Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior

“It’s been three weeks since we arrived in the Kingdom, but this is my first time strolling through the streets!”

Sion, seated in the wheelchair Serin was pushing, looked around the streets with wonder.

She could have used her pressure wheelchair as usual, but the automatically moving chair was too conspicuous.

Since Sion wished for a relaxing outing, Serin had agreed to accompany her on this village stroll.

“Is there anywhere you’d like to go? It’s sudden that you wanted to go out.”

“Not really. I don’t even know what’s around here.”

Bursting out of the hospital room with such enthusiasm was all well and good, but what exactly were they supposed to ‘do’ now?

This was the Capital of a medieval kingdom.

While it was a large city, there weren’t any attractions that I found particularly appealing.

Perhaps it was because I was busy working every holiday, or maybe because there simply wasn’t anything interesting to do.

“Then, is there anything you’d like to do or eat?”

“Well… You keep asking ‘me’.”

“Sion, you’re the one who suggested going out.”

“Even so… Director Hope, you’re a local, so shouldn’t you be showing us around?”

“I haven’t really explored much myself.”

“Oh…”

I live in this town.

However, a town or city is just an administrative district.

Physically and practically speaking, the area I actually inhabit is limited to my house, the Center, and the convenience store nearby.

Other areas, while belonging to the same city, couldn’t strictly be considered ‘my’ territory.

“Serin, do you have any suggestions?”

I was at a loss for what to do.

Could this all-capable caregiver from the Empire possibly have a solution even in this situation?

“I am aware of the must-try gourmet tour course, considered essential for anyone visiting, and the gladiatorial combat schedule…”

So there ‘were’ options. A must-try gourmet tour course, huh?

And… gladiatorial combat?

“The Kingdom has a Colosseum?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No. I had no idea.”

“That’s surprising, even for someone who doesn’t go out much. Duels fought with established rules, which is a common sport in every country. It’s common knowledge.”

“I see.”

Indeed, when one thinks of medieval entertainment, the first thing that comes to mind is… not that, is it?

Colosseums and gladiators belong to ancient times, don’t they?

Well, this ‘is’ a fantasy world, so perhaps the desire for strength is amplified.

“Sion, did you know?”

“Of course.”

“Do you like… gladiatorial combat?”

“No, not really… I don’t like watching people fight.”

Sion lowered her head with a dejected expression.

Not wanting to see people fight…

It was a very Sion-like reason.

“Then, shall we try the gourmet tour?”

“A gourmet tour… The idea of simply going somewhere to eat something sounds nice and ordinary!”

“Ordinary is good, then.”

“That’s what I wanted to do. To have an ordinary time.”

Even as she spoke, Sion, still in her wheelchair, turned her head this way and that, looking at the people, buildings, and shops with an amused expression.

So Sion wanted to experience ordinary life?

It was a somewhat clichéd desire for an extraordinary person to yearn for the ordinary.

After I practically ordered her to ask for anything she wanted, Sion had been expressing her wishes more openly.

While it felt like she was doing it because I told her to, the bright expression on her face seemed genuine.

If she was doing what she truly wanted and enjoying it, then it was fine.

“But instead of a full tour, let’s just visit one place today.”

“Just one?”

“The gourmet tour course is designed for travelers who are here for a few days, right?”

“That’s true.”

“But we live here. It would be a shame to eat all the delicious food and do all the fun things in a single day.”

Come to think of it, that made sense.

“So, you mean we should do this again sometime?”

“Hee hee, did I give myself away?”

After finishing her sentence, Sion looked up at me with a playful smile.

Perhaps because we were talking about being ordinary, she looked just like a normal twenty-one-year-old.

“So, today will be more of a gourmet exploration than a full tour. Just one food item…”

“It’s your turn to choose, Director Hope.”

“Me? I have to choose?”

“Yes, to be fair.”

“Why?”

“Serin decided what we’d do, and I decided how much we’d eat, so you get to choose what we eat. That’s fair, isn’t it?”

Was this a hero’s sense of fairness? It felt like Sion had chosen the easiest task.

Did everything have to be decided so meticulously, with each of us taking turns?

“Hmm…”

As I pondered, looking at Sion, she gazed back at me, smiling cheerfully. It seemed she simply enjoyed watching me struggle.

