บท 47: congenital disease
Tower of Babel, elevator floor 77.
"Was it necessary to bring the sheets with you?" Kaylon, who was inside the elevator, said while looking at the sheets in Riveria's hands.
Riveria, hearing her God's words, blushed deeply and then said with embarrassment and anger, "Isn't it all your fault!?"
"Hey... Last time I checked, I wasn't the one who dirtied them," Kaylon said with a mischievous smile to Riveria.
~BANG~
"You!! Shut up!" Unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, Riveria shouted as she hit her God's head.
"Ouch! My brain," looking resentfully at Riveria, Kaylon rubbed his head.
"Hmph," with a snort this time, Riveria didn't feel pity, too embarrassed and angry to console her God.
"Hehe," looking at Riveria, who was as red as a tomato, Kaylon smiled mischievously.
After a beautiful evening, where they ate, drank, and talked late into the night.
Kaylon dragged Riveria to the room on the 77th floor. After a nice dinner, he naturally prepared to enjoy dessert.
Of course, normally reserved elf Riveria would never do such things in other places.
The main reason Riveria didn't resist was that she was quite drunk and happy.
If it weren't for that reason, Riveria would never have ended up in the 77th-floor room with Kaylon.
After they closed the night on a high note.
The next day, when Riveria woke up and saw the dirty sheets, she felt deeply embarrassed.
Then, obviously, she took them and stored them away; she would never allow those sheets to fall into someone else's hands.
"And how was our first date, my dear Riveria?" With a smile, Kaylon hugged Riveria's shoulders.
"It would have been perfect if not for you, lust monster!" With resentment on her pretty face, Riveria accused her God.
"Hehe, last night, the one who seemed like a lust monster wasn't me..." With a mocking smile, Kaylon laughed.
"You'll sleep on the couch next week," with an icy glare, Riveria declared her God's cruel fate.
"Ughh," knowing he had said too much, Kaylon deeply regretted it.
After persuading Riveria for a while with no effect, Kaylon decided to make a temporary retreat and attack later.
Meanwhile, the elevator was approaching the entrance of the Tower of Babel.
Soon it opened, and the couple stepped out of the elevator, walking through the grand halls, Kaylon took Riveria's hands.
Though Riveria was somewhat angry, she still wouldn't reject holding hands with her God.
Soon, they both walked to the exit of the Tower of Babel, where outside they could see the white carriage, it seems it arrived very early.
As they walked towards the carriage, Riveria, who was looking around, suddenly noticed someone familiar.
A small elf with beautiful green hair caught Riveria's attention, feeling that the person was somewhat familiar, Riveria looked more closely.
After looking for a while, Riveria suddenly stopped in her tracks, and an excited smile appeared on her face, then without paying attention to her image, she shouted.
"Aina!!"
The figure with green hair who heard a familiar voice shouting her name turned her face, revealing her precious green eyes and long ears.
After seeing who was calling her, a big smile appeared on Aina's face, then she shouted with excitement.
"Riveria-sama!"
Riveria, confirming that the person was Aina, didn't hesitate and ran towards her.
Then, without hesitation, she gave her a big hug.
"Riveria-sama..." Aina, who was suddenly tightly hugged, was surprised, but then with a gentle smile, she returned the hug.
"I missed you, Aina..." Hugging her Aina, Riveria said lovingly.
"I missed you too, Riveria-sama."
After a while of hugging, both parties let go, looking at each other with bright smiles.
"It's been a while since we've seen each other, you silly little elf," Kaylon's teasing but happy voice sounded next to the two elves.
"Kaylon-sama," looking at the God she traveled with for many years, Aina smiled sincerely.
"It seems like you two have a lot to talk about. How about you join us at our house, Aina?" Looking at the duo who didn't seem to want to let go, Kaylon said.
Although Riveria didn't say anything, she still looked at Aina hopefully.
"Well... Alright," looking at Riveria's hopeful gaze, Aina couldn't refuse.
Soon, Aina and Riveria walked together towards the carriage while chatting about many things.
Kaylon, who walked behind them, watched the scene with good humor.
Now Riveria was very excited; after all, she met her best friend after a long time.
In Kaylon's eyes, the relationship between Riveria and Aina could be considered like a pair of sisters.
Both grew up together, and almost their whole lives were spent in each other's company, in that sense, he couldn't even compare to Aina.
