Epilogue
The winter ended. About the time the warmth of spring became something you could feel, Anne turned up at the restaurant without warning.
“Anne! What brings you here?”
“I have brought a letter for Master Leon, from the master.”
“From Lord Richard? What would it be about?”
“I do not know myself, but he said he would like you to read it soon.”
“Understood. Thank you for coming all this way. I’ll read it at once.”
“Yes, if you would. Then I shall take my leave.”
And she made to go straight back.
“Anne, won’t you have some lunch? It’s just the right hour for it…”
“Thank you. But I am working at present, so I must go back immediately. I am sorry.”
“No, if that’s how it is, there’s nothing for it. Thank you for bringing the letter.”
“Then I shall excuse myself.”
Anne said it, smiled gently at me, and was gone. Unhurried in manner and very fast in fact. That is a ducal house’s maid for you. More to the point, what is Lord Richard writing to me about? He wanted it read soon, so I had better read it now.
I told Mom and Dad where I was going, went through to the living room, and opened it.
The letter began with what in Japan would be seasonal greetings and ran on through a good deal of ornamented phrasing, but the content came to two things. One was an invitation: they are going to the ducal domain around autumn, and would I come with them. The other was that I should come to the ducal house sometime soon.
Why would I be going to the ducal domain with them? Where is the ducal domain, come to that? I have never seen a map of this world or even of this country, so I have no sense of where anything is in relation to anything else.
Still, an invitation from a ducal house is very nearly an order. I could hardly refuse it, and they’ve done a great deal for me, so I’d rather answer it well if I can. And I’d wanted to go outside the royal capital. The only places I’ve been in this world are the central district and the western outskirts. It might be genuinely enjoyable.
As for the other one, coming to the ducal house soon, what is that about? Something to do with the trip to the domain? Well, that I can find out by going. Sooner is better, so perhaps tomorrow.
I went through to the kitchen and asked Mom.
“Mom, would it be all right if I went to the ducal house tomorrow? The letter says they’d like me to come as soon as I can.”
“Yes, we’ll manage here, so off you go. Mind your manners.”
“I will!”
While Mom and I were talking, Dad had the look of a man turning something over.
“What is it, Dad? Is something worrying you?”
I asked it, and he shook his head slowly as he answered.
“It isn’t that. Not a worry. Only, you’ll be away from home more and more from now on, and once you’re at the Academy you’ll have left home altogether, won’t you. So I thought we might do better to take somebody on.”
“That’s true, isn’t it. It would be hard on Marie by herself, so perhaps we ought to take one person on.”
“That’s true… I’m sorry.”
An ordinary child would help with his parents’ work and then take it over, so this problem would never have come up. I was thinking that and sinking a little when both of them came at me in a rush.
“That’s not it, Leon! Nothing about this is your fault. Dad and Mom ran the place with just the two of us before. It’s only that we’ve more customers now, and taking somebody on is the ordinary thing to do.”
“Of course it isn’t. And thank you for all the help you’ve given us, sweetheart.”
Being told that does lift the weight off. Still, I’ll work properly until the new person is up to speed! Come to that, how do you even advertise for staff? A notice on a wall would be no use when so many people can’t read…
“I’ll work hard until the new person finds their feet. How do you go about hiring, though?”
“You post it at the church. You go and tell them the terms and the wages, and they write it up and pin it to the church’s board. People looking for work go there to look. And for anyone who can’t read, the church people read it out to them. It’s a great convenience, really.”
So that exists. The church really does do everything. It’s a town hall with an orphanage and a hospital attached.
“So that’s how it works. I hope somebody good comes!”
“Wouldn’t that be nice. A hard worker would be such a help.”
“Dad will go and post it soon. Leon, don’t worry about the restaurant. You do what you want to do.”
“I will! Dad, Mom, thank you.”
They are far too good to me… I am absolutely going to be a good son to them.
And the next morning. I took a shared carriage out toward House Townsend, wearing the clothes they gave me the other time. If I’m going to the ducal domain I ought to buy a few more.
