The First Treasure
The howl of a fierce blizzard echoed outside. Was it the sound of snow battering the windows? Through the roar, a familiar voice slipped in, trembling with sobs. I forced my heavy, fever-hot eyelids open. Mother was right there in front of me. She sat beside the bed, clutching my hand like a lifeline as she prayed.
“M-Mom…”
Mother jolted upright in shock. Her tear-streaked cheeks and lips, her disheveled golden hair—her once-beautiful face had crumbled into something more fragile and sorrowful than I had ever seen.
With trembling hands, Mother pulled me into her arms. Her embrace was warm, but the tears kept flowing without any sign of stopping. She must have felt her heart drop when she found me collapsed alone on the empty threshold.
“…Ugh.”
The vow I had heard from her lips pierced my heart with guilt. She was willing to abandon the shop that was our only source of income because she couldn’t bear to lose her last remaining family. But if she did that, how would the two of us survive? Wouldn’t we be thrown out into that freezing world?
I didn’t want to be a burden anymore.
The weight of that guilt was crushing. It burned my throat hotter than the fever itself. Just as tears threatened to rise to my chin along with Mother’s, a loud banging came from outside.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Someone was pounding on the door. Mother flinched and turned her head.
I had the same question, but one name flashed through my mind. Noriel.
No way…!
Earlier, Noriel had headed into the forest wearing nothing but a single coat. Had he really made it back safely through that hellish storm?
Mother walked toward the door with anxious eyes. Thinking it might be him, I forced my heavier-than-ever body upright and staggered after her. She hesitated for a moment, then carefully turned the doorknob.
Creeeak.
There stood a small shadow wrapped in white frost, looking as if it might collapse at any moment. It was Noriel, breathing hard. His black hair and entire body were covered in snow, and the hems of his pants and his legs were scratched and streaked with frozen blood.
Mother was clearly suspicious of him. It made sense. A bloodied child showing up alone in the middle of the night. I swallowed the burning in my throat and forced my voice out.
Taking advantage of Mother’s confusion, he slipped through the door.
Noriel headed straight for the kitchen. Mother and I exchanged bewildered glances before following him.
Rustle.
A crumpled bundle of herbs spilled from his coat. He mashed them in a bowl, tossed them into the pot along with some berries, and began boiling the mixture with practiced ease. The scent of crushed plants soon filled the house.
How was I supposed to explain him? As I struggled with the vague dilemma, the blanket slipped slightly off my shoulder. It was the one Noriel had draped over me.
He paid no attention to our worries, working with terrifying focus. After several dozen minutes—
Noriel let out a triumphant cry, smiling like he had conquered the world. It was the happiest expression I had ever seen on his face. He ladled the thick liquid from the pot into a bowl and brought it straight to me.
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
Steam rose gently from the small bowl. Just as I reached to take the soup—
Mother grabbed Noriel’s wrist.
The mother who had always been so gentle now wore a stern expression.
“…Hmm.”
“Cough… Mom…”
She wasn’t wrong. Who would let their daughter drink medicine from a stranger who had suddenly appeared, even if it was a child? Noriel spoke calmly.
Noriel continued speaking with impressive knowledge. It annoyed me a little that this kid who was the same age as me sounded so smug.
Noriel handed the bowl back to me. His small hands were covered in cuts, yet his touch felt strangely gentle.
“Uh, ah?! That’s, um…”
It was too awkward to explain. I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid the question and gulped down the bowl’s contents.
“Ugh!? It’s so…!”
It was so bitterly awful it felt like my tongue had gone numb. If this was medicine, drinking deadly poison must taste exactly like this.
“…? There’s no way it would work that fast…”
Huh? I wasn’t coughing anymore. The sharp pain that had been stabbing my throat vanished in an instant.
Mother hurriedly pressed her hand to my forehead. After checking my temperature several times, tears welled up in her eyes and she pulled me into a tight embrace.
Her sobs were thick with relief. Knowing how much she had suffered, I felt my own eyes growing hot—right before everything changed.
“Mom…?”
Huh. Why was I suddenly so sleepy? The fatigue that had built up from the illness melted away like snow. It felt like burrowing into a warm embrace in the middle of bitter cold. A wave of drowsiness washed over me, blurring my vision. It wasn’t unpleasant at all. It was the sweetest, coziest sleep I had ever felt.
