Chapter 60 – Ariel is in Pain

Ariel is in Pain

“Oh my… If you put that there…!”
.
.
“Wh-Why are you inserting your finger…”
.
.

“To think you two would reduce Ariel to such a state… Is she dead?! She fainted! This is too much!”
Goddess Cael, who was watching their actions from the celestial realm, kept muttering to herself in amazement and shock.
Of course, the goddess’s words didn’t reach Riste and Marian. Even if they had, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome.

“…”
The goddess, who had been watching Riste trying to mount Ariel, who was lying limp like a frog after briefly fainting, with a complex gaze, turned off her crystal ball for a moment.
“I feel sorry for Ariel…”

It was the goddess who had caused the unexpected rain at Riste’s request. In other words, the goddess was also an accomplice.
Even without the goddess’s help, it was a foregone conclusion that Ariel would end up like this someday.
Still,

“This is too shameless…!”

Late at night, I finally arrived home, barely managing to drag my staggering body.
“I-I’m home…”

As I opened the front door weakly, Cherni came running to greet me. Cherni’s bright smile quickly changed to a shocked expression upon seeing my face.
“Welcome home! You’re a bit late today… Ariel-nim? Are you sick?! You look terrible!”

“J-Just a moment. Don’t shake me. My, my waist…”
…Even though my dislocated waist has been put back in place, it still feels sore.
Moreover, due to the exhaustion and lingering sensations weighing down my body, I still feel like I’m swimming in a dream.

‘A woman’s body is amazing…’
With the lingering sensations not easily subsiding, I headed towards the sofa in the main room, supported by Cherni.
Fortunately, Saya and Pfel seem to be asleep now.

If Saya and Pfel had seen me in this state, they would have questioned what happened, and if that happened…
“Sigh…”
I melted onto the sofa in the main room, making a sound like air escaping from a balloon.

I think my face must be flushed red as Cherni sees it. I’m still swimming in a sea of embarrassment.
Seeing me melting like ice cream on the sofa, Cherni said,
“Wh-What happened to you? And what are these bug bite marks?”

…They’re not bug bites. They’re marks from something else.
“Cherni… lower your voice. You’ll wake Saya and Pfel…”
Usually, I would have reassured Cherni that I was fine, but now I didn’t have the mental capacity for that.

…Even now, when I close my eyes, I can vividly see Marian and Riste.
“Are you really okay?”
“I-I’m fine.”

That’s not all. The sensation of soft lips, the dizzying scent of lavender and lilac, and the gentle caresses of Riste and Marian’s hands on my body are still vivid.
‘How am I going to face Marian and Riste now…’
Today, I lost two friends.

Due to my heart pounding incessantly, I barely managed to get a light sleep just before dawn.
I felt something was off when I rubbed my sleepy eyes and headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

‘Huh… why is everything so dizzy…’
While I was standing still, the floor seemed to move on its own and filled my vision.
…It wasn’t long before I realized that it wasn’t the floor moving, but that I was collapsing.

“What’s this sound… Ariel-nim?!”
I heard Cherni’s voice, but I couldn’t even turn my head to see her. It was due to the muscle pain and exhaustion that had overtaken my entire body.
Moreover, it seems I have a fever. My whole body feels hot.

“Cherni, what’s that noise… Big sis?!”
Ariel lost consciousness momentarily after seeing Pfel running towards her.
“Big sis, are you really okay…?”
“I’m fine. It’s not bad enough to go to the temple.”

After regaining consciousness, Ariel was resting in bed, being cared for by Pfel, Saya, and Cherni.
‘I thought I was feverish from embarrassment… but it’s actually a real cold.’

In fact, it would have been stranger if I hadn’t caught a cold. Unlike Marian, who is usually well-trained physically, or Riste, who receives the blessing of holy power, Ariel’s body was that of an ordinary woman.
No, to be precise, it was below average. This was due to various magical procedures received from the pseudo-group disguised as a magic tower before.

With such a body, after getting soaked in the rain yesterday, overexerting myself in various ways, and staying up all night, I ended up with a severe cold. Quite severe, at that.
“Sob… Ariel… don’t die…”
“I won’t die, so don’t worry, Saya.”

Saya, her face covered in tears and snot, grasps my hand. Feeling the touch of her small, soft hand seems to alleviate the pain a little.
‘I want to tell them I’m fine… but I’m not fine.’

The extreme muscle pain spread throughout my body, the fever, and the intermittent headaches.
Ariel, suffering from a quite severe cold, inwardly blamed the two people who were the cause of her condition.
‘This is all because of Riste and Marian…!’

At least a significant portion of the muscle pain must be due to those two. To handle a person like that. I asked them to let me rest a little…
“I brought a wet towel…! Ariel-nim, your body is like a fireball!”
“Give it to me, Cherni.”

Pfel, receiving the wet towel from Cherni, placed it on my forehead. A pleasant coolness. But soon, the water in the towel evaporated due to the heat from my forehead.
Even after re-wetting it, it’s the same story. Pfel’s face, as she re-wets the towel, is filled with concern. Saya and Cherni’s expressions are the same.

