Tatsuki spoke many words, but none seemed to reach the "internally petrified" Bao Chi. He was lost in his own thoughts, grappling with his inability to act, which only served to infuriate Tatsuki further. The sense of being ignored grew stronger until Tatsuki's patience wore thin, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, are you mocking me...?" Tatsuki delivered a light, yet firm slap to Bao Chi's head, jolting him back to reality.
Bao Chi responded quickly, saying, "Sir Noble, I beseech you, please employ your profound knowledge to rid my clan of this ignominious ailment."
Tatsuki, in his bewilderment, thought, "Nobility? How did I end up being associated with nobility?"
Tatsuki then questioned, "I don't understand how you're classifying me as nobility, but it seems you've mistaken something."
Bao Chi persisted, "Sir, you need not conceal your true self any longer. Your profound understanding of ancient terminology is evidence of your superior education, unlike the common folk. Moreover, your knowledge of the ki clan's tragic fall from noble status, which transpired decades ago, is a secret known only to a select few. Even other nobles no longer acknowledge us. What more proof do you require?"
Tatsuki pondered this, thinking, "Well, I have been sent to this place again, so it's quite obvious I would know."
Tatsuki clarified, "Listen, my friend, I may have knowledge of ancient texts, but I am not of noble status. While I possess expertise in various other fields, in areas like herbology and pharmacology, many surpass my abilities. Take, for instance, the exemplary sovereign 'Frey Aranelle Frostglade' from the Elf Empire."
Upon hearing this name, Bao Chi was taken aback. Mere mention of the emperor's name without purpose could result in grave consequences. He realized that anyone who spoke the name of the Elf Sovereign so casually could only be...
Bao Chi stammered, "Taking the Elf Sovereign's name so lightly, you must be of royal blood, a fellow king's son. Please forgive my earlier transgressions, Your Royal Highness, and do not let your wrath befall my clan."
Bao Chi's polite and respectful words managed to enrage Tatsuki, who retorted with an air of incensed fury, "Bastard! How dare you reduce my fathers to the likes of mere kings? Thousands of lifetimes won't be enough for you to comprehend their supreme existence!"
Stunned, Bao Chi contemplated, "If not even a king, then what could be stronger than that...?"
Bao Chi quickly replied, "Forgive me, young sir. I had no intention of upsetting you; I spoke only within the limits of my limited knowledge."
Tatsuki, striving for calmness, conceded, "I suppose I may have overreacted a bit, haven't I?"
In an attempt to shift the conversation, Tatsuki brought up the Integral Ki Clan, saying, "Anyway, let's talk about your clan."
Bao Chi's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he inquired, "Sir, do you have a solution to our predicament?"
Tatsuki assured, "Of course, I do. But I see little merit in helping your people."
Without hesitation, Bao Chi knelt on one knee and implored, "Sir, if you were to restore my clan's health, I shall be your loyal servant until my last breath."
Tatsuki's excitement was palpable, and he didn't hesitate to accept Bao Chi's offer.
Tatsuki thought to himself, "I was considering befriending the entire clan by resolving their situation, but this is beyond my wildest expectations. I'm gaining access to the lion's den and the lion itself as my ally."
He proclaimed, "Very well, then. Let's make our way to your clan. Time is of the essence."
Bao Chi exclaimed, "But, master..."
Annoyed, Tatsuki interrupted, "You're already calling me 'master.' Don't worry, as long as we leave and enter the town without being caught, we'll be fine. That's your concern, right? And even if we do get caught, I'll bear the consequences. So, let's make haste."
Tatsuki and Bao Chi scaled the wall in broad daylight, their good fortune prevailing as they encountered no trouble. They set off toward one of the seven holy forests, the Forest of Juvava.
[Author's Note: ****The holy forests serve as the resting place of seven colossal giant siblings who transformed themselves into monarch trees, bestowing their protection upon the seven forests known as Juvava, Juain, Judo, Juliath, Jil, Joneka, and Jyoe.
****The monarch tree is a humanoid tree that watches over the entire forest's well-being. Achieving this state is a rare feat, attainable only by giants who breathe their last while standing and devote every ounce of their soul to the forest, contributing to its tremendous growth. To date, only seven such monarch trees are said to exist.]
After three whole days of a laborious journey, they finally caught a glimpse of the forest, and what a sight it was - indescribable. The tree could be seen from miles away, and as they drew nearer, the monumental face of the Monarch Tree Juvava came into focus. It was as if a colossal face had been intricately carved upon the Monarch Tree, an extraordinary sight.
Tatsuki pondered, "I would have never imagined they lived here. How did they avoid being absorbed by that colossal plant? It all makes sense now - how they fell victim to such a bizarre disease."
Bao Chi spoke, "Master, if I may be so bold..."
Tatsuki interrupted with exhaustion, "Stop calling me that. Running for just a few days has left me in such a pitiable state. I'm definitely not as young as I used to be." Tatsuki audibly panted.
Bao Chi apologized, "Yes, sir. I deeply regret all the hardship you've endured."
Tatsuki interjected, "Not that either."
Bao Chi offered, "Yes, sensei."
Surprised, Tatsuki questioned, "How do you even know Japanese?" Annoyed, he continued, "But that still doesn't mean 'master.'"
Bao Chi inquired, "Should I continue calling you 'master' then...?"
Tatsuki, now thoroughly irritated, mumbled to himself, "This moron is really testing my patience. I'm Tatsuki - just call me 'brother.' And don't say, 'How can I call my master my brother?' Just think of it as an order."
