Volume 4 Side
Story
Irisdina's
Assistance
On a certain holiday afternoon, Irisdina Francilt was taking a stroll alone through the city.
A graceful beauty with
rare elegance, she walked briskly along the street. The gentle spring breeze
caressed her long, lustrous hair, and the sunlight highlighted her jet-black
eyes. Above all, the dignified aura she exuded seemed to cut out her immediate
surroundings as if it were a separate world. Passersby admired her beauty but
couldn't bring themselves to approach, leaving her vicinity quiet, like a
framed painting.
"Hmm… what a
lovely day. With such beautiful skies, I wonder if I should've invited Somia
after all?"
Normally, she never
missed her training, even on holidays, but today she kept it to a minimum and
ventured out for a change of pace. She considered inviting her sister, but
Somia seemed busy at home, so she refrained and went for a stroll alone.
She walked aimlessly
through the city of Arcazam. From the northern district where the Francilt
mansion was located, she emerged into Central Park in the city center, and from
there, she headed south to the commercial district. After perusing the various
famous and rare goods gathered from across the continent in the commercial district,
she turned her steps toward the artisan quarter in the west.
In the artisan
quarter, various craftsmen who supported Arcazam diligently worked each day.
Their professions ranged from those directly related to daily life, such as
stonemasons, carpenters, bakers, and tailors, to those who dealt in luxury
goods, like jewelers and glassblowers. However, the numerous items they
created, risking their very lives, sometimes made even Irisdina, who had seen
top-quality goods since childhood, gasp in admiration. Occasionally, she would
stumble upon unexpected finds, making a stroll through this district quite
enjoyable for her.
As she continued
walking, trying not to stop, her eyes scanned the various goods displayed along
the roadside. Suddenly, an unexpected figure entered Irisdina's vision.
"He is…"
In her line of sight
was the back of someone walking with a large package on their back. The package
was so large it covered their height, making it hard to discern their build,
but judging from the feet peeking out from under the load, it seemed to be a
man. Irisdina quietly approached the man carrying the package and called out.
"…Nozomu?"
"Eh, Iris? Why
are you here?"
Called out to by an
unexpected person, Nozomu turned around with a surprised expression. Nozomu
himself hadn't expected to be called out to by Irisdina here of all places.
Nozomu assumed Irisdina had come to buy goods made in this artisan quarter.
As a young lady of the
Francilt family, she might indeed desire artisan goods from the commercial
district, but ordering and delivering goods was usually the job of a craftsman
or a maid. He was a little surprised to find her here, as he thought she
herself, as the mistress, wouldn't directly visit such places often.
"I have some free
time, so I'm taking a walk. The quality of the craftsmen's goods here is quite
high compared to those in my home country. I can enjoy myself just by walking
around."
She answered Nozomu's
question, standing straight as usual and with a smile on her lips. That smile
was not at all off-putting; rather, it further enhanced her charm.
As always, Irisdina
captivated those around her. Just like the students at the academy, the
craftsmen around them were also mesmerized by her. Of course, Nozomu was too.
"I-is that
so…"
Nozomu gave a dazed
reply. Whether knowing or unaware of his surroundings, Irisdina posed the
question she had just felt to him.
"What are you
doing here?"
"Work. I'm taking
on miscellaneous requests from the guild."
"I see, so you
were earning your own living expenses..."
Saying that, Nozomu
looked at the package on his back. The burlap sack he carried was packed with
an abundance of red-colored grass.
"…Nozomu, what is
this grass used for?"
"It's for dyeing
clothes. A tailor down the street asked me to. They apparently need help with
dyeing fabrics."
Fabric dyeing in this
district was done by soaking the fabric in extract squeezed from plants.
A large amount of dye
was needed to dye a large quantity of fabric, and Nozomu was in the middle of
transporting the plants used to make the dye.
After hearing the
whole story, Irisdina paused in thought for a moment.
"…Nozomu. Can I
help you with that job too?"
"Eh? W-why?"
Nozomu tilted his
head, wondering what she was thinking, when Irisdina offered to help him.
"I've never done
this kind of miscellaneous work before. But as the future head of the Francilt
family, I might have fewer opportunities to directly experience the lives of
the citizens. So, while I have the chance, I want to learn various things about
the citizens who support us."
As Nozomu wondered
what she meant, Irisdina answered his question.
It was clear to her
that once she formally became the head of the family, she would be engrossed in
official duties. While her father was still alive, she had no such worries, but
she never knew when or what might happen.
Furthermore, one of
her goals was to join the Silver Rainbow Knights.
If she were to join
the most famous knight order on the continent, she would be occupied with the
knight order's missions even without becoming the head of the Francilt family.
That's why she wanted
to cherish every single moment of her time as a student.
