After having a heartwarming moment together, Nilan, Ava, and Celest continue walking down the dirt path toward the doctor.
Nilan looks at Celeste and speaks.
"Hey, Mom, you said my father was 15 when he died?"
Celeste responds.
"Yeah, why?"
Nilan then inquires.
"How old were you when you had me?"
Celest chuckles a little.
"Both your father and I were 13 years old when I became pregnant with you. We were 15 when I became pregnant with Ava, and your father died a month before I gave birth to her. You were such a ball of sunshine, and you always wanted to help take care of Ava. Maybe that is why she has such an attachment to you?"
After hearing her mother's words, Ava retorts.
"Mom!"
After Nilan and Celeste finish chuckling, Nilan asks.
"Is it normal for girls to become pregnant at 13?"
Celeste then turns to Nilan with a confused face and responds.
"Yeah, it's pretty normal as women get the ability to reproduce around that time, but I guess it ranges a little as some are late bloomers, so I guess the typical age is somewhere between 12-18.
Although there are some who wait as long as their 20s to have a kid."
Nilan is somewhat taken aback by how early people have kids.
"Do you think that is a bit too early to have a kid?"
Celeste responds
"Not really. I don't see a reason why they shouldn't have kids.
If you were talking about elves, then I may see your point as they gain the ability to reproduce much later.
Even after they mature, they are still known to be prudes.
We are humans that don't live nearly as long as them. Thus, we need to reproduce more often.
Not only that, but humans are the most likely to have infighting among their own race, leading to more wars and, thus, more human deaths.
It's kind of sad to know the biggest killer of humans, besides the Devourer, is other humans.
You know, it is actually very possible that humans might have actually killed more humans than the Devourer has, especially in recent times."
Nilan gives a sigh as he thinks.
'Go figure, the humans from John's world aren't that different. They love to kill each other all the same. I don't personally care, and I don't know if that is because I am a human, but I will be willing to kill to get what I want, especially if someone fucks with me or my women.'
"I see your point. What is the average life span of humans."
Celeste takes a second to respond as she scratches her head.
"As with a lot of things, it's a little complicated.
Humans who can not use mana and aren't noble or of some status and female, like your average farmer or soldier, the average can be 15-30 years."
Nilan responds
"Wow, that is short."
Celeste responds.
"Yes, it is, although if you are fortunate enough to have some status or be able to use mana, you could live typically to 50-60.
Some, like the king and his battlemages, are getting up to around 150 years old."
Nilan then questions.
"Why is the difference so large?"
Celeste sighs and responds.
"Besides the fact that the Devourer disease only affects men who are unable to use much mana, the weak are used by the strong to fight their wars."
"That's messed up."
Nilan says.
"Maybe, but it is the strong who decide the rules."
Nilan then looks at Celeste and Ava as he says.
"Then I'll make sure to become the strongest person in the world so I can change the rules and make sure you two live forever."
Ava and Celeste giggle as Ava says.
"We are almost there. The village is right up ahead."
As they enter the village's limits, Nilan notices the trees start to thin out as farmland has taken their spot.
He also sees what he assumes to be guards as they are armed with swords and wearing some armor.
As they enter and pass through the village, Nilan takes note of one strange occurrence.
'Why are there so many women here? I have seen a couple of men, but the women here outnumber them all.'
The party of three walks up to a small shop with a picture of a potion on a sign above the door.
This shop stands sandwiched between other stores of a similar layout.
'Heh, funny, this is like a primitive outdoor shopping mall from John's world.'
Celeste then opens the door to the shop and motions Nilan and Ava inside.
Nilan is immediately hit with the smell of fresh herbs, and as he looks around the shop, he can see bottles of various liquids on shelves behind the counter.
Celeste then walks up to the front and jingles a small handbell sitting on the counter.
An average girl with black hair comes from behind the counter and speaks.
"Rebeca's potion shop, what ails ya?"
Celeste then put a couple of coins on the counter as she says,
"I'm here to see Rebeca."
The girl at the counter looks at the coins lying on the counter.
She sighs as she looks you at Celeste, then Ava, but when she gets to Nilan, her eyes stay looking at him for a bit as if curious or confused.
She then snaps from her reverie and speaks.
"She is in the back. Come with me."
The girl then opens up part of the counter, allowing the three to pass through.
She then opens a door on the back wall of the small store, allowing them to go in the back of the store.
As they are about to enter the room, the girl says to someone in the room.
"Rebeca, these three are here to see you."
As Nilan enters this room, he sees all the things a potion maker might need, like a cauldron and tons of different ingredients ranging from herbs to bugs and other gross things.
He also sees a woman mixing a bubbling concoction in a cauldron.
This woman's looks are pretty average, with no other outstanding features.
'I guess my two women are uncommon beauties. Average is still good, and I'm surprised that average girls look this good, unlike the world John came from.'
The girl from earlier then closes the door. after Nilan, Ava, and Celeste enter the room.
The woman stirring her mixture doesn't look up as she waves her hand, saying.
"Sit tight. I'll be with you in a minute."
Celeste, Ava, and Nilan stand and watch as she starts to add ingredients in different-sized bowls to the mixture.
Once the mixture changes to a warm orange, she takes the big spoon out that she was stirring with.
She then snaps her fingers as the fire under the cauldron goes out.
"Hello, Celeste, I haven't seen you in a while, and who is this handsome man you brought with you? My name is Rebeca Brundle."
She looks at Nilan with interest.
Celeste, ignoring what Rebeca is doing, responds.
"Do you remember my son Nilan? I brought him to you a while ago."
Rebeca then looks at Nilan with interest.
"You mean the boy I diagnosed with the Devourer.
Are you saying he came out unscathed?"
Celest looks at Rebeca and says.
"Well, he didn't come out completely unscathed. In the process of fighting the disease, he seems to have lost most of his memories."
Rebeca responds.
"That is fascinating! Do you mind sitting on top of this table while I examine you? I promise it won't hurt."
Nilan looks at his woman, then at the doctor, and sighs.
"Sure."
'This is going to take a while, isn't it.'
[Quest: Take Over The World]