As always, the collection of the Earth Dragon carcass was entrusted to a monster-specialized recovery company.
In the end, we managed to return to Silas before evening.
“So, what do we do now?”
“The Festival of Souls is tomorrow night, right? I think we’re free to do as we please until then… what do you guys want to do?”
“Ah, I think I’d like to buy some art supplies.”
“I’m going to drop by the Intelligence Department. They’re hounding me to submit my report quickly.”
“I’m going to visit an old acquaintance… what about you, Katia?”
It seems all three of them have things to do.
That leaves me alone with nothing to do.
“I don’t have anything in particular planned.”
“Then could you report to Lumia? She’s quite particular about these things.”
“Understood.”
Then it’ll be the magic academy.
I’ve been there once, so I shouldn’t get lost.
“Katia, is it?”
Without even looking up, Lumia-san responded as I knocked and entered the Headmaster’s office.
She was scribbling something on a piece of paper.
Just as she said, she seemed very busy.
“We were able to subjugate the Earth Dragon without any particular problems.”
“Hmm. I thank you on behalf of the city’s residents. What about the others?”
“They all have their own business, so I’m the only one reporting.”
“I see… hmm? Does that mean you’re, perhaps, free?”
Finally, Lumia-san looked up.
Her gaze was scrutinizing me.
“Yes, I don’t have anything in particular to do, but…”
“Then help me! Please!”
“Eh? Huh? But, my knowledge of magic is only average, you know?”
Lumia-san is putting together a new theory of magic that involves spirits.
I don’t think I can be of much help.
“I don’t need your knowledge. Just compiling documents or simple chores will do! I’m so busy, I feel like I’m going to collapse!”
“Um, what about the other staff members…?”
“They’re all engrossed in practical experiments… I don’t have enough manpower! Please, Katia!”
…Well, I don’t have any particular reason to refuse.
Being asked so desperately doesn’t feel bad.
“No, I don’t mind. As you can see, I’m free.”
“I’m in your debt! Immediately, please compile those documents in numerical order. There’s a number on the top right. You can read numbers, right?”
“I can read and write without any problems, it’s fine.”
T/N: The story is pointing out here that literacy is not universal in this world.
The literacy rate in this country is about sixty percent.
Anyone can learn if they want to.
“Then, I’m counting on you.”
She said, and I turned my attention to the stack of documents.
After helping until evening, I returned to the inn.
The next day, I was asked to help again, so I went straight to the Headmaster’s office from the morning.
“Hmm… the efficiency of magic changes depending on the location, not only due to the environment, but also… the number of spirits…”
She muttered while writing.
Until yesterday, she was silent, so she must be very stressed.
According to Lumia-san, she wants to finish her work somehow by the Festival of Souls tonight.
I’m compiling documents and reading out the reported data.
“The correlation between the number of spirits and the mana poured in is, that’s, consi…”
“Huh, Lumia-san?”
Her hands and mouth stopped.
What’s wrong?
“Whaaaaaa! Why do I have to go through all this!”
Eh!?
“You don’t even need to know the mechanism! You can use it, so it’s fine! Something will come out, even if it’s vague! Ugh!”
“Hey, Lumia-san, calm down! The documents are going to fly away!”
“Haa, haa… Katia… let’s take a break…”
“Y-Yes. I’ll go make some tea now.”
I left the Headmaster’s office.
I was surprised.
Lumia-san is the type to bottle up her dissatisfaction…
Somehow, I need to find something to soothe her mind.
The tea room is… right nearby, over there.
Inside, there was a kettle, a teapot, and a jar of water.
Tea leaves… oh, there are dried herbs.
“I wonder if I can make a delicious herbal tea.”
I poured water into the kettle and placed it on top of the magic fire implement.
I lit it and waited for it to boil.
Once it boiled, I poured it into the teapot to warm the pot.
When it reached a suitable temperature, I discarded the water inside.
Now, the dried herbs… this is elderflower, I think.
I put an appropriate amount into the tea strainer of the pot.
I poured in the reboiled, not quite boiling, water and steeped it.
I waited three minutes and it was done.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Hmm, that’s a nice scent… I shall partake.”
A refreshing scent, similar to muscat grapes, wafted through the room.
“Here you go.”
“Hoo… Slurp… hmm, delicious! The aroma is different from what my staff makes. Haa, it’s calming.”
“The village near my hometown is a herb-producing area… I often made it for my grandfather. Ah, this herb becomes sweeter when it cools, so you can enjoy it twice.”
“Hmm, is that so… oh!”
“How is it?”
“Hmm! It’s amazing how different it can be depending on the brewing method. But, now that I’m relaxed, my shoulders hurt…”
Lumia-san slowly rotated her shoulders while frowning.
“Shoulder stiffness? Shall I give you a massage?”
“Hmm? Did Tim do that too?”
“Well, yes. What do you want me to do?”
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
Lumia-san’s shoulders were squishy.
Her body is truly that of a girl, so any shoulder stiffness should be cured quickly.
So, without pressing too hard, I loosened them with moderate force to improve blood circulation.
“Ah, that feels good… no, I’m getting sleepy…”
Her eyelids were half-closed.
She looked like she was about to fall asleep any second.
“It’s okay to sleep. I’ll wake you up in about an hour.”
“Hmm… but, there’s still work to do…”
“You’ll be less efficient if you don’t rest properly. …Lumia-san?”
“…”
Ah, she fell asleep.
What should I do? First, I’ll get her off the chair and let her sleep on the sofa… heave-ho.
Wow, she’s light.
Now, something to use as a pillow… huh?
As I tried to stand up, something pulled on my clothes.
