Chapter 3

Amelia sat in the chair next to the bed, holding her beloved son's hand and gently stroking his head.

"…Mom, it's time."

Her daughter, Loreta, called out to her, and Amelia replied briefly, "Yes."

She kissed her sleeping son's forehead and, with a heavy heart, stood up. She was already ready to go.

All that was left was to go to the weaving factory where she worked.

Amelia headed for the front door and called out to Loreta.

"Well, Loreta, I'm off. Please take care of Mika."

"Okay, take care. Don't worry so much. Sister Rady said it would be fine."

"I know, but…"

Loreta's reassurance was understandable, but Amelia's expression remained troubled. Her 7-year-old son had been found injured and unconscious. It was impossible not to worry.

"Sister Rady will come in the morning and let you know if he wakes up."

"…Thank you."

She kissed Loreta's forehead, just as she had Mika's, and stroked her head. Amelia glanced at Mika's bedroom, then left the house with a resigned sigh.

She really shouldn't be going to work, but there were circumstances that made it necessary. Fortunately, Loreta, at 13, was quite responsible and had been taking good care of Mika. To protect her family, Amelia raised her head and started walking.

■■■■■■

After seeing Amelia off, Loreta put away the bright expression she had been maintaining. She was just as worried about her brother Mika as Amelia was. However, if she showed that worry to Amelia, it would only make her more anxious. So, she had tried to act cheerful, even though she didn't think it was very convincing.

(I have to be strong for Mom too.)

Amelia was the one who most wanted to take care of Mika. She would usually take time off to do so, but the factory manager, Horacio, had begged her to come in today, saying, "I really need you today."

Amelia was at a loss. Then Horacio suggested, "Why don't you let Loreta take the day off instead?"

Loreta and Amelia worked at the weaving factory. Loreta had only been working for about a year, while Amelia was so skilled that she was in charge of the weavers. It would take at least three years of work to be recognized as a full weaver, so Loreta wasn't yet capable of replacing Amelia. Moreover, all the other weavers who were in charge were available.

It seemed that there was an urgent matter to discuss regarding the production plan given by the lord. Clearly, this was something Loreta couldn't handle.

Reluctantly, Amelia left Mika's care to Loreta.

■■■■■■

Loreta touched Mika's clothes, which she had washed and hung by the window the night before. The pants were still damp, but the jacket seemed to be dry. Mika's clothes were covered in dirt and blood from falling and getting injured. She had cleaned them thoroughly, but there were a few holes from the falls. She had planned to mend them later.

She left the pants hanging and took the jacket into the bedroom. Sitting in the chair where Amelia had been sitting, Loreta looked at Mika's face. Mika, with his cute, almost girlish face, was sleeping peacefully. Seeing his calm expression, Loreta felt relieved. She would never forget the sight of Mika yesterday.

(I really need to thank Horacio and Sister Rady.)

Why Mika was found unconscious on a distant road was a mystery, but if Horacio hadn't found him and Rady hadn't used her miracle of healing, the outcome could have been much worse. The road between Rish village and Cottonesse was a single path, but it wasn't frequently traveled. If it hadn't been a delivery day, it might have been days before anyone passed by.

"…I don't even want to think about it."

To forget the unpleasant thoughts, she spread out Mika's shirt to mend it. She checked the areas that needed repair and took out her sewing tools: a needle, thread, and a patch. Mika, who looked so cute but was quite mischievous, would often make new holes in his clothes even after they were mended. Taking care of Mika was Loreta's job, as Amelia was often busy. Since Loreta started working at the factory last year, she had less time to take care of Mika.

(Well, let's get this done quickly.)

She sewed happily, occasionally checking on Mika.

"Loreta, it's Rady. I came to check on Mika."

After finishing a few repairs, she heard a voice from the front door. She quickly put away her needle and went to the door. Opening it, she saw a small woman in a nun's habit. This was Rady, a nun at the church, who was a bit older than Loreta's mother. She was a valuable user of the miracle of healing, and the church wanted her to work in a larger city, but she had refused a promotion to return to her hometown.

(She really is very kind, though.)

Before Mika's incident, everyone in Rish village had been helped by Rady. The children learned reading and arithmetic at the church, and the adults had been healed by her. She managed all the preparations for important festivals like the harvest festival, taking over from the elderly priest. Despite all this, she always thanked the love of God when people thanked her.

"Good morning, Sister Rady. Thank you so much for yesterday."

Loreta bowed politely and expressed her gratitude again.

"Good morning, Loreta. There's no need to thank me; I just prayed. It was your and Amelia's good behavior that earned the mercy of the gods."

The gods are always watching over us, she said, making a praying gesture.

"So, how is Mika?"

"He hasn't woken up yet. His expression is calm, and he looks like he's just sleeping, but…"

"That's worrying. May I check on him?"

"Of course, please do."

Loreta led Rady to Mika's bedroom, offered her a chair, and stood next to her as she examined Mika. Rady took Mika's hand to check his pulse and touched his neck.

"…He doesn't have a fever, and his breathing is calm. He really does look like he's just sleeping."

She smiled and gently poked Mika's cheek.

"Is he worried, but has he been like this since yesterday?"

