CH 131

Words : 1048 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

I Talked To A Girl “Are you the physician?” “Yes? It was as we watched the others in the garden and enjoyed the tea that had been poured for us. A voice suddenly rang from behind. “Who are you?” I turned around to see a child who was likely one of the orphans. She had long, disheveled hair and simple clothes. She appeared to be fifteen or sixteen. “What is it, Milina?” “I’m sorry, headmistress. I just wanted to thank the physician…” The girl who was called Milina smiled happily at me and then bowed. “Thank you, physician. We are all better now because of you.” “You are welcome. But you really don’t need to thank me. I’m just glad to see that you are all well now.” I replied, and then Ms. Anna explained to us about the child. “Milina is the oldest of the children here. That being said, she is already eighteen…and has been an adult for some time now…” Ms. Anna said with a troubled face as she looked at Milina. …A job where you can help people, huh… “That’s what you were saying during my last visit, Milina. And you didn’t want to become a servant.” Ms. Claire said with a chuckle. Though, I thought that being a servant was pretty useful work as well. Ms. Lyra and Ms. Gelda have helped me so much… “I am so grateful towards Headmistress Anna, and everyone here who took me in and raised me. And that’s why I want to help people. …But you truly are amazing, mister. You helped us all with such ease…” Milina said as she looked at me with awe. It reminded me of when I had first met Tilura. “Milina. I understand you want to help people. But how do you mean to do that?” “…Well…” But she only started to think, and could not give me a straight answer. My guess was that she just had the desire to help others, but did not know how to go about it. “Milina. For instance…there is a stall where they sell vegetables on the main street, yes?” “Yes.” “Do you think that those people aren’t helping others? Even if no one would be able to buy vegetables if no one was there?” “But…that is just business…” Because it is a business, based on the trading of money and goods, which involves profit, it could not be seen as helping others. That was the way she saw it. “But there are still people who are happy because of it. As it allows people who aren’t farmers to eat vegetables. I think that is a very useful thing?” “I…suppose.” When thinking about helping people…the first thing that would come to mind is helping those in need and contributing to your country. But it’s not as if someone in need or in danger will appear in front of you as soon as you think this. In the end, she just needed to decide what to do…and do it. And then she will be of use to others. That’s what I think. “What do you want to do, Milina? In what way do you want to make people happy?” “…Uh…I…” Different thoughts seemed to be moving through her head. “…I was very happy that a physician treated our illness. And that we were rescued by the orphanage…” “Yes, I see.” “But…I cannot do those things…” “And why is that?” “It’s not as if I can run an orphanage, and I have no knowledge of medicine.” “Then you just have to study. Think about what you want to do, find out what you lack in order to do it, and figure out a way to fix that. And then you’ll eventually be able to do it.” Well, there are always going to be things that you can’t do no matter what. But I hesitated to say such things to someone her age. I didn’t think that it was always a good thing to push the harsh realities of the world onto someone. It wasn’t that you should never do it, but it depended on the person. “Study… Mister Physician! Please teach me medicine!” “Huh? Me?” “Milina, don’t be so rude to Mr. Takumi. Surely a mind as brilliant as his has better things to be doing.” After pondering the question for a moment, Milina looked at me straight in the face as she made the request. …Teach her, huh… It wasn’t as if I had much knowledge of medicine myself… It was only because of Weed Cultivation. But we had said that in order to hide my ability… I turned to Ms. Claire for help, but she just smiled back at me. “No, I’m not that busy, but… Milina. Why do you want to study medicine?” “It wasn’t just this time, but the last time people became ill here. I was not able to do anything. And yet you immediately knew what to do, and treated us with medicine. And look at how they are all smiling now!” Milina said with a passionate expression as she looked towards the children who were playing with Leo. The children were running around excitedly and laughing. If Milina wanted to work for those smiles, then it was not a bad idea… “I understand what you are trying to say. And I think that it’s wonderful.” “In that case!” “But wait a minute. I’m just a guest at Ms. Claire’s house. So it’s not a decision I can make alone.” “Oh, you’re allowing me to decide, Mr. Takumi?” Milina seemed to have decided that she wanted to be my student… And she was now looking at me with great expectation. However, I was currently living at the mansion. It would be difficult for me to teach someone who lived at the orphanage. And it would be dangerous for her to come to the mansion alone. And while I wasn’t terribly busy, I still had my training and the herbs. So I could not be visiting this place so often. In any case, it was something Ms. Claire and I would have to discuss.

CH 131

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