Worry Consultation (1)
“I can’t be certain, but it might be worth keeping an eye on her for a while.”
At Patrick’s words, Maksim stood blinking in silence. Better safe than sorry. Mary’s symptoms weren’t definitive proof of pregnancy. Indigestion, insomnia, and fatigue were common enough even without a child on the way.
“Even if there’s only a slim chance, you mustn’t give her sage or peony root. They’re harmful to both mother and child. I’ll prepare something else instead.”
“Ah, yes······”
Maksim accepted the new bundle of herbs with a dazed expression and bowed deeply. “Thank you, sir!”
A few days later, Maksim returned from the mainland and presented Patrick with a large wheel of cheese and a jar of fine oil. He also brought news that Mary’s monthly cycle had stopped.
“If it weren’t for you, sir, something terrible could have happened! The midwife confirmed it—she’s pregnant. Haha! I’m going to be a father, sir!”
“Congratulations, Maksim. I’ll enjoy these.”
The people of this island certainly knew how to show gratitude. I was just thinking we could use more oil. Perfect timing.
While Patrick gazed at the oil jar with a pleased expression, Maksim offered another small pouch.
“And this······ I heard it’s a fruit the officials in the capital enjoy, so I bought some for you. I hope you like it······”
“From the capital?”
Patrick opened the gift box without much thought, and his mouth split into a wide grin. “Coffee!”
“I knew you’d recognize it!”
Maksim looked proud at the enthusiastic reaction, while the children whispered among themselves. “He really must be from the capital!”
“Something this precious······”
The long-forgotten craving for caffeine hit Patrick like a wave. “But how am I supposed to prepare it······”
What Maksim had brought were roasted beans. Naturally, they couldn’t be eaten as they were. “A grinder······ obviously not an option. I’ll just grind them by hand!”
He’d seen it done on variety shows often enough. The real problem was not having beans; if you had them, there were plenty of ways to brew coffee.
Patrick began crushing the beans in a small stone mortar, and the children gathered around him.
“What kind of medicine is that?”
The unfamiliar aroma made the beans look like medicinal herbs to the children. They’d grown so used to handling herbs lately that it was only natural.
“It’s a tonic that gives you energy.”
“Like a potion?”
“Yeah, something like that. Call it an office worker’s MP potion.”
“What’s an MP potion?”
“It means it replenishes depleted mana.”
“Whoa!”
Patrick didn’t bother correcting them and kept grinding the beans with gusto while spouting whatever came to mind. If they think it’s medicine, they won’t ask for any.
There wasn’t much to begin with, so he had to be sparing. No point sharing with kids who don’t even know what coffee tastes like.
The beans were soon reduced to powder. A professional would have clicked their tongue in disapproval, but there were no professionals here, so it didn’t matter.
Patrick spread a cloth he’d received from the villagers over the table, placed the coffee grounds on it, and began pouring hot water little by little. The rich aroma of coffee spread in all directions.
“Smells good!”
“It does.”
The children holding the corners of the cloth sniffed the strange scent with curiosity.
Drip, drip—
The extraction process must have looked fascinating, because while Patrick went to fetch snacks to go with the coffee, the children secretly tasted the drips that had fallen onto the cloth.
“Mmm—ugh!”
“Ack, it’s bitter!”
“Bitter? But it smells so nice······”
“It really must be medicine, then.”
“It’s as bitter as dandelion root!”
The children wrinkled their faces and lost all interest in the coffee, deciding it was something inedible. They scattered after eating the cookies Patrick had brought out, leaving him to enjoy his cup of coffee in peace.
“Where did she run off to this time?”
Ben, who had been helping his friends with their writing in Patrick’s place, suddenly realized Elina was nowhere to be seen.
“Have you seen Elina?”
“Not sure. Maybe she went to look at the chicks?”
“Could be. I’ll go check.”
But the place he found Elina wasn’t by the chicken coop—it was in the backyard where herbs were drying.
“Elina, what are you doing here?”
“······!”
Elina was crouched in the shade of the wall, gulping something down.
“Cough, cough!”
Startled by her friend’s sudden appearance, she choked and began coughing.
“That’s coffee, isn’t it?”
“W-well······”
“Don’t tell me you drank all of it?”
“······Could you maybe keep it a secret from the teacher? He’ll be mad if he finds out I snuck it······”
“Then why do something you’ll get scolded for?”
“I’m sorry.”
Elina’s face fell as she let her arm holding the cup droop. Ben sighed softly and took her by the hand.
“Let’s go find the teacher. What if you get side effects from drinking so much medicine at once?”
