Chapter 20
A sense of self-reproach washed over me. Had I forgotten the protagonist's actual condition and gotten completely swept up in the game's atmosphere? There was no way he was in any state to happily grind levels right now.
'Leveling up? It's not like he has numbers floating above his head.'
I looked down at Ain again. Maybe it was just my imagination, but his cheeks looked even more hollow than they had just a few minutes ago. Seeing that brought me back to my senses. If he fainted from hunger, surely there was no problem with me touching him?
I immediately bent down and lifted his upper body.
"What are you doing?"
"I have to move him. I can't just leave him here."
Leaving him in a place like this would just make him animal feed. I couldn't let the protagonist die like that. Even if he wasn't the protagonist, it simply wasn't right.
I pulled his arm over my shoulder to carry him. However, perhaps because I was also quite exhausted, I practically pitched forward under his weight.
"...Huh?"
Just as I tried to muster my strength to stand up, the weight pressing down on me suddenly vanished. Ain's body was effortlessly hoisted into the air and casually slung over Derek's shoulder.
Seeing someone with such a slender build carrying a man larger than him over his shoulder felt completely surreal.
'H-He's surprisingly strong.'
I thought he was only slightly taller than me.
"Isn't he heavy?"
"...He is surprisingly light."
Light? I looked at him with skeptical eyes. Even so, there's no way a grown man could be light. Was he just showing off?
"How long has he been starving?"
"...!"
I heard a murmur that sounded as if he had read my mind. That meant Ain's condition was incredibly serious. If left alone, the protagonist might actually starve to death right here. I sprang to my feet and shouted as I walked ahead.
"L-Let's hurry!"
My legs stumbled as if all strength had drained from them, but taking a break was out of the question. I quickly pulled out the stealth powder I'd been saving and sprinkled it generously over both Derek and myself.
"..."
Derek frowned, perhaps annoyed by the floating powder. But we couldn't afford to get into a battle in this state. It wasn't a matter of whether we could win or not. I just didn't want to waste a single second.
'Ain, hold on just a little longer!'
The village wasn't far now. As if reflecting my anxious heart, my footsteps grew faster and faster.
---
Clatter!
"Father! I need a room!"
"Huh? Cecil?! Who is that..."
"Cecil?!"
I threw open the beloved inn door and rushed inside. I didn't have time to explain things to my startled parents. Leaving them behind, I quickly led Derek upstairs and searched for a room. Since occupied rooms had a sign on the door, finding an empty one wasn't difficult.
"In here!"
I opened one of them and quickly got things ready.
Although it was smaller than the room Derek had used, it had all the necessities. As soon as the bed was ready, Derek laid Ain down on it. Despite calling him a patient, he tossed him roughly onto the bed without a hint of care, like a sack of potatoes.
"Ugh..."
Ain let out a soft groan from the impact, but he didn't wake up. I didn't feel like arguing with Derek about it. No matter how 'light' he was, he wasn't a feather. Just carrying him all the way here was something to be thankful for.
'First... he won't be able to handle solid food on an empty stomach.'
No matter how hungry he was, it would be better to soothe his stomach with clear soup or porridge rather than meat. Just as I decided on the menu and turned around, I made eye contact with Derek, who was standing perfectly still. The least I could do was thank him first.
"Ah, thank you."
"..."
He didn't say a word. He just stood there, quietly looking down at his future rival. It seemed fine to leave them be for now. I gave him a quick bow and hurried down to the kitchen.
"C-Cecil? Who was that man just now!"
"What happened?"
My parents had followed me all the way to the kitchen, bombarding me with questions.
"Uh... how should I put this? He's my savior, but it seems he's been starving for days."
"Savior?"
"D-Didn't you just go to the neighboring village?"
First, I took out some nutritious vegetables and chopped them finely. Very finely, suitable for someone who couldn't even chew or swallow properly.
Meanwhile, my parents stayed right by my side.
"Well, I was almost kidnapped, and he saved me. He even escorted me all the way here."
"What?!"
"K-K-Kidnapped?!"
Then, I lightly oiled a pan and slowly sautéed the finely chopped vegetables.
"W-Who tried to kidnap you?!"
"We must place a bounty on their head immediately!"
By the time I added wheat to the partially cooked vegetables and continued stir-frying, my parents had completely lost their cool and were fuming about placing a bounty on the culprit right away.
It was exactly like the bounty quests that occasionally popped up in the game. You could have targets killed, beaten up, or captured alive... there were all sorts of options. Of course, the price was steep.
I poured water into the pot and turned to look at my parents while stirring continuously. Both of their faces were already pale.
"No, no. They've probably been caught by now. That man chased them away."
I had no idea if they had been caught or got away. I mixed a little truth with a lie to reassure them. Hearing this, a look of relief finally washed over their faces.
