Flora came in the midst of turmoil. “I wanted to come as soon as I heard about your dad, but I was careful.”

That’s true. Nisephor used to be called death disease.

“Thank you for coming, Flora.”

“What about the Grand Duke?”

“He’ll be fine soon.”

Flora let out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad, Lulu. I’m so glad that we have the medicine.” Flora trembled with my hand in her hand.

“Oh, my.” I hugged Flora tightly.

I was the one who wanted to cry, but Flora looked like she was going to cry.  What a fool. I never thought there would be such a thing before.

“Oh, how’s it going with Billiers?”

“Ooh!” Flora’s tears stopped when I changed the subject then rolled her eyes. “Well, not yet…”

“What excuse did you make?”

“World Mathematical Reading Association. And you?”

“Aha. Did you ask him to teach you that when the book is difficult?”

Flora flinched her shoulders.

“Is it really hard?”

Flora flinched once more. “A lot.”

“Then inevitably, the next book will be difficult, right?”

“Maybe. It should be a really difficult book. Can you ask Gerald for a favor?”

“It’s up to you.” I want to be with him today.

“It’s because I don’t think I can do it!” Flora said with a pout.

“Why?”

“You…” Flora looked at me with squinty eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you know what Gerald’s doing out there?”

“Well, well.”

He doesn’t have any friends. I’m sure people are avoiding him.

“The icy atmosphere he has, has become even worse.”

“What?”

That can’t be true. Although I was lazy before, he had a smooth relationship with children my age. But why all of a sudden?

“I was scared to talk to him once I ran into him at the academy……!”

“At the academy?”

“Yeah! I said something, but he just went without looking back.”

“……That can’t be true.”

“It’s true!”

I don’t think it’s a lie to see him react like that. He spoke his mind. Did Gerald’s actions mean that there was something wrong at the academy?

I tilted my head.

It wasn’t Gerald I knew.

“But why did Gerald go to the academy? Did you hear anything?”

“Well, I did happen to overhear some of it.”

“And?”

“He always says things that you and I can’t understand. Nisephor…. And medicine, mechanisms……?”

“What?”

“Can you make something out of those words? What are you gonna do with the Nisephor and mechanisms?”

Wasn’t the important thing just all about making medicine? Dad had Nisephor, so all we had to do was make sure that he takes the medicine. Was there another problem? Was there any reason to know about the mechanism?

“Do you know what I’m talking about?” Flora asked.

“No. I don’t know.”

“Well, I thought I’d add another word to Billiers if I found out. Anyway, that happened.”

She nodded her head.

Flora went back after chatting the whole time about what had happened while we hadn’t met.

I had so much to say that I felt dizzy. And most of the story was about Billiers.

I talked to Gerald and promised him I’d pick the hard one for the next book after I met with Flora.

He only read one when he was into it. What the hell is so good about Billiers? Definitely a wonder.

Of course, I’m not saying that Billiers is a bad guy, but their relationship seemed like it revolved around experimenting. But the amount of time spent together was similar to that of a married couple….

I clicked my tongue.

After Flora went back, I was able to get time to think alone.

Nisephor’s mechanism. Mechanism. Billiers made medicine, and Gerald helped Billiers make medicine.

In retrospect, Gerald is a regressor and knows about Mana Stone.

Gerald would have been ahead of Billiers. He’d already turned back time and already made the medication or just before it was made. However, at that time, there was no official announcement of the medicine. So that would mean Gerald was the only one who knew about how it was developed. How?

It was my father who died of Nisephor.

It’s a mechanism. They said that the Nisephor medicine is effective if you take it after you get infected with it.

But now I’m not so sure.

There are so many unresolved questions.

+++

T/N: I don’t know what Louella meant here with the term ‘mechanism’ because in the raws, it was spelled in English. I think we’ll find out more about it as we continue with the story. The mechanism, how the monster works, perhaps?

E/N: It could also be how the medicine is meant to work since Billier’s was talking to his teacher about the body being able to use the medicine it was given, but I look forward to what the actual answer is.