The following day.


    After eating breakfast with Laura''s family, the couple returned to the master''s bedroom.


    ??


    "Wife, I''ll go back to the coal mine today. I will sleep there tonight," Graven said.


    "Okay," Laura replied.


    "I''ll be back here tomorrow morning," he said and nted a kiss on her lips and another kiss on her baby bump.


    "I love you, husband!" Laura said, her eyes sparkled with love for him.


    Graven smiled and hugged her. "I love you more!"


    They hugged each other for a few minutes.


    Graven reluctantly disengaged from their hug a few secondster. "I got to go now!" he said.


    "Bye, husband! Take care of yourself," she spoke.


    "I will!" Graven said and vanished from the room.


    A few secondster.


    Graven appeared in the headquarter.


    Terros and Veronica were already administering the herbal medicine to the men one hour after they have finished eating breakfast.


    "How''s it''s going?" Graven asked Horace.


    "Based on the men who already gone through the experience, the third dose is the time when high fever will ur," Horace answered.


    "Good! How''s the security around South Pond Town? Did our men notice anything suspicious and out of the ordinarytely?" Graven asked again.


    "Nothing new so far. The town is generally peaceful nowadays," Horace replied.


    "How about my father, brother, and his family?" Graven asked.


    "They''re all fine. Your father is asking about you. I told him that you got busy with something, and you n to visit them one of these days as soon you have the time," Horace responded.


    "Does my brother no longer frequented the brothel and other ces that he usually has gone to in the past?" he asked.


    Horace shook his head. "Your brother is now a changed man after his little family lives with him. I think he hadpletely turned his back on his bad vices for the better," he replied.


    "I''m happy to hear that!" Graven said. "What else do you need to report to me?" he inquired.


    "That''s all for now, my lord!" Horace said. "I will go back to South Pond Town now. Is there anything you wish me to buy for you in the town?"


    "Not for me. Just buy the usual food ration for Grandpa and Veronica and bring it here before the day is over so that they can bring it back to the forest when they go home," Graven gave his instruction.


    "Copy, my lord! If nothing else, I''ll take my leave now," Horace said.


    Graven nods his head.


    Horace nced at Veronica before he vanished from the area.


    After the duo finished giving thest dose of herbal medicine to the infected men, they went back to the table.


    "How''s it''s going, Grandpa?" Graven asked.


    "We''re done with thest and final dose. Let see if they will have the same symptom as the first batch," Terros replied. "One hour from now, the reaction of their bodies will manifest. But there is nothing to worry about because we''re well prepared for that," he added.


    "Okay. I''m ready now to take my medicine. Let''s get over with!" Graven said.


    Terros poured the right dosage of herbal medicine into the stic bowl and handed it to him. "Here''s your medicine, son!"


    Graven epted the bowl and gulped the bitter liquid in one go.


    Veronica handed him one ss of water.


    Graven drinks the water bottoms up. "Whew! I feel much better now after I drink the water," he said.


    Terros patted his shoulder. "The second dose will be one hour after lunch," he said.


    "Okay," Graven said.


    "I think we need to go back to my ce now. I''ll leave Veronica here to help take care of things while we''re away," Terros suggested.


    "Alright," Graven agreed.


    Terros looked at Veronica. "We''re going home. Will you be okay, here?" he asked.


    Veronica nodded her head. "Yes, of course!"


    "Alright, let''s go!" Terros told Graven and picked up his medicine toolbox from the table.


    The men disappeared from the ce.


    A few minutester.


    They appeared in front of the bamboo house and climbed the stairs, going to the balcony. They settled there for a few minutes.


    Graven looked at Terros. "The vomiting will start with the second dose, right?" he asked for confirmation.


    "That''s right, son! Don''t worry. I''m here by your side. I won''t leave you alone through your ordeal," Terros assured him.


    Graven chuckled. "Thanks, Grandpa, for your concern. But I''m no longer a child that you have to watch over," he said.


    "It''s okay, I don''t mind," Terros smiled. "If you want to rest, you can sleep on my bed," he offered.


    "Thanks. I''ll go there if I''m feeling sleepy already," Graven replied.


    "If you need anything, I''ll be at the back of the house to check on the nts and gather some firewood nearby," Terros said.


    Graven rose to his feet. "I''ll help you, Grandpa! Since I have nothing else to do," he offered.


    "Suit yourself. Which one do you like doing? Watering the nts or gathering firewood?" Terros asked.


    "I''ll gather firewood!" Graven said.