I was thinking about that while the carriage rocked along, and then we reached the square where the central district begins. From here it’s on foot. I learned the way when I came before, but it is a fair distance, so I had better get walking. It would be nice if there were some way of getting about other than walking. Teleportation magic, say, or flight magic. This world has no convenient magic of that kind. And the fantasy-world staple, an item box! I would like one of those. It would be enormously useful.
I walked along thinking about that and arrived at the gate of House Townsend.
“Excuse me, I’ve come because I had a letter from Lord Richard. This is the letter.”
“I shall confirm it. Please wait a moment.”
The gatekeeper took the letter and went into what looked like a gatehouse. After a while he came back.
“It is confirmed, so please come in. Someone is being called to collect you, so if you would wait a little longer.”
“Yes. Thank you very much.”
At his prompting I went inside the grounds, and after a short wait Anne came to fetch me. Beside her was a man who looked to be in his late teens, in a servant’s uniform. I don’t remember seeing him before, so perhaps he’s new.
“Master Leon, thank you for coming all this way. This is Roger, one of the servants. For as long as you are at this house, Roger will look after you.”
“My name is Roger. I hope to serve you well.”
“Thank you. I hope you’ll be good to me too, sir.”
Roger gave his greeting without a flicker of expression, and without smiling. That felt rather unpleasant. Does he dislike being made to wait on a commoner? I must have been looking at him with something showing on my face, because Anne gave a small rueful smile and explained.
“Roger is extremely capable, but he is far too serious, and I apologize for his want of warmth. He is like this with everybody. It does not mean he objects to waiting on Master Leon.”
“I see…”
I’d rather have had somebody friendly I could get on with! And his expression hasn’t moved at all, and he can hear every word of this. He looks difficult. This doesn’t bode well.
“Then I shall leave you here. Roger, take care of Master Leon.”
“Certainly. Master Leon, I will show you to your room.”
Anne handed me over to Roger and went off somewhere else. Being alone with Roger is hard going, Anne, come baaack. Roger said he would show me the way and then walked without one further word. Do you have any intention of getting along with me?!
We passed some very uncomfortable minutes like that, and the room he showed me to was the same guest room as before.
“Master Leon. This evening, after dinner, Lord Richard is expected to have something to discuss with you. Until then you may do as you please. However, you will be bathed and changed before dinner, so please plan accordingly.”
“Understood, sir. What should I do about lunch?”
“Lunch will be brought to this room. And I am a servant of this house while Master Leon is a guest, so there is no call to speak to me that way. No formal speech, and no ‘sir’. Roger will do.”
“But you’re older than me, and I’m a commoner.”
“No. That is not relevant. No formal speech, and no ‘sir’, please.”
Ngh… A pair of eyes that won’t take no for an answer is fixed on me, out of a face that had no expression on it a minute ago. Speaking down to somebody older than me is something I’ve never got used to. Then again it may well be necessary from here on, and getting used to it in this house might not be the worst idea.
“All right. Roger, then.”
“Yes. I look forward to working with you.”
“Same here.”
“Master Leon, there is a stretch of time after lunch before dinner. Will you be going out anywhere? If you are, I shall have a carriage prepared. If you would rather rest in your room, I shall arrange tea and something light.”
What shall I do… Sitting in this room with Roger the whole time would be uncomfortable, so perhaps I’ll go out. I did want to go to the bank.
“Then, could I go to the bank?”
“Certainly. I shall have a carriage ready after lunch.”
“Thanks.”
So I ate a still slightly uncomfortable lunch with Roger waiting on me, sat a while to let it settle, and got into the carriage for the bank. Roger was apparently coming along.
My purse had been getting light, which was why I wanted the bank, and I drew out another ten silver coins in case I needed them. That leaves the account at twenty-four platinum coins and three gold, which is about twenty-four million three hundred thousand yen. My purse holds ten silver and eight copper, a hundred and eight thousand. That should last a while. I do have a fair amount of money, but I have no idea what is going to cost what from here, so I want to keep as much of it as I can.
After the bank I had nothing else to do, so I went straight back to the mansion. There were preparations to make for dinner.
