A Good Disciple
“The captain really seems to like you, Miss Jeanie. Even I can tell at a glance.”
“You think so?”
“He’d probably pretend to die if you told him to, wouldn’t he?”
“Yeah, I can see that. Even so, the fact that he’s actually pretty strong is one of his cute points. He could probably hold his own against Robenin for a while, right? I don’t know when he grew up enough to be this useful. He’s really something.”
“……Well, I can tell you’re quite fond of Miss Jeanie too, Captain. Or rather…… fond of you, Miss Jeanie.”
Akia was smiling awkwardly for the first time since I’d met her. She was even avoiding my gaze a little…… Ah, my intuition is lightning fast.
“Akia.”
“Yes?”
“Ash is mine.”
I might be the incarnation of possessiveness, but I do know how to share.
“You can have the rest. Which of the three do you like?”
“……No, I’m fine.”
“You don’t have to hold back. They’re decent enough guys. Pick one.”
“Really, I’m all right.”
“They follow orders well. I’ve trained them with fear politics, so if you hit their right cheek they’ll offer the left. They’re all pretty useful…… aren’t they?”
Thinking about it, it does seem a waste for Akia.
She’s young, smart, and a skilled doctor who’s in demand everywhere, while those guys are nothing but kind and stupid.
It was only a few days ago that she nearly died because of them.
“Still, their swordsmanship…… is it average? Enk at least has a face…… No, Ash is better looking.”
“Miss Jeanie……? Have you already got rose-tinted glasses on……?”
“What about Gail? He’s the smartest and quietest of the bunch…… though that’s all he’s got. He’s decent at hunting, but who hunts for a living these days? Just buy meat at the market. Ah, what about Chad? He’s strong, but…… where would you even use that? You’d be better off just buying a farm ox. Now that I think about it, they’re all useless, huh.”
Knock knock knock.
The knocking came again.
I know, they can hear everything outside. That’s why I’m saying it.
“Should I just dump them all nearby? What do you think, Akia?”
“Even if you ask me……”
I realized it then. Having someone you can actually talk to is nice!
The fact that my gossip could be heard outside was also great. Seizing the moment, I thoroughly badmouthed the trio.
I nitpicked them from every angle and ignored the knocking no matter how hard they pounded on the door.
[Those three must really want earplugs right now.]
[Hah, that felt good! I could talk like this for a week!]
***
That night, lying in my sleeping bag beside the carriage for our overnight stay, I examined the book by the light of the campfire.
The waterlogged book was already tattered, swollen in volume, and tore apart at the slightest touch, making it extremely difficult to handle.
The fact that most of it was unreadable and that I had to work hard just to decipher a single word was another problem.
The letters had bled so badly that interpreting their meaning came second to figuring out what the grotesque shapes had originally been.
Even after guessing the letters and interpreting the meaning, most of it turned out to be nothing important.
The book seemed to be a simple diary, filled with trivial ramblings.
If Ash hadn’t gone through so much trouble to bring it, I would have thrown it into the campfire long ago and used it as kindling.
“My master always told me that only humans can betray humans. He emphasized that the thing I must be most wary of is people…… and that included myself.”
It had taken me over twenty minutes just to interpret that single line.
Ah, my eyes hurt.
While rubbing the bridge of my nose, I suddenly thought of Master Iel. The part I was reading went on and on about how important it was to meet a good master.
Akia had said something similar earlier. That she was lucky.
Was I lucky to have met a good master?
The fact that I’d even been able to meet one was already extraordinary, considering how few and closed-off spirit masters were.
‘I guess I was lucky too. There was the power-hungry headmaster burning with academic zeal, I happened to attend the Royal Academy, and there were plenty of spirit masters in the palace. Being able to learn just because I wanted to was an enormous stroke of luck.’
Thinking about the Academy after so long made me wonder how Einy was doing.
Master Iel was a reliable person. No matter how angry he was with me, he would surely treat young Einy kindly.
Yeah, I should write a letter to Sister Arnel to reassure her. I didn’t know when she’d receive it, living in the jungle and all.
[Whoa!]
When Rai made an exaggerated show of surprise, it was usually nothing serious.
The guy had no reaction to truly grave matters. Did he learn that from me?
[Master, did you just think about Iel and Einy? What’s gotten into you?]
[What do you mean?]
[You’re the poster child for having no attachments! Did that doctor put something weird in your medicine? What would make you think about Iel and Einy……]
[What nonsense! I was just thinking what a wonderful disciple I am, looking after my master’s happiness in his later years.]
[It’s not his later years, is it? Iel’s still young. He’s not even forty in human years.]
Was that so? Pretending to clean my ear, I kept turning the pages.
[Even I, a spirit, know that dumping a kid you picked up on a young master isn’t something a human should do.]
[Who cares. Once a master, always a master!]
[……That’s not how the saying goes, is it?]
[Close enough? Besides, his one and only disciple, who he thought was dead, came back alive. He must have realized how precious disciples are, so isn’t it a disciple’s duty to fill that empty spot? Or not.]
