28 - A Visit from the City
Once the pain in her back subsided, Aurelia's workshop seclusion resumed. She'd hole up in the workshop all day, compounding medicines over and over, coming out only when she got hungry to eat.
...I know this type. The kind they call corporate slaves or good-for-nothings.
That's what I thought, but since Aurelia is the only one who can make medicine, there's no helping it. It's not like Aurelia enjoys spending every moment outside of meals in the workshop either.
...More like a black company, maybe?
Aurelia is the only one who can make medicine. Even when she takes on apprentices, they run away halfway and never amount to anything. If a disease ran rampant, even if the Black Knights and Sedovara Church could help gather materials, Aurelia would be the only one who could finally finish the medicine.
...Before Aurelia-san retires, she absolutely needs to train at least one apprentice, preferably three with room to spare.
I let out a quiet sigh as I ground the medicinal herbs Aurelia had prepared. By the way, these herbs are apparently for a backache ointment. I'm supposed to smear it on cloth and apply it to the affected area. She said something about how since I'm just grinding the prepared ingredients according to instructions, it doesn't count as leaking pharmaceutical secrets, but basically, I think she's just busy so she's making me do it.
...Ever since she figured out I know she's a reincarnated person and I came clean about it, I feel like Aurelia-san has stopped holding back.
Specifically, she took half my candy stash as so-called hush money. She won't take candy from a little girl, but apparently when you know there's an adult inside, the conditions are the same. And up until then she'd at least show her face morning and evening, but now she only appears when she's hungry. Of course, I'm the one making the meals Aurelia eats when she does.
...I'm a little girl, but I'm taking care of an old woman. Isn't this supposed to be the other way around!?
I think Aurelia needs a helper before she needs an apprentice. Otherwise even a promising apprentice would spend their whole day just taking care of Aurelia.
...About half a month since Leonardo-san returned to the city... I wonder how the epidemic is doing? I hope it's calming down.
The Black Knights bring in materials gathered through periodic purchasing, and they take the finished medicines when they come. There's exchange of medicine and materials, but the knights who come to the valley seem to be from a different order than the one Leonardo belongs to, so not much new information comes in. It'd be good if Aurelia's medicine was working and the epidemic was subsiding, but getting no information at all is worrying. As always, Aurelia and the Black Knights converse in English, so Aurelia herself probably hears at least a little, but she doesn't bother to tell me about it. Once I went to ask what they were talking about, but she shooed me away saying she was busy. When she says that, knowing how hard Aurelia is working to the point of neglecting sleep and meals, I can't press her further.
I set aside the grinding bowl with the mixed herbs and slump onto the desk. With a little girl's stamina, taking care of an old woman and myself, making medicine ingredients, and preparing backache ointment is rough. If I don't take breaks now and then, I'll be the one to collapse. As soon as I close my eyes lightly, drowsiness comes over me.
Just as I'd started to drift into a light dream, a knock woke me up. Aurelia wouldn't knock, so it must be the Black Knights delivering goods again. With my head still fuzzy, I got down from the chair and opened the front door. Standing there was a beautiful young man with golden hair glittering in the sunlight.
...Huh? Who is this again?
I'd been sure it was another Black Knight, but instead a prince had come. That was the impression.
...No, wait. I should know this person... right?
I stared at the young man, tilting my head in a girlish way while my mind alone raced busily. I definitely recognized him, but the name wouldn't come to me immediately. I lowered my gaze from his eye-catching blonde hair and saw he was clad in black armor.
...So he is a Black Knight after all.
As I started thinking about Black Knights with blonde hair who I'd met before, the young man furrowed his brow in apparent distress.
"...Did you forget? I mean, it has been about a month since we met."
"Umm... Alf-san?"
At his slightly gentle address, the name popped into my head. I'd gotten to know quite a few Black Knights, but few had such a soft way of speaking.
At the name I'd finally remembered, the young man, Alf, let out a sigh of relief. He probably hadn't expected to be forgotten in just one month.
...I didn't think I'd fail to remember right away either.
That said, what I'd been doing since coming to the valley was mainly helping Aurelia and cooking. My thoughts wouldn't extend to Leonardo's social circle. Besides, the only people I'd gotten to know since leaving the village were all Black Knights except Aurelia. Blonde hair was distinctive, sure, but I had no impression of him beyond being one of many Black Knights.
Unaware of my slight awkwardness at not being able to recall immediately, Alf lowered himself to meet my eyes.
"Leonardo is too busy to leave the fortress, so I came to pick you up instead."
"Pick up... go to city? I can go?"
"It's more that I'd very much like to have you come and observe you up close."
"...Observe?"
At a glance, Alf was a flawless handsome man, but I wondered if he had a hobby of observing little girls.
...Is Alf-san actually dangerous?
When I stepped back a few paces to put distance between us, he seemed to realize I was on guard. Alf gave a wry smile and added more words.
"I don't mean it in a weird way. You lived in Meiyu Village, but you were the only one who didn't catch the disease, right? Leonardo thought that by observing your daily habits, we might find hints for infection prevention."
Alf even told me the inside story that Leonardo had twisted that reasoning to try to call me over.
...I don't think it's right to send a Black Knight on a personal errand, Leonardo-san.
