M.I Hausk

Chapter 1 - Part 8

Moment of Truth

The night was still young, the air cool but heavy with the scent of roasted pork and beer spilling from the guild's pub. Hausk, on his way home, couldn't help but catch a whiff of the food. His stomach growled, a low rumble that made him pause. The main doors of the guild were near the pub, and sure enough, there was his team-Cammron, Chasen, and Foremain-already settled in, plates full of pork chops and roasted pork. He grimaced.

Hausk shifted, debating with himself before limping toward their table. He stood there for a moment, his presence looming, eerily still. His team, mid-bite, exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of it.

Cammron's brow furrowed. "Hausk... why are you standing there like that?"

Without missing a beat, Hausk gestured vaguely to himself. "May I?" His voice dripped with a combination of sarcasm and feigned politeness.

Cammron, still weirded out, shrugged. "Sure, but you could've just asked instead of... you know, creeping us out."

Hausk sat down with a tired groan. "I was hoping one of you might get the hint. Clearly, I need to lower my expectations." His smirk was sharp, but the usual bite in his tone was laced with fatigue.

Foremain rolled his eyes, cutting into his pork chop without looking up. "Could've just said you wanted to eat."

Ignoring the banter, Hausk casually reached over and grabbed pieces of pork from each of their plates, not even bothering to ask. He nodded in mock gratitude as he shoved a piece into his mouth. "Thanks," he mumbled, his voice muffled by the food.

The rest of the team barely blinked, accustomed to his behavior by now. They continued eating, the clinking of utensils and the occasional grunt from Foremain filling the air. Hausk ordered a beer, downing half of it in one go. The warmth of the drink spread through him, but something gnawed at the back of his mind-something off.

His chewing slowed. He swallowed, a thought taking root. "Since when does our guild have the budget to afford this quality pork meat?" His voice cut through the relaxed atmosphere, sharp and curious.

Foremain looked up, chewing thoughtfully before answering. "They don't. I got this from Valen's place. She's got a stockpile of it. Figured she wouldn't miss a few."

Hausk's eyes narrowed. "How many is 'a few?'"

Foremain wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Enough to last her a year, at least."

There was a pause. Hausk stared blankly at the pork chop on his plate, his mind racing. He picked up the meat, inspecting it with a sudden intensity. His teammates exchanged confused glances, unsure of what had triggered the shift in his demeanor.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" Hausk's voice was low, laced with irritation.

Foremain frowned. "Didn't think it mattered. The meat's clean, well-preserved. What's the problem?"

Hausk's expression darkened. "You idiot." He slammed the pork back onto the plate, eyes blazing. "You know what kind of creatures are bred in those mountains, don't you? Fat pigs, raised there, are notorious carriers of eucestoda manaeater."

Foremain leaned back, confused but unfazed. "You mean tapeworms? That shouldn't be an issue. We cooked the meat. Heat kills 'em."

"Cooking reduces the risk, sure," Hausk snapped, "but it doesn't eliminate it. There's always a chance the meat was already compromised or undercooked. You didn't think that might be relevant?" His voice grew louder, frustration seeping in.

Foremain's brow furrowed. "Valen's pork looked perfectly fine. And why would this matter, anyway?"

Hausk let out a sharp breath, pacing around the table, his mind piecing together a theory. "Valen's suffering from Arcane Neurocystic Infestation. The eucestoda manaeater is a corruptor parasite. It embedded itself in her mana channels, feeding off her energy to survive. By feeding on her mana, the parasite multiplies, and eventually, it found its way to her brain. That explains every damn symptom."

Chasen's eyes widened. "But... it didn't show up in the Enchanted Cytometry test."

"Of course it didn't," Hausk shot back. "That test only detects corruption in mana flow, not parasites that consume mana. This thing's been feeding off her energy, not distorting it."

Cammron leaned forward, concerned about crossing her face. "And the cursebreaking attempts? Why did they make her worse?"

Hausk stopped, rubbing his leg as he processed the question. "The cursebreaker didn't worsen her condition. The worms did. When the cursebreaker was applied, it killed the parasites by force, so they exploded. That caused an unfiltered surge of mana to spread with the dead worms, resulting in the discoloration and magical backlash we saw."

Chasen muttered, "But we tried Arcane Resonance Imaging to detect magical imbalances. Her body rejected it."

Hausk waved a hand dismissively. "Forget the ARI. Get a Concentrated Energy Ray (CER) on her leg. If you see cysts, you'll know for sure."

Foremain furrowed his brow, still digesting the information. "And if we find cysts?"

Hausk stood up, grabbing his staff. "You'll need to remove the cysts and kill the remaining parasites without rupturing them. It's delicate work, but it's her only shot."

"Anti-parasitic potion it is." nodded Cammron, knowing Hausk's way of delivering a solution.

Chasen blinked as he saw Hausk stood up. "Where are you going?"

Hausk limped toward the door, his voice fading as he exited. "I expect results in the morning. Enjoy the rest of your dinner."

The three of them sat in stunned silence for a moment, processing what had just happened. Foremain glanced down at his half-eaten pork chop, suddenly less enthusiastic about it.

Cammron sighed, pushing her plate away. "He didn't even pay for his beer."

They all looked at each other, knowing what came next. A silent game of chance, each hoping not to be the one stuck paying for Hausk's meal. By the time Foremain slapped a few coins on the table, a scowl firmly set on his face, they were all ready to begin treatment on Valen for the rest of the night.