Remembering how depressed Riveria was after she parted ways with Aina, Kaylon sighed.
This time, Riveria probably won't let Aina go; at that moment, she allowed them to separate to avoid worsening Aina's health.
However, now that they have a stable residence, it's likely that Riveria won't let Aina go.
Of course, it's not like Kaylon cares; he also quite likes the silly little elf.
After all, they traveled together for a long time, and Kaylon naturally likes this elf who cares so much for Riveria like he does.
With those thoughts, soon the group of three boarded the carriage, Kaylon sat in a corner in silence and let the two have a pleasant conversation.
With Kaylon's order, the carriage departed towards the family residence.
...
Private office of Riveria and Kaylon.
"A daughter!?" Riveria's surprised shout echoed throughout the office.
With an extremely surprised face, Riveria was stunned by Aina's words.
"Um, well, yes... Her name is Eina, Eina Tulle," with a tender look, Aina said her daughter's name.
Kaylon, who was comfortably seated at his desk, wasn't as surprised; after all, he still remembers the future famous guild adviser.
"Hey, Aina, your husband must be very fertile; it seems like you tried quite a lot," pondering on the low birth rate of elves, Kaylon took the opportunity to tease Aina.
~PINCH~
"Ouch," however, Kaylon soon felt a pinch on his leg; looking at Riveria, who was sitting next to him, Kaylon gave her an offended look.
"Kaylon-sama!" With a flushed face, Aina wanted to bury her head in the ground.
"Aina, how old is the girl?" Riveria, curious about her almost-niece, asked Aina.
"She's 6 years old, Riveria-sama," Aina said, her face slightly flushed.
"6 years..." In terms of time, Riveria hasn't seen Aina for almost two decades, but of course, that time is based on her time in Mushoku; in this world's time, she's only been without seeing Aina for about 8 years.
That means just a few years after their separation, Aina got pregnant.
"And your husband?" Remembering the man Riveria barely found acceptable, she asked.
"Well, he now has a small shop in Orario," remembering her husband, a tender smile appeared on Aina's face.
"I see." Nodding as she saw Aina's smile, Riveria thought that the man must treat Aina well.
After all, you don't speak so fondly of someone if you don't love them.
Looking back at her best friend, Riveria felt some nostalgia.
The former elf who usually had a distracted and silly face, now radiated maternal glow.
With that thought, Riveria couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
For both her and her Kami-sama, having a child is really difficult; both parties have an extremely low birth rate.
If she has a child, it could be considered a true miracle.
Shaking her head to dispel bad thoughts, Riveria put on a serious face and addressed Aina.
"Aina... I suppose this time you'll join my family, won't you?"
In the past, when Riveria and Kaylon proposed it, Aina rejected because she didn't believe she would be of any use.
In the end, during one of their stops, she met a man and fell in love; after both she and Kaylon gave him their approval.
In the end, they left Aina to continue traveling, although it also has to do with Aina's congenital weakness.
"Riveria-sama, honestly, I don't know what use I would be in the Rozzo family?" Aina shook her head.
She has no talent as an adventurer, nor as an administrator; in her opinion, she wouldn't be of any use in the Rozzo family.
"Sigh... Aina, how many times have I told you that you don't need to be an adventurer to join my family? Besides, you're not useless; you're a great Chamberlain," Riveria shook her head, somewhat disappointed.
Aina lowered her head and didn't say more; clearly, Riveria's words didn't convince her.
An awkward silence spread through the room.
Kaylon, who saw Riveria's problem, looked at Aina and said, "Hey, Aina, what future do you want for your daughter?"
Aina, who had her head down, looked up to see Kaylon; then, without hesitation, she replied.
"The best."
As a mother, that's all she wants for her daughter: to be happy, to be safe, and to have a wonderful life.
"I see... Let me tell you something, with no intention of offending you, Aina, do you think you and your husband can give her the best future?" Kaylon's words may sound offensive, but he said them in the most serious and calm tone possible.
Riveria, who was next to Kaylon, put her hand on his thigh and looked at him sharply.
Kaylon, feeling Riveria's bad mood, turned and gave her a reassuring look.
Deciding to trust her husband, Riveria didn't say anything, but she still didn't remove her hand from Kaylon's thigh.
As if she was prepared to pinch at any moment.
"Both my husband and I will strive to give her the best future," Aina said calmly.
