The Hero’s Authority (1)
“Come in.”
Ruman winked at me. He was saying he’d tell me the rest later.
“Whew. It’s morning but it seems colder than dawn.”
Gepetto came in, playing it cool.
Huh? Now that I think about it, the halo of light had disappeared without me noticing. Amazing.
“Please tell me if you’re in pain. I have painkillers if it’s severe.”
“You seem to carry quite a lot with you.”
“I think I’ll be carrying even more from now on!”
Gepetto smiled confidently and tapped his bulging pouch.
“Now, please refrain from speaking for a moment.”
Gepetto immediately returned to a serious expression and disinfected Ruman’s wound.
Just looking at it hurt, but Ruman didn’t bat an eye.
After disinfecting thoroughly, Gepetto poured white powder all over Ruman’s gaping wound and its surroundings, then patted it down. Then he took out herbs he’d ground beforehand and spread them while pressing firmly. After applying it meticulously without missing any spots, Gepetto finally took out clean new bandages.
It looks like it would hurt… but Ruman remained calm.
Sweat had formed on Gepetto’s forehead as he finished wrapping carefully and let go.
He seemed to have concentrated intensely.
“Since you’re a Hero, there’s no need to worry about infection or anything else, but please be careful anyway! Never touch it, and if the pain is severe, you must tell me. Understood?”
“Understood, physician.”
“Haha. Please don’t speak so formally again, it’s embarrassing.”
Gepetto fidgeted with the back of his neck.
“Well, shall we see the next patient?”
“I can just do it myself…”
“That won’t do. A professional should do it.”
Gepetto smiled brightly but didn’t seem like he’d back down.
I gave up and took off my layered clothes. When I removed my top, goosebumps rose on my arm that was left with only bandages.
“I’ll do it quickly. It’s very cold.”
“It’s fine. It’s not cold.”
Honestly it was cold, but what’s the big deal about this much cold?
I’ll have you know I’m very strong!
Ahem.
Gepetto carefully unwrapped the bandages.
Thinking of it as an act of treatment and recalling the pharmacist old man, I could endure it somehow.
Gepetto was so delicate that he unwrapped the bandages almost without touching my skin. The unwrapped bandages fell to the carriage floor with a rustle.
“Hmm…”
Gepetto narrowed his eyes. Ruman also concentrated and stared at my wound.
Ah, why are you looking like that!
“Ren. You mustn’t speak.”
I nodded my head blankly.
How did you know I was going to speak!
“Ren. Don’t get excited. Do you happen to have something like cookies? Of course you don’t… oh!”
“Here.”
“Feed it to Ren.”
“Here, Ren. Ah-“
“Ah-. Geez, what am I…!”
“Shh.”
“Shh!”
Why do you even have snacks!
Gepetto’s face, which had asked without expectation, brightened. Ruman put candy he took from his inner pocket into my mouth. What am I, a little kid?! I was angry and about to say something, but when Gepetto and Ruman simultaneously said “Shh!” I closed my mouth without realizing it.
Ugh. My pride is hurt!
But the candy is sweet.
Mm. Really sweet.
It’s melting, in my mouth… is there one more?
When I sneaked a glance at Ruman, he turned his head. His shoulders were shaking.
Damn!
“How is it?”
“There’s no inflammation. It’s very clean but… recovery is a bit slow. Hmm. Was there something special applied to that person’s weapon?”
“…I’ll go get it. Can you tell by looking?”
“I think I can make a guess. You don’t need to worry too much. Since the priest healed it, there probably won’t be any problems. Originally, wound healing varies depending on individual constitution. Ren seems to have a rather weak body. Even if it heals slowly, as long as there’s no inflammation, there’s no problem. It’s just a bit troublesome. There, all done.”
While Gepetto spouted words frantically, his hands were so fast that he applied medicine and wrapped new bandages.
“There, done.”
“Thank you.”
“Not at all!”
When I greeted Gepetto, Ruman smiled warmly.
Does Ruman perhaps think I’m a personality disorder case?
There’s no need to make that expression just over a greeting!
“Ugh.”
As I put on my top and threaded my arm through the sleeve, my shoulder suddenly ached stiffly. What is it? Did I bump into something while sleeping?
“Ren! What’s wrong. Where does it hurt?”
“Is your shoulder uncomfortable?”
Thinking it was nothing, I tried to put on the clothes again, but Gepetto, who had been organizing medicine and bandages, rushed over.
“It’s fine. It’s just stiff.”
“Let me see for a moment.”
“No, I said it’s fine…”
“Ren.”
Ruman called me very firmly. He was also watching me closely.
I gave up and moved my arm to take off the top I’d put on, but Gepetto shook his head.
“I’m going to cut the clothes. Is that okay?”
