Chapter 3 - Chapter 2: Another World 1
Amalia sat on a chair placed beside the bed, holding her beloved son's hand and gently stroking his head.
"...Mother, it's about time."
Called by her daughter Loretta, Amalia replied briefly with "Yes."
Kissing her sleeping son's forehead, Amalia stood up with a heart reluctant to leave.
Everything was already prepared.
All that remained was to go to her workplace, the textile factory.
Amalia headed for the entrance and called out to Loretta.
"Well then, Loretta, I'm going. Please take care of Mika."
"Okay, have a good day. Don't worry so much. Sister Radi said he'll be fine."
"That's true, but..."
Loretta saying it would be fine was understandable, yet Amalia's expression remained gloomy.
Her seven-year-old son had been found injured and collapsed.
It would be unreasonable to tell her not to worry.
Especially since he still hadn't regained consciousness.
"Sister Radi will come in the morning, and she'll let you know as soon as he wakes up."
"...Please do."
Just as she had done with Mika, Amalia kissed Loretta's forehead and stroked her head.
Amalia glanced at the bedroom where Mika was resting, then left through the entrance as if resigned.
In truth, she should not be going to work at all.
But there were circumstances that prevented her from staying.
Fortunately, Loretta was steady for a thirteen-year-old and took good care of Mika.
To protect her life with her beloved family, Amalia lifted her downcast face and began to walk.
■■■■■■
Seeing Amalia off to the entrance, Loretta withdrew the bright expression she had deliberately put on.
Loretta was just as worried about her younger brother Mika as Amalia was.
But if she showed that worry to Amalia, Amalia would try even harder to cheer Loretta up, straining herself unnecessarily.
That was why she had been acting bright.
She didn't even think it had gone well herself.
(...I must take good care of Mother as well.)
The one who wanted to nurse Mika the most was Amalia.
Normally she would take a day off work to nurse him, but the factory manager Horatio had begged her, saying, "We really need you today."
Usually, no matter how much she was asked, she would take a day off, and Horatio himself would likely ask if she was okay taking time off.
Work was important for their livelihood, but it could not be compared to the life-and-death situation of her only son.
However, it was none other than Horatio who had found and protected Mika after he collapsed from his injury.
Moreover, he had found him on a highway more than an hour's horse ride away from Rish Village, where they lived.
Yesterday was the day the textile factory delivered woven goods to the lord once a month.
Horatio loaded the woven goods onto a horse-drawn cart early in the morning and went to deliver them to Kotontesse, the city where the lord resided.
After delivering the goods, he received instructions for the production plan for the following month from the lord.
After safely completing the delivery and attending to various errands, he set off on his return journey, and after a while, he noticed someone lying collapsed ahead on the highway.
If someone was lying collapsed, that was certainly serious, but in this case, it was not just that.
The highway connecting Rish Village and Kotontesse was a single road. Furthermore, there was no road beyond Rish Village.
This was because a forest lay ahead, and beyond that, steep mountains blocked the way, making it impossible to proceed.
In other words, anyone using this highway could be almost certainly said to be connected to Rish Village.
Horatio whipped the horse and hurriedly approached the person lying collapsed.
As he drew closer, he realized the person lying there seemed to be a child, but there was absolutely no sign of movement.
Thus, he discovered Mika lying on the highway.
Mika, who had been found lying with only his legs sticking out from the grass, seemed to have already lost consciousness at that time.
His face and limbs were covered in scrapes with blood stuck to them, his body was hot, and his limbs were trembling.
Seeing such a sight, Horatio immediately realized that if he did not act quickly, it would be a matter of life and death.
He drove the horse-drawn cart back to the village and went straight to the church.
Along the way, he asked villagers he met to "Please tell Amalia and Loretta to come to the church immediately."
Rish Village was a village of about 200 residents, and everyone knew each other's faces.
If he added that Mika was in serious trouble, anyone could understand the situation to some extent.
However, at the church, unfortunately, Sister Radi was not present. Radi was the only person in the village who could use the Divine Magic of [Heal] from the [God's Miracle].
In emergencies such as injured people or the sick, a bell for calling Radi was installed near the church entrance.
He rang the bell forcefully to call Radi, then went to a well a little distance away and filled a bucket with water.
