Chapter 57: A Heavenly Gift
"Humm, it's quite the fat one."
Saying that everyone who had eyesight could see at who Vlad was referring, being a type of worm, akin to a leech that had a bloody color, even containing dripping blood as it dripped on the floor.
*SHRIEK*
The worm opened its mouth while giving off a sharp sound which irked Vlad's sensible hearing, and Olor who opened his eyes after all the suffering saw Vlad hold in his dark tweezers the bloody parasite, later on picking up a glass jar not far from him, dropping the worm with a lot of disgust.
"Boya, it seems I overestimated the abilities of those worms, the incision your brother suffered isn't so big that requires me to close his wound. Now since I don't want to dirty myself, you make the ointment to help your brother close that wound.
"Place in a mortal and start crushing the garlic cloves, later on place the honey inside the mortar and begin to slowly mix it, until it gets homogeneous. Then, you add some of the ash from the charcoal in the mix, and with that ointment, you spread around the burned zone and also on the opened wound."
"Master Doctor, will my brother be alright?"
"Unlike the bite of a Kestia vermin, whose effects of the bite are far more aggressive to the human body, fooling it in such a way that we simply self-destruct by trying to remove the viruses in our body."
"Hmph, a bunch of peasants calling the symptoms of the Maggris Worm all sort of nonsense. If I was home I would have impaled that charlatan who come up with such foolish lies based on nothing but ignorance."
"... The Spirit of the Mountain." murmured Olor the one suffering from being bitten by the Maggris Worm who made his way inside his body just like leeches, but unlike the leeches those type of parasites were aggressive and bloodthirsty, entering inside their host once awakened.
After entering the host, they would close off the wound using a special type of saliva which would fool the immune system of the body into rushing into an instant recovery for the body. Once in their host, the worm would begin making his way toward the heart, which usually takes about one month.
"Doctor!! Ohh Great Doctor, how can I pay you back for curing my brother?" called out Ademar, who noticed the instant changes in his brother's complexion, recovering some of his colors in the cheeks, a sign that his immune system returned to normal parameters, and the bloodstream was also cleared of any invisible beings trying to self-destruct the body.
"Nothing. Just take me to the other 2 guys afflicted by the same sickness. I am only interested in those worms."
Nodding, the man completed Vlad's ointment following his instructions like the Bible, not doubting any of his words after seeing how he cured his brother by using logical methods, that didn't summon any "Spirits" "Ancestors" or all sort of spiritual voodoo the counterpart of this island had.
Once off this apartment building, some of the neighbors where in the large hallway watching with worried expressions, as if a bad omen arrived not far from them, but seeing Ademar followed by Vlad and Eleine, toward another building close by, his next target was surrounded by the dear people and were doing a ceremony to ease his suffering.
"Aunty Sybille, sorry for the disturbing, but I brought with me a Great Doctor from far away, who is able to cure the sickness of Comar and Carlec.
The woman looked with a questioning look, but knowing the verdict given by the old doctor, Varil, hearing the news that Olor was cured by Vlad, it was as if the spirits of her ancestors listened and brought her the beacon of light.
In a similar style of procedure, the parents of the two youngsters afflicted by the bite of the Maggris Worm, had a hard time watching how the cruel and emotionless black-haired foreigner who had an air of superiority and arrogance, was boiling the legs of their sons alive.
"Aunty, Uncle, this is required. Only by boiling those damned bugs will they suffer the same as Comac and Carlec had for weeks."
"This monster? This monster is not healing my little babies. Just look at the devil's dark eyes as if he is the Reaper trying to take my little angels away from me." called the woman trying to force her way to stop Vlad from pouring boiled water on the two youngsters who were tied down by ropes.
"Alemar, I feel ashamed that you dropped so low to get hands in hands with the Devil! The ones Master Viril has mentioned about exiting outside of our island."
It was a constant flow of annoying remarks for Vlad, who reached a rather critical moment in the whole process, and having had enough of the woman, he turned his head at Eleine, telling her as if to warn the woman in her 50s.
"My patience starts running low, Eleine."
"Master, if you want, I can make her quiet right away."
"No need for violence. Let them watch and open their eyes about what actual medicine looks like. Besides, to be honest with you Eleine, Titania, if I was at my ship I could easily cut open those brat's legs and pick the worm-like maggot that they are but using my ointments for helping them to close their cuts, I'll rather not use them so wastefully on strangers.
