244 - The Worst, Most Terrible, Most Fearsome Weapon
"I will decipher Saint Yuuta Hiraga's research materials and revive three of the lost secret arts."
Even I think that is a pretty bold claim, but I am sorry to say I do not feel it is impossible. I feel bad for the people of the Sedovara Church who are making a fuss about Aurelia dying and most of Saint Yuuta Hiraga's secret arts being lost, but I can decipher research materials written in Japanese. I had only read a little, but those miscellaneous notes masquerading as research materials recorded the processes and observations of all kinds of research, right alongside truly petty complaints and daily musings. In such detail that even an amateur like me felt I could reproduce them.
...They even wrote the failure results and countermeasures as if they were just tacked on after their thoughts on dinner, those notes.
There is a lot of useless writing, but on the other hand, that means there is a lot of information. Since even the failed parts are written in detail, along with the pursuit of the reasons for failure and the solutions right down to the finest points, I feel like it is something I can accomplish. Saint Yuuta Hiraga probably did not write the research materials as an instruction manual, but for someone who can read Japanese, it is a godsend.
...But still, my heart feels heavy.
I think reviving Saint Yuuta Hiraga's secret arts is a good thing. If medicines thought to be lost can be revived, many people who would otherwise die could be saved by those medicines. However, the reason I proposed reviving the secret arts is not for the sake of someone suffering from illness. It is for a very selfish reason, to protect myself. For a selfish reason, I am trying to turn medicines that should save people's lives into weapons.
"I think reviving the secret arts sounds difficult... are you really sure it will be alright?"
After seeing Alfred off in the entrance hall, I was staring blankly at the door when Leonardo worriedly spoke to me. The thing making me feel gloomy and the thing he was worried about were slightly misaligned, but he was certainly worried about me, so I decided to honestly accept his kindness. When I hugged Leonardo tightly around the waist, his large hand stroked my head.
"I am a terrible child, aren't I."
I had only spoken what was on my mind, but my heart felt a little lighter. Wondering if I could ease up a bit more like this, I pressed my forehead against Leonardo's side and acted spoiled.
"...Tina is a bit of a tomboy sometimes, but you are a good, obedient child."
"I think being an easy-to-manage, obedient child and being a good child are different things."
Demand more, stroke my head, I urged, pressing my head further into Leonardo's body. Then I could sense Leonardo wryly smiling from above, and his hand moved down to my back instead of my head. He patted my back gently, and though I thought I was being completely treated like a child, this was also the pampering I had wanted, so I gratefully let myself be spoiled.
"Tina is not an evil child, you know?"
"I am such an evil child that even Leo would be surprised."
Was it really proper for me to be clinging to my brother in the entrance hall like this forever? After indulging in Leonardo's affection for a good while, I reluctantly parted from him, deciding I was satisfied. Hermine would overlook a little bit of acting spoiled, but too much would earn me a lecture about it not being ladylike. Now that I am eleven, I need to gradually become less dependent on my brother.
"...I do not think reviving the secret arts is all that difficult."
Those miscellaneous notes masquerading as research materials with the research process written in detail still remain. I am confident that if I trace the research of that time, I will be able to revive the secret arts someday, so I do not feel any anxiety on that front. What is making me reluctant is something else that is bothering me.
I took Leonardo's hand, who looked like he wanted to say something, and tried to move locations, but instead he took my hand and turned it into an escort. Even though he is clueless about not just a woman's heart but even the subtleties of a little girl's feelings, Leonardo is oddly smooth when it comes to escorting. I find that a little mysterious.
"If it is not the secret arts, then what is bothering you so much, Tina? You seem a bit down."
"...Exactly what I said. I was just thinking what a terribly wicked child I am, to come up with such a nasty idea."
When I returned to the living room escorted by Leonardo, fresh tea was ready by the time I sat down on the couch. I brought the perfectly warm tea to my lips and decided to explain to Leonardo why my proposal had thankfully received full marks from Alfred.
"Aurelia-san was holed up in Waiyakku Valley, but I heard she had strong influence in the Sedovara Church."
"Because she held Saint Yuuta Hiraga's secret arts. There was no one who could truly keep Aurelia in check."
"I proposed to Alfred-sama that I would do the same thing."
"The same thing as Aurelia..."
Reviving Saint Yuuta Hiraga's secret arts simply means standing in a position similar to Aurelia's. If you read between the lines, my evaluation would not be 'good child' but 'evil child.' And Leonardo, who is 'good' in both the best and worst senses, could not possibly understand the subtext of my words.
