“I’m not certain. But we should keep an eye on it for a while.”
At Patrick’s words, Maxim merely blinked and stood there.
‘There’s no harm in being cautious.’
Mary’s symptoms didn’t necessarily prove pregnancy. Indigestion, insomnia, fatigue—those were common enough even without pregnancy.
“Even if it turns out to be that, don’t apply sage or peony root. They could harm both the mother and the baby. I’ll give you something else instead—take this.”
“Ah, yes….”
With a dazed expression, Maxim accepted the new bundle of herbs and bowed.
“Thank you, Doctor!”
A few days later, Maxim returned from the mainland bearing a large chunk of cheese and a jar of fine oil for Patrick—along with news that Mary’s monthly cycle had stopped.
“If not for you, we’d have been in serious trouble! The midwife confirmed she’s pregnant. Haha! I’m going to be a father now, Doctor!”
“Congratulations, Maxim. I’ll enjoy this.”
The islanders certainly knew how to show gratitude.
‘I was just thinking how nice it would be to have more oil—perfect timing.’
Patrick regarded the oil jar with a pleased smile as Maxim handed him one more pouch.
“And this… I picked this up because they say it’s a fruit the officials in the capital favor. I hope you like it….”
“From the capital?”
Without thinking, Patrick opened the box—and his mouth dropped.
“Coffee!”
“You knew it!”
Maxim beamed at Patrick’s enthusiastic reaction, and the children murmured, “He really must be from the capital!”
“This precious thing….”
The caffeine Patrick had long forgotten suddenly felt like a craving he couldn’t ignore.
“But how am I supposed to prepare this…?”
Maxim had brought roasted beans. Obviously, they couldn’t be eaten as-is.
“There’s no grinder… I’ll just grind them myself.”
After all, variety shows often show people finding ways. If you have beans, you can figure it out.
Patrick set a handful of beans into a small mortar and began grinding. The children gathered around.
“What kind of medicine is this?”
The unfamiliar aroma made the kids think it was an herb.
“It’s a medicine that gives you energy.”
“A potion, then?”
“Yeah, something like an office worker’s MP potion.”
“What’s an MP potion?”
“It’s something that restores depleted mana.”
“Wow!”
Patrick didn’t bother correcting them. He made something up and cheerfully continued grinding.
‘If I call it medicine, they won’t ask for more.’
It wasn’t much, so he had to ration it.
‘I can’t share it with kids who don’t even know what coffee tastes like.’
Soon the beans were a fine powder. An expert might tsk, but there were no experts here.
Patrick spread the powder over a cloth the villagers had given him and slowly poured hot water over it. The coffee aroma drifted in all directions.
“Smells good!”
“It really does.”
The children sniffed eagerly.
Drip… drip…
Curious about the process, they scooped up the drops of coffee that fell beneath the cloth and tasted them.
“Slurp—ugh!”
“Eek, it’s bitter!”
“Bitter? But it smells nice….”
“They said it’s medicine, but….”
“Tastes as bitter as dandelion root!”
With grimaces, the children abandoned their interest in the coffee, deeming it inedible.
Once they’d eaten the snacks Patrick offered them, they dispersed—leaving him free to enjoy a cup in peace.
“A gentle breeze, coffee aroma… Next time I should build a parasol? No, maybe a little pavilion.”
Lying on the bench beneath the tree’s shade, Patrick drifted off planning his next project. Just as he’d surely fallen asleep…
Swish—
A small shadow crept forward, and by the time Patrick truly slept, half the coffee was gone—enough for three or four cups.
“Where did she wander off to now?”
Ben, filling in for the sleeping teacher by checking his friends’ compositions, noticed Elina was missing.
“Have you seen Elina?”
“No idea. Maybe she went to see the chicks?”
“Maybe—I'll go look.”
Ben found Elina not at the chicken coop, but in the herb-drying yard behind the house.
“Elina, what are you doing here?”
“……!”
Huddled in the wall’s shadow, Elina was gulping something down.
“Gak, gak!”
Startled, she began to cough.
“This is coffee.”
“I-it’s….”
