Ch. 3: I Am Poison
In the forest overgrown with poisonous plants…
With Sakia in the lead, we went deeper into the forest.
There are so many strange plants…
In front of us were enormous plants growing taller than me.
Sakia: "Ah…careful…this one’s poisonous too…"
Sakia moved forward and lifted up the poisonous leaves that were hanging overhead, using his arm to protect me.
OO: "I-isn’t the poisonous plant touching your arm Sakia…?"
Sakia: "…I’m used to it…it’s fine… Seventy percent of his forest is made up of poisonous plants after all…"
OO: "S-seventy percent…!?"
Sakia: "Yeah…the climate and topography here…is suited for growing various poisonous plants. Father…the king sells the poison made from these plants…to other provinces… Until the land is peaceful and doesn’t need poisons…"
[CHOICE]
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What do you think Sakia? (SUN)
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Do you make all the poisons? (MOON)
The next day was beautifully clear…
I was strolling in the palace gardens, bathed in the warm sunlight, and I found Sakia standing in the shade of a tree.
Huh…? He seems kind of unsteady…
OO: "Good afternoon Sakia. What’s wrong? You don’t look well…"
Sakia: "Ah…morning…OO. And why is this sunlight so bright… Working through the night is difficult…"
OO: "A-all night?"
Sakia: "Yeah…I suddenly got a large commission…from Father… While I was absorbed in mixing…dawn came…"
While Sakia smiled, I saw the leaves of the poison dogwood in his hand.
OO: "Good work…ah, aren’t those the leaves of the poison dogwood?"
Sakia: "Right…you remembered…"
OO: "Because you taught it to me yesterday…and that if you’ll die if you eat it."
Sakia: "Ahaha, right right…you’ll die…"
When he laughs like that…
I was a little surprised, and then I felt the stare of some of the maids.
Maid 1: "Look at that! L-lord Sakia is…having a conversation with another person!"
Maid 2: "You’re right…! To think someone would talk to that eccentric prince…"
I heard them whispering.
Eccentric…
I looked over my shoulder, and the maids looked a little surprised before they left in a hurry.
Sakia: "Sorry…just by talking to me…you’ll be…treated like an outcast…"
OO: "I-I don’t mind! Besides, I really like talking to you Sakia."
Sakia: "…y-you do…!?"
OO: "Yes! I didn’t know anything…about poisons before."
Sakia: "You’re the first person…to say…something like that…"
Sakia looked down and scratched his nose.
Huh…Sakia’s ears are red…is he embarrassed?
As Sakia scratched his nose, I noticed his hand was a little red and swollen.
OO: "Sakia, the back of your hand…it’s swollen. Are you ok?"
Sakia: "Yeah…I just got touched by a potent poison when I was mixing…now that you mention it, I didn’t take care of it…"
Sakia methodically picked some wild grasses growing on the bank and placed them on the back of his hand.
It looks painful…
OO: "Sakia…I know your work is important, but you should take better care of yourself too, ok?"
I began to worry as I looked at the swelling.
Sakia: "Important…work…"
OO: "…eh?"
Sakia: "The poisons I make…are sold to other lands around the world… The fighting continues…so we sell more poisons…My poisons…inflict pain…on the people out there. But I keep making them…even though I know that…"
…Sakia?
Sakia: "Even if the wounds are healed with medicine…I can’t cleanse…the doubts… in my heart. I began to feel…that I’m … like a poison."
As Sakia spoke quietly, his profile seemed so very sad, and it made my chest tighten painfully.
Does he…hate making poisons?
[CHOICE]
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That’s not true (SUN)
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Try to make medicine (MOON)
I spoke in desperation, finding it too difficult to look at Sakia’s sorrowful expression.
OO: "Sorry, I said all that even though I don’t really know about poisons…"
Sakia: "…thanks…"
Sakia smiled kindly, and gently took my hand.
Sakia: "…you’re a very kind person…"
He’s smiling…
His hand…is warm.
I smiled too as I held onto that warmth.
OO: "Do you make all the poisons Sakia?"
Sakia: "Yeah…though at this point, everyone…knows how to make the mixtures. The method…was something I researched…so it’s like I make everything. Though for me…it’s fine…if I only do the research…"
However, Sakia’s voice seemed as if it was sinking into sadness.
OO: "That’s not true…Sakia, didn’t you tell me before?
You said…that plants can be used in some ways to make poisons, but in other ways to make medicine. So, if you look at it another way, it could become either a poison or a medicine, right?"
Sakia: "OO…?"
OO: "That’s why…even if the poisons you make hurt people…I don’t think you can limit it to just that."
OO: "Sakia…then, what about trying to make medicine?"
Sakia: "OO…?"
OO: "You said it yesterday…you said…that plants can be used in some ways to make poisons, but in other ways to make medicine. So, couldn’t the plants you’re always harvesting become medicine too?"
I’m sure Sakia could make any kind of medicine…
OO: "Sakia…what do you think?"
Sakia: "Hmmm…I… …
…Sakia?
As Sakia slipped into silence, I didn’t know what he was thinking…