"Imagine it. Reviving Saint Yuuta Hiraga's secret arts is also the Sedovara Church's long-cherished wish. Naturally, if I can do that, the Sedovara Church will..."
I paused and rephrased myself. Trying to dress my words up prettily would surely never get through to Leonardo. That is what I thought.
"I can use the revival of the secret arts as bait to control the Sedovara Church."
"Well, I suppose so. The prescriptions for Saint Yuuta Hiraga's secret arts are something the Sedovara Church would want badly enough to reach for them from the throat. If they could skip the work of transcription, translation, research, experimentation, verification, and then correcting translation errors..."
"Leonyaldo Big Brother-sama, I am talking about even further ahead."
"Further?"
"Put simply, if I can control the Sedovara Church, I could 'hold the people's lives as a shield' and even His Majesty the King would not be able to handle me carelessly."
At the easy-to-understand words 'the people's lives,' Leonardo's expression tightened. He must have finally understood that his cute, cute little sister he had been wrapping in his arms was actually an incredibly evil existence. It was not just because my proposal was the answer Alfred had hoped for as royalty that he gave it full marks. It was because this proposal was too vicious as a weapon. If I brought this out, anyone who has a thinking mind and a heart would be unable to oppose me.
"If I displease them, the Sedovara Church's benefits will be cut off. To put it in terms that are easy for Leonyaldo Big Brother-sama to understand, things like having the dispatch of pharmacists refused if I fall ill, or Sedovara Church doctors refusing treatment even if someone is injured at the fortress."
Of course, in matters concerning my life since I can read Japanese, the Sedovara Church would not refuse to prescribe medicine for me, but this is just an example. Using myself as an example was the quickest way to make it tangible for Leonardo.
Since Leonardo was the example, I used myself and the fortress's Black Knights, but for nobles with territories or the king, the scale of hostages expands to their subjects and citizens. I do not think the Sedovara Church, which works with people's lives, would actually carry out such sanctions, and I do not intend to execute them either. And Alfred probably trusts that I am not the kind of person to seriously do something like this. That is why Alfred allowed me to use this as a weapon and can still smile.
The people who need to fear me are only those with something to hide. Because they themselves are like that, they cannot help but be overly vigilant that I might use similar tactics against them. Being overly wary of others is a bit uncomfortable, but if this serves as a deterrent, then that is fine. Either way, I proposed reviving the secret arts fully aware that this would work as a deterrent. I am trying to turn arts that save lives into a weapon to protect myself.
"I think it is the worst, most terrible, most fearsome weapon."
In terms of use, it is more of armor than a weapon, but to those who need to be wary of it, it must look like nothing but a vicious weapon. I chose to use people's lives as a shield. The person who came up with this seems terribly cowardly and frightening to me. But thinking about it the other way, I realized Alfred and Christoph had assumed this approach from the beginning. The reason they treat me with such excessively careful courtesy and generously overlook my still-rude wording and attitude is probably simply that they want to maintain peaceful relations with me. For both sides, it is more convenient to overlook a little rudeness as something a child does rather than suppress me poorly and earn my resentment.
"...Well then, now that I have said it, I will revive the secret arts."
I forced a bright voice as if to shake off the heavy mood. From here on, I want to switch my mindset. It is true that the shield I chose as a weapon is terrible, but it is a shield I do not plan to actually use. I do not want to feel more guilt than necessary, and I would like to look the other way.
"That is quick to decide."
"Because I want to go back to the city of Grenore soon."
Now then, where to start, I wondered a little. Since I want to move my hands to organize my thoughts, I asked Ulrika to bring my writing board and chalk from my room.
"For now, what I need is the research materials in Grenore, right?"
The premise is that I will revive the secret arts written in the research materials. Nothing can begin without thoroughly reading the research materials written in Japanese.
"I do not have the compounding skills myself, so I think I will need to borrow a pharmacist from the Sedovara Church for the actual work. When I checked with Alfred-sama, he said we would be able to get the help."
Since I tend to be shy around strangers, I would prefer to borrow Barbara's help, who has moved to the Sedovara Church in the capital. Barbara had a somewhat harsh personality, but we spent one winter together. It would be much easier than being introduced to someone I have never met before.
"If they hear it is an attempt to revive Saint Yuuta Hiraga's secret arts, the Sedovara Church will probably send a skilled pharmacist..."
"An experienced person is appealing, but I think it would be a problem if it is someone with a rigid head who thinks 'I am a veteran pharmacist.'"
After all, the one reading the research materials is me, still only eleven years old. The more senior the veteran pharmacist, the less they would want to take orders from a child. I would prefer someone who values reviving the secret arts more than their pride as a pharmacist, who does not belittle the source of information, and who is interested in the endeavor itself.