Looking closely—
“Lumia-san’s hand…”
When did she grab it? She was tightly holding the hem of my clothes.
When I tried to gently remove it,
“Eep! …Muu…”
She grumbled unhappily… like a child!
No, it’s not strange in appearance, but this person is eighty years old…
I have no choice.
“Here we go.”
I placed Lumia-san’s head on my lap.
I never thought I’d be the one giving a lap pillow…
My legs are fairly trained, but aren’t they too hard?
“Snore…”
Her breathing became deeper.
It seems she liked it.
What a relief.
But, she’s a strange person.
She has both the aspect of a girl and the wisdom and knowledge of an old woman.
Well, I guess I’m not one to talk, since I don’t even know if I’m a man or a woman.
“…Mom…”
Talking in her sleep…
—No, wait a minute.
I’m not that old!
Is it my chest!? Is that what’s wrong!?
Is my maternal instinct overflowing!?
“…Dad?..”
Why is that one a question?
Lumia-san knows I’m a man inside.
At least say Father… but, still.
Sigh.
There’s no point in making faces in response to her sleep talking.
…….
After a while, Lumia-san woke up a little before an hour had passed.
She woke up with a blank expression, looked around, and finally came to her senses.
“Whoa! What time is it!?”
“Good morning, Lumia-san. It’s been a little less than an hour since you fell asleep.”
“Hmm… I’m sorry, I caused you trouble. Are your legs numb?”
“No, no, it’s okay. I won’t tell anyone that you were drooling in your sleep.”
“Hey! Don’t say that, don’t tell anyone! Even though I look like this, I receive the utmost respect from magic-related people—”
“Eh, is that a request? Should I report it to the Intelligence Department?”
“Idiot! Are you even listening to what I’m saying!?”
Well, her sleeping face was cute.
I savored it.
If you don’t consider her age, she’s just a beautiful elf girl.
After that, Lumia-san, with a refreshed mind, desperately wrote her documents—
“I made it!”
Somehow, we managed to arrive at the venue by the time the fireworks were scheduled to launch.
Night had already fallen.
Lumia-san led me to what you might call a VIP seat.
Right in front of the river, the best position for watching the fireworks.
“Have the three of them already arrived?”
Lyall-san, Neil-san, and Fina-san had already arrived.
“It was hard because Lyall-san kept getting lost…”
“I got here fine, so it’s alright, isn’t it? …No, don’t glare at me. Sorry.”
Aside from this place, looking around, it was crowded with a wave of people.
Lyall-san is exceptionally tall, so he would be easy to find, but if we got separated even once in this crowd, it would be difficult to rejoin.
“I was taught the place beforehand, so I somehow managed. Were you two working until the last minute?”
Lumia-san and I exchanged glances and nodded.
The sense of accomplishment from finishing the work naturally made my face break into a smile.
“Yes, we somehow managed to finish it.”
“Hmm hmm, we wouldn’t have made it if Katia wasn’t here.”
“Huh, did you two suddenly become good friends?”
Fina-san tilted her head.
It’s true that we might be a little closer than you’d expect for having only been together for a little over a day.
“Haha… to be honest, it was a battlefield…”
“It was like we overcame a deadly situation together…”
The workload was tremendous.
Even if it wasn’t as bad as Lumia-san, I was tired enough.
The five of us sat side by side on the embankment, where the grass had been carefully mowed.
“It’s rare for Lumia to let her guard down so quickly. You were quite shy, weren’t you?”
Unexpected words from Lyall-san.
I didn’t get that impression.
“Hmm, I somehow feel relaxed when I’m with this one. Even though she has such slanted eyes.”
Lumia-san said, pulling her eyes up.
…Do I really have such slanted eyes?
“Ah, I understand too. I feel calm when I’m near Katia-chan.”
“Katia-san has good virtue.”
“Um, please stop praising me so much… my body is starting to itch.”
“Kukuku, you’re reacting the same way Tim does when he’s praised.”
No, really, please stop.
“Ah, it started.”
Fina-san pointed to the sky, where a ball of fire rose, leaving a trail of light.
Boom! Parapara…
A large flower bloomed in the night sky, scattering many petals as it disappeared.
It was different from what I expected.
It wasn’t a flashy display involving the magic unique to this world, but something very familiar.
The fireworks were exactly the same as the fireworks from my previous life.
The scenery in my memory overlapped with the fireworks I was seeing now.
“Are you crying?”
“—Eh?”
Suddenly, Lumia-san said, and I touched my eyes.
Sure enough, my cheeks were wet…
Fina-san and the others didn’t notice.
They were focused on the fireworks.
“Are they that similar? To the fireworks of the world you were in?”
“…”
I had often recalled my previous life until now.
But, the backlash of memories accompanied by visuals was stronger than I thought.
The scenes floated vividly in my mind.
Fireworks seen with my family, fireworks seen with my friends, and fireworks that I went to see many times, persistently invited by my cousin.
Memories of people I can no longer meet floated up and disappeared each time the fireworks went up.
Blooming and scattering.
“In this world, there are occasional unnatural technological innovations… these fireworks might also be something left behind by a wanderer from another world like you.”
Were those people able to return to their homes?
Or, did they perish in this land without being able to return?
If they couldn’t return, how did they spend their time in this world?
“I understand the feelings of those left behind. I’ve seen off many people, many times, and I’m sure I’ll continue to do so. But…”
Lumia-san gently wiped the tears from my eyes.
With her plump, soft hands, but surprisingly scarred little hands.
“Those who leave, must feel just as lonely…”
That night, the fireworks were blurred by tears and I couldn’t see them well.