"…Alright. I'll
ask the tailor, so please come along. I'm sure they need extra hands, so I'll
ask them too."
"Yes, I'm
counting on you, Nozomu."
Irisdina smiled at
Nozomu's answer.
Nozomu couldn't bring
himself to refuse Irisdina's sincere request. Instead, Nozomu, who felt a
liking for her sincere and straightforward nature, willingly offered his help and
walked off with her.
***
When the two arrived
at the dyeing workshop, they were greeted by a plump middle-aged woman and the
tailor's husband, a middle-aged man. In the workshop, neighboring housewives
who had come to help the tailor were already working.
In short, the tailor's
wife readily accepted Irisdina's request. She needed extra hands herself, and
there was no reason to refuse Irisdina's sincere request.
"Alright, first,
you pluck these grass leaves. And you grind the plucked leaves here."
Irisdina's job was
simple: meticulously tearing apart the red grass piled up in front of her.
Nozomu's job was to continuously grind the torn grass.
The assisting
housewives skillfully separated the grass stems and leaves one after another.
Irisdina also began tearing the red grass, following their example.
"For your age,
being in this city, are you perhaps a Solminati student, young lady?"
"Yes, that's
right. Although I am still young, I am learning many things at that
academy."
"I see! Well, I
thought so. That young man also seems to be a student at the same
academy..."
Saying that, Irisdina
looked at Nozomu, who was in the back of the workshop.
He was diligently
grinding red grass with a large mortar, big enough to fit a person, and a long
pestle.
It wasn't easy to stir
the pot filled with a large amount of grass, so Nozomu put all his strength
into it, stirring the contents of the pot with the pestle.
However, even as more
and more grass was added, Nozomu didn't stop. He cleverly used his weight to
continuously grind the added grass, extracting the red juice that would become
the dye.
Nozomu, sweating on
his forehead, didn't stop stirring the pot. Irisdina, watching him diligently
work out of the corner of her eye, concentrated on her own task as if inspired
by Nozomu.
She carefully tore and
separated each red blade of grass. As she gradually got used to it, her working
speed slowly increased.
She was still slower
than the housewives around her, but after about ten minutes, she was able to
work at a decent speed.
"Heeh, you learn
fast. This grass has tough fibers, so tearing it takes a bit of a knack."
The housewives were
impressed by her dexterity. Even here, Irisdina was demonstrating her talent.
Though it felt a
little off-target in terms of direction.
"Plus, you have
such a beautiful face. I've never seen such a beautiful girl. How about it,
won't you marry my son?"
"What are you
saying? If she's going to marry, it should be my son. Your good-for-nothing son
wouldn't be able to make this girl happy!"
The housewives who
were fond of the seriously working Irisdina proposed outrageous things to her.
Perhaps inspired by
that conversation, the surrounding housewives began to introduce their sons one
after another.
"I'm sorry. Your
offers are kind, but I myself am not yet ready to settle down, so I must
decline. You all are so well-established, and your sons are also fine, so
there's no need to worry, is there?"
However, Irisdina
clearly declined the housewives.
It was certainly
impressive how she managed to raise their spirits while firmly conveying her
own intentions without offending them.
"Oh dear, she's
rejected us. Well, if she's such a good girl, she'll find someone better than
our sons anyway..."
"That's true. By
the way, what about you? Even if you think marriage is too early, there must be
some boy you're interested in, right?"
"That's right!
There must be someone, right~!? If you don't mind, could you tell us?"
They probably weren't
serious to begin with. The housewives readily backed down after hearing
Irisdina's reply.
However, the
conversation then shifted to Irisdina's own romantic life.
Perhaps it was to be
expected of gossip-loving housewives.
Their eager pursuit of
a juicy topic in their usually peaceful and boring daily lives was like ants
swarming sugar.
"Fufu... Well,
what do you think?"
However, Irisdina was
not to be outdone.
She skillfully parried
the housewives' questions with the poker face and eloquence she had cultivated
in social gatherings.
"I know! It's
that boy over there! He came with you today and is working with you, so it must
be him!"
"That's right!
I'm sure of it!"
One housewife pointed
at Nozomu and pressed Irisdina, and the other women followed suit, confidently.
However, Irisdina
herself remained perfectly composed.
"He has certainly
helped me in various ways, but I don't have anyone special in mind."
The onslaught of the
housewives, full of curiosity and desire. The rain of questions, like a volley
of arrows from all directions, continued relentlessly.
However, Irisdina
continued to gracefully evade the housewives' fierce offensive, her smile never
wavering. Her figure was truly like that of a hero charging alone against
countless armies.
"…Hey, kid."
"Master, please,
just put in the next batch of grass. Quick, without delay, and as soon as possible."
At the edge of that
battlefield, the master and Nozomu were cowering.
