BXBX NOVEL Chapter 29 — Late Night Treatment
Chapter 29: Late Night Treatment.
Hurry, hurry! With Ruruka speeding me along, we traverse the darkened city. Because of the time, only the two of us are heading to Ruruka’s inn.
According to Ruruka, while they were maintaining their equipment after dinner, Fran and Sera suddenly collapsed with a high fever. She wanted someone to use healing magic on them, but since it was already late most hospitals were closed, so that’s why she came to me.
She’s concerned about the fact that they both developed a fever at approximately the same time, but doesn’t know what could have caused that. The three of them had the same meal for dinner, so it doesn’t seem to be because they ate something bad. Ruruka’s still lively, after all.
Which reminds me, Ruruka was saying that earlier that day, they narrowly escaped disaster while they were on a quest inside the forest. Maybe all that fatigue caught up to them after they returned to the city, or something along those lines?
After a while, we reach the inn where Ruruka’s party is staying. It’s quite an ordinary inn, neither good nor bad, and not particularly close to or far from the labyrinth. It looks a bit more expensive than the one Yuel and I were previously staying at, though.
We enter the inn, and Ruruka unlocks the door to their 2nd-story room.
It’s a fairly spacious room with three beds.
Two of the beds have girls sleeping on them. If I’m not mistaken, the blonde-haired flat one is Fran and the blue-haired busty one is Sera.
Their faces are flushed, no doubt from the fever, and their skin is covered in beads of sweat. Both of their blankets are pushed off and crumpled into the corner of their beds. I’m guessing it was too hot for them.
They’re wearing not pajamas, but normal clothes. I guess Ruruka prioritized fetching me over things like looking after them or changing their clothes. Their breathing is ragged, and their eyes are clenched shut. It certainly looks like they’re in pain.
However, how can I put it, this is…
「Hey Shiki, I’d appreciate it if you’d stop staring at Fran and Sera while they sleep.」
Ruruka speaks up as I’m inspecting the two of them. Yeah, their sleeping figures are rather alluring to the eyes.
Since they’re wearing ordinary clothes I’m only a little intrigued, but if it had been thin pajamas then this scene would’ve been quite immodest. Don’t tell me that’s the reason why Ruruka didn’t change their clothes into something more comfortable? She might have suspected that I’d do something to the two of them under the pretext of medical treatment. How rude.
「Ruruka, don’t get me wrong. I’m just examining the condition of the patients, that’s all.」
「…Examining?」
「Yeah, the way to treat an illness differs depending on the problem. For example, if it’s caused by toxins building up within the body, that requires not just Heal but also Dis-Poison, right? It’s essential to consider Fran and Sera when dealing with their illness, so the meticulous observation I’m doing right now is necessary.」
I declare to Ruruka. For them to both fall ill at the same time, I still have no idea what could be the cause. If they ate something with poison in it, that would require Dis-Poison, but if it was a fever brought on by simple exhaustion then Heal would be enough. It’s not like I have any ulterior motive for looking at them. It’s important to use magic properly, that’s all.
Well whatever. I may as well use both Heal and Dis-Poison. I mean, I have no knowledge about the diseases of this world.
「Oh, I see. Sorry, I misunderstood. Even though I made you come all the way here at a time like this.
…But please don’t look at Fran’s skirt or Sera’s chest so much, alright?」
Ruruka makes a dubious expression, bet she still apologizes in response. It has some bite to it, though.
「I’m glad you understand.」
I return my gaze from Ruruka onto the sleeping pair and take a peek at Fran’s slender, sweat-soaked thighs beneath the hem of her skirt, then at Sera’s chest as it trembles softly each time she takes a shallow breath.
Neither of them show any reaction as I approach. I don’t know if they’re asleep or just out of it, but they don’t seem conscious. And then, when I go to start the treatment right away-
「Hey Shiki, wait a minute. Why are your fingers on Sera’s shirt button?」
-Ruruka tells me to stop.
Of course there’s a reason for this.
