I had tried to keep the jolting to a minimum, but Aria Rose looked even worse than before.

Well, I had been running for a lot longer than I’d expected.

I’d assumed it would be fine since the slave shop was close to the castle.

But I hadn’t known the route from the castle back to the market or the Adventurers’ Guild.

I vaguely remembered it being behind the castle, so I just ran around until I finally found the place.

Right now, I was standing in front of the same pharmacy I’d visited yesterday.

Just like yesterday, the door was closed, and there was a small sign outside.

Was that little sign the “Closed” sign?

Whatever.

I opened the door and found yesterday’s girl arranging merchandise on the shelves.

“Hey. Long time no see.”

Today she was wearing a bluish hooded robe.

Her hair was pulled back with something like a headband, exposing her forehead.

“Sigh. Are you deliberately coming only when my grandmother isn’t here?”

So that little sign really did say the shop was closed.

“It’s not like that.”

“I’ve got an emergency.”

“An emergency?”

“What is it?”

“Did you decide yesterday’s medicine wasn’t enough for your first adventure and came to buy more before heading out?”

She answered in a mocking tone while continuing to stock the shelves without much interest.

“No.”

“I already went monster hunting yesterday.”

“Today—”

“Huh!?”

“You went outside after that!?”

“Are you an idiot!?”

“Going outside at night!?”

She spun around, stood up, and stared at me with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

“The visibility was definitely bad.”

“But is it really that surprising?”

“Sigh. You really don’t know anything.”

“Fine.”

“I’ll educate you, since you’re obviously clueless.”

“Monsters become more active at night.”

“Most nocturnal monsters are stronger to begin with, and even daytime monsters can effectively go up one Adventurers’ Guild rank once night falls.”

“And around the time you left town, both daytime and nighttime monsters are active.”

“That’s when there are the most monsters around.”

“On top of that, there are rumors that the Goblin King has come down from the mountains.”

“I’m honestly amazed you survived.”

I’d thought it yesterday too…

This girl sure liked to talk.

“I really did think I was going to die yesterday.”

“But somehow I made it back without any serious injuries.”

Well, aside from the first monster, I’d spent more time running away than fighting.

“Well, monsters rarely leave the forest, so I guess that’s why you survived.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

“I know escaping that green monster throwing giant boulders was basically a miracle.”

“So from now on I’m planning to find some companions.”

“What!?”

“The green monster…”

“You mean the Goblin King!?”

“Has it come out of the forest!?”

So that thing was the Goblin King?

Well…

I guess it did have the aura of a king.

“No.”

“It threw huge rocks at me while I was running from a bunch of monsters inside the forest.”

“I don’t think it chased me outside.”

That monster didn’t seem particularly fast, after all.

“You actually went into the forest at night!?”

“Are you seriously an idiot!?”

You’re so loud!

Stop yelling right in my face.

Aria Rose, whom I was carrying, flinched.

Oh right.

I’d completely forgotten.

“Huh?”

“I thought that was just a bundle of rags.”

“It’s a kid?”

“Ew.”

“Did you drag her here from the slums?”

Seeing how battered Aria Rose looked, she openly showed her disgust.

Harsh.

Still, there was something refreshing about someone who didn’t pretend to be a saint.

“No.”

“I bought her from a slave trader.”

“Ew.”

“So this is your type?”

“A tiny kid who’s already half-dead?”

“That’s disgusting.”

Now she looked at me with the same obvious disgust.

That irritated me a little.

“That’s not it.”

“I want you to figure out what medicine she needs.”

“Sigh. Fine.”

“Wait there.”

She disappeared behind the counter and returned carrying a crystal.

Holding the crystal out in her left hand while supporting it with her right, she peered through it at Aria Rose.

“I seek the source of power that restores what has strayed from nature’s laws.”

“Reveal the guidance required.”

“[Diagnosis.]”

The crystal glowed faintly.

Something seemed to appear inside it, but I couldn’t see it from where I stood.

So this was magic?

The chant was surprisingly short.

“Did you figure anything out?”

She lowered the crystal and looked back at me.

“Well…”

“If you want to completely cure her physical condition in one shot, she’d need Divine Medicine.”

“Divine Medicine?”

The pronunciation was different, but…

“It’s also called the Medicine of the Gods, the Elixir of Immortality, or the Miracle Medicine.”

“Think of it as a completely superior version of a panacea.”

So Divine Medicine because it was literally the medicine of the gods.

Come to think of it…

I’d never seen kanji in this world.

So why did the name match perfectly in my head?

Was my brain automatically translating this world’s language into Japanese?

Thinking about it would only give me a headache.

Aria Rose came first.

“How much is this Divine Medicine?”

“If I remember correctly, about a hundred gold coins.”

