Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Second Autumn
Merthesia stepped out of the cabin alone again today.
She was still only allowed as far as the path beyond the nearby woods that I had permitted,
but even that seemed to be enough for her. Whenever she got bored, she would head out with the rabbit.
It was a relief.
Merthesia was improving day by day.
I took a sip of the herbal tea I'd set beside me.
It was peaceful and pleasant.
All of this was possible because Merthesia was pushing herself forward.
'I never thought she'd learn to walk on her own.'
I chuckled softly as I set down the teacup.
Merthesia's first steps had come in the depths of winter.
Even though quite some time had passed, thinking back on it still filled me with a fresh sense of pride and wonder.
When I first learned of her condition,
I had planned to take her to the Holy Dragon once her body was strong enough to withstand warp magic.
According to Hubert,
she would need powerful healing magic just to be able to walk.
All those preparations had ended up meaningless. The girl's own will to walk had changed everything.
I never imagined that all I'd need were books on rehabilitation, not medicine or magic.
'Merthesia. Change... What a perfect name.'
I felt a spark of anticipation.
What kind of change would surprise me next?
In what way would she exceed my expectations this time?
How well would she master what I was teaching her now?
Little by little, slowly.
But without a doubt, watching her transform was joy enough.
I cleared away the empty teacup and leisurely scanned the room.
This modest basement.
A bit dim, but cozy—this space had been made for me by my old friend on my name day.
Thanks to the girl having her own time to herself,
I now had the leisure to sort out what needed doing.
The books filling the study,
various alchemy ingredients and tools,
the magic devices Rakiss had fetched for me at my request.
I kept all of it here,
preparing bit by bit for Merthesia's tomorrows.
'She should be back soon.'
The magic device I'd given Merthesia reacted.
It was a simple gadget with detection magic and location tracking.
For now, this was the limit.
'Emma's book had methods for security and protection devices too, but...'
Neither was easy.
Protection magic was outright impossible for me.
It was holy magic.
Moreover—
The device I'd made after several attempts
reacted sensitively every time Merthesia moved.
Probably because the mana infused in it exceeded the baseline.
It didn't harm the girl at all, so I'd given it to her,
but the scales twitching constantly was inconvenient, so it needed improvements in several ways.
'Tricky.'
Still, that was enough for today.
I'd have to spend time with her soon.
I cleaned and polished the experimental tools and magic devices, slowly wrapping up my own time.
I climbed the short stairs and emerged from the basement.
I slowly lowered the attic door outside the cabin.
I stroked the protruding scales with my hand and gauged Merthesia's position.
'She took a different route. Might as well do the laundry.'
I heated water and pulled out the laundry.
The girl's clothes were dotted with dirt stains and bits of grass.
What used to be pristine laundry
now bore traces of her movements.
I chuckled at the stones and dried wildflowers in the pocket.
I rinsed the laundry leisurely and wrung it out.
I stepped outside to hang the finished load.
The mountain summer had already faded early.
The green enveloping the valley had gradually paled,
and the vividly lush leaves began to take on new colors one by one.
The sky now held that green instead.
A high, clear, utterly transparent sky.
'Nice.'
Autumn had arrived.
A cool breeze rustled the clothesline.
Liking the wind, I paused while hanging the laundry.
Perfect sunlight,
the feel of the breeze brushing by.
Everything was quiet and peaceful.
"......!"
"Hm?"
Merthesia, back from her walk with the rabbit, came running toward me with her arms spread wide.
I set down the laundry basket and scooped her up.
"Have a good walk?"
"!"
Merthesia's steps
were now solid without a single awkward angle.
No stumbling, and she didn't tire easily even after long walks.
Before, on downhill paths or small steps, she would hesitate,
carefully lifting one foot or gripping my hand tighter as her eyes welled up.
Now, she didn't hesitate.
She even hopped down nimbly and briskly,
making me, following behind, fret and worry.
Of course, before reaching this point,
she had hesitated a lot, teared up, and fallen plenty.
That made it all the more impressive.
One step, two steps.
Footprints laid with tears had become confident strides.
"You've grown so much."
"......!"
