Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – The Only Reason

「That… those red eyes…」

Clang.

Luke’s voice was buried by the sound of the bells jingling as the store door opened and closed hastily.

“Oh?”

Ashia’s head turned toward the door of the store.

“I guess you didn’t lock the door.”

It seemed that Ashia had forgotten to lock the door as she entered after seeing Verna off.

Ashia propped her body back up, leaning against the post of her bed, and walked through her hallway into her shop.

“Hmm?”

Ashia’s eyes widened as she looked at the person who entered her shop.

“What are you doing here at this hour?”

“She said you collapsed?”

He walked over and placed the back of his hand on Ashia’s cheek and forehead.

“Terros.”

Terros, who should have been in the Imperial Palace, had arrived. Seeing that her fever had gone down, he sighed and continued.

“I met Sister Verna while I was on the way here.”

“Ah…….”

Ashia then nodded her head with a look of understanding. And soon, Terros’ nagging gushed out.

“Why are you acting so stupidly? What did you do after leaving the hospital?”

His voice and expression were full of concern for Ashia. Just like Jericho, a kind child. Ashia looked up at Terros and laughed silently.

Note: Jericho is probably a small child from before from their village

“You said you went to the hospital. Why can’t you fix it by telling the hospital ahead of time?”

“At the very least, you can ask for painkillers.”

“If it’s such a drug, I can make it myself.”

“But you didn’t make it and became like this!”

Both ends of Ashia’s eyebrows slanted downwards as she watched Terros wrestle with his upset heart.

“…I’m sorry. I made you worry.”

“…Take care of yourself, please.”

He was so worried about Ashia, who made potions to treat others, but did not take care of her own body.

Ashia felt even more sorry when she saw the look on his face, which was clouded with sincerity.

“……Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Terros carefully supported Ashia’s shoulders and led her to the bedroom. He put her on the bed, pulled a chair, and sat next to her.

“Your face is very distorted.”

“I’ll be fine now. If I hadn’t taken medicine, I’d have been sick for three to four days.”

“Starting next year, make medicine in advance. Even if the store is closed.”

“….I will. Don’t worry.”

Terros stayed at Ashia’s shop for a long time. Despite Ashia telling him to go back immediately, he insisted that he would sleep in the place he had stayed in when he was young.

“I’m really fine now, Terro.”

Terros gazed at Ashia and rose from his chair.

“My room is next to the warehouse, okay?”

“Terro.”

Terros returned the chair he had sat on and looked at Ashia again.

“I said I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be too worried to train properly anyways.”

He then walked towards the door, grabbed the handle, and said.

“I know you can’t sleep if there’s someone next to you.”

“I’ll be quiet in my room, so please don’t think anyone’s here and take a nap.”

Terros opened the door to his room and managed to walk away from Ashia’s room.

He walked a little past the warehouse and found the dark brown door. Ashia and him had settled in the capital of the Karhan Empire and had been together for several years. It was Terros’ room at that time.

He turned the door handle and entered the room. It seemed that it had already been more than three years since he had been inside this room as he had entered the Imperial Palace Order.

And yet, it looked just like the way it did when he had left. It felt like time had not passed in this room.

“Sigh…”

It was as if the room was managed every single day. The sun-scented bedding was still spread out straight, and his scent seemed to be lingering in the clean room devoid of any dust.

The desk Terros used, the books he read, and the things he used were all in place.

He wouldn’t have been sad if the room had been left unattended or cleaned up, but seeing how it was managed, his heart beat so fast that it ached.

Despite her busy schedule, he pictured her cleaning and organizing his room every day without exception.

Terros slumped down on the bed. He bent over, wrapped his face, and sighed loudly.

He knew it’s all just sympathy and guilt.

Nevertheless, his feelings for her could not be reversed. No, he couldn’t figure out how to give up on her in the first place.

For Terros, Ashia was the beginning and the reason for everything. The only reason he could breathe and open his eyes every morning without being frustrated by any pain and anguish.

He couldn’t get her off his mind like that. He couldn’t give up. But he couldn’t force his feelings on her either.

So he waited. Until she looks at him as a man. Until then, Terros was going to stay with her quietly.

Until just now. It was until just now.

Ashia collapsed.

He met Verna on the way to Ashia’s store. The moment he heard from her that Ashia had collapsed, his eyes went blank.

Verna caught Terros again, who was about to go to the store.

-Did you know that guy?

-What do you mean by that guy?

-I heard about a man who went into Ashia’s shop and saved her from her sickness. Although he was just passing by, I felt that he wasn’t just on the level of a client she had known.

-Is Ashia’s nickname Lena?

-Lena?

Terros tilted his head when he heard that the man had called her Lena.

-No, I don’t even have a pet name for Sister Ashia.

Suddenly, he remembered a name he had heard in a conversation between Ashia and Ventus seven years ago.

