Chapter 44 Sleeping Sickness
Two days later, in the afternoon, we arrived via the carriage arranged by Ms. Helmine, but it wasn't at the Marquis Duerre household.
Though we were within the noble district, it was a quaint mansion on the outskirts.
"Welcome. We've been expecting you."
The maid bowed to us respectfully, but I felt out of place, too unaccustomed to such treatment.
After all, our roles today were...
"Hello, excuse our intrusion."
Just a pair of arcane engineers in work attire, hats pulled low over our faces, here to maintain the house's facilities──me and my assistant.
Yuruyana had tucked his hair into his hat, with just enough makeup for sun protection, barely masking his true gender.
"I'm surprised. Sir Yuruyana, you're a man."
"I apologize for the deception."
"No, it's quite impressive."
Once inside, we were greeted by Ms. Helmine in her usual blouse and slacks, and I finally started to relax a bit.
"By the way, we came as instructed, but where exactly are we?"
"This is the Baron Berth household... We'll discuss the details inside."
Ms. Helmine led the way with an air of familiarity, and we followed her up the stairs to the second floor.
The corridor, dim despite it being daytime, felt eerie as we walked a short distance.
"Please, come in."
She opened the door herself, inviting us in.
"Excuse our intrusion."
I was supposedly the one invited, but Yuruyana stepped in first, with me trailing behind.
The familiar scent of the sickroom hit me──of patients and antiseptic, faintly masked by some sort of incense.
In the light streaming through the large window, the woman lay with her eyes shut tight, oblivious to our arrival.
"She is Elza... my maid."
Ms. Helmine looked down sorrowfully, taking a seat beside the bed and gently holding the hand of the seemingly sleeping woman.
Yuruyana removed his hat, peering closely at the patient's face.
"Could it be... the sleeping sickness?"
...Yeah.
There is a doctor on retainer at the Baron household, but──
they say there's nothing to do but rely on arcane medicine.
I've heard of cases where someone's perfectly healthy physically, yet they just keep sleeping──
a strange illness that drags them into endless slumber.
It's a terrifying disease──if it progression, no matter what they do, they won't wake up.
Eventually, they wither away and die.
It's often hard to notice until symptoms appear──
like falling asleep during the day despite a full night's rest, or not waking once they doze off.
Sleep deprivation or oversleeping──both are a pain.
"Sure, but... Doesn't the Baron family have its own arcane pharmacist...?"
Baron titles are mostly passed down in a single generation.
They're nobles, but not necessarily wealthy.
So, they probably don't have a trusted, close pharmacist on hand.
But when it's an emergency and they haven't asked the Marquis's pharmacist, I wondered why...
"My pharmacist, well... he's──"
She mumbled it awkwardly, like it was difficult to say.
She's proud──more than she lets on──and probably wouldn't trust just anyone.
A commoner servant, after all, usually isn't consulted for medical issues.
If word got out they'd called someone outside the household, it'd be a headache for him.
"And, see, I'm paying for this out of pocket. If I set a precedent, other servants might get ideas, right?"
Maids and servants often share bonds like family or close friends.
Ms. Elsa must mean a lot to Ms. Helmine.
But if she's so emotionally attached she'd risk her own fortune──
other servants might start asking him for money, too.
The bizarre request to hide the pharmacist's involvement──
there's a complicated noble reason behind it.
"I see. Now I understand the situation."
Yuruyana doesn't let personal feelings interfere with his work, but──
inside, he definitely thinks 'Nobles are such a pain'.
No doubt about it.
"Well, I'm flexible──if the pay's right, I'll treat anyone. But... how long has she been like this?"
It seemed she was trying not to get too involved.
He casually shrugged and pulled out his usual clipboard to take notes.
"It's been about 3 days now."
It wasn't long after that Ms. Helmine came visiting the shop.
Desperate to do something about the worsening illness, she consulted the well-connected Luka and hurried to ask for Yuruyana's help.
"I thought she'd finally woken up after sleeping for 2 and a half days straight... but after a little bit of food and a chat with me..."
That makes it just one meal in the past 5 days.
The face, once at rest, now looks worn out.
"The symptom of the sleeping sickness is that the time you spend asleep gradually extends. So, I suppose it's about time you woke up..."
Yuruyana checked his My wristwatch.
After the Founding Festival, Luka suggested selling the my defensive magic wristwatch as military goods, so he made a prototype in women's size for potential general sale on a whim.
"That's why I called you here today."
Unaware that he's a tester, Yuruyana naively adores it as a simple gift.
It seems to be working fine today, and I'm content just listening to their conversation.
"When did the symptoms start, exactly?"
"I noticed it about a month ago."
Even if I'm just a hidden observer, I figure I should be aware of the consultation.
"I thought she seemed off, and then the tardiness started increasing."
Normally, you'd get fired for slacking off, but Ms. Helmine's diligent care as the owner suggests that Ms. Elsa must be an exceptionally honest woman.
"That means the actual symptoms could have started even earlier. Given the current progression, I'd say she has had chronic drowsiness and fatigue for about 2 months."
"Really? ...she has been trying so hard."
Ah, the sigh that escapes her is filled with regret for not noticing sooner.
"I understand the situation for now. First things first, we can't have her sleeping forever. Mind if I set up my tools here?"
"Yes, please do."
This house is supposed to belong to the Baron family, but for Ms. Elsa's treatment, it seems Helmine has been given full authority.
Yuruyana takes out a collapsible table from his Arcane Art bag and begins setting it up.
"Leave it to me."
Without waiting for a response, he hands off the assembly and starts digging through his bag again.
Honestly, I don't mind──nothing urgent.
As I move some furniture aside, Yuruyana pulls out potion bottles and jars filled with mysterious solids──things I don't recognize.
He checks the wobble of the tabletop, then quickly sets up that crushing device we've seen before.
"Aren't you going to say not to peek today?"
"That's just a joke. As long as I don't get in your way, anything's fine."
"I thought it was a secret technique only you could master──like, don't peek or you'll ruin it."
"There's no way. It's a licensed technique, after all."
"Guess that's true."
While we whisper and joke around, I accidentally catch Ms. Helmine's vacant face, and our eyes meet.
I clamp my mouth shut, feeling I might have overdone the casual talk as usual, but Ms. Helmine gives me a gentle smile.
"You're close, huh?"
"We're business partners."
"And I'm just a guest."
When I correct her, surprised at how formal it sounds for our casual talk, Ms. Helmine's expression softens even more, and she starts to chuckle quietly.
"Ouch, that hurt..."
She jabs my side with her elbow, but I bet that's her way of saying I did a good job easing her nerves.
I wish she'd just pat my back instead.
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