Yesterday after I came back to the lodging house, Rose headed out somewhere during the night.
Before going out, she gave me the day off today butâŠ
âWhy is it that Iâm going out into town nowâŠ?â
In my hands, I held a memo pad and a letter given to me by Rose. The memo had a pointlessly well-drawn map on it.
However, I was drawing an awful lot of attention. I was wearing my training uniform even though I wasnât training and I didnât take Bluerin along.
âI wonder why heâs just normally walkingâŠâ
âYeahâŠâ
Was it really that unusual for the Rescue Squad to be walking normally? If everyoneâs this astonished, I mustâve been thoroughly corrupted already.
While ignoring the surrounding whispers, I walked on while following the map.
âIs that it?â
I caught sight of a white building made of bricks with various shops lined up outside.
According to the map, it should be inside⊠was it alright to just go in? Somehow the atmosphere made it difficult to enter.
For the time being, I should head towards the building.
As I was walking, I came across a familiar figure with golden hair and a âtailâ.
âNn?â
The fox girl was about 10 meters apart from me and stood there staring at me.
What was this? Her gaze felt like it could see through me and my thoughtsâŠ. It made me feel uneasy.
ââŠ.I should hurry up and go.â
I felt like I shouldnât get involved with her.
With quick steps, I reached the gate and pulled. Even now, the girl was still staring at me but without minding it, I entered inside and shut the gate. While suppressing my rapidly beating heart, I looked around inside.
It seemed they cleaned regularly as it was spotless here. It was almost similar to the Rescue Squadâs lodging house. For the time being, I decided to call for someone.
ââŠ.Excuse m-e!â
âYeâs!â
An energetic girlâs voice came from inside the shop and after a few seconds, she came out after a short jog.
She was slightly shorter than me and had âsemi-shortâ blonde hair.
âHello! How may I help you at Fleurâs Clinic?â
ââŠ.Fleur! âŠ.Erm, I was entrusted with a letter from Rose-san butâŠâ
âEh! Really!?â
Speaking of Fleur, there was another healing magician besides me and Rose. Olga-san mentioned he had an Imouto-san too if I recall correctly.
In other words, this was Olgaâs clinic that he mentioned before.
I handed over Roseâs letter to the girl in front of me.
âThank you very much! Ah, is it fine if I ask for your name?â
âIâm Usato, itâs Usato Ken.â
âUsatoâŠ? I think I remembering hearing that name from Onii-chan⊠Ah, youâre the guy who recently became Roseâs subordinate, right!?â
âT-thatâs right.â
How should I put it? Sheâs really energetic.
She could definitely get along with the girls in my former world.
Most likely, this girl was Olga-sanâs Imouto.
âIâm Uluru Fleur! Um⊠Iâm 18 years old!â
âIâm⊠17 years old?â
ââŠ.It seems youâre younger than me by one year!â
She stated her age in her self-introduction; I guess she does resemble Olga-san a bit.
âWell then, whereâs Olga-san?â
âOnii-chan is inside treating a patient! Usato-kun, are you interested in observing them?â
Examining a patient huhâŠ
Other than Rose-san, I havenât gotten the chance to see healing magic from others. I should go take a look, I might be able to use as reference.
âIf thatâs so, Iâll gladly accept your offerâŠ.â
âThen, follow me!â
Uluru-san guided me inside.
We went past several doors until we reached our destination. Once we reached there, Uluru-san opened the door just a little so that we could peek inside. While suppressing her voice, she said,
âDonât talk too loud okay? Onii-chan gets easily distracted soâŠâ
âI understand.â
With Uluru-san urging me, I peeked through the opening. I could see Olga-sanâs figure⊠And a child who was lying down on a bed. Beside the child was a woman who appeared to be the mother and holding onto the childâs hand. Was the patient suffering from some kind of illness?
âThat child got injured a few days ago and some strange germs entered the wound. Itâs also only gotten worse⊠The symptoms are severe which is why the mother came to our clinic for help.â
âI seeâŠâ
âSlowly take a deep breath⊠Here I go.â
Olga-sanâs hands drew in green-colored magical power.
The transparent green-color turned into a dark green and shone stronger. Since I used healing magic, I could tell that his was a bit different⊠Especially that thick magical powerâ It wasnât a large amount but it was very dense.
Olga-san placed both his hands with the accumulated power on the childâs stomach. After the healing magic spread out for about 20 waves, it entered into the childâs body. It was amazingly smooth; I definitely wouldnât be able to do it. After a few seconds, the child who had their hands shielding his face from the light, relaxed their handsââ
âYep⊠Itâs alright now.â
ââŠ..Itâs true, I donât feel sick anymore! Iâve been gotten better Mama!â
âAmazingâŠâ
In the blink of an eye, the child was cured just like that. Seeing that her child was so feeble only a few moments ago yet being so lively now, the mother couldnât help but continuously bow. Olga-san showed a troubled expression but I personally thought it was the perfect healing magic. I wouldnât be able to imitate that delicate-style.
Afterwards, Olga-san led the parent and child out. After returning and seeing I was here, he revealed a refreshing smile.
