At the Orphanage
We finally arrived at the orphanage thanks to the thugs.
It's pretty big for a temporary one, I think it's about as spacious as an elementary school's gym building.
Though I guess a bit cramped for dozens of children to live in.
...That bone-attached meat-drawn signboard is really big, why don't they put that money toward orphanage's budget instead.
"...That handmade signboard hasn't changed at all. The same as the one we had before we ran away from a Stampede... Director can't have carried that all the way to this town, can she..."
Reina muttered with a nostalgic look despite grimacing.
...This signboard is handmade huh. This director's craving for meat must insatiable.
"Good evening! Anybody home?"
Reina knocked on the door and cheerfully greeted.
It might bother the neighbors this late at night, but there's only a small liquor store nearby, so it's fine.
We could hear footsteps coming this way after waiting a bit. Judging from the size, it must be a child.
The footstep's owner opened the door slightly and peeked out cautiously.
"...Who is it."
She asked in whisper.
The voice must belong to a young girl who's about to come of age. I can't see well from here though.
"Karla, is that you!? It's me, Reina!"
"R-Reina-oneechan...? Is it really you...!?"
"It is! How have you been!"
"O-one,cha,u,ueeeeeen!!"
Bang, the door flung open and a silver haired girl ran out and hugged Reina.
"Aah, okay okay, you're so happy you're tearing up but I need you to calm down for now, okay."
"O,ne,e,jaaaan!! Waaaaaaan!!"
"Calm down now okay... You've grown a bit. Still a crybaby, I see."
"No uh Reina, at the commission board earlier didn't you also--"
"Shaddap!!"
Reina is gently patting the crying young girl. How precious...
No, I mean, we should get down to business.
"...We literally flew all the way here after catching your posted commission at the guild. Is director really bedridden from a venom?"
"Sniff... Un... We never had, a magic beast slipping in until then, I don't know, why..."
"For now, can we go see director?"
"Un, but she's been sleeping all this time, she won't wake up..."
"When did the attack happen?"
"Three days ago, a big bee-like magic beast showed up out of nowhere and stung director... The guard got rid of it right away, so she was only stung once but she wouldn't wake up ever since... U,ueee.."
"...I get the situation. It doesn't seem like we can speak to her. Can we at least have a look?"
"...Un, of course. Director, was worried about onee-chan, all this time. Go see her quickly..."
"...Director..."
I-it's so dark. The atmosphere is too dark...
Let's go see director already, this mood is suffocating.
I've got lower-grade antidote potions with me, just gotta hope it's gonna work on her.
The silver-haired girl Karla (full name: Karlasheila) led us to a bedroom where the director is.
The children inside were looking at us dubiously at first but their eyes lit up when they saw Reina.
...Looks like Reina is pretty popular among the orphans. Judging from her exchange earlier, she must be like a big sister to them.
We arrived in front of director's room.
The door has a meat-shaped nameplate with [Resting] written on it.
Inside, there's an elderly lady sleeping on the bed while breathing faintly.
So she's the meat-loving director.
Checking her Status, she's got State: Persistent Delayed Venom.
<<Persistent Delayed Venom (Small), venom that reduces an extremely small amount of HP over time. Low-grade antidote potions can only slow down the HP reduction effect, can only be detoxified by mid-grade or higher antidote potions or spells.>>
...The effect is plain but nasty.
Can't believe there are magic beasts with such an annoying venom out there. It's as terrifying as the thug poison earlier in a way.
<<...For your information, Kajikawa Hikaru with his Resistance attributes will naturally detoxify this venom in just a few seconds.>>
What's going on with my body anyway!?
It's nice that I'm resistant to poison but I feel like I'm becoming less and less human by the day...
"...Director, it's been so long, it's me Reina... You've gotten a bit thinner than the last time I saw you."
Reina gripped the sleeping director's hand as she began speaking gently yet sorrowfully.
Wonder what would she talk about had the director been awake.
"The orphanage looks a bit dilapidated, I'm sure because it's only temporary. I bet you're still having a tough time with budget and rarely ever eat meat, aren't you? ...I have been eating yummy food every day since I joined Kajikawa-san and Alma-san's party. I even earn a lot of money in one day now. So much so I can treat everybody here to delicious food... So please wake up director, we can't wait to have tasty meat with you together."
...It hurts seeing her say all that as she teared up.
We gotta get those antidote ingredients and cure the director quick.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"...Uu..."
"...Director...?"
Reina's words seemed to have been conveyed, the director faintly groaned.
"...Re..."