“Kids. Don’t worry too much. It seems like just a simple cold… I’ll get better after resting for a few days.”
Ah. Even my voice has become hoarse. This doesn’t sound convincing at all…
The children’s expressions became even more tearful upon hearing my voice, which had become unpleasantly cracked.

It’s like fanning the flames of a burning house.
“Sob… sniff… Arieeel…”
“Ariel-nim… you can’t die!”

…It’s a bit tough.
In this other world where proper medical systems are not established, temples take on the role of hospitals.
The problem is that the nearest temple is in Lonzville, quite far from our home.

Using teleportation magic in my current state is nearly impossible, and I doubt my body could withstand traveling by carriage. Surely I won’t die, but still.
‘Of all times, I didn’t buy any potions…’

Actually, if it gets really bad, I could ask Riste for help… but it’s a bit awkward to contact her now.
‘How could I contact her…’
I’ll probably get better if I just rest well at home. Probably.

“Pfel, what should we dooo… sob…”
At this rate, Saya might collapse before I do. She’s not even eating, just sticking close to my side. Cherni is the same.
Pfel, who had been looking at me with worried eyes, seemed to make a decision and said to me,

“Big sis. This won’t do. I’ll go to Lonzville and buy a vitality potion at least.”
“I want to go too…!”
Pfel shook her head at Cherni’s request to go with her.

“Cherni, stay with big sis. We need someone to take care of big sis and Saya too.”
“Okay… Be careful, okay?”
“Don’t worry. Big sis, please hang on a little longer.”

“I’m really… fine…”
“…Don’t talk, just rest quietly.”
Pfel admonishes me in a firm tone. Faced with Pfel’s atmosphere that allows no objection, I couldn’t insist any further.

“Be careful… thank you, Pfel.”
Although I was a bit anxious about sending Pfel alone, she had already finished preparing to leave.
“I’ll be back.”

…In the end, I could only blankly watch Pfel’s back as she headed out of the house while I lay on the sofa.
‘When did you grow up so much, Pfel?’

As I harbored complex feelings watching the grown-up Pfel, Saya and Cherni, holding my hand tightly with tearful faces, said to me:

“Ariel… just hang on a bit, okay? Don’t die…”
“That’s right. Please hold on until Pfel returns!”
Their attitude, as if giving hope to someone on their deathbed, telling me to hang on a little longer, warmed a corner of my heart, but perhaps due to lack of proper sleep, an irresistible drowsiness began to overtake me.

‘I’m sleepy…’
Usually, when the body is too exhausted, it’s hard to sleep.
Perhaps it’s thanks to the wet towel on my forehead lowering my body temperature.
It’s a sign that my condition is improving a little.

“Thank you… for worrying about me, kids. I’m going to sleep for a bit…”
After thanking Saya and Cherni, I gently closed my eyes.
“Nooooo!!!!! Waaaaaah!!!!! Ariel-niiiim!!!!!!”
“Shaaa!!!! Nooooo!!!!”

…I’m not dying.

Pfel, who had finally arrived in Lonzville after hitching a ride on a carriage from Helen Village, faced a problem.
‘Where… do they sell potions?’

Most of Pfel’s outings were accompanied by Ariel, and their destinations were either the library, restaurants, or clothing stores, so she had no idea where to buy potions.
In the end, Pfel decided to ask a passerby.

She started walking towards a group of men who were glancing at her and saying something.
“Oh, an elf. I’ve never seen one before…”
“She’s really pretty… Is she the rumored beautiful elf sometimes seen in Lonzville? Right? The one who’s said to be with other girls.”

“Seems so… She’s alone today. Oh? She’s coming this way!”
“Excuse me… where can I buy potions?”
Although a bit afraid to speak to strangers, Pfel gathered her courage thinking of Ariel waiting for her at home and asked.

“Even her voice is pretty…”
“You idiot. That’s rude. Ahem. You can buy potions at the potion shop that appears after entering that alley and walking a bit.”
“Th-That’s right! You’ll smell herbs as you get closer! There’s a sign too! Uh, would you like me to accompany you?”

Fortunately, the men Pfel spoke to kindly guided her to where she could buy potions.
“…It’s okay. Thank you.”
After declining the man’s offer to accompany her, Pfel headed towards the place they had pointed out.

“Jensen.”
“What?”
“I think I understand what it means to fall in love at first sight.”
A friend spoke to the man who was still dazed and unable to come to his senses.

“You’re talking nonsense.”
*
I ran into the alley that the gentlemen I asked for directions had pointed out.
‘…A familiar scent.’

Why is it? Even though it’s clearly my first time here, why does this scent seem familiar?
A scent I seemed to have smelled a long time ago.

“□□□. You should have said something if you were sick. Sigh. I heard potion prices have gone up again.”
“I’m sorry.”
A vague memory briefly flashed through my mind, but I didn’t have time to recall it.

I immediately set off towards the potion shop with all my might.