episode_0044

It was around evening.

While I was quietly resting in my room, I could hear the voices of the village men talking from beyond the wall.

“By the way, what should we do with that gold ring?”

“We’ll have to go down to Rotenban. If we want to earn more, we’ll have to go all the way to Deseo.”

“Wow… I’ve never even touched gold in my life. Things like this happen, I guess.”

Their voices were extremely excited.

Eavesdropping, it sounded like they had accidentally acquired a gold ring and were looking for a way to exchange it.

“Anyway, that fat outsider… he seems like a bigger deal than we thought. How did he end up shipwrecked and come all the way here?”

“Exactly. And at his age, he even has a beautiful, young lover. Couldn’t he actually be from some wealthy noble family?”

“No way. Looking at how he eats like a pig, he’s definitely not a noble.”

“Hahahaha!”

“Alright, let’s go finish up our work.”

The men got up and headed to the fields.

“……Sigh.”

Every time I hear stories linking me with Fosao, I get angry.

I wanted to scream that we were absolutely not like that, but the scream just stayed inside me.

Now, whatever it took, I just wanted to leave here quickly.

“Ugh-. I’m dizzy.”

I flopped down onto the room’s floor.

But those people earlier, they said they got a ‘gold ring’, right?

It wasn’t gold dust, so how could they have accidentally found a gold ring in these mountains?

When that thought occurred to me.

Something suddenly popped into my mind.

I got up.

I found Fosao Ahjussi’s bag, which I had hidden in the corner, and pulled it out.

And when I slowly opened the flap…

“It’s gone.”

As expected, it wasn’t there.

I clearly remembered there being a gold ring, an ivory cup, and a sapphire brooch inside this bag.

Only the gold ring was missing.

“No wonder people were so kind.”

Honestly, it was an overwhelming amount of hospitality.

Even in our village, we treat outsiders well, but not with this much devotion.

If you stayed for more than a day, it was customary to pay for that value with work or money.

But for some reason, the Charrack people didn’t demand any compensation.

At first, I thought it was because the people were simple and kind.

But in reality, it wasn’t that; it was because the price had already been paid for more than that.

With Fosao Ahjussi’s gold ring.

“…….”

Those treasures, which I thought would be worthless in the mountains.

They gained immense value once we arrived in a place where people lived.

Had Fosao Ahjussi thought this far?

Is that why he cherished and carried the treasures even through the rough mountain paths?

In any case, it must have been a huge loss for him.

A gold ring… it’s a very expensive treasure that commoners, who live day to day, can hardly ever possess.

If he converted it to money, he would have a tremendous amount.

Fosao Ahjussi willingly gave up the gold ring and chose to rest in this village with me.

He’s probably not just idling now, but memorizing the path from the village chief’s house to Deseo.

Softly.

I opened the door and looked outside.

Night was slowly approaching.

We had to depart as soon as it was bright tomorrow. So, I had to sleep earlier than usual.

Just then, Fosao Ahjussi returned.

“I-I’m back, Tia.”

“…Go to sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Uh-huh… O-okay.”

I should go to sleep before that Ahjussi starts snoring.

I closed my eyes tightly, preparing to fall into a deep sleep when.

“Uhm… Tia.”

Just as I thought.

He interrupted without fail.

There was no way a pleasant voice would come out.

“What?”

“H-how’s your body?”

“Why do you care about my condition, Ahjussi?”

“Because… you fell in the bath that time… Your l-leg still seems to hurt…”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

In fact, it was still throbbing now.

Specifically, my right leg.

It was the same spot I’d sprained while running with Ruyef in Behimors.

At the time, there had been a little swelling, but the pain disappeared after a day, so I thought it was completely healed.

But it seemed I was wrong.

Yesterday, when I slipped in the bath, I felt intense pain in my thigh again.

For a moment, it hurt so much I couldn’t walk.

It got better quickly, but today, when I kicked Ahjussi in a fit of pique, I realized my leg wasn’t normal.

This time, it felt like it would last quite a while.

I was thinking that I should avoid overdoing it as much as possible.

Rustle.

Suddenly, Fosao Ahjussi got up from his spot.

“Uhm… Tia. C-can I take a look?”

“……Huh?”

When I turned my head, Ahjussi was positioning himself as if he was going to crawl over here.

I was so surprised I couldn’t even scream.

“Are you crazy?! Don’t come here!”

“N-no… that’s not it-.”

Fosao Ahjussi stammered.

“Because Tia got hurt because of me… All I can do for you… is th-this…”

“I told you it’s fine! Don’t worry about it!”

“Tia, you know… I’m good at m-massages…”

“Do you even know what you’re saying right now? After doing ‘that’ to me?”

“…….”

Ahjussi lowered his head as if he was speechless.

I couldn’t believe it.

How could he so boldly say he would lay his hands on my body?

Until now… I had kept my distance from Ahjussi as much as possible.

There was a reason I had actively avoided physical contact.

Because I had allowed his hands when I was little.

If I whined that my stomach hurt, he would rub my belly.

If I took off my shoes and splashed my feet, he would gently massage my feet.

If I said I couldn’t sleep, he would stroke my head until I fell into a deep slumber.

