Chapter 27

"Ugh..."

With a small groan, Hairo regained consciousness.

"Oh, you're awake."

As I spoke to him from behind, he seemed to look around, trying to assess the situation.

When he realized I was carrying him on my back, he let out a cry of surprise and struggled.

"What, a, what are you doing!?"

"Please stop struggling. If you can move, I'll put you down."

His moving limbs collided with my body. It was troublesome.

I gently lowered myself and placed Hairo's feet on the ground, then let go.

"Why am I walking with you?"

He said, blinking repeatedly as he looked at me.

"Huh? I, I just snatched a fancy-looking bag...?"

"That's why you got caught and beaten up."

"Huh?"

Upon hearing those words, Hairo touched his own arms and let out a scream.

"Ow, it hurts!"

"Alright, alright, I'll treat you when we get to Riko's place. For now, just follow me."

Hairo looked momentarily dissatisfied but obediently followed.

It seemed there were no pursuers, and we smoothly arrived at Hairo's sleeping place.

Looking back, I saw Hairo struggling to keep up, a bit behind.

I should have walked more slowly.

When I was walking with Nixki, I had suffered in the same way.

I silently apologized and waited by the door.

"Here you go."

I opened the door and guided Hairo in, feeling like a concierge.

"What's this?"

Despite his discomfort, Hairo looked at me with a puzzled expression. That made sense.

Following Hairo, who was swaying, I stepped into the house.

"Hairo!? What happened to you, those injuries?"

Riko seemed to have regained some of her energy, sitting up against the wall with an ice pack on her stomach.

"It's nothing."

Embarrassed, Hairo turned away. It wasn't the kind of injury to be proud of.

We had arrived at Hairo's hideout.

I could leave now, but I needed to follow through on what I said earlier.

I didn't say it casually.

While I do think Hairo's injuries are a result of his own actions, there was something concerning in Reshid's conversation.

He said that if the child, meaning me, were eliminated, the boss would give a reward.

Reshid is an explorer.

He now calls himself an explorer and moves for money.

There's no doubt he's been hired.

By whom? Probably, or rather, definitely by Haman.

The reason is the fight from before.

As Mr. Gustav feared, Haman is acting out of resentment towards the slum residents.

The trigger for the attack was Hairo's crime.

However, the severity of Hairo's injuries is largely my fault.

To alleviate the guilt in my chest, I must heal him.

Even if I apologize, I don't think Hairo will blame me. It would be a surprise to him.

Even if I heal him, it will only undo injuries he shouldn't have had in the first place.

But I can't let it go at that.

So, I will heal him.

"Can you stay still there?"

"What, what is it?"

Hairo was confused by my words and froze against the wall.

I extended my magic, enveloping Hairo.

I quickly read the information about the surface wounds, muscle inflammation, and bone damage.

"Severe bruises all over the body, abrasions on the cheeks, back, and arms. The bruises can be healed quickly, and the abrasions don't seem too serious, but there's a complete fracture with displacement in the upper right arm. That's the worst of it."

For some reason, the words flowed smoothly from my mouth. It's strange, but it must be related to my past life's memories. I'll use them as long as they're useful.

"For now, I've healed the bruises and wounds. Please rest until tomorrow."

I used the healing magic as usual. I shaped the skin and repaired the muscle fibers. I forcibly removed the blood from the blood vessels. The swelling subsided quickly, and the skin returned to a clean color. That should be fine now.

The problem was the bone.

I could connect it as it is, but it would be troublesome if it healed crooked.

"Is the pain gone except for your arm?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hairo nodded, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"But it's going to hurt, a lot. Please bear with it."

"Huh?"

The response sounded a bit slurred.

I pressed both sides of the broken area with my hands and placed my thumb on the broken part.

Then, I pushed it in hard.

"Ow, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!"

Hairo screamed.

"Stop it! Stop it! It's enough! It's enough!!"

I thought I heard Hairo use polite language, which was rare, but I couldn't focus on that now.

While confirming the shape of the break, I used telekinesis to realign it. It was troublesome to avoid damaging the muscles and nerves, but it had to be done.

I moved it back and forth until it was finally straight. Now it should be safe to connect.

I used telekinesis to fix his limbs that were getting in the way, but I released them. It should be fine now.

However, even though his injuries were healed, Hairo was slumped over, breathing heavily.

"Huh? Shouldn't it be mostly healed? Is there still pain somewhere?"

"You, you..."

Hairo glared at me. It was hurtful, even though I had healed him.

"Hairo? Are you okay?"

Riko asked, worried. Upon hearing her words, Hairo checked his body and his eyes widened.

"Huh? It's healed? It's healed!?"

He shouted, touching and tapping his body. He had been noisy the whole time.

"I'll say it again, please rest until tomorrow."

It's a self-taught healing magic, probably different from actual spells. It's better to be cautious.

"Y-yeah."

Hairo responded, looking as if he had been pinched by a fox.

Well, as long as Riko is watching, he won't overexert himself. Hairo's treatment is now complete.

I turned to Riko, who was watching from the wall. Her shoulders seemed to tremble at my gaze.

There's no need to be so scared.