...But it would also be a problem if they sent a truly green youth.
If they sent a completely fresh pharmacist, there would be no point in borrowing one from the Sedovara Church.
...Is there anyone? A young pharmacist who would properly listen to a child's input.
I tried to think of pharmacists I knew, but there were very few that came to mind since I tend to keep to myself. Aurelia, Barbara, Jasper who was doing transcription work at the residence, and the face of the doctor who treated Teo after he was bitten by the black dog, who left a bad impression on me. If we are counting acquaintances, Paula is also included, but she lost her teacher while studying medicine and has not even reached the starting line as a pharmacist. In my case, trying to procure a pharmacist from among my acquaintances was nearly impossible from the start.
"What about Jasper, who has been doing transcription work in Grenore all this time? Tina is already used to him, and he fits the condition of being neither old guard nor a rookie."
"Huh? Can Jasper be borrowed?"
At Leonardo's suggestion, my eyes widened in surprise. If Jasper can be borrowed, it would be a choice I could not wish for more. As Leonardo said, I am already acquainted with him and familiar with his temperament, and he was a great help when we cared for Words Disease patients in the fortress's isolation ward. Though he seemed to have intended for me to persuade Leonardo to stop medicating Jean-Jacques, he listened when I said I wanted to see Jean-Jacques's condition and guided me to the basement. He is a bit crude and harsh, but I considered Jasper someone I could trust.
"Grenore and the capital have different jurisdictions, but they are the same Sedovara Church. They should cooperate with moving their pharmacists around. If we explain the content of the endeavor, they will probably want to send pharmacists from even more branches."
Since we need to bring the research materials back from Grenore, we decided to ask about it while we were at it, and the conversation circled back to the start. No matter how we proceed, without the research materials in hand, nothing can move forward.
"Even if I go to get the research materials from Grenore first thing tomorrow morning, it would still take two months to reach the capital."
Actually, even just to request the research materials, we might need permission from the king or someone who decided to send the materials to Grenore, so we probably will not be able to make any moves for a while yet. Just as Alfred accompanied the materials as an escort when they were transported to Grenore, if one of the royals is going to retrieve them, we will need to arrange an escort for them as well.
"No, the reason this trip took over a month was because Alfred-sama was accompanying us as royalty. If Alfred-sama moves as one of the Silver-White Knights without using a carriage, the time can be shortened a bit."
Leonardo estimated that with relay horses it would take twenty days round trip, and just a little over a month traveling by normal horse. It seems the elegant carriage travel really did take a lot of time.
"...Still, Tina really is a reincarnated person."
"Is something the matter?"
"No, I was just thinking your way of thinking is different from a child's."
He was surprised anew that I was calculating the procedures and timeframes before taking action, thinking ahead to the future. For my part, I wanted to avoid failure as much as possible and did not want to waste time, so I was just thinking carefully, but it certainly may not have been childlike. Ordinary children rush forward without thinking of consequences. A cautious child like me, who thinks too much and does not act quickly, is probably rare.
"I am all talk. I only think and never act on it."
It sounds nice to say I deliberate before acting, but if the results do not follow, all the time spent thinking is wasted. Judging only by visible actions, it is the same as doing nothing.
"...I think not being good at speaking, not being able to act spoiled toward my parents, all of it was because I was always thinking about unnecessary things."
I was embarrassed that I could not speak well, so I never even sang along when imitating Mother's lullaby. I thought since my heart was an adult even if my current body age was a child, I never said childish, selfish things to my parents. I was an easy child, but for my parents, having me as their first child must have felt a bit lacking.
"You spoil me plenty, though."
"If Leo does not like it, I will stop."
"There is no way I would dislike it."
Leonardo laughed in a way that seemed somehow proud of himself, which annoyed me, so I huffily turned my face away. When Leonardo's finger poked my puffed-out cheek, I turned around and bit down on it as hard as I could. It had been quite a while since I bit his finger.
"I want to become a reliable big brother that my little sister can depend on."
As he said this, Leonardo's arms reached out, so I let myself be held this time. He pulled me close and pressed his lips to my forehead, so I wrapped my arms around his side.
"Then, I will unreservedly keep acting spoiled with Leonyaldo Big Brother-sama, just as I always have."
I pressed my body close and put my ear to Leonardo's chest. I could hear the comforting beat of his heart. I have heard somewhere that listening to someone else's heartbeat has a calming effect, and it must be true. I could feel the tension draining from my shoulders.
[Author's Note]
Even from the first day of resuming updates, the update time ends up like this.