The man crossed his arms and smiled bitterly.
“Although there’s no sign of my memory recovering.”
He had no difficulty conversing, thinking, or acting.
Yet how could he not remember even a single name?
Among everything else, being unable to remember names was shocking.
‘I must have been a big, clumsy oaf with nothing but brawn.’
The man was convinced his past self was a dim-witted fellow. That’s why he nearly died from his injuries and lost his memories.
The more he thought about it, the more unpleasant he felt. He uncrossed his arms and stood up.
To clear his mind, he looked around the house.
“Overall, it’s small.”
It was the same impression he had when he first entered the log cabin last night. With unorganized piles of herbs scattered everywhere, it was hard to tell if it was a storage room or a home.
That explained why Sharti’s body carried the scent of various herbs.
“Hmm?”
As he examined the house structure, the man tilted his head. His gaze stopped at the small kitchen.
A subtle, unclear difference caught his eye.
“Something… is missing.”
The man stroked his chin but didn’t dwell on it.
“She’s late.”
It was nearly noon already.
Time passed slowly, and the wait felt long, no different here than in the cave.
“She must be hungry.”
The man hadn’t eaten anything since morning either, but he was only concerned about Sharti’s empty stomach.
Remembering Sharti’s persistent stomach growls and how she happily savored just two pieces of bread, a smile crossed the man’s otherwise emotionless face.
“I can’t go out either.”
He wanted to find some berries to give to Sharti. He wanted to do at least that much.
Rather than waiting for her helplessly and endlessly like this.
After wandering around the house, the man returned to the bedroom.
“She’ll come. Surely.”
Holding the note Sharti had left, the man held his breath.
While waiting for her return, he was gradually consumed by loneliness.
Meanwhile, the shadow that had been watching the old log cabin suddenly disappeared.
“Tsk tsk…The child has picked up something strange.”
****
It was well past lunchtime when the soldiers regained consciousness after the emergency treatment.
Grumble…
‘…Ah!’
As expected, Sharti’s empty stomach growled loudly.
Red-faced, Sharti quickly turned away.
As she headed toward a corner to avoid the soldiers’ eyes, she stopped, clutching her stomach.
‘Is there anything to eat at home?’
Of course not. Which meant the man alone at home must be hungry too.
Realizing her mistake too late, Sharti grabbed her head.
Given that soldiers had come to the house, the man’s personality meant he wouldn’t have gone outside.
‘How could I leave someone who needs proper meals to go hungry?’
Quite some time had passed since she came down to the village.
Thinking of the man hiding and starving made her feel uneasy.
‘He must be anxious as well.’
She understood that anxiety from experience.
But there was nothing Sharti could do right now.
‘Even though the dangerous situation has passed, I can’t leave my post.’
If the injured soldiers’ conditions worsened while she was away, the goodwill they were showing could instantly turn to resentment and anger.
After much deliberation, Sharti went downstairs with a determined look.
“Huh? Sha, what’s wrong? Do you need something else?”
Patricia, who was preparing food for the patients, noticed Sharti and approached.
Face-to-face with Patricia, Sharti became nervous.
<I have something to ask.>
“What is it? Tell me.”
<About today’s treatment fee.>
Patricia looked surprised.
It was the first time Sharti had brought up treatment fees first.
<Instead of money, could I receive food ingredients?>
“Food ingredients? That’s not difficult, but… Sha, you know, right? The treatment fee isn’t much.”
<I know.>
Sharti nodded calmly.
The treatment fee an unlicensed doctor could receive was less than half the cost of the herbs.
Moreover, since she treated soldiers who came for the village’s security, the fee would be set at practically volunteer service level.
“Well, I’ll try to…”
Grumble, rumble… At that moment, Sharti’s stomach growled again.
Having held it in for so long, it was a particularly persistent sound.
“……”
“……”
Patricia closed her mouth, and Sharti wrapped her arms around her belly.
