The Cure-All
"Young Master!"
Jane cried out, the color draining from her face at the thought that the white sphere might come spilling out of his magic all over again.
"I told you, the summoning doesn't work."
"You don't know that! Do you have any idea how worried I was...?"
"Well... the truth is, I was lying here by myself yesterday and got bored, so..."
The look on her face made him sorry. Blow scratched the back of his head.
Jane snatched up a pillow and brought it down on his shoulder. It landed with a soft whump.
"I really can't stand you!"
She glared, fierce, cheeks blown full of air. Guilty all over again, Blow scratched his head as he spoke.
"Sorry. It's just—I did try it after I came to this world, and it didn't work."
"...What do you mean?"
"After I got back from Splas, I tried it once. Spirit-summoning magic."
"Ah..."
"They say once you've got a spirit, your mana flow changes. There's a clear difference."
"That's what people say."
"The thing is, I can't feel any difference at all. Not before, not after I came to this world, and not now."
The strength went out of Jane. She let out a long sigh and said,
"Even so... please try to restrain yourself a little."
"All right. I'm sorry for making you worry."
By way of apology, Blow held out an apple. Jane, mouth pushed into a pout, turned her head the other way.
"...I'm not eating it."
"Come on, don't be like that."
Only then did she reluctantly pick up a fork. She bit into the apple and went on.
"Do you know how worried everyone was? Melo said she was coming to see you, and everything..."
"That's what I'm saying. The referee should've called it at a reasonable point. Once I'm in a duel, I don't see anything else."
"But did you know? You put that Arhudin down in a single blow."
"I honestly don't remember that. But that teacher... he handles Magic Offense and Defense, doesn't he?"
"There was talk even when he was appointed. That he was parachuted in."
"Didn't know that."
Picturing Arhudin as he always was, stroking his beard with that solemn air, Blow spoke to Jane in a sly tone.
"At this rate, even I might be able to take a swing at Herbena."
"Does that mean you're going to summon that sphere again?"
"Hey, no. Of course not."
Dodging her sharp look, Blow smiled awkwardly.
"A lot of people are saying there was some kind of deal between Arhudin and Greig."
"Greig isn't the type to scheme that hard behind the scenes."
"That's true, but... you could have just forfeited in the middle, couldn't you?"
"I didn't want to."
"Honestly... you really are all right?"
"Yeah. Not a scratch on me. Look."
He held up for her the right arm that had dripped blood all through the match.
"The people who came up onto the dueling ground seem to have gotten hurt worse. Except Linne..."
"Anyway, I'm never dueling again. I really got it out of my system."
"If you say you're doing it again, I won't sit still—and Herbena especially won't."
"Hm... right. What's Herbena up to? Studying again?"
He asked with a certain care. There was something between the two of them that still needed untangling.
"She said she'd rest this morning, write a report this afternoon on what happened yesterday, and come here tonight."
"That sounds kind of terrifying."
Jane read the embarrassment on his face as yesterday's embrace came back to him, and she laughed under her breath.
"Shall I get a contract ready?"
"What contract?"
"Herbena's your confidant now, so the contract ought to be redrawn..."
"No need."
Watching Blow squirm, Jane broke into giggles.
"What about Senior Yulia?"
"Senior Yulia said the recovery room was uncomfortable, so she went home to rest. Rebecca... they say she walked out as if nothing had happened at all."
"That one really doesn't seem human. But Herbena and Skadi go to the academy too. When you think about it, yesterday wasn't such a big deal, was it?"
At that, Jane's eyes hardened like stone.
"If you say that later, Herbena and Skadi might use yesterday's magic on you again."
"I'll keep my mouth shut."
While they traded this and that, a knock sounded at the recovery room door.
"Young Masteeeer."
Melo's voice, from outside.
Blow quickly told them to come in.
Melo hurried through the door and came running, catching hold of his blanket.
"Sorry. You were worried, weren't you, Melo?"
"Yes..."
"I'm sorry."
"Dinner... I made it, and it turned out really good."
"You ate it with the others?"
"Yes. Everyone made a huge fuss about how good it was. I wanted to eat it with you too, Young Master."
Tears gathered in Melo's eyes, and the mischief faded from Blow's face.
I feel awful about this...
While he stroked her hair, Megan, who had been standing behind her, let out a sigh of relief and held out a basket.
"What's this?"
"Food Melo made for you to eat, Young Master."
Inside the basket was a sandwich, striking for its thinly sliced sausage, cheese, and lettuce.
"You even prepared this?"
"Yes! Please have it a little later, at dinner!"
"Thanks for going to the trouble. Maybe I'll try one now."
"It's best when you eat it right away!"
Without hesitation, Blow Deblique brought the sandwich to his mouth.
The toasty savor of the bread met him first, then the freshness of the cabbage, and over it all the flavor of cheese just beginning to melt. He finished one in a flash and raised a thumb at her.
"This is really good. Tweak it a little, and it'd sell well as a breakfast item."
"I hope so."
"Then let's call it the Melo Sandwich!"
"I like that!"
Melo bounced with joy at his words, but Megan's expression was nothing of the sort.
"Megan?"
"Yes, Young Master."
"You don't look very happy."
"I was deciding when I ought to tell you that I would rather you never dueled again."
At the firmness in her voice, Blow answered at once.
"Sorry."
"Truly, I thought my heart was going to drop."
"So you were at the dueling ground?"
"Yes. I was watching with Herbena."
