[Equi's POV!]
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After running around the town the entire night, I finally stopped at a random corner.
'Seems like I am still not powerful enough to track them,' I thought as I recalled I couldn't find those gods again, no matter how much I tried. There were a few traces, but those were intentional. If I followed them, I would be able to find them, but they too would know of my existence.
"Can't really let that happen," I sighed as I then observed the line at a distance.
It was a long line of people that carried one form of injury or another. While normally I would have ignored anything minor like that, right now I had nothing to do. And looking at the lack of my arms, I wondered if the place was good enough to provide amputation?
In the dwarven lands, they sure had things like that.
And with that in mind, I altered my face a little, before following towards the place where the line was leading to. While the line was long, it didn't take much time to reach the place.
'NEPTUNE'S CLINIC: FREE MINOR TREATMENT CLINIC!'
My eyes narrowed at the people entering the clinic and those leaving with bandages. My eyes searched for people with lost limbs first, and when I found a girl without a hand, I moved closer to her.
"Ummm… excuse me," I tried starting conversation first, gathering her attention and those in the surrounding. They all looked at me, giving me a cautious look before the girl narrowed her eyes and asked,
"Me?"
I nodded and then politely asked," does this place provide amputations and prosthetics, too?"
There was hesitation in my voice. Looking at the rundown clinic, I expected little, but since the line was long, I thought I should at least ask before leaving from here.
"Ah! You too lost your limbs?"
It wasn't the girl, but the middle-aged man in front of her. He observed my body, focusing on the arm area. Making a solemn expression, he continued,
"For a pretty young girl like you to go through something like this. This world has truly fallen… just what exactly are the gods doing when we need them the most?"
I observed that pity with a blank expression. Can't really tell him I am one of the gods he is talking about, can I?
"Don't mind him, miss. He just… Well, a lot of things happened with him. You can actually just go to the clinic directly. People who need amputations are given priority there, and since everything is free, nobody complains," the woman behind the lady chimed in.
Though this raised the question of why the lady in the middle wasn't going to the clinic. Surely, given her condition, she should be given a priority too, right?
I looked at the girl standing there without speaking anything, so I sighed and then thanked that woman and man before moving towards the clinic.
As I walked, the other looked at me with an odd look. Some talked among themselves, others just observed me, though not minding them I reached in front of the rundown clinic.
Much to my surprise, it was run by a bunch of kids running here and there carrying bandages and herbs.
"Excuse me? I heard amputations and prosthetics are also provided here," I tried starting a conversation with one of the kids who was on guard here.
Hearing my words, he sighed. Then he answered," yes, it is provided. But only when master Neptune is present. He is the only one who can do that."
I heard as I looked at the clinic's name before turning back to the boy," is he not here, yet?"
"No. And neither do I know when he will return. Also, you should follow the line since that's the only way you can enter the clinic. And no, we do not provide priority to those who need amputations, rare diseases or anything else. Even emergency cases aren't given priority.
And yeah, wherever you got that information about priority, you were lied to," he spoke in a monotone, not even bothering to look at me.
"…"
I stood there blankly, as I looked back at the woman and man standing back at the line, laughing at me.
"This is how this town is now. Lifeless… lawless. Don't be surprised… this did not even scratch the surface," a voice came from behind as a girl appeared. Dusting her hands, she then stretched and sat beside the boy before taking out some form of meal from her pocket.
The boy, who was lacking any enthusiasm, then stood up and moved inside the clinic while the girl kept observing me.
"Munch munch… You must be new here… munch munch… since sir Neptune is the only one who can …munch… help you, I suggest …munch… waiting here than following the line. Gulp," she gulped the whole bread-like meal into her mouth before gulping it down with water.
"That was refreshing!" She smiled brightly before looking at me as she spoke," my name is Jasmine. What's yours?"
I observed her for a few minutes before answering," Ei. My name is Ei."
"Eh? Peculiar name. You must have come from quite far," though surprised, Jasmine made little of my name. She just smiled at me before continuing," So, Ei. What brings you to this Coast City? Are you traveling to the Light Continent or going to the Mermaid Land?"
"I am… just looking for something. It's something important to me… the last traces were seen in this city, so I thought I should check the city out," I told Jasmine as I looked around the city. I sighed as I wondered just where the [Chalice of Equilibrium] would be?
"Is that so? Well. You came at quite a peculiar time… come sit here. Since I got nothing to do for another hour, I could at least tell you about this city," she smiled as she patted the seat next to her, signaling me to sit there.
I nodded as I sat beside her. Since I had no lead as of now, I guess I can pass some time too.