Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy
Iris
The merchants surrounding me were staring at me with bated breath, but also with some anticipation, and I spun my usual familiar chants while feeling a strange tension.
“3rd Purification Mantra: Breath of Life… ‘Heal’”
As soon as the chanting ended, a faint light appeared in my hand.
Although most of the injuries were minor, quite a few people were injured, so I’d been using my elementary healing magic over and over since before dawn… However, unlike in the past, I did not feel particularly tired or fatigued at the moment.
Looks like my magical power had grown considerably after all.
I gently approached the horse, which was sitting on the ground because of an injured leg, and held out my hands, covered in a pale glow. The swollen and heated area quickly receded as if nothing had happened, and the horse, sensing that the pain was gone, firmly stepped on the ground and raised itself up.
Although the horses pulling the merchants’ carriages were probably not as delicate as the racehorses of the original world, an injury to a horse’s leg was still a serious matter for both the merchants and the horse itself, so everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief at the sight.
“All good now. We’ll be counting on you for the road ahead, okay? Kyah?!”
After stepping on the ground a few times with its healed leg to check, the horse pampered me by rubbing the tip of its nose against me as a way of thanking me. Although the force was gentle, as if it was trying to keep me from falling down, the way it rubbed my chest was really ticklish.
“Ahaha, it tickles! Come on, stop it already! (pouts)”
When I pretended to be a little angry at the horse, it seemed to get the message and hurriedly pulled itself away. Since I wasn’t actually mad, I stroke its neck a few times until it was back in a good mood. As this was happening, a well-dressed man, who said he was the leader of the merchants, came forward to represent everyone.
“Thank you, that was a life-saver… I was so afraid I had to abandon that horse. We can now move forward without incident.”
“Yes, I’m sure it’ll be fine for the time being, but we should keep an eye on it and let it have some rest… Are those all of the injured?”
After last night’s ruckus, when the disturbances happened… the horses that had been tethered went berserk, resulting in several merchants and a few horses were injured, so it was up to me to heal their injuries.
The most severely injured person suffered a broken bone when he failed to avoid the leg of a rampaging horse… I had already completely treated him, and he was now back on the job.
“Will do. I can’t thank you enough, miss.”
“It’s my pleasure. I’m just glad that I could help to make this trip a pleasant one.”
Yeah, a cushioned carriage seat would be much better than walking or riding directly on the back of a horse… my buttocks were still sore from sitting on a rock for such a long time.
“I really meant it! Without you, miss we would have had to leave our horses and luggage behind! If possible, we would like you to stay with us after this job is over…!”
Uh oh, this conversation had taken a suspicious turn.
“M-My apologizes, but I have to discuss this with my companions, and I’m afraid we have our own plans to fulfill first…”
“That’s not a problem! Considering your ability, we’ll pay as much money as you need…!”
“Aaaand stop. For the sake of our future business relations… I would like it if you don’t try to headhunt our guest without permission.”
Fortunately, Philias-san, who was acting as both my liaison and escort, quickly intervened before the situation escalated.
The glare she gave the merchant was much colder than the cold of this northern continent… She was usually like a lively and kind older sister, but I vowed inwardly to be careful not to offend her.
Last night, I sensed a “Wound of the World” opening.
Somehow the pain that pierced my entire body at the time subsided, and I informed Captain Walter, who rushed to the scene. Everyone’s expressions turned grim, and they began to act. Soon, a reconnaissance team from the mercenary company was assembled in the vicinity and quickly dispersed.
Because we already had the means to remove the “Wounds” since we arrived here, I didn’t really get the full picture of the situation, but after the Lightwing race became extinct, the people affected by the “Wounds of the World” had been unable to do anything other than defeating the monsters that spawned from them to somehow mitigate the damage, and the areas where the “Wounds” appeared had to be sealed off.
When I thought about it, in this world where the sphere of life was gradually shrinking, the fact that I’m a one-of-a-kind existence weighed heavily on me.
Reiji-san and Nii-sama had gone to join the reconnaissance team, so the only people remaining at the camp were me, the merchants, along with Philias-san and a few mercenaries as escorts… One hour after daybreak, some of the people who had already finished their search returned to the camp and began to eat breakfast.
