A Horror Novel’s Supporting Character Wants to Live as a Human

Chapter 293

Chapter 293

"What kind of herb is this?"

"It's good for the throat. People who sing often make it into tea and drink it. But if you dry it and make it into powder, it's actually bad. This one doesn't seem dried yet, shall I buy it?"

"I don't sing. Instead, are there any herbs that help you dance well?"

"If there were such a thing, I'd give it to you."

The market was quite lively, perhaps because it was just past lunch.

Though the village wasn't very large, it still had a good selection, and there were several merchants showing their wares to passing customers.

Eva and Cellinne had entered a small herb shop to escape the scorching sun.

Even so, it was Eva who was looking at the goods, while Cellinne just followed behind and watched the curious sight of bundles of unfamiliar plants she'd never seen before.

"Eva, if we buy all this, will we go right back?""Why?"

"Oh no, Grandfather Valter said so. How nice it would be if the young people went out together to get some fresh air."

"Fresh air? In times like these?"

"But what he said isn't wrong, is it?"

Eva sighed.

So in the end, Grandfather Valter had put ideas in Cellinne's head.

Grandfather Valter had the cheerful demeanor typical of mercenaries, but sometimes he had a bad influence on other members like this.

"Cellinne."

Eva turned to look at her with a stern face.

Cellinne flinched and avoided her gaze, but Eva's lecture was already flowing like water.

"Even if you got money from Dardin, that doesn't make it our allowance. Besides, Grandfather Valter, as you know, tends to act on his thoughts, right? Are you going to believe what he said this time at face value?"

"But Grandfather Valter said that because he was worried about you and Dardin!"

"Grandfather Valter was?"

"I know you're sad because of Bailies, but nothing will change just by staying like this. Especially since you two don't even come out of your rooms, we were so worried."

Eva hadn't known about that.

She just hadn't been in the mood to talk, and various thoughts had been troubling her mind, so she had simply wanted to be alone.

She asked back, momentarily flustered.

"You and Grandfather Valter thought Dardin and I were sad because of Bailies?"

"If not that, there's no reason you'd keep holing up in your room. I honestly don't know what to do either."

Cellinne's voice was tearful.

"Right now I feel like Bailies will come back to the inn tomorrow, but since I know that's not the case... even when I want to comfort you, you just keep saying you're busy."

"What about Dardin instead of me?"

"Dardin will overcome it on his own! I don't know, I was upset and scared because you wouldn't come out. Can't we be sad together? Do I have to stay there not knowing what you're thinking alone in your room? Does that help you? Would it be better if I wasn't there?"

Eva stared blankly at Cellinne for a moment, dumbfounded.

All of them would be unable to escape from Bailies' death. She didn't know about His Highness the 3rd Prince, but

At least among them, there was no one who could simply shake off and live on after losing someone who had been by their side until just a few days ago.

Just look at Dardin and herself. Weren't they living like this, unable to forget events from not just a few days ago, but months and years ago?

Meanwhile, Cellinne said she had been worried not knowing what she might be thinking alone.

Eva finally realized why Cellinne had come out even after taking money from Dardin.

Today's patient wasn't Cellinne, but herself.

She let out a short sigh.

"Sorry. I didn't want to burden you with myself after Bailies. I just needed some time to think."

"What thoughts? About Bailies?"

"No. ...No, to be exact, it is related to Bailies."

"Is it a bad thought?"

"It could be bad or not. But I wasn't having self-torturing thoughts, Cellinne. Really. That's one thing I can promise you."

"...Really?"

"Yes. I'm not as bound to Bailies as you think."

Eva turned away from Cellinne.

Eva, who had been rummaging through dried branch-like things, picked out ones that had buds that had stopped blooming.

"I probably think about him even less than you think about Bailies. You're affectionate, so it's natural that you're still absorbed in that matter."

"But you."

"I wasn't thinking about Bailies. But I was thinking about how I could have saved him."

"Something like... guilt?"

"It's different from guilt. If something like that happens to any of you next time, I'll have to save them then."

Eva rewound that moment countless times and combined medicines.

The scene where the assassin stabbed Bailies' neck.

The angle the sword penetrated, the degree of fatal injury. Damage to blood vessels in the neck and massive blood loss.

If such a situation came, would she be able to save the injured person then?

Eva gathered the selected medicinal materials and turned to the other side.

Behind her, Cellinne followed with small steps.

"Next time, such a thing won't happen-"

"There's no way it won't. I don't know what will happen in the future. So I need to be able to save you no matter what situation you're in. I hope you get hurt as little as possible."

"I understand that feeling, but."

Cellinne hesitated and said.

"...But there was nothing we could do then."

"Cellinne, for physicians, the phrase 'there was nothing we could do' doesn't work. That's the most cowardly excuse as a physician. Saving you all is my responsibility. I have no intention of running away from here."

