Chapter 59 - Anna's Great Adventure <2>
Ⅱ
When Anna woke and got dressed, she went out into the garden for her morning prayers and cleaning.
Amidst the snow-covered scenery, she breathed in the crisp morning air. Just as she finished her prayer, letting out a puff of white breath, she spotted it.
"…Huh? There’s a pile of snow in just one spot."
There, in a part of the garden that was usually empty, was a single, plump, white mound. She had never seen so much snow fall in one place before.
"Wow, that's so strange! Things like this happen? The city really is amazing!"
Impressed, and eager to feel her feet sink into the snow for the first time in a while, Anna brought her feet together and leaped onto the little mountain with all her might.
"Hiyah!"
"…Ouch."
The landing had a strange elasticity to it. This wasn't snow. And what’s more, the little snow mountain had just spoken…
"Huh?"
"I tell you every morning not to jump on me…"
The voice was terribly hoarse and low, but Anna recognized it. In fact, they were the voice and words she had heard every day since setting out on her journey. She was so shocked that she forgot to get off and just crouched down on the spot.
"Ow… You're heavy."
The snow mountain spoke again.
"…Ritz?"
"Yeah… so please get off."
Anna scrambled off the mound of snow. Looking closely, she saw that the snow had piled up in the shape of a person. A large person.
The moment she realized what it was, the color drained from her face. For a second, she was on the verge of panic.
"Why are you sleeping out here?!"
"Mm… Come to think of it, it’s cold."
"Ritz, this is the garden! The garden!"
"…The garden? I was at the tavern… Ah, so I didn't make it home…"
Ritz’s voice, muttering as if delirious, was so hoarse she couldn't quite make it out. Confused, she brushed the snow off him, along with her own footprints on his back.
Finally, Ritz’s full form came into view. The face she uncovered was white. Or rather, Ritz’s sun-tanned skin had gone beyond white to an ashen, earthy color.
Not knowing what to do, she fretted, brushing the snow off Ritz as he murmured faintly.
"Still… it’s cold…"
She could tell Ritz was trying to muster his strength to get inside. She tried to help, but a small girl like Anna was no match for a grown man who was taller and twice her weight.
She knew she had to get someone, but she didn’t know if it was okay to leave Ritz here.
"Go get Franz and Evans. I don’t think I can stand…"
Ritz mumbled in a raspy voice, and then he didn't move a muscle.
"No, you can't be!"
Her mind spun with confusion, and she shook him. But there was no response at all. His head just hung limply. Not even his fingertips twitched.
Could he be… dead? No, right?
The moment she thought it, an unbearable fear washed over her.
If Ritz died, Anna wouldn't know what to do.
"Franz! Annie! Evans-san!"
Helpless, Anna screamed as she shook Ritz. At the sound of her voice, Annie came flying out in a panic.
'What is it, Anna?'
"Help! Ritz is going to die!"
'!'
As she screamed at Annie in a panic, Evans, having heard the commotion, also rushed out from the house.
"What's wrong?"
He asked, but then he immediately noticed Ritz lying on the ground, and his face, too, went pale.
"It’s Ritz! He’s not moving!"
Evans knelt beside Anna, who was clinging to Ritz in her confusion. He took Ritz’s hand and ordered Annie.
"Annie, wake up Franz-kun."
'I'm on it.'
Annie scurried away.
"Anna-chan, go call a doctor. Understand?"
Evans gently instructed her.
"But, Ritz…"
"It's all right. He has a pulse. He’s alive."
At those words, all the strength left her body, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"He’s alive…"
She was so scared. She really thought he was dead. But this was no time to be crying.
"Now, go."
Anna nodded. It seemed that was all she could do.
"Ritz, I’m going to get a doctor right now, so you better not die!"
Anna shouted into Ritz’s ear, then took off running without even putting on her winter coat.
"Normally, he'd be dead."
With those parting words, the doctor left. Spending a night buried in the snow in the middle of winter—any normal person would have died, no question.
Franz was so exasperated he couldn’t find any words for Ritz.