However, Kaylon could hear a hint of anger in her voice; clearly, she didn't like Kaylon questioning something like that.
After all, asking someone if they believe they can give their children a good future.
It's like asking if they have the ability to be a parent.
"Is that so, Aina... Do you remember where we are?" Staring at Aina, Kaylon asked.
"The Labyrinth City of Orario," Aina answered without hesitation.
"Exactly, and tell me, Aina, do you know what rules this city?" Kaylon asked.
Many possible answers went through Aina's head. Money, status, influence.
However, soon all those options turned into a simple and harsh word.
"Strength."
No matter how much they try to deny it or hide it, it's undeniable that in this city, the most important thing is strength.
The strong rule this city, and the weak can only stay at the bottom.
The three Great Families lead Orario, their words are like laws, and the rest of the families can only be suppressed.
Urano sits firmly on the throne of the adventurer's guild; he can easily decide the life or death of any family.
Why does this happen?
It's because they have the strongest fist; Orario is a city that worships the strong and despises the weak.
Looking at Kaylon, who was looking at her seriously, Aina understood what he meant.
"If you want to give your daughter a true future in this city, strength is your best guarantee," Kaylon told Aina.
He is clear that what he's doing now is manipulating Aina; honestly, Kaylon wouldn't do this if he didn't know how important Aina is to Riveria.
So in the end, Kaylon could only appeal to Aina's weakness, her daughter.
"While you join my family, I promise to give my falna to little Eina too," with a firm voice, Kaylon told Aina.
"This..." A complicated expression appeared on Aina's face.
She doesn't hate the idea of joining the Rozzo family; however, she believes she's unworthy of that honor.
That's why she's always refused Riveria's request.
Thinking about Kaylon's words, Aina began to doubt.
Giving her daughter a good future is what every parent wants, and she knows that if her daughter joins the Rozzo family, her future will be assured.
With that thought, soon a determined expression appeared on Aina's face.
" I accept." Baring her teeth, Aina accepted joining the Rozzo family.
Even though she doesn't want to be a burden to the Rozzo family, her love for her daughter drives her to accept.
She wouldn't forgive herself if her daughter missed a great opportunity just because of her weakness.
Upon hearing Aina's response, a big smile appeared on Riveria's face; she herself will take care to gradually show her friend how useful she can be.
"So, welcome!" Leaving behind his serious demeanor, Kaylon's cheerful expression returned.
"Let's celebrate! Let's pick up your husband and daughter and have a feast!" Kaylon, in a good mood, got up from his seat and walked to the door.
"Let's go, Aina." Taking her friend's hand, Riveria walked towards her Kami-sama.
"Understood, Riveria-sama." Walking alongside Riveria, Aina showed a grateful smile.
However...
*CRASH*
The next moment, Riveria felt Aina letting go of her hand, and then a thud echoed against the floor.
"Aina!" Turning her gaze, Riveria's pupils shrank at the sight of her friend collapsed on the ground.
Quickly running, Riveria picked up Aina.
"Aina, are you okay!?" Holding Aina, who was unconscious, in her arms.
Kaylon, seeing Aina's condition, didn't hesitate and turned to call one of the maids nearby.
"Bring Zenith, please."
"Understood, Kaylon-sama."
Seeing the maid running towards Zenith's room, Kaylon turned his attention back to Aina.
"Aina, can you hear me!?" With worried shouts, Riveria kept trying to wake Aina up.
Panic couldn't help but seize Riveria as Aina showed no response whatsoever.
After arranging the unconscious Aina on one of the cushions in the room, Riveria continued trying to wake her up.
She even used detoxification and minor healing magic, but it didn't have much effect aside from Aina regaining some color in her pale face.
After a few torturous moments of waiting, Kaylon's shout was soon heard.
"Zenith, over here!" Kaylon, standing at the door, signaled to Zenith who was approaching.
"Kaylon-sama, is something wrong?" With an alert expression, Zenith looked around.
"Come, I need your help." Walking into the office, Kaylon led Zenith, who followed closely.
"Zenith, I'm glad you're here! Can you help me check on my friend, please?" Riveria's eyes lit up upon seeing Zenith, and she quickly called her over.
"Of course, Riveria-sama." Although somewhat confused about who the little elf could be, Zenith didn't hesitate to approach and check on Aina.
