The Clumsy Nun and the Magician of the Ancient Library 6
By the time we returned to Trinity, the sunset was already beginning to settle in. When Ui saw what we had brought back, she was genuinely astonished—she said she never expected us to actually succeed. She had figured that just gathering the water-moss glue alone would take us several days.
Sounds like that teacher of yours was a huge help.
Hahaha... You're absolutely right about that. If I had been on my own, I would have gotten hopelessly lost for sure.
Hinata readily agreed with Dante's observation. Casting her mind back, she imagined how long it would have taken her to hunt down all those materials alone—and her face scrunched up a little at the thought. This time, Ui took up the pen.
Back then, I never imagined the two of you would take it so seriously. I figured if I just waited a few days, you would show up eventually... but then you came back covered head to toe in dirt and dust.
Thanks to that, I even got to hear her say "You worked hard." At the time, Ui's face turned bright red and—
Hinata...
"Aww, watching someone make a new friend never gets old."
Rodion looked thoroughly pleased that Ui had opened her heart even a little and managed to express proper gratitude. According to the messages that followed, the cake had gotten a bit squashed out of shape, but otherwise everything had gone fine. With the purification medicine still left to collect, Hinata and Sensei had to move on—and a short video clip began to play.
"Well, I have a feeling you'll manage somehow again this time, but..."
"?"
"...No, it's nothing. I'll be waiting."
Ui liked the two of them, yet she still could not bring herself to be completely honest.
After that, we arrived at the Knights Hospitaller annex in search of the purification medicine. When I asked why we weren't going to the main building, Sensei simply answered that he knew someone there.
Judging by the name, it appears to be an institution primarily dedicated to treating the wounded. Yet the title "Knight" does not seem to have been attached lightly. Do they engage in combat as well as healing?
When Outis raised the question about the unusual designation, Hinata—who was thoroughly familiar with such matters—answered at once.
The Knights Hospitaller are fundamentally a medical order, but just as Outis said, they will join combat when the need arises. Their captain, Mine, prefers close-quarters fighting with a shield over shooting a gun, and both her combat prowess and her charisma are famous even within Trinity. It's just that she is... a little too upright, you could say...
The nickname that stuck is "Warrior in White," and an unofficial motto even sprang up: "Mine breaks it, the Order fixes it."
Ui added that last part herself.
"'Warrior in White' is pure genius... I don't know who came up with it, but it tells you exactly what kind of person this Mine is."
Heathcliff remarked, and Hong Lu laughed as if he found the whole thing delightful.
"It rather reminds me of Don Quixote. Of course her actual personality might be different, but Mine also seems like the type who charges in without looking left or right."
"Ooooh! If the chance ever arises, I should very much like to meet that captain as well!"
While Don Quixote's eyes sparkled with excitement, the video began. Inside the building, a pink-haired student approached the waiting Hinata and Sensei. At first glance she gave the impression of someone genuinely kind-hearted. The girl introduced herself as Serina, and somehow she already knew both that Sensei would be arriving around now and exactly why he had come.
"You're in a hurry, aren't you? I'll show you the way right away, so please come in~."
A bewildered Hinata asked whether Sensei had contacted her in advance; Sensei gave the ambiguous reply that one "could say that."
When I asked later, Sensei told me that Serina has the ability to appear and vanish without a trace. She has never even been caught on CCTV.
"Hoh... She would make an excellent spy in wartime."
Hearing that, Outis already wore a wicked little smile and muttered quietly to herself. Dante had no idea how the girl could possibly do such a thing, but decided not to dig any deeper—something told him he would only get hurt if he did.
The video resumed.
"Purification medicine, is it... Yes, it's listed among the Knights Hospitaller's stock of reagents. It's a medicine that hasn't been used in a very long time, so I can't pull it out immediately—I'll need to search the reagent storage a little. There are regulations, of course... but time is short right now, so please take it first. Would two bottles be enough?"
The explanation was so fluent that Hinata was the one left flustered. When she asked again, Sensei's answer was simply:
"Serina is extremely thorough about preparation."
"...Isn't that a little too thorough?"
Gregor muttered after hearing it, and the Hinata on screen seemed to feel the same way; she could only laugh awkwardly and say, "Hahaha, what an amazing person." Meanwhile Serina headed off to the reagent storage to look for the purification medicine.
"Hmm, if my guess is right, it should be over here... Huh?"