Her face, hidden by her robe, turned bright red.
“Sha, have you not eaten anything since morning…?”
Patricia trailed off, then quietly closed her mouth.
She realized she was the one who had woken Sharti and brought her to the village.
“Alright. I’ll put in a good word. After all your hard work, you deserve some meat.”
Unable to look up, Sharti bowed in gratitude.
As Sharti’s stomach continued to growl, Patricia looked at her with pity and gave her a bowl of soup.
Embarrassed, Sharti took the soup and headed to a corner on the first floor.
‘Why does it keep growling?’
Trying to find the cause, Sharti recalled her exertion from the previous night and felt remorseful. But the same applied to the man who had run through the mountains with her.
The aromatic smell of the soup made her think of him even more.
‘…Delicious.’
After hesitating, she tasted the soup, and it was truly delicious. It had a completely different taste from the soup she made.
‘Would it taste like this if I added meat?’
While seriously eating the soup, she emptied the bowl in the blink of an eye.
Feeling like she had eaten too hastily, Sharti’s ears turned red.
Just then, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
‘Ah! I’ve been away from my post too long.’
Thinking someone might be looking for her, Sharti straightened her clothes.
“Still haven’t found him?”
“Even after forming a separate search team, if we haven’t found him, he must be hiding somewhere.”
“That bastard knows it too! That he’ll be thrown straight into jail if caught!”
Caught in the tense atmosphere, Sharti missed her chance to leave and held her breath.
The soldiers continued talking, not noticing Sharti sitting in the corner.
“What does Sir Tristan say?”
“After hearing reports that footprints were heading down the mountain, he seems to be considering the possibility that the person went down.”
“What? Then he might have returned before us?”
“Damn it! He’ll definitely try to cover up what he did!”
Intense reactions followed.
“We should return quickly too. Even the ones who just regained consciousness are clamoring to go.”
“Then we should pack up first. Let’s go back and catch that bastard.”
“Shh. Don’t get worked up and let things slip. Let’s get back to our positions.”
The soldiers went back upstairs, leaving an uneasy atmosphere.
“……”
After confirming the area was quiet, Sharti released the breath she’d been holding.
‘The soldiers will leave the village sooner than I thought.’
The injured soldiers seemed eager to leave the village as quickly as possible, even if they had to be carried on stretchers.
Of course, it wasn’t a rational decision made with clear minds under the influence of medicine. Despite the effectiveness of the medicine, traveling down the rugged mountain terrain would be physically demanding.
‘A few injured soldiers will stay, but it shouldn’t be a problem for us to move around the mountains soon.’
She couldn’t keep the man hidden in the log cabin forever.
Getting some fresh air would help clear his mind and alleviate the depression caused by his amnesia.
‘Since they say the person who attacked the soldiers seems to have gone down the mountain, we can feel at ease.’
Her face lit up with anticipation at the thought of sharing this positive news.
“Doctor!”
“…!”
Reflexively turning around, she saw Tein just entering the inn. Sharti rushed over and hugged him tightly.
Tein smiled broadly.
“Doctor is busy! I must help! I’ve gathered many herbs!”
<You went up to the mountain?>
Surprised, Sharti crouched to meet Tein’s eye level.
Tein cupped his hands around his mouth and whispered.
“Grandmother protected me! I’m safe!”
Sharti immediately looked around. Vireta was nowhere to be seen.
“Grandmother mustn’t meet the soldiers. I came alone!”
Sharti nodded at Tein’s explanation.
Like Sharti, Vireta needed to avoid the Empire’s attention as much as possible.
<I was actually looking for you. There are too many injured people. I’m so glad you came, Tein.>
Reading the note that she had been looking for him, Tein’s face filled with joy.
“I’ll learn a lot! I’ll work hard to help Doctor!”
Tein seemed particularly enthusiastic today.
Sharti was simply happy with the child’s reliability as she held his small hand.