“And only a handful of pharmacies carry it.”

“The pharmacy on Castle Gate Street probably has some.”

“Of course, we don’t.”

A hundred gold coins!?

No wonder the slave trader had given up on her.

She wasn’t worth that much.

“Is there anything else?”

“A highest-grade panacea might cure her.”

“But I can’t guarantee it.”

“You could end up wasting your money.”

“How much is that?”

“If they have it in stock, it’ll cost one gold coin.”

“If not, making one would take both time and money.”

“Only the pharmacy on Castle Gate Street carries medicine of that quality in this city.”

“Thanks.”

I thanked her and turned to leave, but she stopped me.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“The consultation fee.”

“One silver coin.”

You charge for that!?

What a greedy woman.

Holding Aria Rose with one arm, I pulled a silver coin from my wallet.

“Here.”

“Oh?”

“You actually paid.”

“In that case, I’ll do you a little favor and watch over her while you’re gone.”

“If you bring a child looking like this to a shop on Castle Gate Street, they probably won’t even let you inside.”

She had a point.

She was more considerate than I’d expected.

“Just make sure you’re back before my grandmother returns.”

“And when will that be?”

“Who knows?”

That annoyed me again.

“I’m in a hurry.”

“Take care of Aria Rose.”

With that, I sprinted away.

Thanks to the blessing on my boots, I was surprisingly fast when I ran at full speed.

Since I’d already taken this route earlier, I roughly remembered the way.

About ten minutes later, I arrived at what had to be the pharmacy.

“Definitely feels like a luxury store.”

Knowing I looked completely out of place, I stepped inside.

“Welcome.”

As expected of a high-end shop, there were several clerks.

Back in my old world that would’ve been normal.

But in this world, every store I’d visited so far had only had a single employee.

“I’d like to buy a highest-grade panacea.”

“Certainly.”

“May I see your identification, please?”

The clerk instructed another employee to fetch the panacea.

Wait…

You needed ID just to buy medicine!?

What kind of luxury shop was this?

I handed over the Adventurer Card I’d received yesterday.

The clerk held it up to a small crystal to read the information.

“So you’re an F-Rank adventurer.”

“Adventuring must be quite profitable these days.”

“Hm?”

“I’ve barely earned anything as an adventurer.”

“I just happened to have a decent amount of money to begin with.”

“Were you formerly a noble?”

Why was he prying so much?

I was in a hurry.

Couldn’t he just hurry up?

“Do I really need to answer that?”

I took out a gold coin from my wallet.

The moment he saw it, he gestured to the employee he’d sent earlier.

“My deepest apologies for my rudeness.”

“Here is your highest-grade panacea.”

This guy had been suspicious of me.

Did he think I’d grab the medicine and run?

Yesterday someone had tried to overcharge me at the little pharmacy too.

Maybe adventurers really were treated pretty badly.

As long as they sold me the real thing, I didn’t care.

I activated Appraisal.

[Authentic]

“How much?”

“One gold coin.”

I activated Appraisal again.

[No Problem]

…Huh?

Was my skill messing with me?

Did it have a will of its own?

Or was it somehow influenced by me?

Whatever.

Not important right now.

I handed over one gold coin and received the medicine.

“Thanks.”

“Thank you very much.”

“We look forward to serving you again.”

The moment I stepped outside, I sprinted back toward the little pharmacy.

The return trip took less than ten minutes.

When I happened to glance at my PP gauge, it had dropped below half.

I was exhausted…

The little pharmacy’s door was still closed, and the same small sign was outside.

Well, I couldn’t actually read the sign, so maybe it was different.

I opened the door.

The girl was sitting behind the counter.

Aria Rose was sitting on her lap.

A piece of cloth was pressed over Aria Rose’s mouth.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, you’re back.”

“I couldn’t let her sit or lie down in the back room.”

“She would’ve made everything dirty.”

“So I just let her sit on my lap.”

“That’s not what I’m asking!”

“Hm?”

“Oh, this cloth.”

“I soaked it in a special blend of medicinal herbs I came up with myself.”

“It’ll improve the chances that the highest-grade panacea works.”

“You should be grateful.”

Maybe she really was a decent person after all.

“But you’re still charging me for it, aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

“There’s the babysitting fee, the herbs, the cloth…”

“And compensation for this robe she ruined by sitting on it.”

“I’ll give you a little discount.”

“Five silver coins.”

I activated Appraisal.

[Ally]

That wasn’t what I’d expected.

What did that mean?

It meant she wasn’t lying… right?

She had looked after Aria Rose, even if only for a short while.

So I handed her one gold coin.

“You’ve actually got gold coins.”

“Are you some noble or something?”

The fancy pharmacy had asked the same thing.

