Note: For the purpose of this AU, Gaelion is part of a sub-species of dragons. It makes it easier for me to write it this way so it can fit in this AU.

Enjoy!

The black flags flapping in the wind are there for a reason, Naofumi thought. He wasn't an expert on illnesses even though his shield has healing properties. What he did know based on the flags and the two guardsmen standing by the village entrance was that this place was under quarantine.

"Is it even safe to go in there?"

They were overlooking the village on the crest of a hill. They were close enough to see the guardsmen who each had a cloth wrapped around their nose and mouth. In Japan, people wearing face masks were pretty common so Naofumi wasn't initially concerned about it. But those black flags were concerning.

"Maybe," Rachel says without looking at him. She kept her eyes on the village. "They're not going to let anyone in or out. That's a common procedure for something like this."

"Then we're just supposed to leave them be?" Naofumi asks.

"Not necessarily. There's no doubt their hospital is overflowing with patients. If I show the guards my certificate, they'll let us in. Who would say no to an apothecary?"

Naofumi nods. "True."

"What do you suppose it is?" Mina asks. "Is it something like in Westbrook?"

"I have no idea," Rachel shook her head. "There's no way two villages would get Frost Sickness. This is something different."

She was right. One village had a seasonal sickness and this one seemed worse. Tomas said half of the villagers were sick with this illness. That means there were children and elderly patients. And maybe some who had a weak immune system.

"Rowan, let's go," Naofumi ordered.

"Gotcha." Rowan flicked the reigns and the spider pulled them forward.

When they reached the entrance, the guards were surprised (a reoccurring theme, Naofumi notes) by the spider. Rachel hopped out of the wagon and approached them.

"Hi. Sorry about the giant spider, but I was hoping you would let us in." She digs around in her satchel and takes out a small paper. "I'm an apothecary. If you guys need help, then I'm your girl."

One of the guards took the paper and examined it. He lifted his head to look at Rachel, then at Rowan, Mina, and finally Naofumi. His stare lingered. Naofumi then realized he wasn't staring at him but his shield.

Damn. He knew that stare. Or rather, he knew that glare.

Was this bastard not going to let him in because he was the Shield Hero? Was he going to let innocent people die? This guard was scum.

Naofumi returned the guard's glare with one of his own. The guard flinched then looked back at the certificate.

'That'll teach him,' he thought bitterly.

"Y-yes," the guard handed back the certificate. "You may pass. But you have to wear a cloth mask at all times during your stay here." He gave her cloth pieces. "The hospital is that way." He pointed to a large two-story wooden building.

"Thank you," Rachel took the certificate. "Come on guys, let's go."

When they entered the village, Naofumi notices something odd. There wasn't anybody out. Doors were shut tight, windows had their curtains closed, and what looked like a tavern had their door shut too. It was early in the afternoon, the perfect time for people to be doing their daily tasks.

Naofumi wondered how many of them were empty because the inhabitants were in the hospital and how many of them were stuck home.

As they made their way to the hospital, a flash of movement caught his attention. A curtain was pulled halfway and a little boy was looking at them. When he turned his head toward the window, the boy quickly ducked, the curtain covering the window again.

Naofumi felt a flash of contempt. Not at the boy, but the Church of the Three Heroes. They were the ones who made him a devil. He couldn't tell if the boy was spooked because he was caught staring or if it was because of him. He hoped it was the former.

The village being eerily quiet unsettled him. He didn't want to imagine if this sickness is deadly enough to kill people. He changed his shield to the Leaf Shield. They were in for a lot of work.

When they reached the building, they wrapped their cloth pieces around their nose and mouth.

"Here goes." Rachel pushed open the door.

Naofumi was assaulted by the smell of vomit and urine. He almost reeled back at the scent but reigned it in. Rowan flinched but otherwise remained unbothered. Mina pinched her nose. He wasn't sure if that was going to going to help with the smell.

"Gods," Rachel muttered. "This is bad. And we're on the first floor. I can't imagine what it's like on the second floor."

