Chapter 29

Ash picked up the book Nain had been reading just moments before. It was a book he'd received as a gift from an Esper who had gone outside, saying it was the best-selling novel at bookstores these days. He suddenly looked up at him. His eyes gleamed strangely. Nain answered before Ash could open his mouth.

"Just take it."

It was a book he'd already finished reading anyway, and it wasn't like things would go his way just because he didn't want to give it. The moment Ash showed interest, it was right to consider the ownership already transferred.

Ash chuckled and took the book.

"I wasn't asking for it, but since you're giving it, I'll accept it."

His half-lidded eyes curved gently. Ash put his hand in his pocket and pulled it out, dropping a handful of candies in front of Nain's eyes. It was payment for the book and an unwanted barter for Nain. To Nain, who didn't particularly like sweet things, it just looked like troublesome trash.

"Ah, try this."

Huh? Nain opened his mouth in bewilderment. He directly peeled a lollipop and popped it into Nain's mouth. Artificial fruit flavor spread throughout his mouth.

"...That's enough. I won't eat it."

When Nain frowned and pushed the candy out with his tongue to spit it out, Ash tilted his head puzzledly.

"It's orange flavored."

"..."

"Didn't you like this?"

At his confident tone, Nain felt a bit strange. It was odd how he acted as if he knew him very well. Of course, it was information that couldn't be missed if he had paid moderate attention. He did often drink freshly squeezed orange juice at the underground cafe, which seemed to be the basis for this judgment. Even Ched, who was most often extorted by Nain, would say "Why do you always drink only that?"

"Juice is one thing, but I don't really like candy."

"Why not?"

"You can't eat it quickly. It feels like it rots your teeth."

Ash, who had somehow narrowed his brow, stared at him intently. His gaze was strange. This was the first time someone stared at him like this just for not eating a piece of candy. Nain unconsciously gulped and even averted his gaze at his stare.

"What a waste... Then I'll eat it."

Ash took advantage of when Nain's attention was elsewhere to quickly put the candy Nain had spit out in his mouth and stood up. The action was so natural that there wasn't even time to point out what was wrong.

"..."

After Ash left, Nain sighed looking at the traces he had left on his desk again. Whatever he carried so full in his pockets, every time he came, the desk would be piled high with snacks Nain had no interest in. They were all sugar lumps.

There was a problem even when he tried to share them with others. The moment he added that he'd received them from Ash when asked about the snacks, no one wanted to take them. They might be poisoned... It was absurd, but Nain didn't offer twice either.

They weren't troublesome enough items to force on people who said they didn't want them. Just snacks kept piling up in the drawer.

* * *

The medical ward had specific busy periods. This happened when too many injuries occurred right after training or when a bad cold epidemic hit the center. When there were too many patients and many waiting for treatment, Espers with minor external injuries would sometimes just receive first aid in the medical ward lobby and be sent back.

At first, Nain, who was at the bottom of the bottom, just watched from the side. However, when there were many patients, not only the medical staff but the lobby also became very busy, so everyone wanted to borrow even a cat's paws.

"Um."

"..."

"I think I could help a little with first aid treatment."

Nain didn't miss the opportunity and stepped forward quietly. Everyone thought Nain had no medical knowledge at all so they didn't even expect anything, but Nain appealed his numerous certificates and that he had majored in healing magic for six whole years, even showing enthusiasm. What was most convincing was his statement that he had actually done several months of practical training at a hospital, handling all sorts of odd jobs.

The medical staff were of course reluctant at first. But in their busy state, they thought they'd try him out on light wound dressing, and his touch was even skilled. He understood painful areas accurately and his treatment was perfect. He sometimes used somewhat unique treatment methods, but that was generally the case.

Even the Espers treated by him didn't spare good words about Nain. That's how treating minor wounds when the medical ward was very busy became Nain's responsibility.

"Strangely, wounds seem to heal quickly after Mr. Nain treats them."

"..."

