Gossip: Darryl and Iris, After the Fact

““We’re back~.””

Mom was asleep when we got home. Even though when she first got sick there were times when she was awake, recently she was asleep all the time.

“Big bro, hurry up with the medicine.”

“Yeah!” I called out to my sleeping mom. “Mom, I have medicine. Open your mouth and drink it.”

My words reached Mom, and she opened her mouth just a little. I poured in the medicine that I got from that man little by little so she could drink it.

After getting her to drink the entire bottle full of medicine, Mom’s body started shining white.

“Big bro!” Iris, surprised, grabbed on to me.

“It’s fine, it’s gotta be.”

I didn’t know why, but I trusted the medicine that man gave us. If it’s his medicine, it’ll definitely work.

While hugging onto Iris, we waited for the shining to stop.

“......Mn...... Darryl? Iris?”

““Mom!!””

Mom woke up. “Darryl, Iris... sorry for not helping.”

“*Sniff* ......M-Mom!! Uwaahhh!”

Iris must have been really relieved to see her mom awaken, since she hugged onto her and started crying. And as soon as she got tired, she fell asleep.

Today, we walked quite a ways away from town into the forest, and got chased by orcs, so she must have been really exhausted.

“Oh my, Iris is already asleep.”

“Mom, how are you?”

“Yes, I’m fine already. I still feel a little sluggish, but other than that there’s nothing wrong. It seems like I’ll be able to go to work again by tomorrow.”

“You’re still recovering, so you have to keep resting tomorrow. Oh, right, can you eat?”

“Yes, I’m actually feeling kind of hungry.”

I put some of the food that that man gave me into a bowl and handed it over to Mom.

“Oh my, such a nice smell. What is this?”

“The person who helped me today gave it to me. Eat it before it goes cold.”

Mom ate slowly, but did finish the entire bowl. The last time I saw her eat so much was a long time ago. If she can eat like this, she’s probably fine.

I felt relief from the bottom of my heart. “Iris and I will eat later. You stay in bed Mom, you’re still recovering.”

After tucking my Mom in, I picked up the sleeping Iris and carried her to her bed.

“Mom got... better...... that’s great, really............ *Snrf*” She was so relieved she started tearing up.

Mom, who got sick and lost her appetite, just finished off a bowl cleanly.

If she can eat that much, she’s already fine. It’s all thanks to that man. Since he gave us that medicine, Mom got better.

Even like this, I wasn’t stupid. I knew just how amazing that medicine that man gave us was, since it was enough to heal my Mom, who was that sick, in one shot. Even though we were told that only a big-shot priest from the capital would be able to do it......

He also saved Iris and I, who were being chased around by orcs. Even so, I......

I was desperate, so I said some rude things to him. Still, he even treated Iris and I to some food. He was a strange man with a huge wolf and a small dragon and a slime, but he was really kind.

That was why I wouldn’t tell anyone about the medicine. And I’d tell Iris to keep it a secret, too. And Mom didn’t seem to remember drinking the medicine, since she was barely awake at the time. I would keep quiet about the fact that that man gave me medicine. After all, that medicine was amazing, and probably really, really expensive. That man is kind, and gave it to us for free because we needed it.

But what if everyone knows that that man has an expensive medicine? There might be people who attack him to try and take the medicine by force. I know there are those kinds of bad guys out in the world.

My friend Stephan’s dad found a treasure in the dungeon and turned it into money at the Adventurer’s guild, and when he was going back home, some of those bad people attacked him and he died. I’ve also heard other similar stories.

That’s why I won’t tell anyone about that man. I don’t want any bad people to go for him, after all.

Just like I said to that man, I’d definitely repay the debt myself. Someday, I’d definitely have my own store, and then I’d definitely, definitely make Mom and Iris happy. And then, I’d also pay back that man.

Thanks, mister. Really, really... thanks.