“Oh, Sha. Did you bring Tein?”
Patricia and Tristan approached just then.
Sharti nodded emphatically. Tein seemed nervous, fidgeting with his lips.
It was understandable to be afraid of adults, especially soldiers looking down at him.
“I am Tein, 7 years old! I will help the doctor!”
But contrary to Sharti’s expectation, Tein introduced himself confidently.
His slightly flushed face appeared passionate.
‘What happened?’
Momentarily surprised by Tein’s change in assertiveness, Sharti soon felt proud and pleased.
“Tein. Sha, you need to be quiet and not disturb anyone. Understand?”
“Yes!”
“Good.”
Patricia, not expecting much, just patted Tein’s head.
On the other hand, Tristan carefully observed Tein, who was tightly holding Sharti’s hand.
“I suppose this is the child you mentioned.”
To Tristan, who was in his early thirties, Tein was far too young.
However, Tristan expressed welcome rather than doubt.
“I heard from the doctor. You’re going to be an excellent doctor in the future.”
“Yes! I will become a doctor! I read many books!”
“I see. I’m counting on you.”
“Yes!”
Tein smiled, showing his teeth.
Before moving, Tein took out a white cloth folded neatly in his pocket. After folding it into a triangle, he covered his nose and mouth and tied it behind his head.
“I must wash my hands!”
“Considering hygiene first—truly an excellent future sprout.”
Tristan quickly acknowledged him.
With Tein’s help, Sharti felt much less burdened as she returned to her post.
At first, the soldiers looked puzzled seeing Tein, but when the child assumed a serious expression and focused on treating them, they maintained boundaries.
‘As expected of Tein.’
Tein promptly brought herbs with just a glance from Sharti. He also skillfully answered questions about medicinal properties and addressed the injured soldiers’ inquiries.
He was incredibly reliable.
<Tein, if you’re tired, you can rest over there for a bit. Okay?>
Wiping his sweat, she showed him the note, and Tein responded with a bright eye-smile.
“I’m fine!”
Tein glanced around discreetly.
“The soldier uncles are praising me. It feels good!”
Sharti smiled at the joy conveyed in his whisper.
It was both heartbreaking and adorable to see the child trying not to show too much excitement despite receiving praise, attempting to appear as mature as possible.
“Doctor.”
<What is it?>
Suddenly, Tein showed his pinky finger with bright, wide eyes.
“We must escape if there’s danger. We promised.”
“…?”
Sharti chuckled at Tein’s unexpected reminder.
‘He must be worried because I’m treating soldiers.’
Sharti linked her pinky with Tein’s and nodded.
Tein grinned in response.
“They are good and excellent patients. I will make sure they heal!”
Listening to Tein’s cryptic words, Sharti, without suspicion, tried to emulate his proactive attitude.
The treatment, which had seemed overwhelming, ended after the sky had turned red with sunset.
Tein, who had been busy moving around, had already fallen asleep.
“Thank you for your hard work today.”
As Sharti was about to pick up the dozing Tein, Tristan approached and handed her a box.
Seeing the contents, Sharti bit her lip.
Inside the not-so-large box was a piece of meat the size of a forearm.
‘It’s huge!’
After reflexively celebrating internally at the sight of the meat, Sharti belatedly glanced at Tristan.
“Please accept it.”
Because her robe had already rustled in excitement, everyone around, including Tristan, wore warm expressions. Patricia, in particular, was even winking at Sharti.
Sharti shook her head in embarrassment.
<I didn’t mean to receive payment right away.>
Her mention of treatment fees might have seemed like she was rushing them.
“This isn’t for the treatment.”
“Yes! This is our appreciation, Doctor.”
“Please accept it comfortably.”
Sharti was perplexed.
‘Not for treatment? Appreciation? What does that mean?’
It didn’t make sense to receive expensive meat if not for treatment fees. Then she gently rubbed her stomach.
‘Could it be…?’