“Side effects?”
Elina’s face turned pale. She clearly hadn’t considered that possibility.
What do I do?
The medicine that supposedly replenished mana. The teacher, a wizard, had looked delighted the moment he saw it, and even though he usually hated troublesome things more than anything, he’d rolled up his sleeves and made it himself without anyone asking. It was only natural for Elina to think, Ah, this medicine must be helpful for wizards!
I want to become a wizard too.
The thought process of a child with limited experience had taken an odd turn. If she drank this medicine, maybe she could become a wizard as well. If I just take a little, maybe no one will notice.
Looking back and forth between the defenselessly sleeping teacher and the coffee left sitting beside him, Elina made up her mind. It was the biggest act of rebellion in her ten years of life—the life of a girl who was always shy and trailed after her friends.
What if there are side effects?
But once her greed faded, fear came rushing in late. It’s a medicine wizards drink, so the side effects must be terrifying.
When her imagination even conjured up an image of herself turning into one of the monsters from the stories adults told, Elina’s small hands began to tremble.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Okay!”
The two children went to find the teacher, Elina’s eyes brimming with tears.
“······So you drank this?”
Patrick, now awake, pressed a hand to his forehead as he looked at the sniffling Elina and the half-empty coffee.
“Wasn’t it bitter?”
“······It was really bitter.”
“And you still drank it all?”
“I wanted to become a wizard······”
“If becoming a wizard were that easy, there wouldn’t be a single person in this world who couldn’t use a spell or two.”
“······Waaah!”
“What are you crying about when you did something wrong? Go drink some water.”
“······Huh?”
“Your heart isn’t racing or anything, is it?”
“No······”
“That’s a relief. It was brewed pretty weak, so it shouldn’t be too bad. Though you might have trouble sleeping tonight.”
Patrick clicked his tongue and reassured Elina. It was a large amount of coffee for a young child unaccustomed to caffeine. But because the beans had been roughly ground, the caffeine wasn’t very strong, and the brew was as weak as barley tea.
“Then what did you mean when you said it restores mana?”
“It was just a figure of speech. It wakes you right up. You know what a metaphor is, don’t you?”
“It’s because you said something so vague in front of the kids that Elina got the wrong idea!”
“The one who snuck it and drank it is at fault. And you’re a kid too, you know?”
Ben had jumped in to defend his friend, but all he got for his trouble was a flick on the forehead.
“By the way, Elina, I didn’t know you wanted to become a wizard. What kind of magic do you want to use?”
Patrick asked lightly to change the mood, but the answer he received was unexpected.
“It’s not that I especially want to be a wizard······ I just wish I had something I was good at.”
“Huh?”
“Ben became a Spiritist. Tommy’s great at drawing. Amy already knows how to make more than five different kinds of bread! But I don’t have anything I’m good at.”
“No, Elina! You’re kind and you help your friends a lot. And also······”
Ben tried to argue, but he trailed off, realizing such words wouldn’t be much comfort.
“Elina, you’re ten years old, right?”
“Yes, I had my birthday.”
“And you’re already thinking things like that? Even I don’t know what I’m good at, so if a ten-year-old already knows, then you should be the teacher instead.”
“But you’re good at magic, Teacher.”
“Me? I’m only a 2nd Circle. I couldn’t even join a decent mercenary company.”
“You’re good at reading, and you know so much!”
“There are plenty of people who read better than me, and if you grabbed any random official from the government offices, they’d all be more educated than I am.”
“But······”
“Right? Even after hearing all that, I still look incredibly impressive in your eyes, don’t I?”
“······Yes.”
“That’s what matters.”
“Pardon?”
Both Elina and Ben stared at Patrick as if they couldn’t understand what he was saying.
“I’m saying you don’t need the talent to be number one. If you keep doing this and that, even if it’s just a little, that’ll become your talent.”
“I don’t really understand what you mean.”
“Then it’s fine if you don’t.”
“That’s so irresponsible!”
“It just means your student has poor aptitude.”
“That’s too much!”
It was the kind of statement that was half-understandable at best. It didn’t feel entirely satisfying. But Elina’s face looked much brighter than it had a moment ago.
If I keep trying little bits of this and that, that’ll become my talent?
The idea that she didn’t need to be the best. It was the best comfort a ten-year-old girl had ever heard.
“Um, Teacher, are you there?”
The real problem came after that. Villagers began showing up at Patrick’s house, saying they had worries to discuss. Are these people repaying kindness with trouble?
Patrick ground his teeth. There would be no rest for him now.