Did adventurers normally not carry gold coins?

Gold coins were less bulky, so I’d think they’d be more convenient.

Or maybe most adventurers spent everything they earned the same day.

That would fit the stereotype.

Besides…

I’d already spent my last gold coin.

“So I’m a noble now?”

“Not a chance.”

“Hmm.”

“Whatever.”

Still looking unconvinced, she handed me ninety-five silver coins in change.

“Do I just make her drink the panacea?”

“Yep.”

“But wait a second.”

“Let her keep breathing through this cloth a little longer first.”

While waiting, I flipped through the herbal encyclopedia I’d bought yesterday.

I still couldn’t read the text, but the illustrations were so detailed they looked like photographs, making them easy to recognize.

Of course, since I couldn’t read, I had no idea what any of the herbs were called.

Still, if gathering them would earn me money, I might as well collect every one I found.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“I’ve increased the chances of her recovering a little, but don’t get your hopes up.”

“No, that’s more than enough.”

“Thanks.”

Aria Rose climbed down from the girl’s lap and toddled over to me.

I crouched down to meet her at eye level and handed her the panacea.

“I won’t be able to buy you another one of these.”

“So drink every last drop.”

“Whether this medicine cures you depends on you.”

“Drink it believing with all your heart that you’ll recover.”

“Got it?”

They always said that the mind played a big role in recovery.

There was no way I’d be able to afford Divine Medicine anytime soon.

If this didn’t work, I’d just wasted a gold coin.

“…Yes.”

Understanding how precious the medicine was, she began drinking it little by little.

I was glad.

If she’d gulped it down, choked, and thrown it all up, that would’ve been a disaster.

Judging from the expression on her face, though, it tasted absolutely awful.

Well, medicine was supposed to be bitter.

After finishing the panacea, Aria Rose stared blankly at me.

She looked like a child with a fever.

It felt like there was at least a little more life in her eyes now.

The girl stepped out from behind the counter and held up the crystal again.

“I seek the source of power that restores what has strayed from nature’s laws.”

“Reveal the guidance required.”

“[Diagnosis.]”

The crystal emitted a faint glow.

“So?”

“Is she cured?”

“Not completely.”

“But it looks like it worked.”

“If she eats properly and drinks a normal-quality panacea every day, she should recover physically in less than three days.”

“What!?”

“A gold coin every day!?”

“The next panaceas don’t have to be highest quality.”

“Normal quality will be enough.”

“Normally even low quality would work, but she’s so weak that normal quality is the safer choice.”

There went even more money.

I needed to get Aria usable as soon as possible so we could start hunting monsters.

“How much?”

“If you buy them here, including today’s consultation fee, three normal-quality healing potions will cost one silver coin.”

So the panaceas were basically free?

Or had she overcharged me for the consultation earlier?

Well…

She had helped us a lot.

I could let that slide.

“Thanks.”

“For everything.”

I handed her one silver coin.

“You’ve already paid for the service.”

“So it’s no problem.”

“Here are the panaceas.”

“Oh, and…”

Without warning, she removed her robe, revealing something like a camisole underneath.

What was she doing all of a sudden?

“Here.”

“The robe.”

“You already paid for it, so it’s yours now.”

It felt strangely awkward receiving a robe that was still warm from her body.

As I looked at it, Observation Eye seemed to react.

“Is this robe blessed?”

She looked surprised by the question.

“Oh?”

“You can appraise things?”

“Not exactly.”

“I can just sort of tell whether something’s good.”

“It has the Blessing of Fire Resistance.”

“It’s practically essential equipment for alchemists.”

“But it’s still just an ordinary cloth robe.”

“As armor, it doesn’t amount to much.”

But if it was equipment, I should gain the blessing just by possessing it.

Thinking that, I checked my status.

No new blessing.

After putting the robe on and checking again, Fire Resistance appeared.

So robes only granted their blessing while being worn.

“Aria.”

Aria Rose flinched before tilting her head.

“Aria Rose is too long.”

“It’ll be hard to shout during combat.”

“So from now on, I’ll call you Aria.”

“Understood?”

“…Yes.”

Even her hoarse voice sounded a little better.

“Good.”

“Put this on.”

I handed her the robe the girl had given me and took back my tracksuit.

Since it had been tailored to the girl’s height, it was way too tight for me.

On Aria, though, it was ridiculously oversized.

Still, oversized was better than skin-tight.

I tied it around the waist and shoulders, forcing it to fit her as best I could.

“Anyway…”

“Thanks for everything.”

“I’ll come again.”

“Next time, come when my grandmother’s here.”

Right.

She wasn’t actually an employee.

After saying goodbye, I left the shop.

I’d really wanted to head straight back out to hunt monsters.

