Chapter 21 – Chapter 2: Bad Hands – 1
The bitter cold has arrived.
This was the most peaceful and quiet time in the village.
The fields are left fallow, and work is stopped for a while.
People light bonfires and gather together to spend the winter.
We had to go through that kind of winter again this year… For some reason, people seemed busier.
Men started climbing up the mountain with axes in the morning, and did not come down even after lunch.
Something seems to have happened.
I spent my daily life quietly lying in bed and reading a book.
Next to me, Tia is listening to my herbalism class with sparkling eyes.
“You have to think carefully about compatibility. Adding a good effect to a good effect doesn’t make it a better effect.”
“It’s difficult…”
“On the other hand, just because it’s bad doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad. For example, the blue lily flower is famous as a poisonous herb, but if you add a drug that neutralizes this poison, the poison will eliminate only the bad things in the body and disappear.”
“Wow-! It’s amazing.”
Indeed, Tia was a genius.
Even though it may be a bit difficult for beginners, if you teach them one thing, they know ten.
Thanks to you, I was surprised a lot.
If you give her a little idea of the simple recipe, Tia can easily guess what kind of medicine she can make with it.
Tia says it’s because I taught her well.
I was so envious of her intelligence that I sometimes felt jealous of her.
Even though I was self-taught, it took me over two years to get through this thick herbal medicine book.
But Tia learned half of it in just a few weeks… I feel like my efforts so far have been in vain.
But I think it is a good opportunity.
In the future, when Tia adventures around the world, she will experience many things.
At that time, this knowledge will definitely be helpful in some way.
In a way, it is an honor to have my teachings accompany the journey of the ‘Great Adventurer Tia’.
“Hmm. “Big.”
Did I talk too much this morning?
It feels like something is stuck in my throat.
I turned the page and tried to read the next content.
“Hmm. Cough- Cough!”
As soon as she coughed, something came out of her mouth.
Tia, who was next to her, stood up in surprise.
“Ritz? Are you okay?!”
“… Ah. Huh. It’s okay.”
When I touch the corner of my mouth, I can feel the salty taste.
And on top of the book, a bright red, sticky liquid was flowing, as if red ink had been spilled.
Tia saw that too.
“Blood?”
I see You vomited blood.
This is a signal that something is wrong with my body.
There were no problems until yesterday.
Before long, my condition was good enough to return to the pharmacy and start working.
But it was as if he was laughing at Tia’s hard work and my expectations for making the medicine.
Blood kept pouring out of my mouth.
“Cough-. “Wow!”
Every time I cover my mouth and cough, thick liquid comes out of my hands.
“Ritz!!”
“… Shit. “I don’t feel well.”
“Uh, what should I do? What’s the problem?”
“Calm down for now, Tia. Because I’m fine. Cough!”
I had my skin torn by a bear.
The wound was so severe that I can still feel the throbbing in my chest and lower back.
Due to the impact of the front foot, it fell far and crashed into rocks and trees.
The pain at that time was beyond words, but I was able to roughly guess it.
It’s clear that my stomach has turned.
Even when I thought about it, there was no guarantee that the organs in my body were healthy.
If there’s no problem, that’s even weirder.
… I think I should get some rest and not go out for a while.
When I stopped coughing and sighed heavily, all the strength went out of my lower back.
I feel dizzy and dizzy, as if I will fall asleep at any moment.
Tia waved my hand in a scared voice.
“Ritz! Ritz! Come to your senses!”
“Tia, don’t shake it. I’m not dying. “I’m tired and want to sleep for a bit.”
“Really?”
“Okay. Therefore… “Please make me some medicine that will help.”
I barely traced my memories in my hazy consciousness.
“The book in the pharmacy… 〈Herbology Volume 3〉 will be helpful. Something related to internal organs recovery…”
“Huh! I understand!”
“I’ll sleep for a moment. “I’m just going to sleep for a little while.”
“I’ll make it right away! Therefore…”
I thought Tia said something after that, but I couldn’t hear it.
…
…
…
“Gasp!”
When I opened my eyes again, it was snowing heavily outside the window.
There was no one around.
Seeing that it’s daytime, it seems like at least a day has passed, but I don’t know how long.
Did I really just sleep, or did I lie in bed for another two months? There is no way to know.
“Ugh…”
I want to find out. Without fail, extreme fatigue sets in.
I fell asleep again as if I fainted.
When I came back a little distracted.
I felt Tia scoop something up with her spoon and shove it into my mouth.
She took it somehow, but as soon as it went down her throat, her eyes widened, and she sat up.
“Wow!”
“Ritz!”
“Haha…”
“I guess this medicine really works… !”
No. She just entered the body, but there is no way it will take effect right away.
The reason I came to my senses was because ‘that medicine Tia made’ was so bitter and disgusting that I couldn’t stand it.
Are you going to kill me? … She wanted to say that, but when she saw Tia’s bright face and tearful eyes, those words just clicked.
She smiled and stroked his red hair.
“Thank you.”
“Thank god-! Come on, come on, drink it!”
Then he thrusts a bottle of medicine at me, and this… It was completely different from the recovery medicine I made before.
It’s dark, looks like something’s in the medicine, and has a terrible smell.
I know this is rude to Tia, but it’s like… It’s a medicine that reminds me of putrid maggot soup.
My tongue, which easily eats most foods, is almost twitching with disgust.