"Yes. Mom stayed up all night watching over him. She looked so pale this morning."

Loreta remembered how bad Amelia had looked this morning. She had probably been up all night watching over Mika. Loreta, too, had tried to sleep when Amelia told her to, but she hadn't been able to get much rest.

"You can't blame your mom. I understand your worry, but you'll collapse too if you don't take care of yourself."

Rady looked at Mika's clothes on the bed across the room.

"Are these Mika's?"

Loreta nodded.

"They had some holes. …They were quite dirty, weren't they? But why was he on the road alone?"

Loreta couldn't answer Rady's puzzled question.

"He said he was going to help with the fields with the neighborhood kids. It's a bit down the road, but I don't understand why he went all the way to Cottonesse."

The children usually played together and helped out at nearby houses. They would pull weeds in the fields or help with the harvest. In return, they would get a share of the harvest as a reward. Families who worked at the factory and couldn't watch their children could rely on the neighbors.

"By the way, about Horacio."

Rady suddenly changed the subject, as if she had just remembered something.

"I understand why he was so insistent."

"What happened?"

Mika had been helped by Horacio, who had begged Amelia to come to work today. Normally, he would understand if she needed to take time off for her child, but today he was insistent. Everyone could imagine that something was wrong.

"The lord has ordered us to produce twice as much high-quality fabric."

"Twice!?"

Loreta was so surprised that she exclaimed loudly. High-quality fabric was a special product that only three of the most skilled weavers in the factory could produce. The threads used were also special, and it wasn't as simple as saying, "Increase production."

"Of course, it's not expected to double immediately next month. But the decision has been made. The lord has ordered it. They're discussing how to achieve it today."

The factory manager was in a difficult position. Faced with the lord's unreasonable demands, he was probably seeking everyone's opinions. The factory belonged to the lord, and the manager was just a manager, hired to manage and operate it. Saying "It can't be done" would mean losing his job. Replacing him with someone who could double the production of high-quality fabric was a possibility, but it was unknown who that person might be.

"…Is it possible?"

"I think it is. It will take some time, but Horacio is a good person, and I'm sure everyone will cooperate."

Horacio wasn't from this village. A few years ago, when the previous factory manager retired due to old age, the lord brought him in to replace him. He was short but sturdy, with a stern face that made him look like he could stop a charging bull. However, he was actually a very serious and kind person, trusted by everyone in the village. Children who met him for the first time would inevitably cry at the sight of him.

"That's why they really wanted Amelia to participate in the discussion. Please forgive Horacio."

"Forgive? I really appreciate Horacio… …Mika!"

While talking with Rady, Loreta saw Mika's eyes slowly opening.

"………………,……………………………………."

A voice was coming from somewhere far away. It sounded like someone was mumbling, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.

(…………What are they talking about……?)

Her consciousness was gradually returning, like waking up after a sleepless night, but her mind felt numb and sluggish. Her body was heavy, and she had no desire to move.

"…………ぃ…………………………. "

"……ぅ……………………?"

Someone was talking, but it was still mumbled, and she couldn't understand what they were saying.

(…I can't hear them well…….)

She let herself sink back into the drowsiness, wanting to sleep a little more. The sensation of slowly falling asleep felt pleasant.

"………………,……ぉ……ぃ………………ぅ……………………ぃ……."

"Twice!?"

Just as she was about to let go of her consciousness, a clear word suddenly caught her attention.

(…………Twice……? ……What's twice? ……Twice???)

Until then, she couldn't understand what anyone was saying, but the clear word made her consciousness suddenly awaken. She realized that her vision, which had been dark, was now bright.

(…Ah…, the alarm clock turned on…?)

Ritsu's alarm clock was the type that turned on a light. Ritsu, who had trouble waking up in the morning, would often ignore the loud alarm and go back to sleep. When people heard this, they would say, "No way, you'd definitely wake up." But Ritsu would wake up, only to think, "It's fine," and go back to sleep. The alarm clock with the light gradually brightened the room, waking the brain without a loud noise. This made it easier to wake up, and as long as she hadn't stayed up too late, she wouldn't feel the urge to go back to sleep.

"……………………ぁぃに参加してほしかったのよ。 ホレイシオさんを許してあげてね."

As she slowly opened her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling. A woman was talking nearby, but the unfamiliar ceiling caught her attention.

(…This feels like waking up during a trip or a business trip. …Am I on a business trip?)

She thought it might be a trip, but it wasn't clear.

"Forgive? I really appreciate Horacio… …Mika!"

The sudden loud voice startled her, and she turned her gaze towards the source. There were two women.

One was probably in her late 20s, with long, wavy blonde hair and striking blue eyes. The most distinctive feature was her attire, which was a nun's habit. The other was a girl in her mid-teens, with long, light brown hair and a well-defined face. Her large, clear green eyes were striking. Both women looked shocked, with wide eyes.

(…Mika? Mika? Is it Mika?)

She couldn't remember the correct spelling of the name. As she was thinking about it, the girl with the light brown hair suddenly hugged her.

"Mika!"

"Wha!? What the heck!?"

Ritsu, surprised by the girl's forceful hug, let out a startled cry.