518 - IF Toughness ~Tough Me Won't Be Pessimistic~ 3
"Anton-san!"
My isolation ended surprisingly quickly. While Jean-Jacques, who was confined at the same time, had clearly developed the illness, I showed no signs of Wards' disease even after twice the incubation period had passed, despite having lived in a village destroyed by it.
Having received notice that I could freely leave the room where I had been isolated starting today, what I wanted was a reunion with the goat couple, Anton and his wife. It was all well and good that I brought them from Meiyu Village, but I had not been able to check on them once since arriving in the city of Grenore.
"Nya-what a surprise!? The care from Jasper is perfect-rat!?"
The state of the goat couple, whom I reunited with for the first time in a while in the backyard of Sedovara Church, was more perfect than when I was taking care of them. Their bodies had been wiped clean, and moreover, they smelled faintly of fresh green leaves. From what I heard, the milk production was also good, and they were even selling goat milk at the dining hall for apothecaries within Sedovara Church.
...This is unearned income.
I was the one who brought the goats, but Jasper is the one taking care of them. Despite this, Jasper had been saving the goat milk sales, though it was a meager amount, as my allowance. How should I put it, I feel like I can't really hold my head up against Jasper.
Speaking of money, it seems the state will pay for my treatment costs—or more accurately, the living expenses during the isolation period when there was a suspicion of infection. It wouldn't work this way for normal injuries or illnesses, but in this case, it was an infectious disease. They cannot leave treatment neglected because of a lack of money and risk spreading the infection to others. When I was in Meiyu Village, I didn't know the state's systems, let alone the King's name, but Jasper told me whenever I asked about things I was curious about. I have the wedding rings of my parents that I found when leaving home, thinking I might need money someday, but for now, it seems there is no need to exchange them for cash.
...Now, what should I do from here?
Father told me to rely on the orphanage. As a precaution, I have been told to stay within Sedovara Church for another month, and as for my future course of action, Jasper had made an offer. If I intend to live while hiding the secret that I can read Japanese, he would become my guardian since he knows the circumstances. He said that if I am a child the Daltwa couple had an eye on, he could take care of me until there is a prospect of me becoming independent.
...I didn't think reincarnators were recognized. And that there is demand for Japanese reincarnators, of all things.
Little by little—this too, the fact that he didn't tell me everything at once was likely to time it so other people wouldn't overhear—Jasper told me that Japanese reincarnators are apparently being sought after. Something about prescriptions (recipes) left by great figures of the past being written in Japanese.
From what I hear from Jasper, I feel like there is no absolute need to hide it. Rather, if necessary, I wouldn't mind reading Japanese. That's what I think, but for some reason, I've followed Jasper's instructions and haven't told anyone that I am a reincarnator with memories of being Japanese in my previous life. Looking at Jasper's demeanor, there must be some disadvantage to telling people that is definitely being hidden.
"Are you Tina Meiyu-chan?"
"Yes, that's right-res... wait, a sparkling handsome guy-kiraaa!?"
While I was stroking the goat's back, I was spoken to from behind by an unfamiliar voice. Since I didn't feel any particularly unpleasant atmosphere, I turned around naturally, and standing there was a sparkling beautiful young man with blond hair and blue eyes like nothing I had ever seen. This is the first time I've seen such a beautiful young man in this life. In my previous life, I feel like I saw beautiful people on TV or in movies, but not in this life.
...He's too handsome, my eyes are closing.
Feeling a slight aversion to the beautiful young man who called himself Alf, I somehow retreated behind the goat, Anton. With the goat as a breakwater, I wondered if the sparkling aura would soften even a little.
"This is the first time I've been so guarded against by a young girl."
"..."
...I suppose so, I'm sorry.
He's too handsome to approach. That's how I feel, but ordinary girls probably love young men with well-featured faces. I feel more relaxed with an ordinary face like Jasper's, but people's tastes are, as they say, as varied as there are people.
"...Do you have some business with me-res?"
Since I can't settle down, I'll finish the business quickly and have him go home. I'm being healed by the goats for the first time in a while, and I'm about to enjoy some goat milk. I don't want to get tired from being scorched by a handsome aura.
"Your name was in the report from Sedovara Church that came up to the fort. In the reports from Teddy and the others as well."
"Teddy-san...?"
If he's an acquaintance of Teddy and reports are being sent about the spread of Wards' disease, then Alf is likely a Black Knight or someone related to them. Which means, if he has business, it's probably a supplementary explanation for the report or something. There is nothing else that would serve as a point of contact between me and this young man named Alf.
"First, my thanks for your prompt and detailed provision of information. Thanks to your information, I believe we were able to realize the true nature of the disease early on and keep the damage to a minimum."
"Um... I'm glad I could be of help-nyara."
