They Did It in a Day.

Author: Iwashi-zukushi
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3388fm/28/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

The next morning.
Kira and I turned through the patients, fewer than yesterday, as expected, as a pair.
Partway Gerda joined and did the heavy work for us.
We were turning quite smoothly when Nasti came.
On her back, a basket of herbs about the same as yesterday.

“Doctor Asha, we’ve brought today’s.
Yesterday was crowded and all, but today may we have proper payment, together with yesterday’s?”
“I’m sorry, yesterday was such a rush.
I’ll bring yesterday’s as well.”

It was just a stretch when patients had paused, and even if someone came, if Kira took their history it would be no problem to have them wait a little.
So there was no problem taking the time to pay properly, including yesterday’s.
…That was what I thought.
Until Nasti named the amount.

“Then we’ll take ten gold coins.”
“Hm? H-hold on, isn’t it nine?”

Yesterday, after all that, I had searched and found a memorandum Dia had written, like a delivery note.
According to that, a quantity like yesterday’s had been bought for four gold coins and fifty silver.

Here a hundred silver made one gold, so yesterday and today together should have been nine gold.
At my reply, Nasti’s expression did not change at all; she did not drop her usual smile, with something in it.

“Ah, the usual would be that price, but yesterday and today you’ve had us on express, you see.”
“Express!? I-I didn’t request that!”
“But it helped, didn’t it?”

Guh, told that I could not talk back a word.
Indeed, that grandmother yesterday, and so on—without that mushroom I would not have been able to prescribe properly.
There had been plenty of other times it had helped, no question.
But if I swallowed her asking price here, I had a feeling it would go on.

“Ah, the next patient’s come. What will you do?”

While I was still wondering how to retort, the door opened and a patient came in.
Kira hurriedly began reception and history-taking, but… I could not keep negotiating here forever…
I glanced at Nasti’s face.
…Dammit, that’s a face sure of victory, I can tell.
And of course I had no card that would overturn it.

“I-I understand. Ten.”
“Then, thanks as always~”

I made a bitter decision.
Hearing it, Nasti took the gold with a face already smiling, thoroughly pleased.

Dammit, next time it won’t go like this!
I swore it strongly in my heart.

 

Well, there had been that frustrating incident, but the rest finished smoothly.
We ate the lunch Elma had brought today as well, and first took a breath.

“Uu~… that Nasti…”
“Well, what she says is fair as well, and there is no use minding it.
Indeed, one may feel one was had, but there is the relationship from here on as well.”

Gerda comforted me. And I understood what she was saying.
But frustrating was frustrating!

“The money… shall I handle it?”
“Hmm… that is…”

To be honest, it was an option.
After all, we were touching coins we did not know who had handled or how they had circulated; it was clearly better to have Kira, who did not touch patients directly, handle them.
I knew Kira’s character, so I thought it would be all right to leave the money to her.
In terms of reasoning, one could say that was better. Except for one point.

“If I have you do that much, you’ll become completely a person of this workshop, Kira~.
Is that all right, organizationally?”
“Hmh. Shall I confirm that with Her Majesty and Dominas?”
“Ah, I’m sorry, could I ask you? Kira, is that all right with you?”
“Yes, of course.”

I received Gerda’s offer gratefully. Kira nodded as well.
To be honest Kira was already almost exclusive to this workshop, but it would be more reassuring to have official approval.
Kira was already indispensable fighting strength for this workshop; it would be a problem if she were suddenly reassigned somewhere.
…I also thought Kira probably wanted to work here.
In that case, it would be better to have her made exclusive here formally.

“Then I’ll ask you for that as well, Gerda.
When the rest is over, I’ll have you work hard this afternoon too, Kira, so please.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
“Ah. At last, that experiment?”
“That’s it. There are things I want to do before what I asked Nora for is done…”

That was when it happened.
Outside, a lively rattling sound had started.
Oh? I was thinking, when suddenly there was a knock, and Nora’s large voice came through.

“O~i, Doctor Asha in?
I made what you asked for yesterday and brought it.”
“Eh, that was fast!?”

I raised my voice, I was so surprised.
Because what I had asked for had been rather a lot of trouble!?

I opened the door in a hurry, and there was Nora, full of confidence. A so-called smug face.
And behind her, indeed, something that looked like the tools I had asked for.

“I-it was done quite quickly, wasn’t it?”
“Well, however I thought about it I couldn’t figure how you meant to use that.
So I thought it would be faster to have you show me for real.”
“E-even so, overnight…”

I almost let slip the name of a certain manga butler, but I swallowed it.
As expected of dwarves, you must not measure them by common sense.
This was the result of needling them a little because I wanted them to try hard.
But, a problem.

“I’m sorry, I was going to make the preparations to use that tool today… I can’t use it at once.”
“Is that so? Then show me those preparations as well.
I cleared my afternoon, you see.”

I-is she that curious? Well, if she has no plans, I suppose it’s all right.
If I have Kira do it, it probably won’t take that much time.
Still more with Gerda and Nora helping.

“Understood. I may ask you to help a little along the way, if that’s all right.”
“Of course. It wouldn’t sit right, watching for free.”

So saying, Nora showed a fine, firm smile.