Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Translator : Elizabeth
“I-It’s okay.”
Spitting out the habitual ‘It’s okay’, I got up while placing my hand on a part of the floor where glass hadn’t splashed. Although my back, which took the brunt of the fall on the stone floor, was throbbing, there was no other place where I felt pain.
“Ah… b-blood, you’re bleeding! W-Wait a moment!”
As I waved my hand to the side implying she could be relieved, the woman, startled even more, rummaged through her waist bag. Bewildered by her flustered attitude, I examined the places where her gaze might reach.
‘Ah.’
Only then did the thin stream of blood flowing from the cut on the back of my hand catch my eye.
Throb.
The stinging pain felt belatedly upon recognizing the wound. Why is pain felt only after seeing it with eyes like this? Perhaps because the pain transmitted by the spine was too great, it seems the brain couldn’t recognize the wound on the back of the hand.
“Could you show me your hand?”
The woman spoke as if asking for consent, but grabbed my hand willfully and examined the wound. What is held in her hand is… a small potion bottle? The woman, who skillfully popped the cork with her mouth, poured the contents inside the potion bottle onto the back of my hand just like that.
“Ugh-ak!”
Excruciating pain storming in as if pouring red iodine on a raw wound. It hurts, it hurts incredibly! A stinging soreness as if being electrocuted is transmitted from the back of the hand riding the nerves.
“S-Sorry… please endure even if it hurts!”
The woman asking me to endure the pain while apologizing repeatedly. I understand it’s part of Isekai-style first aid, but perhaps because it’s a fresh wound, a shudder ran through my body. Medicine and tools coming out endlessly from the small waist bag. Does she possess a job related to medicine for now?
While thinking such thoughts quietly. Soon, bandages began to wrap around my hand slowly. One turn, two turns, three turns, four turns…? Five, six… wait, isn’t she wrapping too much?
“Done…!”
A short while later. She finishes the first aid with a proud expression.
“…….”
I am lost for words looking at my left hand where the wound was. A hand that has become a round lump like a well-steamed bun. Just how many times did she wrap the bandage? I stopped counting from roughly ten turns.
‘Can’t see the outline of the hand.’
As a test, I shook the arm with the bandage wrapped. The bandage lump cuts through the air, whoosh whoosh. A volume to the extent that air resistance is felt every time I swing. Anyone seeing this would think I got hurt incredibly badly.
As the situation settled, the broken potion bottles caught my eye. What do I do with this? Should I compensate or something?
“Th-The potion bottles, how should I….” “I will clean them up, it’s okay!”
Thinking that, I asked while looking alternately at the fragments scattered on the floor and her, but the woman said it’s okay, saying she will clean them up. I wondered if I should compensate for the broken potion bottles, but it seemed that wasn’t particularly necessary.
“I will help clean up at least.” “Huh? Ah, then please….”
Still, since the fault wasn’t entirely absent on the side that bumped into her, I decided to help clean up the fragments. Squatting on the street somewhat pitiably, I picked up glass fragments with the relatively free hand and put them in a box. Fortunately, the broken potion bottles were all empty bottles without contents, seemingly items intended for future use.
Around the time the glass pieces picked up one by one laid thinly on the bottom of the box, we went through a process of checking if any glass remained by stepping on the surrounding stone floor.
“Getting help after the wound, I am sorry….” “No, there was fault on my part for being there too.”
After judging it was completely cleaned up. We had a time to apologize briefly to each other.
‘She said compensation wasn’t needed.’
Since the cleanup was also finished, just when I was about to leave the spot. She, who was apologizing from the opposite side, asked suddenly.
“Have we, met somewhere before?” “Yes?”
The woman staring at me intently with a short question. The murky yellow eyes visible beyond the round glasses shimmered sharply for an instant. My head spun fast at the question asking if we met somewhere. Since the number of women I know in this world is practically non-existent, I reflexively gave a vague answer.
“Well….”
Still, for now, green is one of the most common hair colors in this world, and among the kids who passed through my hands, there were incredibly many with green hair.
‘It’s impossible to remember them all individually….’
Even if it was short, it was a few years. Although I say I recognized and sold each one meticulously, the number was a whopping two to three digits. Seira, Taren, Isild, Kilia, Lion. Various names graze my mind, but I can’t exactly recall their appearances. I remember a few who didn’t sell particularly well or caused a lot of heartache, but I couldn’t remember all of those many slave children.
Perhaps, is this woman also one of the children I handled? Still, asking the woman in front of me ‘By any chance, were you a slave in the past?’ was something I couldn’t do. Besides, that question itself is no different from revealing that I was a slave trader previously. Considering the perception of slave traders at the present point, leaving aside rudeness, it was like strangling my own neck.
“Sorry, I felt like I saw you somewhere… is it a mistake?”
As I kept my mouth shut with a vague answer, the woman who threw the question continued with a faint apology. A situation where it could be a simple mistake as she said. I shouldn’t assume willfully that she was a slave before.
“That could be, go carefully.” “Ah, yes!”
Bowing her head deeply at the shout full of spirit, she started to melt into the noisy street.
