The Matter of My Party Members Being Aware of My Desire to Be Banished - Chapter 24

“Hey, you go.”

“No way, man. I can’t do it. Besides, that lady’s request is…”

“But imagine the reward if we could help her out, it would be awesome, right?”

Grinning, the people around seemed excited with anticipation. However, none dared to approach the blonde beauty standing before them.

“Excuse me~”

Parting the onlookers, Marn-san made her way forward. I followed her.

And so… we stopped a little in front of the blonde beauty.

“Hello there, beautiful lady.”

Startled, the blonde beauty looked at us with frightened eyes. Marn-san, trying not to scare her, smiled gently.

“First, let me introduce myself. My name is Marn, and I specialize in healing and defensive magic.”

“I-I’m Rokuto, just a porter. Nice to meet you…”

I also made sure to greet her.

“Would it be alright if we talked with you? We think we might be able to help you.”

“Ah…”

Surprised by Marn-san’s words and smile, the blonde beauty seemed somewhat relieved…

“Uhm…”

Just as she began to speak—

“Whoops.”

“Eh!?”

Before she could say anything, she fell towards Marn-san.

“I-I’m sorry…”

The blonde beauty tried to stand up but seemed unable to muster strength in her legs, grimacing.

“There there. It’s alright. Just relax here in my arms for now.”

Marn-san patted the blonde beauty’s back with her hand, gently hugging her.

“It’s okay.”

Whispering softly in her ear, Marn-san’s smile seemed to heal not just the body but the heart as well, making the blonde beauty’s eyes soften.

“…”

Slowly, the blonde beauty’s eyes began to close, and her body relaxed, as if at ease. This was…

“Ara ara, it seems she’s fallen asleep.”

“Is that alright?”

It seemed more like she fainted than fell asleep…

Marn-san checked the blonde beauty’s complexion, gently touching her cheeks.

“From what I can tell, this seems to be due to exhaustion. She’s really worn out. You can see dark circles under her eyes clearly… and her pulse is weak.”

“R-Really…”

Upon closer inspection, indeed, there were distinct dark circles under the beautiful eyes of the blonde beauty, and her complexion was poor.

“She must have been moving around so much… This lady must be in quite a situation.”

“Please help me! I’ll do anything!”

Earlier, her desperate attitude was apparent. As Marn-san mentioned, she must have significant concerns.

“Anyway, let’s return to the inn for now.”

“That sounds good.”

In this crowded place, we couldn’t settle down. Taking the blonde beauty from Marn-san, I carried her on my back.

“She’s… light.”

I could easily carry her on my back. Is this girl eating properly?

While harboring this unease, we began to walk.

Not using my “Storage” ability? Sure, I could temporarily store a person in it, which would be easier, but…

“Wow, the blonde beauty. Looks like that elf lady will take care of her.”

“Dude, that elf lady has huge boobs!”

“Who’s that guy next to her? Damn, I’m so jealous!!”

The onlookers parted, creating a path for us, all while casting intense glances our way.

If such a beautiful blonde beauty suddenly disappeared in a crowded place, wouldn’t they think she’s been kidnapped?!

◇◇

For now, we laid the blonde beauty down on the bed in the inn where we were staying. Her expression, however, looked troubled as if she was having a nightmare.

“Before we ask about her circumstances, she needs to recover physically.”

Leaving her in the hands of Marn-san, the specialist in healing magic, felt reassuring.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Rokuto-san, please prepare a towel, lukewarm water, and something easy to eat.”

“Got it!”

I took out the requested items from my “Storage.” A towel, a bucket of lukewarm water, and cut fruits. I had prepared these in advance for emergencies like this.

“Fufu, thank you. You’re as reliable as ever, Rokuto-san.”

Marn-san praised me with a bright smile.

“Now, I’ve finished combining the healing magic… I’d like to cast it now. Fatigue recovery, condition recovery, sleep induction… these three should do.”

Marn-san made it sound simple, but those were impressive terms. Fatigue recovery? Condition recovery? Sleep induction? I’d want all of those!

And the chant for combining these was—

“《Heal》”

Marn-san closed her eyes, held out her palm, and uttered just a single word.

Then, the blonde beauty’s body was enveloped in a faint light… showing immediate effects.

The dark circles under her eyes faded, her complexion improved, her expression softened, and steady breathing became audible.

“Alright. This should do.”

As Marn-san smiled, the light enveloping the blonde beauty disappeared.

“Is it finished?”

“Yes. She’ll be full of energy when she wakes up. I also cast a sleep induction spell, so she’ll sleep soundly for a while.”

“That’s good. Getting plenty of sleep is important, after all! But that means…”

“Yes. It seems we’ll have to wait a bit longer to hear about this young lady’s situation.”

Looking at the blonde beauty sleeping soundly, the two of us exchanged glances.

“Should we call Shion-san and Honoka-san?”

Glancing my way, Marn-san seemed to consider whether the two of us could handle the situation without them.

But, caution is crucial.

And…

“Let’s consult with Shion and Honoka. Our party members can be relied upon.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

Marn-san chuckled as if she had seen through my answer.

“Besides.”

“Besides?”

“It’ll end quicker if we all work on it together, and then I can explore the royal capital with Marn-san!”

“Well, that’s an excellent idea.”

Marn-san clasped her hands together with a broad smile.

“Then, I’ll contact the two of them via the magical device.”

“Yes, please. And this girl… she doesn’t seem to be just anyone.”

Marn-san said, her eyes hinting at a serious undertone as she looked at the blonde beauty.