Year 141_Keireki Era_Spring/08
After defeating the bandits, I immediately turned my attention to the merchant.
“Cough... cough…”
Still breathing, huh?
On closer inspection, the bleeding isn’t severe.
Could the paralysis poison have affected the blood flow somehow?
No, analyzing it can wait.
I have medicine from Feli.
Opening the pouch, I found handwritten instructions attached. How considerate.
[This healing potion contains the power of a Petition. Pour it directly on the wound. If the wound is deep, use the entire bottle.]The container was about the size of two thumbs. I poured its contents over the stab wound.
A soft glow emanated, and the wound began to close.
This Petition magic is amazing!
“Wheeze... wheeze…”
Now the breathing changed to a labored rasp.
… Paralysis poison?! It's impairing their breathing?!
What a deadly toxin!
And they used something like this for their so-called "fun"?!
[The antidote also contains a Petition. It has some efficacy not only against poison but also illnesses. Please administer it orally.]So, they need to drink it!
I propped the merchant's upper body and poured the contents of the vial into their mouth.
Perhaps because I poured it in too quickly, or due to their body's reaction, they coughed some out but swallowed most of it.
Although there was no glow from within their body, their breathing normalized.
The remaining pouch contained a vitality potion.
[Even if wounds and poison are treated, strength may not return. In such cases, please use this. Administer it orally, as with the antidote.]Since I’d come this far, I might as well use it all.
Here we go!
“Ugh... ah... huh...?”
The merchant opened their eyes.
The effect is incredible.
Once I’m back, I must thank Feli and Nichirin.
“Where am I...? Um...”
Since they’d regained consciousness, I released them from my grasp.
The merchant scanned the surroundings and gasped.
Well, it’s a lot to take in. Even I’m a bit overwhelmed by the carnage.
Shaking her head vigorously, she bowed deeply, almost prostrating herself.
“Th-thank you so much! Judging by the situation, it was you who saved me, wasn’t it? Both the wounds and the poison...”
She seems like a level-headed individual.
Then again, a merchant can’t afford to lose their composure.
“No need to thank me; you should thank the one who gave me the weapon to defeat them and the person who provided the medicine.”
Her survival was thanks to Nichirin and Feli.
If I’d resolved to act sooner, I could’ve claimed full credit.
“So, where were you heading?”
“Oh, um... to Luluciette.”
We’re headed in the same direction.
In that case, traveling together would be safer.
Another encounter with bandits would make all of this meaningless.
“Luluciette’s my home too. If you’d like, we can head back together?”
“Well, but...”
“It’s no trouble, and I’m not asking for money. Traveling here alone was boring, so having company for the return would be nice.”
Hearing that, she relented.
“I’ll take you up on your kind offer.”
She adjusted the large pack on her back, testing her footing.
A small “Alright” escaped her lips, confirming no lingering effects from the medicine.
While she readied herself, I collected proof of the bandits’ defeat.
The chakram Nichirin lent me was mostly shattered, so I left it behind.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Yes!”
The “I was bored” excuse was partly true.
We exchanged brief introductions along the way.
She introduced herself as Kagnat, a merchant primarily active around Luluciette.
Her work seemed closer to that of a jack-of-all-trades, including literacy tutoring and other odd jobs.
The reason she went on this trip was a specific request from a client.
In short, she’s a well-known figure inside and outside of Luluciette.
“No bodyguards, though?”
“I needed the raw materials for medicine urgently and couldn’t spare the time to gather escorts, but, well...”
It seems this task was done out of goodwill.
She couldn’t afford to cover her own expenses, let alone hire guards.
From a former bandit’s perspective, individuals like her are prime targets.
Traveling alone is just asking for trouble.
If I were still a bandit leader, I might not have attacked Kagnat simply out of principle.
Regardless, she admitted this experience had taught her a lesson. Even for altruistic missions, she now plans to charge enough to afford protection.
“You’re not like me; if you die, it’s all over,” I said, though only to myself.
“Master Vilgram...”
“Just call me Vi.”
“But, Master Vi...”
No need for the honorific, really.
I’m a former bandit, after all.
A genuinely good person like her shouldn’t be addressing me so respectfully.
“No need for titles. I’m not someone who deserves that from you.”
“Well...”
“How old are you?”
“Eh?”
“Your age, Kagnat.”
“I’ll be fifteen this year.”
Fifteen and already doing altruistic work?
This is no place for someone like her.
“We’re close in age, so let’s drop the formalities. That can be your thanks to me.”
“... Understood, Vi.”
Though reluctantly, she agreed.
Someday, I’d like to live a life where being addressed respectfully feels deserved.
“You mentioned medicine raw materials earlier?”
“Yes. A strange poison has been circulating in Luluciette.”
“Poison?”
“Yes, it temporarily boosts mana—what we call ‘ink’—but rapidly drains vitality, sometimes fatally.”
Mana is akin to the life force used for magic or pleas.
Some have it; others don’t.
Having it determines one’s talent for magic or Petitions.
Testing for mana requires a guild, but even if one has it, the hurdles of study and innate talent remain.
Studying? Not happening for a former bandit.
Innate talent? If I had any, I’d already be using it.
So, no mana for me.
That’s why techniques are preferable—they rely on stamina, which I have.
“That’s less a poison and more of a...”
Given Luluciette’s size, it’s no surprise such substances would be commodities for fighters, whether for protection or crime.
Using poison to enhance strength for quick money isn’t surprising.
“True, some cases are self-inflicted, but many involve deliberate poisoning with malicious intent.”
“Ugh...”
The idea of poison spreading that way left me groaning.
“If these raw materials reach their destination, more lives can be saved.”
Everywhere, security is crumbling.
Yet cities remain somewhat stable, thanks to people like Kagnat.
Her safe return directly contributes to that stability.
I silently vowed to escort her to the city safely, no matter what.
… Though, as a former bandit who once worsened the security, it feels like a big match-pump scenario.
For now, I’ll set aside that thought.
What do you think about this chapter?
