"Captain, we cannot just use a potion without a report-."
"I'm not using one from the supplies. This is my own…"
"But captain, still-."
"Stand back, Rogue. She clearly needs it."
Whispers managed to reach my ears as soon as a strange warmth slid down my throat.
It was a warm feeling, like having some hot chocolate on a freezing morning.
For a moment, everything felt good.
The fluid did not have any particular taste, but it didn't seem like any medicine either. Everything was fine… until it wasn't.
The warmth exploded inside my body and every part of my body that had been hurt ever since I came to this world, my scratched feet, the entire right side that had been ripped open, my stomach that had been as empty as some people's brains, my lungs, throat, everything…
Everything started hurting so suddenly that it seemed like a bomb had exploded inside of me.
My eyes now wide open, my body was jolted up, and I sat back up, the bright light around me momentarily blinding me.
'Yep… dying again. New record. Two deaths before breakfast!'
The pain was excruciating.
I could feel every fibre of my being for that blind moment.
It almost felt like I was dying once again, or almost dying, like what had been happening with me these last couple of days.
But, after that sudden pain, right after a moment, all the pain vanished, and I felt a strong slap on my back.
"Stop overreacting," it was a warm voice. "If you survived in that forest, there's no need to scream at such simple pain."
Thanks to the slap on my back, my foggy mind cleared up, and colors returned to my eyes.
"Good. It seems the damage wasn't as great as I thought." The warm voice spoke again, and while I hadn't realised it until now, the voice wasn't masculine.
My eyes opened, and I looked at my hands, then at my chest, which wasn't covered just by the blue bra I was wearing.
There were clothes on me, a gown that seemed… pretty cheap.
"Are you alright now, Miss?" The voice spoke once again and placed her hand on my back.
But I did not turn around immediately.
First, I observed the surroundings: an office-like place with shelves and drawers. A main desk on the other side of the room, a hopeless pile of papers and books present on top of it.
On the right side of the desk was a shelf full of what seemed like jars filled with strange things— I spotted feathers and fangs, insect heads and even eyeballs suspended in strange fluid.
'Witchcraft right there.'
On the left side of that desk, there was a cauldron, weird green fluid bubbling out of it as a small blue fire burned on what seemed like unending candles.
'Shelves of eyeballs in jars, bubbling cauldron, suspicious blue fire… yeah, if she offers me a candy apple, I'm out.'
There was a chandelier illuminating the entire room, as well as a window behind the desk, and a clear view of the sky beyond the window.
"Miss? Is anything wrong?" The warm voice spoke again, and as weird as this situation may have been, I steeled myself and turned around, ready to accept the fact that the charming princess who saved me might just be an old hag with a long nose and a mole on it.
"I'm fine now, thanks—."
But, to my biggest surprise, the face that appeared before my eyes was nothing like what one might infer from this den of witchcraft.
"Ummm, hello." I don't know why, but my heart skipped a beat for a moment there.
Glasses covering her deep blue eyes, a pointy witch hat covering her long brunette hair, and a face that anyone would call gorgeous were present right there…
Her clothes gave a medieval vibe, but that purple-white combination went perfectly with her fit yet healthy figure.
She smelled nice as well, as fresh as a morning spring breeze.
There was a motherly charm to her… good thing I didn't accidentally call her mommy.
'Note to self: stop mentally auditioning women as parental figures. This is how therapy bills happen.'
With a deep breath, I calmed myself down.
"Hello? Is everything good? Do you need another potion?"
"No, that won't be necessary." Her concern for me was almost adorable, but I can't just keep acting like a fool.
"Thanks for saving me, Ma'am." That should be better than being weird and calling her something inappropriate.
But then again, thanks to whatever they gave me, I was feeling much better now. My body felt refreshed, and I wasn't even as hungry as before. Original content can be found at novèlfire.net
'I'm thirsty, yes, but not for water either.'
Anyway, that warm stuff was good, though a little too potent for my weak self.
"Phew. It's good that you're fine." She was relieved that I was fine. But a certain someone standing right behind her didn't seem to be in a good mood right now.
"Hmph! You should be grateful! The captain used one of her own potions for you!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Do you know what that potion costs?! You'll never afford it, filthy stray!"
"Stray?!" I croaked. "Excuse you! I'm more of a limited-edition disaster."
I wanted to punch that ugly mug right there and then!
"Enough, Rogue! How can you speak like that to her! She was hurt!"
He seemed to be a soldier, wearing armour you would see only in museums.
The helmet only covered his head, so his face was visible, and he was ugly.
He wasn't fat, but since he's ugly, I'll openly discriminate against him from now on.
"How much was it?" Glaring at him with an annoyed look, I asked without hesitation.
I still have over ten thousand coins. I can rent a good place for over three months with that much in this world, so I certainly have money.
"What did you ask just now?" He seemed sceptical of my question, so I asked again.
"Are you deaf or something? I'm asking how much it was for that potion thing." Just tell me so that I can throw that money right on your ugly face.
"Huh." But the bastard started smirking. "The common potions are obviously around 10,000 coins. But the one you just gobbled? A mid-rank potion like that is easily over 20,000 coins."
The smirk on his face deepened when he said those prices. "So? Are you paying up right now, or do you not have the money?"
'I thought I was at least not broke.'
But here we are, before a witch I'd do any unhinged thing for, broke… with an ugly bastard looking down on me.
Just how much worse is this new life going to be?