I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game Chapter 12

I stepped backward, clutching the empty milk can.

“D-did he die…?”

“Hm? Of course not.”

Kais casually raised one corner of his mouth and ruthlessly tossed the unconscious man into a corner of the tavern.

“I just put a drunken customer somewhere safe.”

His tone was truly kind and gentle, the complete opposite of his merciless actions.

“Ahh!”

After eagerly gulping down the glass of water Kais handed me, I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

“Anyway, I thought you came to borrow money for the security deposit.”

“I told you I was going to earn it myself! I’m only here to deliver milk today.”

Kais stamped my receipt and shrugged, looking somewhat surprised.

“So, you managed to find a job?”

“It’s more like a one-day part-time gig than a proper job… But they entrusted it to me, so I’m doing my best.”

“Hmm.”

It bothered me a little that we were chatting so casually while a man lay unconscious on the floor.

Still, I was happy to run into Kais again today.

“Anyway, I’d love to talk more, but I have work to do right now… I’ll come visit when I have some free time!”

“Who knows? I’m a busier man than I look.”

“Oh, right. Of course. You’re the village chief, after all.”

“The village chief?”

“Yes. You’re the village chief, aren’t you?”

“You’re the first person I’ve ever heard call me that.”

Watching Kais try to hold back his laughter in disbelief, I picked up the cart.

“I really have to go now. See you next time! A-and please make sure that customer gets home safely, too.”

I couldn’t help worrying about the drunken customer Kais had thrown into the corner. He was still mumbling incoherently.

“Don’t worry. I’ll send him off with the utmost kindness.”

“Umm, okay…”

“I feel sorry for him, looking so utterly exhausted, so I’ll make a special exception and waive the water fee.”

“You were going to charge me for the water?!”

I jumped in surprise, and Kais burst out laughing. It wasn’t his usual professional smile. He was genuinely amused.

“Why would I run a business by digging holes in the ground, valued customer?”

“That’s so stingy! Well, I did enjoy the water, so I’ll let it slide. Thank you.”

I bowed and left the tavern. Kais’s unabashed laughter followed me from behind.

Now there was only one place left.

Once I finish this delivery, I’ll go home, wash up, and eat!

My stamina would recover quickly enough if I rested.

Tonight, I planned to open the Node Welcome Package and make plans for the future, too.

Stamina: 25/100

As my stamina dropped, my movements definitely slowed, and everything became more difficult.

I struggled to pull the cart through a narrow alley, feeling as though I were running a marathon.

“I only did this one thing, and it’s already this exhausting…”

Compared to when I was sick, my body was now full of life and healthy. Yet I had only 25 stamina left.

Thinking about all the stats I’d lost, I felt tears welling up all over again.

When I emerged from the alley, a bakery appeared across the now-widened main road. The rich, sweet aroma of freshly baked bread drifted through the air.

“Bread. Bread…”

Perhaps because my stamina was so low, I was much hungrier than usual.

Jingle—

“Hello… Oh my, are you all right? You look rather pale.”

“Yes. I’m here to deliver the milk…”

Resisting the urge to buy some bread, even if it meant putting it on credit, I somehow managed to complete the delivery.

“You’re one of the new residents? Ah…”

As soon as the baker heard my introduction, he gave me a peculiar expression while stamping the receipt.

“Um, is there something wrong?”

His attitude had turned strangely cold, so I simply bowed my head and turned to leave.

Looking at my completely depleted stamina bar, I sat down on a nearby bench for a moment.

“Phew… At least I got everything done.”

All that remained was to submit the receipts to Town Hall.

I watched my stamina slowly recover, then groaned as I pushed myself to my feet.

“At least the cart’s lighter now.”

The return trip should be much easier.

This time, I chose a different path behind the shops instead of taking the alley.

There was a wide field behind here.

As I walked farther, the open field spread out before me, just as I’d hoped.