Who sleeps in the garden on a snowy day? Seriously. He had recently learned of the complexities of Ritz's inner world, but this made him wonder if it was all an act and he was actually just an idiot.
It seemed he’d also caused trouble for Kenny, who had left with the doctor. While the doctor was examining Ritz, Franz had heard the full story.
Apparently, Anna had caused quite a stir when she went to fetch the doctor. Having just moved in and barely walked around the Royal Capital, she had rushed out of the house with no idea where to find a doctor.
In her panic, she hadn't run to an information center in the city, but of all places, to the Inspectorate office at the castle. She must have remembered the location from her previous visit.
She had gone seeking Kenny's help, but thanks to this move, the news that Ritz had collapsed was now known to both Edward and Shasta.
Lately, Kenny had been placed in a position akin to a personal servant for the king and his ministers. That was why they could summon him so easily.
Somehow, Franz seemed to be the only one who felt bad about it.
In any case, Kenny had calmed the frantic Anna down and, looking troubled, had requested an audience with the king, bringing Anna with him.
When Edward heard that Ritz had been found passed out in the garden, he apparently burst out laughing, earning him a teary-eyed glare from Anna and a scolding from Shasta.
From there, Shasta, Edward, and Kenny held a discussion.
In the current situation, they couldn't let the castle physician see Ritz without his disguise. They decided to call Kenny's personal doctor, who lived closer to their house than the castle.
It was a huge hassle just to call a doctor for Ritz while he was hiding his identity. He could have at least had the decency to consider that before passing out wherever he pleased.
But thinking about that now was pointless.
By the time the examination was over, and he and Evans had managed to change the clothes of the motionless Ritz and toss him into bed, it was nearly noon.
It had truly been a chaotic morning.
Evans had rushed off to his duties at the Main Temple of Light. He was a high-ranking priest belonging to the Main Temple of the Light Spirit King in the Royal Capital of Yuresla. Apparently, his position would be in jeopardy if his married life with Annie became known.
Franz, who remained behind, wouldn't be satisfied until he got in a sarcastic remark or two at Ritz's expense.
"Good for you, having such a sturdy body."
He said coldly to Ritz after the doctor left. Ritz, who had regained some consciousness, was half-buried in his bed, glaring resentfully at Franz.
"Camping out is fine and all, but you might want to think a little. It's winter."
As Franz spat out the words, Ritz coughed as if trying to retort. It seemed the normally silver-tongued Ritz couldn't manage a comeback.
For Franz, who was always being outwitted, there wasn't a shred of sympathy for Ritz in this state. Besides, this time, Franz was in the right.
"You'd best stay quietly in bed for a while."
When Franz declared this, Ritz let out something like a sigh and closed his eyes. Franz had never seen him so quiet. Not getting a reply was almost anticlimactic.
A short while later, he checked on Ritz and found him completely asleep. It had been a long time, not since the royal palace, that he'd seen Ritz sleeping. Come to think of it, Franz had never once seen Ritz sleep during their journey.
Sighing, he left the room and found Annie standing there. When Annie had first become their maid, he had tensed up every time he encountered the ghost, but he had managed to overcome that now.
Next to Annie stood Anna, who had finally calmed down from the morning's chaos. He remembered the doctor saying that if Anna had used healing magic on the collapsed Ritz on the spot, his condition would have been a little better.
Composure is vital, Franz told himself. He resolved to try to remain calm whenever he was with Ritz and Anna.
"Annie, Anna, I'm leaving him to you."
He said to the two of them, then went down the stairs with another sigh, not looking back.
Ritz had completely ruined his plans for the day. He was supposed to have received some of the old books that had turned up when Evans moved.
He heard two voices from behind him.
"Take care."
'Take care.'
They weren't family, and if you traced it back, they were just strangers, yet being sent off like this felt strange. But it tickled a place in his heart, and it certainly wasn't unpleasant.
"I'm off."
Franz put on the winter gear hanging by the entrance and stepped out into the air filled with the presence of winter. It was a fine, clear day. The deep blue sky, unique to winter, stretched out without a single cloud.
