It had been two weeks since Dea was accidentally summoned to Andean.
She had been assigned a small courtyard near an abandoned garden, which had once been used to grow medicinal herbs. The courtyard also housed the former residence of the gardeners.
When the previous gardener passed away, the garden had been left unattended. The Hall of Saintess was home to healers, after all. They had little need for medicinal herbs to treat wounds and illnesses. The herbs previously grown there had been donated to places where healers were scarce. Now, with the increasing number of healers, it was the healers themselves who were being sent to those places instead.
Anyway, it was a cheaper arrangement for her.
She now lived alone in the secluded courtyard, having taken up the position of its new gardener.
The first week had been troublesome. She knew next to nothing about gardening.
Fortunately, there were books about plants in the house that helped remedy her lack of knowledge. The schoolgirl, now officially the priestess, had also been visiting her for reasons Dea couldn't quite understand. Still, she was grateful for the girl's help with cleaning and tilling the soil.
Dea was convinced that she was a very kind girl. No wonder Sir High Priest had managed to morally kidnap her so easily.
Out of a rare burst of goodwill, Dea had considered reminding the girl of the peculiar circumstances surrounding her situation. However, seeing how increasingly energetic and cheerful she had become, Dea decided against it.
Well, she would just lend a helping hand if the girl ever needed one.
The schoolgirl had been chirping in her ears about how magical the place was, how it felt like being inside a real-life RPG, and all sorts of other things.
Anyway, it was good that she had found something to be happy about in this farce.
She had been smiling all day long until her training began the following week.
Dea still remembered how the girl had cried, saying she would miss her terribly.
Dea's reaction had been something along the lines of...
[...]
Girl, we're only a couple of buildings apart.
Ayanna lived in the inner building, which was at least two hundred meters away from Dea's residence. She honestly couldn't understand all that drama.
Anyway, Dea liked it here.
The place was secluded, with various trees surrounding the courtyard.
It was peaceful. She no longer had to hear the shouting neighbors or the constant noise of passing vehicles.
The air was fresh enough that she could leave her windows open and enjoy the breeze throughout the day.
And most importantly, there was hardly anyone around.
No one to watch her or scrutinize her every move.
No one to mock her every now and then, and no need to deal with people more often than necessary.
She only needed to visit the old uncle to collect seeds and deliver her future harvests. Whenever she needed something else, she could simply ask the High Priest's assistant.
All in all, she was quite satisfied with her compensation.
It was just that she would have preferred not to dine in the outer building for every meal.
Fortunately, she didn't have much of an appetite. A hearty lunch was usually enough to sustain her throughout the day.
Dea placed the watering can aside and stretched her back.
She had just finished tending to the seedlings she had planted three days earlier. Most had already sprouted, and the garden was now dotted with little green shoots.
Seeing them grow was a novel experience.
There was something oddly satisfying about cultivating something with her own hands.
She glanced up at the vast blue sky, enjoying the cool breeze as she stared blankly at the three moons hanging above.
[This weird world is unexpectedly beautiful.]
Just as the corners of her lips began to curve into a smile, she remembered the one major downside of living here.
No electricity. No internet.
She could no longer browse the internet or binge-watch dramas. Her only available pastimes were pretending to be asleep and reading botanical books.
She had wanted to ask if they had a library, but somehow felt embarrassed to do so.
Instead, she decided to wait until she received her salary before buying anything. She also planned to stock up on food so she wouldn't have to dine in the hall anymore.
Dea sat on a nearby bench to rest when her hands began trembling uncontrollably.
"Shit, I really need a drink."
She sighed after a few minutes before heading inside to change her clothes.
She decided to ask the old uncle if he had any alcohol. Alternatively, she could ask for a loan or something so she could buy some herself.
...
Dea peeked through the open doorway and spotted the old uncle tinkering with something on his table.
Seeing how occupied he was, she decided to wait before knocking.
She remained in the lobby, casually observing the designs on the walls, the floor, and the lights overhead to pass the time.
After a while, when the old uncle seemed less occupied, she finally knocked.
"Hello, Uncle."
"Hey, it's the little girl! Come in, come in! What can I do for you?"
The old uncle spotted her and immediately beckoned her to sit beside him.
"Well, it's like this..."
Her eyes drooped, and her fingers began to fidget, but she eventually continued.
"I... I accidentally cut myself and need some alcohol to disinfect the wound. I was hoping I could borrow some. Drinking alcohol would do just fine, too. Thank you."