Which would be better, answering in broken speech, or speaking fluently even if I stumble? The old me would have chosen broken speech, but now it's different. Jasper pointed out that it would be bad if Japanese came out instinctively when I was at a loss for words, so I decided to seal away the broken speech even if my words became disordered from stumbling.
"It seems you also noticed Jean-Jacques's infection quickly, and thanks to the infection countermeasures you took, the damage to the Black Knights was prevented from spreading beyond Jean-Jacques."
If I hadn't noticed Jean-Jacques's infection, it would have first spread to the accompanying Black Knights, and from there to the Black Knights' families, and then to friends and acquaintances they interacted with in the city of Grenore, and the damage would have been immeasurable. The praise continued, and it felt a bit ticklish. For my part, I didn't have the consciousness of doing something for someone's sake. I just did what I thought should be done in each moment.
"Since a girl with such a great debt of gratitude is an orphan, I was thinking of introducing you to a reliable adoptive home or an orphanage, but..."
Hmm, hmm, so it's a supplement to the report, the conclusion of the infectious disease, and as a reward for me, he's offering to consult on my future course of action, I organize Alf's words in my head. Alf, who puts away the social smile and speaks plainly and business-like, is more approachable than the sparkling aura I saw at first. I've gotten a little used to the handsome man. Just as I started to let my guard down, a bomb was suddenly dropped.
"By the way, I am not currently speaking in a way suited for a child—"
It was a difficult conversation, but you seem to understand, right? I shiver as I am looked down upon with a smile containing confirmation. Alf's face is smiling beautifully, but the depths of his blue eyes are not smiling at all. It's a prickly, painful gaze, as if seeing through me, as if saying he won't miss even the smallest lie.
"...I, I'm a child. I don't understand difficult talk-nyai~"
"Yes. You seem to understand everything perfectly."
That's good. What a stroke of luck. I'm not good at talking to children, Alf says with a smile, but his eyes are not smiling. They really aren't smiling. It seems he has truly stopped the attitude he had been maintaining to some extent toward children. Regardless of my own claim, the spine that had been bent slightly to match the toddler (me) is now stretched straight, and he has a refreshed face.
"I shall arrange adoptive parents in a reliable Staff-Baron family. If you are a reincarnator—"
I don't know how he intended to continue after "If you are a reincarnator." A commotion that could be heard even in the livestock shed at the edge of the backyard struck Sedovara Church. Wondering what on earth was happening, we both interrupted our conversation and listened closely. The apothecaries seemed to be in an uproar over some kind of report. Connecting the fragments of words I could pick up—
—The Witch of the Valley...
—Debilitation, death...
—The Saint's secret art...
—The medicine for Wards' disease, still...
...Um? Witch? Debilitated and died, and the Saint... is that the one? The great person who wrote the prescription in Japanese. That medicine is still insufficient, perhaps?
Wait, is the medicine for Wards' disease still insufficient, I tilt my head. According to Alf, the spread of the infection was prevented, but this is not the kind of commotion that fits that atmosphere. Wondering what it is, I look up at Alf, and the pasted smile from a moment ago vanishes as if it were a lie, and in its place is no expression at all. However, his complexion is so bad it's worrying, so this commotion must be something more serious than I think.
As if to support that, Alf turned around and left the backyard.
...Um, can I think of this as being saved?
I don't know where I was found out as a reincarnator. Since the immediate pursuit has left, I breathe a sigh of relief. Regarding Alf, I need to consult with Jasper.
The Witch of the Valley was the common name for an old woman living in the valley. She was a grumpy old woman who hated humans and lived alone in the valley. The reason the news of such an old woman's death shook Sedovara Church was that she was the only person in the modern era who could handle the secret arts left by the great person.
...No, you shouldn't let such an important person, and an old woman at that, live alone in a valley.
Whether she's an old woman or not, you never know what kind of accident might happen when living alone. Even more so if it's a person with an important role. In fact, the old woman in question had gone out to collect materials for the medicine for Wards' disease, and it's said she was found crouching in the forest, perhaps having injured her leg, suffering from dehydration. It seems she was barely alive when found, but in the end, she didn't recover and passed away just like that. Thus, many of the secret arts left by the great person were lost.
The medicine prescribed to Jean-Jacques was apparently made by the Witch of the Valley. Because the witch's medicine was cut off, Jean-Jacques, who had somehow been holding on, worsened in condition and didn't recover. He was a bit mean, but I think he was a good-natured man.
His final moments were apparently gruesome, but no one told the eight-year-old (me) that directly. However, since I had seen villagers fighting their illnesses through a window in Meiyu Village and had watched my father's final moments, I could guess even if the words were vague. I wanted to at least see him being released from the isolation room, but by the time I heard the news of Jean-Jacques's death, not only the cremation but even the burial had already been completed.
When the one month I was kept for follow-up observation passed safely, Jasper rented a room near Sedovara Church. This was a countermeasure against Alf, who seemed like he would push an adoptive home on me.