In about 25 minutes, the worms could no longer resist in their burning homes and broke the windows to exit, while shrieking in an instinctual madness, feeling threatened, they only served to open the eyes of the 2 adults who never expected that an ugly, bloody worm would come out from the boiled and burned legs of their sons.
Collecting 2 more worms under his belt, he turned to Alemar, and told him casually what to do, making the blonde-haired guy who gained his soberness after witnessing Vlad's masterful work to act immediately.
"After you spread the ointment on those two guys, bring forth this news to the city of Everfall and why not the entire Sorbet Kingdom. I, Vlad Dracul, Grandmaster of the Picodras Island, have journeyed thousands of kilometers and arrived in your humble Kingdom that suffers from the affliction of some "Curses". Tell them, and spread the word, I will cure them.
Let them visit me, regardless of status in society, from the lowest of the bunch in the slums to the Royal Family."
Alemar never encountered in his life a man so big as Vlad, someone brimming with a spirit so strong that he still had a hard time attempting to gaze into his black eyes.
"I will Master Dracul! But … Where can we find you?"
"I will be inside the Ursus Hotel in the center square. Once enough people gather, I will also make my presence felt and start curing the sickness of those people.
Preparing himself to leave, the blonde man, bowed deeply his head at this eccentric and mysterious doctor from Picodras Island, who in his ears sounded just like a Legendary Place where great doctors resided with Vlad being their master.
Even the parents of the two suffering guys, bowed at him, especially the woman who apologized for her comments which were mostly said at the wrath of seeing her son's suffering.
"I hope you can forgive me, Master Dracul."
"No offense taken. Ignorance can also be a sickness. However, that is not the point of the discussion.
Take care of your kids and continue reminding them to not adventure around places they have no idea about."
Ended Vlad saying that with some sarcasm in his tone, sounding detached and indifferent to the emotions experienced by the mother.
Moving out from the apartment building by himself, he begins walking toward a random direction, while listening to Eleine complain about how he was treated by the mother.
"Master, why didn't you allow me to slap that ugly hag's face for spewing so much nonsense? Even when you were clearly acting for the betterment of those people, they only scoff at your gesture."
"Let them bark. It doesn't affect me regardless if someone hates me or loves me. I am just a doctor going about with his own curiosities."
"... What about the worms?"
"That's right, Vlad. Why don't you ask for money from those people, but do it for free? We don't have a lot of money remaining after spending around Bulge and Athkatla."
Titania and Eleine for once could share the same thought, pondering why this eccentric man wouldn't ask for money, but instead treated people for free.
"I have my reasons. You might look with disgusted eyes at those vermin, but there is something interesting about them, and I want to research it." added Vlad acting casual about everything that happened to himself.
"Then the money?"
"Remember my jar in the laboratory? That pig's head is worth a whole 10.000.000 𝔅. Plenty to keep me going for years to come if I spend them thoughtfully."
Moving toward the central part of Everfall, there was also another person with a brown coat, having its head covered by a hood, trying not to attract Vlad's attention whose Echolocation ability had already picked its presence.
Passing by the alley where Olor and the two twins apartments were situated, along the way ignoring the person watching him and listening to his conversation, he starts his return to the Harbor to grab the special jar worth 10.000.000 𝔅.
Yet, from the corner of the alley where the hooded person was eavesdropping and observing him, it also took off, taking other parts of the city, and it gave him a slight sensation he was followed.
'Being a foreigner would always make you stand out from the rest. I'll ignore it for now, since they haven't entered my personal space.'
Not minding being followed by the people of this City, from the other streets of Everfall City, the hooded person had around himself 6 little kids about 10-13 years old, and with a serious tone, mentioned to the gathered brats.
"It's all or nothing. You see that mister? He is a doctor from a faraway place with magical skills able to heal anyone. We need to catch him, and have him heal our brothers who fell because of the Spirit's Curse."
"Bonney-oneechan, what if the mister fights back?" asked one kid, who looked with some fear at the young girl with pink hair, still under her coat and hood.
"He will not fight back, how could a doctor know how to fight? They are all bookworms and nerds, who only focus on reading. Trust me, I know because I've been around many of them. All of them are weaklings."
"Bonney-onnechan, can't we just go ask him nicely? Doctors are kind people who help sick people."
