Don't Want to Be Ordinary Even Though I'm an Extra Character

I did my best to treat his wounds, even with the limited tools I had. My basic knowledge of first aid from safety training back in college turned out to be a lifesaver in situations like this. Who would've thought that the theories I once considered trivial would now save the protagonist of a fantasy world?

I grabbed the cleanest cloth I could find in the shop, soaked it in warm water, and carefully wiped the dried blood off Rainer's face. The small cuts that looked like sharp scratches made me wonder what had really happened to this young man.

"He must've just escaped a fight," I muttered, wringing out the now lightly crimson cloth. "If this were a novel, this would be the moment where he's on the brink of giving up on his destiny."

Rainer groaned softly, flinching slightly when I pressed the cloth against his shoulder wound. I tried to be gentler. "Hey, stay still, okay? I'm not a doctor, but I know how to stop infections. You don't want to die over a couple of small cuts, do you?"

He didn't respond. I wasn't sure if he could hear me or was simply unconscious. I just continued what I was doing.

Once his wounds were cleaned, I grabbed some herbal remedies from the shelf—a few antiseptic leaves and simple herbal oils, which I wasn't entirely sure would work. "Well, this isn't exactly Betadine or sterile gauze, but it's better than nothing…" I mumbled as I applied the herbal oil to the cuts on his arm. A strong herbal scent immediately filled the air.

"When you wake up, you owe me a lot, you know?" I said to Rainer, who was still lying motionless. For some reason, it felt satisfying to nag him a little. "What kind of protagonist collapses in the shop of an extra character like me? You're supposed to be saving the world, not fainting on the floor of a rundown herbal shop."

After wrapping his wounds as best I could, I sat back against the wooden wall, observing Rainer's now calmer face. Even dirty and exhausted, there was something about his expression that made me certain—this was a true protagonist. Someone destined to carve history into this world.

And me? I wouldn't just be his shadow.

I glanced over at the half-empty shelves of herbs and let out a long sigh. "With this, my supplies are running dangerously low… If he doesn't pay me back, I'm going to be in trouble."

The sound of Rainer's steady breathing broke the silence. I smiled faintly as I stared at the ceiling.

"Well, at least this is the first step. Who knows? This encounter might be the start of something big."

After a while, as I busied myself tidying up the herbs on the shelves, a soft voice suddenly called out from behind me.

"Whe… where am I?"

I spun around quickly, nearly dropping the bottle of herbal remedy in my hand. Rainer—the protagonist of Warrior Destiny—was awake. He sat weakly on the floor with a confused expression and his blue eyes scanning the room, trying to make sense of where he was.

"Oh, crap… You're awake?" I blurted out, half-startled.

He turned his gaze toward me, his expression wary. "Who… are you?"

I let out a long sigh, setting the bottle back on the shelf. "Me? My name's Arkan, the keeper of this herbal shop. You passed out on the floor earlier, so I figured I had no choice but to treat you. You know? Your wounds would've started rotting if they weren't cleaned."

Rainer looked at me blankly, processing the information I'd just dumped on him. He glanced down at the makeshift bandages on his arms and then touched his face, wincing slightly. "You… treated me?" he asked softly.

I rolled my eyes. "Who else would've done it? The holy spirit of this shop?"

He was silent for a moment, then, surprisingly, offered a faint smile—a smile that carried quiet gratitude, though his face was still pale. "Thank you… You saved me."

"H-hey, don't say it like that. I was just doing what I could." I looked away, suddenly feeling a little awkward hearing words of gratitude from the main protagonist. "Besides, if you died in my shop, I'd be in huge trouble."

Rainer let out a weak chuckle, though it was followed by a cough that made him seem even weaker. I quickly walked over to the table, pouring a cup of water and handing it to him. "Here, drink this. You look like you just fought a dragon."

He took the cup and sipped it slowly. "Not a dragon," he murmured in a voice so faint it was barely audible. "But… I did nearly die."

I narrowed my eyes, staring at him seriously. "Nearly died? You're really careless, huh?"

Rainer glanced at me briefly, and I saw it again—those traces of exhaustion and burdens that ran far deeper than what was visible on his face. "I… I had no choice."

I exhaled, plopping myself onto the floor and sitting cross-legged in front of him. "You know? A protagonist isn't supposed to pass out on the floor of an extra character's herbal shop. That's honestly embarrassing," I said, trying to lighten the mood with a joking tone.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "Protagonist? Extra character? What are you talking about?"

Oops. I reflexively clamped my mouth shut, realizing I almost slipped up. "Ah, it's nothing. What I mean is, you're important, right? You don't look like an ordinary person."

Rainer stared at me for a moment in silence before offering a faint, knowing smile. "You're strange, Arkan."

I snorted quietly. "Yeah, yeah, everyone says that."

Deep down, I knew one thing: this encounter was no coincidence. If he was the hero destined to save this world, then I—a so-called extra—couldn't just sit still. I had to find a way to turn this meeting into my first step toward the top.