Time flew. When they had set out from Saradio, it had been the height of autumn, but now it was already December. He couldn't help but feel that his surroundings, and even himself, were changing at a tremendous speed.
Franz shivered, pulling the front of his warm coat tighter. The temperature had probably risen a little since morning, but it was still cold.
Thanks to the weather, the snow on the stone pavement had mostly disappeared. It still lay in patches on the dirt, but that would likely vanish soon, too. Winter had only just begun, and there wasn't much snow. In the first place, Sears didn't get the heavy accumulations seen in Saradio, located in the northern part of the kingdom.
If this had been the northern part of the kingdom, Ritz would have certainly been buried in snow and died. Freezing to death in your own garden was too ridiculous to even be a joke.
Evans had already left for the church, so he would have to go directly to the dormitory. He would have to see the church another time.
Recently, Franz's life had revolved around books. Books about magical tools and spirit magic. The reason, of course, was to investigate what his master had told him to.
Who was this Artis, and what was Orphe? Unfortunately, the answers didn't seem like they would be found so easily.
Franz turned up the collar of his coat and started walking. He would carry as many books as he could today. The thought somehow quickened his pace.
He wanted to read as much material as he could, gather as much information as possible, and uncover his master's identity quickly. An urgency pushed him forward, a feeling that he couldn't live without knowing.
Just who in the world was his master?
Meanwhile, Anna, Annie, and Ritz, asleep in bed, were left at home.
Having finally gotten around to a late breakfast, Anna finished her toast and stirred her warm, post-meal milk tea, which was full of honey. Annie the ghost, though she didn't eat, sat at the table with her and sighed.
Anna had been sighing at the same time, so they looked at each other and laughed.
"That was quite a morning, wasn't it?"
It had been an incomparably busy morning.
'It really was.'
When there were guests in this house, Annie had the hardest time. After all, she was a ghost who couldn't frighten the guests, and as a maid, she had to give instructions.
Even ghosts get tired… apparently.
"I didn't know adults could get such a bad cold."
Ritz currently couldn't speak or even stand. Although they'd finally gotten him to take some medicine, he didn't seem able to eat. It was common for children to have symptoms like that with a cold, but this was the first time she'd seen it in an adult.
'Of course he would. He slept outside in the middle of winter.'
"You're right."
'It’s amazing he didn’t die.'
"…You’re right about that, too…"
She held her milk tea in both hands to warm them, sighing once more.
"I wonder what I should do…"
She murmured while resting her cheek on her hand, and Annie gave her a puzzled look.
'What are you going to do about what?'
"What can I do for Ritz?"
Knowing the Ritz who was always so detached, so unshaken no matter what happened, Anna found this situation incredibly surprising.
That's why she had no idea what to do, nor how she could be of any help.
'What is there to worry about?'
"But it's Ritz, you know?"
'The master is still human, isn't he?'
"He’s of the Spirit Tribe, but… yeah, he’s human."
She nodded seriously, and Annie smiled gently.
'Why don't you do for him what you were happy to have done for you when you had a cold?'
It was such a simple thing, but for Anna, it was a revelation. She didn't need to think about it being Ritz; she just needed to think of him as a sick person.
"Oh, right. Of course!"
Anna rarely got sick, but when she did as a child, her adoptive father, Father Anton, would always get her favorite fruits from somewhere and feed them to her.
At times like that, she had felt a warm, gentle happiness from her foster father's love.
"Okay, I'll ask Ritz what he wants to eat and get it ready!"
In the end, what she came up with was food.
'…Yes. That's a good idea.'
"Thanks for the meal. I'll take this with me!"
Leaving the cleanup to Annie, she grabbed a basin of cold water and a towel and went back into Ritz’s room on the second floor.
Ritz's room was the largest in the house, a two-room suite consisting of a study and a bedroom. Ritz himself had insisted a smaller room would be fine, but Evans and Annie had forced this room on him, declaring that he was the master of the house.
Because of that, Ritz's bedroom was quite far back. First, opening the door from the hallway revealed a study with a magnificent, completely empty bookshelf, a huge desk, a sofa, and a table.
