The Physician’s Secret and the Genesis of Vile Seeds

“I know this method isn’t right… but I truly had no other choice.

My greatest fear is the villagers discovering this; should they learn of such a matter, they would scarcely care whether my son was truly human or not…”

Thomas wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

“My lord, you must understand, from time to time, children are born in our village who bear little resemblance to humans.

Some have horns protruding from their heads, others are covered in white fur; the villagers call them ‘monsters,’ claiming they are malevolent spirits escaped from the forest.”

“Whenever such a child is born, their parents cast them into the forest; it’s an unwritten rule in our village.” Thomas’s voice grew progressively softer.

“Yet, some of those children actually survive, living by cutting firewood.

The villagers brand them harbingers of disaster, yet surreptitiously utilize the firewood those children gather, exchanging it for mere scraps of food or cast-off shoes and broken pots.”

“Those children cannot remain long in the village; if they even approach the village center, someone will invariably chase them away with sticks.”

“I’ve heard the firewood they gather comes from a strange tree deep within the woods, a tree no one else can approach, only they can touch it.

That wood burns exceptionally fiercely, far better than ordinary timber.”

“But no one in the village dares to say that tree is good.

They claim it’s an evil tree, yet they burn its wood daily in secret.” Thomas’s voice caught, and he choked back a sob involuntarily.

“My son isn’t malformed in any way; he simply survived through an unconventional means.

However, if the villagers ever find out, they will surely claim he’s one of those things from the forest and demand we throw him in there too.”

“That’s why, when Sansa sought help for his illness, the village doctor learned of it.

Today, I pleaded with the doctor not to reveal this secret.

I gave him all the salt and cured meat we had saved, but he…”

“Get to the point!” Adrian interrupted Thomas.

He held no interest in these village superstitions; his sole desperation lay in acquiring information about the man who styled himself a “physician.”

“What does that doctor look like?” Adrian pressed.

“Alright, alright.” Thomas hesitated for a moment.

A flicker of struggle crossed his eyes, but as thoughts of his wife consumed him, he ultimately bowed his head in profound anguish.

“He typically wears a mask; I only glimpsed his uncovered face when he sought respite within my home,” Thomas whispered.

“He warned me then that he would treat the illness, but I was forbidden to reveal a single word about him.”

“I will keep your secret,” Adrian nodded.

“He’s a middle-aged man with brown hair and a remarkably large nose,” Thomas recalled with difficulty.

“And… a mole nestled near the corner of his mouth.”

“Hmm.” Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly as he murmured to himself, ‘It seems he’s the one we’re looking for.’

“M-my lord…” At this revelation, Thomas’s composure shattered instantly, his voice quivering with fright.

“He said… if we ever told anyone what he looked like, he would return and kill our entire family!”

Thomas shook his head frantically as he spoke, his posture collapsing into a near-bow of supplication.

“He… he truly is a monster!” Thomas exclaimed.

“I witnessed with my own eyes him drag a ruffian from the village entrance into the thicket.

The man was later drained completely, like a desiccated corpse.”

“Is there any other information?” Adrian inquired.

“We didn’t speak much with him, only about my son’s illness,” Thomas replied cautiously.

“Oh, and he also asked us for a list of ‘evil people in the village.’”

“A list?” Adrian’s eyebrow arched subtly in question.

“Yes… I merely jotted down the names of a few local thugs and ruffians.” Thomas swallowed, casting a wary glance at Adrian.

“Those people constantly bully the children of the poor, forcing them to pay money and do dirty work, and no one dares to intervene.”

“And after you wrote their names, what happened to them?” Adrian asked.

“Several of them perished… all utterly drained, their faces devoid of even a hint of color,” Thomas shivered.

“Did he say where he was going afterward?” Adrian pressed further.

“He said he was heading north, seemingly towards Baron Freyer’s territory,” Thomas replied.

“He left in a great hurry, leaving nothing behind.”