Wildflowers bloomed across the lush green grass, and several fruit trees stood scattered throughout the field.

“It’s so refreshing. It’s beautiful!”

Just as I was taking in the invigorating natural scenery, something suddenly came raining down over my head.

“Eek!”

A tremendous shower of leaves startled me so badly that I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Huh?”

An incredulous voice came from above, followed by a human figure crashing down on top of me.

I tried to dodge when I saw the figure, but after a brief collision, we tumbled across the grass together.

Crash! Thud! Thump!

We rolled over and over until we finally came to a stop at the bottom of a slope, looking like a pair of rag dolls.

“Argh! Ow! Owww…!”

What on earth had just hit me?

The moment I cautiously opened my eyes—

“Are you okay?”

A clear, refreshing voice reached my ears.

I blinked while lying on the field.

Light brown hair with soft curls.

Sparkling green eyes that looked as though someone had taken the exact color of fresh leaves and poured it into them.

Gentle, drooping eyes that reminded me of a puppy.

“Pri…”

The boy’s face came into sharp focus. He was covered in bits of grass from rolling around on the ground.

It was Priam.

Priam had fallen from the sky.

Ding!

Stamina: 1/100

At the same time, an emergency warning appeared on my stamina bar.

My vision gradually darkened.

Wait, don’t tell me I’m…

With Priam’s wide-eyed face as the last thing I saw—

I passed out right there on the grass.

My eyelids felt unnaturally heavy as I struggled to lift them.

“Hmm…”

I’d just woken up, but I wanted to sleep for another hour or two.

“Ugh…”

Groaning, I buried my face against the floor.

Instead of the soft feel of bedsheets, I felt the hard, rough surface of a wooden floor.

Had I rolled out of bed?

No, more importantly, had I even made it home?

Earlier, I’d definitely…

I continued trying to piece things together with my eyes closed when I felt a faint movement against the back of my hand.

Tap. Tap.

Feeling the gentle touch, I opened my eyes a sliver.

A boy was holding the edge of a bench and staring intently at me.

“…”

Flustered, I slowly closed my eyes again.

But the image I’d just glimpsed kept haunting me.

Curly brown hair. Green eyes gazing down at me with a gentle expression.

He looked exactly like Priam…

“Gasp!”

My eyes flew open, just as I was about to drift back into a light sleep.

Ding!

Fainting Debuff: Skill Learning Speed -50%, Stamina Consumption +30%

The moment I regained consciousness, a debuff notification greeted me.

Fainting?

That’s right.

I’d passed out after Priam fell out of a tree and we tumbled down the slope together.

Then, where am I…?

Holding my slightly dizzy head, I slowly sat up.

The sun was sinking toward the west. The weather had grown cooler, and a refreshing breeze brushed past me.

Did I seriously fall asleep right out here on the roadside?

Apparently, Priam had carried me to the bench and covered me with his outer jacket.

“Are you okay?”

After confirming that I was awake, Priam asked in a worried voice.

His gaze was filled with guilt, and his naturally gentle, soft-spoken manner tugged at my heartstrings.

It’s really Priam.

Not a dialogue window from the game, but Priam himself, alive and breathing right in front of my eyes.

I was so happy to see him that I greeted him with a wide smile.

“Hello!”

Priam’s eyes widened.

“…Ah.”

Oops. That might have been a little too cheerful for someone who had just regained consciousness after fainting.

“Ah! I mean…”

I floundered, trying to think of something to add.

Priam tilted his head for a moment before breaking into a bright smile and waving back.

“Yeah. Hello!”

It was the same sunny, affectionate smile I’d seen in the game.

Cute.

“You seemed to have passed out, so I brought you to the bench first. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Priam asked as he worriedly examined the wound on my arm.

Ding!

Choices

1. Ask him where he brought you.
2. Tell him you got hurt because of him and demand compensation for your medical expenses.
3. Tell him to identify himself first.