The Beginning of Winter and Cold
Prevention 2
Arriving
at the training grounds a little late, I chose a piece of an appropriate size
from the stacked firewood and placed it on the ground to use as a chair.
In
front of me was Ashren-sama swinging a sword. I had never seen Carter-sama
hold a sword, and I know absolutely nothing about swordsmanship. However, I
feel like he is fighting on equal footing against a knight.
Dodging
the tip of the blade at the very last second, he twisted his body and cut in
deeply at the same time. Is it called locking swords? He wasn't losing in
strength either.
Even
so, after twenty minutes passed, the superiority became clear.
「Hey, are you out of breath already?」
「I-I am the intellectual type.」
In
contrast to Ashren-sama, who was breathing heavily through his
shoulders, Mark-sama hadn't broken a single drop of sweat. As expected,
knights are different.
「Ashren-sama, please use this handkerchief.」
Unable
to just watch, I lent him my handkerchief, and Ashren-sama took it and
wiped the sweat from his forehead.
「You hate losing more than I
expected, don't you.」
「We were on equal footing back in our
school days.」
「A huge gap has formed now, though.」
「Shut up, muscle-brain.」
His
sullenly puffed-out face looked somehow awfully childish, and I unintentionally
burst out laughing.
「Hey, is it that funny that I lost?」
「No, I just wondered if you made
faces like that too. I've seen a new side of you, Ashren-sama.」
Ashren-sama swallowed his words with a mugu
sound at me, who was chuckling. Mark-sama looked between the two of us,
grinning for some reason.
And
before I knew it, a large number of knights were watching us from a distance.
Seeing
a particularly large man emerge from among them, Ashren-sama sharply
corrected his expression.
「Knight Commander, I took the liberty of
participating in the training.」
「I do not mind. Stamina aside, your
swordsmanship is not bad, as always. The knight order is accepting enlistment
at any time, you know.」
「You must be joking. More
importantly, how are the newly made medicines? We have come to hear your candid
opinions.」
「You heard him. Everyone, if you have
any thoughts, go ahead and tell him.」
As
the Knight Commander turned around and called out to the knights forming
a circle behind him, several people raised their hands. When I took paper and a
pen out of my pocket to prepare to take notes, they began stating their
opinions one after another.
「That salve is amazing. Compared to
what we used before, it healed completely at about twice the speed. Here, look.」
A
middle-aged knight went out of his way to come in front of me and rolled up his
sleeves. On his arm, which was like a thick lump of muscle, a faint vertical
scar remained.
「When was this, and how deep was the
wound?」
「A week ago, about two centimeters
deep and ten centimeters long. It got a thick blood vessel, so the bleeding
wouldn't stop easily, but look, it's completely healed now.」
It
seems there was no rash or itchiness when he used it, and he liked it quite a
lot. That's good. But, the part about the bleeding not stopping bothers me, so
let's try making a hemostatic agent tomorrow.
「The poultice was good too, but I'd
like it to stick a little more firmly. It was fine since I secured it with a
bandage, but it easily peels off if it's just the poultice.」
I
see, knights have a high amount of physical activity. I have to make it have an
adhesive strength that can withstand that while also not causing a rash.
There's room for improvement here.
「And then there's the medicine for
athlete's foot!」
「Yeah! That one is the best.」
「I've been freed from years of
suffering. I can't let go of it anymore.」
...I'll
write down that the most popular one is the athlete's foot medicine, just in
case.
Even
so, this is the first time I've met so many knights at once. Everyone is so
big. Being small-statured, it feels like I am surrounded by large trees, and my
neck has been hurting for a while. Ashren-sama is also tall, but he
isn't muscular, so he doesn't have this level of intimidation.
Moreover,
perhaps because they were training until just a moment ago, there were a few
people who had the shirts on their upper bodies open, showing their chests, so
I was a bit troubled on where to look.
「Layla, is there anything you want to ask?」
Ashren-sama asked me, but it was so sudden
that I couldn't think of any specific questions. But, since it's a rare
opportunity, would a vague question be fine?
「Let's see, um. Then, are there any
medicines you think would be nice to have?」
「A medicine that prevents muscle
pain.」
「I want to erase foot odor.」
「A medicine to make me popular with
women.」
「A hair growth medicine.」
「Well, obviously it has to be a
stamina- boosti... Ow!」
Someone
was getting punched, but are they okay?
「Layla, you won't get any decent answers
asking muscle-brains that question... Did you actually write that down?」
「Just in case, as a reference.」
When
I muttered quietly that I might be able to manage a hair growth medicine, a
stir occurred all over the place.
Eh,
should I try making it?
「Also, colds spread around this
season, so I'd like a highly effective cold medicine.」
「If that is the case, I handed the
recipe to the Medicinal Herb Department yesterday, so I believe they are
making plenty of it.」
Once
safety is confirmed for what is made in the laboratory, the recipe is supposed
to be handed over to the Medicinal Herb Department. They said they would
make it right away, so I told the Knight Commander that they should try
going to pick it up as early as tomorrow.
「That makes me happy. But, if I were
to be greedy, it would be nice if there was a medicine that prevents you from
catching a cold in the first place.」
「Haha, Commander, no matter how
amazing Layla is, that is impossible.」
「There is one, you know.」
「「Eh??」」
At
my words, the Knight Commander and Ashren-sama's eyes widened
round. No, not just them, the knights also floated dumbfounded expressions.
「Does it exist? Such a thing.」
「It does not mean it can prevent it
completely. But if an effect that helps prevent infection is fine, it can be
made easily.」
The
surroundings began to grow noisy.
「She says it exists.」
「And she says it can be made easily.」
「My kid catches colds easily, and
when one goes down, they all go down one after another.」
Oh
no, to think there was this much demand for it. I should have made it sooner.
Because the way to make it is so easy, it completely slipped my mind.
「Ashren-sama, may I make it starting from
now?」
「Of course. Do you have the necessary
medicinal herbs?」
「I have never seen them in the
warehouse, but is there a medicinal herb garden nearby?」
「If that is the case, there is one
behind the royal castle. I will guide you.」
A
medicinal herb garden! Actually, I had wanted to go see it at least once.
When
I was in the Jilgista Kingdom, I frequently went to the medicinal herb
garden, but since coming here, everything I needed was in the warehouse, so
there was no need to go to the medicinal herb garden.
Rejoicing
with a yay, I thanked the people from the knight order and briskly
proceeded down the path leading to the back of the castle.
Because I was so elated and only looking straight ahead, I didn't notice until the very end that Ashren-sama was walking next to me with his eyes gently narrowed.
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