While he was doing that, the elderly priest living in the church appeared from the back, Radi returned to the church, and around the same time, Amalia and Loretta also arrived at the church.
Upon hearing about Mika, Radi immediately began treatment, while Amalia, Loretta, Horatio, and the elderly priest also helped with the treatment.
Following the elderly priest's instructions, they first cleaned the wounds with clean cloth and the water they had drawn.
When wiped, blood seeped out of the wounds again, but it seemed that cleaning them thoroughly before using [Heal] yielded better healing effects than treating them while still dirty with gravel and the like.
As they wiped the wounds, watching Mika's pained expression, Loretta could not stop her tears.
After wiping all the wounds, Radi wove words of prayer and healed him with [God's Miracle].
As soon as tiny grains of faint yellow light floated softly over Mika's entire body, the wounds closed up before their very eyes.
Even so, Mika's pained expression did not change, and the trembling of his limbs did not stop.
Then Radi began praying to God again. This time, it seemed to be a [God's Miracle] by God different from when she used [Heal].
After weaving longer words of prayer than before, a heat haze-like thing began to float waveringly over Mika's body.
As the heat haze floated for a while, Mika's pained expression gradually changed into a calmer one.
After that, the elderly priest went to the back room and brought back a glass of water.
Radi slowly gave that water to Mika over time.
By the time Mika finished drinking the water from the glass, his body's trembling had subsided, and he looked as if he were merely sleeping.
How much relief Loretta felt at Radi's words, spoken with a smile, "It's okay now."
Amalia also had tears in her eyes and thanked Radi, Horatio, and the elderly priest many times.
Thus, Mika was saved.
However, knowing these circumstances well, Horatio, who could be called Mika's savior, had still begged her to come tomorrow.
Amalia was troubled by this.
So Horatio said, "Why don't you let Loretta rest instead?"
Loretta and Amalia both worked at the textile factory.
Loretta had only been working for about a year, but Amalia was skilled enough to be in charge of the weavers.
To be recognized as a full-fledged worker, one must work for at least three years, so Loretta could not yet replace Amalia.
Furthermore, it seemed that all the other workers in charge, besides Amalia, would also be gathered.
It seemed there was an urgent matter to discuss regarding the production plan instructed by the lord.
Naturally, there was no way Loretta could replace anyone in this situation.
Helplessly, Amalia entrusted the nursing of Mika to Loretta.
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Loretta touched Mika's clothes, which she had washed the previous night and hung by the window.
The pants were still damp, but the jacket seemed to be dry already.
Mika's clothes were covered in sand and mud, likely from falling many times, and stained with blood from bleeding caused by scrapes.
She had washed them cleanly to remove the dirt and blood, but several holes seemed to have been made when he fell were open.
She had noticed this while washing and planned to mend them later.
She left the pants hanging and took only the jacket into the bedroom.
Sitting on the chair where Amalia had just been sitting, Loretta peered at Mika's face.
Mika, with a lovely face like a girl, was sleeping with a calm expression now.
Seeing that expression, Loretta let out a sigh of relief.
She would never forget Mika's appearance from yesterday.
(I really must thank Horatio-san and Sister Radi.)
Why Mika was lying collapsed on a highway so far away could not be known until he woke up.
But at least, if Horatio had not found him and Radi had not given [Heal] via [God's Miracle], what would have happened?
The highway connecting Rish Village and Kotontesse was a single road, but traffic did not flow frequently in the first place.
Yesterday happened to be the day for delivering woven goods, so Horatio passed by, but otherwise, the village store went to Kotontesse a few times a month to purchase supplies.
If yesterday had not been the delivery day, it was highly likely that no one would have passed by for several days.
(...I don't even want to think about that.)
Trying to forget those unpleasant thoughts, she spread out the shirt she had brought.
Confirming the places to repair, she took a needle, thread, and a patch from the sewing kit she had prepared.
Mika, with his cute face but surprisingly mischievous nature, would make another hole somewhere else soon even after being mended.
Taking care of Mika was Loretta's job, replacing the busy Amalia.
That duty had decreased considerably since she started working at the textile factory last year.
(Well then, let's tidy this up quickly.)
Occasionally checking on Mika, Loretta sewed happily.
"Loretta-san, it's Radi. I came to check on you."
After concentrating and finishing several repairs, a voice came from the entrance.