Still, I should try to decide. It was true that I hadn’t offered any suggestions.

Sion had said she liked ordinary things. What would an ordinary girl want?

“It’s a little early for lunch, so how about something sweet for a snack? What do you think, Sion?”

“Sounds ordinary and nice!”

“I thought you’d like something ordinary.”

“Director Hope, you’re pretty smart, aren’t you?”

“Pretty smart? Is that a compliment?”

“Of course. Like, ‘Wow, you’re a real doctor!’”

So, what to eat? What did ordinary girls eat?

That’s right… ‘that’. There was that incredibly popular sweet snack. The one all the girls loved.

“Serin, do you know where they sell…”

“Yes?”

“Tang…”

“Tang?”

I stopped just as I was about to say the name of the food, a jolt of realization hitting me.

Was I about to ask if they sold ‘Tanghulu’ in a fantasy world?

“I mean… do they sell desserts made of fruit coated in sugar?”

“You’re talking about a Confiserie.”

“Oh! Oh, yes! That!”

What did Serin just say? Confiserie?

I’d never heard that word before. Judging by the sound, it was probably French. I seemed to recall ‘confit’, a French duck dish…

“Going to a Confiserie on a day off. How perfectly ordinary!”

“An excellent choice, Director.”

Apparently, Sion knew about Confiseries as well.

Wait a minute, ‘going’ to a Confiserie? Was Confiserie a place, not a food?

They were praising my choice, even though I had no idea what I was talking about. My head spun.

Come to think of it, I had asked where they ‘sold’ such desserts.

So Serin had answered with the name of a place that sold them?

“Anyway, Serin, this city’s list of good places to eat includes Confiseries, right?”

“That is correct. Shall I guide you?”

She didn’t seem to find anything odd about my question, so Confiserie must indeed be a place.

“Yes, let’s go.”

“Yay!”

Since Serin knew the way, she led the way, pushing Sion’s wheelchair.

I followed behind.

Sion was in front of me, so I couldn’t see her face, but I could see her head bobbing up and down above Serin’s shoulders.

She seemed incredibly excited, almost as if she were singing.

“We’re here.”

So this was a Confiserie…

As befitting a place on Serin’s list of recommended establishments, it was a large shop bustling with people.

A classic, square wooden sign read “Confiserie et Chocolat.”

The building’s design was like any other bakery or dessert shop, with large display windows and shelves set up outside.

And on those shelves, just as I had requested, were all sorts of fruit-based desserts.

“I didn’t know this place existed.”

This was the Kingdom’s Capital, so it wasn’t strange for such a shop to exist, but it was quite far from my house and the Center, so I had been completely unaware of it.

And this shop… it offered a far wider variety of sugar+fruit combinations than I had imagined.

There were sugar-coated peeled grapes, like the tanghulu I had initially pictured.

There were also orange slices dipped in chocolate, chocolate squares like those found in high-end confectioneries, jellies, and even… ice cream.

Perhaps “a general dessert shop with a patisserie feel” would be the most accurate description.

Sion was just as wide-eyed.

Her jaw dropped as she stared at the sweets on display, eyes sparkling.

The sweet aroma of chocolate, sugar, and fruit filled the air, and it wasn’t until she was nearly drooling that she snapped out of it, closing her mouth with a gasp.

“Pick… Pick something quickly, Director Hope!!”

“Why don’t you take your time and choose?”

“Why?”

“Because that’s the ordinary way to do it.”

“Really? But I want to eat them now!”

I wasn’t very good at having fun, but I was certainly better at it than Sion.

The joy of buying something wasn’t in using it right away.

The true pleasure, even greater than the act of eating, was…

“Looking around is fun too, you know.”

“Ah…!”

The time spent imagining how these colorful desserts would taste, basking in the anticipation – that was the real treat.

And the bittersweet agony of having to choose only a few – the deliberation and hesitation

– ‘that’ was the real fun, something Sion seemed to be unaware of.

“Serin! Let’s go over there!”

“Yes!”

Fortunately, Sion seemed to have realized something, pointing her finger in a direction.

Serin diligently moved her wheelchair.

An ordinary day for an ordinary girl.

I hoped that this ordinary day would become a special one for Sion.