Chapter 41: The Difficult Old Woman and the Unwelcome Voice

The apothecary we were directed to stood quietly in a narrow alley, a little removed from the main road of the town.

When I opened the door, a distinct scent of mixed herbs filled my nose.

Tending the shop was an old woman whose deeply etched wrinkles spoke of a difficult temperament.

“Welcome… What’s with that child’s leg?”

After I explained the situation, the old woman jerked her chin toward a chair.

“Sit her there.”

I did as told, and as Rowena sat down, the woman skillfully removed the bandage and carefully examined her small ankle.

“Hmph, it’s nothing serious. It’s already healing. As long as she doesn’t run or jump for a couple of days, she’ll be fine. Walking slowly won’t be a problem.”

After the treatment, Rowena stepped down from the chair and gave a deep bow with her small body.

At that earnest gesture, the old woman’s stern expression softened just a little.

“…Here. Lick on this.”

What she handed over was a sweet herbal candy said to ease pain.

Then she turned her sharp gaze to me.

“You two are travelers, aren’t you? What kind of medicine are you carrying?”

“Some herbs for wounds and basic antidotes. As for sprains… we just used up the last of what we had treating her.”

I recalled that the pouch of herbs Pipp had given me was now empty.

At my answer, the old woman let out a long, exasperated sigh.

“You’re traveling with a child, yet your preparations are lacking. Maybe you’ve got your reasons, but that’ll only get you in trouble when it matters.”

In the end, I ended up buying a full set of supplies at her insistence—poultices for sprains, pain relievers, fever-reducing herbs, and other necessities.

After settling the bill, the old woman crouched in front of Rowena and gently stroked her golden hair.

“There now, you’ll be fine. Granny made sure you’re properly prepared.”

Leaving the apothecary, we next visited a leather goods shop.

After I explained what I needed, the shopkeeper brought out a sturdy-looking pouch from the back.

“This is made from marsh rat hide. It’s fairly water-resistant. Not completely waterproof, mind you, but it should keep your belongings safe from light rain.”

It was just the right size for my notebook. I thanked him and bought it.

While talking with the shopkeeper, I also learned the location of a highly skilled weaponsmith in the area.

Following his directions, we visited the workshop, where a single stubborn-looking craftsman was working.

When I asked him to maintain my single-edged sword, he took one look at it after drawing it from its sheath and widened his eyes.

“…This is a fine piece. From the capital, I’d guess? It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a well-forged blade.”

Clearly impressed, he eagerly offered to service it.

When he asked, “Want to borrow a spare sword while I work on it?” I accepted one.

My gaze then fell on a set of throwing knives neatly arranged on a shelf.

I remembered being taught how to use them by a wandering former adventurer back at the orphanage, so I decided to buy a set for self-defense.

After leaving my sword behind, we wandered through the town.

That was when it happened.

Three men, looking every bit like thugs, stepped in front of us.

“Hey there, brother. That kid’s got a pretty face. Is she for sale?”

One of his companions looked at him in disbelief.

“Hey, cut it out. She’s way too young…”

“Ah, come on. What’s the harm? Hey, little lady, spend the night with me and I’ll pay you well.”

Without hesitation, I covered Rowena’s ears tightly with both hands.

They must have sensed the anger in my expression.

Yet they continued, amused.

I said nothing and tried to walk past them.

At that moment, the apparent leader roughly grabbed my shoulder.

“Hold it. …Well, whatever. If not the kid, then hand over some money for our entertainment.”

“…Go comfort each other instead.”

When I coldly dismissed them, their expressions changed.

“You bastard…!”

They lunged at me in anger.

Shielding Rowena behind me, I dealt with all of them using just my free left hand.

I easily dodged the punch thrown at me and lightly kicked the attacker in the back.

I swept aside another man’s kick, and as he lost his balance, I hooked his leg and sent him crashing down.

When the leader grabbed at me, I twisted his arm along the natural movement of the joint.

“Gah!”

Minimal movement.

Minimal force.

But it was more than enough.

In an instant, the men were sprawled on the ground.

Crying out, they begged for help from another companion who had been standing at a distance, arms crossed, watching the situation unfold.

“Boss! This guy’s bad news!”

At that call, the man who had been observing let out an annoyed sigh.

Then, slowly, he began to walk toward us.