"I'm not telling you to run away, Eva. I just don't want you to feel too much burden..."

"All responsibilities come with a sense of burden."

Eva spoke firmly and paid for the medicinal materials.

Along with that, she also received bandages used for binding or disinfecting wounds, and Cellinne, who followed Eva out with well-packaged medicinal materials, shouted.

"But you'll get tired someday! In unavoidable situations, no one will blame you. Even so? Will you keep thinking like that?"

"That's the mindset one should have as a physician. To save more lives, it has to be that way. It's okay if you don't understand."

"Would you do that even if I died? Would you live thinking about how you could have saved me even after I'm already dead? That's too terrible, I don't know how that's different from guilt!"

"No, it's different. Cellinne. This isn't guilt."

"Then what exactly is it? If continuously worrying about ways Bailies could have lived while he's dead isn't guilt that torments yourself, then what is it?"

Eva knew well that Cellinne was concerned about her.

Constantly recalling Bailies' death wasn't a good thing.

If other people were doing this, she would have advised them to stop immediately.

But she was a physician, and she was responsible for all wounds and injuries.

The proud conviction that her father and brother had upheld was solidifying firmly within her like that.

As a physician, it was natural to refer to others' deaths to devise better treatment plans.

This was exactly what she had once admired...

-Eva. Look at this. People who save others must continuously study and learn. I hope you too become an excellent physician later.

-What if a situation comes where you can't treat with just the knowledge you have? Dad has collected various treatment cases in preparation for such times. Later, when you grow up, it will pass from your brother to you.

-Some say that the profession of touching human blood and flesh is lowly, but that's not necessarily true. Those noble people over there, even the most noble person in Aquilonia, Dad heals them.

-Our daughter. Later when you grow up, you must...

Eva closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The shimmering childhood fantasies had long since disappeared.

What was here now were only her grown-up self, Cellinne, and indifferent people whose names she couldn't know.

"I'm different. Even if you're in a situation where you have no choice but to face death, I will save you. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Eva."

"Thank you for bringing me out. Thanks to you, I bought what I needed."

"Eva, I can listen anytime if you're having a hard time and want to talk. I can listen to whatever it is."

Whatever it is? Really?

Suddenly Eva began thinking about the person called Cellinne.

As far as she knew, Cellinne was Yurik's very first companion,

And that also meant Cellinne had known all the party members the longest. She was that specialized in refreshing the atmosphere.

Eva was responsible for lives, Dardin proposed directions, but Cellinne managed the most important hearts and moods.

Eva became curious about where Yurik had brought such personnel from.

If it was Cellinne, would she accept whatever she said?

"Cellinne, I..."

-Baaaa.

The two turned their gaze to the same place at the same moment.

In the middle of the market that wasn't crowded and had spaces here and there.

There stood a small black goat.

The goat with horns curved at exquisite angles had a jingling bell around its neck,

But there was no separate name or marking indicating whose it was.

The goat with pupils flattened due to the daylight was facing the two.

It was strange enough that an ownerless goat suddenly appeared in the market,

But what was stranger was that no one was paying attention to the goat.

There were even people who strangely avoided the spot where the goat was.

Yet they seemed unaware that the goat was there.

Eva reflexively tried to approach the goat. Among the people selling goods, there were quite a few who sold goats too.

She moved her steps thinking someone like that might have lost it this time too.

"Eva."

Cellinne called.

Thanks to Cellinne, who pulled Eva's sleeve with a somehow tense voice, Eva hesitated.

"Why?"

"It's strange."

"Strange? If it's a goat that was tied up, we should quickly-"

Eva, who was about to ask shouldn't they find its owner, stopped breathing at the shadow cast over her.

It wasn't just her.

All the people in the market were standing there blankly looking up.

The being that suddenly appeared was neither human nor animal.

The being, about the size of two inns combined, had a goat's head and a human's lower body.

The fur covering its entire body was jet black, and its hands and feet were replaced by huge hooves like a goat's.

It had blood-red eyes, and green smoke that swirled like a whirlpool could be glimpsed within them.

Facing it, Eva's legs wouldn't move.

She had to run away. Clearly her instincts and reason were warning her so.

While her body was frozen like ice, 'that thing' whispered through the goat's mouth.

['The Mother of All Evil Things' is passing through. You shall know the Mother's severity and love and worship accordingly.]

Mother? Love? Worship?

From a distant place, horn pipes sounded and bell sounds were heard.

A huge beast passing through the village.

An impure thing with countless horns was crawling. Something terrible with a body soaked in blood, accompanied by insects, flying creatures, and ugly things.

A wicked monster that had lost its original form long ago and now only moved forward.

-Baaaa.

The small goat cried.

The moment she heard it, Eva's mind began to collapse without reservation.