Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 153: A Crisis Along the Way
After leaving the inn, Tauro headed for the short-distance carriage stop on the main street.
The street was so crowded that it resembled a festival. In the Royal Capital, however, this level of congestion was perfectly ordinary.
Then Tauro noticed something strange among the people passing through his field of vision.
The sheer number of people made [Presence Detection] less useful than usual, but he subconsciously realized that one person he had briefly seen hadn’t registered at all.
Someone nearby was using [Presence Concealment].
Tauro’s proficiency with [Presence Detection] had risen considerably. Anyone capable of hiding from it so completely had to be exceptionally skilled. He immediately thought of the mysterious expert who had been observed around House Van Dyne’s residence.
Tauro instinctively looked around.
“No one’s there…?”
The instant he relaxed, a sharp pain pricked his neck.
“Ow!”
He reached up and found a thin needle embedded in his skin.
“Oh no…!”
He had no time to wonder what had happened. As he pulled out the needle and tried to cast [Abnormal Status Recovery] on himself, a violent convulsion tore through his body, as though his blood were boiling, and he collapsed.
This is a lethal poison!
With his consciousness rapidly fading, Tauro gathered the last of his strength, completed [Abnormal Status Recovery], and plunged into darkness.
People rushed toward the convulsing child in alarm. A crowd quickly formed around him.
Among the passersby, one person smiled faintly and walked away unnoticed.
“His face… He looks beyond saving.”
“He already has the look of death.”
“No… His heart isn’t beating.”
Those who had gathered were about to give up on the motionless child.
Thump!
Tauro’s stopped heart gave a faint beat.
[Abnormal Status Resistance] and [Dark Spirit’s Blessing (Weak)] had helped him endure the poison. [Abnormal Status Recovery] neutralized it, while [Super Recovery and Regeneration] repaired the cells it had destroyed.
Even with all of that, however, Tauro had survived by the narrowest possible margin. Unknown to him, the correction from his newly acquired [Good Luck] had tipped the balance away from death and toward life just long enough for his recovery abilities to take effect.
“Someone call the nearest guard! We shouldn’t move him until his death has been confirmed.”
“Wait… Isn’t his complexion improving?”
“That’s impossible… No, you’re right! Someone fetch a doctor! Actually, I’ll carry him!”
One passerby hurriedly lifted Tauro into his arms. Another pointed toward a nearby clinic, and the surrounding crowd opened a path for them.
When Tauro regained consciousness, he was lying on a bed.
The Voice of the World echoed in his mind.
“One activation condition for the special skill [&%$#] has been confirmed: <One Who Survived a Poisonous Onslaught>. [Complete Poison Resistance] has been acquired.”
Tauro decided to ignore the Voice of the World for the moment.
The room carried the distinctive chemical smell of a clinic. It didn’t take him long to understand where he had been brought.
That was close… I really could have died!
He sat up, deeply relieved to still be alive.
“Doctor, the patient is awake.”
A woman who appeared to be an assistant called into the adjoining room.
“You collapsed on the street,” the doctor explained after examining him. “The man who carried you here claimed that your heart had stopped, but he must’ve been mistaken. You were pale when you arrived, though not unnaturally so. Perhaps it was only temporary anemia.”
“This is a clinic rather than a healing center, so we don’t provide magical treatment. Still, you appear to be fine now.”
“Yes, I feel fine. I’m sorry for the trouble. Who brought me here?”
“He’s already left.”
“I see… How much do I owe you?”
“I did practically nothing, so there’s no charge. Take care on your way home.”
The doctor returned to the examination room.
After thanking him, Tauro stepped outside. Dusk had already fallen.
He looked unsteadily up at the darkening sky, then suddenly remembered something.
“Prince Fleue is waiting for me!”
Panicking, Tauro gripped the royal-crested shortsword at his waist, took advantage of its agility enhancement, and sprinted toward the royal palace.
He kinda deserved that. He has been beyond lax.
indeed