Suteko Ni Narimashita 28

“…Uhm, thanks!”

Rico eyed me doubtfully as he muttered his thanks.

“You're welcome,” I replied, flashing a smile that seemed to ease his nerves. 

Yet, it was clear he felt no real need for gratitude.

“Did you use your magic to heal me?” 

Hylo inquired, his expression blank.

After a moment of silence, he averted his gaze, his voice barely audible as he added, 

“Thank you very much.”

I let out a sigh. 

“Alright, just take care of yourself, okay?” 

I said, standing up and dusting off my pants. It was time to leave.

“I'll be off then. Goodbye,” I announced, making my way to the exit. 

Tomorrow, I'd report to Gustav and consider taking up a job as an adventurer, although the thought of being scolded was unnerving.

“Hey,” a voice called from behind. 

I stopped, turning to see Hylo staring at me intently.

“Wait… Please,” he urged.

“What’s up? You’re being unusually polite,” I joked, but he didn’t smile.

“I need to ask you a favor,” he said thoughtfully.

I paused, considering. 

“Alright, I’m listening.”

“If you healed my injury, why can’t you heal Rico too?”

“Do you mean curing the Three-Days Fever?”

“Please!” 

Hylo implored, bowing his head deeply.

I was at a loss for words. His earnestness tempted me to try, but I doubted my abilities. Healing injuries was one thing; I’d never attempted to cure a disease before.

My silence seemed to Hylo like a refusal, and he pleaded more desperately. 

“Back at the shop, I promised to make things right. But after what happened, I realized how much I rely on Rico. We can’t pickpocket, fish, or hunt without each other. We’ve always worked as a team.”

He looked up at me, his eyes filled with urgency. 

“Without him, I'm helpless! If this continues, Rico will…!”

Rico, struggling to speak, cut in. 

“Hylo, it's okay… I feel better than before…”

“Three-Days Fever usually runs its course quickly…” I mused. 

In my experience, it lasted a bit longer, but typically, as the name suggested, it was a short-lived fever lasting about three days. Rico seemed to be over the worst of it.

“Moreover, it’s likely to heal on its own, right?”

I pondered. The fever, akin to a common cold for those in good health, often resolved without intervention.

“Still!” 

Hylo turned to Rico, biting his lip, before turning back to me. 

“I’ve heard that for people like us, with frail bodies, contracting the fever a few more times could be fatal.” 

Tears started to stream down his face. 

“Please, do something for Rico!”

His plea left me feeling unexpectedly weak, my shoulders sagging.

 I wasn’t easily swayed, yet…

“Alright,” I conceded. 

A child’s tears were not unusual, but they stirred something in me. 

“I’ll try, but I'm not skilled in formal healing arts.”

If I were in Rico's place, I’d also want someone to try.

“Just remember, I can't guarantee success.”

I intended to practice, to perhaps cure my ailments someday.

“Still, I’m scared,” Rico murmured.

I quickly spread out a blanket for him to lie on. 

“It's okay, you'll be fine. There's no need to worry,” I reassured him with a smile, then proceeded to check his temperature.

I covered the area below his neck with my magic, estimating his body heat.

“The fever’s still there, though it’s going down,” I noted.

“What’s happening to me?” Rico, unable to perceive magical power, sounded bewildered.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“Could you warn me if it's going to hurt? Like you did with Hylo?”

“I’ll try,” I promised, remembering how Hylo had screamed when I fixed his dislocated joint.

Then, a sudden realization hit me.

“Oh!”

“What? What is it?” Rico asked, his voice tinged with panic, reminding me of a startled animal.

It wasn't alarming; I just remembered that I could use pain relief magic.

“No, it’s nothing. Sorry,” I reassured him.

“That doesn’t sound reassuring at all…”

I regretted not using the pain relief magic during Hylo’s treatment.

After checking Rico’s temperature and overall condition, I was at a crossroads. 

‘What was the next step?’ 

Ideally, I would use healing arts like Telet, but I couldn’t just chant randomly and expect results.

‘How could I boost his immune response?’

At the very least, I needed to come up with a treatment plan.

I was confident that magic could make a difference; I believed in its potential.

‘But how should I approach the treatment?’ 

Tackling his symptoms seemed like a logical first step. Aside from the fever, Rico's dizziness and chills were probably fever-related, too.

My initial thought was to lower his fever with magic. Yet, forcibly reducing a fever caused by an infection might be risky. Without any signs of hallucinations or delusions, encephalitis seemed unlikely. The fever might not be a major concern and could be resolved quickly.

Maybe providing food and water to bolster his strength was the better approach. If only we had access to antibiotics or antiviral medications. Gustav had mentioned a specific medicine for Three-Days Fever, so that was an option if my efforts failed.

As for my magic, I pondered whether the cause was bacterial or viral. It didn't seem contagious, or Hylo would likely have shown symptoms, too, given their close contact.

The ideal solution would be to identify and remove the causative microorganisms, which required knowing what I was dealing with.

“Hmm…” 

I mused, wishing I could emulate Telet’s methods. Yet, nothing came to mind.

Upon examining Rico again, I noticed his slender, malnourished frame and the numerous scratches on his hands and feet. I decided to start by addressing these more visible issues.

While treating Rico, I noticed insect bite marks on his arms, evident when I handed him an ice pillow. On closer inspection, it seemed these bites weren't recent.

A thought struck me. There was a disease known to spread in the slums and the eastern part of the city. Images of the city streets and children playing came to mind.

‘Maybe…’

I pondered. If my hunch was correct, there might be hope for a cure.

However, the task seemed daunting and complex. I steeled myself for the challenge ahead.

‘Should I give it a try?’

I wondered, contemplating whether to test my theory.