Nozomu sent a look to
the master, pleading, "Do something!", and the master returned an
irresponsible gaze, saying, "Wife's scary, deal with it yourself!"
What a pathetic pair
of men.
But it couldn't be
helped. The gossiping housewives were magical beasts on par with drakes.
If you dared to defy
them, your purse strings would be tightened, and you'd be subjected to a
punishment of no allowance. For the working husbands of the world, that was
equivalent to having their supply lines cut in a fiercely contested
battlefield.
Well, it was also
questionable whether they would even notice his defiance in the first place.
Powerful magical beasts don't usually notice ants scurrying around their feet.
In some cases, they might even accidentally step on them...
Nozomu continued to
grind the grass diligently, trying his best not to look at the noisy, bustling
area, while the master continued to put grass into the mortar. If he even
glanced over there, it was obvious he would be toyed with.
Wishing desperately
that the attention wouldn't turn to him, Nozomu continued to stir the mortar,
erasing his presence.
Lamenting that he had
to hide his presence more than he did in the forest, in the middle of the city,
in broad daylight.
***
The work finished, and
Nozomu and Irisdina, having received the confirmation of task completion,
headed straight to Central Park. All that remained was to submit this
confirmation to the guild, and the request would be fulfilled.
"Thank you,
Nozomu, I learned a lot."
"I-is that
so…"
What on earth did she
learn...? Irisdina's figure, gracefully parrying the swarming housewives,
flashed through Nozomu's mind.
"Even so, was it
okay to receive something like this?"
Nozomu tried to avoid
thinking about the scene that had popped into his head and looked down at the
large bag he was holding.
Nozomu's hands were
holding a burlap sack large enough to embrace. Inside were fabrics dyed in
various colors. These were scraps of fabric that couldn't be used at that
tailor shop.
"What will you
use that for?"
"To mend clothes,
or maybe use it as string? It would probably fetch a decent price if I sold it
at a second-hand clothing store, and there are countless ways to use it."
Indeed, there were
never enough fabric scraps or cloth. Not only for mending frayed clothes, but
they were crucial for connecting the metal plates of iron armor as well.
In fact, needles were
essential for living in the forest. Knives for cutting, strings and threads for
tying, and cloth.
All of them were
indispensable for making tools, and Nozomu sometimes used thread as a tripwire.
"I see... Nozomu,
you're amazing. You can do so many things by yourself. You can even enter that
forest alone."
"Do you think so?
But I can't use magic like you, Irisdina, and besides..."
Honestly, Nozomu found
Irisdina dazzling.
He understood that her
straightforward path, facing forward, was something he didn't possess. Silence
flowed for a moment.
"…Hm!?"
"What's
wrong?"
The two remained
silent, but suddenly Irisdina let out a gasp.
When Nozomu asked what
was wrong, Irisdina held out both her hands. There, Irisdina's hands were
bright red and swollen.
"No... my hands
are strangely itchy..."
"They're swollen
quite a bit... Oh, perhaps the juice got on your hands when you tore the
grass."
According to Nozomu,
the juice from that grass could be used as a dye, but it apparently caused skin
irritation. It wouldn't be a problem if left for some time, but freshly
squeezed juice apparently wasn't good for the skin.
The experienced
housewives probably knew how to avoid getting the juice on their hands, but
Irisdina probably couldn't perform the task as well as the housewives.
"This juice
causes swelling quickly, but it also subsides quickly. I think the swelling
will subside soon if you leave it alone for a while. If it bothers you, you can
apply ointment sold at tool shops, and it'll subside quickly... Hmm? What's
this?"
While explaining the
symptoms to Irisdina, Nozomu's hand, which was holding the bag of fabric,
touched something hard.
Nozomu rummaged
through the bag, wondering what it was, and found a small bottle. Inside was a
milky white, jelly-like substance.
"...This is an
ointment."
What Nozomu held in
his hand was an ointment that would be effective for Irisdina's swollen hands
right now.
It was probably put in
by the tailor's wife, the client. Knowing that Irisdina didn't know about the
irritating juice, she had tucked it into the thank-you bag. What a thoughtful
gesture.
"Iris. I think
this will reduce the swelling if you apply it."
Nozomu offered the
bottle of ointment, but for some reason, Irisdina didn't take the bottle.
As Nozomu tilted his
head, wondering what was wrong, Irisdina held out her bright red, swollen
hands.
"Nozomu, sorry,
but would you apply the ointment to my hands?"
"…Eh?"
In fact, Irisdina's
hands were so itchy that she couldn't touch anything. She had asked him to
apply the ointment because she wanted help, but question marks danced in
Nozomu's head.
What was she saying?
At Irisdina's request, Nozomu felt the heat in his head rise sharply.