"What kind of illness causes this?" Naofumi asks.

"A lot," Rachel's reply was grim. "Though I'm sure if I can find out what it is, we can cure them. Or at the very least alleviate their symptoms."

The doors closed behind them, causing the putrid stench to intensify. The only time Naofumi ever smelled something like this was in the restrooms near the train station. This time, it's worse.

A nurse dressed in grey was carrying vials in a basket when she noticed them.

"Yes?" She looked tense. She glanced over her shoulder at the stairs.

"Sorry to interrupt," Rachel put on her best brave voice. "My name's Rachel, and I'm an apothecary. We found out what was happening here. If it's not to much trouble, we can help you."

The nurse looked ready to cry from joy. "Yes, thank you!" She adjusted her grip on the basket. "We have enough medicine but we need stronger ones. Come."

She led them up the stairs into a spacious, large room, beds lining the walls. The odor was overwhelming. Nurses were carrying buckets around, patting patients on the backs, and giving them medicine.

Naofumi could see all kinds of people here. Men, women, children, and the elderly. All human. Each one in a state of illness. Pale and clammy looking.

"Jesus." He knew right then that this wasn't some flu. No, it was something different.

"Can you tell me their symptoms," Rachel asks the nurse.

The nurse sets the basket at a table and it was swarmed by other nurses, gathering vials and rushing back to the patients.

"It's standard flu symptoms. Fevers, chills, headaches, the usual symptoms. It started with only a few people. But now…" She looked mournfully at the many sick people in bed. "I don't understand how this happened or why it happened."

"Is that it?" Rachel took a few steps to a man resting in bed. "Looks like the flu. Anything else?"

The nurse was silent.

"What?" Mina pressed forward. "Are there more symptoms?"

"There are," the nurse says finally. "When people started coming in, it was just flu symptoms. But now," she went to where the resting man was and pulled up the left sleeve of his shirt. Blotchy patches of purple were scattered on the arm. A light purple that almost looked like a bruise.

"Wait." Rachel got a closer look at the man's arm. Her eyes widened. "What the fuck?"

"What is it?" Naofumi didn't like the sudden change in the tone of her voice. It was laced with bewilderment and fear.

"What the fuck?" Faster than anyone could blink, she took out her medical journal and opened it to a specific part.

She froze.

"Rachel," Naofumi went up to the woman. "What's going on?" Dread crept upon him.

When Rachel looked up, her wide eyes had fear in them.

"This is poison from a dragon."

"Dragon? What?" Naofumi peered over Rachel's shoulder to look at the journal.

There was a diagram of a dragon on one page and what he assumed to be the description of it on the next. The dragon, in contrast to the Peacock Dragon she showed them a while ago, was menacing. Whereas he remembers the Peacock Dragon to be colorful, this dragon seemed to be devoid of any color other than black and purple. Its black scales with purple undertones resembled some kind of armor, strong-looking with pointed ends.

"What does it say?"

Rachel placed a finger on the description. "It's a grim dragon. These kinds of dragons are known for their poisonous breath and scales."

"Then, the people were poisoned by this dragon?"

"No," Rachel shook her head. "Grim dragons, and dragons in general, don't live close to populated areas. They mainly live in mountains, underwater caves, anyplace where there's no one."

"So how does that explain what's going on here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." She shut her book. "We can talk about this later. Right now, we have to help. And quickly."

Rachel moved to where the basket is. "This medicine is common for treating poisons. Antidotes. We'll need to use your shield to amplify the healing properties as well as giving them medicine for their flu-like symptoms."

"Got it covered." Naofumi reached for a vial and the second he touched it, the liquid in it glowed until it dimmed back to its original color.

"You're a lifesaver," Rachel grabbed the bottle. "Alright, do the same with the vials in here. Mina, help distribute these. Rowan, help one of the nurses bring more of these antidotes. We've got a lot of work to do."

They sprung into action. Rowan and a nurse darted down the stairs. Naofumi touched as many vials as he could and handed them to Mina who then gave them to Rachel and the nurses.

