Raised in Dungeon



"Slow down, Theda. The soup is still a little hot."

Inside Theda's room, Allen fed Theda, who was lying on her bed. As usual, once he went inside, all the maids would leave, leaving Allen alone with Theda.

"It's okay; the heat isn't as painful as my body anyway."

"Please don't say that. Lord Barkaley has a lot of money; all sorts of physicians from all over have come here in turn. I'm sure you will recover."

"Allen, thank you. But I know my condition very well. White death is not something that a physician can cure."

White Death is a disease that can never be cured by all the healers and physicians in the world. The symptoms are Fever, shivering, frequent fatigue, aching bones, and weight loss. Other-worlders call it white blood cell cancer.

Looking at Allen thoughtfully, Theda advised

"There comes a time when you have to give up.

After that pandemic, you should know very well that giving hope to everyone is not necessarily good.

How many people have you knocked down because you gave them that hope?"

Allen's face fell, filled with sadness and regret. In the midst of the outbreak, he had uttered the words of saving everyone and offering hope to others. However, his optimistic aspirations were met with despair as some individuals took their own lives when their families failed to survive as Allen had envisioned for them.

"I'm sorry..." Allen said.

Theda stroked Allen's hair with her thin, dry hand and said, "The more you give hope, the smaller the impact. Likewise with forgiveness, apologize only when you are truly wrong, so that the value of the words does not diminish."

"Alright."

Theda smiled and said, "What about my husband? Has he tried your soup?"

Allen shook his head and said, "No, he probably won't forgive me."

"Don't worry; he will forgive you one day. Because I know him very well.

It's the same with Waldo."

"Will Mr. Waldo forgive me?"

"I'm sure of it... He will definitely forgive you. When I meet him, I'll ask him about it."

"Then it's better you never ask. The people in town need you; you can't leave us, not yet."

"No, Allen. People can let me go. They're not all people who need to be guided by nobles anymore.

They already have you."

Allen smiled again. "Then you don't need to work anymore. When you recover, you can visit Mr. Rodion's tavern daily. I'll make a special one for you.

This time it's a new menu, a mixture of chicken and noodles."

"That sounds delicious..."

...

...

...

Meanwhile in Lord Barkaley's study room, a cold, sweaty Bedell sat on the sofa. Waiting for Lord Barkaley who was still seated and writing additional letters.

'W-was I really over?' that thought kept floating in his head. But besides that, he also felt a little hopeful because Allen's soup was now on Barkaley's table, indicating that he might eat it.

"How long have you known that boy?" asked Lord Barkaley. His heavy, sharp voice made Bedell even more nervous.

"E-ee... about a day? B-but I already knew him back at the Boldenville residence. It's just that his nature is a little different."

"Then you've only met the current him for a day...

Just a day, and he already managed to get you on his side. What a horrible child."

"E-even though it's only been a day, I've heard stories about Allen from the villagers. Once I hear it, there's no way I won't be interested in that boy."

Lord Barkaley then brought Allen's soup bowl in front of him and looked at it with a sharp face.

"You, everyone, even my wife. In just a short time, they were all on his side.

The turning point of it all happened during the pandemic. It's as if God deliberately gave us the pandemic so that we could forgive him."

"Y-you shouldn't say that-"

"SAID WHAT?!" Lord Barkaley raised his voice.

"Why are you looking at me like that?! WHY does everyone keep looking at me as if I was on the wrong side here?!

He's killed so many people!

He even killed my son, Waldo!

And Waldo is the fiancee of your lady, right?

So it's only natural that I hate him!

It's natural for everyone to hate him!

But, everyone forgives him.

At this rate... I'll be the only one in the wrong. It's as if forgiving him is the natural thing to do."

Surprisingly, Bedell didn't feel any fear anymore. Barony strangely said all that with nothing but sadness, not out of hatred.

Raising his voice, Lord Barkaey panted. After he caught his breath, he said

" Waldo is an ordinary individual, lacking exceptional physical attributes or a significant amount of mana. He doesn't possess any high power god's blessing either. Despite these factors, Waldo is a determined man who finds fulfillment in assisting others.