「You see, when the body is weak from illness, it’s important to loosen the chest to make breathing easier.」
「…Is that so?」
「Yeah, uncovering the chest makes it easier to breathe, and allows heat to escape. See, look closely at Sera. Doesn’t it look painful for her with those clothes constricting her chest?」
「Oh, that makes sense. Sorry, I misunderstood. But you don’t need to do that; could you please just use healing magic?」
Ruruka makes an expression that’s relieved yet anxious. Clearly she’s not sure whether or not I’m telling the truth.
「Sure, I will after I thoroughly, carefully examine Sera’s condition.」
When she hears that, Ruruka inserts herself between me and Sera. No matter how you look at it I think she’s being too cautious, but I suppose that’s just how important her comrades are to her.
However, I can’t even give her medical treatment like this. Since it can’t be helped, I turn to Fran on the opposite bed.
Fran. Now that I think about it, this little sheet has been pretty rude to me ever since our first meeting. I don’t particularly hold a grudge, but looking at her face like this, some slightly murky feelings rise up. Nevertheless, after Ruruka brought me all the way here and begged me to treat them, I can’t really tell her that I’ll only heal Sera. I have no intention of neglecting a patient put in front of me.
Then, when I go to begin Fran’s treatment-
「Hey Shiki, wait a minute. Why are you trying to lift Fran’s skirt?」
-I’m told to stop by Ruruka.
Of course there’s a reason for this too.
「Just figured I’d have a look at this annoying girl’s panties?」
「Get away! Get away from Fran this instant!」
「I-I’m only joking, don’t take it seriously.」
「I’m worried because I can’t see it any other way…」
Ruruka makes a tired face and sighs. If you’re that worried, then you should’ve brought some other healer. But she might not know any other healer that she could’ve called this late at night.
Alright, I suppose I went too far with the joke. But when I’m about to turn a sincere eye to the treatment, something suddenly catches my attention.
「Hmm? What’s this…」
Because I was holding Fran’s skirt and getting ready to flip it, the skirt is raised slightly. Underneath, I discover something that interests me on her inner thighs, so I lift up the skirt. Her panties aren’t what I’m interested in, by the way.
「Ah! You actually did it! You flipped an unconscious girl’s skirt! Shiki, you’re the absolute worst!」
Ruruka shouts at me, but I didn’t flip Fran’s skirt in order to look at those pink, lacy panties. I had a just cause. I had to do it. I’m sure Ruruka will forgive me.
Then, I point at it and speak.
「No, you’re wrong. You take a look too, Ruruka. At this.」
On Fran’s inner thighs, there’s an unnatural, sickeningly purple rash.
It’s pervading her thighs as if it spread from the center of her body.
「What do you mean loo… what is that!?」
When Ruruka sees the purple rash on Fran’s thighs, she’s so surprised that she forgets about covering Fran’s exposed panties.
「I’ve never seen symptoms like these before at the hospital. Perhaps this could be the cause of her illness? Ruruka, undress Sera too and take a look. There’s a possibility that she might have the same rash.」
「Okay, got it.」
At my instruction, Ruruka places her hands on Sera’s clothes, then gives me an exasperated look. I wonder what’s wrong?
「Could you please leave the room for a minute?」
「Don’t worry about me.」
「Get out! I’m begging you, get out!」
I wait outside the room for a while, then she calls me back in.
「As you suspected, there was a purple rash.」
Ruruka mentions, having confirmed what was beneath Sera’s clothes. It seems they share the same symptoms after all.
「Is there anything you can think of? Back when you were in trouble in the forest, did they eat any mushrooms that were growing there or something?」
「They didn’t eat any. We were lost in the middle of the forest but we made sure to bring food in our item boxes. I try to be prepared too, y’know.」
And yet the cause is still unknown.
Well, I’m not at all familiar with the diseases of this world. Although Eris’ hospital didn’t get many customers, I did spend 3 months working there, so I should at least be familiar with all of the major ones. But that knowledge is probably only at the level of a layperson from this world. Thinking about that won’t change anything though.
For the time being, I treat the two of them with Heal and Dis-Poison.
Fran’s breathing softens as she continues to sleep. To make sure that her rash has disappeared, I reach for her skirt again and… let Ruruka do it instead since she’s glaring at me. I take my payment and leave the inn behind me.