After some time he arrived back to the cave.
Of course, he didn't go in a straight line and managed to walk three times the distance between the camp and the cave, but he didn't notice.
Even if he did - he wouldn't care that much. He wasn't in a mood to think.
As Norn came inside the cave Erika looked at him. She didn't seem afraid of him anymore, she looked rather happy, for some reason.
"You brought some clothes?"
She asked before Norn could even come closer to her.
"Yeah, i took some for you too. Dont worry, yours are clean."
His voice was apathetic and sounded lifeless.
It felt like he and Erika switched sides for today.
Norn dropped the bag he had in his hand close to Erika:
"Those are all yours, do whatever you want with them"
After saying so he didn't bother to linger around anymore and went to the darker part of the cave.
He then started changing, but due to his perfect planning he did so in almost complete darkness.
He even managed to rip one pair of pants that he took. He wasn't angry because of that, he was rather calm.
After several unsuccessful attempts to wear pants he came closer to the campfire again.
He didn't care if Erika saw him, but he said nonetheless:
"Dont look behind, i'm changing."
Erika, however, did look back.
She didn't say anything as it was just a brief gaze.
Norn didn't mind. He continued his attempts to wear pants.
After another attempts he was finally successful.
It didn't feel like an achievement, one should feel embarrassed if it took him so many attempts to wear pants...
Norn, however, simply stared at his hands that held some more clothes he took from the bodies.
While he was choosing what to wear some of the goblins started coming back.
There weren't many, but all of them carried most valuable stuff, such as food, tents and weapons.
Why were tents valuable? Because goblins saw that Norn slept on something that wasn't a barren rock surface.
As such, they wanted beds too! In their minds he was the leader, of course, but that doesn't mean that he should be the only one to have a bed!
Well, unless he forbids them to sleep on beds...
As more and more goblins came back Norn noticed that some of them carried bags that sounded... suspicious.
They were like that due to glassy sound coming from them.
"Potions?"
He thought immediately.
"Those could help Erika..."
He looked back at Erika...
She was looking at clothes he gave her.
It's not like we didn't want to heal her, but what if she chooses to run away?..
He was too afraid that it would happen.
He didn't care too much about Erika herself, he was afraid that he was so unlikeable that she would rather risk it than stay close to him.
"I didn't even do anything bad to her, why would she do that!?"
A sudden thought assaulted his mind.
It was a complete opposite of thoughts he had lately. Strangely enough - he decided to "believe" it.
As such, he came closer to a bag with something made of glass inside of it.
The goblin who carried it already left, and it's not like he would try to stop him.
He opened the bag. There were indeed some bottles inside. They were seemingly different, but since it was dark Norn couldn't see properly.
He took the bag and carried it over to the campfire.
As he looked inside he saw 7 bottles. Two of them were cracked, but the bag wasn't wet at all.
He didn't think too much about it since one of the bottles was completely empty, maybe those were too.
He took one of the potions out of the bag, it was blood red.
When he opened it to sniff... It smelled worse than some of the goblins here.
He wasn't stupid enough to drink it, thus he presented it to Erika, saying:
"Do you know what this is?"
The bottle was lying on his hand that was stretched towards Erika.
Norn saw a beautiful sight. It wasn't beautiful because of Erika alone, it was like that due to the combination of all.
Darkness around them. The campfire that lit up Erika's face... Norn handing a potion to a beauty in distress...
If he was an artist of some sorts he would've definitely got some inspiration from it.
Erika paused for a second before taking the potion from his hands.
After sniffing and even tasting it she replied:
"It's a healing potion, it is, however, of low quality"
She didn't even try to hold it for longer than she needed to, she handed it to Norn almost immediately after replying.
Norn, however, didn't take it from her:
"Will it help you heal your legs?"
His gaze wasn't of concern, it wasn't even kind. It was just dull, as if he didn't care about her answer at all.
"I'm afraid that only advanced magic can heal them."
Strangely, her voice wasn't too sad, it sounded as if she was talking about baking or something.
"That's unfortunate..."
His voice was just as sad as before, but one could hear a bit of something else hidden deep inside.
"Is something wrong? Are you perhaps troubled by something? You are different from yesterday..."
