Thud!
“Excuse me.”
When Dereck entered the room where Siern was recovering, the first thing he saw was an enormous mountain of fabric.
For an instant he thought it was something else, but when he looked more closely, he understood the situation the elegant young lady had set aside her beautiful dress and was now lying buried under a pile of blankets, wearing pajamas full of lace and frills.
“…”
“Dereck…”
“Could you tell me… what exactly is this situation…?”
“My father said that since it’s cold outside I have to keep my body heat at the maximum… so he had all the wool blankets in the mansion brought in…”
Though he wore an incredulous expression, Dereck examined Siern’s face.
It was clear she had a bit of a fever.
She sneezed a couple of times and, with slightly moist eyes, spoke in a weak voice.
“I know I have a bit of a fever, but I said resting would be enough… even so, my father put on that furious tiger expression and canceled the entire dinner. You came from so far away… I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t come for the dinner, so it doesn’t matter. Though it seems the fever has risen more than you thought.”
“The maids already wiped away the sweat and changed the towels. Really, it wasn’t that serious…”
The servants must have seen her state the moment they entered.
Seeing the jewel of the Rochester family wrapped up like a cocoon in bed and being unable to do anything could only mean one thing Melverot had given direct orders.
After all, no one would have imagined that the girl who ran barefoot through the tundra hunting monsters would end up bedridden by a simple cold.
Dereck sat beside her, examined Siern’s reddened skin several times, and took one of her hands to check her mana.
“You overexerted yourself more than usual.”
“Really? It didn’t feel like that…”
“You probably used too much mana while fighting the monsters along the way.”
The reason a girl so small could run barefoot through the snow without trouble was her innate talent in transformation magic.
Though it looked as if she were simply playing on the snow, in reality she instinctively used acceleration and state alterations, without even being aware of it.
The problem was that after learning combat magic and illusion magic from Dereck, her repertoire and level increased, and she ended up abusing her power without realizing it.
As a result, the transformation magic that wrapped around her body like a second skin temporarily weakened.
“You must have felt colder than usual.”
“I thought it was because I hadn’t returned to the Rochester territory in a long time. I lived for a long time in prairies where the sun shone all year… I guess I relaxed too much.”
“That’s understandable. With a bit of rest, you’ll recover.”
“Even so… I don’t like that the dinner was canceled because of me.”
“That can be done when you’re better.”
The calm way Dereck responded to everything made Siern feel calmer, without knowing why.
He rarely became flustered, and just having him nearby gave a strange sense of security, even in anomalous situations.
Cough— cough—
As she sneezed, her mind also seemed to settle.
It was undoubtedly because he was there.
Siern began removing the blankets one by one, trying to sit up to cool down her body heat.
“Ah— ah…”
Whoosh!
With Dereck’s help, carefully removing each layer, she managed to sit up.
It didn’t seem like a serious illness; rather, a common cold that anyone could suffer.
Even so, Siern seemed intrigued, touching her forehead several times.
“I see… your hand feels very cold. It’s not that you’re cold, it’s that I’m hot.”
“There’s no need to put it that way…”
“So… when a person is exposed to too much cold… they get sick…”
“That’s normal.”
“Yes… normal.”
Siern, sitting upright, silently looked out the window where the snow continued to fall softly.
The spire of the tower visible in the distance was a place filled with painful memories for her.
She had observed the mansion from the tower countless times, but this was the first time she looked at the tower from the mansion.
She thought she would always live seeing the same scenery, and without realizing it, the view before her eyes had completely changed.
Perhaps all of that was thanks to that clumsy mage instructor who did not hesitate to risk his life to pull her out of the tower.
That thought gave her a warm feeling, and at the same time, something heavy.
“I don’t know many things that are supposed to be normal.”
“…”
“I suppose that’s logical. How much common sense can an assassin who spent her life locked in a tower, killing people and lamenting, really have? Of course, I never cared much about other people’s looks, not even when I walked as I pleased through the Rose Hall.”
The image of Trisha, frozen in terror when Siern released her icy aura, crossed Dereck’s mind.
It was the usual reaction of those who faced her.
Even if he told her it was fine, he knew it couldn’t entirely be so.
“It’s a good thing you’re here, Dereck.”
Siern wasn’t someone who used grand words or embellished her feelings.
That was why, when she spoke, she did so directly.
Perhaps because of the fever, or maybe out of embarrassment, she abruptly turned her head away.
“Get some more rest.”
Outside, the snow continued to fall.
If the place didn’t change, the scenery didn’t either.
Would it be the same for Melverot, always sitting in the same place, watching the northern tundra?
The tundra was motionless and silent.
Only the occasional cold served as a reminder that life still existed.
“It’s cold… here.”
And when a person is exposed to the cold for too long, they inevitably fall ill.
That seemed to apply both to a small girl and to a great archmage who once ruled the world.
***
“Did you confirm her condition?”
“Yes. When she ran into the monsters, it seems she used too much magic. If she rests a bit, recovers her mana, and also her physical strength, I think she’ll be fine.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
Melverot was standing in the corridor with his arms crossed.
Behind him were the servants, looking uneasy, and Kalimford, whose face was still pale.
“Honestly, what a troublesome amount of problems she causes. Getting sick and weakened over something like that—how does she plan to survive in this merciless northern environment? It’s truly irritating.”
Melverot’s tone grew even more serious.
“But when it comes to resolving matters, it must be done with absolute certainty. Most likely Siern will recover on her own if we let her rest, but in this world there is always the just in case. If her condition affects her immune system, or if she contracts some infection, it could lead to permanent damage. To prevent that, we must take measures.”
