Gacha Kingdom Building-Chapter 298: Sweet And Refreshing

--This Chapter is written in Agatha’s POV--

Nearly done wrapping Mia’s fourth fever pill, I heard the unmistakable ring of my office’s bell.

The rain outside had grown heavier, the wind now shook the trees, and thunder kept echoing in the distance.

Any patient who faced such a storm couldn’t be left waiting.

I put away the pills and rushed downstairs. Pushing open the door, I was met with wind and rain forcing their way inside.

Beyond the downpour, two familiar silhouettes waited, still and expectant.

Licia: "Hello!"

Perhaps it was the blue of her hair, but her smile seemed to stand out against the dark grey sky. It was gentle and disarming, and above all, bright.

In her right hand, she held an umbrella over both her head and the other girl’s. With her free hand, she waved at me.

Despite her gentleness, her voice was clear. Even the thunder failed to interrupt her.

Reina: "...Miss Agatha. May we intrude?"

I watched as the fox-girl standing by Licia’s side politely bowed her head. Her ears stopped millimeters short of the umbrella’s cover.

The gesture was humble. The precision behind it was not.

When she raised her head, it was as if by nature. She predicted my gaze and ensured our eyes met.

Even through the fog in my glasses, I could feel the sharpness of her eyes. They were measuring, uninterrupted. Immeasurable pride hid behind them. And further still, enough weight to quell it.

By reflex, I lifted my glasses and turned my back.

Agatha: "...Enter."

The two girls, given permission, silently stepped inside.

Licia neatly folded the umbrella they shared before both removed their rain-soaked coats and set them aside to dry.

Drenched, puddles formed beneath my feet. I took off my own coat and left it in the basket waiting by the door. The same one they had used.

After closing the door, I began to mop the floor. From time to time, I stole glances their way.

Licia and Reina waited patiently for me to finish, never once letting me slip from their sight.

Agatha: "So... What’s the matter?"

Their skin was vivid, if slightly flushed. Emblematic of healthy, young women.

Despite the cold rain, I saw no sneezing or coughing, and there didn’t seem to be any problems with their posture either.

Licia: "Well... I was worried about Mia..."

Because of the storm, I thought we wouldn’t have any visits today.

I was so sure of it that I even had Lily take a day off to stay with Lana, worrying that she could catch a cold on her way back.

Her offer was a blessing, though.

Mia had been upset since her incident this morning. She needed someone she trusted to comfort her.

Licia: "...So I was wondering if I could help you?"

Agatha: "...Hm?"

This was far beyond what I expected, but past her nervousness, I saw real determination.

It’d be too hypocritical, even for me, to reject someone honestly seeking to care for others.

Besides, an extra pair of hands would be nice every now and then. Especially one known to be approachable and motherly. It was something I couldn’t say for myself, and that alone gave her the ability to help in ways I couldn’t.

Agatha: "Do you have any experience with medicine?"

Still, I needed to judge her fairly.

For her sake as well as the patients who depended on me.

Licia: "None... But I used to take care of my sick sister..."

Miwen told me about Licia’s situation before she was summoned. He sought my opinion on her sister’s condition, but unfortunately, I had no diagnosis to give him. There were too many things I couldn’t say without examining her myself.

However, I learned that Licia had stayed by her sister’s side for years while working as an adventurer to afford her treatment, ineffective as it was.

I knew the mental fortitude required to stay near someone for so long, family or not. I couldn’t discredit her care or her patience.

Sometimes, all a patient needs is a source of peace and reassurance. Like Lily had been for Lana.

Agatha: "Alright..."

I was thinking about the best way to approach the next question. I wanted to know exactly how she intended to help, to see if our visions aligned.

But just hearing the first word that came out of my mouth was enough for her eyes to grow wide with enthusiasm.

She had already snatched permission from my hesitant sentence, and by then, it felt too cruel to take it back.

Instead, I moved on to Reina, who listened attentively to the two of us, politely waiting for her turn to speak.

Agatha: "...And you?"

The fox continued to make a strong impression on me. She was far from hostile, and yet, I found myself treading on eggshells around her.

She reminded me a little of Beatrice.

There was a trace of danger intertwined underneath layers of honesty and deception too thick for me to unveil.

I couldn’t tell the direction or the form of what lay beneath. I never understood the people who used the truth to lie.

All I could do was drop my assumptions and listen, doing my best to see through the fog.

Reina: "Currently, this clinic harbors most of My Lord’s concerns. And so, it is my duty to offer what assistance I can. As for my background in medicine... I have studied it thoroughly in life, and... I guess you could say I have indirect experience."