The smell of the broth, which was made by boiling salted dried meat in boiling water, adding vegetables and simmering some more, filled the air around us… and Philias-san just had to choose this timing to reprimand me about what happened earlier.
My stomach growled as if in protest.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Iris-chan. If you show weakness by giving ambiguous answers to those merchants, you could end up being forced to sell yourself to them.”
“Y-Yeah, you’re right… but I can recognize it before it happens… I think…”
Those people didn’t look all that bad…
“That’s naïve. You’re so naïve that it hurts, Iris-chan. It is true that Nordglacier, by policy, has prohibited the slave trade since the reign of the previous king, but prostitution is still not yet off the table. Fooling a naive young lady is a piece of cake to those smooth-talking merchants, and just one sign of a contract is enough to land you into a brothel… That can totally happen, you know!”
The seriousness of the situation made me realize that this is not the world, not the peaceful country I used to live in, and that such dangers could be lurking anywhere… No, that might actually happen in my original world too, had I been a girl from the beginning. The thought of that sent chills down my spine.
“…Well, the Count have entrusted those merchants with this mission, so he must have some confidence in them, so I guess I overreacted a little back there. But from now on, please be careful. Especially when no one is around.”
Did Philias-san just hurriedly add the last part at the last minute?
At least I got out of her lecture earlier than expected… Lately, I’d been getting lectured so much that I felt like I’m getting used to it…
“What, did you do something wrong again?”
“Hyaaah?!”
Reiji-san’s voice suddenly came from behind me, and I yelped in some strange language.
“…In conclusion, there seems to be no such anomalies in the vicinity. It’s as you said, the source must be somewhere far away… How about you? Still having a headache?”
“Yes, a little… but I can manage.”
The intense pain like last night had already subsided, but there was still a creeping, dull ache that seemed to linger in the core of my head.
Philias-san and Lenny-san told me to take a break because of my pale complexion, but as long as I’m near the “Wound of the World”, this pain would not fully go away, as I’d experienced the last few times I have been there.
Leave, or put the anomalies to rest… In any case, it is not something that can be done immediately.
And my “Wound” sensory range this time was terribly far compared to the past. It is as if something is calling out to me, directionally announcing its presence… I have a bad feeling about this.
“Really, you don’t have to worry about me so much. It’s not something unbearable.”
“I see… If you’re having a hard time, just let me know, okay?”
“Yeah, you keep things to yourself a little too much.”
The two of them still look worried… Was my complexion that bad?
“Almost forgot. Walter-san wants us to get together for a minute because he needs to talk to us. We’re going to be a bit late for breakfast, but let’s wait for Saul and the other to return first…”
At that moment, something rustled the bushes right next to us.
“Who’s there?!”
Instantly reacting to the sound, Reiji-san drew his sword and leapt into a position to protect me. Just behind me, I heard Philias-san drawing her weapon as well.
Growing impatient by the presence that didn’t show itself, Reiji-san flashed his sword into a bush where something was lurking. Emerging from it was…
“Goblins, here of all places?!”
“Hold on!”
Seeing them, Reiji-san readied his sword to strike, but I hurriedly stopped him.
Unlike the goblins we fought earlier, these goblins were better dressed, but on closer inspection they were covered in injuries. They seemed to be siblings… the smaller of whom apparently had an injured leg, and perhaps that was why they didn’t run away from us, or to be more precise, couldn’t run away from us.
The larger of the two embraced the one with the injured leg as if to protect it, and the color of fear was in their eyes as they stared at us, shaking themselves. Malice, hostility… I sensed neither.
“Hey, Iris, that’s dangerous!”
“Don’t worry… I think these little ones are actually hobgoblins… They aren’t bad children, so leave them to me, okay?”
Hobgoblins… Unlike normal goblins, who are barbaric marauders and thus classified as monsters, they are more civilized and closer to fairies and zashiki-warashi, as they sneak into people’s homes and perform household chores unnoticed. I think I’d read a story where someone brought hobgoblins into Japan to replace the local zashiki-warashi as they migrated away.
