[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Scaredy Cat Xion

Xion finally moved his body into a cat-like position for his next action. His movements made the carriage shake from the impact.

Luckily, the coachman ignored it, considering a stone might have fallen under the wheels.

Xion's heart became a restless beast as he tightened the straps of his bag. He adjusted its weight on his back as he eyed the road below.

Now all he needed to do was jump out of the moving carriage. Yeah, pretty easy...

It was then he noticed the pile of golden rice straws placed at the side of the road.

The poor people would use these leftover straws after taking the rice out of it to burn for fire and heat. It was soft and fluffy, perfect to break his fall.

With a deep breath, he threw himself out of the moving carriage. The ground rushed up to meet him, and he hit the golden straws with a harsh thud. He rolled a few times to finally stop the impact of inertia.

For a moment, he lay there, groaning softly as the world spun around him.

Xion sucked in a shaky breath, as he tried to sit up. Every muscle in his body was screaming in protest.

He couldn't afford to linger, though. The sound of the still-driving carriage had already spurred him into action once again. Anyone could pass through the road where he was at.

After hastily sitting on the cushioned grass, he summoned a small amount of mana. With his trembling hands, he channeled it to his injury.

If he had not been studying about mana, and learning to be a healer, he would not have been able to do it without mana crystals.

The warmth spread through his body as the cuts on his forehead and the swelling in his eye began to mend. The sharp pain slowly dulled into a slight sting.

With this, Xion had discovered a bad side of mana. It could not be used if one was not fully concentrated and that was why he could not use it while jostling under the carriage.

Maybe with enough practice, he could be able to use the mana free from such bounds.

Thinking positively, he pushed himself on his legs which much to his dismay were bobbling.

Xion, "..." No, I am not afraid!

The glaring sun had cooled down when he made his way down the last section of the mountain.

He had been following the System's GPS all this time. The function cost him 10 merit points. It was quite cheap compared to other items.

Xion was a bit happy with the low price until he saw only two areas lighted up on the map. One was the Marquis estate he had run away from, and the other was the bazaar he had visited yesterday.

Xion, "..."

Apparently, he could only see the places he had been to. There was an option to upgrade the map which would cost him 50 merit points.

However, Xion decided not to do it. Firstly, he had no idea which area was safe. Secondly, the bazaar provided him with the perfect place to find an inn for the night and gather some information.

Xion shrugged his shoulders, "Got busy with some stuff. Ah, do you know a place to stay for a night? I need a cheap one."

He did not have much money in the first place, so finding the cheapest inn was his only option.

"Oh, that... sure! Come with me. I know just the place!" The old man's enthusiastic voice was so loud it made Xion's ears ring.

That was how Xion ended up standing in front of a very clean, standard-sized room. One look at the silken bedsheets and the decorative curtains told him this was anything but a cheap place.

"Stay here. Leave the bill to me. Consider it my way of repaying you for helping with my leg," the old man said with a hearty laugh as he gently pushed Xion inside.

That night, Xion ate a delicious meal until he felt like his stomach might burst. He enjoyed a soothing bath before collapsing onto the soft bed.

The silken touch felt nice on his skin. Rolling himself into the duvet, he groaned in satisfaction. Exhaustion from the day's events hit him like a wave, and within a few minutes, he fell asleep.

"Keep me away from perverts, please..." Xion mumbled sleepily.

In his daze, he prayed to whichever god watched over Eldoria Lunareth that the new morning would bring peace and stability.

But that prayer went unanswered.

The next morning, Xion found himself staring into the face of someone he had hoped never to see again.