Ugh. Still, I guess I have to eat.
I just held my breath and took a sip.
Ah. I hate it so much that I wonder if the first thing I would want to do is die from suffocation from this bad smell, rather than from my body weakening and dying.
But she closed her eyes tightly and drank it all in.
“Puh-ha-.”
Indeed, the effect was excellent.
Because my insides started shaking like crazy, not knowing if I was dead or alive.
“Wow!”
“Ritz?”
“Wow!”
What I ate is about to come back.
I was finally able to calm down after drinking the water that Tia hastily brought for me.
After all that commotion, I ended up like a dried fish.
“Tia, was this the best?”
“Sorry…”
“At least add syrup next time.”
“Okay. Well, I will…”
But somehow I felt full.
Perhaps because of the violent shaking, she suddenly felt very hungry and wanted to go to the bathroom.
That’s good news. It seems like it really worked.
This symptom of actively eating and expelling food is proof that the inside of the body is returning to normal.
I lay down on the bed and gave a thumbs up.
“Hmm. I have to admit this. The effect is the best.”
“Lol-. Thank goodness.”
“But was there ever a medicine that tasted and smelled like this? “I don’t remember seeing it in the book.”
“… Uh? Really?”
“Huh. If you make it like this, people who eat it will feel repulsed. So, when making medicine, you need to add as few ingredients as possible and make sure it has a clear, pleasant scent.”
“I see.”
Although it is the basic of basics.
Tia seems to have missed this simple principle because she was learning so quickly.
“What are the ingredients?”
“I just put it in the way I saw it in the book… Asgera stamens and whitetail flowers…”
“For a moment. Aschera stamens and whitetail flowers?”
I couldn’t help but tilt my head.
Such a unique color and scent could not be created with the ingredients Tia described.
There was a high possibility that some foreign substance had been mixed in during the making process, or that other ingredients had been mistakenly added.
First of all, seeing as the effect was clear, it doesn’t seem like the wrong medication was used.
Maybe the residue wasn’t filtered out properly?
“When you get back to the pharmacy, try cleaning the still. Sometimes rotten residues are mixed in and a bad smell can occur.”
“Yes.”
“Make me another recovery potion. Please take care of me. Tia.”
Tia smiled brightly.
“Yes!”
* * *
The next day.
Tia came at the appointed time with black medicine.
“I brought some medicine, Ritsu…”
Today, there was something about Tia’s voice that lacked energy.
As she turned her head to say thank you, she suddenly felt that he had changed a little.
A tired expression with no strength.
When I’m close to her, she always smells like fresh apples, but now she smells like a strong rose, like she’s been sprayed with perfume.
Also, for some reason, she did not tie her hair up and left it loose.
“…”
Sreuk-.
As her hair fell down her cheek, Tia swept it with one hand and tucked it behind her ear.
Should I say something is different? Should I say that she suddenly felt like an adult?
It definitely didn’t look like the Tia I knew.
… But it’s definitely Tia.
Because there was a leather strap around his neck.
If you follow the string down, you will find my… I was able to see the ‘ruby necklace’.
“I got that right.”
“Huh? Ah… Yes.”
Tia stroked her own neck.
“Because it’s a gift from Ritz. “She’s been wearing it ever since.”
“It’s pretty.”
“-?!”
Tia was startled, and her face turned red.
I was also taken aback because the words came out so suddenly.
“That… “That necklace is pretty.”
“Oh, yes! That’s right! Ritz chose well!”
“I… Tia.”
“Huh?”
Heat rises in her face.
My ears have probably turned red like apples now.
“I haven’t forgotten yet. The promise at that time…”
“… Hehe-.”
Tia gently squeezed my hand.
Warm heat is conveyed like the light of the dusky sun.
“I didn’t forget either. Actually, since then, every day before going to bed, I held the necklace and prayed to Shinryong. Please save Ritz. “Please help me fulfill my pledge.”
“…”
“But it seems Shinryong has listened to my request. Like a lie, Ritz woke up.”
“Tia…”
Ruby-like eyes. Dazzlingly white skin.
The faint heartbeat felt in the empty winter air.
Thank you. Because you are by my side.
Thanks to you, I think I am the most blessed person in the world.
I held Tia’s hand tightly. Soft and warm.
These noble hands must have made my medicine. It’s so lovely.
I was quietly holding her hand like that.
“Huh?”
What is it?
Suddenly, my lower abdomen feels warm.
To be exact… ‘Go there’. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my lower abdomen.
Oh no. Tia’s other hand was placed there.
This guy. Even if he raises his hand, it’s in that position…
I don’t know if he knows I’m in trouble.
He rubs my crotch with an innocent expression.
Ugh. This is embarrassing.
As I keep getting more and more stimulated, I have an anxious feeling that it will only get bigger.
However, I think Tia might be surprised if I immediately put my hand away.
Anyway, I didn’t like situations where both parties became uncomfortable. So what I came up with…
“Hmm.”
She deliberately turned her body towards Tia.
As expected, the ‘bad hand’ fell off.
Haha. Well, how do you feel? This way, she won’t raise her hand incorrectly.
And you won’t even notice if my pants become a little bigger.
I was relieved and felt a sense of victory inside.
Zek-.
Huh?
A warm touch reaches there again.
This time…
Swoosh- Swoosh-.
Are you just touching me openly?!