“For now, what comes to mind is giving her medicine and letting her rest for a long time, eating food that’s easy to digest.”
“That’s not enough.”
“Excuse me?”
Melverot spoke in a solemn voice.
There was a faint trace of confusion in it.
“As a mercenary, you should know this. It only takes ignoring a small variable for everything to spiral out of control. Right now it looks like a simple cold, but if you consider all possibilities, there are too many things to evaluate. How can you be sure it’s a mild ailment? What if the fever and cough are just symptoms, and there’s an underlying illness?”
“…”
“Not even the best doctor would dare to diagnose a human body lightly. I have survived until today governing the Rochester territory because I was always cautious and never underestimated the small things. Butler. Immediately gather all available medical supplies and locate the people with the greatest medical knowledge in the territory. Honestly, having a single daughter is incredibly troublesome.”
“To that extent?”
“Whatever I do, I do it properly. Honestly… it’s exasperating.”
The butler’s face turned completely pale.
Given the situation, it seemed evident that even bringing the most famous doctor on the entire continent would not be enough to calm that man.
Still, obeying his lord was his duty.
With a haggard expression, the butler bowed his head and replied that he would do so.
“Melverot, I’ve thought about it calmly, and I don’t think there’s a need to exaggerate this much.”
“What?”
Kalimford stepped forward with a firm stride and spoke in a low voice.
“Seeking famous doctors just because it’s a cold seems like a misguided judgment to me.”
The servants looked at Kalimford as if a savior had appeared.
In that room, he was the only one capable of saying that eating well, lying down, and resting would be enough to heal.
With his arms crossed and an expression as serious as if he were facing the great monster Noir, Kalimford continued.
“Perhaps it would be better to resort to a magical method.”
“…”
“If the cause was excessive mana usage, it could be resolved with a magical artifact that untangles distorted mana or replenishes what is depleted. It will cost a lot of money, of course—but as a preventive measure, it’s worth the investment.”
“This year’s tax revenue was good. If we divert some of the budget meant to reinforce the outer walls, perhaps we can gather all the useful magical artifacts in the territory.”
“And if possible, also bring some from outside…”
“But then we’d have to spend an additional two hundred Roten gold coins…”
“Melverot, Siern is sick. What will you do if, to save a few coins, she ends up with permanent aftereffects?”
“Damn it, you’re right, but then there wouldn’t be any budget left to summon doctors. We’d have to call the magistrate and readjust the budget, and that would take too much time…”
“The key is choosing what to prioritize. Please, trust my judgment, Melverot.”
“No. No matter how I think about it, Siern’s condition must be evaluated from a medical standpoint. Not everything can be resolved with magic.”
“Damn it! The baron of Ravenclaw said it clearly! This is a magical problem…!”
“Kh… but if we act under that assumption and it turns out to be another cause, what will you do? If it ends in permanent damage, can you bear that responsibility?”
“That’s… damn it… what am I supposed to do…?”
“Damn… how did things come to this…?”
“Heavens… why such a trial…?”
“…”
Not even before a battle that would decide the fate of the world had there been such a serious argument.
It wasn’t one, but two six-star mages, capable of destroying the entire area with a mere snap of their fingers.
Seeing them grit their teeth and act as if they had lost the world because a girl who hadn’t even held her coming-of-age ceremony was sick was surreal.
But it was inevitable. Neither Melverot nor Kalimford had experience raising or caring for children.
It was the first time they had seen someone they considered their own fall ill, and so all they could do was rub their faces dry and propose absurd countermeasures.
Those who would undoubtedly end up exhausted by all of this were the servants.
Dereck, feeling that he had to shoulder the responsibility, finally spoke.
“If I give my honest opinion, I think it’s enough for her to eat well and sleep.”
At that instant, the two great mages looked at him with icy intensity.
“Such an irresponsible statement solves nothing.”
“This cannot be resolved with such carelessness.”
The pressure emanating from the two of them was impossible to put into words.
***
“After resting for one night, the fever disappeared completely. I feel fine now, and my mana is full again. I’m sorry for worrying you yesterday.”
“…”
Chirp! Chirp!
The next morning, Siern arrived at the audience hall with a radiant face and greeted Melverot.
She looked healthy and delicate.
After eating hot porridge and sleeping all day in a warm environment, she was in a state that could be called excellent.
White hair, clear eyes, white dress.
She was the perfect image of a beautiful and refined lady.
Looking at her, it seemed impossible to believe she had had a fever the day before.
Melverot was signing documents with his pen while glancing at her sideways.
“I came to inform you as soon as I felt better. I thought you might have been worried.”
“Worried? It was more of an annoyance. From now on, properly maintain the sensation of transformation magic enveloping your body. If you get sick so easily, you’ll only lose out.”
“Yes… I’m sorry.”
“I said I wasn’t worried. Excessive self-consciousness will be a flaw in noble society. Always keep that in mind.”
“Yes, yes.”
Siern bowed her head and went out into the corridor to have breakfast.
“Hmph. Making such a fuss over a minor ailment.”
“…”
Melverot said that while signing the documents without much interest.
At his side, Dereck, who was reporting on the administrative schedule of the Ravenclaw territory, had his eyes slightly narrowed.
Melverot cleared his throat once more, skimmed through the reports, and signed them quickly.
He seemed to think everything would proceed just fine without any need for intervention.
‘It seems Siern didn’t think much of it.’
Dereck gathered the documents and reflected.
A six-star mage was already more troublesome than facing a great army.
Across the entire continent, there was probably no one else besides Siern Alaina Rochester who was protected by two six-star mages at the same time.
And the fact that she followed Dereck was, in a sense, a burden for him as well.
There was no alternative.
