"I'm done changing. Let's head towards town and see the situation." Adrian is now wearing a new set of noble clothes.
Ralph picked out a slick black theme set. He did not shy to splurge on the clothes with 2 gold coins.
As Adrian strides into town, the people stare at him with awe and admiration. They did not forget to compliment on the new clothes he wore with a nod. Adrian looks dashing as he always does.
The first place he visits is the town's hospital. The hospital is just a 1 storey building and it is not too big.
Upon entering the hospital, priest and patients are roaming in the halls going from room to room. The rescuers and the children totalling 23 people involved must on their beds, either sleeping or groaning in pain. Suddenly, a man in priest garbs arrive in front of the two and showing a polite smile.
"Hello young master, I'm Jonah, the local priest. I manage the hospital under the orders of the church. I heard you save the people from the lake imps. May the gods bless you, young lord." Jonah introduces himself and bowing in show of respect to a 10-year-old hero.
"Hello Jonah. No need for pleasantries. Tell me how is the condition of everyone." Adrian greeted the priest back and goes straight to the point.
"Ah… Right away. There are good news and bad news. The good news is that everyone is alive and breathing." Jonah replied with blank face but the tone carries a nervous expression.
"But… The first bad news is the one who are missing a limb need the help of an archbishop or higher from a treatment to regrow lost limbs. They needed to be done with in a week or the spell would not have an effect." Jonah reports in urgency.
"An archbishop? Aren't archbishops hard to meet and they only station in the Holy Kingdom of Dawn? How can we manage that? And… what do you mean 'first bad news'? Tell me." Adrian found it quite ridiculous after hearing from Jonah.
"It is true… Archbishops are difficult to meet. I only say it because… I just want to report my findings and opinions. As for what you asked… it is exactly what I mean. There is a more serious matter." Jonah begins to sound in urgency.
"The kids are not waking up… We tried healing them and bless them with Light but they still would not wake up. We are at a lost on what to do." Jonah rubs his temple to ease a little bit of stress.
"Huh? Bring me to see all the patients that are involve. Now." Adrian orders the stressed Jonah to see the patients.
"O… Okay." Jonah just agrees to what the boy says.
Jonah begins to bring Adrian to see the rescuers first. There are only 4 people that are awake. That is the ones from Kathleen's group minus Rupert who is out cold.
"Young master, you are here? You should get back and take a rest you have done so much already." A mercenary made a small bow while asking in a tone filled with gratitude.
"Don't worry about me. You are the ones should get some rest. I have something to do. Don't mind me." Adrian waves his hands in rejection while Ralph is staring at Kathleen menacingly.
"I apologize young master, for not upholding promise and doubting you. I'm sorry for everything." Kathleen bows in 90o angle to Adrian.
"Eh? Umm…" Adrian is confused on the sudden attitude from Kathleen.
"Don't worry about anything young master. You should just accept the apology. Don't worry for the details." Ralph smiles in satisfaction after seeing Kathleen's change of attitude.
"O… Okay. Kathleen, I will send you some instructions later. I hope we can work well together." Adrian just seals the deal of Cross Catch right there and extends a hand.
"Yes. It is a pleasure to be working with you." Kathleen shakes the hand. She was actually filled with gratitude for what Adrian had done. Adrian had saved her and her husband, so working with Adrian is an honor to her to help her saviour.
Amidst the peaceful moment a loud groan is heard, making Adrian to divert his attention towards the sound. He asked Jonah to take him to the noise.
Upon arriving to a room, he saw Molly holding a man's hand. The man is the one who let out the loud groan. Right next to the man there is her mother's Lily's bed. Lily's facial expression is not peaceful either.
"Molly? What is going on?" Adrian asked Molly to know of the situation.
"I don't know the priest said that it is just a normal reaction after going through a horrible experience. Dad is just run out of mana, that is all." Molly replies with a worried tone while looking at the 3 people that just enter the room.