Or should I appreciate that he was rational enough not to come get me himself? As I was agonizing over this, Aurelia came out of the workshop. Whether she came to eat or noticed the neighing of Alf's horse was a mystery.
"This kid didn't get infected thanks to hygiene management. Bratty as she is, she washes herself on her own, washes her hands frequently... Even if infectious agents attached to her body, she probably washed them off before she could develop symptoms."
Saying "this kid," Aurelia's hand roughly ruffled my head. My head wobbled back and forth, making me a bit dizzy, and my hair was a mess.
"Hygiene... Ah, that would certainly lower the chance of infection. There were traces of the infectious agent-carrying wagons stopping at several villages and towns, but while there were villages where everyone died, apparently there were no reports of entire towns being wiped out."
You'd think infection would spread more in crowded towns, but apparently not.
...Keeping clean is important, huh.
The lack of a bathing culture in the village was probably a big factor. I watched Alf asking Aurelia, who had appeared, whether it was alright to take me away, and suddenly noticed something strange.
...What is it? Something's weird... Huh?
I realized what the odd feeling was when Alf returned from the annex carrying my change of clothes and the tin of candy. As for me, I was sitting in front of Aurelia-san having my hair braided.
"...Why is Aurelia-san talking? Alf-san, Black Knight."
I tried to lift my face to look at Aurelia without thinking, but she pressed my head down as usual. Apparently I wasn't allowed to move until she finished braiding my hair.
"If you're wondering about that, it means Aurelia talks with Tina."
"Aurelia-san, quite chatty, y'know."
It wasn't Aurelia who answered my question, but Alf, who was tilting his head while packing clothes into a bag. The reason he was tilting his head was probably the number of candy tins. The first one I got from Yurgen, then one from Leonardo via Lorenz, and somehow word must have spread because every time other Black Knights brought food and medicine ingredients, they'd bring me candy too. Half had ended up in Aurelia's stomach, but since I'd been eating them carefully, quite a lot remained.
"Alf-lad is more of a runaway boy than a Black Knight, I'd say."
"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop with the 'lad.' I've been an adult for quite some time now."
"I've known Alf-lad since before he was born, so I can't very well pretend I only understand English now. How did that kid end up becoming a Black Knight..."
Muttering complaints under her breath, Aurelia seemed to have finished the braiding. She tied off my hair with a big lace ribbon with a firm tug.
"...What's this ribbon? It's really pretty."
I brought the end of the ribbon around from the back of my head to observe it. The delicate lace was woven from thin white thread. Connected flower patterns, with small beads that had a pearlescent luster at the flower centers.
"Something I made to pass the time when I was young. I made it, but I was past the age for wearing lace ribbons. I'm giving it to you. Think of it as wages for all your help so far and take it."
"Really!? Thank you, Aurelia-san."
Cute things make me genuinely happy. Especially since things like this only suit you when you're a small child. As a little girl now, even if I wore a lace ribbon that was too adorable, no one would laugh at me. In my past life, by the time I could freely buy things like this, I was past the age where they'd suit me, and I wasn't the type to just brazenly wear what I liked over what suited me. I was afraid of being laughed at for being too old for it, so I pretended I wasn't even interested. I had more than a little longing for lace ribbons.
"You can only wear things like this while you're a kid, you know. You're a terrible tomboy inside, but if you keep quiet, you're top quality. It suits you well."
"That doesn't feel like a compliment."
...And as expected, you have your own feelings about lace ribbons, don't you.
Maybe Aurelia had similar feelings to my past self. That's probably why she made lace ribbons but couldn't use them herself.
I pouted my lips in protest, and she confidently replied that she was complimenting my face. Alf nodded when Aurelia sought his agreement, but that was mostly due to Aurelia's coercion. I couldn't tell what Alf himself really thought.
"...I go city. Aurelia-san, no see again?"
"Well, people don't usually come to a valley like this so easily."
She continued, saying that anyone who approached without permission would be cut down by the Black Knight guards at the entrance. I already understood that wasn't a joke. Unless I became an apprentice to the wise woman, I probably wouldn't see Aurelia again. Realizing that, I suddenly felt lonely. Since parting from my parents in death, Aurelia was the person I'd spent the longest time with.
"...All my candy left... give to Aurelia-san."
"Aurelia-san likes candy, right?" I took out the candy tins Alf had packed in the bag and stacked them on the table. I felt a little regret over the honey-flavored candies, but Aurelia seemed to like them too, so they shouldn't go to waste.
"Helper... gone. You be okay?"
Feeling a little reluctant to leave, I looked up at Aurelia. Our eyes met, and Aurelia pressed my head with her wrinkled hand, rubbing it a bit roughly.
"Most of the ingredients are gathered, so if it doesn't spread further, it'll be fine. The rest depends on Alf-lad and his lot's work."
At Aurelia's words, we both turned our gaze to Alf. As for Alf, who had become the center of attention, he gave a wry smile and replied, "I'll do what I can."
[Author's Note]
I'll fix typos and errors later... orz Next up is probably the journey from Alf's perspective, or maybe Leonardo's little sister doting diary again.
Fixed typos and errors. Also added some bits here and there.