While the chilly wind fitting for early autumn brushes my cheeks. It seems warm food is popular on the street recently. Thick soup with steam rising puff puff. Root vegetables cooking inside iron drums where fire soars. In the countryside, eating it in winter when cold wind blows fiercely is known as standard, but in the city, it seems they start preparing for winter from around this time.
Should I go with hot soup or stew for dinner today? Just as I was passing in front of a certain building thinking such thoughts.
“Let’s go you guys! First round is on me—!” “Ohh! What’s the occasion? Did you earn a bit!?” “Would I be doing this if I didn’t earn!”
Fitting the time when the sun is setting, something similar to the noisy shouts of several men was heard. Shabby leather armor looking as if they just came from a fight. The exotic weapons held in their hands were also proof announcing they are adventurers.
‘Ah, is this place…?’
Only then realizing the building visible next to me is the request center (Guild), I stop my steps for a moment.
“What, is it already this time?” “Who says otherwise, it goes quickly if you catch a few monsters.” “Anyone going to drink together!?”
The request center I didn’t even think of lingering around until yesterday. Even at the time the sun is setting, the vicinity was quite noisy. No, is it noisy because it’s the time the sun is setting? Sounds of each feeling despondent or joyful overlap.
Some in despondency that they have to do the same work tomorrow. Some in joy that they earned decently today. Some in a sense of accomplishment accompanying a refreshing breath.
Unknowingly captivated by the complex atmosphere created by overlapping sounds, I stealthily took a step toward the inside of the request center.
“When performing such requests in the future….” “Ah! That’s the one I was looking at!” “Whaaat? Naturally, the one who picks it first gets to do it!” “Then, I will go in first.” “Good work, see you tomorrow.”
The inside of the request center was as noisy as the street. Adventurers examining requests posted on the bulletin board. Receptionists leaving the request center after just finishing their shift. From ordinary citizens or merchants entrusting requests, to old men with nowhere to go occupying empty seats appropriately. This place isn’t strictly accessible only to adventurers. Although it is like a symbolic resting place for adventurers, it means it’s not their exclusive space.
As I was looking around here and there as if fascinated, one counter where the crowd was exceptionally sparse caught my eye.
‘Huh, that…?’
Snow-white hair staying at a familiar height. Familiar leather armor and jewel-like blue eyes. A combination that stands out truly even from afar. Looking at it this way or that way, it was Haley. So she was working here at the request center.
“Isn’t she just an ordinary kid? Even I could win if I fight?” “Stop it, do you think there were only one or two guys like you.”
As I was peeking at Haley blankly like that, adventurers nearby leave impressions about Haley. Following the adventurer saying he thinks he could win if he fought, up to the adventurer stopping him saying there were countless guys thinking like you. While glancing at them, our gazes met as Haley, seemingly finished with business, spun her body around.
Haley’s eyes widening roundly at the same time her body flinched. A gaze seemingly saying ‘Why is Mister here?’ directed at me in her bewildered eyes. As I waved my right hand, lowered to waist height so others wouldn't notice, gently as if greeting, Haley also bowed slightly and waved her hand lowered to her waist.
Then flinch again. Haley’s gaze lands somewhere. The place where her gaze reached following her eyes…. It was none other than my left hand which had become a steamed bun fist.
“That hand, what happened to it…!”
Of course, immediately after returning home, I was interrogated tremendously. Haley appalled looking at the result of excessive medical treatment. Tremendous pressure is felt from her wide-open eyes.
“It’s nothing, just a little accident bumping into someone on the street.” “Who is it, is it an adventurer? Which bastard….”
Despite explaining hurriedly, Haley was burning with resentment rather than resolving the misunderstanding. Looking like she’s about to cause trouble sooner or later. If left like this, an innocent citizen will suffer damage.
“I wasn’t hurt badly, look at this.”
With that thought, I unwrapped the bandages wound dozens of times and showed that it was a trivial wound.
“Ah, it’s true.”
Only then laying down the burning hatred, Haley returned to her usual appearance. While relieved that I barely saved a person. Haley started to pay attention to the unusual amount of bandages.
“This much bandage usually? Was it, a pharmacist?” “Well.”
I shrugged my shoulders at Haley’s guess. Just guessing vaguely recalling the empty potion bottles and the first aid tools filling the waist bag. There is no need to be curious about what work she does, and furthermore, no reason to be curious about her job.
Right after the talk about the left hand ended like that. Haley asked again at the quiet table.
“More than that, why did you come to the request center today…?”
Haley’s face throwing the question is dyed with doubt. It must be bewildering if a dad suddenly visits the workplace. Even more so since the request center feels like a ‘We solve anything office’. It wouldn’t seem strange to think I came with a purpose other than just to see her.
An excuse that even I wouldn’t believe. However, there was no choice but to voice the truth as it is.
“Just, should I say I was drawn by the atmosphere….” “Yes…?”
As expected, Haley showing an absurd reaction. Even I would have sent him back saying what nonsense if my dad suddenly visited the company and said ‘The company atmosphere looked good here’ when asked why he came.
While the atmosphere stiffens at the nonsensical words.
“…Are you interested, in adventurers?”
Haley’s eyes sparkled with a short question. Ominousness at the instinct level starting to pulsate. No, I’ll decide to not be interested starting today.