As we were guided out one group at a time, we ended up being among the last to leave.
Walking down the corridor, we found Teresa and the sisters waiting near the reception desk. Teresa noticed us and grinned slyly.
「Good work out there」
「Yeah. So… the delivery comes from the church, right?」
「That’s right. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you who the seller was」
「Well… I guess that can’t be helped」
I handed the numbered tag to one of the sisters, and she disappeared into the back. Most likely to fetch the goods.
「You’ve got that ‘not satisfied’ look on your face」
They had their duties and their rules.
It wasn’t as though I didn’t want to say something to the seller, but I couldn’t put Teresa and the others in a bind over it.
Rules were rules.
「Alright, first is the Chocwo. Please hand over the payment and the magic pouch」
I paid the fee and gave a portion in a pouch as the cut.
Then the sister returned, carrying the large pot.
I took it from her and, without anyone noticing, stored it not in the pouch but directly into my magic space.
「And what about her?」
「After being separated from the seller, we gave her a light meal prepared by the church. She fell asleep right away. Should we wake her?」
「No, let her sleep. Hm… could I get a cloak or something?」
「Understood. We’ll cover her with the vice-captain’s cloak」
So the earlier body blow wasn’t the only punishment she’d received…
-0-
Once I paid the rest of the fee, the half-elf girl was carried out on the vice-captain’s back.
She was supposedly sleeping, but it looked more like she had simply collapsed from exhaustion.
Still, her face was peaceful, as if she were in a deep, safe slumber.
I gently took her from her.
As expected, she was far too light.
She’d always looked delicate, but even so, this was unnatural. I shifted her onto my back, and Renge draped the cloak over her shoulders.
「Well then, Teresa, Vice-Captain, we’ll be off」
「Very well. If anything comes up, you can always come to us」
「Yeah, I’ll be counting on you then」
「Please, come by anytime」
「Yeah」
After saying farewell, I adjusted my grip on the half-elf, who looked as though she might slip down.
Aina stepped in and helped steady her.
「My liege, should I carry her?」
「No, it’s fine. She’s light, and she’s sleeping so soundly it’d be a shame to wake her…」
It’s not far to Freed’s carriage.
Once we’re back… what should I do?
Best to head straight for Einzheil.
When she wakes, we’ll need to have a bath ready, and then a meal.
Yes… food. That has to come first.
-0-
「Welcome back」
「Yeah, I’m back. The goal’s been accomplished」
「Yes… thank you very much」
Freed’s eyes fell on her condition, and sorrow flickered within them. I’d heard before that Freed had endured hardship in the past… perhaps something similar to this?
「I’m sorry… I leave her in your care」
「Yeah. Leave it to me」
The words slipped out naturally. But “leave it to me,” huh…
Between last time and now, something must have happened to her, something that drove her feelings toward humans in a darker direction.
What can someone like me, a human, actually do for her?
Would she even accept it?
As I wrestled with those doubts, the carriage rocked us along the road.
-0-
When we returned to Hayato’s mansion, everyone was waiting at the entrance to welcome us.
「Welcome home, Master. We’ve been waiting for you」
「I’m back. Alright, let’s head back to Einzheil from here」
「Yes. Then, until we meet again…」
「Yeah. I’ll be counting on you」
After exchanging brief words with Freed, I touched base with everyone, and we set off for home.
-0-
「She’s sleeping soundly…」
「Yeah. Let’s let her rest like this for tonight」
「Where shall we have her sleep?」
「My room should be fine」
The bed there is the biggest, and honestly, the best one in the house. It should be the most comfortable.
「Then what about you, my liege?」
「I’ll work in the alchemy room. My mind’s too awake to sleep anyway… might as well focus on something」
If I couldn’t sleep, better to bury myself in work.
Sorte opened the door to my room, and I carefully laid the half-elf girl down on the bed, pulling the blanket over her.
Her breathing was calm, but her complexion wasn’t what I’d call healthy.
「Then I’ll stay and nurse her」
「Yeah… that’s for the best. Sorry, I’m counting on you. If anything happens, call me in the alchemy room right away」
I turned to leave, but felt a tug at my clothes.
Looking back, I found Shiro clutching my hem and gazing up at me.
「Hmm. Lord, can Shiro come too?」
「To the alchemy room? It’s not that interesting to watch, you know」
「Hmm. That’s fine」
「Hey, can I come too? I napped earlier so I’m wide awake now. Just until I get sleepy, alright?」
I can tell that isn’t the only reason, but pressing them for it would just be tactless.
「Alright. Both of you can come. Aina, Renge… don’t push yourselves tonight. Get some rest」
「I’m not really sleepy yetssu」
「We need at least two people well rested and ready to act. For tonight, take it easy」
「…I see. Very well, I’ll rest then」
I get why they’re worried, but…
Aina seems to have picked up on how I feel.
If something happened and everyone was too exhausted to move, we’d be in real trouble. I need at least the two of them to sleep soundly.
「Got it. Just don’t overdo it, master」
「Don’t work yourself sick. Shiro, Sorte, if he pushes too far, force him to rest」
「Of course. I understand」
「Hmm」
…Wait, do they really not trust me that much?
I don’t ‘plan’ on overworking myself, though…
「You tend to push yourself too hard without realizing it, my liege. That’s why」
「Ah… I’ll be careful」
If it’s unconscious, there may not be much I can do… but I do need to stay fit to keep things running.
