Kays Translations

Chapter 25: The Girl Stricken by Illness

It was a warm spring afternoon, and Ren had the day off from hunting.

“Ren, let’s do some spring cleaning today.”

“Spring cleaning?”

“Yes. It’s getting warmer, so it’s about time we put the winter things away.”

“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

Roy wasn’t at home. He had taken several knights into the forest for the day’s hunt. There was no particular reason Ren had stayed behind; the schedule simply called for him to rest that day.

“What should I do?”

“Clean your room first. After that, there are things in the entryway that need to go into storage. Could you carry them to the warehouse? I’ll bring anything we need back into the house while you do that.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll change the winter bedding on your bed too.”

“I can do that much myself.”

“I know. But I’m changing the bedding in every room, and it’ll be easier to do it all at once. We have to wash everything afterward anyway.”

In that case, Ren decided to accept her help. He could make up for it by handling the heavier loads and carrying the winter goods to the warehouse.

He began in his own room. He swept and wiped the windows, walls, and floor, removing the grime that had accumulated over the winter. For the ceiling, he used the Wooden Magic Sword to grow roots into a makeshift platform.

The work took about an hour. By the time he finished, a pleasant sheen of sweat covered his forehead.

Ren then went to the earthen-floored entryway. As Mireille had said, a surprisingly large pile of items waited there. He began carrying them outside a few at a time.

“What was this melted box again?”

Mireille’s voice drifted from inside the warehouse.

“Oh, that’s right. Ren tried to— and Roy said he would explain—”

“Mother! Is something wrong?”

Ren peered through the warehouse entrance. Mireille stood in the dim rear of the building, murmuring to herself with something in one hand. The warehouse had only a small window, and there wasn’t enough light for him to see what she was holding.

“Nothing at all! Don’t worry about it!”

“Okay!”

He returned to his work.

A little later, Mireille emerged carrying an armful of bedding. Ren offered to help, but she laughed and assured him it was light.

She passed him and went back into the house. Upstairs, she changed the bedding in the master bedroom, left the old linens in the hall, and moved on to Ren’s room.

After changing his bedding, she took out the wooden box she had brought with her. Melted paint coated its surface and sealed the lid shut. She placed it on the shelf beside Ren’s desk.

“I should tell Roy that I put this in Ren’s room while I was at it.”

She then went to the guest room, where she discovered that the bedding had grown slightly moldy.

“This will have to be washed again.”

With a sigh, she left the guest bed unmade.

“Finished already?”

When Mireille returned outside, Ren had just completed the last of the carrying. She told him the bedding had been changed, then headed behind the house to wash it at the well.

Ren decided to organize the warehouse while she worked.

“Hmm?”

A group had emerged from the forest and was approaching along the road between the fields.

Come to think of it, they hadn’t visited for some time. This was probably their first trip since winter had ended.

“They never waste any time.”

The column of mounted knights was a familiar sight. Yet as Ren watched them approach, he tilted his head.

Weiss wore an unusually grim expression, and the horses were moving at a faster pace than usual.

Ren looked toward the rear of the formation.

“She doesn’t look asleep…”

Licia sat with her eyes closed, leaning against the female knight who shared her horse. Ren couldn’t see her face clearly from that distance, but something about the scene troubled him. Licia usually came to the village eager to spar with him. Seeing her so quiet was strange.

For now, he needed to prepare for their arrival.

Ren left the warehouse and hurried to the backyard, where Mireille was about to begin washing the bedding.

“Mother, Lady Licia and the knights are here.”

Mireille looked surprised, but she had grown accustomed to their visits.

“I understand. I need to make preparations, so could you go and welcome them?”

“Of course.”

“The guest-room bed still isn’t ready, but that should be all right. She won’t need to lie down immediately.”

“Probably not. I’ll go meet them.”

Ren returned to the front garden. By then, the riders had nearly reached the gate.

His brow furrowed.

Licia, whom he had first mistaken for sleeping, looked as though she was in pain.

Ren rushed toward Weiss as the Knight Commander brought his horse to a halt.

“Sir Weiss, my mother has just prepared a room, so please bring Lady Licia inside first.”

“I’m sorry. Thank you for understanding.”

Then Ren remembered Mireille’s warning: the bed in the guest room wasn’t ready.

That wouldn’t do. Licia was already unwell, and he wanted her to rest on the cleanest bedding available.

“Please bring her in slowly. I’ll hurry ahead and speak to my mother.”

“Forgive us for troubling you again.”

Ren ran back into the house and found Mireille in the first-floor corridor. He quickly explained that Licia was ill and reminded her that the guest bed hadn’t been prepared.

“Then she can use our room.”

