...
"That's quite a long story." Said Evan, having finished listening to Zain's story.
Zain nodded in response.
"But you cut out some parts. Quite a lot, in fact."
"If I told you the whole story, you'd be sitting here for the rest of your life."
"Haha, yeah, you're right."
"That's a good story."
"Thank you."
"..."
"Zain."
"?"
"That's quite a complicated world." Evan furrowed his brows slightly.
"I never imagined a world with so many different races. I also can't imagine how complicated it would be to coexist with them."
Evan crossed his arms.
"The human race is already so troublesome, what if there were other races like that?"
With furrowed brows and slightly narrowed eyes, Evan stared at Zain. As if to say it was impossible.
Zain just shrugged as if to say he didn't know.
Evan sighed and continued speaking.
"Besides, that world was strange from the beginning. No. From the beginning, why did the gods create so many races in one world? And there are so many gods there, too. Ah, did they create all those different races so they could become the main gods worshipped by each race, like that?"
Evan unconsciously touched his chin, as if he had a beard.
With a blank expression, Zain looked at Evan.
"You always make sarcastic comments first. But yes, it's possible." Zain nodded in agreement with Evan's words.
"..."
"Zain."
"?"
"Can I say something?"
"What?"
"That's not a made-up story or a story from a book."
"Why do you think that?"
"I don't know, I just feel that way."
Zain didn't answer Evan and simply shrugged as if he didn't care. Evan couldn't help but sigh.
"Zain, do heroes really exist?"
"Yes."
"But Zain, it's a magical world. Each person, even each race, possesses innate powers. They are capable of fighting the monsters themselves, and it's also a world where the divine protection is directly present. So why are heroes necessary?"
"Just like a sick person needs a doctor to cure them, and like a pharmacist who adjusts the dosage based on the doctor's advice." Zain replied.
Evan furrowed his brows, his eyes widening slightly.
"I don't understand."
Closing his eyes, Zain replied.
"A doctor's job is to examine patients. Doctors are even differentiated based on their areas of expertise in specific diseases and are called specialists. However, they are all fundamentally the same. They all study the structure and overall health of the human body."
"They analyze a person's illness, find out the causes and effects of the disease. They study the entire system until they find a cure."
"Pharmacists have in-depth knowledge of the ingredients in medicines. Which drugs are more effective, which ingredients won't cause complications, when to take them, which medications shouldn't be taken together, and so on."
"Doctors can't cure without the help of pharmacists, because their knowledge would stop at a prescription."
"Pharmacists can't cure without doctors, because the medicine would be poison if misdirected."
"One is the mind that points to the wound. The other is the hand that concocts the answer."
Evan continued to look at Zain with confused eyes.
Zain continued.
"A doctor wouldn't be able to do anything without a pharmacist."
"A doctor is someone who dares to write a promise on a piece of paper. 'I'm sure, with this you will be cured'."
"But that promise is just writing. Black ink on white paper. It can't be swallowed, it can't be injected, it can't save anyone."
"That promise must be taken to the back. To a quieter room. To the desk of someone who is never called 'doctor'."
"There, the pharmacist takes the promise and reads it like a spell that could explode if one letter is wrong."
"He knows what this promise requires and how much. It must be taken after or before meals. It must not be mixed with coffee, tea, or the milk the patient drinks every morning."
"The doctor knows the name of the disease.
The pharmacist knows how to kill the disease without killing the patient."
"The doctor may leave after writing the prescription. But the pharmacist doesn't. He's the one who will determine whether this is the right answer or not. Is this medicine safe? Will the patient get better after taking this?"
"If there's even the slightest mistake in the medicine he makes, who knows what will happen."
"At that time, trust is essential between the doctor, the patient, and the pharmacist."
"Without the pharmacist, the doctor is just a poet who writes hopes but can never make them come true. And without the doctor, the pharmacist might become an unwitting poisoner."
"The two complement each other."
Evan paused for a moment.
"But Zain, you once said that a patient's recovery can be determined by fate. No matter how miraculous the medicine is, if fate decides otherwise, it's all in vain." Evan said.