"I doubt a foreigner would bother with us. In fact, I heard a lot about foreigners, all of them are greedy people like merchants, and only offer their service for money. I don't have enough to ask that doctor to heal our foolish brothers."
The young girl, seeing how Vlad and Eleine were distancing from her, looked seriously at the brats, and asked them again.
"Will you guys do it or not?"
"We'll do it."
.
Vlad didn't know that someone planned something behind his back, but a strange feeling he still received especially after failing to pick up with his Echolocation the person following him, and out of nowhere, from an alley intersecting with the boulevard that he was walking toward the Harbor, the crying of some children running toward him appear.
"Mister! Mister! Can you help us with something!?"
He wasn't able to see, but hearing their voices it sounded genuine, allowing them to approach him closer as he didn't discern them to be a threat to him, Titania looked with a gentle expression on her face ready to help those kids with everything she could do, while Eleine stopped to observe each of the kids.
As the kids approached, there was a specific little girl about 10 years old, with long pink hair and purple eyes, wearing some rags for clothes, probably not even keeping her warm properly in the winter, and pondering about this, she saw some of the kids touch Vlad's leg, nothing happening, only them crying.
It was then that something shocking happened after the pink-haired girl placed her hand on Vlad's leg just like the other kids, an act that didn't give off any cautionary sensation.
Nevertheless, when Vlad perceived that something wrong happened, he frowned and kicked the kids away from him, along with the pink-haired little girl, creating space between himself and them, and as he did that shift, he was slowly shrinking, decreasing in his towering size.
"Master!! Those brats did something to you." called out Eleine who took out a dagger from her hidden pocket strapped on her right tight.
"Arghh. What is this weird, nauseated feeling I have?" called out Vlad, who dropped on one of his knees, holding his head and breathing hectically.
'What is going on with my body? This strange sensation?'
On the other hand, the pink-haired little girl touched herself and began growing to a bigger size, reaching 1,62 meters tall and having the appearance of an adolescent girl, stroking a little bit the right side of her body that got kicked by Vlad, who only mustered a fraction of his strength.
'What's going on? It takes so long for him to shift into a child's form. This mister is strong enough to resist. But my powers are inevitable.' thought the young girl, with some arrogance in herself, feeling proud her plans worked.
"Brat, what have you done to my master?" shouted Eleine who looked murderously at Bonney, who smirked at her.
"I did nothing to him. Just a small prank. However, Doctor-san, I will take you hostage until you heal my friends."
As Eleine was staring at Bonney not losing sight of her, beside her, the once tall man towering over her, brimming with an intense aura, turned out to be a boy who was only 9-10 years old.
"NOO WAY!"
Titania who was standing on Eleine shoulder couldn't resist calling out her shock.
Vlad, who became a little boy, had his eyes closed the entire time because of the pain of the changes happening to him, and once his short suffering ended, there was a whole new sensation, he could feel and also see in his closed eyes some strange white light.
'What is that white light? The girls look to have seen something disturbing…'
Then, he opened his eyes, being forced by the curiosity generated by the white light in his Abyssal Inner World which acted akin to a light at the end of an endless dark cave.
What showed before his eyes after opening his black eyes, was a new world full of snow, with various buildings surrounding him covered in snow looking big in front of his eyes, as if he was just a tiny person.
Extending his arms, he first noticed his small palms, and frail arms as if becoming malnourished again just like in the past distanced almost one decade ago.
"Impossible ... Titania, come to my face." said Vlad with his tone trembling a little bit, still having a hard time believing what happened to him.
"Vlad, what happened? Don't worry, we will help you get your body back." responded Titania, who took off from Eleine's shoulder to reach the face of the young, malnourished boy, only to see him have a small tear in his beautiful black eyes which showed to have a change in them.
There was a flicker of life in them, and before she knew it, the small hand of the malnourished boy touched her face.
"... C-Could it be?"
"Indeed, my Fairy. This is our first time when we meet in color instead of darkness." remarked Vlad with his usually detached and indifferent tone, containing some emotion.
"Master? Are you alright?" asked Eleine, not understanding what happened to Vlad who became a malnourished child, but when he turned his head at her, she felt a strange sensation, a slight pure warmth.
"So this is how you look in reality, little Eleine. Indeed, beautiful, as I felt your body. However, we still have to work on you and mold you to my liking."
