GDTEA Ch 59

Ideal Type

As dusk fell, the mountain village’s night breeze was quite chilly.

Sharti matched her steps with Ashu, who was fidgeting strangely beside her, and cooled her head in the cold wind.

‘Will he be alright?’

The dark night scenery naturally reminded her of Ren.

‘Surely he’s not upset again?’

She hadn’t suggested a walk out of consideration for Ren, but after spending evenings walking mountain paths together and enjoying the fresh air, she couldn’t help but worry about him.

Come to think of it, she’d been so close to Ren throughout their journey here that his absence left her feeling oddly empty.

‘…Does Ren feel the same?’

She could easily imagine Ren waiting endlessly for her.

When she returned, Ren would probably be waiting with a sulky face. And would he whine again, asking her to hold his hand so he wouldn’t be upset?

Sharti let out a small laugh.

“It was so hectic earlier. I’m sorry, Doctor.”

Ashu, who had been excited and distracted, finally came to his senses and spoke up.

He couldn’t miss this precious opportunity to talk with Sharti alone.

<It’s fine.>

“Since it’s just us now, feel free to use your voice! Writing notes while walking could be dangerous, and although I have good eyesight and can read them well…”

Ashu scratched his cheek in embarrassment as his words became tangled, trying to close the distance between them while attempting not to reveal his personal feelings.

Sharti smiled bitterly, thinking this was typical considerate behavior from Ashu.

<It wouldn’t sound good to hear at night.>

“Ah, yes…”

Ashu nodded, dejected at the clear rejection.

He wanted to converse comfortably with her, but this wasn’t something to be stubborn about.

If he couldn’t control his expression after hearing Sharti’s voice, he might deeply hurt her.

Instead, Ashu changed the subject.

“Our village doesn’t have designated walking paths, but if we go this way, there’s a small pond that looks quite pretty when the moon reflects on it at night. I’ll guide you there.”

Ashu confidently pointed to the right, trying to create an opportunity to score points.

Sharti stopped him.

She was concerned about leaving Ren alone, making a leisurely walk seem inappropriate.

‘I should finish what I need to do and get back.’

Unlike Ashu, Sharti had things to prepare while taking this walk. And for that, she needed Ashu’s help.

Sharti conveyed the purpose of their walk.

“What? An experiment?”

Sharti took out a magic stone from her bag along with a note.

<If people, animals, plants, and water sources are all contaminated with mana, I wonder if the magic stones that use the mana inside could be recharged.>

The magic stone, which cost 15 silver and contained enough mana for one person for two weeks, now had very little mana left.

There was a strong possibility that the mana would be depleted on their return journey.

‘If possible, this entire village could essentially be a mana charging station.’

Sharti rubbed the magic stone with a tense face.

The weight of the term ‘rebellion resource’ was beginning to feel more real.

Ashu, on the other hand, seemed puzzled by the unfamiliar experiment.

“Um… so what should I do and how?”

<Over there.>

Sharti pointed to the center of the village.

Three stone towers, taller than the trees, stood there.

Around the seemingly ordinary stone towers, there were guards stationed. They appeared to be watching not to protect from danger but to prevent the towers from collapsing.

<I heard these stone towers weren’t built by the villagers, is that right?>

“Ah, yes. I’ve heard they’ve been standing since ancient times.”

As Sharti earnestly examined the stone towers, Ashu wore a melancholy smile.

But disappointment would be premature.

“Would you like to go closer to them?”

<Is that possible?>

She had been hesitant to approach, seeing that even villagers were kept away, let alone outsiders like herself.

Still, there was value in having agreed to walk with Ashu, if she could get his help, given his position as the chief’s direct descendant.

When Sharti nodded vigorously, Ashu’s mood immediately improved.

“Let’s go over there without being noticed.”

With Ashu’s help, Sharti safely examined the stone towers, but shortly after, she left the area with a pale face.