Erika asked him immediately, she said it faster and louder than usual.
Norn looked at her. He saw something strange in her eyes, as if she really was concerned... That's what he wanted to believe.
"It's... I feel bad because i dont know what to do with you. On one hand i should get you back home, but on the other? My... greed, doesn't want me to do that..."
He couldn't hide it from her anymore. He wasn't concerned that she could start feeling colder towards him after it.
He simply wanted to find something that would make him happier. Maybe dropping that weight from his shoulders would be of help?..
Erika, however, only laughed after Norn said it.
He couldn't understand why she would laugh because of it, but as he looked at her...
She really was laughing... It wasn't fake like he thought before!
Her face was that of a happy girl who talked to the boy she liked the most.
It was beautiful and graceful.
"Didn't i tell you? I dont have a home anymore, even if you wanted to - where could you take me? Or is it that you want to get rid of me because of my legs?"
She looked at Norn with a happy smile. Her hand was close to her mouth as she tried to hide her smile from him.
She was somewhat confused about what he said earlier, but as she understood why he was unhappy it made her feel much better.
This random goblins who should've raped her several times already cared more than her own family, and their hate was just because of some "curse"!
What the curse was? Well, it didn't do anything, but her hair was unusually bright. It was almost white at this point.
Elves considered such a hair color a curse since people who had it before weren't really good and brought disasters to their settlements.
It could be anything, from inviting random bandits in or inventing some fast-growing plant that turned out to be a maneater...
As such, whoever had this hair color was a cursed child. Those were usually killed right after birth, but due to Erika's special circumstances...
Well, she is alive, as you can see.
Norn, however, couldn't understand why she would behave like that.
She was a captive, her legs were broken and she basically had no future whatsoever...
So... Why was she happy? Is happiness something that one could get just like that?
But she didn't have a reason to be happy? Well, from his perspective.
Then why couldn't he find it? It's not like anything bad was happening, he even had a beautiful girl with him, he was even sure that she wont run away from him...
...
Norn didn't speak for some time after Erika's reply.
It made her feel some concern as she couldn't understand what was happening in his head now, as such:
"Norn, i understand that you dont want to let me go, and it's not like i can run away, as you know already..."
She laughed a little after saying it.
"Dont think too much about it, i know that you want to do the right thing, but i want to stay with you..."
It seemed like it was the end of the sentence, however...
"...Is that what you wanted to hear?.."
She added quietly in the end, Norn could barely hear it.
"You're saying it because you think that i will get angry if you say otherwise. Let's just focus on fixing your legs and... you can do whatever after that."
His voice sounded somewhat strict, but kind at the same time.
Norn understood that it could be the reason. After all, why would she say somethign like that?
She wanted to stay with a damn goblin? What bullshit was that?
Not even heroines of isekai mangas were that desperate for a male!
However, it didn't really matter for him. If she said the truth - sure. If not? Whatever.
He really does want to fix her legs, as it was the easiest way for him to know her true feelings... Well, from his perspective.
"If you wish so - so be it. I'm sure that in a few days i will be able to fix them, will you believe me then?"
Norn looked back at Erika as she said it... She was smiling at him!
"You can heal them that easily?.."
He couldn't belive that and it was obvious, his voice gave it away.
"It's easier than you think, it's just a few cracks, nothing too scary."
Norn eye twitched. "Nothing too scary, you say?". He looked at her legs as he thought it.
They looked like twigs that you bent in 3 different places!
"Hahaha!"
Erika laughed adorably as she where he was looking at.
"I said it's fine, dont worry."
Her mood seemed to be way better than yesterday. Norn, however, couldn't understand why.
"I'm going to change my clothes, which one do you think i should wear?"
Erika suddenly said as she took two different dresses from the pile that was on her legs.
First one was white and looked simple, but it had it's own charm. You would see village girls in those.
Second one, however, looked a bit more elegant, but it was green with some strange patterns on it. It's not like it was ugly, but the color reminded Norn of puke, thus:
"I think white one will look better on you."
It was his honest opinion, he didn't even bother to prove his claim.
"I thought so too"
She smiled as she tried to stand up, but she immediately realised that it was... well, impossible.
"Right."
