“Huh? I have time, but…”
Naro ran toward the pharmacy with the words that it would really only take a moment. As Jerian was tilting his head, Ray approached.
“He wants to repay you.”
“Pardon?”
“When Naro receives something from someone, he tries to give back the same.”
“Ah, it’s really okay though.”
“Still, accept it. If you don’t, Naro will be sad.”
At the slightly forceful voice, Jerian stared at Ray and let out a small laugh.
“Ray-ssi really follows Naro-ssi well.”
“Yeah.”
While Jerian was smiling broadly, Naro, who had entered the pharmacy, hurriedly came back outside. Just as Ray had said, he had something in his hands.
“Teacher, if you brew this and drink it as tea, it will probably help with fatigue.”
“Thank you. I actually need to return to the capital now, so I’ll take it home and drink it well.”
“Ah, you’re going to the capital?”
Jerian nodded. But he wasn’t completely returning—it seemed he would handle his schedule in the capital and then come back here again according to the Rodelus Academy lecture schedule.
“I’ll buy lots of delicious things when I come from the capital. Let’s eat together then.”
“Yes, sounds good. I’ll look forward to it. Get to the capital safely.”
“Yes.”
Naro waved his hand until Jerian, who was waving as he left, was no longer visible. Ray stood by Naro’s side with an indifferent expression, whether Jerian left or not. When he was no longer visible, Ray grabbed Naro and went inside the house.
“Ray, wait…”
“Today I had little time alone with just Naro.”
Ray embraced Naro from behind and rubbed his face against his nape. At the ticklish sensation, Naro smiled awkwardly while steeling his heart not to be swayed like earlier.
Ray is family, truly like a cousin relationship, and moreover Ray is just acting like a baby duckling following its mother duck without any emotions—he recited this to himself continuously.
“But isn’t it a bit cold inside the house?”
“Really? It’s no different from usual.”
“Is that so? Ray, I’ll prepare dinner. Can you wash the fruit the teacher gave us and put it on a tray?”
Naro and Ray each moved. Ray said he didn’t like that Jerian’s scent had gotten on it and wiped the fruit very thoroughly until it made squeaking sounds.
Watching that, Naro let out a small laugh. While busily preparing dinner, strangely the back of his hand stung intermittently. It was the wound from earlier. He definitely hadn’t cut it deeply and had treated it, but the pain still hadn’t subsided.
“The ointment isn’t working well. I should probably go to the medical center tomorrow.”
Naro decided he should go to the medical center early tomorrow before starting pharmacy business.
The night deepened a bit more. After finishing the meal, Naro sat at the table organizing the ledger, and Ray was studying in front of him.
“Ugh…”
Naro, who had been writing various things well in the ledger, suddenly groaned softly and dropped the pen he was holding. Ray reacted alertly and stood up abruptly from his seat.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Just the wound is throbbing a bit. I’m going to go to the medical center tomorrow. Don’t worry too much.”
“Let’s go now. You said it hurts.”
“I’d like to, but it’s closed now so even if I go, I can’t get treatment.”
Naro calmed Ray down. He barely succeeded in getting Ray to sit down with the words that he would go as soon as day broke tomorrow.
Naro continued organizing the ledger while putting as little force as possible on his injured hand. Just when the pain in the back of his hand seemed to get better, this time his eyelids grew heavy and his body became languid. Usually at this time he would be quite energetic. Perhaps he had used up a lot of stamina going up the mountain today and playing with the children.
“Ray, I’m going to sleep first. I’m a bit tired today.”
Thinking it would be good to get plenty of sleep for tomorrow’s pharmacy business, Naro closed the ledger he was writing in and headed to bed first. When he settled in and lay down, Ray also approached, returned to his baby dragon state, and snuggled into Naro’s embrace.
Naro smiled faintly and blew out the candle that had been dimly illuminating the room. Naro familiarly held Ray tightly in his arms and closed his eyes.
The room quickly became dark. Aside from the noise of the window shaking occasionally in the wind, it was just quiet.