"Is that so? Well, that's a relief..."
"To think such people still exist in this day and age."
"He truly is a good person."
"..."
'Well, he's not... THAT good of a person yet.'
If I hadn't looked like his younger sibling, he wouldn't have helped me. It was just a coincidence that we shared a similar character model. To think I'd receive help at a time like this. I guess you really never know how things will turn out.
As I kept stirring, a savory aroma slowly filled the kitchen. The vegetables and wheat had practically melted together, taking on a soup-like consistency. The slightly thick texture would provide just a bit of substance.
"Anyway, I'm going to take this up to him. I don't think I'll be able to help out today or tomorrow."
"That's fine. He's your savior. He comes first."
"Yes. Don't worry about the work."
"...Thanks."
I poured the finished porridge into a bowl, set it on a tray, and headed back upstairs. The curious gazes of the customers who were still eating followed me, but no one spoke to me.
"Excuse me..."
When I gently pushed the door open, the first thing I saw was Derek, still standing beside the bed.
"Oh? You haven't left yet?"
He wasn't even sitting; he was just standing perfectly still. My eyes carefully drifted to Ain. It didn't look like Derek had done anything to him... Wait, did he actually intuitively sense that they were rivals?
"You said your piece and left, so I had no choice but to wait."
'Ah, right. Didn't he say he had business with me?'
He had come looking for me and even met me outside the village. There was no way he didn't have a reason. Derek took the tray from my hands and placed it on the bedside table.
"He is in no condition to eat yet."
"T-That's true. I just prepared it so he can eat as soon as he wakes up."
No matter how soft the soup was, I couldn't feed it to an unconscious person. Forcing it into his mouth might just choke him.
"Will you not give him a potion?"
"A potion? Hmm... did we have smelling salts?"
The first thing that came to mind was a stimulant. An item very useful for waking up fainted party members. Wouldn't it work on someone who fainted from hunger too?
It was one of the basic items in the game. To think I hadn't remembered it until Derek brought it up.
'It might be worth a try.'
Just as I turned around to head back down to the storage room, my arm was grabbed from behind.
"It is not good to force someone awake."
"I suppose so..."
In the end, I turned back to face him, and glanced over at Ain. If Derek said not to, it was probably best to listen. He must have used a lot of potions in various situations. He'd definitely know the side effects better than me.
Since it wasn't an emergency, it was probably better not to use it right now.
"By the way, what brings you here? You said you had business with me?"
If so, I could use the time until Ain woke up to hear what Derek had to say. Even though I was offering to listen, his expression soured slightly. I was inwardly surprised that I managed to catch such a subtle change. It wasn't like we'd known each other for long.
"I believe I sent word that I would return."
"Ah, I-I did hear that."
I couldn't feign ignorance and say I hadn't heard. If he went out of his way to leave a message and I claimed not to have received it, our inn's credibility would plummet.
I recalled the situation when I received that message.
'...Is he going to ask me to join the knights again?'
I had a pretty good idea of what his business was. Whether it was due to his pride or something else. I also knew he hadn't given up yet.
'What excuse should I use to reject him this time...'
If my previous words hadn't convinced him, I had no choice but to say something else. But nothing came to mind. The only excuses I had were that I was a commoner and that I ran this inn.
"I did have something to discuss, but it seems today is not the time."
'...Huh?'
Fortunately, before I had to say anything, Derek backed down first. His eyes drifted toward the bed.
"Are you acquainted with him?"
"Pardon? A-Ah, no. This was my first time meeting him."
I stretched my lips as much as possible. I wanted to prevent these two from leaving lasting impressions on each other, but the situation wouldn't allow it. I wasn't sure about Ain, but Derek was clearly keeping his eye on him.
"...A mercenary with dark blonde hair and green eyes, you said."
"!?"
Derek's quiet murmur made me freeze in place. That was what I'd blurted out when I tried to persuade him before. Of course, the person I had in mind then was Ain. But describing his appearance verbatim had been a massive mistake. To think Derek actually remembered that.
"..."
Cold sweat ran down my back, but I couldn't form an excuse. If only he had said that before I claimed we'd just met.
'Was it a trap?!'
Was asking me that first question a trap in itself? That meant he'd suspected me the moment he saw Ain. Surely he didn't think I was a spy for another noble family, right?
"Ugh..."
"Ah! You're awake?"
Amidst that awkward silence, Ain let out a low groan. His tightly shut eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly opening. He blinked a few times, as if trying to grasp the situation.
Then, his eyes shot wide open.
Clang!
"...!"
By the time I realized what was happening, it was already too late. Derek pulled me backward, and right in front of me, two swords clashed violently.
_________
(t/n : Full chapters are available on my Ko-fi^^)
Comments Box