Two Solutions

"Hmm?"

Erza looked at Cain with confusion. Was there something wrong with her? How come she didn't know?

Cain was instantly charmed by Erza, who tilted her head and wore a puzzled expression.

Seeing Cain staring at her without saying a word, Erza had no choice but to ask, "Is there a problem with me?"

"Oh, oh." Coming back to his senses, Cain quickly looked ahead to hide his embarrassment.

"You have quite a few problems. For instance, high-intensity labor has left you with hidden injuries, and you're suffering from malnutrition due to a long-term lack of sufficient nutrients."

Cain scolded himself for being pathetic as he spoke.

Erza understood everything Cain was saying. After all, she had been working as a laborer in the Tower of Heaven, where getting a bite to eat was already a luxury.

Recovering his composure, Cain said sternly, "Of course, these are all minor issues that I can resolve. No need to bother Porlyusica."

"The main thing is your right eye."

"My eye?"

Erza touched the bandage over her right eye. It had been blinded when the Magic Council captured and tortured them after their failed escape attempt from the Tower of Heaven.

But now, Cain was implying that Porlyusica could heal her eye.

Facing Erza's hopeful gaze, Cain nodded affirmatively. "Porlyusica's medical skills are excellent. She can definitely heal your eye."

Cain's firm words filled Erza with anticipation for this journey.

Soon, the two arrived at the treehouse. Cain opened the door with familiarity and shouted, "Granny, I've come to see you."

An impatient voice rang out from inside, "No need to shout so loud. I'm not deaf yet."

"Hehe."

Cain didn't mind Porlyusica's dismissiveness at all.

Porlyusica emerged from the room, glanced at Cain, and then directed her gaze toward the slightly reserved Erza standing to the side.

"Do you want me to check this girl's eyes?"

Porlyusica knew better than anyone how strong Cain's physical constitution was, but looking at the young girl who had come with him—with her brittle hair, sallow cheeks, and frail body—it was obvious she had been suffering from long-term malnutrition.

Add in the bandage covering her eye, and there was no need to ask who the patient was.

"You're amazing, Granny."

Cain first complimented Porlyusica, then explained Erza's situation.

Porlyusica didn't pay much mind to the flattery. She walked over to Erza, and a verdant magic circle appeared beneath Erza's feet.

After an examination, Porlyusica nodded, confirming that Cain was right about the hidden injuries and malnutrition.

This wasn't a lack of trust in Cain, but a doctor's responsibility toward her patient.

"Come sit over here."

Porlyusica led Erza to a seat and unwrapped the gauze from her head.

The bandages were soon removed, revealing the gruesome, festering wound to Porlyusica and Cain. It looked incredibly terrifying.

Porlyusica performed the checkup without blinking, while Erza, watching the expressionless woman, unconsciously twisted her small hands together.

Cain went to Erza's side, took her hand, and smiled. "It's going to be okay."

With Cain's encouragement, Erza stopped feeling so nervous.

About ten minutes passed before Porlyusica finished the examination. "The problem is quite serious, but not without a solution. I have two treatment plans."

Upon hearing that it could be treated and that there were two methods, Erza looked happily at Cain, who was equally delighted for her.

"First, we remove the severely damaged right eye and fit you with a prosthetic one. In daily life, it will be no different from a normal eye."

"However, you won't be able to react as quickly to fast-moving targets, and it won't be able to shed tears."

"Second, we preserve the damaged eye and use medicinal potions to slowly stimulate its recovery. The advantage is that it will be no different from the other eye, but the recovery process will be very painful."

Erza did not hesitate and said to Porlyusica immediately, "Porlyusica, I choose the second method."

Porlyusica didn't say much about Erza's choice; she simply nodded and said to Cain, "The second method requires your cooperation, Cain."

Cain was a bit confused but didn't refuse. "Tell me, Granny."

Porlyusica explained, "I have most of the ingredients for the recovery potion, but the most important one is missing, and you need to go get it."

"This ingredient is a Nectar Dew Crystal. It mainly appears in extremely cold environments. If not processed immediately after collection, it loses its medicinal properties, so I don't keep it in stock, and it's rarely traded on the market."

"Leave it to me, Granny."

Porlyusica was confident in Cain's strength; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought it up.

"I'll go too."

Seeing the seriousness in Erza's expression, Cain paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's go together."

Seeing them about to leave, Porlyusica stopped them. "Wait, I haven't finished."

"After using the recovery potion, I will need you to use your magic to help nourish the eye. Only then can it fully recover."

Hearing this, Cain finally understood why Erza's right eye was a prosthetic in the original story.

It was because no one in the original story possessed Holy Light Magic. Without the nourishment of Holy Light Magic, even with the recovery potion, Erza's right eye couldn't fully heal.

That was why Porlyusica had made her a prosthetic eye instead.

After saying goodbye to Porlyusica, the two decided to head back to prepare and leave tomorrow for the Northern Great Snowy Mountain to find the Nectar Dew Crystal.

Erza looked at the boy beside her, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Cain, thank you."

Cain said dismissively, "Hey, it's nothing. We're comrades in the same guild, and not just comrades—we're family. If I were in trouble, you'd definitely help me too, right?"

Hearing Cain say this, Erza nodded firmly. "Yes, I definitely would."

Back in Magnolia, the two bought some cold-weather clothing on the street before parting ways.

Walking home, Cain couldn't help but recall the anime plot where Natsu and Lucy went to the Great Snowy Mountain to rescue Macao.

Would they really not freeze to death in such thin clothes? Oh right, Natsu is a Fire Dragon Slayer Mage, so that was fine.

As for Lucy, you have to admit that a tight-fitting short-sleeved top paired with a miniskirt looked great on her curvaceous figure, though she was freezing at the time.

Cain had originally thought that after gaining magic power, he would be like those characters in novels who were immune to heat and cold.

But he found he was wrong—horribly wrong.

He did have magic power, yes, but magic was also distributed throughout the surrounding environment, which meant that cold places were extremely cold, and hot places were extremely hot.

This situation was a case of "I got stronger, and the world got stronger too." Since both sides improved, it was as if nothing had changed at all. Did two positives make a zero?