「Ladarion. I am thinking of making that girl an exterminator. What do you think?」
This is not something I can decide on my own. I need to talk it through properly with Ladarion.
「If Takato decides it, I do not mind」
「This is an important decision. We are adding one more person to the Sefuti Home. Think about that before you answer. We both need to be satisfied」
Ladarion is not the obedient type, but she does not use her head for things she finds unimportant. At the very least, I want her to think when we make important decisions.
「If the meals decrease then I oppose it. If they do not decrease, then I do not mind」
Haah. That is such a simple reason. Very much like Ladarion.
「All right. I want someone who can use that healing magic and help manage the Sefuti Home. If she refuses then that will be the end of it, but I will try inviting her to be an exterminator」
「Understood」
As if to say leave the rest to me, she pulled a pile of mushrooms from her apport pouch and started eating.
I went to the girl and placed a silver coin on the cloth. She stiffened in shock and looked up at my face.
「My finger hurts. Can you heal it?」
I held out my right hand to her.
「Um, my magic cannot heal enough to match a whole silver coin」
For someone so thin, she speaks clearly. Her manner of speaking is decent too. Maybe she comes from a good family.
「That is fine. Heal it as much as you can. I want to know what healing magic feels like. The silver coin includes my thanks. Please accept it without hesitation」
I have not run into any tax collectors today. If I think of it as a travel tax, it is a cheap price.
「I understand」
The girl took my hand and pointed her palm toward my finger.
A faint warmth spread through my finger and the callus softened a little.
Magic looked amazing when I watched Zora-san use it, but receiving it myself is something else. So this is magic.
「I am sorry. This is my limit」
「No, thank you. So, this is healing magic. You have an incredible gift. A healing of a saint」
If this world were an otome game, this girl might be a saint. Though I cannot take her before any prince.
「A s-saint. I am a Morrisite」
「Morrisite? Sorry. As you can see, I was not born here, so I do not know what the Morris people are. What are they?」
Are they a persecuted group?
「We are the people of a nation that this country destroyed」
「Now that you mention it, Kainzel-san said something about going to war. Was it that?」
Given her age, it must not have been that long ago.
Her stomach growled.
「I am s-sorry. Using magic makes me hungry」
So, it is the type of magic that performs miracles with her own magic power. I suppose no power can be used without some risk.
「Wait a moment. Ladarion. Give her a sports drink」
She does not have a stomach of steel like Ladarion, so it is better to let her start with something gentle.
I left her with Ladarion and bought a bean soup that looked easy on the stomach. Bread from Co◯tco’s dinner rolls should be fine.
「Eat」
「Th-thank you」
She knows how to give proper thanks. She does not devour the bean soup or the dinner roll either. She really must have had some education.
「It was delicious」
「Glad to hear it」
I poured hot water from the portable stove into a cup and added a stick of cocoa.
「It is delicious」
「Glad to hear it. If you want more, just tell me」
I always carry stick packets of coffee, tea and cocoa so I can drink them anytime.
「Do you have no parents?」
「No. I do not. I live alone」
Living alone at her age. I would be dead for sure. Being made a goblin exterminator after turning thirty is something I can understand, or maybe not. I do not ever want to become a goblin exterminator at any age.
「We make our living exterminating goblins. Adventurers see it as bottom-tier work, but we still put our lives on the line. We can get hurt. When that happens, we cannot earn anything and we cannot eat」
I spoke slowly as I watched the girl. I wanted her to understand everything clearly.
「If you are willing, I want you to join us. Of course, if you do not want to, you can refuse. We never know when we might die」
This girl was clever and seemed perceptive. She was probably sensitive to hatred and lies. She had survived on her own, after all.
「I cannot walk」
She said that and lifted a rag to show her legs. Everything below both thighs was gone.
I had no idea what she had been through. Losing her legs and still surviving. Maybe it was thanks to her healing magic.
「It is not a problem. I am not asking you to fight. I only want you to support us. There is a lot to learn, but you can take your time. We will not force everything on you」
Even just touching things for us would help. I had already forgotten the shotgun I first bought for Ladarion and ended up making it disappear.
「I know saying all this so suddenly must confuse you. You do not need to answer right away. Think about it carefully. This is your future」
If she refused, that was it. We simply had no connection. If she became one of us, I would have to take responsibility for her life.
「This is for listening. Give me your answer when I come next time」
I placed another silver coin on the cloth.
「Ladarion. Let’s head back」
There were still about two hours before our meeting time, but we could take it slow on the way back and rest.
When I packed up and stood, the girl clung to my pants.
「P-please make me your companion. I will do anything. If I can leave this place, I will do anything. Please take me with you」
The girl burst into tears. Everything she had been holding back spilled out at once.
I handed my backpack to Ladarion and picked her up.
「Alright. From now on, you are one of us」
Leave a Reply