Soon, a green light appeared in Zenith's hands, and that glow gradually spread over Aina's body.
While Zenith carefully examined Aina's body, she soon noticed something was wrong.
"Is Aina okay, Zenith?" Seeing Zenith's furrowed brow, Riveria became even more worried.
"This, Riveria-sama..." Looking at Riveria with a complicated expression, Zenith didn't know how to deliver her diagnosis.
"Speak freely, Zenith, don't hold anything back." Seeing Zenith's expression, Kaylon knew it must be something serious; so, he approached Riveria cautiously and placed his hand on her back.
"Well, after carefully examining the elf lady's body, I noticed several issues..." Pausing for a moment, Zenith thought about how to soften the following words.
Taking a deep breath, Zenith continued, "The lady's organs, as well as her muscles and overall physical condition, are showing many failures; I also noticed they are constantly deteriorating."
Zenith's healing magic has already reached the king rank and is very close to the emperor rank; thanks to that, she is able to carefully analyze a person's body for physical problems.
And in Aina's body, she observed an extremely severe physical condition.
"H-how serious is it?" With a somewhat trembling voice, Riveria asked in panic.
Zenith turned her gaze to meet her god's eyes, who nodded towards her.
"Riveria-sama, based on my estimates, if she continues to deteriorate at the rate I saw, the elf lady probably won't be able to live more than a few years..."
Riveria's pupils shrank with terror, and for a moment, she felt like she was losing consciousness.
"Riveria!" Seeing Riveria stagger as if she was about to fall, Kaylon quickly ran over and caught her.
"Zenith, is there any solution?" Looking at Riveria, who was still dazed, Kaylon asked Zenith.
"I'm sorry, Kami-sama. I've already tried my most powerful healing magic, but it had no effect. In my opinion, the elf lady's illness is very similar to Alfia's previous illness," Zenith said apologetically, with helplessness in her expression.
"Is that so...?" Kaylon frowned upon hearing Zenith's words. If it's as Zenith says, then Aina's illness must be congenital.
That made Kaylon even more worried; congenital diseases have no way of being treated in all of Danmachi.
Healing magic doesn't work because its effect is to restore a person's body to the best state possible.
So, it's useless for someone with congenital diseases; even if their body is restored, the illness will persist.
"The only thing I could do is constantly apply healing magic to the elf lady, but that would only delay the inevitable a little longer," Zenith told Kaylon.
"I understand, Zenith. Thank you anyway; I'll trouble you for now while I find a solution," Kaylon said helplessly to Zenith.
"Don't worry, Kaylon-sama, it's no trouble at all." Shaking her head, Zenith walked over to Aina and applied her healing magic again.
"Riveria." Looking at Riveria, who was still dazed, Kaylon stroked her face to bring her out of her state.
Riveria, reacting, looked at her god with a sad expression and asked, "Kami-sama, is Aina going to die?"
To her, Aina is equivalent to her sister; the previous news was like someone telling you that your brother is about to die. It was simply too devastating.
Looking at Riveria, who was on the verge of tears, Kaylon's heart clenched. Then, gently taking Riveria's head and placing it on his chest, he whispered softly.
"Don't worry, dear, I'll find a way."
"But how?" With her face buried in Kaylon's chest, Riveria asked sadly.
An expression of helplessness appeared on Kaylon's face; honestly, he has no idea how he could help Aina.
If it were before, he would still have the scroll with God-level healing magic, but it was already spent on Alfia.
Now, he truly has no way to cure Aina.
With a heavy expression, Kaylon didn't know how to respond to his elf.
However, the next moment, Kaylon's eyes lit up; the previous heavy expression disappeared, replaced by hope.
"Riveria, I have a solution!" Raising his voice, Kaylon said excitedly.
"Really, Kami-sama!?" Hope appeared on Riveria's face, and then she grabbed Kaylon's arms forcefully and asked.
"Haha, of course!" With a big smile, Kaylon assured her confidently.
After all, he just heard a voice he hadn't heard in a long time.
["Hey!! I found a new world!"]
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Two days without posting a chapter...
This is the longest I've gone without posting a chapter so far.
I apologize, but this past week I had final exams for one of my university semesters.
Additionally, I've been working part-time in the mornings.
So, I haven't had time to post, but don't worry, next week is much more relaxed, so I'll be able to return to regular updates.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!
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