Somewhere a phone began to vibrate. Serina bowed her head to Hinata and Sensei, then took the phone from her pocket and answered. As she spoke, the girl's expression gradually darkened.
"...Understood."
She slipped the phone back into her pocket and looked toward Sensei, though she could not quite meet his eyes.
"Um, well, Sensei... I'm sorry, but..."
"It's fine. Don't worry about us—go ahead."
"Ah... thank you."
According to Serina, the number of patients had suddenly spiked. When Hinata asked why, Serina explained that this week was the Justice Realization Department's regular patrol period, and that occasionally led to encounters with delinquents or the Helmet Gang. On top of that, this was only an annex, so the number of personnel dispatched was small—meaning Serina had to handle the patients by herself. Hinata's eyes went wide with shock at the situation.
"What?! All by yourself?"
"Yes. Sometimes I wonder whether that means I can't look after the patients properly... but even so, I have to do the best I can within my limits. It's my job, after all."
Despite how hard the work must have been, Serina wore a bright expression, as if she were proud of what she did. Hearing it firsthand left not only Hinata but most of the Sinners with a lump in their throats.
"She's truly pure-hearted. With that kind of mindset toward her work, she can endure even the grueling parts."
Ishmael said. Back in the video, Hinata watched Serina leave and then turned to Sensei with a flushed, uncertain face, as if she did not know what to do with herself.
"Um, well..."
"Don't worry. I'll look for the medicine."
"Sensei...! Thank you—I'll be right back!"
With those words, Hinata also dashed out after Serina in a flash.
"That teacher has remarkably sharp instincts. Even when a student cannot properly voice her trouble, he immediately understands what she means to say. One could call him the ideal person for the profession of teacher."
"I am of the same mind. Communication flows far more smoothly with someone like that."
When Yi Sang offered his opinion, Faust agreed as well. The video ended, and Hinata sent a message.
While we were looking after the patients, Sensei found two bottles of purification medicine. After that, Sensei and I returned to the Library.
When Ui checked the medicine, she confirmed it was the right one. The real work was about to begin.
The video started again. The screen showed Hinata asking what she should do and Ui looking troubled. When Hinata asked whether she should clean or assist from the side, Ui thought for a few seconds before answering.
"Um... no need for any useless fussing. Just go to sleep."
"S-sleep...?"
"...Ah."
The unexpectedly sharp words made Ui flinch this time. Then, in a small voice, she muttered,
"Why do I always talk like that again..."
It was nothing like the Ui who had casually delivered cutting remarks when they first met.
"In the span of only a few hours, the girl's demeanor has changed markedly. It is likely that she has come to feel closer to Sensei and Hinata."
"A good friend is the shortest path to growth!"
Don Quixote chimed in agreement with Meursault's observation. On screen, Ui apologized and explained that she had meant the "just go to sleep" part quite literally.
"Judging by the quality of the materials and the circumstances... I didn't see it myself, but I'm certain a great many things must have happened. So please rest for a little while. Honestly, you're getting sleepy right now, aren't you? And that goes for Sensei as well."
"H-huh? Sensei...?"
Hinata turned around to find that Sensei was already stretching and looking for a place to lie down. Ui pointed to a large sofa.
"Ah—right where you're standing. That's where I usually sleep, so the bedding should already be laid out. It isn't luxurious, but at least you won't catch a cold or anything..."
Finishing her sentence, Ui glanced at Sensei, then stepped closer, her face flushing red, and whispered in a voice too soft for Hinata to hear.
"Um, just in case... if you so much as catch a whiff of anything, I'll throw you out on the spot...!"
Huh?
"Out of nowhere?"
The sudden, almost threatening remark left Dante and the Sinners thoroughly bewildered. Genuinely curious, Hong Lu sent a message through the PDA.
Hong Lu's completely innocent ambush seemed to have short-circuited Ui for a second time.
In Kivotos, Ui's face turned tomato-red as she stared at the reply she had sent Hong Lu.
"Aaaah... what do I do... Have I been branded as the girl who doesn't bathe and smells...?"
"I-it's okay, Ui! You don't smell like anything at all..."
"You don't have to force yourself to comfort me..."
"Yes..."
Back in the video, it was the moment when Ui told Hinata and Sensei's group that they had worked hard.
"Then please rest well... From here on, leave everything to me."
With that, she put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and switched off the lights in the Library. The video was swallowed by darkness, then brightened again—and the sight that appeared drew cheers from the Sinners.