I Work As A Healer In Another World’s Labyrinth City - Chapter 9

(Labyrinth of Mel Hertz)
I was advancing through the maze with Yuel, we were aiming for the
seventh stratum.

As we approached the middle of the fifth stratum–

「Master!」

On the cry of Yuel, I looked ahead.

The first demon we encountered was a large chicken known as a “Big
Chick”. It’s size was around the chest height of an ordinary adult.

There were four of them. The power of their beaks is no laughing
matter, One lunge can easily tear through meat. Also, The adventuring
guild advises you to stay cautious of their charge attack.

That charge is so troublesome. It’s quick on it’s feet, but since it’s
a chicken, it can’t fly. Moreover, The charge never seems to aim for
Yuel at the front, more often than not, It comes towards me at the
back instead. I guess it helps that it’s movement is generally in a
straight line, Because of this I can choose to be either evasive or
defensive against it. It would be bad otherwise.

By the way, I don’t even consider attacking. Every man has his strong
point. Yuel’s is combat. With my skills, it’s likely I’ll be counter
attacked, Whilst trying to attack. If I avoid them and just endure
until Yuel comes to help, then I should walk away with just a few
grazes.

Even if I successfully parry, I feel like avoiding it early is better.

The reason being is that I’m currently running. My mace is clenched in
my hands as I dodge left and right. Looking at it carefully, It’s not
very difficult to dodge such linear movement. However, I got a little
scared, since this is my first real demon battle.

I manage to avoid the rush of the big chick again, It’s pretty
imposing. There’s no damage, But I stumble a little.

「Aaaaaa!」

Yuel sees that and screams.

By the time I regain my posture, Yuel has already defeated the other
three. Yuel turns around to face the big chick that caused me to
stagger and begins to rush at it angrily. The neck of the big chick
was completely torn, one knife was stabbed in its chest, whilst two
knives were stabbed in it’s head from the left and right.

Thorough. It’s clearly overkill. The knives are probably ruined.
Yuel’s a little scary.

The big chick turns into particles of light and disappears. However,
Yuel did not come over here. Usually she comes running over shouting
「Master, I did it!」 excitedly.

As I walk towards Yuel, she looks downwards and begins to speak.

「I’m sorry master, I said I would protect you with my life. But I
allowed you to get hurt」

I think she said something like that on the first day. I’ll be
troubled if she doesn’t value her life more. I’m not even injured.

「No, Having Yuel protect me is enough. I was only grazed slightly this
time anyway」

「But, but, I decided to protect master」

That big chick has apparently trampled Yuel’s pride. Yuel is only one
person, yet she can easily defeat 4 rushing demons. Speaking in terms
of shogi, It’s like 4 lances aiming at a king side by side. Thinking
like that, it’s excellent that Yuel can attract and defeat 3 of them.

It was me who had rushed to the fifth stratum to get the slime jelly.
When thinking like that, it’s no surprise I couldn’t dodge an attack
like that. Listening to the cries of Yuel, My sense of guilt rises
exponentially.

Oh, what should I do? Yuel is crying with both hands covering her
eyes. Painful. Really painful. I want to see Yuel smiling. Yuel, who
always runs up to me with a smiling face as I stroke her head.
Whenever I cast a healing spell, she’d always look at it with respect.
I’d like to continue like that for a while.

However, this is Yuel’s own problem. Yuel always says she’ll protect
me, yet she didn’t. This is surely a problem. But that’s in the past,
it can’t be changed. It’s helpless. When you lose confidence in your
own power, You can only get it back yourself. This is a problem that
won’t go away even if her head is stroked, Even if words are used.

Well, I would still stroke her head even if I say I wouldn’t.

Good words to console Yuel’s heart don’t come to mind, I can only
stroke her head.
I’m not good at comforting.
In regards to comforting, I can probably comfort ones son at best.

「Yuel」

When I call out she shivers.
This is a serious problem.
My injury is a scratch, It won’t even become a scar.

However by stroking her head, Will I be able to comfort her, If even a little?

I place my hand on Yuel’s head.
However there are no stroking movements like usual.
Because she will be discouraged.
She might think, She doesn’t have the qualifications to be stroked.
Possibly.
However if when I stroke her head, She smiles, It feels nice.

From the center of the head, Along the hairline gently, I lower my hand gently.
Judging from previous experience, For Yuel, Probably stroking the
surface of her head gently, To the extent where the heat from my palm
is transmitted to her skin, She likes being stroked carefully.
Yuel looked happy then, With her age and slavery circumstances, Yuel
is starved of the warmth of human touch, It makes me wonder.

Slowly, I move my right hand up and down, While putting my left hand
on Yuel’s back.
However, Yuel’s expression is still dark.
Is it still not enough to recover her smiling face?

My right hand continues stroking while I raise my left hand.
The left hand which had become free, I put on her elf ear which hung
down dejectedly.
Usually it becomes tense and she seems lively.
Observing Yuel’s expression, Waiting for her to tense up and while
rubbing her ear with a *Wa Wa*.
(TN: Am I the only one thinking droopy elf ears sound adorable?
Someone wanna draw that?)

「Fu…n…」

She leaked a shallow sigh.
Here it is.

