Chapter 124 - Chapter 123: The Rumor of the "Dispeller"
The third day of the third month of the earth, the fifth week.
It should be spring on the calendar in a few days, but the cold days continue.
Since second year of elementary school starts next week, Mika has returned from his home visit.
When he returned to the dormitory, there was one letter placed on Mika's desk.
The sender was the Adventurer's Guild.
Written inside was the same text as always.
"...Another direct request has come in."
It is a fine thing for business to be booming.
But, having just returned to the capital, he felt a bit down.
"Well, it's a luxurious problem."
Perhaps his mind has gone slack because his pockets have warmed up with the bounty for capturing Zureept and his gang.
To receive a direct request like this, how blessed is that.
And so, he decided to show his face at the guild the next day.
He also wanted to let them know he had returned from his home visit.
The next day, the day of wind.
When he arrived at the guild, he was immediately led to the reception room.
The person attending was Yunressa, as always.
"Welcome back, Mika-kun. How was your long time at home? Did you rest well?"
"Hahaha, I wonder. It feels like I rested well, and it feels like I didn't."
Since the beginning and the end were restful, he felt he had rested quite well.
After chatting a bit with Yunressa, the topic turned to the direct request.
"There are two direct requests coming in now."
"Two?"
Isn't it just one?
"One came right after Mika-kun returned home. Another one came recently. Neither is urgent, that's what they said."
These two requests, like the previous one, were requests already submitted to the guild.
It seems they were rejected by Mika's filtering conditions because he was away from the academy.
Mika checks the content of the request forms Yunressa prepared, which had been submitted before.
"Over a million Rats? I didn't think there were so many people willing to pay such a huge sum just to make a request."
"Oh, I'm sure it's not just that much."
When Mika muttered without thinking, Yunressa smiled brightly.
"Do you know how many 'Curse Removal' requests are out there right now? How many clients have been submitting requests with no prospect of being fulfilled for years?"
How many? I remember hearing there were over a hundred...
I haven't counted, so I don't know for sure, but since Mika has completed over twenty, I think there aren't even a hundred left.
"There are surely still many clients who would want to hire you if the cost swelled a bit, as long as you solve it promptly. They've all heard the rumors, they just can't believe them yet."
Saying that, Yunressa pointed to the request form Mika was holding.
"If you fulfill them one by one, the credibility of the rumor will increase. Then, the clients who are currently watching from the sidelines will surely want to ask you."
Mika looked at the request forms.
One was first requested three years ago.
The other was over twenty years ago.
"I'm sure there are people who withdrew their requests, or never even made a request because they thought it was useless. What do you think will happen if those people realize 'the rumor is true'?"
What will happen? Well...
Mika imagined it and turned pale.
A special power held by only one person.
Countless lands and houses that had been left alone for years, decades.
If cursed, they cannot be sold, but if you pay a little more, you can remove the curse and sell them.
He had heard that about half of the "Curse Removal" requests are withdrawn every year.
So, are there still over a hundred of those sleeping around?
"The land prices in the capital seem to be soaring, so it looks like more will keep coming..."
"What are you saying, Mika-kun?"
Yunressa said with an exasperated look.
"It's not just the capital, is it? It's not just land. Jewelry, anything, curses can dwell in them. People who couldn't do anything and have been carrying them for a long time find their only hope, you know? If it's you, Mika-kun, you know what will happen, right?"
"............Eh?"
It's not just the capital...?
Indeed, that is true.
Also, cursed items seemed to be taken by the church, but it wouldn't be strange if there were people who hid them in warehouses or anywhere else and kept them.
But, if that's the case...
"Not just a hundred or two hundred?"
"............People all over the country who are troubled by curses will ask you for help. I think the number will be off by one digit."
They won't suddenly flood in like that.
But if five requests come in a month, Mika will be overwhelmed.
He can't handle that many.
Moreover, he won't even have time to hunt other mana beasts.
"It's impossible! If that many come, I absolutely can't do it! And from all over the country!? As a student, I can't possibly do something like that!?"
"............Finally, you see reality."
Yunressa shook her head with a sigh of "Oh my..."
"Calm down, Mika-kun. That's why the guild exists."
Yunressa spoke gently to the flustered Mika.
"If it gets too crowded, we can stop accepting requests. We can also filter them by raising the minimum reward. Also, you can decline direct requests. 'Because I'm a student, I can only go near the capital' is a perfectly natural reason. Your reputation won't drop because of that."
Hearing Yunressa's words, he felt a little relieved.
Mika let out a big breath. "Haaah..."
That's right.
He can decline direct requests, and raising rewards is a normal thing.
"It won't get to that point immediately, but if the number increases, or if requests come from far away, let's consult again. Mika-kun, just accept the requests you want to take."
"...Please take care of me."
Mika bowed politely.
Seeing Mika like that, Yunressa gave a wry smile.
"Don't be so apologetic. It's normal. That's why the guild exists. Right?"
"Yes..."
Mika decided to accept these two requests in order for now.
Both are within the capital, but a bit far from the academy.