Study and practice were both fundamental. I couldn’t have Licia prepare medicine without knowledge, nor could I trust Reina to treat others without experience.

Still, it was far easier to guide someone who had already studied.

Her reasoning matched her actions. She had lived a long life devoted to becoming her lord’s ideal wife; medicine was simply another means to that end.

I didn’t know what she meant by indirect experience, but after watching her work, I should be able to judge her skill.

And if her desire to help was genuine, I wouldn’t hesitate to guide her.

Agatha: "...Is it true that you can reproduce the results of anything you’ve done once with your Gift?"

Reina: "Yes. But as it stands, my mana doesn’t suffice for mass production yet."

Still, I could definitely use something like that.

Heh.

Agatha: "Fine. Come with me, you two."

They followed me upstairs, and immediately, Licia noticed Mia’s behavior and what may have caused it.

But before they could have a word, I guided them to the bathroom. I needed a new coat, and the two needed a complete change of clothes.

I would’ve liked them to wear lab coats like mine, but changing their usual appearance too much would probably undermine the effects of their presence. Especially Licia’s.

I let them pick their own clothes. The only rules I set were that they had to cover their sleeves, tie their hair, and put on gloves.

From the keyhole, a curious ghost-doll watched the three of us changing. She rarely wore her lab coat or tied her hair, yet this time, she seemed happy to join.

Agatha: "...But why would you also wear the nurse cap?"

Considering the work I had for them, the nurse outfits were a perfect fit.

However, I had a hard time understanding Raella’s pick. She was the only one using the lab coat, which fit her image. She had already cemented herself as a doctor, even in my eyes.

And yet, she also insisted on the nurse cap.

[Forgive me, but I find it essential. It immediately conveys my role as a healer.]

Through ink and pen, she wrote her thoughts and showed us her journal.

Licia: "...It’s because it’s cute, right?"

[Yes...]

Raella replied confidently to me, and almost in the same breath, flustered when admitting the truth to Licia.

No words had escaped her mouth, yet her face still betrayed her emotions.

Miwen and the others had done an excellent job with her body. So much so, I became interested in learning more.

I had given them advice before, but perhaps I could help further improve her.

Though that was for another time.

For now, I gave Licia and Reina their first tasks to see how they’d perform.

Licia brought Mia the fever pills, but as expected, just seeing her approach was enough for her to turn her back and face the pillow.

She didn’t refuse to drink the pills. But she still seemed upset.

If it were me, I’d have no choice but to accept and move on. Licia didn’t.

Instead, she sat by Mia’s side and waited. She tried to strike up a conversation and failed. She searched for another topic and failed again.

After several attempts, she was scrambling with whatever she could think of. She mindlessly commented on the weather and how great it was, just for thunder to jolt her from the chair.

This finally broke Mia’s barrier. She knew what Licia was doing, but she couldn’t resist. The two started chatting, and Marin took the opportunity to try another joke.

With Licia as her straight man, Marin’s jokes finally landed.

Even Lily and Lana were laughing, and the mood of the entire ward seemed to improve as the distance between the three beds shrank.

Amidst this, I showed Reina the pills I needed manufactured.

She was diligent. Her hands moved carefully. She kept the measurements and quantities in mind with minute precision and not once failed to follow the steps in order.

Unfortunately, the result was subpar.

Reina: "...I realize there’s a difference. But I followed your instructions, where did it differ?"

Refreshingly enough, it was an honest mistake.

She stirred everything correctly, but she ground them more than needed. Some of the ingredients became too thin to glue. The mixture lost cohesion, and the effect was reduced.

If we were wrapping them in herbs like I used to in my previous life, the taste and texture would’ve suffered considerably.

Thankfully, the easy-to-ingest capsules from Miwen’s world circumvented that problem.

Agatha: "It’s a bit hard to see at first, so... Let the sound guide you. Small rocks make a sharp sound. Flour sounds muffled."

Reina: "I see. I’ll keep trying, then."

I thought that someone with the ability to do things once and then mass-produce the result through magic would be less determined to refine their craft, but instead of growing frustrated with my rejections, she became eager to make the perfect pill.

It didn’t seem like she wanted to impress me, either. She just held herself to an insurmountable standard.

Eventually, her effort paid off. She got everything right, and I had no complaints.

With her Gift, she produced six more identical fever pills, saving me hours of work.

Reina: "With my mana, this seems to be my limit. I’ll need rest and a mana potion to make more."

