Chapter 99: I’ve Been Eating My Veggies!

Lulu stared at the ground, shoulders hunched. She couldn’t meet her mother’s gaze or was too scared to do so, since she didn’t how she was looking back at her.

Luna stood beside her, her hands clenched into fists, looking between her parents and the crowd like she didn’t know where she belonged anymore.

Her face was full of many emotions—sadness, anger, regret and she looked like she had so many things to say.

Seeing this, Luca felt a pang in his chest.

Pushing away your own mother, cutting her off completely…that wasn’t healthy.

Not for Luna. Not for anyone.

He could see the regret already eating at her, the way her gaze kept flickering toward Leona and then darting away like she’d been burned.

He decided to give her a chance.

“Luna.” He said gently, loud enough for the crowd to hear but soft enough to feel personal. “Do you want to say anything? Anything at all? Whatever’s on your mind…this is a safe space.”

“No one’s going to judge you.”

The square went quiet.

All eyes turned to Luna.

She lifted her head slowly.

For a moment, her lower lip trembled.

Then her expression hardened.

“Luca.” She said firmly. “Just go on. Tell us the resolution. Tell us what exactly this disease is called and how we solve it.”

Luca hesitated, watching her for a moment longer, hoping she’d say something else.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she sighed faintly, then looked toward her mother and Julius, before turning back to him.

“You don’t have to worry about intruders or anyone spying.” She added in a steadier voice. “They can listen for all anyone cares, it’s not going to change the outcome. So, you can speak freely.”

Her words were sharp, like she was trying to cut away her discomfort through authority.

But Luca could see through it—her tone was strong, yet her eyes wavered with unspoken guilt.

Nyx, just shook her head with a quiet sigh, before looking at Leona who’s eyes looked so sad.

“Alright then.” Luca gave a small sigh. “If that’s what you want.”

He stepped forward again, facing the crowd. The elves waited, murmuring softly to each other, anticipation hanging thick in the air.

Luca raised his voice slightly as he went on to say,

“Before I explain everything about the disease, I want to ask you all a few questions. Think of it as a small test for those who attended my class yesterday about the body, health, and anatomy.”

There was a ripple of excitement. Many elves straightened their backs, eager to show they had learned something.

“Let’s start simple.” Luca said, folding his arms with a smile. “Can anyone tell me what micronutrients are?”

Immediately, one of the younger elves, barely an adult shot her hand up proudly. “I can, Hero!”

“Go ahead.” Luca said encouragingly.

She took a small breath, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Micronutrients are the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need in small quantities to function properly. They help our organs, blood, and immune systems work right, even though we only need them in tiny amounts.”

“There are two main types—vitamins and minerals and each has its own role, like helping wounds heal or keeping our bones strong.”

Her words came out quickly, but clear and confident.

“Excellent answer.” Luca nodded with an approving smile. “You remembered everything perfectly. Well done.”

The girl blushed with pride, earning a few pats on the back from those nearby.

“Next question.” Luca continued. “Can anyone explain what macronutrients are?”

There was a brief pause, then an older elf woman raised her hand. She looked a bit uncertain at first, muttering, “Give me a second…” before her expression brightened as she recalled the answer.

“Macronutrients are the nutrients we need in large amounts. They provide energy and are divided into three main groups—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.”

“Each one also has its own purpose. Carbs give energy, proteins build muscle and repair tissue, and fats help store energy and keep the body functioning properly.”

She looked at him nervously, as if unsure she’d said it right.

Luca smiled warmly. “Exactly right. You even got the subtypes in order. I’m impressed.”

The woman let out a relieved laugh, her ears twitching happily.

Then he decided to take it one step further.

“Now…can anyone tell me where these micro and macronutrients can be found? Where do we get them from?”

Half the crowd immediately raised their hands, some of them waving eagerly.

It was obvious they wanted to impress him.

Luca scanned the group, pretending to think, then stopped when he noticed a small elf girl—no older than ten—standing shyly near her mother, her hand raised timidly.