Still, since they took the trouble to request him directly, he wants to solve them if possible.
(Next month, I'll focus on just these two.)
During the vacation, he was able to take on a fair amount of mana beast hunts.
So, next month he will prioritize direct requests, and once those are done, he will look for mana beast hunts.
He asked Yunressa to handle the procedures and left the reception room.
"Thank you very much, Yunressa-san."
"It's fine. Well, good luck. 'Dispeller'."
As he was leaving, Yunressa said that with a smile.
"Yes...?"
Dis-pel-er?
Mika tilted his head, looking bewildered, and Yunressa laughed laughingly.
"Hehe, the second client called you that. 'I want to ask the Dispeller'. Apparently, in some rumors, that's what you're called."
"............No way..."
Mika instinctively put his hand to his forehead and hung his head.
He wanted them to stop giving him weird nicknames behind his back.
With his motivation completely stolen at the very end, shoulders slumped, Mika left the guild.
On the way back from the guild, Mika stopped by Yaroibarov's inn.
The route back to the academy becomes a detour... or rather, it's almost the opposite direction.
"Chuu-s."
Entering the inn, Mika threw out a sloppy greeting, but unfortunately, the lobby was empty.
"Huh?"
Usually, Yaroibarov is at the front desk, or a child is guarding it.
Since it was Yaroibarov's inn that he knew well, he went to the dining hall.
It was still before noon.
Kistil must be busy in the kitchen.
Maybe Yaroibarov is in the kitchen too.
Peeking into the kitchen from the entrance of the dining hall, Kistil was working with a serious expression.
He was stirring a large amount of meat in a wooden tub-like object with both hands.
It seemed he was marinating it in some sauce, or adding seasoning.
Yaroibarov didn't seem to be in the kitchen either.
Since it would be bad to disturb Kistil who was working hard, he decided to leave without calling out.
(............?)
But, suddenly he became curious about Kistil's appearance, or rather, his expression.
What is it?
Something feels off.
As Mika tilted his head and looked at Kistil, a voice came from behind.
"Hey, what is it? You came."
"Ah, Yaroibarov-san. Hello. I'm intruding."
"Oh... well, it's fine."
Yaroibarov gave a wry smile at Mika who had barged in.
"Yaroibarov-san, Yaroibarov-san, a moment..."
Mika lowered his voice and led Yaroibarov out of the dining hall to the lobby.
"Hm? What is it?"
Yaroibarov raised one eyebrow and made a suspicious face.
But, for now, he obediently followed.
Mika beckoned him a little and made Yaroibarov squat down.
By the way, Yaroibarov is too big.
"Kistil-san, isn't something wrong with her condition?"
Mika asked Yaroibarov about what concerned him while looking at Kistil.
Yaroibarov muttered, "Is that it..."
"It seems Mother's condition isn't good."
"Mother's?"
It seems Kistil's mother hasn't been in good condition for the past few days.
"Since she started working here, she was able to buy some medicine, so her condition was good for a while. But suddenly her condition got worse. Today I told her to take a day off work and look after Mother, but..."
It seems she goes to work because she dislikes the income decreasing.
(......I see. So that expression was anxiety.)
Mika had seen Kistil's expression when he was anxious before, when the forest was sealed.
That's why the current expression felt off.
"I've heard that Kistil-san's mother is frail, but I haven't heard what kind of illness it is. Yaroibarov-san, have you heard?"
"No, I haven't. Besides, it's not a serious illness, is it? She's just physically weak, isn't she?"
"So, her poor condition now isn't due to an illness either?"
He probably won't know the details until he asks Kistil.
Mika pondered, "Hmm..."
Yaroibarov silently watched Mika like that.
"Yaroibarov-san, I have a small consultation."
Mika told Yaroibarov what he just thought of.
"So, Yaroibarov-san. Please."
"Yeah, no problem on my end. Be careful and come back."
"Wait, Mika-kun!?"
With Yaroibarov's cooperation, Mika forcibly carried Kistil on his back.
Waiting for Kistil's break time, Mika decided to go to Kistil's house.
To use [Heal] on Kistil's mother.
"Really, this is bad. Put me down, Mika-kun."
"Owner. I'm relying on you."
Ignoring Kistil's protest, Mika looked at Yaroibarov.
"It's an owner's order. Go and come back."
"But..."
"Really!?"
Since Mika and Yaroibarov were conspiring together, Kistil had no chance of winning.
"Then, I'm flying!"
"Kyaa!?"
When Mika started running, Kistil let out a small scream.
Mika raised [Physical Enhancement] to nearly five times, and ran through the capital carrying Kistil on his back.
He needs to be careful not to bump into people, but he won't bump into anyone even if he hurries somewhat.
That's because he has also expanded his mana range.
He used mana perception first to probe intersections in back alleys.
Kistil was gripping Mika's shoulder tightly.
She stopped talking; did she give up, or is she closing her eyes in fear?
Mika had gotten permission from Yaroibarov to leave work to treat Kistil's mother.
He planned to finish the round trip and treatment during break time so as not to affect the salary as much as possible.