'Goddamn it, what's going on?' Naofumi didn't have time to relay the question or ponder the grim dragon. Each time he handed a vial away, his other hand touched more. When the basket was empty, Rowan and the nurse he went with carried in two baskets, the vials clanking against each other.

"Hurry." Naofumi tossed the empty basket aside. Rowan set his basket on the table while the nurse put hers on the floor.

Naofumi wasted no time in touching the vials and handed them to Rowan and the nurse.

"How's it going?" He asked when Mina came.

"They're responding well to the antidote. But they're not out of the woods yet."

"And Rachel?"

"Doing what she does best. You know," She lingered after she got a handful of vials. "Her job puts her at risk of getting health complications. Yet she's putting herself aside in favor of those who need help. I admire her for that."

Naofumi looked to where Rachel was. She helped an elderly man sit up and gently coax the tip of the vial into his mouth.

'Mina's right,' he thought. 'I don't think I could ever do this kind of stuff back home. Medicine wasn't something I was interested in. Being close to so many sick people only makes me want to avoid getting whatever they had. But Rachel, she helps even with all the risks.'

Not just her, he realized. Rowan risked his life hunting dangerous monsters. Mina took it upon herself to search for her parents at the risk of altering the Black Foxes. And he too risked his life saving people from the waves whether they liked him or not.

This was his life now. A new life he wouldn't take for granted if it meant helping people.

He continued touching vials, all with a newfound appreciation for apothecaries.

Two hours later, Naofumi, Mina, and Rowan found themselves at the village's alehouse. They had just finished giving the antidotes and when the doctor gave them the clear to go out, they were tired and hungry.

Rachel stayed behind to consult with the doctor and nurses about what happened. Word spread quickly of their job and people started coming out of their houses. Some businesses opened up as well. Rachel had informed them the illness wasn't contagious giving the people a sense of relief and respite knowing the threat was over.

Only it wasn't, at least to Naofumi and his group.

"Just what the hell happened?" He didn't expect Mina or Rowan to have an answer as they were also confused.

"It is strange," Mina says. "It would make sense if a dragon attacked the village but given how reclusive they are, it makes no sense why the people here were poisoned."

"Yeah," Rowan agrees. "I've hunted all kinds of animals and monsters that are capable of poisoning. There's no doubt that it's a grim dragon that did this. But how the villagers got poisoned in the first place is a mystery."

Naofumi glanced at the window where he has a clear view of the hospital. When they had finished, the doctor said they would be under quarantine until their symptoms dissolve. He hoped Rachel was doing OK.

His thoughts were interrupted when their server came with their food and drinks. It was all on the house. He learned that one of the patients is the husband of the alehouse's head chef. She saw them when they entered and offered them a free meal.

When their server left, Naofumi went straight for the ale. It tasted like apples mixed with the alcohol, leaving a bitter taste as he swallowed it.

"What then?" He asks. "Is this something we should leave the knights for? 'Cuz I doubt those bastards care about any small village."

"That's the thing though," Mina says. "This village along with Westbrook were isolated incidents. Nothing major for the knights or even the King to worry about. Unless we can convince them that it was a grim dragon that did this, then maybe they'll do something. Otherwise, we have no proof or explanation as to why the villagers were poisoned."

Great. Naofumi slumped back in his chair defeatedly. "Well, if they aren't going to do anything about it, then what? We risked our health to cure these people and for what? To not be believed without proof?"

"I'm sure the knights and King will believe the villagers," Rowan says. "The problem is the grim dragon itself. We're in the plains. Far, far away from the Teeth."

"The Teeth?" That sounded strange.

"Yeah." Rowan reached into his bag and pulled out their map. He pointed to a large section that consisted of valleys and mountains. The drawing depicted the mountains with curved, sharp ends. Almost like teeth. "The Teeth are where most of the dragons live in. It's a large enough region for dragons to live and hide. The mountains are hard to get through and one wrong step and you'll fall onto rocky spikes. Only Dragons and draconids are capable of traversing through."

