Chapter 8: Stone Fever
ㅤOf course, the person I was relying on was the gate guard.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I wonder if he’s on a different shift.）
ㅤ
ㅤI went there worried about that, but the gatekeeper who could use that healing magic was indeed there.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, it’s the young lady from the daytime. What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you couldn’t find an inn?”
ㅤ
ㅤIt seems he remembered me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, I managed to get a stable.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”There are a lot of people right now…… Be careful around you, okay?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. Thank you very much.”
ㅤ
ㅤSince I was a child, I’ve always been easily taken care of by certain types of people.
ㅤSometimes it’s helpful, but sometimes it’s more trouble than it’s worth.
ㅤ
ㅤ（They think, ‘I’m the one who helps the pitiful. You’re the pitiful one who gets helped.’ There are people like that everywhere.）
ㅤ
ㅤDo they want to feel good about themselves by putting themselves above those who are suffering?
ㅤThey’re pathetic in a different way.
ㅤ
ㅤ（And if you refuse them, they hold a grudge……）
ㅤ
ㅤHowever, I think the gatekeeper in front of me is just a kind person.
ㅤThanks to my unfortunate life, I have a keen sense for that.
ㅤ
ㅤ”But then, what are you doing here at this hour?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper asks.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um, could you please take a look at this child?”
ㅤ
ㅤI say, looking at the boy hiding in my shadow.
ㅤ
ㅤThe boy turns his face away with a pout.
ㅤSeeing the wound on his cheek, the gatekeeper frowned.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Kid. Come here.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper says, crouching down to the boy.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s alright. He’s a good person.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I reassured him, the boy hesitantly stepped forward.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Let me see.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper places his hand on the boy’s cheek.
ㅤA soft light covers the wound on his cheek.
ㅤ
ㅤI take another look at the boy’s face.
ㅤHe’s a boy with short black hair and slightly tanned skin.
ㅤIf you look closely, his features are well-defined, but they’re ruined by his sullen expression and his unkempt, dirty hair and skin.
ㅤI think he’s about twelve or thirteen years old. He has an androgynous impression and his voice hasn’t changed yet.
ㅤ
ㅤThe wound healed in no time.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Th-thank you.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe boy said shyly.
ㅤ
ㅤ”No problem. More importantly, there must be more. Show me.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”N-no, that’s……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t be shy, you’re a boy.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”B-but I’m not a boy!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Huh?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper and I are both surprised.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You were a girl?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-yes! What’s wrong with that!?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe boy━━no, the girl says with a pout.
ㅤNow that she mentions it, her face is more rounded.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Oh, I see.）
ㅤ
ㅤIn the environment this child was placed in, there’s no way she could feel safe being a girl.
ㅤShe was probably pretending to be a boy for self-defense.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, sorry, Ojou-chan. Just point to where it hurts, even if it’s through your clothes.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe girl hesitantly points to her back at the gatekeeper’s kind words.
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper heals each wound one by one, asking the girl how it feels.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Huh?）
ㅤ
ㅤThat’s when I noticed.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Is she covering her arm?）
ㅤ
ㅤIt looked like the girl was trying to hide her left arm.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Your left arm…… What happened to it?”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I asked, the girl flinched and her face contorted.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Th-that’s……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t hide it. Show me.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper said in a gentle but firm voice.
ㅤ
ㅤThe girl reluctantly rolls up her sleeve.
ㅤ
ㅤThe girl’s arm, from her elbow to her upper arm, was hardened like stone.
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is……?”
ㅤ
ㅤI involuntarily look at the gatekeeper.
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper said with a troubled expression.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I see…… So she has Stone Fever.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Stone Fever?”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I asked,
ㅤ
ㅤ”You don’t know? It’s an incurable disease of unknown cause. One day, a part of your body turns to stone without any warning. The petrification slowly spreads. If it spreads to important places like your lungs, heart, or brain……”
ㅤ
ㅤYou die, don’t you?
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Can’t it be cured?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Basically, no. It’s a devilish disease that slowly progresses and takes your life.”
ㅤ
ㅤI involuntarily fall silent.
ㅤ
ㅤThe girl said.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hmph. It’s a worthless life anyway. It’s better to just die quickly.”
ㅤ
ㅤI can’t find the words to respond to the girl’s words.