Stored on the display shelf, which was likely intended for expensive ornaments, were several bottles of liquor. Apparently, Edward sometimes came over for a drink.
Beyond that was another door, which led to Ritz's bedroom. Opening it revealed a spacious room filled with sunlight. Being at the end of the second floor, this room had three large windows.
This had apparently been the master bedroom of the previous mansion's owners. Though Ritz didn't use them, there was a bathroom and a toilet, which had also been beautifully renovated. Come to think of it, even if they weren't used normally, they would be necessary when he was sick like today.
The expensive bed and the canopy hanging from the ceiling were luxuriously aristocratic. Ritz had tried to get rid of them during the renovations, but the contractors' kindness… or rather, their amusement… had led to them being sumptuously restored.
In that bed, which seemed strangely ill-suited for him, lay Ritz, his face flushed with fever, breathing with difficulty as he slept. His carelessly cut bangs were stuck to his forehead with sweat, and he looked somehow pained.
After adding more wood to the fireplace to keep the room warm, she gently touched his forehead; he was still quite hot. As sturdy as he was, she thought, sleeping in the snow without any cover was a bad idea.
The enamel basin she had brought contained ice water. As for ice to cool him down, there was an endless supply today, since it was so cold.
She wrung out a cold towel, wiped the sweat from his forehead, then chilled it again and placed it on his brow. She was always the one being looked after, so looking after him like this made her a little happy.
Should I wipe his body? As she wondered if he would dislike that, being an adult, Ritz's eyes fluttered open.
His dark brown eyes, usually nonchalant and cheerful, were slightly bloodshot and unfocused.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"…"
Ritz didn’t answer, but his eyes were still open. They were glazed over, and she couldn't tell where he was looking or what he was seeing, but if he was awake, this was a good time.
"Ritz, is there anything you want to eat?"
"…"
"Huh? What?"
He mumbled something deliriously, and unable to catch it, Anna leaned in to ask again.
"Cream stew from the Cheerful Seaman Inn."
She had to put her ear to his lips to finally hear it. Ritz had definitely mumbled those words.
"Cream stew from the Cheerful Seaman Inn, right? Got it."
Jotting it down, Anna found herself in a bit of a bind. She hadn't expected him to request a specific restaurant. If it were just regular cream stew, she could make it at home, but this she would have to go out and buy.
She loved Ritz, and he was always taking care of her, so she wanted to grant his request while he was sick, no matter what.
"I'll go buy it for you."
By the time Anna, having made her decision, announced this to Ritz, his eyes had closed again. It was the first time she'd seen him sleeping so defenselessly, and it felt fresh and made her a little happy, but she was still worried.
"Okay, I'm gonna do my best and go buy it!"
Anna struck a guts pose, psyching herself up.
It was just shopping, but it was also shopping.
Anna took a deep breath and solidified her resolve once more. If she didn't, she'd get nervous.
Because this would be the first time Anna had gone shopping alone since coming to the Royal Capital.
When she went downstairs and told Annie she was going shopping, Annie looked back at her, perplexed.
'Are you sure you'll be okay going out alone?'
"Yep. Annie, do you know a place called the Cheerful Seaman Inn?"
'I don't. But if it's called the Seaman Inn, it must be near the port.'
"You're right. Okay, I'll go check it out."
'But near the port is…'
With Annie's worried voice behind her, Anna began preparing to leave, putting on a slightly ill-fitting hand-me-down coat and wrapping a hand-me-down scarf around her neck.
It was a slightly daunting first errand, but if it was a request from Ritz, who was always looking out for her, she had no choice but to go.
Besides, there was nothing else she could do for him right now, and more than anything, she wanted to be useful to Ritz.
'Anna, the area near the port is dangerous.'
Annie said again, her voice laced with worry.
"I'll be fine. I'm just going to buy some stew."
'But still.'
To a troubled-looking Annie, Anna replied as cheerfully as she could.
"It's okay!"
'…All right. But please don't do anything reckless.'
Annie finally relented, sighing as she said it.