She hurriedly put away the needle and headed for the entrance.
Opening the door, a petite woman wearing a nun's habit stood there.
This woman was Radi. She was a nun at the church, a woman slightly older than Mother.
She was a precious user of [God's Miracle], and the church wished for her to be active in a larger city, but she refused the promotion to return to her hometown where she was born, wanting to be active there.
She had a very kind smile, but the fact that she refused the promotion talk with that smile, shook off the high-ranking priests trying to keep her, and forced her way back home meant that one could not judge a person by their appearance.
(Actually, she is a very kind person.)
Besides the incident with Mika yesterday, before that, everyone in Rish Village had been taken care of by Radi.
The children were taught reading and calculation at the church, and the adults must have had their illnesses and injuries treated.
Taking charge of ceremonies in place of the elderly priest stationed in the village, Radi managed all preparations for important events like the harvest festival.
While she supported everyone in the village, whenever she was thanked, she always smiled and offered thanks to God's love.
"Good morning, Sister Radi. Thank you so much yesterday."
Loretta bowed politely and conveyed her gratitude once more.
"Good morning, Loretta-san. There is no need for thanks; I only prayed. It was because of your actions and Amalia-san's actions that you received the mercy of the gods."
She made a gesture of prayer, saying the gods were always watching over them.
"So, how is it? How is Mika-kun doing?"
"He still hasn't opened his eyes. His expression is calm, and he looks as if he is just sleeping, but..."
"Yes, it is worrying that he hasn't woken up. May I examine him?"
"Yes, please."
Loretta guided Radi to the bedroom where Mika was, offered her a chair, and stood beside Radi to watch the examination.
Radi took Mika's hand to check his pulse and touched his neck.
"...No fever, and his breathing is calm. It really seems like he is just sleeping."
Smiling softly, she gently poked Mika's cheek with her fingertips.
"He doesn't seem to be in danger, but has it been like this since yesterday?"
"Yes. Mother seemed to have watched over him all night. His complexion this morning was..."
Saying that, Loretta remembered Amalia's state in the morning.
Amalia's complexion, who had stayed awake all night watching over Mika, was terrible.
Loretta was in a similar state; although she lay down in bed when told by Amalia, she ultimately could hardly sleep at all.
"You cannot talk about Mother either. I understand you are worried, but you will collapse too."
Saying that, Radi glanced at Mika's clothes on the opposite bed.
"Mika-kun's?"
Asked by Radi, Loretta nodded.
"There were some holes in them."
"I see... They were quite muddy. But why was he alone on a highway like that?"
Speaking with confusion, Loretta had no choice but to answer that she did not know.
"It seemed to be quite close to Kotontesse, but could Mika-kun go there alone?"
"...Yesterday he said he was going to help the neighbors' children in the fields. Somewhere a little past the highway. But going all the way to Kotontesse is still something I don't understand..."
Children usually gather to play with each other, but they also help nearby households.
They pull weeds in the fields or help with the harvest.
In return for this, they are sometimes given a share of the harvest instead of payment.
For families working at the textile factory who cannot watch their children, having the eyes of neighbors provides peace of mind.
They operate on a system of mutual support like this.
Of course, they do not take responsibility if anything happens.
If they dislike that, then they are simply told to watch them themselves.
"Speaking of which, about Horatio-san."
As if remembering something, Radi suddenly changed the subject.
"I understand the reason you were troubled."
"Did something happen?"
Although Horatio had helped save Mika, he had begged today that Amalia must come to work.
Normally, he was a person who would understand if she took a day off to prioritize her child, saying, "Think of the child first."
Yet Horatio would not yield today, insisting that she must come.
Anyone could imagine that something had happened.
"It seems the lord ordered them to deliver twice as much high-grade woven goods as now."
"Twice!?"
Too surprised, she involuntarily let out a loud voice.
High-grade woven goods were special fabrics that could only be woven by three particularly skilled weavers among the goods produced at the factory.
The threads used were also special, carefully selected for quality, so they could not simply say "increase it" and then "yes, we will increase it."
Amalia was skilled, but she had not yet been assigned high-grade weaving.
Rather, she was teaching various things to other workers to improve the quality of ordinary woven goods.
"Such a thing... is impossible..."
"Of course, I don't think they mean to double it immediately next month. But doubling the production is already decided. It is the lord's order. So, it seems they are discussing today how to increase it."