After quickly completing the procedures to make Jasper my legal guardian at the Sopdejania Church, which governs law and order—a facility like a town hall in my previous life—Jasper left Sedovara Church. If it were Jasper alone, he could live within the church as company housing for an apothecary of Sedovara Church, but it seems it doesn't work that way with family.
Due to the procedures, Jasper became my adoptive father. Since I had the chance, I tried calling him "Father Jasper" once, and he made a grandly disgusted face. Apparently, "Father" is a no-go. He said it's only one difference from my biological father, but it seems to give him a subtle feeling.
Speaking of the procedures at Sopdejania Church, the woman at the reception explained this to me, as an unmarried Jasper was adopting. To me, who clearly looked like a child.
In this Ivizia Kingdom, the buying and selling of children is permitted only to legal guardians. However, in the case of adopting a child who is unmarried and not a relative or anything, this right does not arise on the side of the adoptive parents.
...Well, I guess that's how it would be.
Otherwise, the number of children caught up in crimes would probably surge. I could vaguely understand that much.
Since this explanation was given to the child's side in front of the person becoming the adoptive parent, rather than to the adoptive parents' side, it might also be intended as a warning.
Upon leaving Sedovara Church, the goat couple, Anton and his wife, were bought by Sedovara Church. If the rented room had been a house, I might have been able to keep them, but it's impossible in an apartment.
I bought daily necessities with the money from selling the goats, and Jasper paid for the second-hand clothes. I was told to save the goat money, but I declined because it would be painful to rely on him for everything.
The next dwelling is a four-story apartment. The first floor is a bakery run by the landlord, and the second floor is the living space for the landlord's family. The rooms on the third and fourth floors are rental rooms, and the attic is a storage room. I thought twelve families lived there since there were six doors on the third floor and the same for the fourth, but I was wrong. The third and fourth floors are connected in each room, so it's treated as six two-story rooms. They aren't rooms for single people to rent, but rooms for families to live in.
I carried Jasper's luggage from the room at Sedovara Church, and although Jasper is an apothecary, he seems to have been a scholar within Sedovara Church, so there are many books in his luggage. Perhaps because he grew tired of carrying them due to the sheer number of books, Jasper's room is on the third floor, and he gave me the fourth floor entirely. That said, I have almost no luggage, so half of it inevitably becomes a storage place for Jasper's things. It's a secret from Jasper that the piles of stacked books are a bit like a jungle gym and make me excited. I feel like I want to have a little adventure, but since I know stepping on books is not good, I restrain myself.
City life was completely different from village life. Meiyu Village didn't have a bathing habit, but Sedovara Church did. Because it was an isolation life to guard against an infectious disease, it was a luxurious life where I could bathe every day.
And as for my bath situation after leaving Sedovara Church, I ended up relying on public baths (sentou). Since the bathing culture was a culture rooted by Japanese reincarnators of the past, even though the unit of money is "Shivil," it's called a "Sento." It's not a "Shivil-yu." Since Jasper can use the bath within Sedovara Church, I'm the only one who has business at the sento. I was a bit anxious about going alone, but since Ms. Roine in the next room is also a sento user, Jasper asked her for me. He asked her to take me to the sento together, only when the timing matches.
This Ms. Roine. She's a young lady, but she was a mother with a son named Theo who is two years younger than me. Theo is a bit cheeky, but cute. When I go to the apartment's shared cooking area, Theo is usually hungry. Since Ms. Roine's work starts at night, he stays out of the room so as not to disturb her while she's sleeping during the day.
While I'm making vegetable soup side-by-side with Theo, Ms. Roine wakes up and quickly arranges the soup. When I make it, it only becomes vegetable soup (salt flavor) or a fake stew, but when Ms. Roine arranges it, it's wonderful how the taste changes into something like a red soup resembling borscht or a herb soup. At first, I only made enough for Jasper and me, but before I knew it, I started making enough for Ms. Roine and Theo, and before I realized it, the amount increased to cover other residents as well. The interaction of them giving me material costs or sometimes the materials themselves is a bit fun.
I only cook soup for myself, and I buy bread cheaply at the landlord's shop. For side dishes, or rather, Jasper buys them from outside shops or stalls. I thought this was a lifestyle because Jasper is single, but Ms. Roine's house is the same. In this world, there is still no gas or electricity. Because there are no convenient tools like gas stoves or washing machines, the time taken for each household chore is too different from Japan in my previous life. Therefore, it is difficult for each household to do cooking and laundry. As a result, there were few houses that made meals every time like in Japan. They buy food at stalls and the like, and only make soup or a large platter dish at home. The reason apartment residents buy the soup Theo and I make is the same. It's easier than making it themselves, and for something made by children, it's not bad. To add to that, it was also warmer and cheaper than buying at a shop.
Sorry, it's fun to write...!