“No. Your room and Father’s still smell faintly of medicinal herbs. My room would be better. It was just cleaned, and I can sleep in the guest room after the bedding is ready.”

Mireille considered it, then nodded.

“All right.”

Weiss and the female knight arrived moments later. Licia lay in the knight’s arms, sweat beading on her forehead.

Ren explained the arrangement and offered his room.

“We’re deeply in your debt,” Weiss said.

“It’s fine. Please take care of Lady Licia first.”

“She’ll need to change clothes,” Mireille added. “I’ll help her.”

“We’ve already imposed too much upon you, Lady Mireille.”

“It’s no trouble. Now, the men can wait downstairs.”

Ren and Weiss exchanged a glance as Mireille entered Ren’s room with Licia and the female knight. They went down the creaking stairs and into the kitchen.

“Sorry we don’t have a proper sitting room.”

“Don’t say that. This is a warm and welcoming home.”

Ren showed Weiss to a chair and brewed tea that couldn’t honestly be called fine. Weiss accepted it gratefully.

“I should explain the young lady’s condition.”

“Yes. Though I assume she didn’t leave Clausel already feeling ill.”

“Of course not. She fell sick three days ago.”

According to Weiss, the illness sometimes afflicted children who possessed large amounts of mana. Not every such child contracted it, but those who recovered developed something similar to lifelong immunity and wouldn’t catch it again.

“Three days ago, we were near another village we had planned to visit. Once her condition became clear, we abandoned the route and hurried here.”

“Because Grandma Rigg is here?”

“Precisely. I judged that she would be safer under Lady Rigg’s care.”

Weiss’s expression tightened.

“The illness rarely gives any warning. Most people don’t notice anything until the symptoms begin. We knew Lady Licia might contract it one day, but none of us expected it to happen while she was traveling.”

“She can’t return to Clausel in her current condition.”

“No. The illness itself isn’t normally fatal, but it causes a high fever and severe headaches while weakening the body’s resistance. Complications can become deadly, so she must rest.”

Their one stroke of good fortune was that Ren’s village had been close and that Grandma Rigg possessed the skills of an experienced medicine woman.

“She should recover in two or three weeks. I’m sorry to ask this, but—”

“It’s all right. Please stay until she’s well enough to travel.”

“Thank you. And please tell me if there’s anything the knights or I can do. Hunting, carpentry—anything within our ability.”

Frankly, both would be useful.

The knights would probably feel worse if the Ashtons refused all help, so Ren decided to accept without overburdening them. The recent surge in Little Boars made the timing especially convenient.

That reminded him of something.

“Viscount Given’s knights came to the village again the other day.”

Weiss frowned. “Again?”

“This time they offered to sponsor my admission to the Imperial Military Academy. They claimed the viscount could arrange a place in the special class.”

Weiss’s eyes widened. He soon nodded and released a long sigh.

“For a talent such as yours, it’s possible. Viscount Given once served as an assistant to the Minister of Justice, so the claim can’t simply be dismissed as a lie. I shall pray for your success.”

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

“You’re speaking as though we accepted. House Ashton turned them down.”

“What? Why?”

Weiss slammed both hands against the old table hard enough to make it groan.

“You were all but promised a glorious future! Why would you refuse?”

“Because we all love this village, and House Ashton has served House Clausel for generations.”

Those were Roy’s words, and Ren felt the same. His desire to avoid his tragic future in the game also influenced him, but what he had said was still true.

Weiss stared at him in silence before slowly sitting back down.

“I give you my word.”

His expression had become solemn.

“After this journey, I won’t bring Lady Licia to this village again.”

Ren blinked. “What?”

“I hoped she would receive good stimulation from meeting you, in addition to fulfilling her own wishes. But in truth, we have relied upon House Ashton’s kindness—and upon you—far too much. This will be the last time.”

The decision should have suited Ren perfectly, yet its suddenness confused him.

“We can’t continue imposing upon you. Even the daughter of a baron should understand after what has happened this time. I’ll explain it to His Lordship myself.”

“Why are you saying this so suddenly?”

“You’ve shown House Clausel such steadfast loyalty. We can’t be the only ones who continue to take advantage of that devotion.”

Weiss had never been a man who flaunted his authority. He respected the Ashtons’ wishes and had never tried to force Ren to move to Clausel. Now, after learning that the family had rejected an extraordinary opportunity out of loyalty, he had resolved to stop relying on their hospitality.

It was a favorable outcome for Ren.

And yet—

This feels a little lonely.

Ren didn’t dislike Licia as a person. To claim that he had never enjoyed their meetings would have been a lie.

Perhaps that was why the thought that this would be her final visit left him with an unexpected sense of regret.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter