Chick 337
by Cristae337
Alice Cole searched through her phone and pulled up a photo.
[“Isn’t she pretty?”]
The photo showed a child.
The child, barely upright while gripping the side of a hospital bed, was striking for the array of medical devices attached to her.
[“Now, as long as she has the bedrail, she can even stand up.”]
Alice spoke with a bittersweet smile.
[“Alice-chan, you have a child? Since when?”]
[“As you can see, not long. But before anything else, can you please say she’s adorable and pretty?”]
[“Of course she’s adorable—so pretty. Whose child is she?”]
Kazuki offered the compliment warmly, which made Alice smile with satisfaction.
[“Is the child… sick?”]
Joorim folded his arms and asked gently.
[“…Yes, she’s sick. Very much so…”]
Alice answered in a pained, low voice, then pulled a dagger from her inventory and slit open the bandage on her left arm.
Gru’s eyes widened as she saw Alice’s arm.
[“It’s a mana stone tumor.”]
Since the Cataclysm.
Just as the world saw the appearance of humans adapted to mana, there also came those for whom accepting mana posed a problem.
One such adverse reaction is the mana stone tumor.
Commonly called “manastone syndrome.”
In this disease, the mana accumulating in the body hardens like stone into a mana stone, forming a tumor.
The greatest issue with manastone syndrome is that it can’t be removed with any existing material.
Despite its name, it’s a completely mutated variant unlike typical mana stones, and attempts to remove it only make it harder.
As a result, the current treatment involved amputating any area affected by the tumor.
[“She was born with a tumor attached next to her heart. They said they’d monitor things, but the tumor just kept growing.”]
With a swipe of Alice’s hand, the album scrolled through a series of photos of the child.
A child growing alongside a mana stone situated by her heart.
Arranged in chronological order, the further the pages advanced, the more the child’s chest visibly protruded.
Kazuki bit his lip.
[“Then the treatment……”]
[“The only solution is to remove the entire heart.”]
[“Then a heart transplant?”]
[“That’s impossible. That’s basically the same as a death sentence…”]
As she spoke, Alice rubbed her own arm.
The tumor beneath her skin pulsed, seemingly beating like a heart.
[“So I had the tumor implanted into my own arm. In order to find an item that can cut it out.”]
Alice smiled softly as she said this.
[“I’ve tried almost every S-class weapon in existence, and none worked. For S+ gear, I’m waiting since clinical trials require a lot of regulatory approvals… And then I saw this.”]
Alice picked up her phone again and played a short video.
There, over a thumping beat, Fakeclaw appeared wearing a carnation headband and holding a ho-mi.
The moment he saw those unmistakable, bushy brows, Joorim pressed a hand to his forehead.
In the video, Fakeclaw mined a mutated mana stone with the ho-mi, keeping time with the music.
[“This might actually work! It’s my only hope left. So, please sell it to me! I’ll pay anything!”]
[“……”]
While Joorim considered this, Kazuki licked his dry lips, as if something nagged at him.
And at that moment—
Gru’s mouth dropped open in a silent gasp.
She had understood almost nothing of the conversation.
‘English is hard!’
Still, she’d caught a few familiar words.
‘Ho-mi.’
She definitely heard them talking about a ho-mi.
Alice had swung one around in the gym, hadn’t she?
‘…Could she really have come all this way for a ho-mi?’
No way.
At least, I hope not…
Gru nervously clenched her small fist, trying to conceal her anxious heart—when she locked eyes with Joorim.
“…!”
Eep!
Gru froze in shock, and Joorim immediately turned to Ijo. They exchanged a brief nod.
[“Alright, I understand. Let’s talk this over for a moment.”]
Alice’s face immediately lit up, and she raised her arms in a triumphant cheer.
[“Really? Thank you! You’re the best, handsome guy On Joorim!”]
Alice tried to pull Joorim into a hug, but he recoiled in disgust and pushed her away, saying,
[“I haven’t promised to help you yet.”]
[“That’s fine, that’s fine! Go ahead and talk it over. I’ll wait here patiently!”]
Alice clasped her hands and smiled brightly, as if in prayer.
But despite her playful attitude, Joorim noticed her hands trembling ever so slightly.
After watching her for a moment, he gestured to Ijo.
On Ijo picked Gru up and left the hospital room, and Joorim and Kazuki followed.
With a barrier in place, Joorim leaned against the hospital corridor window, arms crossed.
“On Gru. About that ho-mi for mining mana stones.”
Gru started, her eyes wide.
“Ho, ho-mi?!”
Joorim blinked in surprise at her reaction, not understanding why she was so startled.
“Yes, the ho-mi.”
“Ho, ho-mi. Why? Am I in trouble for using it?”
“What? No, that’s not it—”
At that moment, Kazuki gently called out before Joorim could finish.
“Gru-chan.”
“Yesh…”
Nodding shyly, Kazuki gently took hold of Gru’s small hands and asked,
“May I ask—what grade is the ho-mi?”
Twitch!
Gru’s shoulders stiffened.
Sensing something, Joorim placed his hand over his mouth.
This isn’t an ordinary ho-mi.
That explains why the child looks so nervous.
“Why do you ask…?”
“We won’t scold you. Just show us, only to us, alright? It will be our little secret.”
“A secret…?”
“Mm-hmm. Shh.”
Kazuki mimed zipping his lips. Gru rolled her eyes nervously.
After hesitating, she pulled the ho-mi out from her bag.
At first glance, there was nothing special about it.
It was just a children’s toy ho-mi, with dull edges, perfect for a child to use.
Apparently after much deliberation, Gru braced her chin resolutely and handed the ho-mi to Kazuki.
“Thank you, Gru-chan.”
Then—
Joorim and Kazuki checked its grade, and suppressed a gasp.
[Play Ho-mi (S+)]
A dedicated farming item. Massively increases farming success rate.
The ho-mi… was S+ grade.
At last, they understood why Gru was so sensitive about it.
Because of international agreements, S+ grade equipment or higher must be registered under government ownership.
If so, Gru’s ho-mi would no longer belong to her.
The child, having already experienced this with the Chick Drone, had hidden the grade for that very reason.
Then, as if recalling something, Joorim asked,
“Back then… Weren’t Gidan and Sergey also holding ho-mi? If so, were those…”
Gru glanced around, pouting before she answered.
“Those are just toy ho-mi…”
The carnation headband, the ribbon, even the ho-mi.
She wanted to have the whole set, so she handed out the toy ho-mi as well.
As she spoke, Gru’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“Is it because I didn’t say anything that you’ve come to catch me?”