for a long time before she finally spoke. “This might sound really stupid, but promise me you won’t laugh.” “I’m sure that I wouldn’t laugh even if you turned out to be a real squirrel eating acorns.” Arthur answered seriously. “It might be a story similar to a squirrel eating acorns… My headache has specific triggers, Grandpa. The intensity of the headache also depends on certain conditions.” “What are those conditions?” Luce’s voice lowered as she cleared her throat. Arthur looked at the small figure crouched in front of him. “Memories.” “…Memories?” “Whenever I try to recall a specific memory, my head hurts. It feels like someone is ringing an alarm in my mind. It seems to be warning me, ‘Don’t come any closer, don’t dig any deeper.'” Arthur didn’t laugh as promised. He thought that Luce was choosing words that made the most sense. “So my headache can’t be cured with medicine. Well, even if I take a lot of medicine, it doesn’t really work.” It sounded like a psychological factor. Despite her hesitations and reluctance, it seemed there was something she couldn’t fully disclose. It was an instinct born from a long life and extensive experience with many patients. Arthur thought for a moment and asked. “That’s a far too realistic story to be compared to a squirrel, Lucette.” “But I’m saying that my headache is warning me?” “Yes. Although psychosomatic disorders are not common, there are cases. For your story to be like a squirrel’s, it would have to be something like having someone actually living in your head.” “….” Arthur’s gray eyes, which had been blinking several times, finally focused. “Lucette, do you remember when we first met? What I told you.” “Yes, I remember.” “I lived through the Dark Ages, when apothecaries were mistaken for wizards. If they couldn’t cure a disease, they were stoned for supposedly plotting dark magic. If they succeeded, they were accused of being wizards and were scorned. During those months of intense persecution, even the sick were not treated well. Just think about it.” It was a memory that made me shiver again. “It’s a great excuse to kick out or isolate someone you don’t like. They were labeled as ‘tainted by a wizard’s curse.’ People with symptoms that couldn’t be easily explained were quick to hide. Diseases worsened by unverified folk remedies dragged patients to the brink of hell. There was such a time of madness, decades ago. Now, it’s a past everyone wants to conceal, but I cannot forget.” Arthur, who had washed his face dry, said in a cracking voice. “But now, decades later, you speak just like the patients who came to me in the darkness before the rooster crowed. You’re trying to lump yourself into ordinary symptoms, explaining it away in any way you can.” “….” “You’re not worried that I’ll label you a wizard, are you? What’s bothering you?” Luce, who had been mumbling the words “the wizard’s curse,” answered briefly. “If this is a curse, I don’t think it’s just me.” “Lucette?” “If my condition causes someone else to have something living in their mind…” Luce, who had been mumbling, turned around. She awkwardly laughed and got up. “I was just saying.” “I don’t think so. You can’t fool an old man.” “The Dark Ages were truly terrible, Grandpa. I heard roughly about it from my former teacher, but I didn’t realize it was that severe. The capital must have had even harsher repression. How did you endure it?” Arthur looked at Luce, who was changing the subject, for a moment. “……Sometimes, I thought it would be better to live like those people, believing things as they were told. Still, I didn’t want to hide or give in. Later, you’ll be shaking at your own stupidity, and refusing and arguing with everything is the only joy in life.” Arthur decided not to ask any more questions and let it go. “You were really brave.” “It wasn’t just bravery; I had a good memory too. If I was going to refute and argue that I wasn’t a wizard, I needed to know a lot about it. Thanks to that, I ended up learning quite a bit.” Instead, he decided to wait. A green light flickered nearby. Luce’s eyes seemed to have opened wide. “So if you ever want to hear the old stories from Grandpa, you can come by anytime.” Arthur chuckled. “Well then, shall we head out? The first batch of the liquid fatigue recovery potion you made has already sold out. It seems word of mouth has spread. I have to make the next one!” Arthur, who was climbing the stairs with the support of Luce who answered briskly, suddenly became curious about the unknown medicine owner. ‘It can’t be Dominic or Dietrich. Who is it?’ * * * At that moment, the medicine owner was with the proud Delmar. “Brother, take a look at this. It’s a prototype of arrows sent from the East. The knights tried them out at the training grounds today, and the feedback was quite positive. It seems the claim that we’ll achieve much better results in the upcoming hunting competition compared to the West wasn’t just empty talk.” It seemed like he was bragging on the outside, but Aurelio knew that it was a report, and Delmar didn’t notice. Hello! You can also buy the advanced chapter in Ko-fi now, just click the ko-fi button and look for the title of the novel in shop. Thank you for your support!
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