Comfort and Care

I heard what sounded like battle impacts several times, and after a final explosion, Azu and the others returned.

It seemed what had come our way hadn't been a pack of wolves after all.

They reported that they'd fought a pack including an adult Chimera.

This was already Imperial territory, so I didn't know the details, but there might have been a quest posted at the nearby Adventurer's Guild.

I'd check when we reached a city.

Orleans had been diligently boiling water for their return, so I mixed apple cider vinegar with hot water and handed cups to everyone.

They'd rushed out into the rain wearing their spare clothes, so they looked absolutely dreadful.

Not a single dry spot remained on them; fabric clung to skin.

Finn especially was caked in mud all over, her shirt fit only for the garbage heap.

It no longer served to conceal anything underneath. Barely hanging on at all.

While drinking their hot apple cider vinegar, everyone stripped, wiped themselves down with wrung-out warm towels, and wrapped up in blankets.

We'd need to buy clothes once we reached the Empire.

Azu sat down beside me.

Her nose had turned red.

It wasn't freezing cold anymore, but it wasn't exactly warm either.

She'd fought while soaking wet from head to toe, so she must have gotten chilled.

"There doesn't seem to be any more danger, and you must be exhausted. Go ahead and rest."

"I think I will…"

She emptied her cup and then drifted off right where she sat.

I adjusted the blanket that had slipped off her.

Everyone except Orleans seemed to have fallen asleep.

Together, we straightened out everyone's blankets so they wouldn't get cold.

Finn had fallen asleep too.

Moving around like that in the rain must have drained her stamina.

"Please rest as well, sir. I'll keep watch."

"Yeah… Let me rest a bit, then. I'll take over when I wake up."

"Understood."

I left Orleans in charge and lay down to sleep beside Azu.

Some time later, I woke.

At some point, Azu had grabbed my arm in her sleep, so I got up quietly so as not to disturb her.

My eyes stung a bit and my throat was parched.

Not enough sleep, neither quality nor quantity.

I wanted to sleep somewhere proper as soon as possible.

"Buried in bread…"

She mumbled something in her sleep and curled up.

Good. I hadn't woken her.

When I stroked her head, a contented look spread across her face.

"What kind of dream is that?"

"Azu-sama sleeps so well."

"She does. Good work, Orleans. Get some rest now."

Orleans nodded obediently, bowed to me, and then pulled a blanket over herself beside Azu.

Like that, they looked almost like sisters.

The bonfire had shrunk, so I tossed in a few of the branches we'd circled around it to dry.

A moment later, the flames surged back to life with a crackling pop.

I poured the lukewarm water left in the pot into a cup, added honey, and swirled it to mix.

One sip, and my throat felt soothed.

To raise the humidity and temperature, I added water to the pot and set it back over the fire.

The rain had stopped and the wind had died down; all I could hear was everyone's breathing and the crackling of the fire.

The occasional hoot of an owl, maybe.

I thought back to the times I'd traveled alone for business before Azu and the others came along, keeping watch through the night.

Even on a safe route, facing the pitch-black night alone made me keenly aware of my own solitude; it was unsettling and terrifying.

When I thought about it that way, just having companions to travel with was something to be grateful for.

Elza and Alexia were sleeping nearby, but Alexia's hand had tugged Elza's blanket away.

Pale skin lay exposed, but the pallor looked more pitiful than alluring.

I retrieved the blanket from Alexia's grip and returned it to Elza.

Her face seemed more content for it.

The problem was Finn. She'd seemed fine for a while, but her condition had turned worrying.

Her complexion was poor.

She was sweating heavily, her face flushed.

Her breathing was labored.

I scooped boiling water from the pot into a basin, added cool water to bring down the temperature, and took out two fresh towels. One I soaked in the warm water and wrung out.

The other I dampened with cool water, wrung lightly, and placed directly on her forehead.

"This is just to take care of you. Don't complain later."

I pulled Finn's blanket off.

Her toned body lay exposed.

She was drenched in sweat.

I wiped away the sweat with the towel. Then wrung it in the warm water.

Repeated the process.

By the time I finished wiping her down, her complexion had improved somewhat.

"… Dad."

Sleep-talking, probably.

After that small murmur, a single trail of moisture rolled from her eye.

Whether it was sweat or a tear, I couldn't tell.

Her blanket had soaked up sweat, so I covered her with the one I'd been using.

When I poured the remaining honey water into a pitcher and got her to drink some, her breathing gradually calmed.

She never let her tough front slip, but lying there like that she looked like a helpless young girl.

If she got worse, I'd wake Elza, but that didn't seem necessary now.

When I thought about it, neither Azu nor Finn had parents they could rely on.

Azu's parents had abused her and sold her off. Finn had never known her birth parents and had lost the one who raised her.

I felt strongly that, as an adult, I had to fulfill my responsibility to look after them properly.

After that, everyone's clothes had dried, so I folded them and placed them at each person's feet.

That way they could change as soon as they woke.

I gathered the discarded rags and damp undergarments into a basin.

Then poured in water from the barrel and scrubbed out the blood and mud.

Changed the water once, mixed in soap powder, and washed them until the stains came out.

By the time I finished rinsing, the barrel was empty.

Come morning, I'd have to get Azu or Alexia to refill it with water magic.

Having a mage around meant never worrying about water, but I wasn't about to wake anyone up just for that.

I wrung out the laundry and hung it around the bonfire to dry.

If it wasn't dry by morning, I could just hang it somewhere on the carriage.

With my tasks done, I waited for dawn.