Sensing Altaïr's gaze, the woman tilted her head to one side.
Their eyes met.
Her gaze held none of the sharpness, depth, or pressure he had imagined. Instead, it was remarkably calm, and she even dipped her chin in greeting.
Altaïr quickly lowered his head and returned the courtesy.
There was no doubt about it. She had to be a veteran of formidable skill and extraordinary hunting experience. Staring at her had already been discourteous, so he had better show proper respect.
"Maki, are you feeling unwell?" Yomogi, who seemed quite familiar with her, asked with concern.
Maki shook her head, then bent one arm and patted her biceps to show that she was perfectly healthy.
Yomogi did not seem convinced. She turned to the Wyverian man beside her. "Mr. Yan, what's wrong with Maki?"
Yan put away a medicine jar, then turned and bowed slightly to Yomogi. "Lady... Yomogi. Nymera. Good day.
"The Village Chief is not seriously ill, but she accumulated far too many chronic ailments in her younger years. As you know, she will try anything, no matter how dangerous, so lingering aftereffects are inevitable. She requires regular treatment."
Altaïr kept his eyes lowered, but listened intently to their conversation.
Maki. So that was her name. Yan had called her "Village Chief," which meant she must be the current Village Chief of Kamura.
Even one of the village's Guild receptionists was a 7★ Hunter, and Yomogi, the owner of the tea shop, was also a hidden expert. Just how strong must the Village Chief be?
Come to think of it, could she be mute?
And that physician seemed remarkably respectful toward Yomogi, as though the two shared some history.
"The Village Chief is almost finished here." The refined Wyverian physician turned toward them. "Lady Yomogi, are these the two friends of Nymera you mentioned?"
"That's right. Altaïr and Isis are both excellent young people."
"Good day to you both."
"Good day, Mr. Yan."
His speech and manner were so courteous that Altaïr and Isis both felt somewhat constrained.
The woman named Maki finished dressing and moved aside, but did not leave. Instead, she crossed her arms and studied the pair with keen interest.
"May I ask which of you is feeling unwell?" Yan asked with a gentle smile.
His smile alone seemed to put people at ease.
"He is!" Isis pointed at Altaïr. "Mr. Yan, please give him a thorough examination!"
Yan looked at Altaïr, who shrugged helplessly. "They're only scars. Honestly, I don't think anything is wrong with me, but she's worried that some toxin or something else might have affected me, so she insisted I come."
"I see. Then there is no need to explain too much yet. Let me examine you first."
Yan gestured for Altaïr to take off his shirt and sit on the bed.
Nymera and Yomogi tactfully left the room. Isis naturally stayed, while Maki, the Village Chief, leaned forward to watch with open curiosity.
Altaïr removed his upper-body armor, then stripped off his undershirt and revealed the black scars beneath.
Yan's narrow eyes tightened slightly. Maki, who had remained in the corner to watch, also raised an eyebrow.
"Elder Dragon blood?" she murmured.
Altaïr and Isis looked at her in surprise, and Isis could not help blurting out, "How did you know?"
Maki gestured with both hands for a moment. Apparently realizing that she could not explain herself clearly without speaking, she finally said, "I have many similar scars."
As she spoke, she pulled aside the edge of her clothing. "For example, here on my arm and here on the back of my neck. This one on my back came from a particularly troublesome foe.
"I also have some around my waist and several on my thighs..."
"Do they cause any adverse effects?" Isis pressed anxiously.
Maki thought for a moment, then gave her a thumbs-up. "You get used to them. No problem at all!"
"You cannot take anything she says as medical advice." Yan drew a slow, faintly trembling breath as if suppressing his anger, then pointed toward the door. "Please leave."
Maki slunk out, looking sheepish.
After instructing Isis to close the door, Yan slowly exhaled and explained, "The Village Chief is the sort of person who, if a Monster's poison could kill her but also stimulate her body's functions, would deliberately let herself be poisoned, guzzle Antidotes, and fight the Monster all at once.
"Then, after dealing with it, she would collect several more bottles of its toxin to inject into herself the next time.
"So nothing she says has any medical value."
Sajji poked his head out from beside the bed. "You let a lunatic become chief, meow?"
After a moment of silence, Yan sighed. "But she is also a true hero."
With that, he carefully began examining Altaïr's scars.
Altaïr was somewhat distracted. Maki's words echoed in his mind.
Just how many Elder Dragons had she fought?
Yan examined him with great care. Half an hour later, he gave his conclusion. "At least from what I can see now, these scars pose no danger from residual toxins.
"However, certain substances in that Elder Dragon's blood may already have penetrated deep into your body. I cannot make an accurate assessment right away.
"As for your suspicion that they may cause abnormal agitation or similar effects, that is possible.
"I will prepare a potion for you. It is not meant to treat you. Instead, it will stimulate any substances or energy from the Elder Dragon that may remain inside your body and make their effects apparent. That will allow us to identify the problem and address it directly."
"Understood. Thank you very much." Altaïr dressed and offered his thanks.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he asked, "Mr. Yan, whether that agitation comes from these scars or from that Elder Dragon, I have to bring it under control.
"Wouldn't it be more direct to begin learning how to control it right away?"
Yan sighed softly. "Just as I thought, you and she are cut from the same cloth. You can ask Maki to teach you how to control it. Given her personality, she should be willing.
"But we still need to identify the cause at the same time. All power comes at a price. Until you truly understand that price, do not recklessly draw on power that is not yours."
"I understand." Altaïr nodded solemnly.
"I hope you truly do."
Yan opened the medicine cabinet and his medical case, then began mixing the potion. The process took a long time, even longer than the examination.
After watching Altaïr drink the bowl of strange-tasting potion, Yan instructed him, "From now on, tell me immediately if anything feels unusual.
"Whether you experience a sudden increase in strength, an abnormal appetite, frequent dreams at night, unusual impulses or urges, or anything else, come and tell me.
"Do you understand?"
Before Altaïr could answer, Isis nodded earnestly. "I'll keep a close eye on him!"
Yan's expression turned grave. "That would be best. In the worst-case scenario, he may even try to harm himself. If necessary, knock him unconscious and bring him here."
"I-is it really that dangerous?" Along with her concern, Isis now looked even more anxious.
She was already considering whether she should tie Altaïr up first.
"It is indeed a very dangerous potion. I had the Village Chief take it years ago as well. You do not want to know what she did then." Yan looked as though he would rather forget the memory.
"Altaïr's case is not especially complicated. Even in the worst case, he carries only traces from a single Elder Dragon, while Maki's body is littered with remnants of all kinds..."
"I don't feel anything wrong." Altaïr stood and moved around a little. "Except that my tongue is slightly numb."
"It will not act that quickly. The effects will probably appear tonight." Yan glanced at Isis. "You had better stay in the same room with him tonight. If anything does happen, we will be able to respond in time."
"Meow meow meow?"
(Translated by yourtl.app)