“D-Doctor, are you alright?”

Ashu supported Sharti as she staggered with dizziness.

Sitting down on a tree stump, Sharti barely suppressed a reflexive wave of nausea.

‘…Now I understand why they blocked it off.’

When she got close enough to touch the stone towers, the purity of the mana felt different.

Rather than just being intense, it felt like something heavy and sticky was enveloping her body.

‘An ordinary person like me couldn’t last even half a day there.’

Sharti checked the magic stone clutched in her pale hand. The stone was emitting a subtle warmth, making additional verification unnecessary.

It was high-speed charging without comparison.

After taking several deep breaths, Sharti carefully put the magic stone back in her bag.

‘To think even ordinary stones could become magic stones to this extent.’

Since these were stones imbued with natural mana, they were likely of much higher quality than the magic stones that magicians typically carried.

‘That Marquis’s house must be truly formidable and powerful.’

The House of Bridend.

Hearing that Vireta had failed in her assassination attempt hadn’t made the power of the Neweiton nobility seem real, but now Sharti shuddered as she truly grasped it.

“Doctor, shall we end our walk and head back?”

Ashu tried to give her his outer garment, but Sharti waved it away.

His clothes were too thin for her to take.

<I think it would be good to walk a bit more before going back.>

She needed to clear her thoughts in the cold air.

‘If I go back looking like this, I’ll just worry Ren.’

She was already concerned that she was showing increasingly unreliable sides of herself to Ren, unlike in the beginning. She wanted to be careful about appearing weak only in front of him, as if it were natural.

“Yes!”

Ashu’s face brightened at hearing they wouldn’t return immediately.

Sharti glanced sideways at Ashu.

‘What does he want to talk about?’

Thinking about it, Ashu must have been frustrated too.

An unknown illness, conflicting opinions among the people, despair endured through worry and anxiety, and the desperate act of seeking an outside doctor despite anticipating rejection.

Having overcome all that and finally having hope today, he likely needed someone to talk to.

‘I should listen.’

While she couldn’t offer satisfying advice on his concerns, she could at least listen to what he had to say.

It was too chilly to keep sitting, so Sharti got up.

As her dizziness and nausea had subsided, she continued walking with Ashu.

“I never would have guessed that mana poisoning was the reason people collapsed. You mentioned that there seems to be massive mana buried beneath the land where this village was built, right?”

Ashu carefully initiated conversation, reading the atmosphere.

<Nothing is certain yet.>

“I don’t know much about mana, but my father said that from now on, we need to open our doors to protect this land, rather than closing them to protect the village.”

<It will be an extremely difficult and challenging path.>

“Yes. But you’ve helped us, Doctor. And others will come to help us too, so it’s not as hopeless as before.”

Ashu smiled faintly and looked up at the sky.

Though the night sky was pitch black without a single star visible, his eyes behind the glasses shone brighter than ever.

“However, I’ve often been told that I’m timid, naive about the world, and not very reliable. I wonder if someone like me can be of any help.”

His dejected voice sounded extremely timid and lacking in confidence.

Sharti immediately shook her head in disagreement.

<Of course you’re helpful! Being timid just means you’re cautious. Besides, you actively tried to solve problems for the village and ultimately sought help by finding a doctor and traveling a long distance. That’s proof that you’re very kind and brave!>

“Wh-what? Me?”

Ashu looked back and forth between the note and Sharti with a surprised expression.

His cheeks, already red from the cold wind, grew even warmer.

“I’m happy that you would say such things about me.”

Fidgeting with the note in his hands, Ashu rubbed his cheeks vigorously.

Ashu’s mood seemed much improved as he soon broke into a goofy smile. Seeing him genuinely happy from the praise and encouragement, Sharti felt pleased as well.

‘So Virena’s emphasized ideal type actually exists.’

The bespectacled man that Virena had emphasized as her ideal type was right here in front of her.

