Scenario:Jasmine and Vanzza - Healer of the Horned

Healer of the Horned

During a battle, Jasmine is threatened with a knife and Vanzza, thinking it may be poisoned, loses control. When Jasmine learns Vanzza's girlfriend is in a poison-induced coma, she asks for information on the poison and begins research to create an antidote.

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Vanzza: Haaah!

Thief: Ugh!

Vanzza: Humph. Is that the last of them?

Vyrn: Yeah, looks that way. Sorry to ask for your help again, Vanzza!

Vanzza: I'm looking for information on that man. This just happens to overlap with my objective.

After a tip-off about an arrest bounty, the crew has raided the lair of a group of thieves who have been menacing a certain town.

Caught by surprise, the thieves are soon bound hand and foot, and the bounty seems to be all but in hand...

Vyrn: Whew... Sorry, Vanzza. We thought these guys might be connected to the rival you were searching for, but looks like they're not...

Vanzza: Humph... as I keep telling you, I can search by myself. You guys don't have to help me.

Jasmine: Hee hee... All right! I've finished treating the thieves' wounds!

Vyrn: Hey... There's no need to look after those guys. Just leave 'em...

Jasmine: But... When I see someone hurt, I can't withhold the medicine they need...

Vanzza: ...

The crew bring the bound thieves with them along the mountain trail. Suddenly, one of the thieves smiles creepily.

Thief: Geh heh heh...

The thief has managed to wriggle free of his bonds. He springs toward Jasmine.

Thief: Hya ha! I'm taking you down with me, you naive fool!

Jasmine: Huh?

Vanzza: Jasmine! Watch out!

The thief pulls out a concealed dagger and presses the blade to Jasmine's throat.

Vanzza: ...!

Seeing this, something snaps in Vanzza's head.

Vanzza: Rrrraaaaahhhh!

Thief: Eek!

With a cry like a wild beast, Vanzza rushes the thief, knocking him down with a single blow of his tonfa.

Vanzza: Huff... Huff... It's just a dagger. Looks like... the blade wasn't poisoned.

Jasmine: Thank you, Vanzza.

Vanzza: ...

After they hand the thieves over to government officials, a gloomy Vanzza holes up in his room.

Jasmine: Um, why do you think Vanzza shut himself up like that? He's been acting strange since I was attacked...

Vyrn: Something like that happened before. (Captain) was struck by a poison dart and collapsed...

Vyrn: Maybe today reminded Vanzza of that and bummed him out.

Vyrn: It seems like things were kinda complicated for him before he met us too. He must have a lot on his mind.

Jasmine: Hmm... Poison, you say? Was it a strong poison?

Vyrn: It sure was. (Captain) went down seconds after getting hit. And the antidote was really hard to come by.

Jasmine: That's awful! Vyrn, please tell me more about that poison!

Vyrn: Huh? What for?

Jasmine: Well, I was thinking I'd make an antidote myself. As an herbalist, I can't hear a story like that and just do nothing!

Vyrn: Hey, wait a sec... You mean you can do that even without having the actual poison on hand?

Jasmine: Not exactly... But if you tell me how the poison and antidote were used, I should be able to narrow down the type.

Jasmine: Then, if anyone is affected by that poison again, I can make a prototype antidote which would slow its effects and give us more time to save them.

Vyrn: Hmm... You wanna know how the poison worked, huh? It all happened so fast, it's kinda hard to remember...

Vyrn: Erm... I think it was a poison dart, covered in the stuff...

Jasmine: I see... And which part of the body did the dart strike?

Vyrn: Um, I think it was around the neck... but I can't say exactly...

Pressed by Jasmine, Vyrn tries hard to recall the incident.

As if on cue, Vanzza appears.

Vanzza: It was the back of the neck... near the spine...

Jasmine: Huh? Vanzza? You know how the poison was used?

Vanzza: I've seen it... Several times.

Vyrn: That's right... Your girlfriend was poisoned the same way, wasn't she...

Jasmine: My, that's terrible... As an herbalist, I'll do everything in my power to help!

Vanzza: Humph... Leave it. You shouldn't make that kind of promise...
But...

Vanzza: Listen, this antidote... can you make it? The only person who currently has it is Acorazada, the one I'm searching for...

Jasmine: Yes. I'm sure I can make it. Identifying the right ingredients is an herbalist's job.

Jasmine: Um, Vanzza... This may be painful for you to recall, but... please tell me everything you know!

Jasmine: Is this poison never delivered in food?

Vanzza: I don't think so... (Captain) and Carolla were both poisoned using a needle.

Jasmine: Hmm, I see... In other words, it won't take effect if administered orally...

Vanzza: Right. I can confirm that because I was fine after I tried to suck the poison out of the wound.

Vanzza listens carefully to Jasmine's questions, earnestly telling her everything he can remember.

Commanding her medicinal knowledge, Jasmine works out several potential candidates for the poison mixture, writing them down.

Jasmine: Hmm... I can't guarantee that the poison used on Carolla is among these...

Jasmine: But even without Acorazada's antidote, with some time, I promise I'll save Carolla!

Vanzza: ...

Vanzza struggles to remain silent, restraining himself from voicing his usual hatred of promises.

The possibility of an antidote from an unforeseen source appears to be having a powerful effect on him.

Vanzza: Hey... Jasmine. Why? Why go this far?

Jasmine: I just want to save as many people as possible from the suffering caused by illness and poison.

Jasmine: That's... That's all.

Vanzza: Ngh...

Vanzza: Geez, you're going to make me cry!

Jasmine: Eep! Oh no! Vanzza, are you hurt somewhere?

Vanzza: Ha ha... No. I'm fine. Really.

Vanzza: Thanks, Jasmine. I must repay you sometime for this.

Vanzza: Hmm... I know. I'll take you to this cake shop Carolla and I used to go to all the time.

Vanzza: Heh heh... Carolla said the cakes were a little too sweet, actually. It's an important place to the two of us, that shop...

Jasmine: You don't have to... I mean, I haven't done anything for you yet.

Jasmine: Hehe... But why not? If we ever go to that cake shop, I want some acorn cake!

Vanzza: Acorn cake? I've never seen that before...

Vanzza: Huh... Guess I'll try and order it next time, though. Might be fun to see what I get.

Jasmine: Hee hee! I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime, I'll get working on this antidote, Vanzza!

And so Jasmine begins her research in order to save Vanzza's girlfriend, Carolla.

Her optimistic promise shines a ray of hope into Vanzza's despair.