ITSUJITA ~ C32: Mystery Illness

 

Chapter 32: Mystery Illness

 

"That's right...... Aina's mother..."

 

Aina told me with tears in her eyes.

 

Her mother is sick.

She had used her salary to buy a bottle of potion from an adventurer.

But she still couldn't cure her mother's illness.

 

She wanted to take her mother to a big city for treatment.

For that, she needs money.

 

She sobbed and sobbed over and over again.

 

"Uu ... sob... ugh ... I'm sorry ... Shirou Onii-chan, I'm sorry..."

 

Aina kept crying and apologizing.

On the other hand, Ryer, who was listening to her story with us, says.

 

"Tsk, who the hell is that guy? Who is that bastard who sold potion to a little girl?"

 

I don't know why he is so angry.

Rolf, who was standing next to me, also seemed to be angry, though he didn't say it out loud.

 

"Young lady, do you remember the adventurer who sold you the potion, what he looked like?"

 

Aina shook her head at Ryer's question.

 

"...... I see. If you happen to see him, let me know. I'll beat the shit out of him for you."

 

Aina must be wondering what Ryer was talking about.

Aina made a confused face.

Then Rolf finally answers.

 

"Miss Aina. I'm sorry to inform you, but that potion you bought cannot cure disease."

 

"... Eh?"

 

Aina's eyes widened.

 

"'Heal potions are only effective in healing external wounds. There are also cure potions that counteract poison, but there is no such thing as a potion that cures illness."

 

"So the potion that ...... Aina bought is ......? That adventurer said that it would cure my mother's illness and that she would be fine if she drank it."

 

"As an adventurer, it pains me to say this, but ...... Miss Aina was tricked by the adventurer who sold her that potion."

 

Even though it was not his fault, Rolf apologized to her.

I see. The adventurer in question had tricked a child like Aina to buy a potion from him.

That's why Ryer is so angry.

 

"...... I see. Aina ...... was tricked."

 

Aina looks stunned.

 

"I see. ......I see. ............Uh......."

 

This time, it is probably out of frustration.

Aina's tears started flowing down her cheeks.

I rubbed Aina's back and kept saying, "It's OK".

 

But... After I heard Rolf's explanation, I started to doubt the potion she bought is a real potion.

I glance at everyone's face.

They didn't say anything, but it seemed like they're also thinking the same thing.

 

"DAMN IT!"

 

Ryer kicked a nearby chair.

I guess he was trying to find a way to vent his anger.

An adventurer's kick has great destructive power.

The chair that I liked a little bit was easily destroyed.

 

"Rolf, I'm going to go find that bastard! Please take care of the rest."

 

"Roger that."

 

Ryer left while screaming in anger.

I half wished Ryer would find that bastard and half wished he wouldn't find him so that it wouldn't turn into an incident.

So I watched him leave without saying a word.

 

◇◆◇◆◇◆

 

"I'll leave the manhunt to Ryer-san and visit Aina's mother. ...... How about you two?"

 

Rolf and Karen looked at each other and nodded at my words.

 

"Of course, I will go with you since Ryer-dono asked me to. Above all, it is the duty of God's servants to save the lost."

 

 

"It's natural for a Mayor to save her town' residents. Shirou, I'm coming with you. But first......"

 

Karen turned to Aina and continued to speak.

 

"Aina, your mother's disease, is it by any chance called the living rot illness?"

 

Aina's body trembles, and she looks back at Karen.

 

"...... Yes. The Pharmacist uncle told me that my mother's disease is living rot illness."

 

"So that's true......."

 

Karen shrugged her shoulders.

 

"Oh, dear. Your mother has a life-threatening disease ......."

 

Rolf's expression also looked gloomy.

Just by looking at their faces, I could tell that this living rot illness is very dangerous.

 

"Rolf-san, please come over here for a moment."

 

"OK."

 

I took Rolf to the second floor of the store.

 

"Please tell me what kind of illness is this living rot illness?"

 

Just to be safe, I whispered the question so that Aina won't hear.

It seems that Rolf understood my intentions.

Rolf explained in a whisper.

 

"Living Rotten illness is a disease that causes the limbs to lose strength as if they are rotting away. Some researchers believe it is contagious, but the cause is still unknown. And..."

 

Rolf is looking straight at me with a painful expression on his face and says...

 

"Most people who contracted this disease ends up dead."