Volume 2 Chapter 28

Volume 2 Chapter 28: Change in Perception

I was more surprised than relieved that the monsters attacking us were gone. That feeling was mostly directed at Axel, who stood supporting my back and moved the spear in my hands—

「A-Amazing, Axel-san. That number, in an instant……!」

As I tried to speak in that uplifted mood, throbbing pain assaulted my arms, stomach and several other parts of my body.

The spots I was bleeding from due to the sharp horns and fangs of the jackalopes.

I tried not to care about that during the battle, but looks like now, as I felt relief, my body turned against me for that negligence. I couldn’t help but grimace in pain—

「Ah, you don’t have to move. I’ll treat you right now.」

Axel approached with the transportation bag in one hand. Then he took out a potion bottle about the size of one’s palm from the bag—

「First, the side that is bleeding profusely.」

Uncorking the bottle, he then sprinkled the contents all of it over the bleeding area. My eyes widened in surprise.

「Wha, Axel-san?　Using so much of the potion…… Even a bit could have stopped the bleeding.」

「Hm?　It’s a pretty deep cut, unless I use at least this much it won’t heal completely.」

「Well, that’s true… But……Isn’t that a waste?」

「There is nothing wasteful about treating an injury. ——Also, here.」

While saying that, Axel lightly touched my wrist. That moment—

「Heeah……」

A pain ran through my body like an electric shock.

「Though so. Your movements looked kinda strange, as it turns out, you twisted your wrist.」

Apparently, the injuries weren’t limited to the places hit by jackalopes. Forcibly wielding the weapon put a strain on my body.

I felt pathetic that I realized it only when Axel touched me there, but rather than that—

…He paid attention even to this…?

My amazement was even stronger. I’ve been working with a number of observers before, but it’s the first time we had someone like this, I thought, looking at Axel who was holding my hand and—

「Well, this much can be healed with a potion, so it’s okay. ……So that’s another one.」

Saying that Axel pulled out another potion and once again used up all of it sprinkling over the wound.

「Eh, Wait, Axel-san. Wha-what are you doing?」

「What, you ask, I’m healing you. ——Hey, George, can you come over here too?」

「Y-yes.」

George, who got called, timidly approached while replying.

「For George it’s leg…… And waist. Wait a minute.」

He used one potion per spot for George’s injuries as well.

The healing effects will vary for a potion based treatment, depending on the amount. So indeed, healing would be quicker and more certain this way, but—

「E-ehm, Axel-san?　Is it all right to use all these supplies in such a place?　Shouldn’t you save it a little? I feel extremely pathetic for saying this after getting myself injured, but we don’t know how much longer this job will take or whether we will take more injuries. It will directly burden you…」

That was the point of my concern.

Expending several potions only a few hours after the mission started was way too extravagant.

We would be able to replenish our supplies if we return to town, but the deadline for this request is tomorrow. Were we to backtrack, it will consume a lot of time needlessly.

That’s why it’s common sense to keep the use of consumables as low as possible.

「Mm? So you were worried about the stock?　In that case, it’s not a problem at all. All of the consumables for this request were prepared by Lilac. It doesn’t affect me at all.」

Replied Axel.

「N-no, no, that’s not the point. Using so much, didn’t you run out of potions already?」

Yes. Normally no one would use so much at once. The amount one can carry is also limited, so for some small injuries, you can do nothing but endure them.

Thinking so I reiterated myself. Then—

「Yeah, that’s not a problem as well. Fortunately, the transportation bag is quite spacious. I have enough supplies prepared to travel with three people for a month without replenishments.」

Axel said casually.

「Ehm……mm?　One month……You mean, actually, and not as a joke?」

I asked, while thinking over his words and tilting my head. Because even though I understood him, I was unable to comprehend.

「What’s the point of such a joke? Food, medicine, supplies, everything is there. ……It might be a bit too much though. But just in case, I made her provide this much. What I won’t use I can just give back later.」

Upon hearing Axel say that while tapping his bag, my eyes opened wide in surprise.

