"U…! Haa, haa…." [Hyuzu]
After Ryouma and the others came back and chatted, Hyuzu's condition worsened.
"Hyuzu!" [Reinhart]
"Get yourself together!" [Jill]
"The potion and healing magic has stopped the bleeding, but now he has a fever. It's pretty high too…" [Camil]
"I have, medicine." [Ryouma]
Hyuzu's face was red with fever as he groaned and perspired.
When Ryouma heard what Camil said, he immediately ran inside.
"Meeting that kid was really our good fortune, huh, Boss." [Zeff]
"Yeah, if we hadn't met him, we definitely wouldn't be able to save Hyuzu." [Reinhart]
"Hyuzu isn't safe yet, but even if we had somehow managed to use healing magic, we still wouldn't have been able to save him. After all, healing magic doesn't work on fevers." [Zeff]
"Well it might work normally, but certainly not when you've lost a lot of blood…" [Reinhart]
When they stopped talking about Hyuzu, the topic moved to Ryouma.
"What are we going to do about that kid? We can't possibly leave him here all by himself." [Camil]
"He's been living here for 3 years already. I'm sure he knows how dangerous it is." [Jill]
"He's survived all these years and he has those resistance skills… He must have lived a horrible life back at his village. Who knows if we can even convince him that the town is safer. Fortunately, he's not so far gone so as to lash at people the moment he sees one." [Zeff]
"Ah, come to think of it, there was that person who made a scene." [Reinhart]
"Reinhart-sama, as a father of one yourself, don't you have some idea?"[Zeff]
"You're the only one with a kid here, Boss. People like us don't haven't the slightest clue what to do at times like these."
"I'm clueless too. We can't leave him alone, but we can't force him to go with us either. In any case, we need to go back first. I'll talk to my dad and Elize about this." [Reinhart]
After that they ran out of topics to talk about and silence filled the room. A few minutes later, Ryouma came back with a slime carrying a vase full of water and a medicine. Ryouma himself was carrying a monster pelt under his arms.
"Umm, thank you." [Camil]
"Treatment first." [Ryouma]
As Ryouma said that he covered Hyuzu with the pelt he brought and Camil poured the water into a cup.
"Incline his head. Make him drink." [Ryouma]
As Ryouma said that, Camil made Hyuzu drink.
"…He seems to have drank everything." [Zeff]
When Ryouma heard that he handed the medicine.
"Medicine." [Ryouma]
"Thank you." [Reinhart]
As Reinhart said that he made Hyuzu drink the medicine. After one hour, Hyuzu's condition finally improved. Reinhart and his party heaved a sigh of relief.
It was getting dark, so Ryouma proposed for Reinhart and his party to stay over. Seeing that Ryouma was not hostile and after considering Hyuzu's situation, Reinhart decided to accept Ryouma's proposal.
Ryouma showed off his homemade cooking for supper. It was a simple dish, nothing more than stir-fried bean sprouts and rabbit meat soup, but nevertheless, Reinhart and his party were happy.
The next day.
Hyuzu had already recovered and could stand by himself. Reinhart and his party didn't leave immediately, however, and they stayed until the afternoon to ensure Hyuzu was up to health.
"Man, I thought I was a goner for sure. Thanks a lot, kid!" [Hyuzu]
"Are you really… ok?" [Ryouma]
"Why? You worried? I heard you didn't want to go to the village, so I thought you hated people." [Hyuzu]
"…Can at least, worry about the sick…" [Ryouma]
"GAHAHA! I see! I see! Sorry about that! Whoops…" [Hyuzu]
As Hyuzu was laughing, he suddenly tottered. Reinhart and Camil immediately went to support him.
"Hyuzu, you ok?" [Reinhart]
"Y-Yeah… Just a little dizzy, Boss. Nothing to worry about." [Hyuzu]
"You just got better, so please be careful." [Camil]
When Ryouma saw that, he took out the medicine he prepared beforehand.
"Drink." [Ryouma]
"Hmm? What's inside the bottle?" [Hyuzu]
"Medicine for blood. You lack blood." [Ryouma]
"Is that so? Thanks. Then I'll just go and drink— Ughk!? What in the blazes!?" [Hyuzu]
The smell of the combination of herbs and green caterpillars wafted out from the bottle. Hyuzu wasn't the only one to be put off by the smell, even Jill and Zeff couldn't help but grimace at it.
"It stinks, but… I can guarantee, it works." [Ryouma]
"Well, you heard the boy. Bottoms up." [Reinhart]
"W-Wait a moment!" [Hyuzu]
"We'd be troubled if you suddenly fainted along the way." [Jill]
"We're worried too, you know." [Zeff]
Jill and Zeff grabbed Hyuzu by the shoulders, keeping him from running."
"Forgive me!" [Camil]
Camil took the bottle and emptied its contents into Hyuzu's mouth.
"%'$'%$"!!!!" [Hyuzu]
Incomprehensible mutterings spat out of Hyuzu's mouth as he convulsed several times. Hyuzu's pitiful appearance as he leaned onto a wall made it seem like what he drank was not medicine but poison. For the record, that was indeed an effective medicine, it just stank really bad.
"Y-You guys…" [Hyuzu]
"Good medicine tastes bad, Hyuzu." [Reinhart]
"Don't worry, this kid's medicines are effective." [Jill]
"The potions he used to treat you were high-class stuff too." [Zeff]
"Damn it. Ahh… I thought I would die… Uppu…" [Hyuzu]
The stench of the medicine wafting from the pith of his stomach made Hyuzu sick. He looked like he was about to throw up, so Ryouma gave him another glass of water.
"Do you have… armor?" [Ryouma]
"Fuu, hmm? Ah, my armor got done in by that bear, so, no, I don't got any. No weapons too." [Hyuzu]
"I have some… Wait." [Ryouma]
"That would help a lot, but you sure you ok giving us your stuff?" [Hyuzu]
"Yes." [Ryouma]
Ryouma went inside and came back with some slimes carrying five spears and 3 pieces of armor all-in-all.
"Here." [Ryouma]
"These are some pretty good stuff for bandits. You sure you ok handing them to Hyuzu?" [Jill]
"Weapons are made, to be used… If you don't take them, no one will use, them…" [Ryouma]
"This spears would go for five small gold coins, you know?" [Hyuzu]
"Take them." [Ryouma]
When Jill and Hyuzu saw how good the equipments were, they asked Ryouma repeatedly if he was sure about giving them away. In the end, the first to fold was Hyuzu himself.
"…In that case, I'll happily take them off you. But I can't stand just taking stuff for free. I don't have anything to give, but if you're ever in need, just give me a call and I'll be there. You can easily contact me by giving the guards at Gaunago Town my name. Don't hold back, alright?" [Hyuzu]
"Got it." [Ryouma]
Like this the party of five finished their preparations and departed. After 3 years in the otherworld Ryouma has finally met the people of this world.
Ryouma was exhausted after conversing with someone for the first time in a long while, but regardless, he still hunted as usual.
What Ryouma didn't know, however, was that this simple meeting would greatly change his life.