Chapter 28

"Um, thank you?"

Riko said her thanks in the form of a question.

"You're welcome."

I smiled, and it felt like the tension eased a bit. However, I didn't really deserve the thanks.

"…Did you heal my injuries with your magic?"

"Yes, I did."

Hiro asked with a pout.

"……"

Then he turned away and fell silent. What should I do?

"…………Thank you very much."

After a long pause, Hiro said his thanks in a very small, almost inaudible voice.

I couldn't help but sigh.

"Alright, alright, take care now—"

With that, I stood up and brushed the dust off my clothes.

It's time to go home.

"I'll report to Mr. Gustav and think about becoming an explorer tomorrow. I'm afraid of getting scolded."

"Hey."

I stopped in my tracks when I heard a voice from behind. Turning around, I saw Hiro looking straight at me.

"Wait… please."

"What is it? And your way of speaking is different from usual."

Even as I laughed it off, Hiro's serious expression didn't waver.

"I have a favor to ask."

"Hmm…"

I'll just hear him out.

"If you can heal my injuries, can you heal Riko too?"

"Do you want me to cure a three-day fever?"

"Please!"

Hiro bowed his head.

I was at a loss. I didn't know how to react.

Honestly, I want to help a child who is bowing and begging, but I seriously doubt I have the ability. After all, I have no experience in treating illnesses.

I can heal injuries because I used to get them often. But I never had to heal illnesses until recently. I never even thought about it.

Sensing my silence as a refusal, Hiro continued to plead.

"I said I'd do something at that shop, but I can't. I just realized it. I can't pull off a theft without Riko. Even catching fish or birds, we always did it together."

Hiro looked up.

"We can't do anything without each other! But if things stay like this, Riko…!"

Unable to bear Hiro's growing agitation, Riko interjected weakly, but much better than before.

"Hiro, it's okay… I feel better compared to earlier…"

"Well, the fever from a three-day fever usually subsides quickly."

In my case, it took a bit longer, but a three-day fever typically causes high fever for short periods, about every three days. Riko must have just gotten through the first bout.

And.

"There's a chance it will heal on its own?"

Natural healing is possible. If your body is strong, it might just be a tough cold.

"…But still!"

Hiro glanced at Riko, bit his lip, and looked back at me.

"I heard that people with weak bodies like us might die after a few more fevers."

Tears welled up in his eyes.

"So, please! Help Riko too!"

Unconsciously, the tension in my body eased, and my shoulders slumped.

I wasn't swayed by his pleading.

"…Alright."

It wasn't because I felt bad about making a child cry.

"I'll try to heal her, but I don't know any healing spells."

Just in case, for when I might need to heal myself.

"Even if it doesn't work, don't be angry, okay?"

I just wanted to practice healing.

"Still, I'm really scared."

I laid a blanket and had Riko lie down on it.

"Don't worry, there's nothing to be afraid of."

I smiled and checked her temperature.

I covered her neck and below with magic to estimate her body temperature.

"It's still a bit high, but it's going down."

"What are you doing to me…?"

Riko, who couldn't sense the magic, was confused by my words.

"Um…"

"What is it?"

"Like Hiro, tell me if it's going to hurt…?"

"Well, I'll do my best."

I remembered he screamed a lot when I set his bones.

Suddenly, I remembered something.

"Oh!"

"What? What is it!?"

Riko asked with teary eyes, looking like a frightened little animal.

But it was different. I remembered something.

I can use pain-relief magic too.

"No, it's nothing. Sorry, it's nothing."

"It's even more scary now…"

I should have used it when I set Hiro's bones.

I measured her temperature and checked her overall condition, but I hadn't really thought about what to do next.

If I could use healing spells like Teleret, that would be great, but I doubt it's as simple as just chanting a spell.

I have no idea how to activate healing energy.

At the very least, I need to think of a way to help until I can heal her.

I believe magic can do it.

What is needed to heal?

Maybe symptomatic treatment first?

For a three-day fever, the only prominent symptom is the fever. There was dizziness and chills, but those were likely due to the fever.

So, should I lower the fever? If so, I can do that with magic.

However, if the fever is a reaction to pathogens, forcibly lowering it might be bad.

There are no signs of hallucinations or delusions, so I don't need to worry about encephalitis for now. The fever will subside on its own after a while, so I don't need to worry too much about it.

Preparing food and water to help with recovery should be sufficient.

Then, causal treatment?

If I had antibiotics or antiviral drugs, that would be ideal, but I don't have any. According to Mr. Gustav, there are drugs for three-day fever, so I can rely on them as a last resort.

However, I want to try using magic this time. It's a matter of pride.

The cause could be bacteria or viruses.

There's also the possibility of poisoning, but if that were the case, Hiro, who eats and drinks the same things, would also be sick. It's unlikely.

If I can remove the microorganisms, I might be able to help. So, I need to identify the specific microorganism.

"Hmm…"

I wish I could do it as easily as Teleret, but nothing comes to mind.

I looked at Riko's body again.

She's thin, and it's clear she's malnourished. There are many scrapes on her arms and legs. I'll heal those.

While treating her, I noticed a bug bite on her arm. I had seen it when I gave her an ice pack, but on closer inspection, it seemed to be from a while ago.

Hmm?

A possible cause flashed in my mind.

A disease that only spreads in the slums and the eastern part of the city.

Scenes of the city and children playing flashed through my mind.

"Could it be…?"

If my guess is correct, I have a plan for treatment.

But it sounds very troublesome and harsh.

I'll need to approach this with determination.

…Can I heal her?