Author: aji (あじ)
Translator: sleepingjay
37
The tavern was buzzing with excitement, and the atmosphere made me feel like I could get drunk just from the muggy air. Everywhere, the clinking of glasses rang loudly.
We took our seats at the table we were led to, then Hank chose several dishes and ordered alcohol for us with an experienced air.
“I’m getting ale. Lilius, you okay with fruit water?”
“……No, I’ll get ale too.”
“Idiot. You’re weak to it, so don’t drink.”
“Hank, you’re the one that invited me here.”
“Then make it fruit wine.”
“Well, fruit wine it is.”
Listening to our conversation, the female shopkeeper let slip a chuckle. Our age difference was enough to be father and son, and our conversation just now certainly seemed a bit like a child, embarrassingly enough.
Clearing my throat, I brushed it off, and then grabbed the salted beans served as appetizers to eat. While I was mechanically eating, Hank started chattering aimlessly, and by the time our drinks arrived, the awkward feeling had subsided a bit.
“So, how’s Brad doing?”
“With some help, I’ve managed to develop a new remedy. Previously, neither healing magic nor burn remedy were very effective because of the demon’s curse, but this time it’s working okay. There’s still some things I’ve got to improve on though.”
“……I see. Well, uh. If you’ve got any troubles, feel free to come to me.”
“You being kind is creepy.”
“Nobody asked you!”
It felt like it had been a long time since I had heard Brad’s name from someone other than myself.
Brad, the village chief’s son that had picked me up, was a black panther beastman. He was, how to put it… a very self-assured, carefree person.
Since Brad was only three years older than me, and we were often together in the village, I had treated him like an older brother. My decision to become a healer also more or less came about from Brad introducing me to Hank as a teacher.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Hank also used to be just a portly, good-natured old man.
“P’nf atbeuta jybea la, jcv P’nf vbcf j iba bo yjv atlcur. P’nf ulnfc sbe j iba bo agbeyif. P’w rbggs.”
Qtlif wfwbglfr bo atf qjra kfgf gertlcu atgbeut ws wlcv, Ljcx rjlv remt j atlcu jcv ybkfv tlr tfjv.
Ktlr gfjiis kjr ulnlcu wf atf mgffqr.
Lf wluta tjnf yffc j ubbv-cjaegfv biv wjc, yea fnfc atfc tf kjrc’a ktja bcf kbeiv mjii ufcaif. Yeg bqlclbcr boafc mijrtfv, jcv fnfgs alwf rbwfatlcu tjqqfcfv tf kbeiv rtbea, “Tbe ygja!” jcv uglcv tlr xcemxifr bc ws tfjv.
“This earnest attitude is creeping me out.”
“Geez, can’t you show some sentiment?”
“……I never really thought of getting an apology or anything, anyway. Besides, if it’s about causing trouble to each other, since I flung you about the other day, we’ll just call it even.”
“Well, thank you anyway.”
Geez, whether or not he’s back to normal, I couldn’t help feeling creeped out by him. Getting thanked by Hank was just weird.
I stayed silent and ignored him. As I was very slowly sipping at my fruit wine, I sensed Hank laughing.
The only reason my face got warm was absolutely, 100% because I was weak to alcohol.
“Anyways, I’m more dissatisfied with you. Why were you hiding that you had been driven into a corner like that? It might be impossible to do anything alone, but if I was there I might have been able to do something too.”
“How can I go crying to my cute disciple?”
“Cute? Me? You sure want to get a pummeling, huh.”
“Ah, yes, your fist of love.”
“Smooth-talker.”
At the awkward things he said, I blinked at him in disbelief.
That day, when I saw the haze behind Hank, on the spur of the moment I had blended two magics—spell-breaking and purification—and let the result loose on him.
It had been a gamble with zero grounds, but I no longer saw the black shadow behind Hank after he awakened.
More importantly, I had heard from rumours that the person himself had become more gentle, like something possessing him had fallen out. Surely, that shadow had been some sort of demon that interfered with a person’s spirit, or something along those lines.
I really, really wanted to report this to the town’s knights’ garrison, but at present, it was an issue since I was the only one that could see.
The only reason I could think of for why I could see it was the Spirit Drop.
I had been thinking that it was that thing’s influence that had enabled me to actually be able to see the Spirits. If that was the case, then I would cause trouble to Jill, the owner of the item and the one who had made the decision to use it on me.