Sharti discreetly examined Ashu from head to toe and nodded to herself.

‘Tall, slim, with an innocent smile.’

Wasn’t he exactly Virena’s ideal type?

While Sharti was lost in her tactless thoughts, Ashu decided to gather his courage once more.

“Actually, I’m not popular with women, and I’m often told I’m not manly enough…”

Not popular?

Sharti shook her hands vigorously in denial.

<There are people who like all those aspects of you too!>

He must have had limited experience meeting many people in the wider world, so his self-assessment was necessarily limited.

Remembering Virena, Sharti encouraged Ashu to be more confident.

Ashu’s face turned pink.

“Do you really think so…?”

When Sharti nodded, Ashu smiled brightly.

Eventually, with renewed hope, Ashu’s eyes sparkled.

“Then, could I perhaps know your ideal type, or rather, your criteria… the options you chose earlier?”

“…?”

Sharti tilted her head. Not because she didn’t understand, but because she was puzzled.

The options the village women had asked about were intended to narrow down Sharti’s criteria for an ideal type.

She was just confused about why Ashu would be curious about such choices.

“I’m, I’m trying to learn how to become a more likable person in various ways!”

Ashu hastily added, as if making an excuse.

His entire face had turned crimson as he was finally on the verge of achieving his goal. Overwhelmed by Ashu’s enthusiasm, Sharti nodded hesitantly.

‘Well, I suppose he would know all the standards of the village women.’

Sharti obediently wrote a note.

Ashu, waiting with an excited heart, received the note.

<A good person.>

“…?”

Despite the brief words, they contained a comprehensive meaning.

Ashu blinked blankly.

<If they’re good for me, the options wouldn’t matter.>

Perhaps that’s why first impressions are important.

They say people unconsciously feel and think a lot from first impressions of others; the more intense, the more memorable.

“Ah…”

After reading the successive notes, Ashu eventually smiled brightly.

He then carefully folded the notes and clutched them tightly with both hands.

“Yes, that’s right. Then I’ll work hard to become a good person.”

“…”

His pure-hearted sincerity was clearly conveyed.

There was a unique atmosphere that came from someone so positive and bright.

At that moment, the image of Ren bowing his head while comparing his flower to Ashu’s flower flashed in her mind.

‘It might be the difference in wholeness.’

Ashu was quite different from Ren in many ways.

How did Ren’s Ashu appear to him? Looking at Ashu, who was healthy and strong in both body and mind, what feelings and emotions did Ren experience?

‘…So that’s why he called it jealousy.’

Sharti let out a small sigh at this belated realization.

“Doctor?”

As a cold gust of wind blew, Sharti snapped back to reality.

Due to her hood concealing her expression, Ashu remained unaware of Sharti’s thoughts.

Sharti stared at Ashu for a moment before her lips moved.

“…No, it’s nothing.”

“Pardon?”

Ashu flinched at the sudden terrible raspy voice.

Sharti continued speaking somewhat absently and weakly.

“Actually, I’d prefer someone with many flaws.”

Wanting them to be a good person—that wasn’t a lie.

Isn’t that the most common and basic condition for one person to be attracted to another?

But for Sharti, who was neither ordinary nor straight, there had to be additional conditions.

“Someone who doesn’t make me feel inadequate about myself… I’d like that kind of person.”

Sharti laughed at the plainly revealed truth.

She laughed while acknowledging herself as the owner of an unhealthy mind.

She laughed while admitting her dull and low-quality character that she had been unconsciously avoiding.

And she felt sad.

‘Who would like someone like me?’

Living while hiding such an inadequate and twisted, broken self.

Her exposed imperfect heart felt cold in the chilly wind.

Sharti bit her lip hard and bowed her head deeply.

“Doctor…?”

As the confused Ashu was about to take a step forward, Sharti turned and fled the scene. Her silhouette disappearing into the darkness marked the end of their long walk.