[DETECTED SIDE QUEST: FEVER CRISIS]
[TARGET: LADY VICTORIA ASHWORTH, 47]
[GOAL: TO HELP CURE HER DAUGHTER'S ILLNESS]
[REWARD: +40 EXP, POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT AFFECTION GAIN]
[NOTE: NEEDS CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING]
Rick heard the system's prompt and quickly turned to his friends. "Didn't you say you were trained as a field medic when you were a guard, Carmilla?"
"Basic care for common illnesses and injuries, yes." Carmilla said. "Why?"
Rick quickly told the story, and then Carmilla didn't think twice about it. She went right up to Lady Victoria with a look of comfort on her face.
"Excuse me. I have medical training and have been a guard for a long time."
"Can I look at your daughter? I can't promise a cure, but I might be able to help."
Victoria's eyes were full of desperate hope. "Please, anything. The fever came on so quickly, and it's gotten worse every day now..."
They led Victoria upstairs to a private room where a young girl was lying in bed, her face red and sweaty. Carmilla quickly switched to professional mode, checking the temperature, pulse, and symptoms with ease.
Carmilla said after a full checkup, "It's not the plague or anything that could kill you."
"I think it's a reaction to something she ate or drank. Her body is trying to fight off the fever. We need to get rid of the fever and clean out her system."
Natasha moved up. "I can use ice magic to lower her body temperature, but I have to be careful not to shock her."
Rick pulled out the pouch and said, "And I have those healing herbs Helena gave us. Will these help?"
Carmilla looked at the herbs and nodded. "Perfect. These are just what we need."
"Put them in hot water for a strong cup of tea. It'll taste awful, but it'll help her feel better and boost her immune system."
They worked together without any problems. Rick made the herbal tea, and Carmilla held the girl's head while Natasha carefully used magic to cool her down and lower her fever. Lady Victoria cried as she watched her daughter's cheeks slowly turn pink again.
The girl's fever broke after twenty minutes. She weakly opened her eyes and looked around, confused. "Mom...? What happened?
Victoria said, "You're going to be fine, sweetheart," her voice full of emotion.
She looked at Rick, Carmilla, and Natasha with a look of deep thanks. "I don't know how to show my gratitude... You saved my daughter's life."
Rick said, "We're just glad we could help."
Victoria reached up and put her hands on Rick's face, making her eyes shine. "You're a good boy."
"A truly good person! There should be more people like you in the world." She hugged him tightly for a short time, and Rick could feel her shoulders shake as she sobbed with relief.
[QUEST COMPLETE: FEVER CRISIS]
[REWARD: +40 EXP]
[LADY VICTORIA ASHWORTH LOVE: 0 → 4]
[NOTE: A DEEP THANK YOU FROM A MOTHER. She would do anything for you right now.]
[EXTRA: CARMILLA'S RESPECT +1, NATASHA'S RESPECT +1]
"A-Anything...!? No wait... I bet she still has a husband... I need to respect that." Rick said in his mind.
Rick liked getting experience points, but what really moved him was how real Victoria's hug was. This was a mother thanking him for saving her child. No amount of experience points could compare to the feeling of knowing he had made that kind of difference.
Victoria wouldn't take no for an answer when they said they would rather not pay for their dinner and rooms that night. "That's the least I can do."
"Also, I'm a countess from the eastern provinces. I have the money to spare, and I won't sleep well knowing I didn't pay back such a wonderful thing."
Carmilla leaned in close to Rick and spoke softly as they sat down to dinner in the common room. "You did a good job today."
"You didn't think twice about helping, even though the system was telling you to do so.
Rick said, "Sebastian said to be realistic about it. And... it turns out it's easier when people really need help."
"That's the point," Natasha said softly from the other side, so only they could hear. "The system isn't making up fake situations."
"It's showing problems that were already there. You're just being given a chance to help."
As he ate, Rick thought about that. If the Mature Affinity System worked by putting him in touch with women who really needed help, then maybe his embarrassing cheat power wasn't so bad after all. At a time when traditional power structures were failing, maybe it was just what the world needed.
...
Rick lay in his inn room that night, looking at the ceiling and thinking about everything that had happened. He could feel Carmilla's steady presence in the room next door and Natasha's sharp awareness on the other side through the Spirit Bond. Both were awake and probably thinking the same things.
Sebastian appeared on the table next to the bed. "Two quests, two successful outcomes."
"You're getting better, even though your mind still needs some learning."
"Learning what, exactly?"
"That your power isn't about getting what you want or tricking people. It's about being connected."
"You're building a network of trust and goodwill with every mature woman you help and every real relationship you make. You'll need that base when the time comes to bring the realm's powers together."
"Helena and Victoria won't be able to help me get the Dragon Queen to work with me."
"No, but the skills you're learning by helping them will."
"Starting from reading emotional needs, helping others without expecting anything in return, and making real connections when things go wrong. You'll need all of these skills when dealing with ancient, powerful women who have spent hundreds of years building emotional walls."
Rick nodded slowly, and it started to make sense. "This trip isn't just about getting to the capital. It's about becoming the person who can make the prophecy come true."
"And also... stop thinking like a gooner! You need some character development on that one!" Sebastian sighed.
"Oh, shut up! At least I still have common sense not to just have an incident touching their tits like some kind of moment in the anime!"
"Alright, alright... Good night, hero."
"Tomorrow will bring new problems."
Sebastian disappeared, leaving Rick alone with his thoughts and the spiritual connection that made him feel better with his bonded partners. Even though the sky was clear, thunder could be heard in the distance.
Rick Rolland, the gooner who died from his own bad habits, was supposed to fix things even though the world was changing and magic was falling apart. But as he lay there, feeling Carmilla's warm protection and Natasha's strong will through their bond, Rick thought that maybe he had a chance.
He shut his eyes and fell asleep, dreaming of the capital city he had never been to and the future that awaited him there. They would continue their journey tomorrow, and the system would surely put more obstacles in his way.
Rick was set. Or at least he was getting close. The Hero of Mature Hearts was still figuring out what that title meant, but it became clearer with every person he helped and every bond he made.
And in the dark, ancient forces began to stir, sensing that the prophecy was coming true. Everyone in the world held their breath to see if this unlikely hero would succeed or fail.
Rick slept soundly, surrounded by the warmth of the bonds he had already made and the dreams of the bonds he would make in the future.