Prep Work, or a Scheme

Author: Iwashi-zukushi
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3388fm/16/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

I wiped the tears of Kira, who had cried herself out and settled, and we had tea again.
The chai had gone completely cold, but for some reason it tasted especially good.
No, well, I knew the reason.

It was that I had unexpectedly acquired Kira, a wonderful asset.
And that being able to comfort Kira itself had made me very happy.
Don’t make me say that. It’s embarrassing.

At any rate, by the time we finished the tea, Kira had settled completely.

“Dominas puts on airs like that now, but in the old days…”
“Eh, is… that so…?”

We were laughing, quietly, at Gerda’s exposé of Lord Dominas.
…The sight of Gerda, a cool, handsome sort of grown-up beauty, chatting with Kira, a reserved puppy-type pretty girl: priceless.

Hah!? No, no, I was letting my old otaku face show far too much!

I had gone to the trouble of earning a high evaluation here; I could not let the image collapse. I pulled myself together.
…Impure motives? Shut up, leave me alone.

“Now then… the sun has begun to sink. What shall we do?
We can leave it here for today, or we can go have dinner together, if you like.”

When the chatting had paused, Gerda suddenly brought that up.
Eh? I hurriedly looked out the window, and indeed the townscape had begun to turn a little red.

“Whoa… we really did talk for a long time.” Continue reading →

Even a Daytime Lantern Has Its Uses

Author: Iwashi-zukushi
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3388fm/15/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

We soothed and comforted the crying Kira, and somehow managed to settle her a little.
She still hiccuped now and then—hikku, hikku—but she seemed able to talk, more or less.

“Here, Kira, drink this and you’ll calm down.”

As I said it, I drew a cup of water and handed it over.
Still making wet little sounds, Kira took the cup and held the water in her mouth.
Gerda and I watched quietly as she drank, slowly, slowly.

When she had drunk about half the cup, a breath slipped out—hoh…
Yes. She seemed to be settling, bit by bit.

“Kira, you don’t have to talk about how you got here if you don’t want to. After you’ve calmed down is fine.
Anyway, the real work here starts tomorrow!”

I tried saying it lightly, brightly, on purpose.
And half of it was true. Of course I was curious what had happened to Kira, but there was no need to drag it out of her.
From tomorrow on would be perfectly fine.

But Kira looked up at me as if gauging me, and shook her head, small.
…When a teary-eyed beauty did that, it was a gesture rather hard on the heart.

“No, it’s all right. Thank you.”

In a small voice, as if murmuring word by word.
A voice that seemed a little calmer, and still unsteady.

Even in that state, Kira began to talk. Continue reading →

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. Continue reading →

A Contrary Heart

Author: Iwashi-zukushi
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3388fm/13/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

“Well then, we’ll be off. Ah, I’ll let our people know.”

After a while of small talk, Nasti left.
For an instant, she glanced toward the workshop.
We waved her off, and once she was out of sight, I let a mutter slip.

“Nasti… was she perhaps keeping watch around this workshop?”
“Hm? Why did you think that?”

Gerda turned a puzzled face on my sudden murmur.
It was not as if I had grounds; it had only been a feeling.

“Just a feeling, but. The way she appeared, it was as if she had waited for the right moment after you and I arrived.”

And besides.
The profile she showed as she left, looking at the workshop, had been lonely, as if she were reluctant to part.

“I wondered if she was trying to protect it from people who might do it harm, or something.”
“That itself is not an impossible story.
Nasti and Granny Dia were quite close.” Continue reading →