Nozomu hesitated,
wondering if it was alright, but Irisdina looked as calm as ever, holding out
her hands as if to say, "Hurry up."
"…My hands are
too itchy to touch anything. Nozomu, please, I'm counting on you."
"O-okay…"
Finally understanding
the situation, Nozomu stared at her outstretched hands.
Irisdina's skin,
usually as pure white as fresh snow, was slightly flushed red.
He opened the lid of
the bottle and took out the ointment. Nozomu gently applied the ointment to
Irisdina's hands.
"Mmm!"
"! A-are you
alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine.
I just made a sound because it was a bit cold."
Nozomu continued to
apply the ointment, flustered by Irisdina's strangely seductive voice.
The gazes of those
around them focused on Nozomu and Irisdina. Nozomu, touching a woman's hand,
looked like a couple in the throes of budding romance to outsiders.
Nozomu's face
instantly turned red as he realized his situation. He tried to focus on his own
hand applying the ointment, making sure not to care about the gazes around him.
However, when he
focused on his hand, he now felt Irisdina's hand even more distinctly.
Her hands were so soft
that it was hard to believe she was a martial artist. Her body temperature
seemed lower than Nozomu's, as a cool sensation spread through his hand, and
Nozomu's body heated up even more.
Irisdina, on the other
hand, was perfectly calm. Perhaps she was used to being in the public eye, or
perhaps she was used to being taken care of by maids as a young lady of a noble
family, but she was composed, the exact opposite of Nozomu.
After applying the
ointment completely, Irisdina let out a sigh of relief.
Nozomu exhaled deeply,
looking exhausted.
"Hey, Mom. Those
people are really close! Are they lovers!?"
"Yes~. I wonder
if they're lovers~."
The voices of a parent
and child, seemingly playing in the park, reached Nozomu's ears.
Lovers...
Nozomu's face almost
turned red at that word.
However, that word dug
up Nozomu's past. The betrayal of his best friend and the image of his former
girlfriend leaving him flashed through his mind, and the rekindled heat in his
body rapidly subsided.
"Fufu, lovers,
huh... What a cute girl."
"Yeah...
right."
Irisdina spoke to
Nozomu while waving at the parent and child who were waving back.
As expected, she was
calm. There was no change in her usual demeanor.
Nozomu also tried to
answer in his usual tone, but his voice was slightly strained.
"Nozomu?"
"…It's about time
we go."
Irisdina called out to
Nozomu, whose demeanor had changed, but Nozomu, interrupting her words, began
to walk towards the guild.
He tried to suppress
the emotions akin to intense passion welling up in his chest, and he moved
forward.
However, as if to hold
him back, Irisdina's words reached Nozomu's back.
"Nozomu. Thank
you for accompanying me on my whim today. If you don't mind, would you continue
to do this kind of work with me from now on? I want to learn more."
The words she spoke
were a thank you for today and a request for him to continue accompanying her
on such jobs in the future.
That request slightly
calmed the intense emotions that had welled up in Nozomu's chest. The momentum
of the black vortex deep in his heart subsided, and it became faintly warm.
Nozomu's heart slowly beat, sending warm heat throughout his body.
"…Well, if my
schedule permits, I'll go along."
Nozomu smiled at
Irisdina as he looked back.
His hardened
expression had, before he knew it, returned to normal.
***
"…If his schedule
permits, huh."
Irisdina reflected on
Nozomu's words as she walked home.
"But today was
amazing. Is that what a commoner's housewife is like...?"
Irisdina, a noble of
the Foskia Kingdom, no matter how much she interacted with commoners at the
academy, was inevitably not versed in worldly affairs due to her birth.
That's why she thought
she couldn't stay like this and tried to help him with his work. Today was a
continuous string of novel experiences for Irisdina.
To be honest, she
wanted to hear more stories and try other jobs, but this time it couldn't be helped.
Besides, she had made a promise to him, so she could accompany him on his work
in the future.
She looked at the palm
of her hand.
Perhaps the ointment
Nozomu had applied worked, as the swelling had subsided, and her hands were
back to normal.
When she was bombarded
with questions by the housewives, when he was mentioned, and when he applied
ointment to her swollen hand, a heat she couldn't understand swirled deep
within her chest. Somehow, she felt warmer than when she had her first date
with Nozomu.
It was particularly
noticeable when Nozomu applied the ointment.
She tried to appear
calm, but she was simply used to feigning her emotions in social gatherings.
Heat lingered in her
hand, which should have been free of swelling.
In her heart, feelings
beyond mere interest were budding for Nozomu. And also for his former
girlfriend...
Gently placing her
hand on her chest, where heat swirled, Irisdina walked towards her mansion.
"I want to know
more."
She vaguely sensed
what those feelings were directed towards, deep down.
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