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Hidden Gem
"Now this is getting me excited!"
The storehouse that was once Chrome's was filled with excitement. An irony compared to the torment and caution the healer was left behind with the whole bomb the outsider left her with. She was right on not letting her guard down. In fact, she should have it higher than before.
It's either he was lying or not, the healer cannot be sure. She always knew there was a bigger enemy. The statues, the fact that they are the only people left, and now him. Nonsense or truth, the mere reason why the outsider came here by foot will mean something. One more reason not to end him just yet.
There are two things to consider to him.
With that scrawny physique of him, he can do little to heavy lifting, nor slamming his fist to an enemy. Even her sisters can manhandle him and easily throw him on the ocean floor if they wanted to. Just one snap and he'll be gone.
But he can use his head as an advantage. It might have been easy to get Kohaku and Chromium at his side for this is their first time meeting an outsider, merely because of their curiosity for a new face. And yet, he spoke of words of old healers of the village only knew. It took the woman aback, ruffling her feathers. And the outsider does knew what he was doing.
Testing the waters but not stepping over the line, because he knew she'd be there to engulf him completely with waves without mercy.
Why are you really here, outsider?
Her sharp gaze landed to Kinrou, who automatically knew what she meant and stood tall to guard the bridge before the village. Just as long as the outsider doesn't cross the bridge, and she won't be harming everybody. The older village guard stood upright and nodded back before proceeding to kick his younger brother named Ginrou in the shin to wake him up from napping in broad daylight.
Ignoring the three idiots inside the shed, the female said nothing but a warning to the village guards and walked back to her hut, itching her hands to finish what she left on her table. She has more things to do. The outsider can wait.
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"Ohh!" Senku held a stone bird which caused the healer dilemma all over her existence. The same stone bird he used to trial and error to make the miracle liquid. It probably was from the same flock judging from the familiar ridges and the beak of the statue.
"Don't touch that, Senku! Those belong to Amy-nee and she said those are probably alive inside!" Exclaimed by Chrome. He was sweating his ass out, nagging Senku not to touch the healer's things so nonchalantly because he knew she'll woop his ass if one of them shattered to pieces.
Senku blinked, and he knew he was right. One is that woman terribly weary of his presence, as she rightly should but she has a good head between her shoulders too compared to these primitive villagers inside the shed. Does she belong to the old advanced world or this primitive present? "That Amy-nee of yours is really interesting. She is one perceptive tigress, and her hypothesis is correct."
"WHAAAAATTTT???" Chrome cried, surprised out of his wits and in awe of what he currently heard. Despite the big revelation, the said female wasn't there to hear the answer of her lifelong questions, however.
Bringing out a small bottle from his bags, the outsider poured its content to the statured bird and waited. Seconds later, an audible crack was heard and the bird flew from its cold prison. It circled inside the shed happily before flapping away its wings to freedom. Senku only used a small amount of the solution, but it was enough to have the primitive villagers' jaws landing on the floor.
"Woah, woah, WOAHHH!!!" Kohaku and Chrome watched in amazement. If the breakthrough months before didn't satisfy Senku, it sure as hell satisfied him now. But that was besides the point. If this solution has costed him his life only to be brought back again, then it can be a key to the lock the woman has chained herself in.
The leek-haired male chuckled, "if that woman really thought of this theory by herself, then she would be a great asset to our Kingdom-" Before the outsider can finish his statement, Chrome was already running for his life to chase the healer with a mission to pull her back to his shed.
"Lioness, bring Chrome back here."
"On it."
Another seconds later, Chrome was dragged back with little to no effort by Kohaku.
"Wha-what the heck! I was gonna' tell Amy-nee the great news! She would be freaking thrilled if she sees this!" With a wicked grin, Senku nonchalantly picked his ear and answered. "That's the point, you dummy. If she is ten billion percent really curious about this revival formula, then we'll use it as bait and lure her here in our Kingdom of Science!"
While explaining, Kohaku imagined a tigress being baited by Senku with a fish on his stead and lead towards the shed with a wicked gleam on his face. "I can imagine that image clearly."
"But," Senku raised a finger, tone leaving its playfulness and becoming serious. "If that woman have different principles and revive murderers in the spot, then we seriously have to exclude her and move forward without her."
Tense silence rung inside the shed. The latter excitement and joy Chrome and Kohaku had was vanished, blatantly staring at their outsider with pensive gazes. They know what Senku uttered was a mere fact if they want to accomplish his goal, but not certainly now. "Senku, Amy-nee isn't like that." Chrome mumbled.
"Yeah, she dedicated her life just to find the solution to the statues and did her best to heal the injured in the village. She's not what you think." The lioness said, crossing her arms above her chest. They have always seen their healer as someone to look up to, it seems.
Blinking at the villagers' reactions, the outsider grinned. That's one obstacle destroyed then. If these primitive two really believe on the tigress this much, then Senku will have more reason to recruit her too. "If you say so. And you said she's a healer? Interesting."