However, I couldn't help but ponder how Waldo would have coped if he had been present during the pandemic. Perhaps he wouldn't have exhibited the same resilience as Allen. As this notion lingered in my mind, it dawned on me that Allen's current state resulted from carrying the burden of his past transgression—a murder he committed. Nevertheless, it was through Allen that numerous lives were saved from the ravages of the plague. It seemed fate had sacrificed my son so that Allen could emerge as our savior during the epidemic.

That's why I can't stop hating him. No, but I SHOULDN'T."

'I understand; Lord Barkaley may not hate Allen anymore, but he doesn't want to admit it.'

"Then, I want you to at least taste Allen's cooking. Allen has made it with all his might. You should at least eat it. After you eat it, I'll convince Allen not to cook for you anymore."

Barkaley looked at the soup bowl.

"You have no right to order me around, but fine."

As Lord Barkaley reached for the soup bowl,

suddenly

-BREAK

The maid abruptly swung open the door to the room.

Startled, she exclaimed, "Lord Barkaley! Lady Theda! Lady Theda's condition…!" The alarming news drained the color from Lord Barkaley's face.

With a sense of urgency, he commanded, "SUMMON A HEALER IMMEDIATELY! THEN, TELL THE GUARDS TO CALL THE CHURCH'S BEST HEALER!" Lord Barkaley and Bedell promptly rushed to the next room.

As they entered, Allen was inside, using amnis fire on Theda.

"What are you doing?!" shouted Barony as he approached Allen.

"I'm relieving the pain."

"Why don't you just heal it?! Even if it's a little, it should be useful before the healer comes."

Allen shook his head "No, my healing amnis only works to regenerate the wound. I heard from Mr. Rodion that this disease is not a wound, but something inside Theda's body keeps growing inside her body. So regenerating won't help. We have to kill the 'thing' inside the body."

"Then, what should we do?"

"We just have to endure it, and hope that the healer can cure it."

Theda then woke up, looking very miserable.

"Theda!"

From the look on her face, it seemed that the painkilling amnis Allen was chanting was not very useful. The pain must have been unbearable, and she forced herself to stay awake.

"Veldon," Theda called to her husband, Lord Veldon Barkaley.

Veldon immediately grasped Theda's hand and said, "I am here. Just wait a little longer; the healer will be here."

"Veldon... I met Waldo."

"?!! What are you saying?! Don't joke around at a time like this!"

She looked pained, but Theda smiled and said, "I met Waldo in my dream. He told me to say hello to you, and he said that he always admired you."

"Veldon... you've always been a very serious person, and as a result, you find it hard even to forgive others.

I actually like that, because if you forgive others easily, they will get big-headed and make that mistake repeatedly.

But Veldon...

This time, you're angry not for yourself.

You're angry because it would betray your feelings for Waldo.

I know, and you probably know, that Waldo wouldn't like that. He wouldn't admire you being angry because of him."

Barony cried, bringing his wife's hand to his face.

"Allen," Theda called.

"Allen, I want to apologize to you."

"Huh?"

"On that day, when you were transferred to the Wolverlope region. Because I was angry that you killed Waldo, I reported to Bishop Nicholas that Prince Leofric brought Norttish to Wolverlope's region."

"Eh?"

"I did so in the hope that the church would arrest you for your white hair. But I didn't expect that Lady Wolverlope would actually hide the Norttish.

I've always regretted doing it.

I apologize."

Not caring about what Theda said, Allen while touching Theda's right hand, said, "I forgive you. I will forgive all the wrongs you have done in the past.

All the sins and all the burdens you are feeling right now, you can let them go and throw them away from your body."

Knowing that he could not do anything else, Allen softly whispered, "Now, rest in peace. Convey my apologies to Mr. Waldo."

...

Once the physician and healer came and checked on Theda, she was still alive.

But as Allen said, they didn't use any amnis healing. In the end, they only took precautions to delay her death.

However, Lord Barkaley refused.

"Let her rest," he said tearfully.

Theda collapsed with a smile on her face. If treatment would only delay her death, it was better that she died with a smile on her face.