I still remember Fosao Ahjussi’s touch.

It was like touching a baby bird that would break with just a little pressure.

A very light and soft touch.

And with that incredibly pleasant sensation…

The body of an innocent girl.

I also remember that he tried to invade even precious places that a man should not touch carelessly.

“I-I’m sorry…! Back then, I-I was crazy… I don’t even have the r-right to say this… but now I’m genuinely worried about Tia…”

Oh, really.

Why is he being so clingy?

“-I said it’s fine!”

“But… y-you’re still grimacing from the pain…”

“……!”

I was slightly surprised.

Ahjussi’s words were true.

Unconsciously, I had been frowning.

It wasn’t because of Ahjussi.

It was because this pain, like being pricked by needles, made me extremely sensitive.

The pain that started in my thigh had by now traveled through my calf and reached my ankle.

To think it would hurt this much just from a little kick.

I was the one feeling indignant. But Fosao Ahjussi spoke with a desperate voice instead.

“T-Tia’s leg… if you leave it as is… it’ll be a big problem… Looking at the map, we have to w-walk a lot tomorrow… Are you really going to be okay?”

I had an inkling.

According to Chii’s words, Charrack appears to be a secluded village deep within the forest.

To get out of here, we might have to walk for a whole day.

In this state of leg pain… would I be able to walk properly tomorrow?

I wasn’t confident.

…Still, I absolutely could not let that Ahjussi touch my body.

“It’s fine.”

“O-okay? Then, alright…”

Fosao Ahjussi went back into his bedding and lay down.

It became quiet.

“…Hmph.”

Unnecessary worry.

Maybe I’ll be fine if I just sleep for a night and wake up, like last time.

I, even if I look like this, have a fast recovery rate.

I’ll surely be able to run vigorously as if nothing happened.

Just as I thought that and was about to fall asleep.

Throb!

Suddenly, my leg twitched greatly.

For a moment, it hurt so much I almost screamed.

Cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck.

It felt like being stabbed not by needles, but by spears now.

It hurt so much I felt like blood would profusely gush out, but when I actually lifted the blanket, the outside looked fine.

I reached out and lightly touched my right leg.

…It was as hard as a tree branch.

I tried to move my leg, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Ugh!”

It hurts.

It felt like metal was crawling under my skin.

This… was different.

I had a hunch that this was not something that would heal easily.

What should I do? What should I do?

No thoughts came to mind.

Whenever it hurt this much, I always called Ritsu.

If it were Ritsu, he would have rushed over and helped me immediately.

The only person I could call now was…

I looked beside me.

I saw a large back, lying with its back turned.

“Ah, Ahjussi.”

“…….”

“Are you… sleeping?”

“Hmm? N-no. Not yet…”

Fosao Ahjussi turned to look this way.

Throb!

Now the pain was piercing even into my head.

I barely managed to endure the pain and asked.

“Ahjussi… will it really heal?”

“Ahem! T-to be honest, I can’t guarantee it… I need to take a closer look first… W-would that be okay?”

I hesitated.

I didn’t want to show Ahjussi my leg…

But the pain was more intense than my reluctance, so I couldn’t endure it any longer.

“If it doesn’t work… you’re dead.”

“I-I don’t want to die… but Tia shouldn’t be in pain…”

Rustle-.

Ahjussi got up.

And slowly began to crawl over here.

“Hoo…. Hoo….”

He roughly exhaled as he pulled back the blanket.

Fosao Ahjussi leaned his face close to my right leg.

I could feel his breath on my skin.

Ahjussi, who was carefully examining my thigh and knee, said.

“Your leg is completely stiff… We n-need to loosen it… What should I do… What should I do…”

“Ugh…!”

The pain surged strongly again.

Now it felt like it was being seared with fire.

Ahjussi said urgently.

“I need to touch it to loosen it… T-Tia… so…”

“-I get it…! Just hurry…”

“O-okay, then… from the bottom.”

Ahjussi swallowed hard and extended his hand.

The moment his damp, soft hand touched my ankle.

“Gasp!”

“Sorry. Ju-just bear with it… a little longer.”

He slowly began to stroke down with his thumb.

My taut skin was pressed by his thick fingers, and I could see them slowly moving downwards.

“Ugh…”

On my end, it felt like being pricked constantly, driving me crazy.

Ahjussi showed no signs of hurry at all.

He just massaged very gently.

“Hoo-. Hoo-.”

Like a water droplet rolling down from a kettle.

Ahjussi’s hand, when moving over my skin, was slow and gentle.

When moving down the side, it caressed swiftly, as if brushing past.

As he massaged for such a long time, the pain slowly began to subside, as if by magic.

“…T-Tia. How is it?”

“It feels a little… better.”

“Now, little by little, upwards…”

This time, he touched my calf, stroking it a couple of times.

Then, he slightly lifted my leg with one hand, and with the other, he gently grasped the bottom of my calf and stroked downwards.

Ahjussi’s fleshy hand was big and thick.

Perhaps because of that, every time his fingertips softly brushed my skin, I felt a ticklish sensation.

It felt too ticklish, yet also pleasant, so…

“……Ugh.”