This was why the factory manager was in such trouble.
Facing the unreasonable demands of the lord, everyone was likely listening to opinions because they could not solve it with their own wisdom alone.
The textile factory belonged to the lord, and the factory manager was merely the factory manager. He was hired by the lord and only managed and operated the factory.
If he said "we cannot do it," he would be fired.
And then, he would have to replace someone with someone who could double the high-grade weaving.
Who that person was, one would not know until they tried.
"...Can they do it?"
"Probably, I think they can. Well, it might take a little time. But Horatio-san is a good person, so surely everyone will cooperate."
Horatio was not from this village.
A few years ago, when the previous factory manager retired due to old age, the lord brought him as a replacement.
He was short but had a sturdy build, his face was stern, giving the impression he could even face a charging bull head-on, but in reality, he was terrible at conflicts.
He was a serious and kind man, a good uncle trusted by everyone in the village.
Children meeting Horatio for the first time, without exception, would cry out due to his appearance.
"That is why I really wanted Amalia-san to participate in the discussion. Please forgive Horatio-san."
"Forgive? That's not... I really must thank Horatio-san..."
While talking with Radi, she saw Mika's eyes slowly opening.
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"................, ....................................."
Somewhere far away, someone's voice could be heard.
It seemed they were muttering, but the words could not be made out.
(...What... are they... talking...?)
Like waking up after staying up all night, consciousness was gradually awakening bit by bit, but the core of her head felt numb and blank.
Her body felt lethargic, and she had no desire to move even a little.
"................."
"...?........................?"
Someone seemed to be conversing, but as usual, they were muttering, and she could not understand what they were saying.
(...Cannot... hear... well.............)
Surrendering to the lethargy enveloping her body, she sank her consciousness again to sleep a little more.
The sensation of slowly falling felt pleasant.
"................, ...o...i................u..................i......."
"Twice!?"
Just as she was about to let go of her consciousness, a clear word suddenly flew in.
(...Twice...? ...What... is twice? ...Twice???)
Until now, she could not distinguish what was being said at all, but with the sudden appearance of clearly understandable words, her consciousness began to awaken abruptly.
She noticed her previously dark field of vision was now bright.
(...Ah... did the alarm clock turn on...?)
Ritsu's alarm clock was the type that lit up.
Ritsu, who disliked mornings, sometimes ignored the type that rang loudly at a set time and went back to sleep.
When she told people, they would say, "No, no, no, surely that would wake you up," and indeed, Ritsu did wake up.
She woke up, but she would think, "Well, it doesn't matter," and ignore it anyway.
And then, she would go back to sleep.
In the midst of the loud noise.
But the type that lit up gradually brightened the brain before the time, awakening it, so one could wake up without making a loud noise.
Since it awakened the brain over time, there was less drowsiness, and unless there was an extreme reason like staying up very late, the feeling of wanting to go back to sleep did not arise in the first place.
"........................a...i... participate... wanted... to... Please... forgive... Horatio-san."
Slowly opening her eyes, there was a ceiling she did not recognize.
Someone, a woman, seemed to be talking nearby, but the unfamiliar ceiling was somehow bothering her.
(...Mornings during trips or business trips are always like this. ...Was I on a business trip?)
She wondered if it was a trip, but it was not clear at all.
"Forgive? That's not... I really must thank Horatio-san..."
Suddenly shouted loudly, she was startled and turned her gaze toward the voice.
There were two women.
One seemed to be in her late twenties. She was a woman with long, beautiful blonde hair with slight waves and striking blue eyes.
But her most characteristic feature was undoubtedly her clothing. Was it called a nun's habit?
She had seen them on TV or in photos, but rarely saw someone actually wearing one.
The other seemed to be a girl in her mid-teens. She was a girl with bright chestnut-colored long hair and a rather well-proportioned face.
Her large, sparkling eyes were a clear green.
These two were staring with wide eyes, as if surprised by something.
(...Mika? Mika? Or Mika?)
There were too many kanji that fit, so she did not know which was correct.
While thinking such things, the girl with chestnut hair suddenly hugged her tightly.
"Mika!"
"Eh!? W-wait, eeeeeeeeeeeeee!?"
Ritsu let out a voice of surprise at the girl's full-force embrace.