Bao Chi remarked, "Huh? The master's abilities are quite extraordinary, reading minds and all. I'm very impressed."
Tatsuki thought to himself, "Oh no, I can't read minds. I've just seen way too many movies back on Earth with a similar situation. Grin! I'm so clever."
Angrily, Tatsuki reminded Bao Chi, "Hey, what did I just tell you about calling me 'master'?"
Bao Chi quickly corrected himself, "Yes, mast... I mean, brother Tatsuki."
Tatsuki, satisfied, said, "That's more like it. Now, smile and be prepared to run. If I collapse from talking any further, you're in trouble."
Tatsuki and Bao Chi arrived at the clan's living area, only to be shocked by the sight of the former nobility living in dire conditions, akin to country folk.
Suddenly, they heard a voice calling for Bao Chi, welcoming his return. Turning toward the source of the voice, they observed people approaching with buckets filled to the brim with water. Most of these individuals appeared emaciated, as if every drop of life had been drained from their bodies.
Upon witnessing the situation, Tatsuki swiftly took action, kicking over every water-filled bucket in sight, causing the water to spill onto the ground.
Amid the clan members, a few young individuals shouted in anger. "Who is this intruder? How dare he waste our water! He's ruined all our hard work!" Another one chimed in, "Do you have any idea how far we have to go to get this water?" Yet another voice added, "Get him!"
The young clan members attempted to confront Tatsuki as a group, but their futile efforts were thwarted by Bao Chi's incredible speed. One of the young boys questioned, "Second Brother Bao, why are you protecting the intruder?"
Bao Chi responded with anger, "Those who wish to harm the master must go through me."
Tatsuki couldn't hide his contempt for Bao Chi's protective actions, thinking, "This foolish creature just had to speak up..."
Every member of the clan stood stunned, and Bao Chi turned to Tatsuki, asking, "Brother, why did you do that?"
Tatsuki explained, "Well, now you call me 'brother.' The answer is simple - to prevent the disease from worsening, we must first eliminate the cause, which is the water you've been using."
One of the youngsters protested, calling it preposterous. In response, Tatsuki retorted, "Shut your ass up before I shub something in it."
Bao Chi, confused, inquired, "Huh? Brother, water is life. How can it cause harm?"
Tatsuki, feeling a bit embarrassed, admitted, "Well, I wanted to say something badass, and that's all that came to mind."
Bao Chi responded supportively, "Of course, brother. That makes sense."
Tatsuki thought to himself, "Huh, it does..."
Tatsuki resumed, "Well, anyway, as I was trying to say before I was interrupted, the water you're using for drinking and cooking is the cause of your disease."
Another youngster protested, "What do you know, outsiders? Just look at this water. Have you seen any water clearer than this?"
Annoyed, Tatsuki retorted, "Have you people made some secret pact to interrupt me?"
Bao Chi advised the youngsters, "Brothers, do not speak out of turn. Brother is our only hope."
One of the youngsters remained skeptical, saying, "I don't believe him."
Bao Chi stared at the youngsters with a serious expression, making them nervous and causing them to look away. He then implored Tatsuki, "Brother, please tell us how to rid ourselves of this disease."
Tatsuki revealed, "Well, first, understand that the disease that's been causing you so much suffering is called diarrhea."
Tatsuki couldn't help but think, "Honestly, in my previous life, when I heard that a clan managed to wipe themselves out while suffering from diarrhea, I almost laughed my heart out. But now, the situation these people are in seems quite grim."
Tatsuki continued, "Now, to tell you the cause of it - it's mainly due to unhygienic habits, many of which you have developed."
Bao Chi requested, "Brother, I don't understand. Please explain it in a way that's easier for us to grasp."
Tatsuki clarified, "Isn't it obvious? You're using the same water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and dumping your dumpy waste, am I correct or not?"
Bao Chi insisted, "Brother, just look at the cleanliness of the water they have."
Tatsuki responded, "Cleanliness has nothing to do with it. The water these people have been using contains bacteria that aren't visible to the naked eye."
The clan members listening to this muttered, "Bacteria? What is that...?"
Tatsuki quipped, "Geez, you people are worse than cavemen, aren't you? Bacteria are microscopic , i mean very, very small creature living in that water that can cause various disease. Unless you purify the water daily, no matter how many magic beasts with healing power you hunt down, you'll end up succumbing to it."
A tiny-looking old lady emerged from the crowd and spoke up, "Young man, even if what you say is true, we're not in a condition to afford a single purification scroll to cleanse the water of impurities. So, according to your wisdom, what should we do?"
Tatsuki stared at the old lady for a few seconds, as if he could devour her or skin her alive. He then turned to Bao Chi and whispered, "Hey, Bao Chi, what's a dwarf doing in your clan?"
All the clan members shouted in unison, "Don't call the village chief a dwarf, you moron!"
Tatsuki was taken aback by those words and gazed at the village chief.
He asked, confused, "So, I was right. Your village chief is a dwarf?"
Once again, all the clan members shouted, "She's just old, you dimwit!"
Tatsuki smacked his fist into his palm, as if he had unraveled a great mystery. He exclaimed, "I get it. She became a dwarf after she got old. Well, that's certainly unexpected."
The clan members shouted again, "What's wrong with your hearing?"
Tatsuki ignored the protests and continued, "Well, Dwarf Grandma, you mentioned earlier that you don't have the funds to purify the water, and Bao asked me for a solution. What I have to say is that..."