"Yes, that's true. But Evan, not everyone lives by resigning themselves to fate."
Evan smiled slightly.
"Yes, you're right. Everyone struggles in life."
"But Zain, what do doctors and pharmacists have to do with heroes?" Evan asked, still not understanding.
"The world is the patient, the hero is the doctor, and their power is the pharmacist."
"??"
"The world, including all the inhabitants within it, has its own illnesses or mysteries. It takes a hero with great powers and the right treatment to solve these problems."
"They become both doctors and pharmacists for that world. For example, there's a weak child who's bullied by other children. The child is so afraid to face the world before him. Then, he sees a hero. He hears stories of the hero's courage and struggles. The child is amazed by the hero. The child also wants to be like the hero. Then he strengthens his heart, and little by little, he becomes braver and takes the next step."
"Isn't that how the hero cured the child's illness?"
"You're saying it as if fear were a disease." Evan said.
"But you have a point." Evan nodded.
"Then, how is the power of a hero like a pharmacist?"
"There are things that can only be solved with the power of a hero. Like eliminating powerful monsters, uncovering crimes in society, exploring mysterious places, or even resolving disputes within society."
"You know, even the words of heroes have power. For example, if a hero says someone is evil, everyone will think they're evil. A hero says a place is dangerous, everyone will avoid that place. Someone says heroes will give rewards to those who do good, and people will do good. Even if their initial goal was rewards, wouldn't they have already taken steps to do good?"
"Yes... that's true..." Evan mumbled.
"But doesn't that sound more like encouragement than medicine?" Evan asked.
"Even medicine comes in many forms." Zain replied casually.
"But Zain, aren't there many people in that world who possess powers less powerful than heroes? You mentioned them as adventurers. Why must so many burdens still be placed on the hero?" Evan asked.
"When you're in the hospital, who do you see besides doctors?"
"Nurses?"
"Yes. What are a nurse's duties?"
"Assisting doctors with patients, such as administering medication, changing IV drips, preparing rooms, and even helping change patients' dressings."
Zain nodded.
"So those adventurers are nurses."
"?? I don't understand." Evan tilted his head.
"Can a doctor take care of all the patients in the hospital?" Zain asked Evan.
"No, they need help from the nurses." Evan replied.
Zain nodded.
"The world is so vast. It's impossible for a hero to see everything that's beyond their eyes. So, to reach those unseen places, adventurers help them."
"Just like a doctor needs to know the progress and condition of their patient, but they can't do it alone. Nurses help them monitor and report to the doctor." Zain said.
"So, the adventurers help the heroes... I understand." Evan nodded.
"But, when I think about it, isn't it similar to the division of tasks among soldiers?" Evan said.
"Yes, that's right." Zain replied.
"I see... so, how did the heroes learn that their kingdom was decaying and the people involved in it, thanks to the adventurers' information?"
"Did you realize that?"
"At first, I just found it strange, because you cut out part of the story and the timing wasn't quite right. How did the heroes get information about the base and the perpetrators so quickly?"
"And now I understand." Evan nodded in understanding.
"Isn't being a hero really hard? They even have to prioritize the well-being of others over their own?"
"Yes, but that's their destiny."
"It's quite a hard destiny, no, it's very hard and quite cruel." Evan muttered.
Zain just listened quietly with his expressionless face.
"Zain."
"What?"
"The kings and the people in that kingdom are so annoying."
"You think so?"
"Well, no, annoying isn't quite the right word... They're rotten." Evan grumbled.
"They're powerful, have a lot of wealth, and live easily. Why are those people so greedy?"
"I don't understand what's lacking in their lives or what kind of pleasure they seek. If I were one of the people there, I'd probably blow up that world too." Evan continued grumbling.
Zain smiled faintly at that.
"But Zain, you said that the world is a patient. But based on your explanation, aren't the people living in it the patients?"
"The world isn't just the ground we walk on. It's not just the sky that shelters us."
"This is also a world..." Zain pointed to Evan's chest where his heart was.
"And this is also a world." Zain pointed to himself.
"Your world, and my world."