An Unexpected Visitor

Author: Iwashi-zukushi
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3388fm/14/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

I made a rough check of the workshop; the interior, as if it had been cleaned only a few days ago, seemed fine for ordinary use.
I wanted a small, clean room that could serve as an examination room, but I would think about that in due course.

After that I asked Gerda to draw water, and I went on checking what tools there were, what herbs remained, and so on.
Fortunately the tools were ones I had used, or ones much like them; there seemed to be no problem there.
The herbs, too, were well dried and in good condition.
Someone, I was more and more sure, had been looking after the place diligently.

“How is it, Asha?”
“Ah, Gerda, thank you for your work.
Yes, with this I should be able to start at least the minimum as soon as tomorrow.”

I answered Gerda, who had shown her face after finishing the water-drawing.
Of course there was no stock of herbs that could not be dried, so depending on a patient’s condition I might not be able to respond at once.
But there were plenty of herbs with which I could at least suppress symptoms for now: painkillers, antipyretics, and the like.
…I was made to think, again and again, what a capable person Dia had been.

I would succeed her, and be allowed to use these tools and herbs. I must not shame that.
I renewed my resolve.
That said, full-scale work would begin tomorrow.

“Now then. Things have settled a little… shall we have some tea?”
“Ah, that would be welcome. I am a little tired, after all.”
“…It was only a little, I see. I see.”

As I said it, I glanced at the bottles of water and the baggage she had moved.
It felt like fifty kilograms in all—was that my imagination?
Gerda, having finished carrying it, looked thoroughly cool.
Well, as a half-dragon Gerda had more muscle than a human, so perhaps it truly had not been much labor.

That did not mean there was no need to thank her, of course.
Fortunately there was a little tea as well, so I was about to brew some, when it happened.

Knock knock.

Outside, the door knocker had been struck.

“Oh, looks like a visitor. I’ll just get it.”
“Then I had better come with you. It will go faster if I introduce you.”

At Gerda’s words I thought that was so, and had her come along.

“Ye~s, who is it?”

I opened the door as I said it, and there—

“Er. After a little while, or, how to put it.”
“Oh, Kira. What are you doing in a place like this?”

Yes. There stood Kira, who had been brought on the same ship and from whom we had parted only a little while ago.
She was fidgeting, looking terribly at a loss.

“Um, I was told to come here.”

As she said it, she held out a map.
The place we were was indeed marked on what she offered.
Even so, accurate map or not, she had done well to walk an unfamiliar town alone with only that one sheet.

“Is that so? Ah, no point talking in the doorway. Come in, come in.
We were just about to have tea.
Gerda, is that all right?”
“Of course. I am curious about Kira’s story as well.”

As expected, Gerda agreed at once.
I smiled back a thank-you, and showed the somewhat hesitant Kira into the workshop.

I seated her at the table, left Gerda to keep her company, and first prepared the hot water.
I stacked kindling in the mouth of the stove, passed my magic through a small stone imbued with magical power called a flame stone, and set it among the kindling.
After a while, flames rose, flickering.
Even I, who could not use magic, could start a fire with that alone; a slightly convenient thing.

Of course it was inconvenient compared to the gas stoves of the past.
In particular, I could not help wishing I could do something about regulating the heat.
And with firewood instead of charcoal, the soot…
At any rate, I set a trivet over the started fire, put a small pot on it, and waited for the water to boil.

In the meantime I prepared tea leaves and cups, and arranged on a plate some baked sweets like cookies I had bought at the market.
I had bought them as emergency rations as well, but I could always go buy more.

“You were looking quite anxious, Kira.”

If it would settle her feelings even a little, this much was cheap.
The water boiled as I finished preparing, so I put the leaves in the small pot and steeped them a little.
There was no teapot, incidentally.
Ah, I would add the milk I had bought, some spice-scented medicinal herbs, and sugar, and make it chai-style.
I took the baked sweets over first,
carried the rest to the table where the two of them were waiting, poured tea around, sat, and we were ready.

“There, sorry to keep you. Please help yourselves.”
“Thank you. I will, without reservation.”
“Um, thank… you.”

Gerda took her cup with practiced hands; Kira was a little awkward.
Hmm. It did not quite feel like she was nervous, though.

“So, Kira, why here?”
“Er… Lord Dominas told me to.”
“Lord Dominas?”

Huh, I felt as if I had heard that name.
As I thought that, Gerda let out a wry laugh.

“Dominas… that one, his bad habit is showing again.”
“A bad habit?”
“Ah. Dominas is one of those in charge of magical affairs, and he commands demonfolk skilled in magic and human magicians.”
“Come to think of it, Kira was told to go to him.”
“Ah, yes.”

I looked at Kira as I listened to Gerda, and she nodded, small.
I see. That was why the name had sounded familiar.

“He is capable, and by no means a bad sort… but he has a narrow field of view, somehow.
He is the type who thinks what is obvious to him is obvious to others, and that what he can do, others can do as well.”
“…I see? Then perhaps handing Kira a single map was—”
“He probably thought she could get here alone with that… He is also poor at guessing at feelings.
So it was not that he meant any harm. As proof, look at this map.”

She pointed at the map Kira had brought.
I looked as told, but… yes, I could only tell it was accurate.
…Huh? Wait.

“A map? This accurate a map, for the limited purpose of getting to this workshop?”

Eh, surely not.

“Yes. Kira, this was probably either drawn by Dominas or produced by magic, one or the other?”
“Yes, he drew it. Incredibly fast.”
“By hand? This was by hand? And improvised on the spot??”
“Yes.”

At Kira’s reply I could not hide my surprise, and my gaze went back and forth between the map and Kira again and again.
You’re kidding. You can draw a map this accurate and detailed freehand, on the spot?
Between the Demon King and the rest, were demonfolk nothing but cheat-class…?

“So he did not irresponsibly throw her out.
He simply does not think as far as how the other person will feel…”
“I-I see…”

Gerda’s eyes went a little distant. She had probably been treated much the same herself.
I was impressed he had been given a position of that much responsibility.
But with that, the story came into view.

“Then the person who can use the support magic I asked the Demon King for—that’s Kira.”

I felt a little relieved.
To be honest, Kira, a human I knew somewhat, would be easier to work with than some unfamiliar demonfolk.
Not that demonfolk would not be superior in quantity of magic and the like.

That was what I had been thinking, but.

“U, uu…”

At the words I had tossed out casually, Kira’s eyes grew wet.

“Eh, wai—Kira, what’s wrong?”

I half-rose in a panic; she shook her head as if to say it was nothing, but it was not nothing at all.
She would try to say something and look down, and each time she lifted her face her expression twisted.

“I’m useless here too…”

So she muttered, and at last Kira began to spill tears in earnest; Gerda and I could do nothing but fluster.