Is it really a place to be so worried about? She was a little anxious, but she had to go.
"Okay. Please look after Ritz for me."
Putting the money Franz had entrusted to her in her bag, Anna cheerfully dashed out of the house.
"I'm off!"
'Be careful, Anna!'
"I will!"
Leaving the house, Anna descended the main road that led from the mansion, away from the royal castle and towards the outer city. The road here was paved with cobblestones, so the snow had been cleanly cleared away.
Still, it was cold enough for Ritz to have frozen; it was cold again today. This was likely the start of the real winter.
She walked quickly down the slope, her breath white in the air. She was quite anxious, but for some reason, her heart was racing with excitement. A new experience is always fun, no matter how old you are.
Eventually, she reached a large road that intersected hers at a right angle. She had come this far with Ritz and Franz before.
This was the main street that ran through the center of the city, connecting to the traveler's district. It was deeply moving to think she had walked this road all the way from the far north.
Ritz had said this road connected the city entrance of Sears with the port. So, if she wanted to go to the port, she just had to walk straight.
Since the shop was apparently in the port area, she should have no problem if she just walked straight down this road toward the sea.
Her destination was near the port. As long as she could get to the port, she probably wouldn't get lost.
"Um, it's this way, right?"
Without hesitation, Anna turned towards the port. This road, called Central Avenue, was a commercial district running through the middle of the city, so the crowds were immense.
People bustled back and forth on both sides of the road, and public horse-drawn carriages ran down the center. Private carriages required a permit, but the public ones ran routes covering every corner of the city, able to take you anywhere.
Anna walked down the lively main street, looking around curiously. Unused to crowds, she bumped into people several times and had to apologize.
But even that was interesting. She'd never seen such a crowd when she was in the village, and since coming to this city, she'd spent most of her time at the palace or the house, so she didn't recall bumping into others much.
Besides, walking through the city alone made things she hadn't noticed before seem incredibly fresh.
"Wow, this restaurant looks expensive…"
She peeked into each shop, whispering her thoughts to herself.
"This chair is so nice… It would be cute in the drawing room."
This was the first time she had ever been able to wander around the city so freely. Franz had no interest in anything other than their destination, and Ritz barely looked at anything that didn't catch his own interest.
Even if she tried asking those two, "Isn't that cute?" the answer she'd get would be something like, "You think so?" so it was completely unsatisfying.
This kind of thing was really a girl's pleasure. But as it stood, Anna had no friends with whom to share such joys. She wanted to come with Annie, but she was a ghost, with no physical body.
If she were to lend Annie her body just to get out of the house, there would be no point in coming together at all.
At times like these, Anna would fondly remember Lira, the friend she had made in the city of Faldina.
"If only Lira were here… it would be so much fun."
With her, they could have surely looked at the shops together and had a fun time drinking tea. It was only about a month ago, but it felt so nostalgic.
As she peeked into one shop after another, she realized she had spent a considerable amount of time and steeled her resolve.
"No, no, I have to finish my shopping first!"
Murmuring to herself, Anna looked straight ahead and started walking toward the port.
The Royal Capital Sears was a truly massive city. It wasn't just people on foot who traversed the main street. Carriages and horses came and went, with no set flow of traffic. For a city novice like Anna, even walking in a straight line was a challenge.
Bumping into people left and right, Anna looked for all the world like a country bumpkin who had come to the Royal Capital for sightseeing.
Come to think of it, Ritz had said something like, 'In the city, country folk get targeted and run into trouble.'
Franz had nodded next to him with a serious face, so it was probably true. She'd brushed it off at the time, but what kind of trouble was he talking about?
Anna couldn't quite imagine.
As she was remembering this, someone from behind bumped into her hard. It didn't feel like an accident; it felt intentional.
"Ouch!"
She stumbled and complained, and a boy in a cap glanced up at her.
"Oops, my bad."
In that moment of surprise, Anna's grip on her bag loosened. The boy seized the opportunity and snatched it.
"Hey, my bag!"
The boy who had snatched her bag noticed her cry and took off at an incredible speed. She was stunned for a moment, but the words he threw back at her brought her to her senses.
