The Good Teacher

"Of all the possible procedures that a healer can perform in their career, none are riskier than childbirth. Even with mages, childbirth is one of the most taxing and life-threatening phases of their lives, it isn't farfetched to declare that the waning population amongst the ancient clans is a result of this fear," Kano read out loud. Although some of the words written on the page were beyond his reading level, he had enough experience in applying phonetics to pronounce them properly. Even though he hadn't seen or heard of some of the words and terms used, he could understand their implication through contextual clues.

"Why is this the case? Why is childbirth so risky, even for mages who are supposed to be considered stronger, better, superior in every way possible? I found through highly targeted research, after perusing texts from acknowledged sources over multiple kingdoms, that the healing community is divided into two contrasting corners. The first, and the most controversial, opinion suggests that childbirth is akin to a tribulation every mortal and mage must go through. Those that perish during it, do so because they are unworthy. If that were the case, then why is it that men do not have to undergo this so-called "tribulation"? Needless to say that I do not agree with this opinion. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of healers subscribing to this theory happen to be males..."

"The second opinion suggests that childbearing itself is a taxing process as the unborn child siphons half of all the nutrition absorbed by the mother. Supporting research performed by a healer who observed the childbearing phase amongst mothers from different species and from different realms of magic concluded that the absorption is proportional to the realm of the mother, i.e. the stronger the mother the greater the nutrition is absorbed by the child. Essentially, the child can be analogous to a parasite that tunes its hunger based on the capacity of its host (I find this analogy abhorrent yet apt)(on a side note, it was also found that a child born from a mage at a higher cultivation realm will generally have an easier time advancing as a mage). Hence, if a prospective mother does not moderate her intake according to her capacity, then she faces greater danger during childbirth since her life force may not be sufficient to sustain her through the process. This of course ignores other complications such as the baby's size, orientation, and other such complications that can also adversely affect the mother and in some cases the child."

"However, it is callous to simply make such a declaration and expect a different outcome, because we are overlooking the inherent inequality faced by people from different walks of life. It is unfair to instruct a village woman, who barely makes enough to feed herself, to eat more. Interestingly, the research conducted by the earlier healer did suggest that a mortal woman fares better during childbirth even if her nutrient consumption is below the safe amount (on the other hand, a mage is guaranteed to perish if they do not meet that benchmark)."

"Thus I wonder if it is possible to overcome this obstacle by developing a novel birthing procedure that can increase the probability of safe childbirth. The closest solution I have found seems to be derived from a common, yet admittedly barbaric, strategy employed in rural villages. If childbirth enters a dire situation, and the life of the mother and child hangs on a balance, it is often the case that the family sides with the child over the mother. Inevitably, the midwife or person handling the childbirth simply extracts the baby right from the mother's womb by creating an incision (of course, the mother dies a painful death due to blood loss)."

Kano visibly cringed at the last sentence. His tiny mind just couldn't fathom what he was reading at this point. Everything was just so unbelievably gory.

"It is possible to use healing arts to stifle bleeding. However, the pain is still an issue that needs to be acknowledged. A simple numbing balm is insufficient. The most optimal solution is to ingest a potion that directly inhibits the nerves that register the pain. Essentially, a potion that targets the spine in any way should work. I have yet to properly test this theory. You can already imagine the difficulty... I abhor having to seek out pregnant women and test out half-baked theories on them with the hope of perfecting my procedure. Furthermore, very few women consent to it - only those desperate volunteer. Nonetheless, this will be my Magnum Opus! I hope that when I have my child, she will have the benefit of being born through my procedure. Of course, this is all wishful thinking."

What followed after were some incredibly in-depth sketches and descriptions that elaborated on various theories and solutions thought up by the woman. Kano did not understand any of them, so he carefully closed the book and placed it to the side. Having piqued his interest, Kano decided to check out the rest of the books on the shelves.

He went over to the first one from the left and picked it out. To reach it he had to drag over a chair from the other side of the room and had to stand on his tip-toes. He carefully placed the book on his lap and opened it to the first page.

"This is also a journal!" And it was also written in the same impeccable and legible handwriting as the one before, albeit Kano could feel more energy and vigour from this one given the passionate flourishes and forceful penmanship.

The first page read, "Documenting Medicinal Fungi from the Swamps of Garand."

"Why did I have to be so hardheaded and stubborn? As part of my advancement ceremony within Saint Mungo's Order, my sect dedicated to the healing arts, I have chosen to explore the treacherous Swamps of Garand. Honestly, though, it wasn't as if the other options were any better. The Misty-Maze Valley and the Endless Lake of Mar are just as dangerous, the only difference is that a multitude of hitherto unknown poisonous plants and venomous fauna were indigenous to the swamps. Well, wasn't this the whole purpose of the advancement task? Documenting new and unknown things? Expanding the Order's archives to improve our capacity as healers? Who am I kidding? If it weren't for Kaisel's idiotic challenge and diminutive words, I would have chosen between the other two like the rest of my batch. I should have just swallowed my pride and followed the crowd. Note to self: Never let your pride overtake reason!"

Kano raised his eyebrows in surprise and commented, "Huh... That's exactly what Teacher Larks says."

He then continued, "Boy o boy was I lucky! I nearly got stung by a Nerubian Mosquito! If it weren't for my inner-wear with an active insect-repelling enchantment, I would have died minutes into my exploration. But in the process of escaping a horde of those fatal bloodsuckers, I stumbled upon a fungal cluster that has not been recorded within the Order's archives. Interestingly, these fungi passively deter Nerubian Mosquitoes. I think a further investigation into the properties of this particular fungi is warranted."

"Interesting... By sheer fortune, I stumbled upon the only herbivorous fauna that lives in the Swamps of Garand - I call it the Skinchanging Sloth. A rather sluggish creature, this sloth moves at an unbearably slow pace and has near-negligible mana and life signature (matching that of a corpse) - I would have missed it had I not been ardently observing the fungi clusters. It seems as though it is this characteristic that has allowed it to survive in such an antagonistic environment. Furthermore, the sloth seems to exclusively consume the myriad of fungi growing around the area it resides in. I've named this species of the sloth Skinchanging for a specific reason, and that is because it physically alters its skin to exude the same essence as the fungi it consumes. This phenomenon naturally deters the multitude of insects that linger in its vicinity. I am using the sloth to gauge the edible nature of these fungi."

"Success! One of the fungi frequently consumed by the Skinchaning Sloth promotes coagulation of the blood. That is, if the blood is exposed to the atmospheric air, it coagulates at a rapid rate (at least 3 times the average). Furthermore, the aroma it exudes acts as an excellent insect-repellent (on a side note: it smells suspiciously of strawberries)!"

Kano continued reading the enthusiastically written journal to its completion. He was so absorbed in it that he didn't see or hear a person entering the room. By the time he finished and returned it carefully to his now growing "already read" pile, he was surprised by the sudden presence of Goran within the room.

The boy was about to open his mouth to apologise, but he suddenly noticed the dreary aura hanging over the man. If there was one thing Kano was good at, it was picking up on emotional cues - and it was uncannily accurate. He never knew he even had such an ability, but when all other troubles lingering in his mind were slowly dislodged by Teacher Larks, all of his suppressed qualities just burst through.

As Kano approached Goran, he noticed just what had gotten the man into such a morose frame of mind: it was the painting of the woman.