“I will leave them here,” he continues. “If you feel better tomorrow, you can find me at the North Gate market stall. You can pay me then.”
Elne wrapped it carefully and walked back to the market. The rain had cleared and the stall was already bright with new customers. Ume looked up and met his eyes, as if she had been expecting him all along. “I will leave them here,” he continues
However, Chapter 1 distinguishes itself by focusing almost entirely on psychological restoration over physical adventure. There is no quest, no villain—just two lonely souls in a forgotten forest. The rain had cleared and the stall was
| Character | Role | First Impression | |-----------|------|------------------| | Kusuri (Medicine Seller) | Protagonist, apothecary | Quiet, patient, observant. Wears a worn cloak and carries a wooden staff with hanging herb bundles. | | Elfie (Elf-san) | Secondary protagonist | Broken physically and spiritually. Hints of a tragic past: war, betrayal, abandonment. | | (No major antagonist in Ch.1) | The "illness" is trauma | The story’s conflict is internal—healing a soul, not slaying a monster. | There is no quest, no villain—just two lonely