Adrian simply shook his head. " I found the herbs pretty quickly."

" Boy, theres no need to lie." Mr Miller found it hard to believe that someone could complete his list so quickly, not to mention a young man like Adrian.

" If you didn't get caught up in that blizzard because of herbs, then why?" He questioned.

" Shouldn't you already know, like you said, you asked that guy why I took so much time." Adrian chuckled, finding this hilarious. The same person he'd saved had passed on wrong information about him.

" The only reason I got caught up in that blizzard was because I went back to save him..."

" Y-You–" Mr Miller froze for a moment before a look of disbelief filled his face.

" B-But you could have been killed? Why didn't you just leave him behind?" The more he thought about it, the more absurd he realized it was, though he ran the village clinic, Mr Miller was aware of what goblins were capable of, not to mention 3.

' What sort of stupid fool would risk his life and fight 3 goblins just to save a complete stranger?' he thought to himself, clearly doubtful.

Meanwhile, Adrian was stumped by Mr Millers question. he was silent for a moment, his mind flashing back to the cave, the first time he saw Leo tied up, looking like a broken man.

The sight of that broken, terrified face stirred his heart at that moment. He hadn't really thought about it in words, he had just acted because it was what he felt he had to do.

"I… I couldn't," Adrian finally said, his voice was shaking as if conflicted but ended up coming out firm.

He looked past the doctor, out the small window at the hard, frozen world outside before his gaze shifted to his mother who was now laying in the chair asleep.

" No matter how tragic, hopeless or dangerous a situation may be, I think that so long as there's someone who believes they can help, there's no reason to be hopeless."

" Honestly, I only helped because I didn't want to live him back there... He didn't say anything but I could at least understand what he must've been going through under their arms."

" So... I just had to help him. If someone needs help, shouldn't it be given to them?"

Mr. Miller's expression was unreadable, his perception of Adrian seemed to have changed after hearing his answer.

"That's a noble thought," he said, his tone not mocking, but deeply skeptical.

"But what if he had been someone horrible who got captured while escaping. You had no idea of his past and yet you choose to save him?"

" Can you tell me that you would do the same thing for a murderous bandit? What of those three creatures you killed? Can you say for a fact that you wouldn't have attacked them if you were already aware of who and what they had done.

Adrian met the doctor's gaze then, his own eyes clear and unwavering. A certainty he didn't know he possessed settled within him.

" I'm not a god who cares for the past of others, so long as they're truly willing to change, shouldn't they be given a chance at least?" he replied without a hint of hesitation.

" What if one of them had harmed your dear mother?"

" DEATH...." Adrian cut the doctor off before the latter could even finish the last syllable of his sentence, yet his face remained as calm as before. Though there was a strange light in his eyes at the moment.

For a long moment, the only sound one could hear from the room was the crackling of the fire in the fireplace and the soft, stable breathing of Adrian's mother from across the room.

Eventually, The doctor's stern facade seemed to soften at the edges, the hard line of his mouth relaxing into something that was almost, but not quite, a smile. He gave a slow, single nod, as if confirming something to himself.

Just then, Adrian's mother stirred, her cough returning faintly.

"I should get her home," Adrian said, already moving toward her.

" I appreciate the chat Mr Miller, it was nice." Adrian smiled at the man.

"Of course," Mr. Miller said, his voice back to its usual professional tone. He helped Adrian get his mother to her feet and saw them to the door. As Adrian stepped out into the cold, the doctor's voice stopped him.

"Adrian," he said. The use of his name, without the usual coldness, made him turn back. "Come and see me tonight. After sundown. There's… something we need to discuss."

" What for?"

Mr Miller didn't say anything but gestured for Adrian to come over. He was confused but did as the doctor asked when his mother urged him on.

" What is it?" Adrian said, sounding a bit impatient and anxious, leaving his mother out in this cold.

" Between a gardener who prunes a tree to the point of death so it may bear greater fruit, and the logger who cuts it down to build a shelter."

" Which hand shows the tree more respect?" Mr Miller smirked as he asked.

' What kind of question in this?' Adrian grew more confused with the doctor and annoyed as well but ultimately, he decided to give an answer at least.

" I don't know but I think it's their intent that matters, not their actions?" Adrian replied yet he was still confused by the doctors question.

" Are you sure?" The doctors smirk grew even more. " The tree will always feel the same bite of the axe no matter who it is that makes use of it, my boy, creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin, joined together by necessity. To choose one as good and the other as evil is to see only the edge of the blade. A wise man sees the whole knife, and understands that it's purpose is defined not by its shape, but by the hand that holds it."

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