「Well then, good night!」
「Good night, my liege」
「Yeah, good night. Wendy, I’ll leave the rest to you」
「Yes. Please count on me」
-0-
After parting ways with the three, I took Shiro and Sorte with me to the alchemy room and sat down on the work chair.
They didn’t sit on my lap; instead, they flanked me on either side like sentinels.
「Alright, let’s start with the nutrient tonic」
It was my first attempt.
Unlike healing potions, the process wasn’t the same, and there wasn’t even a recipe to follow.
I’d have to fumble through trial and error, but… there was no other way.
「Hey, lord」
「Hm?」
「Are you going to save her?」
「…Yeah. At the very least, I need to get her healthy again」
「Hmm」
While I set out the ingredients, Shiro pressed her head against me after hearing my answer.
「Hm? What is it?」
「Lord feels warm」
「Huh?」
「That’s true. You are warm, my lord」
And now Sorte leaned against me too… which honestly was a bit of a hindrance while I was trying to work on alchemy.
「So, what exactly are you planning to do?」
「What… well, first I’ll get her strength back」
「…Um, that’s it?」
「Yeah. Honestly, I don’t know what else I should do…」
「If you just treat her the way you usually do, it’ll be fine, my lord」
「Aina and Renge told me the same thing… But I think it depends on what ‘she’ wants to do. That’s what I’ll wait to hear」
「Hmm. Shiro thinks so too」
「I see… yeah, you’re right」
What she wants to do.
Everything has to begin with hearing that from her.
But as the first step, I need to heal her body and get her strength back.
「Anyway… can you two let go now?」
「No. What’s wrong with staying a little longer? Aina and Renge were clinging to you earlier, weren’t they?」
「Hmm. Then Shiro will sit on your lap」
「Hey, that’s unfair. Children should be in bed」
「You two… seriously…」
After a round of teasing and fooling around, I returned to my alchemy work.
Sorte and Shiro seemed satisfied and decided to lie down on the sofa behind me.
They’d given me plenty of energy.
Instead of overthinking, I slapped my cheeks lightly, bracing myself to focus on the task at hand.
Alright, let’s get started…
-0-
I took out a large recovery potion and began adding compatible ingredients, mixing and repeating the process.
Sometimes breaking down, sometimes combining, but mostly just grinding away by hand in a relentless process of brewing.
Panacea, healing potions(greater), magic power recovery potions, leaves, stems, buds, flowers, and seeds of Yggdrasil, honey and royal jelly…
Changing the combinations, making a chart of results, noting what was produced and which direction it branched into.
It was a cycle of prediction, experimentation, and synthesis.
After a series of trials, my eyes began to tire, so I chewed on an Yggdrasil stem as I worked. Naturally, without lighting it.
For drinks, I had a mana potion and the same refreshing tea I’d given to Renge earlier, made from dried Yggdrasil leaves and a plant called Mentoru.
The experiments continued, and by the time I passed two hundred combinations,
mixing over ten different materials, heating, pressing, and so on,
I finally reached completion.
From now on, I’d be able to reproduce it instantly using the known magic circle (Experience Circle).
But honestly, I thought it would be a lot simpler…
This was ridiculously complicated.
【Circulatory Nutrient Elixir: A medicine that rides the bloodstream to carry nourishment throughout the body. Effective against weakness, fatigue, bleeding, low blood pressure, and also stimulates the heart, promoting natural recovery of stamina. 】
「Haaaaaaah… I’m beat…」
Leaning back against the chair, I looked up, only to find Aina, Renge, Sorte, Shiro, Wendy… in other words, everyone gathered there.
「Huh? What’s going on…」
「My lord… it’s already evening…」
「What?」
Wait a second. I started this at dawn, didn’t I?
When did so much time slip by…?
「That girl woke up a little while ago. But first, Master, you need to rest…」
「You said not to overdo it, and yet… see? You never listen…」
「If you’re blaming him, then we’re guilty too for not stopping him…」
「Couldn’t be helpedssu. When master’s focused, no matter what we said, all we got were half-hearted replies」
Ah, really? They were talking to me…?
I don’t remember any of it at all…
「Lord, you don’t even remember when Shiro sat on your lap?」
「I brewed tea for you as well… do you not remember that either?」
「I even pressed my chest against youssu？」
I don’t remember ‘any’ of that…!
Wait, seriously, how could I not notice?!
「Anyway… Master, your complexion is awful. Please rest first…」
「Ah, hahaha. Well, look, the medicine’s finished, right…? So this time it can’t be helped!」
「It ‘can’ be helped!」
「Y-Yes! I’m sorry! I’ll go to sleep right away!」
Faced with Wendy’s genuine anger, I quickly decided to go to bed.
…Yeah. Decided, anyway.
-0-
After making sure everyone had left the room, I quietly lit the magic stove and took out a pot.
Since she’d woken up, and I was hungry too, well… when someone’s in poor health, there’s nothing better than this.
Inside: rice with extra water.
For flavor, personally, I like miso.
Then drop in an egg… Sure, maybe it isn’t the most digestible, but she managed some light food earlier, and nutritionally this should be the best,
「Master!!」
「Ah…」
「I knew it, you’re still awake…」
「Hmm. Smells good」
「Uh… well, you see, I thought I should make something… for the half-elf girl, I mean… food, so…」
And there they were, Wendy at the front, everyone else behind her, all glaring at me with puffed-up faces.
No, see? I mean, meals have to be prepared, right…?
Ah, no? Okay. I’ll sleep, I’ll sleep. I’ll really sleep. So, uh… maybe you don’t need to stand guard over me, right…?
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