"Draconids?" Even more new stuff he's learning about.

"Draconic beastmen," Rowan answered. "They live in the valleys and mountains but mainly deep in the Teeth. If anyone knows about what's going on, it's them. But since there aren't any draconids here, we've got nothing."

The door to the alehouse opened and Rachel ambled her way through the tables.

"Hey." She sounded exhausted as she plopped down next to Naofumi.

"Rough time?" He asks.

"You could say that. Things are under control right now. The only issue is how this poisoning originated."

"I was just telling Naofumi about the Teeth." Rowan points at the map again.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that too. It's not uncommon for dragons to be seen outside of the Teeth but they don't go around attacking villages. At least not the aggressive ones."

"You didn't learn anything new?" Naofumi pressed on.

"No, unfortunately. It would be easier if at least a few people saw a grim dragon flying around. That way we would have proof and try to gain an audience with the King. Except there were no sightings of any dragons. So…" She sighed. "I've got nothing."

Something about this didn't sit right with Naofumi. There was no way what happened in Westbrook and here were incidents.

But what caused this?

"Um, excuse me?"

All four turned to the sudden voice. The nurse who had helped them earlier approached. She fiddled with her fingers nervously like she was caught stealing something. "I'm sorry. I was taking a break when I heard your conversation."

She looked unsure of what she was going to say but continued. "I think I might know how this happened."

"Really?" Naofumi nearly shot out of his seat.

"I believe so. At first, I wasn't sure if what I thought was true. But when you mentioned the Teeth, I remembered something."

"What is it? Tell us everything."

"Well, my sister lives in a mining village not far from the Teeth. One day, a grim dragon had appeared and settled in an area far from the village. My sister would send me letters telling me how scared everyone was. She said the villagers were worried the dragon would kill them. But as the days went by, it didn't try to attack them. So, they just let it be.

"One day, however, the dragon flew away. It was flying low so everyone, including my sister, got a good look at it. One of its hind legs was injured. Scales were missing from it. It came back hours later and then left again. It hasn't been seen since then."

The mystery was starting to make more sense.

The nurse looked at Rachel. "When the dragon first arrived there, I bought myself the most recent updated version of a medical journal. Cost me 5 gold coins but it was worth it in case my sister got sick from the dragon and I had to go there to help. So, I know its scales can be poisonous."

They had their answer. Sort of.

"Let me get this straight," Naofumi says. "This grim dragon had its scales ripped out of it from an injury and a few days later the people here started to get sick. Am I right?"

The nurse nodded.

"It still doesn't explain how the villagers got poisoned."

"Wait," Rowan interrupted. "Dragon scales are very valuable. They can be used to make all kinds of materials. Including weapons. If this grim dragon had its scales stolen from it, and if the villagers started showing signs of poisoning, then that means…"

"Someone poisoned this place!" Rachel exclaims. "It makes sense now."

"Then how did the villagers get sick then?" Mina asks.

Rachel was deep in thought.

"The water supply."

The nurse started to realize what she meant. "You mean someone poisoned the reservoir?"

"Think about it. You have a reservoir a village uses. Take a large number of grim dragon scales, grind them to dust, and toss it in the water. Boom. Mass poisoning."

"Then… oh, Gods! I have to warn the village lord about this!" The nurse ran out of the alehouse, causing the other patrons to look on in confusion.

"If their reservoir is poisoned, how long will it take to purify it?" Rowan asks.

"Depends on how many clerics can come and purify it and the size of the reservoir."

He didn't know where this reservoir was or how big it is. Naofumi could only guess how long it would take for it to be purified from the poison. If it even works. If it doesn't then everyone here would have to move. This village would become a ghost town.

A thought crept in the back of his mind. Whoever did this, they might do it again to a different village. Or poison a city's water supply. It'll be a pandemic if things get out of control.

His gaze fell onto his shield. It was still in the form of the Leaf Shield. From the day he touched the blade of grass so long ago to enhancing medicine, this form was powerful enough to alleviate or cure sicknesses.