How many hours had passed? Past midnight. Ray, who had been sleeping while curling his tail and tossing and turning, suddenly opened his eyes wide. There was no reason. Just from the anxiety that suddenly stabbed at his nape, Ray wriggled out from under the blanket. And in his green eyes was reflected the image of Naro breathing with difficulty.
“Naro!”
Ray immediately transformed into a human and examined Naro. The breath coming through his dry lips was rough, his face was dyed bright red, and when he touched him, he was hot like a fireball. Cold sweat flowed like rain, and above all, Naro was currently unable to regain consciousness.
“Naro… why… Come to your senses, okay? Naro!”
Even at Ray’s urgent calls, Naro couldn’t open his eyes. He was just painfully frowning. Naro’s face wasn’t red from being hot right now. This was clearly a dangerous state from being sick. Just then, Naro’s right hand came into Ray’s view.
He had a bad feeling. When he unwrapped the cloth, the cut wound was more festered than at first. The area around the affected part was dyed dark red and the smell that stung his nose was not very good.
He recalled that Naro had said it was cold from when he came into the house earlier, and that his hand hurt while writing the ledger. And even the words that he was tired so he’d sleep early. Though he didn’t know well, that wound must definitely be related to Naro’s current state.
“Haah, ugh… i-it hurts…”
Naro muttered with difficulty. His trembling hand grabbed Ray’s clothes. At that moment, Ray flinched. Just like when Naro was kidnapped, a tremendous headache struck and completely unfamiliar scenes flashed through his mind.
The smell of blood, wet hands dyed red, a body hanging limply and powerless, and pitiful hands grasping at clothes begging to be saved. But in the end, breath stopping and body temperature cooling coldly.
“…Ugh.”
Ray clutched his head as if it would shatter. What is this? This memory? Is it even his to begin with? Is it a real memory? He felt agonized as if suffocating from the unknown memory. But what made Ray more frightened than the substance of that unknown memory was something else. The appearance of someone in that fleeting memory seemed to overlap with Naro before his eyes now.
“No. I can’t lose… This time I must protect…”
Ray didn’t know what he was muttering. He just repeated the words that he must protect while embracing Naro tightly with a stiff face.
Ray moved swiftly, wrapped Naro tightly in the blanket in the house, and just like that kicked open the door and ran out.
* * *
“So Ray oppa saved me like this!”
Nepi was explaining to Garnet and Eila what happened today. Of course, she was already saying that for the fifth time.
“Really? Mom should say thanks later for saving our Nepi. Now we’ve heard enough of that story, so let’s sleep. You have to sleep if you’re going to the Academy again tomorrow. It’s already late.”
Eila barely managed to get her daughter, who still wanted to chatter more, into the room and laid her on the bed. After confirming Nepi was asleep, she came back outside.
“Is Nepi asleep?”
“Yeah, I barely got her to sleep. She came back from playing today so I thought she’d fall asleep quickly since she’s tired.”
Eila let out a deep sigh and took a sip of the tea Garnet handed her.
“By the way, we should give Ray something as thanks.”
At Eila’s words, Garnet also nodded in agreement.
“The more I see him, the more interesting that kid is. I was always concerned that Naro came to live alone in this village, so I’m really glad he’s living together with his cousin.”
“These days young people like Naro are rare. Diligent and kind. But I wish Naro could go to a bigger place and have various experiences.”
“Right, he’s still young, so it’s a shame he’s running a pharmacy in such a small village. Moreover, Naro has skills. With that level, he could easily make it in the capital.”
The two had helped Naro continuously from the side until he settled in this village, so they especially hoped Naro would meet many people and have new experiences.
“I hope a good opportunity comes to Naro…”
It was when Garnet was muttering like a sigh. Suddenly someone knocked on the door with tremendous force. At the sound that seemed to shake the inside of the house, Garnet stood up abruptly without realizing it and became alert.
“Who is it? At this hour?”
“I wonder. You stay here. I’ll look through the window first.”
Garnet stuck his head out the window cautiously without letting his guard down. And he was startled at the scene in front of the door and flung the door open.
“Isn’t it Ray! What’s wrong?”
Ray’s state was not normal. Ray’s face, breathing heavily as if he would collapse at any moment, had turned completely pale.
“Haah, help. Naro… Naro is sick.”