"...Yes, it's me Reina. I'm here...!"
"...Refrigerated meat..."
"...Wha?"
...
What's this granny's talking about. What kind of dream is she having.
...And Reina was so desperate too, the serious mood got blown away just like that.
"...She's the same as ever, it's actually kinda relieving..."
"...Is this granny really dying? Feels like she's doing just fine after hearing that..."
"No, her life force is hanging on by a thread. She won't last tonight at this rate... Might not look like it though."
"...Eh!? T-then, we've gotta go get the antidote right away!"
For now, I should heal her life force.
Her HP is read at 4/30, it must be decreasing by 1 every 2-3 hours.
We only narrowly made it, flying here was the right decision.
Her complexion got better once I transferred my HP, healing the damage done by the venom.
"...I've taken a temporary stopgap but it's only a bandaid measure. Her stamina would be gone before her life force if we don't remedy the venom."
"H-her complexion got better just from a hand hold... You can even use healing magic huh."
It's not healing magic. I mean there's not even the light show special effect like with Skills.
But I'm not gonna correct him as to not complicate matter.
"So the commission mentioned the ingredients can be found in a magic beast territory near this town, do this town's apothecaries not sell them?"
"U-un. We have some savings put aside for emergencies like this, but all the apothecaries here are out of stock..."
"Mid-grade antidote potions shouldn't be that rare though..."
Radia-kun murmured like something amiss.
Speaking of which, we dropped by apothecaries at Randorainam before we departed earlier to check out their wares, but they didn't have mid-grade antidote potions and above too.
Did they run out of stock because there had been a lot of people falling victims to venomous magic beasts, or perhaps...
"The folk at apothecaries can't say when they'll get new stock but they're willing to make one if we have the ingredients, but then you can only find them in a magic beast territory..."
"And that's why you posted a commission at the guild... That said, a little bit more than 20,000 en for a C-ranked commission isn't gonna get you a willing participant."
"...We had no other choice."
"Where is Farannam now, didn't he post that commission?"
"He's been running around all over the town looking for anyone who has a mid-grade antidote potion, but so far, nobody does..."
"Can't you ask the church or people with Sacred-type Job to cast antidote magic?"
"The church personnel were all attending a congregation in another town, nobody was available."
"...What a bad timing, unnaturally so."
Fumu, I've gotten the big picture now.
There are many suspicious factors at play but our top priority is curing the director first.
Just gotta fly there and back here in no time.
...Mwu?
<<Recommending Kajikawa Hikaru to remain here and look after Director Hekimitt.>>
Eh, but why?
<<Director's condition is unstable, only Kajikawa Hikaru is capable of reversing a sudden downturn through life force transfer. The only way confirm a sudden downturn is through visual in close proximity.>>
...So other members gotta look for those ingredients without me huh.
What do, I'm really worried. In all kinds of ways.
"...Apparently I gotta stay here to care for director. I'm the only one that can save her if she relapses."
"Eh, you mean we have to look for those herbs ourselves?"
"...That's the only option. I'd have preferred to go with you girls, but there'd be no point if director was no more when we got back."
"...Got it. Hikaru, you wait here."
"G-gotcha! B-but we don't know what kind of herbs we are gathering..."
"Hm... Looks like the ingredient for mid-grade antidote is a herb known as [Antido Herb]. They've got vivid blue leaves, and grow near ponds and lakes."
"Wonder if I can tell them apart..."
Usually I'd rely on Menu, but without me around they could end up bringing the wrong herbs back.
Even if they randomly grab everything they see, it could be all weed. What to do here.
"Oh I know what antido herb looks like."
"Eh, are you sure!?"
"Yea, been gathering them every once in a while since I was a kid for allowance, so I can tell at a glance. Similar looking grass tend to grow near them, but I'd get it easy even if it's only one among a hundred."
"Really, thank goodness. We'll be depending on you."
"Ou, I got this in the bag!"
...I see, so this is the reason for my hunch to bring Radia-kun along.
Looks like I've really got myself a Precognition-like ability. What a plot convenient ability.
Doesn't look like I can proactively employ it at will though.
"U,u..."
The director groaned painfully.
...Her face is drenched in sweat. It'd be too late if we don't hurry.
"D-director, wait for us! You can't die on us until we brought the herbs here!"
"...This meat... Extra hot..."
"Seriously, what kind of dream is it anyway!?"
"Alright, go now. Her symptom's getting seriously bad, in many ways."
"U-un..."
...Is it gonna be alright, both the herb gathering and this director. Can't help but worry.
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