Nonetheless, she could notice that regardless if Vlad was a child or an adult, the arrogance and that authoritative tone, which now sounded cute, remained in him, deeply imprinted into his frail bones.
"Now, now, Doctor-san, I don't know why you are overreacting. But, if you do as I tell you, I will turn you back." said Bonney who felt ignored by the group of three, even though her plan worked just like she envisioned.
Yet, his response was the one that stunned her, making her stare with big eyes at the young boy who was helped by the young woman lowering down to remove the large crimson coat, making it hard for Vlad to move.
"You wish, little girl, you wish. I don't know who you are, or what you want, but today you've offered me the biggest gift since getting engulfed in darkness, and there are only 3 gifts that I can count in almost 20 years of my existence in this world.
'So, master is 20 years old… He is two years older than me.' thought Eleine, helping Vlad, to use his long buttoned shirt like an entire robe, and even after that, it was oversized, not to talk about the boots.
"You don't want to become an adult?" asked Bonney, dumbfounded by the rejection she received, making her plans to start foiling in her head.
"For now, no. What fool would want to have his blessing taken away in some moments? Little girl, do you know what it's like to live a decade in darkness? To lose hope that you'll forever be left with the monsters of your mind."
"..."
"You don't. So you can't imagine the joy I have right now in my chest. Here, I'll even apologize for kicking you brats, but I only used 1% of my strength."
"Doctor? Are you right in the head?"
"Ohh, I am just fine, I am too fine. Maybe, I'm a little bit hungry, which has to be resolved…
*Clap* NOW. Eleine, you take my clothes from the ground and come to the ship."
"Yes, young master."
"..."
Vlad remained quiet, stopping for a moment from his walk to the harbor when he was called Bocchan, but resumed on his way to the Caravel, calling out Bonney in a pleased tone.
"Little girl, bring your friends and follow me to my ship. We'll talk there about what you want from me, and other subjects of interest to me. Chop-Chop."
"Titania, come, I want to look at you closer to remember you in full color in case my eyes close again."
"Yes!! Do you want to play something? Maybe a bit of chess?"
"Sure, anything you wish."
Bonney saw Vlad starting a conversation with some large butterfly flying next to him, while the black-haired woman wearing the green coat looked at her with mixed feelings.
"Little girl, I will not follow this incident because my Master is in a surprisingly great mood. It must be because of your powers, but let's return to the ship since the master doesn't like to waste his time."
Bonney looked at the brats, four boys and one girl, who recovered from the initial kick they received from Vlad, and receiving their approval, she started following Eleine who kept a safe distance between to be able to react properly in case Bonney had other plans.
"Woow, I heard that some foreigners come to our town, but this ship is so large, nothing compared to what Uncle Kylian boasts about, right Bonney-onnechan?" mentioned the little girl from the group of brats, who was a girl only 12 years old.
The boys too were impressed by the Caravel, stepping timidly following Bonney who didn't have any fears about entering foreigner territory, being guided by Eleine to reach the Captain's Cabin, where the malnourished boy was ripping some white cloth fabrics, to create underclothing to keep him comfortable.
Then, he finished out from his large garderobe a thick shirt which he downed akin to a robe, placing in his feet 2 pairs of thick socks, to act like shoes while around the ship.
Later on he moved toward a tall mirror in the Captain's Cabin, and looked at himself, before laughing amused.
"Hahaha, I really look like some abandoned, lost puppy, struggling to survive. A peasant! Titania, let's go to the bathroom." said Vlad who saw his reflection in the mirror for the first time since awakening in this second life, noticing how his hair was disfigured by how it was cut in a humiliating fashion by the pirates who captured the boy who was once called Charles.
"Ufufufu, my pleasure, little Vlad. This is the first time I cut your hair, so it's a special day."
"Indeed, this is a special day." commented Vlad with a smile on his face, passing by Bonney who entered the room.
"You and your little friends make yourself comfortable. Eleine, can you go to the kitchen and heat up the food I cooked yesterday."
The woman could only smile back, nodding her head, listening to the pink-haired girl who commented after Vlad walked out of the room.
"The doctor, was he blinded when he was a little kid?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because … of my powers."
"I don't know the whole history of Master Dracul and what happened in his childhood, but he might tell you because you give him back something that he desired the most and a reason for his journey around the world."
