190 - Jean-Jacques's Return
I imagine it was thanks to Alf's groundwork, but we received permission to stay in Waiyakku Valley from the Sedovara Church. Since I would be treated as an acquaintance rather than a disciple of medicine, unlike the disciples who ran away midway, I did not forget to secure a guarantee that I could return to the city once the period of stay was over. It seems the Sedovara Church is hoping I will persuade Aurelia to move, since she has never invited anyone to her home of her own will before. Aurelia is also getting on in years, so they want her to at least move closer to civilization.
For that reason, my way of spending this winter is to immerse myself in making travel plans to Aurelia's house. Since it was confirmed I would be away for a long time, I finished all the embroidery for the Spring Blossom Festival. I got a little bored, but Aurelia said she would teach me lacemaking, so I did not go out of my way to take on new embroidery work. I gathered the materials and tools Aurelia told me about in her letters, little by little.
"...This year, we will leave early. First, you will send me to Waiyakku Valley, then Leonyaldo-san will go to Mehl Fortress for the Divine King Festival. Then come back to Waiyakku Valley, pick up Kalisa, and head to Mandez City, Lugmilama Fortress, and..."
After that, return to Grenore via Lagarette, then come to Waiyakku Valley to pick me up again. That was Leonardo's travel plan. He showed me the route on a map while explaining, and it was a journey that traced roughly a circle. Looking at it broadly, it seemed like he was moving across about a quarter of the country's land in just one winter. It is amazing that Leonardo does this every year. By the way, apparently next year the Divine King Festival rites are scheduled to be held at Grenore Fortress.
"...Looking at it like this, asking you to deliver a package to Jemian-sama in Lagarette is not exactly 'on the way' at all, is it."
The itinerary was something Leonardo had arranged considerately so that I could stay in Waiyakku Valley as long as possible, but because I was given priority, Leonardo's travel distance and schedule were tight. Adding a mischievous package to that made me feel not just a little, but genuinely bad.
"...I could skip the valley and return to Mandez alone via Lagarette."
That way, Leonardo would have one less stop at Waiyakku Valley, and the luggage would be lighter, said Kalisa. Coming from the shy Kalisa, this was a surprising suggestion, but both I and Leonardo rejected it immediately.
"A young lady traveling alone? I am absolutely against that."
"Now that Iridal entrusted her to me, I have a duty to deliver Kalisa safely to the Mandez residence. Besides, Tina says carrying the painting is 'on the way.' There is no need to rush."
Right? Leonardo confirmed, and I nodded firmly. I had promised to show the embroidered painting to Jemian once, but there was no need to rush. There was absolutely no reason to make Kalisa take risks.
"Kalisa will either come with me to Mehl Fortress, or babysit Tina at Aurelia's house until the rites are over."
"Kalisa is not chatty, so I think Aurelia-san would be fine with her."
"We will not know that unless we ask Aurelia herself."
Aurelia had approved my stay, but it was uncertain whether she would approve a nursemaid staying with me. We would need to get permission for an attendant's stay in advance.
Hermine would be entrusted with the residence while we were away. She was originally supposed to be here as my tutor, but it felt like I was making her house-sit both last winter and this winter. When I apologized for that, she encouraged me, saying it would be fine if my English studies progressed under Aurelia, who only spoke English. She also told me to thoroughly learn the pronunciations I was bad at.
...She also gave me a hefty amount of homework.
Hermine handed me a bundle of paper so I could write a diary in English. In class we used a writing board, but of course I could not save everything on a writing board over so many days. That was what the paper was for. Paper was not as cheap as in my previous life, so it felt a bit wasteful to use it for a child's studies, but I had to write a diary every day during my stay, so it could not be helped.
In the middle of winter, Jean-Jacques returned from the pioneer village and showed his face at the residence. A year ago, he had been a mummy wrapped in bandages over almost his entire body, but now most of the bandages were off. The only bandages remaining were on the left half of his face. According to Jean-Jacques, he had succumbed to the intense itching while suffering from Wards disease, and it seemed to have left severe scratch scars. For now it was bandaged, but apparently he planned to hide it with a cool mask or something eventually.
