Chapter 5

"Ni, Nilva-sama! Are you okay!?"

"Uh-huh. It's really bitter, though. ...Huh? ...Oh?"

Nilva-sama, who had been nodding, indicating she was fine, tilted her head and then gently fell to the side. The handsome man quickly supported her. He turned a terrifying face towards us,

"You! What did you make her drink!?"

"It's fine, please, quickly take her to the carriage! Hurry, get the carriage ready!"

"Huh? What are you...?"

His anger redirected, he looked back and forth between Nilva-sama in his arms and me, his eyes wide.

"She'll wake up in a few hours. It's just a sleeping potion."

"A sleeping potion, you..."

He sighed in exasperation. Well, yeah, he's angry. But explaining was a hassle, and she didn't seem like she'd take it willingly.

After checking on Nilva-sama and confirming she was just sleeping, the two of them quickly started preparing to leave. "You too," I was also shoved into the carriage. The driver was a mustachioed man, and the handsome man and I sat side by side, with Nilva-sama lying down on the opposite seat. She was smiling in her sleep...

"Hey, are you sure she's okay?"

The handsome man, whose name I finally learned was Gring, asked. The mustachioed man was Grait. They were quite the grumpy duo.

"I didn't put anything weird in it. I think she's just sleeping comfortably."

Still, this ride is really uncomfortable. The road is bumpy, and my butt is taking a beating. I have to brace myself to avoid being thrown around. I wonder if noble carriages have better suspension. I only know the word, and magical carriage modifications seem impossible.

"Your name is Reit, right?"

"Eh, ah, yes."

I was lost in thought and got glared at by Gring.

"This time, we'll let it slide because we have our own thoughts, but you, this could get you beheaded, you know?"

"Eh?"

I made a strange sound. No, no, it's for her own good. It's not poison.

"I don't get why you had to trick her into drinking it."

"If I told her it was a sleeping potion, she wouldn't have taken it, right?"

I heard from my grandma that in this world, potions can fix most things, so specific medicines for detailed conditions aren't well-known. But they do exist, apparently. They just don't sell because there's no demand.

So, saying it's a sleeping potion or a headache medicine wouldn't be believed. I ended up saying it helps with motion sickness, which is a bit vague.

"Still, there are better ways to do it."

"Let's just say it all worked out, and forgive me."

I promised to apologize to Nilva-sama when she wakes up. Yeah, I'll reflect on my actions. I also asked if it's okay to give someone a recovery potion without their consent. Apparently, it's better to get their permission. Throwing poison at bandits might be okay if it's self-defense.

"You think of scary things, don't you?"

Gring gave me a cold look. Why? There are creatures that can spit poison. What's wrong with humans using it? Besides, isn't there a poison-infusion spell in magic?

"Poison in magic?"

"Hmm?" Gring seemed to think about it. Seriously? It doesn't exist? In a world with magic?

According to Gring, magic and skills are mostly self-taught. I was the same; I instinctively knew how to use mine when I received it. My grandma said recipes would just pop into her head. People don't usually share their knowledge, so they don't know what others can do. It's a waste, but maybe it's normal because it's personal information. Knowing what someone can do means knowing their weaknesses.

Anyway, it seems okay to use on non-humans. Bandits don't have human rights. They'll end up as slaves.

So, this world has a slave class. I need to be careful. I almost messed up earlier. I forgot. Reflect, reflect.

After all that, we finally reached the town, with my butt feeling like it was about to die.

Ridfin, a border town with a population of about 3,000, has no particular specialty but functions as a hub connecting major cities. We were greeted by a large stone wall and gates.

There's an entry tax, but the kind grumpy duo paid for me. Yay! I did get a little money from my grandma, but I want to save it.

We didn't just part ways; we waited for Nilva-sama to wake up. I asked about the inn and prices in the meantime. Soon, Nilva-sama woke up.

"Phew~ I slept well."

She woke up without any issues, looking very comfortable.

"Huh? Wait, Ridfin? When did we get here?"

I apologized to her, who had a puzzled look on her face. She then laughed heartily. Phew, looks like I won't be beheaded.

"Nilva-sama, this isn't a laughing matter. Don't say things like that so casually."

Grait scolded her.

"I'm sorry. I was feeling bad about this whole situation. I didn't realize I was such a lightweight. Getting drunk is tough. I thought it would help."

Nilva-sama scratched her cheek and smiled wryly. She had been thinking about how to deal with it when I appeared.

"Everything's fine as long as it ends well."

I got a "Don't say that" comment...