Chapter 8

Even though her head was full of thoughts, her body moved quickly and did what needed to be done.

She handed a cloth soaked in cyan juice to a doctor wearing white. He took it and started cleaning Celine’s burns gently.

While that happened, other people ran to put out the fire, and some jumped into the rubble to save those trapped inside.

A small shelter built in the corner of the village was full of patients. Her heart was beating fast.

-3
+1
-6
+2

“Ugh, cough!”

“Celine! Please, don’t die!”

The doctor moved his hands busily—feeding Celine medicine and washing her skin with herbal water, trying hard to save her.

But Violetta could see it clearly. Celine’s condition was getting worse faster than the medicine could help.

If they did nothing, that girl would die.

Her face kept overlapping with another young girl Violetta had once seen die in a hospital bed.

No, Violetta.

“Aagh!”

Are you crazy? Get a hold of yourself. Don’t put yourself in danger just to save someone else.

“No! Celine! Please! If Celine dies too, I can’t live anymore, doctor…”

Damn it.

“That won’t be enough.”

“What—?”

“Move.”

Just this once. Only this one time.

Violetta took a potion out of her inventory and walked straight toward Celine. She felt people staring at her in shock.

Is my hair back to normal?

She looked down—and pink hair flowed over her shoulders.

Good. It had returned to her original color.

“Hey! Who are you?”

“I’m a doctor.”

“I’ve never seen a doctor like you before. What group are you with?”

A sweating doctor questioned her in a sharp voice. She understood why.

But there was no time to explain. The child was dying.

“Move. Can’t you see she’s not breathing?”

“Please, help us! Celine, don’t leave me. Please…”

Still, the doctor wouldn’t budge. His eyes locked onto the potion in her hand.

Then he shouted:

“B-Black magic!”

“Ugh… what a headache. Black magic, curse—whatever. If you want her to live, MOVE!”

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+1
-12

The minus signs made her snap. She pushed the doctor as hard as she could. He fell back in surprise.

She rushed to Celine and held the girl’s hand.

Status: Severe burns. Breathing difficulty, extreme pain, internal organ damage.

Her condition is really bad.

She needed to treat her burned lungs and other injuries, too.

But the problem was: her current supplies weren’t enough to heal everything.

She looked around and spotted a small corner where they’d set up a temporary lab.

Put out the immediate fire, then make new medicine.

Her mind quickly organized what she needed to do.

She didn’t hesitate and opened the potion bottle—but then:

“Stop right there!”

A middle-aged man with big, glaring eyes marched toward her.

That’s when she noticed—a large crowd had gathered around her.

When did all these people get here?

The air still smelled of smoke. People were crying and shouting, but she couldn’t focus on them.

The crowd, all covered in soot, was surrounding her with scary looks.

The doctor she had pushed got up and returned to Celine, continuing the treatment.

“Pour this slowly. Yes.”

“Doctor… will she be okay? Will my daughter survive?”

“…I’ll do my best.”

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-7
+3

And Celine… was slowly dying, even while being treated.

Through the crowd, a tall man stepped forward.

His face was black with ash, but his eyes were cold and blue.

“Put that thing down. Now.”

“You said you wanted to save her. You begged me to save her.”

“That doesn’t mean we’ll use a cursed thing like that!”

Seriously? A curse?

She didn’t understand why people hated potions so much.

Two years ago, they weren’t like this.

Sure, she had been a famous potion maker—but potion makers were common.

People who couldn’t use magic still used aether to make potions. It was a common job.

“We’re not falling for that again!”

“Yeah! Don’t trust her. We’ve been tricked before!”

“Sir Tinte said it too. Things that go against nature always end badly. Just look at what happened to his son—”

Everyone started shouting.

Their eyes toward her were full of fear and hate. She yanked open her robe collar, feeling hot and trapped.

Did something happen to other potion makers in the last two years?

Is that why everyone hates potions now?

But she had no way of knowing right now.

“Gasp… gasp…”

Celine was barely breathing.

Her condition was getting worse by the second, and everyone could tell.

Violetta closed her eyes and thought hard.

What can I say to convince them?

If she had decided to save Celine, she had to try everything.

Then, she made up her mind.

“So, you’re saying… you don’t want her to die. But because you want her to live, I shouldn’t use this potion?”

Her voice cracked.

She looked directly at the crowd. But her heart kept turning toward the girl lying on the bed.

“You don’t want to give a dangerous drug to a patient—even if it means letting them die?”

Someone in the crowd answered. She turned to him with a bitter smile.

She had never been treated like this before. It wasn’t a good feeling.

She had always been praised—not doubted. She wasn’t used to this.

“Then… if I prove that this potion is safe, will you believe me?”

It had to be done.

She looked down and saw the doctor’s white robe and his bag.

She marched over and grabbed the bag.

“What are you doing—”

She opened it. Inside were medical tools. She found a box, opened it, and took out something sharp like a scalpel.

“What are you doing?! Give that back!”

The blade shone. People gasped and stepped back.

She held it tightly in her right hand.

“Watch carefully.”

Slice.

“Aaaaah!”

“What—what are you doing?!”

“Doctor! Doctor!”

Drip drip.

Blood splashed onto the floor. The blade clattered down.

She frowned. It hurt more than expected.

“Ugh… that really hurts.”

She wondered for a second, Did I go too far? But it was too late now.

Blood poured from her left forearm.

Everyone was frozen in shock.

Maria ran toward her in a panic.

“Oh no, Rita! Are you okay?!”

“Ugh. Yeah… it hurts a lot.”

Maria pulled out bandages, but Violetta stopped her.

She had something to show.

She walked forward and held her bleeding arm high.

She made sure everyone could clearly see the open wound.

She wanted it to be burned into their eyes.

“Look closely. You’ll see for yourself whether this is a poison—or a cure.”