Nain's hand, which had been about to attach a regeneration bandage to the Esper's wound after finishing light dressing, momentarily froze. But he calmly completed the treatment as if asking when he had been shaken. There was a brief gap between actions, but not enough for the Esper to find it strange.

"It was like that when I scraped my forearm before too. When I woke up and tried to wash, I peeled off the bandage and there was no wound at all, you know?"

"Your recovery ability is amazing."

"Like I wasn't hurt from the beginning."

"Wow."

His tone was stiff as reading a textbook. Despite the quite insincere reaction, the Esper absorbed in his own thoughts didn't mind at all and kept babbling.

"No matter what, wounds don't heal without a trace in less than a day... Ah, that's right! I saw the meeting minutes and they said you were a mage."

Does he have dyslexia? He never said that. Nain answered calmly.

"I said I wasn't. Read it properly."

"Isn't this also real magic? Oh! Then is this a magic potion?"

"..."

The Esper picked up an ointment commonly sold in stores and continued babbling.

"Do witches make things like this? Is riding broomsticks really possible? Do you really use black cats as familiars? Why don't white cats work? And do curses really exist? Does magic really get stronger on full moon nights?"

What is he talking about?

"All done. Try standing up."

Nain ignored his words and helped him up. The Esper stood and rolled down the pant leg he had rolled up. It was a case where both knees were scraped from falling during outdoor training. He felt around the wound area under his pants and marveled that it didn't bother him at all.

"It already seems completely healed."

"You're really amazing."

"The amazing one isn't me but you."

He looked at Nain with a face as if he already knew everything and grinned. The ointment in his fingers dangled back and forth.

"This is a magic potion, right?"

"...If you like it that much, take it."

"Ah, what is it? Isn't it this? Tell me what magic you cast too."

"..."

Nain stared blankly at the Esper without any response. Then people who had been eavesdropping on the conversation nearby began looking at Nain with pitying eyes. It was the look of seeing a victim who had gotten involved with a strange person.

"If you're thinking of selling magic potions, contact me!"

"Yes."

"Oh. Really? Should I give you my contact information?"

"No. Please go."

Nain organized the first aid kit spread on the floor, making an excuse of being busy and quickly sent the Esper away.

A patient who had been looking at him pitifully the whole time encouraged Nain, saying "You're working hard." Nain smiled back at him awkwardly while putting the semi-transparent liquid he had hidden behind his back into his pocket.

'Almost got caught. Anyway, he knows good magic potions when he sees them.'

Actually, that Esper's words were half right and half wrong. It wasn't the ointment but the liquid he used to disinfect the wound initially that was Nain's homemade special magic potion. But...

'It's still a failure.'

Nain sighed and crossed out the combination recipe written in his notebook.

What he had originally wanted to make was a magic power reaction solution. A magic potion that would glow when it reacted with magic power and visualize magic circuits.

'I was going to secretly spray magic power reaction solution on various parts of Espers' bodies and observe their magic circuits...'

But he failed every time he tried to make it. This was because he couldn't easily obtain necessary materials here like at the Academy.

Simply combining and mixing all the materials doesn't produce the same effect as magic potions. A mage who majored in that field must directly infuse magic power while manufacturing the magic potion for it to be effective. But in Nain's current situation, he couldn't use magic power at all, so he couldn't use that method.

'Of course, there are countermeasures.'

It's simple. Just use magic potions already manufactured by mages.

Once magic power enters a magic potion, it doesn't lose its original properties even when mixed with other materials or medicines. In Nain's case, since he was majoring in healing magic, he had quite a large amount of wound recovery medicine. Pouring it on injured areas would instantly grow new flesh, and simply drinking it could heal most internal injuries.

He couldn't use magic potions in their undiluted state. There was no need to broadcast that he had such things. He didn't want to stand out by doing things that weren't normal by this world's standards.

Already standing out just by existing, Nain thought it wouldn't be good to become the subject of people's talk any more than this.