He turned his back, putting his hands on his waist as Senku calculated ways to acquire what they need and what they have to do while he stared at the buckets and cupboards full of minerals and herbs Chrome collected. He already got two people in the Kingdom of Science. That is more than enough for now. "But she is not our top priority at the moment."
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On the other hand, the female healer clutched a vial full of medicine intended for Ruri, the priestess. It was not much of a walk from her hut to the village chief's house at the end of the boulder they live on. What really took the healer her high time is making this medicine and of course, the outsider in the other side of this place.
"Amethyst-san!" called Ruri. She was as pale as ever. Incredibly weak compared to her sister that can slice through trees without a sweat.
Answering with a nod, the said female gave the vial to the priestess who chugged it down after receiving it in her hands. And afterwards, disgust became evident to Ruri's face. The tang and bitterness always gets her, but she never let any single drop wasted whenever she drinks the herbal medicine the healer gives her.
Sighing, the healer puts her rough hand on the priestess' soft blond locks and pats her head. "I'll make another one for the evening's dose so the pain in your throat would lessen. Then go to rest after, don't forget to eat."
Tears formed into Ruri's eyes, and it wasn't a reaction the female had anticipated. Suddenly engulfed in a hug, the priestess exclaimed, "y,ou don't have to do anything for me, Amethyst-san...! I always told you that healing me would be troublesome!"
Realising that Ruri is just being grateful to her actions, the tension in the woman's body left her and melted into a soft smile. She didn't have to reciprocate Ruri's tight hug. Another pat on her head would suffice. "Yeah, I know. But the chief would surely kick me out or worse, hang me if I don't do my job."
Disturbed by a sudden 'thud' from the open, the priestess was broken out of reverie, only to take notice of her younger sister Kohaku with a barrel of hot water at her disposal. It was normally five barrels if it was any other day, but the village healer supposed that Kohaku may have been distracted by that outsider.
Uncomfortable out of her wits, the healer awkwardly slipped out of Ruri's embrace and spaced herself to breathe some air. A normal thank you would have been enough. Then, she pointed a suspicious glare to Kohaku which resulted a stuttering mess to the lioness. Instead of uttering an excuse, Kohaku bowed down her head and looked away.
You'll explain later, you hear?
Walking out with superiority exuding out of her, the other villagers present and Kohaku stayed out of her way as she climbed down the stairs in front of the chief's house. Only the clicks of the heels of the healer's sole was heard before she went away back to her hut.
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Yesterday was almost like a ambient dream inside her head. There was a dumb looking outsider doing god knows what, and she was just there watching and observing to what will happen next. Still yawning and scratching her abdomen, the female healer came out of her hut.
Simultaneously, the female was pulled by three pairs of hands, each eager to know the latest gossip. And it seems the whole village is talking about him in any other way. The healer, Amethyst was too late to say a word for she was violently shoved with millions of nosy questions.
"Imouto-chan! Did you see the guy?"
"Is he hot, imouto-chan?!"
"Tell us, imouto-chan!"
So it wasn't a dream.
She only hoped it was.
Ruby-nee, Sapphire-nee, and Garnet-nee looked at her with pleading eyes. The female can never understand how she is related to these gossipmongers, nevertheless she loves them to bits. But no matter how she loves them, she despises how they can spread so many misinformation all over the village.
This is what welcomes me after a long day of work?
Replicating the outsider's sly smile, the youngest snickered, "I'm not telling you anything."
"Awww~!"
"You're so mean, Amy-chan!"
"One last question!" Garnet-nee hollered.
Uneasiness churned the female's stomach. Garnet-nee is always up to no good. She was always the recipient of it when they were younger, and still now. If she wants information, she always gets information. May the gods help Amethyst.
"Do you like him, imouto-chan?" Wine-red eyes glinting with mischief, Garnet-nee wore a smug smirk.
"Oh my gods...!"
"Do you like like him, imouto-chan?!"
What the hell are they talking about?
Of all questions asked, this must be the most foolish out of them. Amethyst will understand if they want to bone the outsider if he could even reach their high standard, but not this. A bemused expression befalls the youngest, a hint of disgust and irritation visible. 'That's completely irrational. Who would ever like a guy with a dumb hairdo?'
Selective hearing is apparently a gene to the family. And it seems her blockheaded sisters were probably thinking about how should her marriage will go with the outsider. She knows those glints on their eyes. And the fact that the three of them agreed on doing this means this is going to be almost inescapable. Almost.
If only they have seen his face.
"Oh, come on, Amy-chan~! If you really wanna make that guy like you back, we gotta do you a make-over~!" Strong hands grabbed her all over, only her feet and soles stopping her sisters from completely carrying her over their shoulders.
"I'm telling you, he's a real sketchy guy-!"
"HEALER AMETHYST, THE CHIEF HAS CALLED YOU."
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Published. Edited.