“You.” He said, pointing gently. “I don’t remember seeing you in my class yesterday.”

The little girl blushed but nodded. “I wasn’t there.” She said softly. “But I was listening from the side.”

Her mother gave her an encouraging pat, and the girl straightened up a little, though her small voice trembled.

“But…I think I know the answer.” She said nervously.

Luca smiled kindly. “Then go on. Let’s hear it.”

The girl fidgeted with her hands before answering.

“Most of the nutrients come from the food we eat.” She said slowly. “Like fruits, vegetables and grains. But some things, like…um…like vitamin D, come from sunlight too.”

“S-So we get them from both what we eat and from nature.”

She looked worried she’d said something wrong.

But Luca’s smile only grew warmer.

“Exactly.” He said gently. “You’re absolutely right. You’re such a smart little girl.”

Her eyes widened in delight.

“You should keep that attitude for the rest of your life.” Luca continued, his tone soft but proud. “Whenever knowledge is being shared, listen carefully and absorb it.”

“That’s how you become a person that others can depend on.”

The girl’s mother couldn’t help herself, she pulled her daughter into a hug, beaming proudly. The crowd chuckled softly at the wholesome sight.

But then Luca’s smile slowly faded, his expression turning more serious as he took a deep breath and spoke.

“Now that you’ve all heard what your fellow villagers said…” He began, his voice calm but steady. “…you should have a basic understanding of what macronutrients and micronutrients are.

“And more importantly, how vital they are for your body’s health and strength. And how you should know that if you fail to take them at the proper levels or deprive your body of them for too long, countless problems will start to appear.”

A few elves nodded thoughtfully, while others tilted their heads, clearly curious where this was going.

Luca crossed his arms and continued,

“For example, if you lack carbohydrates, your body won’t have enough energy. If you lack certain fats, your hormones and internal systems won’t function properly. If you lack specific vitamins—say, vitamin C—you’ll suffer from bleeding gums and fatigue.”

“And that brings us to the truth of what happened to all of you—the real reason behind the disease that swept through your homes and caused so much suffering.”

“The truth is…” Luca said, his gaze moving slowly across the villagers. “…the cause of your illness is exactly the same kind of problem I just mentioned.”

“It happened because a certain macronutrient wasn’t properly supplied to your bodies.”

That caught their attention. A hush fell over the clearing.

“You’ve been living with a massive deficiency and it built up, year after year, until your bodies finally started breaking down.”

He paused, looking at them one by one, letting the tension settle.

“Now…can anyone guess which macronutrient I’m talking about?”

For a moment, no one moved. Then, hesitantly, Luna lifted her hand.

“Is it…protein?” She asked carefully. “Protein and amino acids?”

She swallowed, looking nervous, then went on.

“I’m not sure if I’m right, but yesterday you said proteins help build muscle—the flesh of our bodies. And all the patients upstairs had become very bony. They’d lost so much muscle and looked so frail.”

“And even if I can’t connect every symptom, I still think…the problem is protein.”

She looked up at him anxiously, waiting for judgment.

Luca smiled softly. “Exactly. As Luna said, the disease that struck this village is a result of protein deficiency.”

A collective gasp spread through the crowd.

“And not just any mild deficiency.” He continued. “This is one of the most severe cases I’ve ever seen. Even in my world, I’ve never encountered a population so deprived of this vital nutrient.”

He looked at them gravely.

“Because you haven’t been eating a certain food item for so many years, it has built up. Slowly. Silently. Until your bodies started breaking down from the inside.”

“If I hadn’t figured this out when I did…it would only have gotten worse. Your organs would fail. Your immune systems would collapse.”

“You would waste away completely.”

Murmurs of shock and understanding began to spread.

Luca raised a hand to quiet them.

“The illness doesn’t spread by touch or contact. It isn’t contagious. It develops in anyone who doesn’t eat that specific food item for long enough.”

“That’s why entire families weren’t affected.”

“That’s why it hit the oldest the hardest.”

