Breeze's Warmth, Chilled Forest

(I can't shake this feeling someone's been tailing me the whole time.)

(Heheh, don't look away now!)

(Hmm...)

Ah! These are the footprints of—!

An omnivorous beast! The teeth are in fairly shabby shape. But its claws are sharp; chances are, it tears its prey to slivers before it eats.

It shouldn't ordinarily attack people, but supposing food runs low in winter... they might just start picking off human stragglers...

Aaaah!

Ah, wh-whah, wha-wha-aaaaaah—!

Grace—!!!

Buh, bah, whaaaah, don't leave me all alone!!!

So it was you, Rita. Get over here, quickly.

Grace, Grace!! There was rustling in those bushes over there!! It's a beast! Is this where we're going to die?

Hahaha! Don't lose your head, I made all that up on the spot.

I was just curious who was creeping around behind me, and here you are.

Mmph!

Come on, Grace, don't scare me like that!

Well, I might've made up the beasts, but people who secretly follow you are plenty dangerous too.

Now, confess. Why are you tracking me?

......

I—I was hungry.

You were hungry, so you followed me looking for food? I don't know, you seem pretty chipper to me, don't you?

Mama and Papa don't have anything to eat. They gave their last bit of food to me...

......

How about the harvest group's food?

Mama got ill forever ago. After Papa got hurt hunting, the harvest group all said our family doesn't work for anything, and they don't want to give us food...

And they said, it's winter now, and they can barely find any food like this. There's not enough stores in camp, and unless it gets warmer, we'll be more and more short on food.

(That's true enough. The situation's continued to deteriorate.)

(If help still doesn't show up, then when the time comes...)

And... even if I went with them, I don't have any contribution to make to the hunt. They just won't share anything with me. So the last few days, I haven't gone with them...

Is that how they're going to be now?!

*whimper*... Both Mama and Papa are sleeping on sickbeds, and it's cold, and I can't eat enough to not be hungry. I don't feel good.

Grace, can you help tell me which things are edible? I want to pick some stuff before I go back...

Even just some weeds would be okay. It doesn't matter how bad it tastes, either. As long as I can feel fuller, it's fine!

......

No problem, leave it to me! But just eating weeds you find on the wayside won't do it. If you really want to be full, you'll want beast meat too.

The food you ultimately get from scrabbling around here won't be enough in the long-term, versus the effort you spend.

But I—I can't catch beasts.

Mmm... leave that for today, then. Emergencies first. Tomorrow, I'll take you up north, and we'll see if we can't catch a few little beasties for ourselves!

Really? Thank you, Grace!

This is great! Mama and Papa can eat properly too!

Save your thanks just for now. In exchange, listen to what I say today, and don't go scarpering off, got it?

Got it!

Oh, careful where you're stepping! Don't you trip over.

Hehe...

Are we looking for herbs we can eat now? Mama and Papa are waiting for me to bring back food!

Ah, this one looks like a herb! Grace, is this one edible?

Hm... it might look very much like you could eat it, but it's actually poisonous.

Um, then what about this one here?

Not that one either. It's too tough to chew, and you'll make your mouth bleed.

Then this one! It's a fruit! It's fresh, too. Is this one okay?

This is a cysteye. A berry that looks just like a cystybeast's eye, right?

But it's not edible. It looks plenty delicious, and it's sweet if you try it too. But, afterwards, it'll give you tremendous tummy problems, and the more you eat, the worse it'll get.

Some Victorian nobles use them as weight-loss drugs, run themselves dry eating them, then their lowered immunity leads to all sorts of illness... no matter if it fills you, it's awful for the human body.

Giving other species the runs to spread its own seeds. Evolution truly goes in funny ways, sometimes.

*whimper*—What do we do then?! We can't find anything to eat at all.

Don't lose heart. The fruit might not be edible, but you can eat its leaves. They're a little bitter, but won't do any damage to the body. Boiling them will help take some of the edge off.

Then I'll pick just a few leaves to try.