On top of that, if nobody else could see it, there was a possibility that I would be judged to be delusional. Looking at all of that, it seemed that the best course of action was to bring it up to Jill directly after all.
But, I didn’t want to see him.
I wonder if I was depressed. When my mind thought of Jill’s eyes turning to me with disgust, the vicinity of my heart throbbed with pain.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t just leave that shadow alone. Tomorrow, or at most the day after, I would have to send a letter so we can organize a place to talk……
On that day, even if I had been possessed by that shadow, it was still no excuse for what I did.
With my own mouth, with my own will, I had ended up hurling countless cruel words at Jill.
In this world, there was no magic that could conveniently retract the words you had thrown out to hurt someone.
—It will be too late to realise that after you’ve already lost it, Lilius.
Remembering Jill’s words, my hand involuntarily clenched with tension, growing tight around the glass. I didn’t want to see him. I was terribly terrified of seeing him. But, unless I wanted the number of victims to increase, I had no choice but to meet him.
As I brooded, the sharp-eyed Hank called out to me.
“You don’t seem well either. Did something happen to you?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
I guess I was worrying him.
Right now, Hank was giving me his kindness. He was sharing a piece of his heart with me.
But, I had tried to throw away all things like that. Even so, to rely on that kindness felt like cowardice, and my words refused to come out.
More than anything, right now the person whose thoughts I wanted to hear the most, was the person I most wanted to communicate myself to.
“……It’s really nothing. Anyways, you mentioned the money issue, but no matter how much you raise it to the imperial court, I don’t think those lazy bunch would deign to move to action.”
At the change of topic, Hank’s face showed worry. However, he didn’t push any further and switched to the topic after clearing his throat.
“So you want me to give up?”
“Wrong. You’ve just got to change the target of your appeal.”
“No way, are you talking about Commander-sama?!”
“His subordinates. Not that there’s any guarantees, but at least, they’re not going to turn you away if you’ve gone through the trouble to make it to the castle.”
“I see.”
It was a fact that had come to light after Hank woke up:
The funds from the capital that should have been provisioned to us had been pilfered by the bureaucrats in charge of this district’s Magical Healing Bureau.
Fundamentally, one’s magical leanings were influenced by their nature. For example, aggressive people and people with overflowing energy tended to be strong at aggressive magic. And the reverse was true as well: amongst those good at healing magic, many were gentle and easygoing in personality.
Within a gathering of such naive people as the Healing Corps was, our group that was ridiculed as country bumpkins by those louts in the capital probably made for good prey.
Hank was said to be the strongest-willed of the members, but in truth he was just a timid guy that cared for his colleagues.
From the viewpoint of the nobles and the court’s bureaucrats, there was no doubt they had taken him, an ignorant countryman, as a joke.
Needless to say, someone who had been exposed to malice was the best person to pick up on these things.
“There’s a man called Seth in the Imperial Knights. That guy isn’t so bad, so he’ll probably hear you out.”
“But how would I find him?”
“Jill… Ah, no. The Commander-dono has a mansion here, right? You can try sending a letter there first.”
“Got it. Looks like you’ve been blessed with good encounters huh, Lilius?”
“……I guess. They were a good bunch, more than I deserved.”
I gulped down the fruit wine.
The heat of the alcohol flowing down my throat was just right to distract myself from the pain.
T.T Lilius.. drink to your hearts content huhu
Thank you so much for the chapter!!!!~ 🙇🏻🙇🏻🙇🏻🙇🏻🙇🏻🙇🏻
Poor Lilius :(( I feel so bad for him
Thanks the chapter <3
He is scared, but at the same time, he knows he has to do something about it and meet Jill. Ahhh.. I hope they’ll finally reconcile, this conctant drama and tension is trying.
Thank uoy very much for the chapter!!!
I hate how this heart breaking chapter is updates during New Year days but I also love the thought that this update is a gift for New Year…
Thanks for the update! Happy New year to everyone reading this!
Ai, drinking your troubles away only helps for a bit, Lily…
Noooo! Don’t blame yourself so much!! Jill deserved a bit of a beating! Fault wasn’t yours alone!!
Thanks for the chapter 💜💜
I’m glad Hank has changed after that Shadow left him.
Thanks for the chapter!
I feel so bad for Lillius. T^T It’s not your fault, sweetie! T.T JILL, YOU JERK!! You just had to make him feel shit when he’s in his most vulnerable period!! DJSAKWOFONWKSODI I’M SO PISSED!! T_T
thanks for the chapter!