I put the book away and, on impulse, rummaged through my bag for pen and paper. I could send the letters once we reached the capital, so I might as well write them now.
I could do a video call with the headmaster, and I needed to send letters to Iruse, Mia…… and Bright! I should write to the main house too.
Now, where did I put the ink? Why was my bag always such a mess? Because I always just tossed things in, that’s why. I really had no discipline.
“Rai, have you seen my ink?”
[No? Not since you smacked me with the bag and got mad about something breaking.]
“……Right. That was the ink bottle.”
No wonder my hands kept getting stained black.
While rubbing my hands on Rai, who was protesting, I saw Akia carefully approaching.
She was awkwardly hugging a sleeping bag as big as she was, looking like she wanted to sleep next to me.
“Miss Jeanie……? What are you looking for? Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Akia. Do you have any ink?”
“Yes! Would you like to borrow some?”
“Hmm, I’m good for now. Can I borrow it tomorrow?”
The sudden thought of my friends tonight was partly thanks to Akia. Seeing someone trying so hard to get close to me reminded me of the people who were always by my side—annoying when present, but convenient when absent.
“Um, if it’s all right…… could I sleep next to you?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you!”
If she wasn’t going to sleep alone or among the men, Akia’s only option—whether she liked it or not—was next to me. The inside of the carriage was too cramped for sleeping anyway.
“If you lie there your back will hurt…… This spot would be better.”
Akia looked awkward even setting up her sleeping bag. She clearly didn’t have much experience camping.
“Really?”
“Of course it hurts if you lie on rocks.”
“Oh my, I thought the small one would be fine. I guess not.”
By the time she found a good spot, my sleeping bag and hers were closer together, but whatever.
Somehow we ended up lying almost side by side, looking up at the sky.
Akia, with only her face sticking out of her sleeping bag, glanced around for a long time before beaming at me, clearly delighted about something.
That must be what having a good personality looks like.
“This is my first time sleeping outside!”
“I figured. It shows.”
“Oh my, does it?”
“You look excited even though we’re camping. I hate camping. This whole trip is just……”
Basically because of Ash.
Before, Ash’s share had been about half, but recently it had skyrocketed because I couldn’t leave him behind.
It felt like leaving a child by the water’s edge. If I left him, I knew I wouldn’t be able to walk away.
What the hell is he doing?
He still hasn’t officially asked me to become his guardian! Ugh, so frustrating.
If I read his mind with the ring, I could tell he was holding back out of pride, but as someone with zero shame, I couldn’t relate.
“Miss Jeanie, you seem like a noble…… How is it? Am I right?”
While I was grumbling inwardly, Akia asked with a bright smile, lying on her stomach inside her sleeping bag.
“Yeah. Everyone figures it out right away even without being told. Why is that?”
I turned on my side to look at her.
“Well, first of all, your attitude. You don’t use honorifics despite the age difference…… That means there’s something more important than age when determining hierarchy. Probably status…… Ah! You spoke so casually about taking the warp gate, right? That’s when I was sure. You must be from a different background than me.”
“It shows on me too, apparently.”
Warp gates were extremely expensive. Even a professional like a doctor couldn’t easily use one unless a noble was paying.
“Don’t you have any questions about me? Anything’s fine.”
“Nope.”
There was no way I would.
“But if we’re going to get closer……”
“I don’t plan on getting closer. We’re parting ways in a week anyway.”
I didn’t intend to make her cry since we still had to travel together for another week.
Akia visibly deflated and gave me a somewhat hurt look. Since Rai’s earlier comment about me having no attachments was still stuck in my head, I grumbled,
“My interests are fixed. Spirit magic and Robenin. Know anything about either?”
“……No.”
“Then we have nothing to talk about!”
“Ah! I heard a story about Count Robenin saving someone!”
“No way…… That lunatic would never do that.”
“I definitely heard it! A traveler was attacked by bandits and had everything stolen, but a red-haired swordsman appeared out of nowhere like the wind, killed all the bandits, and disappeared!”
Akia, who didn’t know any better, recounted it like it was some heartwarming tale, but I could see the truth.
“……He was just warming up while passing by. I guarantee it.”
“Huh……? Is that what it was?”
“Yeah! That’s the kind of guy he is!”
“Oh my? Miss Jeanie, since you’re a noble…… do you have a connection with Count Robenin? You sound like you know him very well.”
“Do you think there’s only one or two nobles? Just because I’m a noble doesn’t mean I know him.”
Honestly, there wasn’t a single noble who didn’t know Robenin. If someone had a personal connection, they’d have to be a high-ranking noble.
Like Ephiros!
“But you said he was one of your interests?”
“Ah, ha, ha, there’s only a paper-thin difference between a fan and an anti-fan. Which side do you think I’m on, Akia?”
There were some things in this world where you could tell the answer just by looking. And if Akia had any sense, she’d figure out which side I was on just from my rotten smile.
“……You dislike him.”
“Enough to get angry just seeing red hair.”
“Then you’ll be cheering for Count Trenfe in the duel, right?”
“Of course. I’m even going to buy a cheer stick. This big!”