“Master Leon, we begin with your bath.”
That was the first thing Roger said when we got back. The man thinks about nothing but efficiency. Would a little small talk kill you? I went along to the bathroom and found a bath waiting at exactly the right temperature. Roger must have arranged it. Perhaps he really is good at the job.
So I bathed with Roger’s help and changed into the lavish clothes that had been laid out.
“Master Leon, I shall set your hair. Please sit here.”
“Sure. Roger, you’re really good at this.”
I want to get on better terms with Roger, since I expect to be dealing with him a great deal from now on, so I decided to start with praise.
“It is my work. Naturally.”
He said it as flatly as ever, and I am fairly sure his mouth softened. The first thing that has crossed that face all day! Straightforward praise, then. That is the way in with him.
“That is done. Let us go to the dining room.”
So I went to the dining room. Lord Richard, his wife Lady Catherine and Lord Frederick were there, the three of them. Lord Julien, Lord Frederick’s elder brother, seemed to be absent.
Lord Frederick ought to be at the knights’ dormitory, and here he is at the ducal house again. Does this concern him as well?
“Thank you for the invitation this evening.”
“It is I who should apologize for summoning you. Let us enjoy dinner first.”
After that the time passed easily, with the sort of conversation that goes nowhere in particular. And as dinner was drawing toward its end, Lord Richard began, without ceremony, on the matter itself.
“What I called you here for, Leon, is what the letter said: I wanted to talk about the journey to the ducal domain. My eldest son, Christophe, has succeeded to the dukedom, and his own eldest, Lucien, is your age. The boy is moving to the house in the royal capital shortly, to be settled before the Royal Academy. So we go to collect Lucien, and I would like you to come with us, meet Christophe, and see the domain. I have already told him about you by letter, so there is nothing to worry about.”
“Yes. Going to the ducal domain is no difficulty at all. I have been wanting to see somewhere other than the royal capital.”
Well, an invitation like that can hardly be refused. I hope Lord Christophe and his family are good people. Given the rest of this house, perhaps I needn’t worry.
“I am glad to hear it. I shall give you the details of the schedule later.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“There is one more thing. Leon, you have no clothes of the kind a noble wears, have you? A tailor is coming tomorrow, so you should take the opportunity to have some made.”
That’s very kind, but what will it cost? Clothes from a tailor who calls at a ducal house sound ferociously expensive. Made to measure, presumably? I’d be perfectly happy with something secondhand…
“That is very kind of you, but if it is too expensive I won’t be able to pay for it…”
“Ah, you need not worry about the money. The ducal house will pay for all of it, so put it out of your mind.”
What?! Having somebody else pay for something that expensive is more frightening than the price on its own.
“I couldn’t. It’s expensive, so I’ll pay for it myself. I do have a little money.”
“No, no. Think nothing of it.”
Being told that doesn’t stop me thinking about it! Then can I do something in return? What have I got to give… I can make magic tools, but I have no materials. Healing magic, perhaps? If somebody were injured or ill, that might do as thanks.
“Then please let me do something in return. I could use healing magic, and if there were materials I could make a magic tool.”
“Wait a moment. You can make magic tools, Leon?! I had assumed Master Marcel was making them…”
Ah! Was that a secret? Marcel has gone to the trouble of keeping me out of it and I have just said it out loud. I clapped a hand over my mouth, too late. Though when I think about it, they already know I have every attribute, so there may be no need to hide it. Marcel, I am sorry! I apologized to him inwardly, and decided to explain about the magic tools.
“I’ve been allowed to make magic tools in Marcel’s workshop. Um, Marcel has done nothing wrong, so please make sure he isn’t charged with anything…?”
“Ah, you need not fear that. But this is a surprise. Then the magic tools registered recently are all things you made?”
“Y-yes. But I can’t register them myself, so he registered them under his name.”
“I see… I had wondered how he could be inventing so much, and from Master Marcel’s name I thought you might be involved, so I put in a word to have them registered smoothly. It seems I was not wrong. Although I had assumed Master Marcel was doing the making and you were advising. That you made them yourself… They are all new techniques, and it is being said that magic tool research has advanced all at once. They are to be made public and put on sale.”