Maybe…

He stood. "I have an idea."

Near the doors, an elderly man was nursing a mug. He looked friendly enough. If not, then Naofumi would have to ask someone else. He made his way to the man. The man barely registered him when he set down his mug.

"Sir," Naofumi says. "Listen, do you know where your reservoir is? We must get there. Fast."

The man took a sip of his mug. "I heard you guys talking to that nurse. I may be old but my hearing is still good. The reservoir is outside our village. Go to the entrance then take a left. You'll find our reservoir eventually."

"Thanks. Come on, guys!" He called out to his companions.

He turned to go when the man grabbed him by the arm. Naofumi almost retaliated but froze when the man's eyes peered at his own.

"Listen, I don't know what the hell is going on with you, Shield Hero. But the other Heroes, especially that Spear Hero aren't doing much to help people. Except you. Prove to me that you're willing to help anyone no matter."

He let go of his arm and went back to drinking his mug.

Naofumi could only stare at the man. He was blunt with his words but beneath it, he was sincere.

"I will."

"What's the plan?" Rowan asks.

After leaving the village, the team followed the direction the old man gave them and after ten minutes, they found the reservoir. It was a circular lake with a pump house on the opposite side from where they were at.

The water reflected the sun's rays. The almost blue water didn't show any signs of tampering, but looks can be deceiving. A clear body of water could be hiding something. And in this case, it was poison.

"Rachel," Naofumi knelt at the water's edge. "You have a spell that can cure poison, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because we're going to use my Leaf Shield and your magic to purify the lake."

The plan formed in his mind earlier when they left the alehouse. He didn't know just how strong his Leaf Shield is in terms of purifying as all it did was enhance any type of grass, herbs, and medicine. But if he could make it work with water and Rachel's magic, then it's worth a shot.

He couldn't think about it if it fails.

"You sure this will work?" Rachel came to kneel beside him. "This kind of poison from a grim dragon can only be cured with medicine."

"Medicine or not, this is our only option." He lets his hand hover over the water's surface. "Here's the plan. I'll dip my shield into the water while you begin your spell. We'll work in tandem. You ready?"

"Ready," Rachel's voice was filled with determination.

"Let's do this."

Naofumi slowly lowered his hand until it was underwater, his Leaf Shield just barely poking out. He concentrated all of his focus on his shield. Then he remembered what Tabitha had said. How everyone was capable of learning magic through mana. If he had been in this world long enough to form a connection with the mana, then he can use that along with his focus.

Closing his eyes, he imagined putting all of his focus and effort onto the shield. He felt a tugging sensation along with a feeling of lightness in his chest. Was this mana?

Beneath the water, his shield began to glow a verdant green.

Rachel extended both of her hands to the shield. A bright green sigil formed over his shield. The sigil glowed brighter as Rachel put all of her magic into the spell.

That's when it happened. The glow from the shield and sigil expanded more into the water. It was almost like how you would dip powdered drink mix into water.

"Amazing," Mina said with awe.

The glow continued to expand until the entire reservoir was glowing a bright green. They continued their purification for a few more minutes before the glow began to dim until it was gone.

"Phew!" Rachel fell back onto her rear. "That took out a lot of mana from me."

Naofumi opened up his menu and looked at his MP. Not only was it half empty, but so was his SP. The combination of his shield's magic and his own took a lot out of him.

"Did it work?" Rowan asks.

"I think so." Naofumi was sure of it. "How long does it take for a grim's dragon poison to take effect?"

"About a minute," Rachel answers. "It's powerful enough to cripple anyone with sickness."

"Time to test it then."

Naofumi cupped his hands in the water and slurped it in. It certainly didn't taste like bottled water, but it didn't taste bad either.

Rachel, Mina, and Rowan waited with bated breath, hoping that Naofumi's plan worked.

When five minutes passed, Naofumi stood and again, checked his menu. No signs of poison. His health remained the same.

It worked.

