Nak limped back to Razorfen in the morning. Andy had gotten up especially early that day. The old Quilboar's story about Nak had moved him somewhat. Despite holding such a high position, Nak lived at the bottom of the community, leading an ordinary life and taking it all in stride.
"Hey, Nak, what happened?" Andy ran over and asked.
"Nothing. I wasn't watching where I was going last night and took a fall." Nak smiled awkwardly.
Andy glanced at Nak's foot. One of his hooves was so swollen it almost looked like an elephant's foot. He hurriedly said, "You shouldn't go tonight. If there's no other choice, I'll go in your place!"
"You?" Nak looked at Andy and shook his head. "You can't. They won't agree to it. And don't worry, it's only a small injury."
Andy immediately lost heart. There went his chance to sneak away again. Still, he genuinely cared about this fool of a Quilboar. Andy helped Nak back to his cave, but Nak's wife wasn't there. He had no idea whether she'd gone out.
Nak called out twice, but when nobody answered, he gave up.
Andy wanted to go out and ask where he could find a doctor to look at Nak. As soon as he stepped outside, he nearly collided with someone coming in. Andy took two steps back and saw Nak's wife clutching her chest, clearly startled.
"Nak, you're back!" Nak's wife said. "Oh, what happened to your foot?"
"It's nothing. I took a fall by accident," Nak said with a smile. "Go let Uncle Sonata know in a bit. I'm afraid I won't be able to go on patrol tonight."
Nak's wife looked at him, then glanced up at Andy. "All right, I understand." She went into the inner room, then left a few minutes later, saying she was going to see Sonata.
Andy watched Nak's wife leave and frowned without saying anything. He had the feeling that the female Quilboar's eyes always darted away when she faced him. Her behavior only strengthened his suspicions.
"Nak, get some rest. I'll come check on you later." After saying this, Andy left Nak's cave. But he didn't go back to his own cave. Instead, he watched Nak's wife from a distance. She did go to Sonata's cave, then opened the door and went inside.
Andy stood in the shadows, keeping his eyes fixed on the entrance to Sonata's cave. More than ten minutes later, Nak's wife came out. She looked around to make sure no one was there, then hurried toward her own cave.
Andy slipped out of the shadows and back into Nak's cave. Nak was sitting on a chair, drinking water. He looked surprised to see Andy return so soon. Andy sat down on the stone stool beside Nak, and just then, Nak's wife came in.
"Nak, I went to see Uncle Sonata," Nak's wife said.
"What did he say?" Nak asked, setting down the wooden cup in his hand.
"He said you've been on patrol for so long that you must know the route by heart, so... so replacing you would take quite a bit of effort. He told me to bring this back." As she spoke, Nak's wife raised a small bottle in her hand and gave it a shake.
"What's that?" Nak asked.
"It's medicine for your injured foot. He said it'll definitely heal if you apply it for one whole day!" Nak's wife said with a cheerful smile.
Andy glanced at the little bottle. By now, Monster Spirit was making a racket in his head. "Andy, ask if he has any more of that stuff. It's good stuff! If he has some, you have to find a way to get your hands on it!"
"What is it?" Andy asked, confused.
"Powerful Healing Potion!" Monster Spirit shouted. "Where else are you going to find something like that?"
"Powerful Healing Potion? That counts as good stuff?" Andy scoffed. "Aren't there loads of those in this world?"
"You really have played too many games. You think just because they're for sale in a game, they're for sale in real life too?" Monster Spirit said in a tone of exasperation. "Without a high-level alchemist, every bottle of Powerful Healing Potion used is one less bottle in circulation. They're an extremely limited consumable. Whether it's an external injury, an internal injury, or a combination of both, one bottle will take care of it!"
After hearing that, Andy frowned even more deeply. By then, Nak's wife was already applying the potion to Nak's foot. So that old fox Sonata had given him this. He really wasn't about to let Nak off the hook.
Powerful Healing Potion lived up to Monster Spirit's praise. After half an hour, the swelling on Nak's foot had already begun to go down. Andy was genuinely tempted, and only barely managed to suppress the urge to go ask Sonata for some.
"Is Andy here?" a Quilboar guard asked as he set his spear by the door and walked in.
"What is it?" Andy looked up and asked.
"The elder wants you to come over. He said he has something to discuss with you!" The guard dropped the words and turned to leave.
Andy glanced at Nak's foot, whose swelling was going down, and felt reassured for the moment. "Get some sleep. I'll go see what he wants."
Nak nodded. After a whole night of trouble and an injury on top of it, he was already exhausted. Now he was yawning nonstop, his eyes almost too heavy to keep open.
After leaving Nak's cave, Andy didn't head straight to Sonata's. First, he checked the weapon at his waist, then slung his bow and arrows over his back. Only after making sure everything was in order did he head for Sonata's cave. He had to be careful. Who knew whether Sonata was planning to harm him?
"Knock, knock, knock." Andy knocked on the door. Only after hearing a voice from inside did he push it open and enter.
"Andy, you're here," Sonata said, looking at him. "How are you settling in?" As he spoke, he pointed to the stone stool beside him, indicating that Andy should sit.
Andy frowned as he looked at Sonata. He didn't believe for a second that this old fox would ask after his well-being out of genuine concern, so he didn't sit. With a blank expression, he simply asked, "Elder, what did you call me here for?"
"Nothing else, really. It's about Nak. I'm sure you've already heard that he injured his foot while on patrol. I had his wife bring him some medicine, but the injury won't heal right away. So, to keep him from getting hurt again, I want you to go on patrol with him." Sonata said it all in one breath.
Andy didn't answer right away. What's gotten into the old man? He's suddenly being so proactive. All that fuss, and this is what he wanted? When I asked to go before, he didn't agree. What's changed today? Something's off. I'd better be careful.
"What, you don't want to?" Sonata asked, watching Andy's expression as he tested the waters.
"No, I'll go!" Andy shook his head and gave Sonata the answer he wanted.
Sonata chuckled, then nodded to indicate Andy could leave and get ready.
Once Andy had turned to leave, a contemptuous sneer appeared in Sonata's eyes.
Night was about to fall. When Nak woke up, he found that his foot really was fine. The swelling was gone, and it no longer hurt, though it felt slightly numb. Nak picked up his torch and weapon and was about to head out when he saw Andy coming out too, a bow slung over his back.
"Andy, where are you going?" Nak asked, puzzled.
"Oh, the elder said I'm going on patrol with you tonight," Andy said with a blink.
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