Casually Healing A Sick Mother Too

Two days after catching the poison snake.

I visited a town called Mitsuke with the three slave girls.

We finished a fair amount of shopping at the market. Arranging a carriage and buying food supplies.

And… market research.

As expected after seeing the market, potions were not sold anywhere.

I also visited the Commerce Guild, but even low-grade potions didn’t seem to circulate there.

…So where were potions sold? In a back-alley shop with an underground atmosphere.

I tried buying a potion there…

Well, it was terrible. First, the quality. Far too bad. At best it could heal a scratch.

It might stop bleeding, but it wouldn’t heal a fatal wound.

I asked if they had better quality potions, but they said such things didn’t exist and couldn’t be made in the first place.

What had happened to alchemists 500 years later… now that I think about it, I hadn’t seen a single alchemist in town.

“Well then, shopping and inquiries complete.”

We split into two groups.

Me and Zenith-chan, and Toka-chan with Daphne-chan.

Toka-chan’s group was loading luggage onto the carriage.

Zenith-chan and I gathered information.

“So this is a potion…”

I muttered while looking at the murky-colored bottle.

“…Yes, in this world they call that a potion.”

“That’s not a potion. It’s muddy water.”

“…Calling an expensive potion muddy water… is the situation different from 500 years ago?”

“Yeah. At least nothing this low quality existed. And junk potions like this never circulated in the market.”

After looking around the market, I felt something like an [invisible pressure].

As if potion technology was being forcibly degraded by someone’s will.

The source seemed to be some suspicious organization called the Tendo Church…

“Well, it’s none of my business…!”

I won’t stick my nose into unnecessary matters.

I have absolutely no drive to uncover the cause of potion decline or dive into great mysteries.

What I want is a free journey.

A world without being bound by anyone, without power-harassing bosses—just living leisurely and happily is enough.

“Preparations are ready, so let’s depart before trouble starts.”

At that moment.

“Kyah!”

Someone bumped into me.

“Whoa, are you okay, little girl?”

“Ah, yeah… um, sorry for bumping into you…”

The little girl apologized.

“It’s fine. Wait, what’s this?”

Cookies were scattered around the girl.

“Oh dear, sorry. I’ll buy them all, so forgive me. Zenith-chan, pay please.”

I entrusted money counting and management to her since she’s smart.

I didn’t know market prices in this world, so I might get cheated. That’s why I entrusted my wallet to Zenith-chan.

Zenith-chan asked the amount and paid the girl.

Meanwhile, I picked up the fallen cookies.

Hmm… let me take a bite.

“U!”

“U?”

“It’s delicious! Chef! Call the chef!”

What delicious cookies!

I definitely wanted to meet the person who made them and learn the recipe.

“Did you make these, little girl?”

“No. Mama.”

“Oh? Could you let me meet your mother? I really want to know the recipe.”

I looked around.

Then the girl lowered her head.

“…Mama home.”

“…Huh? You were selling cookies alone? In place of your mother?”

The girl nodded at Zenith-chan’s words.

This was… probably complicated circumstances.

“Could you take me to your home?”

“Eh…?”

“I want to talk to your mother.”

I wanted the recipe too.

The girl hesitated, but after looking at Zenith-chan she nodded.

Well, it made sense she’d be wary of strangers.

Though she probably thought Zenith-chan was her age… poor thing…

Anyway, after various events, we arrived at the girl’s home.

“Cough cough …Oh, a guest?”

“Mama! I’m home!”

The girl clung to her mother.

The mother lay in a shabby bed. Clearly ill and thin.

…Her body probably couldn’t accept food.

“I am a traveler. I bought cookies from your daughter. They were delicious, so if possible, could you tell me the recipe? I have no intention of selling them—just a hobby.”

“I see…”

The mother nodded in understanding. But…

Cough! Hack!

“! Mama!”

Blood leaked from her mouth.

This was seriously dangerous.

I quickly created a potion with magic and approached.

“Please drink this.”

“…cough cough! Th-this is… cough!”

“Just drink. Here.”

If she died here I’d feel bad, and more importantly such delicious cookies being lost forever would be a waste!

So I made her drink the recovery potion.

Then…

“Uh,”

“Uh?”

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I’M FULL OF ENERGYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”

The mother stood up from the bed…

Pop…! Her body instantly swelled!?

“Huh!? What!?”

“Nghhhhh! Power surginggggg!”

“EEEEEEEE!? A MAN!?”

The person I thought was the mother transformed into a muscular giant man!

“Mama!”

“My daughter!”

…Mama? Even though he’s a man?

W-What is going on…?

“…Seyi-sama. Perhaps that man was acting as her mother substitute.”

“A-Ah, I see…”

He looked like a thin woman, but that was just sickness making him emaciated—actually he was this bulky macho guy.

“Thank you very much, traveler! Nghhh! I suffered a rare disease where a basilisk petrification ray turned my body to stone from within! Nghhh! Now I’m completely healthy!”

“O-Oh, is that so. Good for you haha…”

I’m not good with muscle-bound people…

And that sports-club enthusiasm reminds me of my old workplace… ugh, headache.

“Please accept my thanks!”

“No thanks needed, just teach me the recipe.”

Wait, this “mother”… no, father made the cookies?

Despite looking like a fighter?

Hmm… appearances really are deceiving.

“Big sis! Thank you for healing mama!”

The girl smiled at me.

I didn’t intend to go this far, but…

Well, whatever! A child’s smile is priceless!