Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter SS1

Bonus Short Stories 

Lorraine’s Raison d’Etre 

“Say, Rentt, fetch me that tome over there... Yes, the one that says On the Observations of Mana and Fauna, by Professor Redonner...” I said, rolling around on the sofa in my abode as I casually instructed Rentt to fetch me more reading material. Rentt, for his part, immediately stood up, bringing me the tome without any delay. 

“Is this all right?” Rentt asked, handing me the book without the slightest trace of resentment or annoyance at being asked to do such trivial tasks. 

I guess this was to be expected since I had caused Rentt similar kinds of trouble over the years, from bothering him with housework to fetching books. I suppose this was an acceptable way of life, permitted, at the very least, by Rentt himself. I of all people knew that one should handle one’s own basic responsibilities. Logically speaking, I would have done that, but Rentt was simply too useful and ever-present, so this was how things always turned out. 

...Well, things were this way when Rentt was visiting, at least; I did what I had to when I was on my own. In return, I would silently obey Rentt’s instructions when we were out in the dungeon or on assignment; we really complimented each other. But even so... 

“You truly are something else, Rentt. How did you know it was this exact tome? While it is indeed the right item, there is no title written on its cover or spine...” 

I had not expected him to know what I was looking for since it was, after all, a loose collection of academic and research papers, casually bundled into book form with spare binding material. While it was not a normal book, it certainly did look like one. Though due to the nature of the papers, it was left unmarked, so there were no markings indicating its contents on the “book” itself. If one were to take a casual glance at the shelf, one would be hard-pressed to locate it. 

Perhaps I was at fault for making Rentt search for this collection. I had expected the exchange to be a bit more of a back and forth, maybe with a “Get me that,” “Where is it?” and finally a “Somewhere over there, that thickly bound book with a title much like this paper in my hands.” Such was the exchange I had planned for when I originally asked Rentt to fetch me the desired book; but of course, that exchange did not happen. Rentt had simply delivered the adequate item to my hands without as much as a question. 

“...Ah. This is such bliss.” I couldn’t help but feel so. 

Rentt’s response was humble, as usual. 

“You had me fetch it before, and I just happened to see it. It’s a happy coincidence.” 

“Is that so?” Hmm... I suppose there indeed were such coincidences in the world. 

Rentt had made it a point to read the books scattered across my abode. While I entertained that thought for a while, it soon faded to the back of my mind as I laid back, the new reading material in hand. 

On another day, in the laboratory of a certain residential abode in Maalt... 

“Rentt. Fetch me that Neris branch over there.” 

“...Is this all right?” Rentt asked, the requested branch in his hands. 

The problem with this, however, was that the branch was a rod made of metallic materials as opposed to wood. In addition, it was very much an uncommon alchemical tool. For my purposes, it was a useful and extremely reactive alchemical catalyst, one that I made a while ago as a request. Me being myself, I forgot about turning in that request altogether; a failure on my part, if you will. I suppose such things did happen from time to time. 

But the problem here was that Rentt had accurately handed me the requested item, again with no questions on his part. 

“...You. You’re really something else, you know that? How did you know it was this item?” 

“Well... I spectated when you were conducting your experiments, Lorraine. I’ve also read your books on alchemical ingredients and reagents. I don’t have the mana, of course, so no alchemy for me.” 

Come to think of it, Rentt had read through all my alchemical reagent tomes from beginning to end. In that case, I suppose identifying the branch would not have been so difficult for him. 

While I entertained that thought for a while, it soon faded out of my mind as I fiddled with the branch and my other ingredients, fulfilling one silly request or another. 

“A moment, if you would, Rentt? Do brew that for me.” 

“Ah... Hmm. Is this all right?” 

Saying so, Rentt withdrew a container from someplace in the mess in my abode, placing it upon the table. It was none other than a tin of Empire-made Bergamont Tea, the very thing I’d just thought of drinking. 

This was perhaps a little too much. 

“Do you not think it strange? How is it you understand my non-specific speech, Rentt? It wasn’t like I was pointing at a tea tin. There are so many other kinds of teas available.” 

Yes, disregarding the mess, I was very specific about what I drank. But of course, I was not enough of a snob to insist on brewing my tea myself. I simply loved all sorts of tea, and as such had a wide collection of tea leaves and other tea-related condiments. 

—Let us not forget the alcohol. 

In other words, the adequate response to my request should have been, “What would you like to have brewed?” 

Rentt, however, had apparently guessed what I wanted almost instantly. This was nothing short of strange. 

For his part, Rentt appeared a little flustered as I pointed this out. “...Come now, Lorraine, don’t be like that. I can’t help it if I somehow know exactly what you want, no?” 

“You can’t help it, yet you ‘somehow’ know? Do you have any evidence to back up your claims?” 

“Well... I wouldn’t say I have nothing, but I just know... In general, you know? I can’t put this into words very well...” 

I supposed it would be unbecoming of me to push him any further. If anything, I deduced that Rentt’s observation was on a different scale altogether; one could even call it a supernatural ability. But the fact that I could not identify the reason behind this... As a scholar, I was suddenly overcome with a terrible sense of loss. 

Even so... 

If I thought about it, Rentt’s abilities were always used for my benefit, in which case, not knowing the reason was probably somewhat acceptable. 

Yes... Right. In fact, I could merely think of it as having been blessed with an extremely capable assistant. 

But then...has it not always been this way? Why, of course it has... What was I even thinking of again? Oh, never mind... I thought, as I sat drinking my freshly-brewed Bergamont Tea. 

“Should I just explain everything, starting with the finer details?” Rentt asked, perhaps out of concern for me. I, however, dismissed his question. 

“No... No. That is fine. More importantly, Rentt...I am hungry. Do make that for me, would you?” 

“All right. Would the spicy stuff be good?” 

“Yes... Yes, that is good.” 

While I couldn’t put it into words, there was this nagging feeling at the back of my mind... Although I was well on my way to being pampered and spoiled, I couldn’t help but simultaneously feel an extreme sense of bliss and fortune.