Well, actually, they agreed to overlook it if he was slightly late.
However, if it was too obvious, Kistil would feel restrained, so this was a secret.
[Heal] works not only on injuries but also on illnesses.
But it seems it doesn't work on all illnesses.
He doesn't know if Kistil's mother is sick or not, but at least if he uses [Heal], her stamina will recover.
Even if he can't cure it, there is a possibility that her recent malaise will improve.
Mika went out to the Southeast Main Street, passed through the main street, and crossed District 4.
His destination was the city gate of the Second Wall on the South Main Street.
It seems Kistil's house is in District 3, outside of that.
Until reaching District 3, he didn't need Kistil's guidance, so he aimed for the city gate as quickly and safely as possible.
It seems it's about four kilometers one way from Kistil's house to Yaroibarov's inn.
Kistil commutes to work making that round trip every day.
And with that distance, Kistil's legs definitely cannot make the round trip during break time.
That's why Mika's carrying strategy was adopted.
Mika arrived at the South City Gate in ten minutes.
"Kistil-san, how do we go from here?"
"Feh...?"
It seems Kistil had been keeping her eyes closed and clinging on the whole time.
She looked around, and finally seemed to realize where she was.
"Already... we've arrived at the city gate?"
"Yes. Which way?"
When Mika asked, she pointed to a road entering to the right, a little further ahead.
It seems she gave up on futile resistance.
Following Kistil's guidance, they went further in.
In a narrow, dim alley, Kistil's house was there.
Honestly, it's probably not a safe area.
The dilapidation of the house was on par with the Noisheim family.
Mika put Kistil down from his back.
"Sorry. It's a dirty place."
"My real home is similar? It's at the edge of the frontier."
Kistil looked down shyly, but Mika smiled, saying it didn't matter.
"I'm home."
"I'm intruding."
Following Kistil entering the house, Mika also entered.
The inside of the house was a bit messy.
There was a room in the back, which seemed to be the bedroom.
"Where is Mother?"
"This way."
Kistil went into the back room.
One of the two beds, a woman who looked like a mother was sleeping.
(Didn't she have a younger brother too?)
Seeing the two beds, he thought that.
Maybe the younger brother is subletting like Mika was before.
Every house does something similar, he indulged in sentiment.
"Mother, I'm home."
"You're back, Kistil. What's wrong at this hour?"
"Um..."
Kistil seemed to be struggling with how to explain.
So, Mika decided to explain.
"Nice to meet you. I'm intruding."
When Mika spoke, the mother looked surprised.
But it seems she can't get up, so she stayed lying down.
"I am Mika, a friend of Kistil-san."
Saying that, he bowed his head.
"Eh, ah, haa...?"
The mother was flustered by the suddenly appearing Mika.
Kistil looked a bit panicked, but for now, it seems she will just watch quietly.
"I heard that Kistil-san's mother's condition is not good. I thought I might be able to help, so I suddenly barged in."
"H, haa..."
Well, she's probably thinking, "What is this child saying?"
So, Mika first cast [Heal] on himself.
Actually, since he had run with nearly five times enhancement, his knees were taking some damage and it hurt a little.
Yellow light particles floated, and Mika's body was fully recovered by [Heal].
Mika casually used [Heal], so Kistil and the mother were stunned.
Even though he had explained to Kistil beforehand.
"I can use [Heal] like this. Even if it doesn't cure completely, I think it will recover stamina. How about it?"
"E, even if you say how..."
The mother began to tremble a bit.
"It's a wonderful offer, but we... well, we don't have that kind of money..."
Ah, I see.
She probably thinks there's no one who uses [Heal] for free.
Even at the church, it's strictly a paid service.
But Mika, who has been influenced by Radi, doesn't think about getting money for something like this.
"Please don't worry. I won't take money to help a friend."
Saying that with a bright smile, he used [Heal] without waiting for the mother's reply.
He asked permission before casting [Heal] directly, thinking it might be rude, but if the action was understood, no argument was needed.
He wanted her to become energetic quickly.
The mother stared blankly at the light particles floating around her, and Kistil watched anxiously.
"A, ah..."
The mother let out a voice like a sigh, as if her spirit had drained away.
And when the light particles disappeared, she blinked her eyes.
"Mother...?"
Kistil called out, but it seems the mother didn't hear.
And so, she slowly turned over and sat up.
"M, Mother!?"
Since the mother suddenly tried to get up, Kistil hurriedly supported her.
"......I can't believe it... my body feels so light..."
The mother muttered, seemingly to no one in particular.
"It's not good to get up too suddenly. Please don't push yourself."
Mika said with a smile, and the mother began to worship Mika.
Seeing that figure, Mika put his hand to his forehead and said "Here we go again..." and shook his head weakly.
[Author's Note]
Today, I started publishing a short story.
It is a small token of gratitude to everyone who always comes to read my works.
I would be happy if you enjoyed it.
Title: 'When I Fell into Another World, I Was Made a Familiar of a Beautiful Older Sister ~It Seems I Died Once, But Anyway, I'm Fine~'
Please take care of me.