ㅤ
ㅤI remember the conversation between the girl and her father | （If you can call that a conversation.）
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Your Otou-san was making you beg for money by showing that arm, wasn’t he?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What!?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper looked up as if he had been struck.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Stop it. Don’t pity me. This is why I didn’t want to come!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah……!”
ㅤ
ㅤBefore I could stop her, the girl ran away.
ㅤ
ㅤI reach out my hand, but it hangs in the air.
ㅤ
ㅤ（She was crying……）
ㅤ
ㅤEven if she’s putting on a brave face, she’s still a child.
ㅤThere’s no way she’s not afraid of the slowly approaching death.
ㅤ
ㅤI sigh in frustration.
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper said to me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Are you close acquaintances with that child?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, I just met her.”
ㅤ
ㅤI manage to squeeze out an answer.
ㅤ
ㅤ”━━Then, it’s better not to get too involved.”
ㅤ
ㅤI look up at the gatekeeper’s words.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……It’s hopeless. You’ll only get hurt more if you go any further.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”B-but……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I know it’s a cruel thing to say.
ㅤBut there are many children like her. There may be few children with Stone Fever, but it’s not like there aren’t any.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……”
ㅤ
ㅤI looked down without a word.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Your kindness will melt away that child’s desperate bravado. She needs that bravado. As armor to protect her body and mind. Getting involved halfway will only make her suffer more.”
ㅤ
ㅤI understood what the gatekeeper was trying to say.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Because I was the same.）
ㅤ
ㅤI thought it was a hellish everyday life.
ㅤBut my “hell” is nothing compared to that child’s.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You don’t need to feel bad. I’ll keep an eye on that child. I’ll heal her wounds anytime.
ㅤBut I can’t cure Stone Fever. Not unless it’s a Cockatrice Beak.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Cockatrice Beak?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, I told you about the prince of this country having Stone Fever, right? So the king is offering a reward for a Cockatrice Beak.
ㅤAnd a Cockatrice nest was discovered in the depths of the dungeon that was recently created near this town.
ㅤThat’s why adventurers aiming for a fortune are gathering in this town. With the king’s reward, you could live the rest of your life in luxury.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is a Cockatrice strong?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s more troublesome than strong. You’ll turn to stone just by looking at it.
ㅤHowever, if that were all, Cockatrices would turn to stone just by looking at each other, so it seems Cockatrices have an organ that nullifies petrification.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is that the beak?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes.
ㅤHowever, it’s not enough to just defeat a Cockatrice and break off its beak.
ㅤIt has to be a 『Cockatrice Beak』 dropped by a Cockatrice as a rare drop item.
ㅤAiming for a rare drop from a Cockatrice, which is difficult to even approach, is not something a sane person would do.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But there are still people who are trying to get it.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”There are always people who would rather risk turning into a statue for a chance at a fortune than work hard every day.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe gatekeeper shrugs.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re traveling alone at your age. You must have your reasons, but don’t do anything reckless, okay?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well…… yeah.”
ㅤ
ㅤI vaguely muddle my words.
ㅤ
ㅤ”More importantly, if you don’t have a place to stay, you should consult the church. They’ll give you a place to sleep in exchange for some simple work.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”The church, is it?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”The Adventurer’s Church. You’ve been blessed as a woman, haven’t you?”
ㅤ
ㅤ（Blessing……）
ㅤ
ㅤThose were the words Latifa-san said.
ㅤBecause of the blessing, there’s no risk of having a goblin child.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hey, you haven’t received it? You might not want to imagine the worst, but those things tend to happen. Take my advice and do it.”
ㅤ
ㅤ（Even if you recommend it like it’s a vaccination……）
ㅤ
ㅤI really have come to a terrible world.
ㅤ
ㅤ”But you’ve never been to the Adventurer’s Church?
ㅤThen you don’t have traveler’s insurance, you can’t sell drop items, and you haven’t even had an aptitude test.
ㅤHow have you been traveling, young lady?”
ㅤ
ㅤOh no, the gatekeeper is looking suspicious.
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-well…… I came from far away.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, I won’t ask for details, but it would be tough if the gatekeeper was a mean person. The church work is just something simple like gathering wild plants. Just go in.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’ll keep that in mind.”
ㅤ
ㅤI managed to smooth things over and returned to the Sold Calf Inn | （’s stable.）