Heheh, I'll say your luck's not too bad! Look at what I'm holding—you can go find a few of these too.

Are those pebbles?

Look on top of them. These are wild mossoats—these spores here look just like oats, that's why. You can eat these.

The books said some of Ursus's farming peasantry in the Northern Tundra grow these, but I never imagined we'd find some here too.

That's superb! I'll go pick some too!

The more, the better. Pull off the husks, wash them, and you can boil them for a thin porridge.

But if we pick them all now, won't there be no more left later?

The mossoat harvest cycle goes by in a flash. After the harvest period, its sugar content gets absorbed, the spores on top are formed, the 'oat' part of it withers some, and it turns bitter and inedible.

Then are these ones right now good mossoats?

They are! You've got sound luck, Rita! But these are wild ones after all—they won't be plenty. You'll want to pick all of these to have enough for a full pot.

I'll go for it, then!

Incredible stuff, Rita. I'll help you out too.

Thank you, Grace! Hehe, I'm gonna pick loads, and then I'll hide them all, and only give them to Mama and Papa!

Once I pick all the mossoats, I'll come pick the medicine herbs with you, Grace!

Perfect. You look around this flat area, then, and don't go too far. I'll see what's westwards. If anything happens, just shout for me!

Mm-hm! I got it, Grace!

(It's raining...)

(Brrr. The stones are starting to get slippery, too.)

(About time I go back and check on Rita.)

Ritaaaaa—!!

Iiii'm—oooo—veeer—heeeere—

(Why is she so far away?)

Rita?? Where are you??

Iiii'm—dooown—heeeere—

Huh?!

Iiiii—wasn't—caaareful—and—Iiiii—sliiipped—dooown—heeeree—

!!

Are you hurt?!

Don't move about! I'll be down in a flash!

Graaace—beeee—caaaare—

Aaaaagh—!

Ah! I wanted to tell you it was really slippery over there, so careful not to step on the stones and fall down here too.

What does this pit think it is, a slide?!

Hahaha, there's grass growing from your head now!

Oh? How about you join in with me? Hupsie-daisy!

Aha! A moustache!

Achoo! Ah—ah—achoo! *whimper*... You got all the leafy stuff stuck in my nose, Grace. It's itchy.

Pff! Watch your snot—you've got snot coming out!

Nnn...

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!

Alright, I'm done picking on you. Anyhow, what have you been doing down here?

I couldn't find more mossoats up above, so I went to see if there were any underground, so I could pick even more.

And then I wasn't careful and I fell!

Are you hurt?

I landed on my butt a little hard, but everything else is okay.

Phew. Thank goodness for that.

Weren't you supposed to be listening to me? I never told you to come anywhere like this, did I?

But I only have enough for one pot, and it's not that much. Besides, if we went harvesting tomorrow and it was too late, wouldn't they all be wasted?

You still have to mind your own safety, though.

Mm-hm... I left my basket up above, so it's alright!

I saw it just now. Which is why I left my basket there too.

Next to mine?

Yep, all snuggly.

Hehehe, that's really nice.

It's raining now. Here, put this on you. Don't catch a cold now.

This leaf is huge!

I picked it just before. Wear it on your head, put your horns through these two holes, and that'll block the rain.

My ears are chilly. I feel a little bad.

Don't you take it off. The rain'll love to give you a cold if it soaks you. If you get ill too, who's going to care for your mum and dad?

That's right, I'm our provider now! I have to make sure Mama and Papa are well-fed!

Hmm?

Grace, aren't you gonna put on a leaf?

You wear yours for now.

I've actually barely ever gotten rain-soaked. Feels a little unlike anything else.

How come—how come you never got wet in the rain before?

Maybe Victoria doesn't get that much rain, actually?

Rain's a very common sight in Victoria, to be clear, but it's true—I've never been able to shower in it.

Especially like now. Nothing between me and the final rains of autumn, pattering on my head...

Then I'm even stronger than you are! When it's raining, I fetch laundry outside all the time, and do farm work.