-What’s this paper under the necklace, Lena Connelly?

-Oh, that’s my other name. I wrote down the name because I needed it for my order.

Note: Order is regarded as some sort of ritual or something about theology or magic

-Aha.

He did not hear why she had to put the name on the magic box she had made, but as a result, the incantation failed. And he completely forgot the conversation he heard that day because Ashia ran away.

‘Lena Connelly…’

Ashia had a strange aura the moment he first saw her. Despite her young age and low status, her speech was eloquent and her confident aura was mixed into her words and actions. The way she acts is as if she was a lady from a noble family.

He didn’t hate her for acting like that. It was also good to see her say everything she had to say against people of status without fear of dying.

But why did that man know that name?

Dark thoughts swirled in his mind. The burning in his chest was enough to be perceived as nervousness or anger.

***

It was long after morning that Ashia, who fell asleep, opened her eyes.

Last night’s work seems to have caused physical problems. But thanks to that rest, she felt much better. She slowly got out of her bed, changed her clothes, washed herself, and went out to the store.

“What are you doing here, Terro?”

Ashia heard sounds from the store─ Terros was taking potions out of the warehouse and putting them in a cart.

“Oh, that’s right. Today is the day of delivery to the Knights, wasn’t it?

When he heard Ashia’s voice, Terros put down the potion box and turned towards her.

“Are you better?”

Terros, who walked to Ashia, touched her forehead and continued.

“You don’t have a fever now. How are you feeling?”

“Totally fine.”

Terros smiled timidly as he looked at her and then smiled.

“Don’t push yourself too hard and rest a little longer. I opened the store. In the meantime, I wrote down all the businesses of the people who came to check in on the paper over there. I’m almost done with the potions.”

With what he said, Asha’s head turned to the counter. Instead of Ashia, who was deeply asleep, he opened the store for her and recorded all the requests from customers who visited him.

It was something Terros did every day before entering the palace.

“This makes me feel like I’m going back in time, right?”

“Oh, our Terro is suffering because of Sister.”

“…If you know that, then don’t fall sick.”

Terros turned around again and began to move the remaining boxes of potions. But Asha smiled faintly at Terros.

“Yes, I will.”

Terros, who put the last box on the cart, pointed to a sack next to the stand and asked.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, I’m going to get the ingredients.”

“…With the state of your body?”

“I didn’t know it would hurt this much. But I’m fine now.”

Ashia raised her arms with a big smile and put them down. Nevertheless, Terros’ expression remained firm.

“Put it off.”

It was not a whine. He was just really worried about her. She knew his mind better than anyone else, but Ashia replied sternly.

“No, I can’t.”

“Sister.”

“It’s a request that I can’t put off. There’s not a single piece of latent attribute material left.”

“……Latent?”

Ashia nodded, throwing a few more potions into the sack.

It’s a latent material. It’s unusual for a person to have latent materials. It was also the most powerful attribute, and it was not easy for a human body to withstand the strong energy.

“I guess there’s someone else who needs these materials.”

“I’ve been putting it off because there aren’t many people who use it except for him, but I’m in a hurry to get it.”

“Well… Let’s go together.”

Hearing his words, Ashia moved to the stand, shaking her head.

“You know, but you still do it. It’s best for me to be alone.”

Terros chased her to the stand. Then he stood face to face with her and continued to speak.

“It’s too much for that body.”

“…Terro.”

“Yes.”

In a low voice, she called Terros and looked up at him.

“Did you see me accompanying someone?”

“…No.”

“Have you ever been hurt?”

“…No.”

“Have you ever been worried about passing the time or breaking news?”

“…No, I haven’t.”

“But what are you so worried about?”

“But…”

On the days I went to get the ingredients, I always had to face Terros’ worried face.

Never once did anything happen for Terros to worry about when I was getting the ingredients. But, of course, he’s worried that someone who’s been sick until last night is going into that rough place.

Clang.

While the two quarreled, the door of the store opened and the bell rang. Terros and Ashia turned to the door.

“Welcome!”

“Growl…”

The man who opened the door fell down with a loud thud as his knees met the floor. The man gripped his chest and continued to groan painfully.

Asha shouted with her eyes wide open.

“Kalligo!”

She rushed to him and hugged him as he was falling to the floor.

“Ugh!”

While supporting Kaligo, Ashia’s face crumpled. His body was like a ball of fire. His whole body was as hot as boiling water. Nevertheless, there was not a single drop of sweat on him.

His body did not look well. His skin bulged, as though his body was filled with scarlet circles. It was as if his skin was going to rip and pop out in the next instant.

‘This man… Just now.’

Ashia’s blue eyes shook wildly as she looked at him.

‘This kind of symptom wasn’t mentioned in the story, so why?’

Ashia’s hand, which caught him, gained strength.

Kaligo was having a seizure, which he really wanted to hide from Ashia.