She said with a wry smile.
"Can you help me get dressed?"
She looked at Norn as she said it and could see that he was taken aback by what he heard.
"Oh, come on. Dont be shy, it's not like you haven't seen some of it already."
She said even before Norn could think of a stupid way to stale for time.
"What do i need to do?"
Since it was like that... Why even bother trying to fight back? It's not like the experience was unpleasant...
"Just hold me above the ground so i'm not sitting, it should be enough."
She tilted her head and smiled lightly after saying it.
Norn didn't waste time and immediately came closer to her.
"Maybe you should take of this one before i pick you up?"
It made sense, since he would hold the dress aswell, making it impossible for her to take it off.
Erika didn't respond to him and immedaitely started taking it off.
Norn didn't even have time to look back...
He saw them.
Just for a brief moment, but he did. They really were big...
Ahem. Norn looked away to act polite, but as he did so he could hear a chuckle from Erika.
She didn't say anything but Norn felt like she knew that he saw them...
"Come, pick me up from my back if you're that shy"
Her voice sounded playful and even happy. Norn felt even more embarrassment.
However, he did what he neede to do. He held in the air, as if she was standing.
He suddenly realised a problem. He didn't even have time to glance at her... back.
"How do i put her down without hurting her?.."
IT was a question he couldn't find an answer to.
Whatever he imagined didn't work, he would still touch her legs. Wouldn't that hurt?
As he was thinking:
"It's done, you can put me down."
Erika's voice interrupted him.
"Ehm... Wouldn't it hurt if i just put you down?"
He asked weakly, as he wasn't even sure about what he said just now.
"I'm used to it already, dont worry."
Even if she said so... How could he do that!? It was clearly a test to see if he really was that good or not!
As such, he tried to be as gentle as possible, he even took a strange pose, as he squatted on one leg and rested her body on his second leg, allowing her to straighten her body before she was on the floor.
He spent so much brain power to come up with that solution that he felt that his head was about to burst now.
"It didn't hurt, thank you"
Erika's voice interrupted Norn's thoughts once more.
This time, however, he felt happpy.
He actually succeeded!
"I'm glad"
It was all he could say, but it's not like anything else needed to be said.
Both of them were silent for some time. It was not awkward silence as they were busy with their own things.
Norn examined potions and even tasted some of them. They were awful.
Erika did something with the clothes, but Norn couldn't understand what exactly it was.
It looked like she was sewing or something, but she didn't have a needle, so?.. What was she doing?
Noticing Norn's gaze she said:
"I'm making some clothes for us"
She didn't hide it from him, as it wasn't something people would even try to hide.
"How are you sewing without a needle?"
It was the only question he had in his mind.
"It's a spell, magic needle, basic home-magic"
She explained briefly.
Norn, however, understood nothing from it. He could understand those words, but the meaning behind them?
What basic home-magic? Is that a name of a scam tv shop or something?
"Wait... it's that setting!"
He suddenly realised! He remembered that some novels and mangas he read in his previous life had such a thing in them!
Home-magic was basically lowest of the lowest level spells that helped one at home, as the name suggested!
Could that mean that he would be able to learn them? It's not like they were any useful in combat, but if he had a lighter at all times it would feel nice...
"Can you teach me how to use it?"
Norn didn't think twice about asking her for help.
Erika hesitated for a while before replying:
"I... I'm not sure you will be able to... You are a goblin after all..."
Her voice sounded apologetic, Norn felt that she pitied him.
"It wouldn't hurt to try, would it?"
He didn't want to give up as he still thought that he was special. His magic stat was 6, after all!
So what if he was a goblin? His magic stat was higher than that of some humans!
More than that, he wanted to try it since his previous attempt to improve himself got him a skill, maybe if he trained magic hard enough he would get one related to magic?
"You are right, but let's postpone it until morning, okay?"
Erika didn't bother explaining why, as she knew that Norn wouldn't force her or anything.
Norn didn't say anything after her reply.
He simply sat there, staring at the bonfire while he ate what was left on his lig peg.
By this time it was dirty and started smelling weird, but he didn't care.
Of course, he didn't forget to offer some of it to Erika, but she refused him politely, saying that she doesn't need to eat that much.