Rain is pretty much like when the village headman got mad at me. He went, Rita, pbphth, whatbth is phthe meaning of thisph thbphruckus—!

Hahahaha! Oh, that headman. Just like a spit sprinkler when worked up.

But he can't sprinkle anymore now...

He'd just gotten too old. Too tired, too.

I saw it. That day I secretly followed you, and saw you carrying him out on your back, and you were really struggling to take him so far away, and then soon after you put him down, he just...

Just floated away like ash, like when we burn wood...

Will my Mama and Papa become like that too?

......

It's been two weeks already since the distress team left. Given they're following my map, they should've found a nearby town by now.

Besides, I've picked so much medicine today, and you've picked plenty of food too. Your mum and dad will be just fine!

Right! I've worked really hard! Mama and Papa are gonna be better for sure!

By the way, Grace, why don't you let anyone else help you pick medicine?

Mm... you know, everyone's in the same boat as your family. They can't eat their fill now, so securing food is more or less top priority for them all.

That's why nobody has a hand to lend, see.

The rain's getting stronger, it looks like. Your mum and dad will be worried about you. Head on back first, okay? I can find the rest of the herbs we need by myself.

Mm-hm! I need to bring back everything I picked. I bet Mama and Papa are just as hungry.

Can you still tell the way back?

Of course I can!

Then I'll lift you up out of here. Careful, now.

Hnph!

I'm out!

Grace, grab my hand now, I'll pull you up!

Hahaha, I'm miles heavier than you are! I can climb out by myself! Don't worry about me, hurry back and check in on your mum and dad!

Alright~

Don't run too fast! Watch your step!

Alriiight—

Hm... and now we worry about what I'm doing.

I just saw the herbs I needed on the cliff over there.

The rain's not going to make this tunnel hard for me, but am I still going to make it up that cliff?

Yowch, I must've gashed that ankle when I fell down. The wound's fairly big. Need something to stop the bleeding first.

But I'm not going to win at any gymnastics once I'm bound up. That makes the cliff even harder.

*hiss*! God, my ankle hurts... I'm feeling a little dizzy too. Have I gotten fatigued lately?

Rita's mum's in terrible shape. Her dad's suffered external wounds, and I gave first-aid treatment, but it's still at risk of infection.

The nobles couldn't have possibly missed refugees entering their estate, so why are they so unconcerned... not even just to deport them... why haven't they shown up?

The refugees long since ran out of pharmaceuticals, and now all they have is plant remedies for simple treatment. I need to pick more. I need to be able to help more!

I hope to heaven we can last until the distress team comes back with someone. I hope to heaven...

Ah, I can't get bogged down in this. If I let the rain get any worse, that cliff'll only be harder! I need to hurry and pick what I need! I'll bandage myself after I'm back down!

Fever medicine for the Hanses. This much should do the trick...

Toothache painkillers for Peter, but the pain is all it kills... these few herbals might not be quite enough.

Bug repellant... ugh, why am I missing something! Hunger must've shook it out of my mind. I'll go back outside to search later... it's already dark now, and the rain's not dying down...

Huh? Why's someone at the entrance to my room?

Miss Arizona!

Miss Arizona!!!!

I'm coming! I'm right here!

Miss Arizona, where on Terra were you?! Some—Someone's gotten extremely sick, out of nowhere!

What?!

(It can't be another case like the village headman, can it?)

Where? Show me to them!

Here. Right in here.

This room is...?

Rita's family's?!

......

Rita? Are you doing alright?

......

No reaction... palms severely scalded, contusions on arms, swelling on the back of the head. Nnn... and a slight fever. She was so well before, too.

When did you find her like this?

Just now, about twenty minutes ago.

What did you come to Rita's for?

Uh...

Her parents are in the treatment area. It was her all alone here, making dinner for her mother and father. What were you doing here?

I... I... She didn't come picking with us today, that's why! So I just came to see if something was wrong!

