Volume 4 Chapter 14 Two Injured People
Late into the night, we were all working tirelessly.
Clay and Toxy had managed to overcome the worst of it. Toxy's efforts were truly remarkable. Despite being one of the severely injured individuals, she managed to lead the treatment.
With no major injuries, me, Sandra, and Toxy followed Toxy's instructions throughout the day. Alex also helped during the intense treatment, and when Moruru, Ridge, and Windy returned, they assisted as well.
We finished treating everyone by midnight. Toxy, in extreme pain, fainted multiple times, and we had to wake her up forcefully to get instructions.
Alex, Windy, and Ridge, who were relatively less exhausted, took care of the patients while the rest of us slept. Although we were initially wary of Alex and the others, we were all at our limits, and there was no other choice.
I collapsed onto my bed in my room late at night and fell into a deep sleep.
"---Ugh!"
Waking up was a nightmare. I had a dream where everyone was killed by Eiosnight. I trembled in fear for a short while, then slapped myself awake.
When I went to check on Clay and Toxy, I was surprised to see Ridge and Windy diligently nursing them.
"Oh... Good morning, Wade-sama."
Ridge said with dark circles under her eyes but still managed a noble smile. I approached Ridge.
"You took good care of them..."
"Yes. We were able to handle simple treatments like changing bandages and bringing water..."
Ridge replied, swaying slightly from exhaustion. She was probably close to her limit of sleepiness.
"It's okay, I'll take over. Honestly, I didn't expect you to go this far. I have a newfound respect for you."
"It was a critical situation involving people's lives... With only Windy and me here, we couldn't afford to slack off or neglect our duties."
Ridge explained before blinking heavily, indicating her fatigue. After a few blinks, Ridge stood up and nudged Windy.
"Young lady... Is it time for a shift change?"
"No, Wade-sama has woken up. Let's make sure to rest properly as well..."
"Ah, good morning, Wade-sama. Well then, without further ado, please excuse me..."
As they left the room unsteadily, their demeanor changed with their roles. While they were our companions, we would treat them kindly. And they had indeed performed admirably.
I turned my gaze back to Clay and Toxy. Both were lying in bed, groaning in their troubled sleep.
"Wade...?"
As I was thinking that, Toxy opened her eyes. I approached her.
"Did I wake you up? Sorry, don't worry about it."
"No... I'm fine. Could you please get me two pills from the green bottle on the right there?"
"Got it."
I replied, taking the pills from the bottle and handing them to Toxy. She washed them down with the water provided.
"Phew... This is a painkiller. It's really tough without it."
"Yeah, both of you lost so much, like your hands and legs."
"...We were unlucky. But maybe our luck was at its peak. Despite the situation where everyone seemed doomed, we managed to survive without any casualties."
"It was a miracle," Toxy added. I was in awe of her resilience.
"Toxy, you're strong... It might take me a bit longer to see it that way."
"It may not be my place to say this, but I think you made the best choices in that situation, Wade. What we lacked was luck and strength."
Toxy said, gazing into the distance.
"I want to become stronger. You, and Sandra were able to react. If I could have reacted too, I wouldn't have had to endure such pain."
Toxy muttered, her words strikingly clear. Even though her left arm with magic seal was missing, the fact that she could say that despite losing that was shocking.
"...So, you're planning to continue being an adventurer?"
"Did you think I was going to quit?"
"Never! ...But I was somewhat prepared for it. If you wanted to quit being an adventurer, there was nothing I could do. I was thinking about having you stay at the party house as a specialist."
"Haha, Wade, you're so kind... But don't worry. I have no intention of quitting."
Toxy reassured me. She promised to return, even if it meant using prosthetics.
At this moment, Toxy sighed. Even in this short exchange, she seemed exhausted. I told her to rest and to let me know if she needed anything.
"Okay... I'm glad I fell for Wade. There's no other kind adventurer like you."
"Is that so? Well, just rest quietly."
"Yeah... I love you, Wade."
Toxy said, closing her eyes. Her breathing was calm. I quietly picked up the empty cups next to Toxy, also collected Clay's, and left the room.
I returned with water, and Clay had opened his eyes. I placed the cup next to Toxy and asked, "Are you awake?"
"Oh, Wade-kun, you're here. I doubted whether Ridge-san and the others had escaped at this point."
"The two did well. I watched over them until I took over. So, don't tease them."
"I see, I underestimated Wade-kun who left a sick person behind and went out."
"That's harsh. Here's your water."
"Just kidding. Thanks."
Clay took the water I handed him and drank it all in one go. Then he sighed.
"It seems like you were really thirsty."
"Yeah, I was parched. I lost fluids from the blood, sweated a lot in my sleep. Can I have another glass?"
"Wait for me."
"Huh? Okay."
I left the room, poured two glasses of water for Clay, and returned.
"Here."
"Oh, yeah... Thanks."
Clay, looking like he wanted to say something, quickly finished one glass, drank half of the second, and placed the cup down. Then he spoke.
"I don't plan on quitting being an adventurer, Wade-kun."
"...I see you heard that."
"Exactly. Maybe you were planning to hire me as your financial advisor, Wade-kun, but it won't be that easy."
Clay smiled through the pain and said,
"I'm an adventurer. I'll become a hero. I'll overcome this level of injury, no problem."
"...What are you going to do to overcome it?"
"I don't know. I'll think about it from now on. What's important now is determination. Don't you think so?"
"Haha... That's right. Maybe now is the time to endure with sheer willpower. With strong will, you can surely recover."
"Indeed. Besides willpower, everything else is in place. Thanks to Alex-san, we won't end up in a tough situation where all our assets are taken, and this house supports us as long as we act within it."
"The house?"
"That's right. This house."
Clay snapped his fingers, and water appeared in the cup out of nowhere.
"...Seriously?"
"Wade-kun, you still don't understand much about the house, huh? Think of it as having a servant with strong magic. Or maybe there's a fairy protecting the house, something like that."
"So, that strange reaction of yours earlier when I went to fetch water was because of that?"
"Yeah. When you ask the house for something, you tend to go yourself. It surprised me."
"My bad."
"Just kidding. Anyway, thanks. And well, we have frequent exchanges like this. I've become quite close with this house. The others still don't seem to understand it."
"Haha. Seems like it. ...Thanks for the water."
As I said that, I heard a whisper in my ear, "You're welcome."
"Oh! Right now...!"
"Oh, it seems Wade-kun is also liked by the house. Well, now that we've crossed the hurdle, you don't have to be so eager to take care of me. I'll let Toxy-san know how to ask the house for things."
"O-Okay..."
As the situation in this party became more complicated, I relaxed a bit. Then, I pondered on what to do next.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)