Lynn froze for an instant.
Then, with a few stiff cracks, he raised his head and stared solemnly into the messenger's eyes, utterly motionless.
Slender Shadow was taken aback. He had no idea why this human was staring straight at him, and there was something unsettling about that gaze-the sort that made his heart race.
"Please sign... I need to go back... and report..."
His voice was hoarse.
Lynn held out a hand and said solemnly, "Wait a moment."
Slender Shadow blinked. "What's wrong?"
Lynn put on his monocle and said gravely, "Have you been experiencing abdominal bloating and pain lately, chills all over, cold spasms in your knees when you walk, and a slight urge to cry when you look in the mirror..."
Slender Shadow instantly went rigid.
What was going on?!
How... how did he know?!
It was true! For the past few months, he had been feeling terribly uncomfortable all over. Especially after a trip to the Deep Frost Bone Grounds to deliver a letter a few months ago, various parts of his body had begun to feel vaguely wrong.
But how did he know about these symptoms?!
Seeing Slender Shadow's stunned expression, Lynn calmly adjusted his monocle and said:
"My friend, you don't have long to live."
Slender Shadow: "???!"
Lynn said gravely, "As you can see, I'm a professional doctor. When I touched your fingertips just now, I noticed something wrong with your body. May I ask whether you've experienced the symptoms I just described?"
Slender Shadow said in astonishment, "Y-yes... a little..."
Lynn nodded and said solemnly, "Have you visited the Extreme Cold Lands recently and been injured by some twisted creature? Do your knees ache faintly whenever the sky turns overcast?"
Slender Shadow exclaimed in shock, "How... how did you know?"
Lynn narrowed