"To have scars left on your face..."
I wondered what to say to cheer him up, but only for a moment. I did not know if it was only women who cared about facial scars, or if Jean-Jacques simply did not mind. In any case, the core of Jean-Jacques's idea of wearing a mask and hiding the scars seemed to be the utterly ridiculous reason of "I would look cool hiding my face behind a mask!" and I was troubled by the detailed preferences he revealed for a mask he had not even made yet.
...I worried for nothing.
He seemed totally fine, so I stepped on his foot, but Jean-Jacques just laughed it off without even acting hurt. I thought it was a little strange, but pointing out that he was probably just putting on a brave face seemed too tactless, so I pretended not to notice.
"...You said you would work until just before winter, but that was pretty long, huh."
It was not just the end of autumn. It was now the middle of winter. Working longer than planned. Was he surprisingly hardworking? I was thinking about that when Jean-Jacques shrugged and told me the reason he extended his stay.
"Figured some of 'em would find it hard to live in the city and come back, y'know."
He said he had prepared extra winter supplies for those who fled back from the city. I had briefly thought about it when the former patients returned from the pioneer village, but apparently there were some who had felt uncomfortable in the city.
"...Did people come back?"
"A few."
"Just a few," he said, and counted on his fingers to show me. The number was less than five people, but considering how many had returned, it was close to a third. That did not seem like a very good trend.
He said he first had to report his return to Leonardo, and I saw him off as he went upstairs. I wanted to hear more about the pioneer village, but since I had been scolded once for eavesdropping, I obediently returned to my room.
At dinner time, Leonardo told me about Jean-Jacques's future. Jean-Jacques's punishment for bringing the infection back to the city was not over yet. He would spend this winter in Grenore City, but come spring, he was to be sent to the Villeup Fortress in the east.
Villeup Fortress was a fortress with a somewhat different character from Grenore Fortress or Lugmilama Fortress. While Grenore Fortress guarded the border and was a place where many knights were stationed, Villeup Fortress had retired Black Knights serving as instructors, and people recognized for their talent as knight apprentices were gathered there. It functioned as something like a knight training school. In this country, to be recognized as a knight, one first had to train at Villeup Fortress for a minimum of three years. Sending an active Black Knight there meant he had to start his training over from scratch. For an active Black Knight to undergo re-education mixed in with those who were not even full knights yet must be quite painful emotionally.
...It is like being told to start over from elementary school, right?
Well, probably not literally elementary school. At most, middle school or high school. In any case, it should be a harsh punishment for Jean-Jacques.
"Villeup Fortress falls under Ethelbert-sama's jurisdiction, does it not..."
"...Somehow, I feel like they will hit it off and cause trouble."
By the next time we meet, Jean-Jacques might have changed from a Black Knight into some role as Nikubenki's attendant. As I was thinking about that, Leonardo told me a bit about the area around Villeup Fortress.
The fact that Villeup Fortress was in a desert, and that the desert was created by the incident that became the origin of the Recollection Festival, was touched upon in the Recollection Festival play. It was originally a barren land, but it seemed that little by little it was becoming a place where people could live. To not forget the sins of the past, to not repeat the same mistakes, the Villeup Desert had been designated as the territory of a retired king. Watching over the barren land and not forgetting humanity's sins was their way of atoning for their sins, it seemed.
The royal mausoleum was also built in the Villeup Desert. Apparently this started because the king who had poured his heart and soul into reviving the barren land was thought to be reluctant to leave that land.
"By the way, it seemed Bertrand-sama had business with Jean-Jacques."
"The timing did not work out."
I remembered and brought it up, thinking I should let them know Jean-Jacques had returned, but Leonardo somehow avoided my eyes. Something seemed strange. Without pointing it out, I observed carefully, and Leonardo shrugged slightly. I did not think it was even a staring contest, but it seemed I had won. Leonardo muttered something that sounded like an excuse, saying "I will at least send word of his return."
[Author's Note]
Time is up.
Typos and omissions again another day. Fixed any typos and omissions I found.