Then, I turned to George, who also stared in amazement while listening to those words—

「E-ehm, would you please wait one moment, Axel-san? Don’t you think that 「a bit」is kind of an understatement here? N-normally, a carrier would carry supplies for 4 days at best……」

「T-that’s right. Among the carriers I’ve seen the guy with the biggest bag could carry at most one week of supplies, isn’t this on a completely different level……?」

For example, a potion bottle, even though one could hold it in the palm of a hand, it still was a container with a liquid, that took up a considerable volume and had a weight of its own. Of course, if you have too many of them the volume and weight would increase too much to handle, and if you don’t treat them with care, they would break. Precisely because of that, a carrier that possessed a transportation bag had an advantage there, but even so, there was a limit to how much they could carry. Or there is supposed to be.

Thinking so, both George and I raised our voices, but Axel only scratched his cheek tilting his head.

「Even if you say that, I do carry that much. ……Well, anyway. There is no problem with resupplying, so use them to your heart’s content——And we are done with treatment.」

「Eh……Ah. Thank you very much.」

The healing was over while we were talking.

He was quite fast, or rather quite used to this, and as I looked at the treated hand—

「Next is……Right. You should change armor and clothes as well.」

「Change?! W-we have spares?」

Something as bulky as a spare set of apparel would be one of the first things a normal carrier would discard as support. While I was wondering, Axel pulled out a leather armor and clothes.

「Well, it surely would provide more protection than torn clothes, so there is no loss in preparing it. I also have sizes you two might use. And while we are at it…… It seems that the handle on George’s weapon is ruined, so it would be better to change that as well.」

As if startled by those words, George looked at the weapon that he kept gripping. And just as Axel said, the hilt was broken.

「It’s true……!」

「Applying power becomes more difficult with a handle thats damaged in some way. I’ll get a new one. But if you insist on using it further since it’s wasteful or something, I won’t stop you.」

「Ah, no. …… G-give me a new one… P-please.」

「Sure.」

And so, Axel gave George new equipment as casually as if he had an armory nearby.

●

「Make a couple of trial swings to get used to it.」

Think so, I gripped the greatsword that was handed to me.

But of course, it was much more comfortable than the one with a broken handle that I was using before.

Yes, it was only natural but—

……I was so engrossed that I lost my composure and as a result I completely missed it.

Not only did I get careless but I also lost my cool, something that was completely unacceptable on a field of battle.

And while I was reflecting on those thoughts.

Sister was looking absent-mindedly.

「What’s wrong, Nee-san? Still under the anesthesia from the potions?」

「No, it’s not that……It’s just……Amazing, he has so much experience. I’m just astonished after realizing that he is not an ordinary carrier at all.」

「True enough. He noticed about us more than we did, and yet he keeps supporting without relaxing for a moment……And most of all, he clearly has more battle experience than both of us……」

It was apparent from his movements not so long ago. Cecile agreed with my assessment.

「And on top of that, he even got our equipment into perfect order…… It’s my first time in such a situation where everything is prepared and thought of.」

「Yeah, we never had such an abundance of supplies away from the town……」

We spent some time as adventurers after leaving the dojo, but to every mission we undertook, there was a certain limit to resources.

That was completely ordinary and normal, but—

「Sense of security for this job is just out of bounds. ……Could it be……Or actually it’s almost certain, but I feel that we are getting supported by a pretty amazing person this time……」

「Yes. No doubt.」

I agreed with my sister, then—

「Heey, you two. I think your wounds are healed already, shouldn’t you get moving?」

Axel waved his hand with those words.

「「Eh?」」

「No, you carry the survey equipment for this job, what’s the point of me walking ahead. You are the ones to decide when we move out.」

Being told that, I remembered about our work.

Right. We are yet to even reach the survey location.

「Y-yessir!　We’re going right away!」

「Yup!　We have to get back to work faster to make up for lost time!」

Flustered, the two rushed to Axel’s side and get in front of him.

Then, Axel started to walk as well, following behind us. Looking at him, Cecile scratched her cheek—

「……Sorry for getting careless, Axel-san. It’s like we are doing nothing but making demands of you, but can we rely on you from now on as well?」

「Of course. Such is my task after all. Don’t worry about demands.」

「T-thank you……!」

Hearing Axel’s reply, Cecile faced forward with a bit of an embarrassed smile. And with me, smiling awkwardly as well, we headed to the survey location.

While sensing that behind us was a somewhat warm but reliable force.

●

「……However, jackalopes weren’t supposed to settle anywhere near the water. For them to settle near the shore and form a group, just what is going on here……」