He'd told them not to come if they could help it, since his loss was obvious—and yet she'd come and seen it anyway. A wave of dizziness hit him. Blow squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them, while Megan went on in a flat voice.
"When the wave Herbena sent reached me, I thought I was done for, too."
"You didn't take cover?"
"Everyone else was up on the dueling ground. I could hardly be the only one to run."
...Should I have sent this girl to knight school?
Watching her speak so staunchly, Blow let out a dry laugh.
"Anyway... thank you, all of you, for worrying."
Megan and Hans managed smiles.
The air had grown heavy. Blow decided to bring out what he'd thought of that morning.
"Once I'm out of this recovery room, let's all go on a trip."
"Huh?"
"A trip?"
"Oh? Where?"
Interest sparked; their eyes went round. Blow added at once,
"Out to the Roten region, near Paulos Monastery. The hot springs there aren't half bad."
"Whoa! Hot springs!!"
Melo hopped with delight, and Jane and Hans couldn't hide their joy either. Blow stroked Melo's brightened face, already thinking he needed to get outside as soon as he possibly could.
"Hey. You bastard."
Late at night, after the crew from the inn had gone. Skadi, come to the recovery room with Herbena, had her eyes narrowed to slits.
"So what exactly was that sphere?"
"I told you, I don't know either."
"It had better not be a spirit!"
"I said I don't really know. Why are you so hung up on spirits?"
"...Then you would've beaten Greig!"
Blow stared at her, dumbfounded.
"All this is because I lost the duel?"
"Obviously! Do you know how hard I worked helping you?"
"Fair enough. A loss is a loss, I guess."
"Because I stepped in."
Herbena, beside them, slipped the words in.
A silence settled.
Blow looked from one to the other and swallowed the sigh that wanted out.
These two... they still haven't made up?
He'd caught on that something had happened between them. From a certain point on, they simply hadn't spoken to each other. He was wondering how to ease the air when Skadi spoke to Jane first.
"Anyone else in the recovery room? Jane?"
"Just us."
"Good. That almost would've been a waste."
With that, Skadi drew a bottle of Ropert Special from inside her coat. A get-well gift so perfectly like her that laughter slipped out of everyone.
"I knew you'd pull something like this."
"You brought cheese, too?"
From her small bag came cheese on the very edge of melting. While she set it on a plate, Jane cut the leftover sandwich from earlier into easy bites. Blow watched Skadi beaming at the thought of a drink, then spoke up, casual.
"Thank you. I mean it, Skadi."
"Hm? For what?"
"That it is."
She lifted one corner of her mouth, and the bright pop of the Ropert Special coming open rang through the recovery room.
"Did you bring glasses?"
"Glasses? You just put your mouth on the bottle, don't you?"
"...Then drink it yourself."
"Why do you always say it like that? That hurts my feelings!"
"I think there are some in here."
The cups Jane took from the cupboard were ordinary water glasses, not wine glasses. Skadi decided that would do well enough and set one down in front of each of them.
As the oak scent peculiar to Ropert spread through the recovery room, something occurred to Blow, and he spoke.
"Skadi. Can you do ice?"
"You know I can't use ice magic. I failed that class."
Jane looked at her, remembering yesterday's red ice—but Skadi's expression had gone strange, and Jane had no choice but to keep her mouth shut.
"Hm... we need ice."
When he said it once more, Herbena dropped ice into each of their cups.
"That do it?"
"Yeah. A drink like this has to be on the rocks. That's my confidant."
"......"
Ears gone red, Herbena avoided his gaze. Skadi nodded as if she agreed.
"Right? The Special's too strong to drink neat."
"All right, then. Everyone."
With his words came the bright clink of glasses meeting in the recovery room.
A few cups later, the high proof had flushed every face red in an instant.
"Must be the ice! It's going down so fast!"
"Easy. Please."
Herbena, who had said nothing until then, spun toward Skadi, hesitated, and finally managed to open her mouth.
"I'm sorry, Skadi."
"Huh?"
"Just... I'm sorry."
She turned her head and knocked back what remained.
Watching her, Skadi let out a short laugh and slapped her across the back with a crack. Herbena startled into a cough, wrinkled her nose, and shouted.
"Ow! Hey! I almost spit it everywhere!"
"Don't do that next time! Come on—another glass, with my love in it!"
At that big, cheerful voice, the corner of Herbena's mouth lifted, as if she were relieved.
"R-right now?!"
"If you mean to refuse my love, then don't drink it."
"I'll drink."
Herbena tipped back the pour at once. Skadi's gaze shifted, pleased, to Jane, who had been watching with a fond look.
"Hey! Jane, you hurry up and show Herbena some love too!"
"Um...?"
"Right. Jane, I'm sorry. Back then... I said too much."
"No. It's all right. Take mine, too."
Jane filled Herbena's cup. Skadi burst out laughing, and Herbena, drunk as drunk could be, moved her lips.
If he stayed stuck to this any longer, something was going to blow up. Blow pushed himself up off the bed.
"Where are you going?"
"The bathroom."
"Idiot. What are you going to do if that sphere comes out again?"
"You all look more dangerous than I do. I'll be right back."
He shook them off and stepped out, meaning to walk the academy and sober up while he was at it.
A voice he hadn't expected in the least flew to his ear.
Moonlight flashed off the Black Blade and the black armor.
Rachel Campbell was leaning there, right in front of the recovery room.