novelraw Chapter 86: A Little Sip
Chapter 86: A Little Sip
Rather than publicly rewarding Kei and the others and risking division within the class, he had personally distributed these bags in private as a gesture of quiet support, trust, and goodwill. A way of saying that he believed in their future without placing a target on their backs or sowing discord among their peers.
When Kei first received the bag, she knew it was important but that was all. At the time, she treated it as a convenient tool, nothing more. It was only later, after she truly understood its value, that she had been completely over the moon. She told only two people about it Miya and Airi, the ones she trusted most. Together, the three of them came up with a devious plan.
Using the stipend they had earned for working on behalf of the kingdom, they quietly approached many of their classmates. Under the guise of cooperation and preparation, they offered a simple deal, storage. In exchange for safely storing items inside Kei’s spatial bag, they charged a fee one Kei had unilaterally decided without a hint of guilt. And their classmates paid. Weapons, potions, emergency tools, rare materials anything that could save a life in a critical moment was bought, often at absurd prices. The so-called "clients" emptied their wallets without hesitation, funnelling nearly everything they had into Kei and her friends’ hands. To them, it was a worthwhile investment, after all, in this world, money meant nothing if you didn’t survive long enough to spend it. Kei, on the other hand, made sure to save her money as much as possible. You could say every deal was calculated, every purchase deliberate. This wasn’t charity it was preparation. Life-saving resources now were worth far more than coins later, something that baffled even Pope when he learned of it later.
"Ahhh... so much money down the drain... but"
She hugged the small bean bag tightly against her chest, like a mother shielding her child from the world. For a moment, she let herself linger there then her gaze drifted back to Kelly’s unconscious form.
"My life is more important... I’ll earn it back. Much more," she muttered, forcing resolve into her voice.
"As they say, you lose some, and you gain some."
With a heavy sigh, she reached inside the spatial bag. Her movements slowed, careful and deliberate, the fabric rippled faintly as her arm disappeared inside, swallowed by magic as Her fingers fumbled slightly as she searched, her brows knitting together in intense concentration. After a moment, she pulled out a light azure-coloured bottle, translucent glass filled with softly shimmering liquid. She stared at it.
Another sigh escaped her lips, this one longer, heavier, her eyes lingering on the bottle far longer than necessary.
"This thing cost a hundred gold coins... my money," Kei said sulkily, her cheeks puffing slightly in a near-pout. She very deliberately did not mention the pitiful classmate it had originally belonged to. Her eyes shifted. They landed on Kelly. Irritation flickered there sharp and defensive but beneath it lay something more fragile. Worry.
"You better wake up," she said quietly, her voice losing its earlier bravado. "...with this."
Just as she steeled herself to go through with it, Kei suddenly froze. Her brows drew together.
’Wait... I’m injured... and he already looks fine...’
Her gaze drifted toward Kelly’s body. His breathing steady. His complexion no longer deathly pale. Meanwhile, a dull ache throbbed through her own body.
’Uhmmm... I need it more than him... but I still need his help’
She hesitated
Slowly, she placed her empty hand over her shoulder the one that had already healed. Her fingers pressed lightly against the fabric, as if double-checking. No pain. No stiffness. The wound there was gone. But the rest of her body? Still battered. Her eyes flicked back to the shimmering azure bottle in her hand.
’Maybe a sip won’t hurt...’
The liquid inside glimmered temptingly, swirling as though urging her to reconsider.
’After all, I need healing too...’
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
’I can’t use one more. In this situation, every resource is precious.’
The words echoed heavily in her mind. Decision made. With a small, determined nod to herself, Kei twisted the cord sealing the bottle. The faint pop of loosened magic thread sounded far louder than it should have in the quiet air. She slowly lifted the azure bottle toward her lips.
’Just a taste...Ahmm...just a sip. To heal myself’
The glass touched her mouth, cool against her skin. The liquid inside shimmered as it tilted, catching the light in a soft, hypnotic glow. Then She drank the potion. The potion slipped onto her tongue smoothly, almost too easily. And just as quickly as she swallowed Her eyes widened.
"?!"
With the same speed and haste she had taken it, the potion burst right back out of her mouth.
"Guh?!"
She jerked forward, coughing, nearly choking as the shimmering liquid sprayed uselessly into the air.
"Cough!"
Kei doubled over, coughing violently as if her lungs were trying to expel the very memory of what she had just tasted.
"Cough! Kh!"
Her face twisted in pure agony. She stuck out her tongue, waving a hand in front of her mouth as though she could physically fan the flavour away.
’What the hell was that?!’
In a frantic rush, she shoved her hand back into her spatial storage bag. The fabric shimmered faintly as she rummaged through it without care, fingers scrambling desperately.
"Water...water"
She yanked out a water pouch and tore it open with shaking hands. Without hesitation, she tipped it back and started gulping it down recklessly, like a traveller collapsing at an oasis after wandering a desert for days.
Glug. Glug. Glug.
Water spilled from the corner of her mouth as she drank far too quickly, some of it running down her chin. She didn’t care.
Anything to erase that taste.
Finally, gasping for air, she lowered the pouch.
"Ahhh... ahhh... ahhh..."
Her chest heaved. She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve before shoving the water pouch back into the storage bag with unnecessary force.
Her face turned pale.