Using too many mana potions to avoid mana depletion was not something I could approve.

Even my potions had strong side effects after the third.

Agatha: "...Don’t overexert yourself. This is already a huge help."

I put her pills in the same bottle as mine.

Seeing this, her lips formed a calm and dignified smile.

Then, the bell to my office rang again.

It was too early for Gabriella and Angelica to arrive, and since my nurses were already present, this time, I was sure it was a patient.

Licia: "I’ll go take a look~"

While the girls in Miwen’s inner circle were getting along, I had three Snow White Wolves to take care of in the ward.

Licia noticed I was busy with them and offered to do the triage in my place.

She returned a few minutes later, with an overview of their situation written on a notebook.

Licia: "Let’s see... She complained about nausea and headache. She doesn’t have a fever..."

She flipped through a page.

Licia: "Ah, she hasn’t been eating well, either. And she’s been having trouble sleeping. She said she can’t find a comfortable position..."

She did a good job for her first time.

But there was one important question she forgot to ask. It wasn’t her fault; it simply wasn’t in her nature.

Still, I asked Reina to keep an eye on my patients, and we headed downstairs so I could examine the girl.

Agatha: "Your tribe tends to eat meat raw. Are you cooking your meals properly?"

Patient: "Not really..."

Agatha: "I see. Well, I’d like to do some tests then. But before that..."

After confirming everything Licia already had, and moving on to a few suspicions, I asked the girl a more personal question.

Agatha: "...You’ve already had your first period?"

Patient: "E-Eh? Y-Yes..."

The girl’s face became bright red. I could feel the heat emanating from her skin.

Licia, standing behind me, was no better. If anything, she seemed even more embarassed.

Agatha: "Got it. What about your last period?"

Patient: "W-Well... I don’t know..."

The Snow White Wolves rarely kept track, so I had to be a little more direct.

Agatha: "Have you had sex recently? This month, maybe last month?"

Licia: "Eh? Ehhhh?"

Patient: "Ah... Um..."

I felt both the nurse and the patient judging me.

But this was important. I couldn’t medicate her without knowing her pregnancy status first.

Thankfully, this wasn’t hard to do.

The girl confirmed my suspicions a few minutes later. We took her upstairs and prepared a bed for her to wait out the storm.

Licia: "How did you know? Her symptoms were so similar to Mia’s, I thought she had eaten something bad."

Agatha: "I didn’t know anything. It’s just... Standard practice, I guess."

Mia was an exception because her symptoms had a clear cause, the fungi in her body.

But otherwise, these were questions I had to ask every young woman.

Despite my bluntness and the blank expression I kept, it was also shameful for me. However, it was easy to overcome the shame when I knew the irreversible damage not asking these questions could cause.

Licia: "Hm... I thought this before, when you were treating me, but... You’re so very considerate."

Funny. To me, she was the considerate one.

Agatha: "...What makes you say that?"

Licia: "It’s pretty obvious with how you handle us. I mean... Lily is having fun with Lana, Marin is enjoying a drink, and you had me watch over Mia... I don’t think I’ve seen a more comfortable clinic."

For no reason at all, she rested her head on my shoulder.

Rather than bothering me, it felt oddly nice.

Agatha: "...Were you expecting me to complain more?"

Licia: "Yeah... I thought you would. I mean, you were so strict with me!"

Because she was being suicidal, and I hated seeing it.

Even now, it bothered me that every time Miwen went out on a mission, the number of occupied beds increased.

These girls were being too reckless. If this continued, one of them was bound to get seriously hurt and... I couldn’t bear the thought.

Agatha: "...It’s called treatment for a reason. It’s my job to take care of you. No matter your circumstances."

We returned to my office.

I sat on my chair, and Licia stood quietly behind me.

Paying her no mind, I finished working on the medicine for the young Snow White Wolf girl.

Licia: "I see... Then maybe I should take a note from your book..."

She took a step closer. Her hand softly landed on my shoulders.

I felt her fingers move in gentle circles, pressing just enough to ease the tension in my muscles. A cold touch, courtesy of her [Ice Magic].

Agatha: "...What are you doing?"

Licia: "Treating you~"

My eyes closed and my toes curled on their own. Her faint floral scent, like incense, calmed me.

Without intending to, I relaxed, letting my body melt under her care.

Sweet and refreshing, it was the best massage I could ask for.

Guided by the nurse’s treatment, I slept to the sound of rain.

I woke up a few hours later to a bowl of soup and a note on my desk.

It brought me immense relief to see that my two nurses had taken care of things while I was away.