In the game’s lore, which probably applied to this world as well, hobgoblins are an integral part of the daily lives, as they’re useful in cleaning the house and tending the garden when the householder was away, as long as people hang alcohol and a small amount of food at the front door as reward.
Some of them also peddle their wares in human villages and play a role in supplying the bounties of mountains and sea, while others engage in mercenary work, serving as scouts and baggage carriers.
They can be pranksters, which can cause trouble, but they are not so vicious and are accepted in some regions… However, judging from the appearance of the two in front of me, they seemed to have escaped from somewhere.
“Hold still, you’re going to be fine… Let me heal your wounds.”
“H-Hey!”
Now, it was Reiji-san who is trying to stop me from approaching the hobgoblins.
I sent him a reassuring look. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.
“…Alright. But the moment I sense you’re in danger, I’m dragging you back, whether you like it or not.”
With an air of reluctance, Reiji-san lowered his sword.
Slowly, step by step, I approached them while smiling… I didn’t know if this works on demi-humans, but I tried anyway.
Their trembling stopped and they remained still, quizzical but somewhat alert.
I bent down, made eye contact, and gently stepped forward to touch the hobgoblin that was protecting the smaller one. It jolted once, but there was no further resistance. After confirming that it’s safe, I used “Purification” to clean the mud caking its body and checked its condition. The main injuries were lacerations from a not-so-sharp knife and bruises from a blunt object… Apparently, it was engaged in battle with something.
I chanted “Heal” again, and the wound disappeared from its body. From the way it looked at its own body in surprise, the spell seemed to work. I couldn’t fix its torn clothes, but its body was healthy now.
“…Allow me to check on you as well.”
I called out to the slightly smaller one who was being sheltered, and after looking at me and the other hobgoblin a few times, it came forward with a nod. A light examination of its condition revealed that its injuries were generally the same. The most severe leg injury was nearly infected, but it still did not appear to be bone-deep.
“Okay, you got roughed up a bit, but it’s all over now.”
As before, I purified and healed it. After walking a few steps to check on the suddenly healed leg, it hugged the other hobgoblin with a smile on its face. I breathe a sigh of relief at the sight.
“…Well then, be careful from now on, okay? Don’t get yourself hurt again.”
I then took out some portable rations… something like hard biscuits with dried fruits mixed in… and gave them to the hobgoblins. They accepted the food and moved away with light steps, bewildered but completely healed from their wounds. Just before they disappeared from sight, they looked back at me and bowed, so I gave him a small wave and watched them disappear.
As I watched them leave… I remembered that I was supposed to have a meeting with Walter-san.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting… Reiji-san?”
I hurriedly adjusted the hem of my skirt, stood up and turned around, but Reiji-san was still gazing at me blankly.
“Um, Reiji-san? Reiji-san?!”
“…Woah?!”
Because of the considerable difference in height, it was unavoidable that I had to tug on the belly area of his clothes and looked up to him from below when Reiji-san suddenly restarted all of a sudden and backed away with full force.
“Such motions… somehow they both look calculated and natural at the same time… Just what is this girl…?!”
Philias-san was mumbling something from a little distance away. What on earth was she on about?
“…Huh? Sorry, I was out of it for a bit… Thought I never expected you to approach them like that without any hesitation. Weren’t you afraid?”
“They aren’t bad children, and I just couldn’t look at them being in so much pain… so the fear just kind of disappeared before I knew it.”
Or perhaps… it was because of last night’s dream, where “she” was adored and surrounded by various animals.
“…Um, weren’t we supposed to be back at camp already?”
“Ah! We’d better hurry!”
“Wah?! Don’t so suddenly, it’s bad for my heart…”
“HEY! Wait for me! And you, treat girls with more courtesy, will you?!”
Reiji-san suddenly came back to himself, picked me up and ran at a great speed. Philias-san’s scolding voice, who was supposed to be following slightly behind us, gradually moved away… Oh my god, slow down! There’s someone in front! You’re going to run them over!
It’s terribly scary to be swung from side to side at a completely different speed than what I’m running on my legs, and all I could do was hold on tight to avoid being swept off my feet while breaking out into a cold sweat and having my stomach churn with fear.