Morning sunlight poured through the window. The crisp, refreshing air tickled my skin.
“—!”
The moment I woke, I shot upright in bed. Everything had changed. The difference was so clear I could feel it instantly. My body felt as light as a feather, as if the memory of pain had been carved out entirely.
“Whoa…”
I clenched and unclenched my fist, staring in awe. How could a kid the same age as me do something like this?
“Dohe…si…”
A soft murmur. Mother was asleep, slumped over beside the bed. Just seeing her like that made my eyes sting with tears. I gently pulled the blanket over her so she wouldn’t wake, then moved my now-perfectly healthy body.
“Where’s Noriel…?”
He was nowhere to be seen. I checked the living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom—everywhere. The house was empty.
“He didn’t just leave without saying goodbye after paying off his debt, did he?”
Even so, disappearing like that was too much. What a cold-hearted—
“Ah!”
Just then, I spotted a familiar silhouette through the window, under the eaves of the roof. Noriel was breathing out white puffs of air as he gazed up at the clear sky. For some reason, relief bloomed in my chest.
Clatter.
“Ah, yeah. A lot better…”
“Huh? Oh, thanks for looking out for me…”
Tap.
The awkward conversation died there. The silence felt uncomfortable. I decided to ask the question I had been holding onto.
“Hey, I have something I want to ask.”
“How do you know so much…? About illnesses, where to find herbs… Last time too, even though it was your first time in the village, you seemed to know the roads perfectly…”
It was fascinating that a kid like him could be so capable. From Mother’s reaction, it was obvious he wasn’t ordinary.
I perked up my ears.
“……Did you catch that Circuit Reflux thing too?”
His face flushed bright red in embarrassment. It was the first time I had seen that expression on him. Somehow it looked cute, and I liked it.
“Hehe, it’s nothing.”
“Thanks to you.”
He turned his head away, embarrassed. Hmm. He might be easier to handle than I thought.
Just then, a loud noise came from far away. Probably the merchant uncle unloading his goods. I used to stare blankly at that scene every day at this time, feeling satisfied. But right now, being with this kid felt a little better.
I wish he would stay like this forever.
“Huh?”
“Really?!!”
Yeah. Why was I so happy? He looked at me with puzzled eyes.
“Huh…? Wasn’t that settled yesterday?”
For some reason, every word Noriel said made me happy. Was he saying these things on purpose? He really was amazing.
“Huh? Oh… okay…”
Of course. He would leave someday.
“Then… um…”
I clenched my small fists. I needed courage for this.
I’ll overcome my fears by then too.
“Hmm…”
I was nervous. I focused on every breath he took.
It felt good. No, maybe happy was the better word. I didn’t know exactly why. Maybe it was because I was still young. But one thing was certain.
Finally, there was someone who wouldn’t disappear from in front of me. Someone I wanted to protect. In a winter where I had only known loss, this was the first treasure I had ever found.
Clatter.
Mother left the shop with a light smile. The busy lunch rush had just ended, leaving the store quiet.
“…”
Left alone, I stared blankly at the horizon visible through the window. A week. It had already been a week since Noriel left to sell his goods.
“…When is he coming back?”
It was about time. The fact that he still hadn’t shown up was starting to make me anxious.
“Don’t tell me…”
Had he gone to meet that female knight from before?
“I should have followed him after all…”
Who was that person anyway, acting so familiar with Noriel? Anyone could see they weren’t just casual acquaintances. I had been by his side since we were little, but I had never seen her before—
Ting-a-ling.
The sound of the shop door opening. Strange. I was sure I had put up the closed sign for break time. I stopped what I was doing and cautiously approached the counter.
“…? How do you know my name…?”
A woman I had never seen before stood before me. More importantly, how did she know my name? She wore a deep blue dress robe and carried a staff as tall as a person. A wide-brimmed wizard hat sat atop her long, flowing hair. At a glance, it was obvious she was a mage.
…It stung my pride a little that my eyes had been drawn to her ample figure.
“Noriel…?”
Why was his name coming out of this woman’s mouth? The sudden familiarity made me tense up and listen carefully. The woman lifted the brim of her hat and smiled.
The woman rattled on with one incomprehensible sentence after another. But that wasn’t what caught my attention.
“He’s really lost his mind, that Noriel.”
What on earth was this guy doing out there? It seemed like he had finally done something that couldn’t be explained with words.