Liar! She said the harvest group wouldn't share anything with her! She hasn't gone with them for several days now!

If you truly cared about that, you would've come much earlier, not just now!

Where's the food she picked today? Why isn't it in this room? Did you break in here and steal her food?

......

I'm just trying to help my family survive too! There's not much food anywhere left at all!

I didn't know... she'd resist so hard... I didn't know... and now she's in this state...

Victoria's nobles will not overlook us. The distress team we sent should have found a city by now!

And even if that's true, my children won't be able to last until then.

That doesn't call for robbing a young girl of her food! She collected it by her own efforts.

This scalding on her palms was because out of fear of you stealing it, she directly tried to carry the boiling pot away, right?

The contusions on her arms were from you grabbing her, right?

The back of her head was you pushing her and knocking her against something, RIGHT?

I didn't... mean to hurt her like this...

Her mother and father are done for! Even if she survives, so what? Before long, she'll just be a... an orphan! Even if everything gets better, she can't live on alone!

My children and I are still healthy! Surely our whole family surviving carries more weight than her.

Is that it? You'll weigh their lives...?

Then how about me? My life? How much weight do you see in me?

I've had a little hunch you've all been gawping at me and my Eulogy, whispering about who in the world I could be.

So be so kind as to tell me, how much weight do you see in this single life of mine?

M—Madam! You've treated us, saved us, some of us have guessed you might be a Victorian noble... out of all of us here, you're the most honorable...

Then shouldn't you be giving your food to me, making my survival easier?

Because I—for one—haven't eaten well in a very long time!

...That's...

But you wouldn't be willing to give food to me, would you?

You don't follow any logic, or reason, or any just course of action. All you are is selfish.

I—despise—the selfish, and I'd let alone even the thought of aiding a robber.

In light of you at the VERY least informing me about this, I'll give you one more chance—

Return the food, with not one bit missing! If you've eaten it, make up for it! Or else I guarantee, the distress group's caravan will have no place for you in it.

Yes... I understand, madam.

......

*sigh*. So I have it in my nature to tell petrifying lies like that too. Whatever, as long as it had a use.

Rita...

Malnutrition, fever, physical trauma, inflammation.

I'll give this fever medication to Rita for now, seeing as it's prepared. If I don't have enough, I can pick some more in a bit to give to the patients in the treatment area.

*whimper*... don't steal my Mama and Papa's porridge...!

Rita! It's me, Grace. I'm just borrowing your pot for the moment, decocting some herbs for you. No need to be scared.

Take this drink in a moment, and you'll feel a little better.

My Mama and Papa's... food... got... stolen...

It's okay, your food will come back. Just trust in me for now, and get some rest.

Mnn...

Here, I've already blown it cool it for you, Rita. Open your mouth a bit.

...Ah...

That's great, Rita! There's a little spilling from your mouth. Let me wipe that for you.

It'll be effective soon. Just sleep here for a bit. I'll go fetch some other medicines for you!

......

......

Zzz... zzz...

Already asleep? That's some effective medicine. Just wait for me, now, I'll be right back.

It's pouring buckets now... so dark...

I need to move quick! If I'm any later, I won't be able to see it!

My foot... ow...

I remember the herbs I was looking for were right near here... leaves like arrowheads, fine sawteeth on top. Ah! Is this it?

There! All clean. Now to grind into a powder!

Hmm...

Why do I start swooning the moment I apply any force...

Come on, please, just hold on a little more!

Okay, and these herbals in matching proportion.

Ah, there's not enough firewood!

Temperature... I need to collect more firewood.

Ohh...

Rita. Rita. Don't be scared. I'll feed you some medicine now. It might be a tiny bit... hot.

Oh, I think I forgot to pick out the seeds... it might be very bitter, too.

I've already applied topical medication to you. This is for reducing your fever. Here, drink, and you'll be much better soon.

I won't let anything happen to you...

(Strained gulp)

Heehee, good girl, Rita!

So dizzy... I can't keep... should—I rest for a moment...?