“You drank it all?”
“…Please don’t tell the teacher. If he finds out I snuck it, he’ll scold me….”
“Why do something that’ll get you scolded?”
“Sorry.”
Elina’s arm holding the cup drooped as she looked crestfallen. Ben sighed and grabbed her.
“Let’s go to the teacher. Drinking this much at once could have side effects.”
“Side effects?”
At Ben’s words, Elina turned pale—she hadn’t considered that.
‘What have I done?’
The “medicine” that restored depleted mana. The wizard teacher had reacted with delight and rolled up his sleeves to make tea without being asked. It made sense to Elina that “Oh, this helps wizards!”
‘I want to be a wizard too.’
In her limited logic, she assumed—if she drank it, maybe she could become a wizard herself.
‘If I just take a little, maybe no one will notice.’
Elina alternated glances between the sleeping teacher and the remaining coffee, and she made her decision. The biggest rebellion in her ten years.
‘What if there are side effects?’
As greed faded, fear crept in.
‘Wizards take this medicine, so the side effects must be scary.’
Her imagination wandered to monsters from adult stories, and her little hand trembled.
“Come on, hurry.”
“Okay!”
The two tearful children went to find the teacher.
“…So you drank all of this?”
Patrick awoke, rubbing his temple as he beheld the sobbing Elina and the half-empty coffee container.
“Not too bitter?”
“…Very bitter.”
“You really drank it all?”
“I wanted to become a wizard….”
“If becoming a wizard were that easy, wouldn’t everyone in the world be able to cast at least one or two spells?”
“Waaaaa!”
“Why are you crying? Go drink some water.”
“…Okay?”
“Any palpitations or anything?”
“No….”
“That’s good. It was brewed weakly, so you won’t feel too bad. You might not sleep well tonight, though.”
Patrick clicked his tongue to reassure Elina.
It was a lot of caffeine for a child, but because the beans had been ground so coarsely, it was weak—almost like barley tea.
“So what did I mean about restoring mana?”
“I was just speaking metaphorically. It really wakes you up. Don’t you understand metaphors?”
“You were so vague in front of the kids that Elina misunderstood you!”
“It was wrong to sneak and drink it. And you’re a kid, right?”
Ben tried to defend his friend but earned a flick on the forehead.
“By the way, Elina—you wanted to be a wizard, huh? I didn’t know that. What magic do you want to use?”
Patrick asked lightly to change the mood—but Elina’s answer surprised him.
“It’s not that I absolutely want to be a wizard… I just wish there was something I’m good at.”
“Huh?”
“Ben became a spirit mage. Tommy draws well. Amy can already bake more than five kinds of bread! But I don’t have anything I’m good at.”
“No, Elina! You’re kind, and you help your friends. And also….”
Ben opened his mouth to add more, then trailed off, realizing such words wouldn’t console her.
“Elina, you’re ten, right?”
“Yes, my birthday passed.”
“Then why think like that? I don’t even know what I’m good at, but if a ten-year-old already knows what she’s good at, then that’s for you to discover.”
“But you, Teacher, you’re so good at magic.”
“Me? I’m only a 2nd-circle. I couldn’t even join a respectable mercenary company.”
“You read well and know a lot!”
“There are plenty who read better than me. Any official in the government building has studied more than I have.”
“But….”
“See? Even if I say that, in your eyes I’m still amazing, right?”
“…Yes.”
“That’s what matters.”
“Huh?”
Elina and Ben looked at Patrick as if baffled.
“You don’t need talent to be first. By doing a little of this and a little of that, that will become your talent.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s okay if you don’t.”
“That’s irresponsible!”
“You just don’t have much aptitude as a student.”
“That’s too harsh!”
It was vague and unsatisfying—but Elina’s face was much brighter than before.
‘Doing a bit of this and that will become my talent?’
The idea that she didn’t have to be the best. The greatest comfort a ten-year-old had ever heard.
“Teacher, are you there?”
The problem began soon after: villagers started coming to Patrick’s house with their worries.
‘Are these people repaying kindness with trouble?’
With no time to rest, Patrick gritted his teeth.