“…Uh, sorry ‘bout that, I was a little rough, wasn’t I?”
“Gnnnnnnnnnn…”
It wasn’t until a full minute of terror later that I was finally put down.
He dragged me all the way across the camp, bypassing the entire crowd of merchants. My knees were still wobbling, and my ears were still ringing even after the “ride” ended.
I glared at Reiji-san with tears in the corners of my eyes, and he looked away in embarrassment.
With trembling legs, I entered the tent where Captain Walter was, and sure enough, everyone was already there.
“You’re here at last… Uh, milady, are you sure you’re healthy enough to join this meeting? Somehow you looked even worse than before.”
“P-Please don’t mind it… I just got off from a rollercoaster, that’s all…”
“Is that so? Well then, let’s get started, I suppose…”
Walter-san cleared his throat and began to speak.
“After resting a night at the planned accommodation in the checkpoint, I would like all of you to rent another carriage and go on ahead to the next city. If you stay with the merchants, their wyrm wagons are just going to slow you down.”
With his first words, he addressed everyone present in the meeting… namely us, the fours reincarnators, along with Zeltis-san, Philias-san, Lenny-san and Weiss-san.
As a side note, the “wyrm wagons” he mentioned were pulled by, well, wyrms, instead of oxen or horses. A wyrm is a dragon subspecies, herbivorous dinosaur-like creature with body the size of a large horse-drawn carriage. It’s very strong, and its gentle temperament and ability to move somewhat faster than oxen make it very reassuring when pulling heavy loads… but its speed is still much slower than that of a horse-drawn carriage. The purchased lumber was being carried by the wyrm wagons.
Incidentally, I was shown one of those wyrms once during a break… I’m actually a little bit uncomfortable with it because I was caught off guard by its adorable, lazy movements as they grazed and its gentle colored eyes, and it licked me with their cushion-sized tongue, making my face all sticky… It was cleaned up with purification magic, so it did not become important. What’s more important is Reiji-san rolling on the floor laughing at that time, and I would never forgive him for that. I wondered if he would have to go through the same thing one of these days.
Oops, looks like I digressed too much.
“The direction of the ‘Wound’ milady talked about is almost in line with our path, which has a really fishy smell to it. I’m sure the local troops will join you as reinforcements, but even that’s not reassuring. I have to take command here, so I want you to head over there first and use your own judgment if anything goes wrong… Can you do it?”
Myself a healer, three swordsmen, a tank, two magicians, and an archer, making a total of eight people. Certainly, this group would be able to cope with a fairly wide range of unexpected situations.
Zeltis-san, who was originally in command as a squad leader, nodded his head without any particular sign of concern, while Weiss-san and Lenny-san seemed to have no problem either. This inevitably leads to the four of us being the focus of their gaze.
“Milady… I really don’t wish to send you out into battle… but you’re our only chance against the ‘Wound’. My apologizes for asking, but can you lend us your power?”
I could still remember the influence of such a “Wound” on the surrounding areas. This time, It was not only the town we were heading to now, but also the town we left the other day, and I did not know when it would extend its fangs elsewhere. If this is the case, I couldn’t leave it alone now that I had sensed it.
Not to mention… the dream of a “girl” with the same hair color as mine yesterday. It is easy to laugh it off as just a dream, but I couldn’t help but feel a tug. And above all, I felt a certain attraction to the current matter, a feeling I didn’t understand, similar to nostalgia.
There was a sense of duty. A sense of fear, too. But more than that… I wanted to see what awaits me.
I looked at Reiji-san and Nii-sama on either side of me, and they both nodded. I turned around, and Milly-san put her hand on my shoulders.
If everyone’s on board, then…
“I understand. This is something that concerns me as well. And I’ll gratefully appreciate everyone’s help.”
Yes, I hung my head in gratitude.
(Author’s Note)
Afterward, she was lectured again, saying “In your position, it is not easy to bow to others”, and breakfast was further delayed.
Then it’s decided that she has to be trained in nobility’s etiquette.
The wyrm mentioned in this chapter is based on the Apceros from Monster H*nter.
APM - Translation 