[Well, that lie seems credible.]
At least, she thought so.
Contrary to her expectations, the old uncle immediately blurted out,
"You're injured?! Where? Come and show Uncle! I'm not a particularly powerful healer, but I can take care of minor wounds."
He began scanning her skin for any visible injuries.
[Well, shit.]
Dea was frustrated with herself. How could she forget that this was a magical world?
"No, no, Uncle... I can do it myself. The wound is in a rather inconvenient place to show, so... I'd prefer to treat it on my own."
She could only hope for the best.
"Don't be afraid, little girl. I don't need to touch the wound. I can simply hover my hand over it. Come on, it'll only take a minute."
The old uncle reassured her.
Feeling helpless, Dea could only come clean. After all, she found it unpleasant to deceive someone who had been nothing but kind to her.
"Uncle, actually... I lied. I wasn't injured."
She admitted it rather sheepishly.
"You're not? Well, that's good. But why did you lie, then?"
The old uncle didn't reprimand her. Instead, he asked in a soothing tone, seemingly more curious than upset.
"I wanted to borrow some drinking alcohol. Or maybe some money to buy it. I'll definitely pay you back once I receive my salary. I promise, Uncle."
Dea tried her best to convey a sincere expression.
Unfortunately, the old uncle couldn't see much of it behind her thick glasses and long bangs.
"What do you need the alcohol for, anyway? I have some here, and I can give you a little. There's no need to pay me back."
He gently patted her unkempt hair, seemingly unaware of the thoughts running through the little girl's mind.
Dea felt a little shy under his touch.
She wasn't used to being patted on the head by anyone other than her mother. Besides, she was far too old for this sort of treatment.
Still, it felt nice to have someone show her a little affection.
The old uncle really was a good person. He reminded her of the kind boss uncle back home, who had also treated her kindly.
It was a pity she hadn't managed to say goodbye to him before being summoned here.
"I need a drink so I can sleep at night."
She lied.
Well, not entirely.
She could still manage her insomnia, but the withdrawal symptoms had been a real bitch.
"Aren't you a little too young to drink?"
The old uncle seemed more curious about her age now.
"Uncle, I'm already an adult."
"An adult?"
His eyes widened as he examined the little girl before him.
She looked even more petite in the smallest-sized uniform the church had provided. She barely reached his chest.
"In our world, eighteen is considered adulthood, and I'm already well past my twenties. In fact, I'm already twenty... ughhh..."
Dea scratched her head as she tried to calculate her exact age.
Then, quite unexpectedly, she remembered her birthday.
[Huh. No wonder I was craving pancakes that day.]
"... Ugh... I'm already twenty-nine years old, Uncle."
"You're practically an adult, then, huh? Alright, Uncle will give you something to drink."
The old uncle managed to compose his dumbfounded expression.
[Author's Note: In Andean, adulthood begins at thirty, and the average lifespan is two hundred years.]
Dea watched as the old uncle disappeared into his room, only to return carrying a small barrel.
"Be careful with this one. It's called amrita. It doesn't taste like spirits at all, but it packs quite a punch. I'd advise you to take only a sip if you want to fall asleep."
"Well, thank you so much, Uncle!"
Dea hurriedly accepted the barrel in her arms.
[Shit, it's quite heavy.]
"Don't do that, kid. Let me carry it back to the garden for you."
The old uncle reached for the container, attempting to take it back.
"No, no need, Uncle. I can carry it. Really."
She adjusted her posture and demonstrated that she could manage.
"Alright, then."
Seeing how insistent she was, the old uncle finally relented.
Dea bid him farewell after thanking him once more, assuring him that she would definitely replace the alcohol in the future.
The old uncle didn't take her promise to heart. It was such a trivial thing that he didn't mind giving it to the little girl at all.
Well, he had forgotten that she wasn't actually a child.
He watched as her small figure hurried farther away, his thoughts wandering.
Who would have thought that the little girl was already that old?
No way. She was so tiny!
Even his young niece, who was only twelve, was considerably taller than her.
He couldn't help feeling sorry for the girl.
He decided that he would look after her. After all, she was alone in this world and must be feeling terribly lonely without her family.
Unbeknownst to the old uncle, Dea had no family back home.
But he was right about one thing.
She was lonely.
She always had been.
That night, after drinking a glass of amrita, Dea finally managed to fall asleep early for the first time since arriving in Andean.