"Don't take it personally!"
Of course she'd take it personally. If that bag was taken, it would be a disaster.
"Wait!"
It wasn't the bag that was important, it was the money inside. After all, that money was originally under Franz's management. If she told him it was stolen, it would be a serious problem.
With Ritz sick in bed, there was no one who could save her from Franz.
Anna chased after the boy, running with all her might. Her legs and back, already strong from farm work, had been further toned by walking on their journey. She had no intention of losing to a boy who had only ever lived in this city, large as it was, with its defined boundaries.
Gradually, the distance between them shrank. The boy who had snatched her bag glanced back, then ran desperately in a panic.
"I said wait!"
Her outstretched hand brushed past the boy as she ran, but she couldn't quite catch him. But she still had plenty of energy. Above all, she had to get back what was stolen.
"Why are you so fast?!"
She heard the boy ahead of her complain. He seemed to be out of breath. Anna closed the distance rapidly. At some point, they had turned off the main street and entered a less crowded road.
"I'm definitely not going to lose!"
"You're persistent!"
Now that there are fewer people, maybe I can try that technique?
The thought popped into Anna's head. In this situation, it probably wouldn't hurt to give it a try.
As the boy fled desperately, Anna issued her final warning to his back.
"I said wait! If you don't, I'll shoot!"
The boy, not understanding, continued to run in confusion. Anna stopped, raised her hands above her head, and focused her mind. She could feel the water spirits slowly gathering.
"Fly, Water Sphere!"
A sphere of water, born from the glow in her palm, flew shining toward the boy. Unfortunately, the sphere passed just barely by his side.
"I knew it wouldn't hit…"
"Crap! She's a spirit user!"
The boy's voice, almost a scream, reached Anna's ears. He probably never imagined that she was a spirit user.
If it was so bad, he should just stop.
"I told you to wait!"
Anna threw the [Water Sphere]s she had just learned and had absolutely no control over at the fleeing boy.
She had only come to do some shopping today, so she didn't have the Earth Spirit's arrows, which would have stopped the boy's legs more easily. Now, she had no choice but to fight with what she had.
Suddenly, Franz's face flashed in her mind. When Franz had given her that money, he had worn a serious expression and instructed her not to waste it and to be frugal.
Perhaps because she remembered that, her control faltered for a moment. No, no, I have to concentrate.
"I said stop! It’s not my fault if you get hit!"
"Like I'd let that happen!"
Perhaps realizing that Anna's [Water Sphere]s had low accuracy, the boy ran desperately. She really needed to practice properly, or this was completely useless.
Moreover, it wasn't just the direction of the [Water Sphere] that was out of her control. Anna, who had been trying to create a small sphere that would fit in her palm, lost control, and a sphere large enough to overflow from both her hands formed.
And she still hadn't been taught by Evans and Franz how to make it disappear midway.
"Whoa! Why is this one so… big!"
Flustered by the massive [Water Sphere] in her hands, she instinctively threw it at the boy.
"Ah! I threw it!"
If it hit, he would get hurt. No, it might be worse than just getting hurt. In a panic, Anna shouted at the boy.
"Look out! Dodge!"
"Huh?"
The boy turned around at Anna's desperate shout, saw the fifty to sixty-centimeter-diameter sphere of water hurtling toward him, stood frozen, and screamed.
"You've gotta be kidding me!"
Frozen in shock and terror, the boy didn't move. Anna tried to shield him, but she was too far away and wouldn't make it in time.
The inevitable result was that the [Water Sphere] hit the boy directly.
"Waaaaaaaaah!!"
The moment Anna, the one who had shot it, flinched, the boy was sent flying.
"Whoa… it actually hit…"
She couldn't help but murmur. The boy, along with the [Water Sphere], was slammed face-first into the ground. Rushing over to him, Anna found herself shouting at the top of her lungs.
"I'm sooooo sorry!!"
But there was no reply from the boy; he went limp and didn't move. What should I do? For a moment, she started to panic, then she remembered something.
This was the second person she'd seen knocked unconscious today.