Adrian offered a faint nod, a subtle smile gracing his features.

He took two steps closer and clapped Thomas on the shoulder.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Thomas,” Adrian said.

Thomas nodded repeatedly.

“I… I just wanted to save my son, my lord, I haven’t hidden anything,” Thomas pleaded.

“Please, my lord, do not disclose to the villagers that a stranger has visited our home, lest they once more heap all the blame upon me.”

“Rest assured,” Adrian said with a smile.

“By the way, your son’s condition has stabilized, and he should make a full recovery within a few days.

I will also return to check on his progress.”

At this, Adrian paused.

“As for the one who ‘procured medicine’ for you… he will not return to seek you out,” Adrian declared as he moved towards the door.

“I assure you, by the name of the Order.”

After exiting the old house, Adrian and Ilisia mounted their horses and proceeded slowly along the path, riding towards Elena’s house.

Along the way, the two briefly cross-referenced their accounts, subsequently easing into a casual conversation.

“Sansa told me about the village legends; aren’t you going to investigate them?” Ilisia asked.

“My sole concern lies with intelligence regarding Evil Seeds; I pay no heed to other demons or monsters,” Adrian replied.

“That ‘flower-selling’ fellow truly holds your interest, doesn’t he?” Ilisia remarked.

“Indeed, for he numbers among the top ten Evil Seeds,” Adrian answered calmly.

“He transforms individuals into Corrupt Seeds not through sanguine sustenance, but by compelling them to ingest a flower that sprouts from his own being.”

“If you recall, over a year ago, when I rescued you in the tavern, one of those bandits was a Corrupt Seed created by that flower-selling fellow,” Adrian stated.

“That giant?” Ilisia questioned.

“The faint aroma lingering in the room just now bore a striking resemblance to the giant’s scent.”

Adrian nodded.

“However, this child today…” Adrian paused.

“He exhibited no signs of mutation; instead, he reverted to a normal state through the influence of that black flower.”

“So, then,” Ilisia tilted her head to look at him, “that flower-selling Evil Seed… is he truly saving people?”

“Uncertain,” Adrian replied, shaking his head with a serious expression.

“Yet, by all accounts, the top ten Evil Seeds are exceedingly perilous entities.

This child’s return to normalcy might merely be an anomaly.”

“What is so special about the top ten?” Ilisia inquired.

“Have I ever enlightened you on the genesis of Evil Seeds?” Adrian countered.

“Through the consumption of mutated flora,” Ilisia answered.

“What was it called… Griffin’s Flower?”

“Precisely,” Adrian affirmed with a nod.

“Most Evil Seeds are created when humans ingest Griffin’s Flowers.

These flowers are exceedingly rare; a mere three hundred and forty-one exist across the entire world.”

“So there are only three hundred and forty-one Evil Seeds at most?” Ilisia asked.

“Yes, which is why I assign them numbers,” Adrian paused.

“However, the Evil Seeds from number eleven to three hundred and forty-one fundamentally differ little in essence.

Their appearances and capabilities may vary, but fundamentally, they are all products of the human body’s transmutation by the flower’s power.”

“The top ten, however, are different,” Adrian stated, gazing at the road ahead.

“They are not mere ‘mutants.’”

“Each of the top ten Griffin’s Flowers seals away the memories and very souls of a ‘Heavenly Court Felon.’

Thus, when a human consumes one, they do not merely mutate; rather, they are utterly possessed.”

“This grants the top ten Evil Seeds not only the formidable power inherent to their kind but also the complete retention of all their past knowledge, experience, and formidable abilities.” Adrian glanced at Ilisia.

“Their comprehension of Evil Seed power… is as profound as my own.”

“Furthermore, I remain ignorant of the bodies they currently inhabit, their precise whereabouts, and the schemes they are meticulously devising,” Adrian said gravely.

“Even more terrifyingly…”

“They know of my existence.”