It actually worked!

He smiled and looked on at his friends. "We did it!"

His gamble paid off. The reservoir was now safe for the village to continue using.

"I can't thank the four of you enough." The nurse clasped Naofumi's hands, tears almost spilling from her eyes. "I heard the rumors about you, you know. But seeing you help the sick and purifying the lake, you're not the monster everyone says you are. Thank you!"

They had returned from the reservoir and alerted the village lord of what happened. He took to informing the guards to spread the message across the village and by the time it was past lunch, word got around quickly.

Naofumi didn't know how to respond to so much emotion coming from one person. She was almost crying tears of joy.

"I did what I could. I'm glad I was able to do something."

"No need to be humble," Mina says with a smile.

Well, in that case. Naofumi gave a genuine smile to the nurse.

She let go of his hand. "I'm so glad you stopped by. Who knows what would've happened to all of us?"

Naofumi's smile faltered. The issue with the lake is clear. All that's left was the perpetrator.

"Wait. Before you go back to the hospital, there's something we need to discuss."

"What is it?"

"We know the lake was tampered with, that much is obvious. Someone must've passed by here at some point. Can you think of anyone that looked suspicious? Anything helps?"

The mystery was almost done.

"Umm…" The nurse furrowed her eyebrows. "We do get a lot of travelers. Our village often trades with shop owners who use deliverymen to send supplies."

Almost there, they were almost there.

"Wait." The nurse snaps her fingers. "Yes, there was one person that came by a few days ago."

"What did they look like?" Naofumi wasn't sure if he could even find this person, but if the nurse remembers their appearance, it'll help.

"It was a man. I was out on my break going to the alehouse when I spotted him. He wore a red bandana over his head and his sleeves were pulled up with black tattoos on them. I thought he was a traveler but something about him was odd. Like he was scrutinizing the people. I didn't want to be late for eating lunch so I left. When I left the alehouse, he was gone."

A man with a red bandana and tattoos on his arm.

"Thank you. We'll be sure to look into it."

When the nurse leaves, the group huddles together.

"She could be talking about anyone," Rowan points out. "We can't question every man who has arm tattoos. That'll take us forever."

"And he might've taken off his bandana," Mina says. "Whoever this man is, he wasn't exactly conspicuous. Then again, there's nothing to go by other than a bandana and tattoos."

"Great," Rachel huffed an irritated sigh. "Now how the hell are going to find this guy?"

This was a needle in a haystack case. It wouldn't do anyone good if Naofumi reacted the same way as Rachel.

"How about this," he offered. "We'll rest up here and go back to Castle Town tomorrow and try to tell the knights. Other than that, we'll just have to keep an eye out for suspicious men with arm tattoos."

His friends nodded.

They started in the direction of the inn when the nurse calls out to them.

"Sorry!" She pants. She must've run from the hospital. "Sorry. Listen, there's a favor I have to ask you all if that's OK?"

Naofumi looked to his friends and they nodded. "Go on," he says.

"We used up half of our medicine stock to treat the patients. But with all the chaos happening, we're almost out of an ingredient. A moss that grows in a cave not far from here. Could you please get some for us? We'll pay you, of course. We have enough funds to pay adventurers if we need their help."

Though they had enough money, more of it would be good for them in the long run. And, if Naofumi has learned anything from RPGs, caves have monsters in them.

"Yeah. We'll do it."

A figure stepped over puddles on the ground. Keeping one hand on the wall and an orb of fire in the other, the figure pressed forward. It shouldn't be long before he reaches the spot.

The light from the flame illuminated the path in front of him. He kept his eyes forward while taking the occasional glance to the ground to avoid any small holes. There were no monsters in sight which was good for him. The last thing he needed was to fight and damned monster.

He kept going until he saw a faint glow. He dimmed the flame. He finally found it.

He rounded a corner and stopped. Rocky walls were covered in glowing blue moss.

Perfect.

The man pushed up his sleeves, revealing black tattoos snaking up his arms.

"Time to get to work."