âHey, Usato-kun.â
âHello, Olga-san.â
âYes yes, Iâm happy that youâve come here. Uluru greeted you properly, right?â
âMouâ, I did it properly! Ah, Usato-kun, we should sit down and talk instead of standing.â
Being prompted by Uluru-san, I sat down on a wooden chair.
On the opposite side of the table sat Olga-san and Uluru-san.
âIt seems you came to deliver a letter from Rose-san. Thank you.â
âNo, you donât need to be so polite and thank me for it. Iâve been curious about this place as well and wanted to see it.â
In reality, Iâm glad I came here now. Seeing Olga-sanâs healing magic⊠Perhaps Rose wanted me to see it?
âHey hey, Usato-kun! Howâs everyone at the Rescue Squad?â
âTong and them? I donât think anything has changed.â
âIs that so? They donât change do they? Next isââââ
Maybe it was rare for someone other than a patient to visit the clinic since Uluru-san had lots of questions. I gave a wry smile as I answered all of them. Suddenly, Olga-san who had been smiling along all this time started to talk,
âUsato-kun, how about working here when you come next time?â
âEh?â
âMou, you canât do that Onii-chan, Usato-kun is really busy with Rose-sanâs training!â
âHahaha, is that so?â
âŠ..Yeah, actually it might be a good idea.
I could come here to see Olga-san and study his healing magic. But I do have my training after all. Maybe I could ask Rose for her permission to give me one day off?
âI really do want to accept your offer but I would have to ask the leaderâs opinion before I can give an answer.â
âIâll be eagerly waiting for a good reply. We are quite busy since itâs just the two of us managing everythingâŠâ
âOnii-chan is just too weak, you know~â
âHahaha, thatâs harsh.â
They get along well. Iâm slightly envious since I donât have siblings. Speaking of which, Olga-san said he couldnât go through with Rose-sanâs training. Was Uluru able to?
Or was she just like Olga-san with a strong and weak point in their healing magic?
âUluru-san, why did you decide to abandon the training?â
âNn? I do have a reason for not being able to withstand Roseâs training but⊠I didnât intend to give up on it.â
While giving a wry smile, Uluru-san pointed her index finger at Olga-san. It seemed similar to a troublesome child giving its mother a difficult time.
âOnii-chan was worried thatâs why.â
âHahahaâŠ. Iâm ashamed.â
I couldnât help thinking that Uluru-san was the older sister here.
After that, we fooled around with different conversations. Before I knew it, it was already noon. They invited me for lunch but itâd be bad to impose this much, which was why I declined.
âThen, see you later, Usato-kun.â
âCome here again.â
âYes, thank you very much for today.â
Olga-san and Uluru-san saw me off as I left the clinic. Iâve been training in seclusion as if I lived in the mountains but it doesnât feel too bad to take a day off once in a while. But itâs really peaceful; this kind of peace is nice.
Itâs almost as if this was an omen; similar to the calm before the storm.
*
âUsato-kun huh. Itâs rare to have someone around the same age, Iâm looking forward to our next meeting.â
âHahaâŠ.â
After seeing Usato-kun off, I picked up the letter from Rose-san.
It was something that Rose-san sent, thereâs no doubt something important is written here.
I felt nervous while opening the envelope and taking out the letter and written there wasâ
ââŠ..!!â
âWhatâs wrong? Onii-chan.â
What on EarthâŠ
They were already this close to approaching?
Seeing I had a look of impatience on my face, my Imouto looked at me with a worried expression. Iâm really a hopeless older brother to let my Imouto worry like thisâŠ
âIt looks like youâll be meeting Usato-kun again soonâŠ.â
Although I shouldnât say it like that, it was true.
*
After leaving the clinic, I walked around the street stalls with no particular goal in mind.
Yeah, itâs not bad, walking around like this. I had always been running around, this feels fresh.
âI wonder if I should buy something to eat⊠Wait, I didnât bring money with meâŠâ
I should temporarily return back home.
Turning around, I walked towards the lodging houseâs directionâ Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm.
â!?â
Following the hand that seized my arm, it was the fox girl that I had seen before entering the clinic. Before I realized it, she was already next to me. To think that she could get this close without me noticing it⊠But rather than that, I felt like screaming once I saw her cold eyes staring into mine.
While she was still holding onto my arm with her gaze still fixed on me, she started talking in a small voice,
ââŠ..I could only âseeâ yours. Thatâs why, this belongs to you.â
âW-what?ââ!?â
My vision and hearing seemed to black out in that instant.
Is this girl trying to do something!?
It felt like I was hallucinating as images started to appear in my head.
Plains as far as the eye can see.
People wielding weapons.
Figures that wore pitch black armor.
Kazuki and Inukami-senpai submerged in a pool of blood.
âUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?â
I screamed. Brushing off the girlâs hand, I broke into a run with all my strength.
The scene felt excessively real.
It was like a âreality and delusion sceneâ. While I felt nauseous, I looked back. I saw the figure of a beast girl who appeared worried and held her arm in pain.
I met the girlâs gazeââââ She was trying to say something as her lips moved,
ââŠ..This is a large loanâŠ. You have⊠a duty to repay this debtâŠ.â
After that, I didnât look back even once.
Reaching the lodging house, I wrapped myself in my futon and tried my best to forget the scene I just saw.