I strengthen stroking the point where she reacted to with my left hand
and match the stroking with my right hand.

「Nnn…」

I continue to stroke Yuel lightly, To the point where she sweats a
little, Then I massage her right ear, Switching my left and right
hands.

Yuel’s face slightly blushes and The expression of sadness visibly fades.
However, It seems it’s still not enough to recover her bashful smile.

I stop stroking her head and massage both ears with both of my hands now.
The cartilage of an elf ear is only a little softer than a human ear,
I insert my finger tightly and tickle the inside with a
*Coochie-coochie-coo*, In order to convey the heat from my palm, I
wrap it with a *Wa Wa* in the soft tip.
(TN: \_(0_0)_/ It’s called pervert healer for a reason…)

「Fua…nn…ya…aaa…」

I continue stroking her ear.
I continue stroking but.

I feel it’s different from Yuel’s usual expression.
How do I say it.

She’s bashful, Or perhaps it would be correct to say she’s melted.

It isn’t this.
It’s different.
This isn’t Yuel’s expression I want to see.
Which is to say, It’s the smiling face which can make you feel healed.
It isn’t the expression full immorality such as this.
That reminds me, The right hand which I’m using to stroke Yuel was
used in the restroom yesterday–

Not good.
I didn’t think.

Yes, I feel that this is wrong.

I separate both hands at once to stop.

「Oh…」

The expression of Yuel who raised her voice became dark again.

I understand with a glance.
Certainly, This expression is “Anxiety”.

I didn’t make a move on Yuel’s body on the first day, Because I said I
bought her for her knife techniques.
Therefore, Yuel as my slave thought I would request her value in battle.
And her pride that she was useful in battle was destroyed a short while ago.

Indeed, The expression of Yuel is one of a child that has been
abandoned by her parents.

By releasing her ears from my hand she felt “Anxiety”

Oh, Cute Yuel.
You have such a heart-breaking expression.

Just by looking, I can feel my chest tightening.
(TN: I cry everytime :,( )

I can’t have this.

This is bad.
I don’t stop anymore.

Helplessly, I return my hands to both of Yuel’s ears.

「Oh…」

Oh.
She was a little bashful.
It wasn’t a mistake after all.
At this moment with all my strength, It might produce results.
In my hand that is stroking her ear, Yuel squirms her finger into
hoping to be cherished.
It returned.
Positiveness returned to Yuel.
I continue.

I crouch down in front of Yuel and Put both hands on her cheeks,
Watching her expression.
I stroke the moist corner of her eye with my thumb.
I trace the tear sack gently.
I stroke slowly along the line of her cheekbone.

「Ne ne…」

The blush on her face becomes stronger, But Yuel tucks her hands into mine.
She has become positive.
In other words, The feeling that she doesn’t have the qualifications
to be stroked have gone away.

I was right.
I wasn’t doing the wrong thing.

I don’t let my other fingers be idle while my thumb strokes her cheekbone.
I hold Yuel’s jawline tightly with my pinky finger and ring finger,
With my index and my ring finger, I stroke the inside of her ear.
(TN: Long fingers?)

「Hi… oh… nu…」

Yuel shivers with a *Pikuri*.
While I stroke Yuel’s cheek–

Suddenly, A shadow is visible on the other side of Yuel’s back.

A demon came.

Oh, It’s probably natural since we spent so much time in the maze.

「Yuel, Big chick, One.」

Yuel’s expression changes to the face that is tightened suddenly.
No, To call it the face of someone who is angry at being disturbed,
Rather than a tightened face would probably be correct.
(TN: oooo don’t interrupt the ear stroking guys!)

Yuel pulls a knife to charge right through the front and dash at the
Big Chick from the front.
Just before the collision, The Big Chick avoided lightly like a bullfighter.
Yuel, Who was in a state of being avoided swings her knife directed at
the neck.
The Big Chick spouts blood and Tumbles down while running.

Yuel collected the drop and approaches to ask for a continuation of earlier.
She seems to hesitate a little, But the color of expectation mingles
in her expression.
I stroke her of course.

Yuel, If stroked is alright.
It returned.
After all, It probably means she’s still a child.
I should repeat this until all hesitation stops appearing on Yuel’s face.

「We will return home soon, Yuel」

「Yes Master!」

Yuel, With a bashful smile responds lively to my words.

We returned to town to buy equipment.

I’m told Yuel wants a throwing knife.
She said, If she had a throwing knife, Maybe Yuel could protect me this time.

Which reminds me, I think a goblin was defeated by a throwing knife before.
There was a benefit or a considerably powerful skill.
And when it’s possible to protect me from four big chicks again, Yuel
might regain her confidence.
That would lead to Yuel’s smiling face.
If there is a throwing knife, There is no way I wouldn’t buy it.

Fortunately, Thanks to the two sources of income from the healing and
the adventuring, There is a little leeway.

I bought four throwing knives for Yuel, Which are slightly longer than
the ones she has now, I also bought two knives which a master
craftsman’s apprentice made.
I have almost been sent back into poverty, But even if more than one
enemy comes, Yuel should be alright with this.

The day when Yuel will become a knife artillery might be close.