At my words, Merthesia beamed brightly and hugged the rabbit in her arms tight.
Our little friend had been such a good companion today.
The rabbit looked a bit tired.
Drooping ears and panting breaths.
As Merthesia's pace quickened, it must have been quite the ordeal for the rabbit.
Especially with its body plump from over half a year of good eating and growing.
Seeing our slimmed-down little friend, I felt grateful yet a bit sorry.
I'd have to give it some special treats soon, not just hay.
"You did great too, rabbit."
"!"
Merthesia stroked the rabbit.
Yet her eyes kept glancing at me shyly.
She was probably wondering where to start with today's adventure tales.
"What happened today?"
"......!"
"Yeah. You can tell me slowly."
Merthesia rummaged through her pockets.
In her small hands were
a bright yellow leaf and a few glossy acorns.
The tentative way she offered them suggested it wasn't just boasting.
"Is this a present?"
"!"
"Thank you. They're pretty."
Merthesia's face bloomed into a smile.
The wind blew again.
The clothes on the line swayed lightly.
The sky remained clear, and the sun pointed toward afternoon.
"Let's head home."
"!"
On the way back to the cabin,
Merthesia no longer rode in my arms.
She was stepping forward confidently, balancing on her small feet.
"Tonight after dinner, I'll teach you what I mentioned before. Ready?"
"......!"
Merthesia clasped her hands and nodded eagerly.
The rabbit with the pink harness gazed up at us steadily.
Our little friend soon fell into step beside Merthesia.
"You're keeping up well, little friend."
"......"
"Hm?"
"!"
Her small hand found mine as always, wrapping around it.
This tiny warmth had become the center of my daily life.
I didn't dislike it.
"Omelet with cheese tonight."
"!!!"
"Apples for dessert."
"?!?!!"
"Can't be helped. They don't decrease no matter how many we eat."
The villagers' gifts continued into autumn.
As harvest season arrived, fruits and homegrown vegetables piled up on the table.
Especially—
the food stall owner was generous.
Maybe because Merthesia had crunched into the apple he offered to try so delightedly, holding it with both hands.
Since that day, whenever we stopped by the stall,
the owner would always slip us an extra bag, claiming they were unsellable.
Some were bruised,
but most were plump enough for the display right away.
Anyone could tell they were handpicked gems.
"Heh, he's stubborn, but sneaky about taking good care when he does."
I recalled Hubert's words sometime ago.
If his idea of "good care" meant apples spilling out every time I opened the storage,
it might need a bit of moderation.
Merthesia was biting them nonstop.
We entered the cabin.
While I set the laundry basket back,
Merthesia sat at the entryway, carefully cleaning the rabbit's paws.
Her small hands wiped the dirt so earnestly and seriously.
Seeing her so dutiful made me want to do something for her.
At least,
figure out a way to keep her from devouring all the apples.
"...Ah, maybe make jam. It uses a lot of fruit, right?"
"?!"
"Yeah. Tomorrow we'll make apple jam. So eat up today."
"!"
"Good girl."
Merthesia ducked her head shyly.
But soon she smiled bashfully, meeting my eyes.
Her expression said it all.
That this short praise satisfied her.
Gazing down at Merthesia, I pondered what to make with apple jam.
"...Right. I think I saw a recipe for cookies with apple jam."
"?!"
"Shall we make cookies and share with everyone?"
"!"
"I hear baking is tough, but we'll end up with something edible at least."
If it's barely edible, I can stomach it and share the rest.
As long as Merthesia enjoys it, that's enough.
She'd even stopped cleaning the rabbit's paws midway
to jump up and stomp excitedly.
A positive change.
Lately, Merthesia no longer hesitated at new challenges.
Whether making cookies for the first time
or the letters I'd teach today,
her eyes sparkled, ready to embrace them.
'I set the condition that once she masters letters, she can go to the village alone.'
The moment I did, her eyes changed.
She must enjoy village trips that much.
I checked the textbooks in the corner of the living room.
I'd mulled over Hubert's advice many times
and picked up various methods from Lauren, who had many nieces and nephews.
So all I had to do was teach well.
The problem was my lack of confidence.
I let out a light sigh and began preparing dinner.