Adrian looks at Jonah for an explanation.
"We diagnosed them with mana depletion. We had healed their injuries. We figured that the noises they make are just from a post traumatic experience. That is all we got from it and we did all we can." Jonah shrugging his shoulders as he doesn't know what else to do than let the patient rest.
Adrian started to examine Molly's parents' condition. He did not see any external wounds, so the priests had done a good job. What else is missing?
"Aria, what do you think?" Adrian stroking his chin while turning to Aria.
[Responding. No conclusive evidence found but a possibility is deduced.]
[Due to exposure from miasma, emotions can go disarray. This what led to the emotional distress to the target.]
[As miasma is an energy had the same properties like mana, ARIA hypothesize that the miasma is beginning to invade the target's physical body as they had run out of mana.]
"!!!" Adrian was in shock of the findings. He did not think of a possibility of miasma can invade the Primordial decedents. All of the happenings had only affected monsters and creatures.
"Sigh… hopefully it was JUST a hypothesis…. I need more time. I just need to do some experiments on the lake imps I left at the bottom of the lake to find out more." Adrian thinks quietly for now.
"Okay, Molly. Take good care of your parents. I will visit them again soon." Adrian ruffles Molly's hair and made her blush, but Adrian just left to see the other patients under Jonah's guide.
"Here are the last room. This is the room where one of the mercenaries who had lost his arm is here." Jonah opens the door to the room.
Inside the room, there is a sleeping man who had a bandage stump on his arm. The man looks like he is still in his 20s. He is also groaning like he is in pain like the other rescuers. Adrian checks on his conditions and see everything is fine except for his lost arm.
"Tsk, tsk." Adrian clicks his tongue seeing the stump in the man's arm.
"Jonah, just keep watching over them and write a report every hour of their movements. The count will increase the payment of your service in the next 2 days. All I want is you guys to observe them of any changes or abnormalities." Adrian turns to Jonah and gives an order.
"You wi… Yes, of course. The other priest and I will watch over them as you ordered." Jonah puffs his chest high, taking responsibilities.
"Good, now let's check the kids … please guide me to them." Adrian nods and follows Jonah to the rooms the kids are lying unconscious.
Inside a ward, 8 children are unconscious as if they are sleeping. Their parents are beside them with worried expressions while looking at their children. As Adrian came inside, the parents all swarm him with gratitude.
"Thank you, young master for saving them."
"We are indebted to you."
"Thank you, thank you so much. Sob sob…"
"Don't thank me yet. Let's see how is their condition is first." Adrian waves his hand while Ralph blocking the parents from coming closer to him.
"Huh?"
"Is something wrong with them?"
"The priest said they just need rest."
Adrian looked at Jonah suspiciously. Jonah just turns his head away.
"Calm down, everyone. They are okay I just came to check on something. The lake imps we encounter are a little different. So, an extra examination won't hurt anyone." Adrian puts out the fire of worry from the parents.
The towns people are still clueless about the demonic activity as it is still new. Adrian is beginning to think about reporting this to the royals. He actually doesn't want to be involve too deep with the royals.
"What a dilemma…." Adrian thought while rubbing his head.
"Now excuse me." Adrian by pass the parents and start to examine the 8 kids one by one. In fact, most of them are actually around his age. Some of them even have played Cross Catch with him.
After not seeing any physical injuries on any of them, Adrian asked Jonah to get him a needle.
"O… Alright. One moment." Jonah was puzzled by the sudden request but the still fulfil Adrian's request.
After getting the needle, Adrian pricks the fingers of the children and a drop of blood came out of it.
"Young master?" Jonah looks at Adrian weirdly while the parents tilt their heads.
"Eh?" Cassie discovers something.
"Hmm… Cassie… is it what I think it is?" Adrian also realizes something.
"If you are thinking of rigor poison… Then it is exactly what it is." Cassie nods in agreement.