    Terros smiled. "Okay..."


    The men exited the balcony and went their separate ways.


    A half-hourter.


    Graven finished gathering wood and returned to the bamboo house.


    Terros also finished watering the nts.


    "I''m going to the stream, son. I''ll catch some fresh fish and shrimp to roast for lunch," Terros said.


    "I''ll go with you!" Graven said.


    "Good, let''s go!" Terros spoke.


    The men walked towards the location of the stream. When they arrived there, they were lucky to find an abundance of fish and shrimp in the upper area of the stream. They only catch five big fishes and left the smaller ones to grow. They managed to catch fifteen pieces of big shrimp.


    For Graven, the simple activity of catching fish in the stream is fun and made him forget his problem and worries even for a short time.


    They cleaned the insides of the fish, including the shrimp, to make it ready for cookingter when they returned to the house.


    They stayed in the stream for a while, enjoying the peaceful surrounding.


    They were serenaded by the gentle sound of trickling water and the chirping of birds up above the branches of the trees, which are growing abundantly in the area.


    Terros looked at Graven. "We have enough fish and shrimp for lunch, son. Let''s go back to the house so that we can start roasting our catch!" he said.


    "Alright," Graven replied and picked up their catch that they put securely in the banana leaves.


    The men left the stream and sauntered towards the bamboo house.


    A few minutester.


    They finally arrived at the house.


    "I''m going to roast the fish and shrimp!" Graven said.


    "Okay, you do the roasting, and I''ll boil the rice in the kitchen," Terros said. "I''ll bring the fish and shrimp to the kitchen first to season them with salt," he said.


    Graven nodded his head and went under the shade of the tree. He gathered firewoods and started the fire. He went back to the balcony to get the stainless steel used for roasting food.


    After Terros finished boiling the rice, he joined Graven under the shade of the tree.


    They discussed the means and ways on how to kill the King.


    The aroma of the delicious roasted fish floated in the air permeating their nostrils and making them hungry.


    They ended their conversation when the fish and the shrimp looks ready to eat.


    Graven transferred the cooked food into the stic tter.


    Terros returned to the house to get the rice and utensils.


    A few minutester.


    The two men are now eating their delicious meals with good appetites.


    Half an hour went by.


    They finished eating lunch and gathered the utensils back to the kitchen. Terros washed the dirty dishes while Graven returned to the balcony to mull over his dire condition.


    One hour passed quickly.


    Terros bought the stic bowl containing the bitter-tasting herbal medicine to the balcony. "Time for the second dose, son," he said and ced the bowl on the table.


    Graven looked at the bowl and sighed. He picked it up and gulped it bottoms up. "Done! Man, that was so bitter!" he whined and put the empty bowl on the table.


    "Drink the water," Terros said.


    Graven consumed half the contents of the ss of water and gurgled the rest in his mouth to wash away the bitter taste of the herbal medicine. He rose to his feet. "Vomiting time is up ahead. I better station myself near the bushes so that I can find a good spot to spit the ck liquid," he said and walked towards the staircase.


    Terros looked at his departing form with a gloomy sigh. He will just sit here on the balcony and get ready to assist Graven, just in case he needs assistance.


    He looked at the left side of the balcony where the baskets of dried nts were located. He made the bubble invisible to the naked eye, only him and Veronica can see it. He went closer and looked at Luke''s body inside. He didn''t see any discoloration of the skin, the body is breathing normally.


    He was wondering how long Luke''s body can withstand this kind of condition? He made holes around the bubble to ensure that the body can continue inhaling and exhaling fresh air into its lungs.


    Luke''s power is of another level!


    He just hoped that Luke''s spirit was not captured by the cursed King!


    A few minutester, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Graven running towards the bushes and stayed there. He heard the sound of vomiting...


    In the next two hours, Graven kept vomiting every fifteen to twenty minutes. Terros keeps feeding him a small amount of water to replenish the lost liquid from his body.


    Two hourster, the vomiting finally ended and Graven washed his face with clean water and gurgled drinking water in his mouth. "Thanks for your help and support, Grandpa!" he said.


    "You may continue resting in the balcony," Terros offered.


    "No. I''ll just rest here under the shade of the tree so that it''s easier for me to run to the bushes if I feel like vomiting again," Graven said. He settledfortably on the wooden bench and closed his eyes to sleep.


    Terros went back to the balcony and watched over his charge. Just watching Graven while he was sleeping gives him a sense of purpose.