But Aria still wasn’t in any condition to help.

For now, I might as well sell the monster fang I’d collected yesterday.

Besides, I’d heard the cheapest inn was next to the Adventurers’ Guild.

With my destination decided, I headed toward the guild.

The old man’s skewer stand was crowded with customers.

I figured I’d stop by later rather than get in the way.

Then I noticed Aria staring at it.

“Want one?”

Aria shook her head.

Something felt off, so I used Appraisal.

[Doubt]

Why lie about something like that?

Well…

It was still better than her acting spoiled.

I joined the end of the line, and Aria looked completely bewildered.

“Old man!”

“Two premium skewers!”

“Thanks for your business!”

“Hey, it’s you again!”

“So?”

“Did you manage to hunt any monsters yesterday?”

“I went.”

“But I nearly died and had to run away.”

“Hah!”

“That’s pretty pathetic.”

The old man laughed heartily.

I wasn’t laughing.

I’d really almost died.

“Is that kid your little sibling?”

He pointed at Aria, who was completely hidden beneath the oversized robe.

“She’s my slave.”

“Whoa!?”

“So tiny girls are your type!?”

Did people in this world automatically equate slaves with sex slaves?

“No.”

“She’s a combat slave.”

“Oh?”

“So despite appearances she’s actually some powerful mage?”

“I don’t know how strong she is.”

“But she was a kid on the verge of death.”

“That’s even worse!”

The old man actually looked a little disturbed.

Not good.

“I promised I’d free her if she worked hard enough.”

“She chose this herself.”

“So there’s no problem.”

The old man blinked, looking back and forth between Aria and me.

Then his face lit up as though he’d figured something out.

“I get it now!”

“You’re really not honest with yourself, kid!”

He’d somehow interpreted everything in the most favorable way possible.

The old man handed me two freshly grilled premium skewers.

“Here you go.”

“Two premium skewers.”

I paid him twenty copper coins and took them.

Then I handed one to Aria.

“Here.”

“Eat.”

“It’s hot, so be careful.”

“Huh?”

“I need you to recover quickly.”

“So eat and get some nutrition.”

“…Thank you.”

Aria suddenly burst into tears.

Then, after eagerly taking a bite…

She threw it all up.

Guess grilled meat was too heavy for someone that sick.

I was about to ask if she was okay when Aria lowered her face toward the ground.

“Stop!”

She flinched and froze in place.

I’d stopped her before I even realized what she was trying to do.

“Sorry, old man.”

“I’ll clean everything up.”

“Just give me a minute.”

“Uh… sure.”

I crouched down beside Aria.

“What were you about to do?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“I asked what you were about to do.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry for wasting the food you gave me.”

“I’ll eat it.”

“Please forgive me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry…”

The slave trader had mentioned she’d broken down mentally under her first owner.

He’d blamed it on poor training.

No way.

Her first owner had obviously been the problem.

Though…

That was probably how most slaves were treated.

“I’m not angry.”

“And you don’t need to eat something you’ve already thrown up.”

“It’s my fault for feeding greasy food to someone who’s sick.”

“And another thing.”

“If you’re sincerely apologizing, once is enough.”

“Being apologized to over and over is unpleasant.”

“And listen carefully to what I say.”

“Understood?”

“…I’m sorry.”

I grabbed both of Aria’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

Her shoulders trembled.

She looked like a frightened little animal.

“I’ve already forgiven you.”

“So no more apologizing.”

“Answer the question.”

“Do you understand?”

“…Yes.”

I gently patted her head.

Well…

Through the hood, anyway.

“You threw up in front of the old man’s shop.”

“So we need to clean it.”

“But I don’t have a rag.”

“I’ll buy you proper clothes later.”

“So can I use the clothes you were wearing at the slave market for now?”

“…Yes.”

Now then…

Even though she was just a child, stripping off her robe and clothes in the middle of the street would still be cruel.

So I reluctantly reached inside the robe, intending to tear up her old clothes instead.

“Kid.”

“Use this.”

While I’d been talking to Aria, the old man had already brought over a bucket of water and a cleaning cloth.

I’d really caused him a lot of trouble.

“Sorry.”

“I’ll clean it up right away.”

I pulled my hand back out of Aria’s robe and began cleaning.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“We’re buddies now, aren’t we?”

The old man brushed it off jokingly.

He really was a stand-up guy.

“Old man.”

“Sorry to ask for another favor.”

“Do you know anywhere around here that serves food that’s easy to digest?”

“Something easy on the stomach, huh…”

“Sorry.”

“I only know places that serve hearty meals.”

“I see.”

“Thanks anyway.”

“Don’t mention it!”

“Sorry I couldn’t help!”

After that, we parted ways.

Now then…

What should I do?