“That’s why it’s spreading now because no one has been eating that specific food item and it’s reached a breaking point, where it’s formed into an ailment.”

The elves began whispering among themselves, shock and disbelief coloring their voices.

Julius, standing off to the side, narrowed his eyes suspiciously, while Leona listened in silence as if she wanted to educate herself in this matter to make sure such things never happen in the future.

But just then, Lulu, who had been listening intently beside Luna, suddenly raised her hand.

“Wait a minute.” She said. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Luca looked at her. “Go on.”

“I mean.” Lulu continued. “I don’t remember changing what I eat. I’ve been eating the same thing for decades—fruits, fruits, and more fruits!”

“Okay, maybe some vegetables on the side. But what I’m trying to say is that everyone’s been eating like that since forever.”

“My grandmother ate the same things too, and she taught me her recipes. So how could this problem suddenly appear now?”

Others nodded quickly in agreement.

“She’s right. We’ve always eaten this way.”

“It’s the same diet we’ve had for hundreds of years.” Another added.

“What went wrong?”

Luca nodded thoughtfully, as if expecting that question.

“That’s a fair point. But you see, the problem didn’t suddenly appear because you changed something recently…”

“…It appeared because you never changed it at all.”

That made everyone blink in confusion.

“What do you mean?” Lulu asked, tilting her head.

“I mean.” Luca said, raising a hand to stop the rising murmurs. “This didn’t happen because you suddenly stopped eating a certain food item.”

“It happened because you’ve never eaten it to begin with.”

“Not you, not your mothers, not your grandmothers—for thousands of years, this particular food has been absent from your culture entirely. And now, without realizing it, that absence has caught up with you.”

A stunned silence spread across the villagers.

Luca continued. “You see, when mana existed in this world, everything was different. Mana infused everything—the air, the soil, the fruits you ate, even the water you drank..Because of that, your bodies could survive on fruits and vegetables alone.”

“The mana inside them acted like a natural supplement. It replaced the nutrients you weren’t getting elsewhere. So even if your diet was unbalanced, your bodies didn’t suffer.”

He looked toward a group of elves whispering near the front and smiled faintly.

“For example, even if you ate nothing but those bright yellow fruits with red flesh inside.”

He said, gesturing toward a fruit basket nearby.

“You would’ve been fine. Mana balanced everything for you.”

One elf in the front row pointed and said, “You mean the Sunfruit, right?”

“Yes.” Luca said with a nod. “Exactly that. In the past, you could eat just that for a month and you won’t see any effects. But now…”

His voice grew quieter, more serious.

“…now, mana no longer flows freely in this world. The fruits and vegetables you eat don’t contain it anymore.”

“So eating the same things you did before isn’t enough. Without mana to supplement what your body needs, your system starts breaking down.”

A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd again. Many nodded in understanding now, their confusion slowly turning into realization.

Luca continued. “That’s why you’re growing ill now, even though you’re eating the same way you always have. The mana that once sustained you is gone and the nutrients that were missing from your diet are no longer being replaced by it.”

He looked at them all carefully.

“The root of your illness isn’t new. It’s been slowly building for generations, hidden under mana’s influence. And now that the mana’s gone, your bodies are showing the consequences.”

He let his words hang for a moment, hoping that everyone understood what he was trying to say.

But then one curious elf, frowning in confusion, lifted her hand timidly.

“What you said makes sense, Hero.” She said hesitantly. “But…I still don’t understand what this food you’re talking about is?”

“I’ve eaten every fruit there is, and every vegetable too. There’s nothing I’ve left out.”

“Yes!” Another chimed in. “I eat my vegetables even though I hate them, and I still got slightly sick!”

“My mother eats twice as much as I do.” One elf complained. “And she still got that illness.”

“And my daughter too.” Another added. “She never starved or skipped meals, but she fell ill anyway. So what food could we possibly be missing?”

They all looked at him expectantly, curiosity gleaming in their eyes, wondering what exactly this mysterious food item was that they have been missing their whole life.

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