Episode 22.1-2 (1/2)
The following day, Lecan went to Norma's medical center after breakfast. Eda had gone for shopping and some other business to attend, so she's not with him.
Eda's circle of acquaintances saw a huge increase lately.
Married women in the neighborhood really pamper her. They often invite her for tea and she's even learning cooking from them.
She's also been building up acquaintances with the people selling vegetables, fruit and grain.
Apparently all of them were indignant when they found out Eda was an adventurer at such a young age.
They thought Lecan was nothing more than a good-for-nothing.
Thus Eda told him while laughing.
Good to see her getting along well with the neighbors, thought Lecan.
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Norma was in the middle of treating her patients. Lecan was gonna head back at first, but he was told to wait, so he did in the break room while having tea.
Jinga was the one initiated the conversation, unusually enough.
”A messenger from Mashajain had come by here.”
”Hou.”
”I am told that Marquis-sama has passed away.”
”I see.”
The marquis would be an older brother of Norma's father. Since Norma's father was supposed to be the sixth son of the previous marquis, his older brother must have been quite old himself.
”Written in his will, I was to be granted a not insignificant bonus. That was to be the last messenger that would come here.”
Meaning, the marquis house had been sending out regular messengers here to get in touch with Jinga.
And Jinga must be meaning to say that he has not told the marquis house about Eda when he talks to Lecan about this.
”I have returned my status as a knight of Marquis House. I am the handyman of this medical center in earnest now.”
Jinga's eyes gazing at the garden as he enjoyed the tea looked somewhat lonesome somewhat relieved and in peace.
Looks like the connection between Jinga and the Marquis House has been severed. Which means there's no more second guessing him reporting Eda to the house from here on.
”Have you told Norma about the marquis's passing?”
”Yes. I have.”
”Were Norma aware that you were a watchdog dispatched by the marquis house?”
Jinga glanced at Lecan. His eyes looked amused.
”Well now, I wonder about that myself. I have never told Norma-sama about it directly, nor has she ever brought the matter up.”
”Really.”
Jinga gazes at the garden yet it as if that gaze is partly directed at somewhere else.
”I was ordered by the previous marquis-sama, no that would be past marquis-sama now is it, to watch over Norma-sama's mother. Then her mother entrusted me to take care of her husband and daughter in her deathbed.”
Lecan listened to Jinga without saying anything.
”When I mentioned that to the previous marquis, he said to me, 'my little brother is going back to his town, you go with them, protect them both'.”
The previous marquis said 'Protect them both'. What did he mean by that.
”He also spoke this back then. 'Officially, your mission is to protect and monitor Norma, and to report back if you find a new
user'. At the time, many people at the marquis house had high expectations of Norma-sama manifesting
, I believe marquis-sama had put that into consideration when he said that.”
Jinga closed his eyes. Like he's repenting over something.