Rita...

Rita... Rita... you have to...

She was like this when we found her, mumbling the name over and over.

She's covered in mud, her ankle is injured, and she has minor Oripathy infection symptoms. Was she only recently infected?

Oripathy infection is only one part of it. The major contributing factors to her fainting were starvation and extreme exhaustion.

Reports say she's been passed out for several days now. Some refugees say this young woman was protecting them. Without her efforts, hardly this many would have survived.

The refugees regained capacity for labor after recovering, and were able to request treatment and a place to stay from Mr. Gurk of Leithanien. He required people to staff and safeguard that bizarre castle of his.

These people's home was struck by severe Catastrophe. Going back seems unlikely at present, so most refugees have accepted this proposal. They're prepared to undergo treatment at Mr. Gurk's, and to wait for now to see if they should return home.

Only the reasonable grounds of allowing these refugees to return to their home country could convince any related nobles not to interfere.

About the young girl named Rita. Her mother has already passed on. Fortunately, her handicapped father is still able to work.

A Catastrophe Messenger in the vicinity mentioned Earthspirit on the Rhodes Island landship is an old acquaintance of Gurk's. I'll write her a letter asking for a favor, to see if this father and daughter can be admitted onto his estate.

The young Vulpo lady was unorthodox enough to leave deep impressions on people, but plucking herbal medicine and understanding some clinical theory was all she had. No way of suppressing her own Oripathy.

She's too simple about the task of aiding refugees. It would've cost her her life sooner or later if she was too reductive about it.

In a moment, I want you to make contact with a nearby Messenger. There's two letters I want to send. One to Rhodes Island, and another to a place in Toron.

......

I'm compelled to remind you, Victoria has nobles who want those refugees dead here to serve their vie over territory. So as to keep our motive secure, we cannot at this moment openly represent Rhodes Island.

Not to mention you slipped out of a Victorian medical seminar to come here. Your actions must be kept subdued. It'll be best you don't give even more issues the chance to form.

Oh, I was in an academic seminar, huh. See, these past few days, I was under the impression I'd be participating in some wannabe Durins' wine-tasting.

Heh. To some nobles, philanthropy is a trend, and a trend is as far as it goes. They weighed the pros and cons, and did something anyone could've seen coming from a mile off.

She's too weak. If we don't immediately treat her, further illness will seize hold of her, and we'll see her Oripathy infection accelerate.

Let her pass off as my assistant and get the best treatment Victoria has to offer.

Yeah, no kidding, we're gonna keep our true identities a secret from her. You happy with that?

Assistant? Why do I suspect you're thinking of having her by your side?

I'm no nanny. You ever seen me drop in from the Victorian skies on an umbrella?

Once she recovers, I'll contact a specialist place and get her on a course for medical Arts, and I've got other fish to fry in the meanwhile.

If she wants to keep up her innocent little savior business, I'm not gonna write in to complain.

But as a doctor with Oripathy, she's got no choice. She can't keep playing the wild maverick forever. Bottom line, she needs to learn how to protect herself. How her own future spirals out is her business.

Suit yourself. *sigh*. I suppose once Scout's done with his mission, I'll be transferring to his squad anyway. Having a Victorian local by your side to keep an eye on you works out.

I weep for that Vulpo...

She's sure as hell a lot more confident than you when she treats people.

Hm. And her prescriptions when treating non-Oripathy patients are particularly effective.

......

I think I see what it is.

Kindness, strength, honesty, a tender age yet already at such standards.

You want to defend a possibility.

Yes, I'd... very much like to see how she does too. It's a shame I'll probably be on my way back to Rhodes Island before she wakes up.

Brave young Vulpo, do get better soon.

There's still so many people waiting for you—I'll be waiting too, to see how you grow, what you become.

But I suppose you probably can't hear me right now... hahah...

I want to witness your future too, young Vulpo.

If we've been brought together, if we'll ever meet again in future, maybe at Rhodes Island, maybe in some other place somewhere...