Now that I think of it, Marcel did ask whether I had connections in the upper reaches of the royal palace… So it was Lord Richard. It seems this has become a rather bigger matter than I had understood.
I may be further outside the normal than I think I am… That’s a little depressing. I know about far more convenient machines, so whatever magic tool I come up with never strikes me as much of an achievement. I should be careful.
“Forgive me, I was surprised and we have gone off the subject. Leon, from here on you had better stop developing magic tools for the time being. If you do think of something, I shall arrange the magic stone and magic iron for your own personal use. But hold off registering anything until you have graduated from the Royal Academy.”
“Yes. Marcel said the same, so I was already thinking of stopping for now.”
“Then that is settled. Now, we were speaking of your doing something in return.”
“Yes. But if magic tools are out, all I can really do is use healing magic…”
Although I should be able to cure illness as well, so perhaps that could serve. Is there anybody with a cold about the place?
“I haven’t tested healing magic much, so I don’t know how far it will go, but I was able to cure a cold the other day, so there’s a chance I can cure illness too.”
“What?! Is that true?! Then there is something I would very much like to ask of you… Alban. Would you heal Alban for us?”
By Lord Richard’s account, Alban the butler has been unwell for about six weeks and has been growing steadily weaker. Alban’s son and the other servants are somehow covering his work between them. The old butler had handed none of it over yet, so it has been hard going.
“Alban’s family have served this house as butlers for generations. We think of Alban and his people as family… It does not matter if it fails. Will you look at him?”
“Yes. I don’t know whether I can help, but I’ll do everything I can.”
“Leon. Thank you…”
Lord Richard said it and bowed his head to me. With a man like that bending his head to me, failing is not something I am allowed to do… I felt the whole weight of it settle, and my hand closed into a fist.
Afterward Lord Richard said tomorrow would do, but I thought sooner was better and had them take me to Alban. Lord Richard and Lord Frederick came as well. Alban normally lives in the servants’ quarters, but he has been moved to a guest room to make him easier to care for.
We walked a short way with Roger leading, and reached a guest room. Alban was in here. Roger knocked at the door and called through it.
“Lord Richard, Lord Frederick and Master Leon are here.”
At which there was a short flurry of movement inside, and the door opened. The room reeked of medicinal herbs; they must be using a great many of them. Treatment for illness in this world really has not developed at all.
“Thank you for waiting.”
The one who opened the door seemed to be a servant of the house. Perhaps they take Alban’s care in shifts. When we came in, Alban was in the bed and struggling to sit himself up. He has grown a great deal thinner and more worn than when I last saw him.
“Master, Lord Frederick, Master Leon. Forgive me for letting you see me in such a state. Cough. Cough, cough.”
Alban got himself upright somehow and began to speak, and the effort of it set him coughing.
“Alban. I think nothing of the kind. And you need not force yourself upright. Lie down.”
“Quite so. Better not to put any strain on your body.”
With both of them pressing him, Alban lay back down. It must be very hard on him.
“Leon. How does it look? Can you cure it?”
Lord Frederick asked it quietly. I answered him just as quietly.
“I don’t know yet. But I’ll try.”
I said it and went to Alban’s side.
“Alban, I am going to use healing magic now. I can’t promise it will cure you, but may I try?”
“Yes. If there is even a little chance of a cure, please.”
“Understood. Make yourself comfortable.”
I put a hand to Alban’s forehead and it was very hot. A high fever. And the cough. He was clearly in distress a moment ago and his breathing itself looks like work now. I have no medical knowledge so I can’t say for certain, but perhaps a virus has inflamed his lungs. Working from that guess, I covered Alban’s whole body in healing-attribute mana.
The harmful things are centered on the lungs, as I thought. Marie’s case doesn’t begin to compare with this. If I don’t hold the image properly, the mana may not be enough. An image of destroying the viruses and bacteria doing him harm should serve. My knowledge is thin so I can’t picture it in any real detail, and that on its own is going to cost a great deal of mana. But my capacity has grown, so here’s hoping it’s enough. Lately it has climbed to more than a hundred times what it was when I first started using magic. This should be possible.