“Why cut the clothes?! My arm is fine, I can just take it off!!”
I shouted in surprise!
Why throw away perfectly good clothes! Do clothes come out free if you dig the ground?!
“You don’t have spares.”
Ruman answered while pondering.
“We forgot the luggage Princess Coco packed for us.”
Ruman sighed and clicked his tongue.
“Ah! Don’t worry about that. I have sewing supplies. If it’s okay to sew it up… can I tear it?”
At Gepetto’s question, Ruman looked at me.
“Ren, is it okay? Is it clothes you treasure?”
“It’s not like that but…”
“Excuse me!”
“Ugh!”
Riiip!
“Why did you cut it so roughly, why!!”
Aaaah! What is this! Did I say I’d run away?!
I jumped in place!
Gepetto flinched and leaned back, holding the scissors.
He had torn my top very cleanly!
When I waved my arm in surprise, my body naturally hunched from the tingling pain that came up.
“Uugh…”
Wow. It hurt quite a bit, to the point I wondered how I didn’t notice.
Still, it’s bearable. Ugh, if I’d just held back the sound, they wouldn’t have noticed. To add another troublesome thing like this. At this rate, won’t I become an annoying person! Damn!
“It looks fine on the outside…”
Gepetto examined my shoulder from various angles.
That was right. My shoulder was very clean, just as Gepetto said. It’s not faking illness…! Still, isn’t it good if it’s fine? I covered my shoulder with my hand and pulled back.
“See. I told you it’s fine!”
“Hmm. There was nothing wrong when I saw it at the castle either… huh?”
“A bruise…”
Ruman furrowed his brow.
“A bruise?”
I blinked and removed my hand to look at my shoulder again.
“Huh!”
Wow! Amazing, what is this?
On my shoulder, a bluish bruise was gradually rising.
As if it had been hiding somewhere and came out! Suddenly! Like paint spreading, the bruise mark appeared. Hmm? It looks just like a handprint, wow.
I exclaimed in admiration at how amazing it was, but Ruman’s face turned fierce.
“This seems to be a wound I need to look at.”
“Ruman isn’t even a physician, how can you look at it?”
“It’s a wound a physician can’t detect. This is.”
“What is it?”
Ruman just smiled, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all.
I’m the one who’s hurt, but I don’t know why Ruman’s mood worsened… but I decided to respect his feelings. I should stay still.
Ruman examined my shoulder thoroughly.
“Ren. Make a sound if it hurts. Don’t endure it.”
“It’s bearable…”
I’m not talking back.
I didn’t want to go against him when he’s in a bad mood for no reason, so I opened my eyes as gently as possible.
When our eyes met, Ruman hesitated. He looked at me with a very strange expression, as if he was grimacing or maybe not, then sighed. After repeating starting to say something and stopping for a while, he eventually sighed.
What! Enough to make you sigh… I didn’t do anything! It’s unfair, unfair!
“Ouch.”
“It’ll sting a bit.”
You didn’t tell me beforehand, did you do that out of spite? I was surprised!
I secretly glared at Ruman.
“Does it still hurt?”
“A little.”
“Ruman-nim. What is this? Kirki the priest healed it, so why is there a wound left on the shoulder? No, for a bruise to suddenly appear like this!”
Gepetto shouted excitedly.
“…I never thought I’d see this directly.”
What does he mean by seeing it directly?
Even as Gepetto was curious and restless beside him, Ruman just squinted and stared at my shoulder.
“Is it serious? I’m fine though.”
“Really? Maybe it’s okay because you’re the Hero’s younger brother. I wonder if I should call this fortunate.”
Ruman clicked his tongue.
“Gepetto. Do you have various medicines?”
“Yees. I got a lot from the Princess’s residence, so it should be enough. But more than that, that bruise that suddenly appeared…”
“Please add medicine that supplements the body and medicine that helps bones heal well.”
“That shoulder…”
“That will be sufficient. Ren. Be careful with your shoulder for a few months. The pain will last a long time.”
“Okay. But why is it like that?”
Gepetto clenched his fist saying “That’s right!” He seemed quite curious.
I was curious about that too!
What is this bruise that suddenly appeared? My heart felt a bit anxious. It can’t be because of the illness… can it! There’s never been a time like that, has there? If it was, Ruman would have made a fuss! That face is a face that knows something. Ruman definitely knows why my shoulder is like this. So what is it! I’m curious! It’s my body, so I have the right to know!
“I don’t really want to talk about it. If you’re curious, Ren, try to guess.”
“What? No, what does that mean?”
“That’s right. The patient has the right to know about their own body…!”
“Gepetto, physician.”
“Yes…?”
“Sometimes ignorance is medicine. Don’t try to know too much. Once or twice is enough for being tactless, isn’t it? Whether it’s pretending or not.”