I took a deep breath, settled myself, and braced. Then, holding that image in my head, I used healing magic on the harmful things in Alban’s body.
Ugh… it is taking an enormous amount of mana… Not yet, though. The viruses aren’t gone. Strangely, when I use healing magic I can tell, more or less, when a thing is fully healed. Perhaps that is part of my odd ability too. I kept pouring mana in while I thought about it.
Not yet… A little more… Done!
I was breathing like someone who had run a long way. There was almost no mana left in me and I could only just stand. That had taken very nearly all of it. Curing sickness costs far more than I had understood.
I got my breathing under control and spoke to Alban.
“Alban, it’s finished. How do you feel?”
At which Alban sat straight up, easily. Then he got to his feet and began walking about the room.
“This is extraordinary! The breathing that was such a struggle is no trouble at all, and my body feels light. Master Leon, thank you, truly. I will not forget this kindness as long as I live. If ever you need anything, I will help you without fail.”
Alban said it with tears standing in his eyes, and made me a deep bow.
“I’m glad you’re better. It isn’t anything so grand as all that.”
His color is a great deal better and he should be all right now. All that’s left is some recovery work to make up for the weeks in bed. I’m genuinely glad I could cure him.
Thoroughly relieved, I turned to leave the room and found Lord Richard and Lord Frederick standing there, stunned. What? Aren’t you pleased?
“Is something the matter, both of you?”
“Ah, no. It is only that he really is cured, and I am astonished…”
“Leon. You really are something else…”
The two of them were still dazed. I brought them back down to earth somehow and we left the room. Roger’s blank face had cracked too and he looked thoroughly startled, so I may have done something rather far outside the normal… Well. A bit late for that now.
We came out of Alban’s room and I was about to go back to my own when Lord Richard stopped me. His face was very serious indeed.
“Leon, I need to speak with you. Would you come to my room?”
“To speak? Of course, though…”
“Then let us go.”
He said it and set off for his room at a fast walk, so I followed him. When we arrived he had the room cleared, and it was the three of us: me, Lord Frederick and Lord Richard. Both of them look grave. What on earth is this?
“Leon, that you can cure illness must be kept absolutely secret. If it were known, you would be in very great danger. I know that, and even so there is one person I must ask you to heal. I will pay whatever you ask. Will you cure them…?”
So it is better kept secret. And knowing that, he still has somebody he wants healed. His face was deadly serious. If it is something I can do, I want to help.
“Of course, if it is something I am able to do…”
“Truly?! Thank you… Could you see them at once?”
At once? Is it as bad as that?
“I have almost no mana left just now, so I could see them tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, or the day after. But is the illness really so far along?”
“Yes. I am told the condition is very grave…”
“I don’t know whether I should ask this, but… who is it?”
I asked, and Lord Richard’s face took on a look of real pain before he answered.
“It is Princess Martine. Her Highness has been ill since around winter, and they say she has not long…”
What? Princess Martine…? My hands went cold. Then my feet, and then the feeling went out of the whole of me. She was so full of life when I met her. She walked to the forest and back rather than take the carriage. She is still a child.
That I might never see that smile again… Can I cure her? And if I fail, then Princess Martine will…
I had got that far, and my thinking was about to go down into the dark, when Lord Richard spoke.
“There is nobody left who can save her but you. I am asking you.”
That’s right. What is the use of my giving up? If I don’t save her, nobody else is going to. I steadied myself and lifted my head.
“I will save Her Highness. Whatever it takes.”
“Truly. Truly, thank you… Then I shall go to His Majesty first thing tomorrow morning and tell him. Leon, will you rest and recover your mana?”
“Yes. I will.”
At which Lord Frederick, silent until then, spoke.
“Leon. Her Highness is in your hands.”
“Yes. Everything I have.”
So I went back to my room. I lay down on the bed to get my mana back, and lay there a long time without sleeping.