The Squirrel Will Raise the Baby Tiger — Chapter 17

I DON'T MEAN TO PRAISE MYSELF, BUT...

I'm quite versatile. I can brew tea to relieve even severe muscle aches, and I also know how to make ointments!

If you have any body aches or discomfort, please tell me. I'll make medicine specifically suited to your symptoms!

Ah, is it hard to believe because I'm a spiritist? Actually, I'm also a healer. The Duke himself has acknowledged my abilities!

PL-PLEASE, STOP...

I can even make restorative drinks for heartburn in no time! Of course, they're extremely effective!

OINTMENT AND RESTORATIVE DRINKS?

COULD IT BE...

THIS IS AN OINTMENT FOR MUSCLE ACHES.

IT WAS MADE BY A PRIEST WHO IS BOTH A HEALER AND A SPIRITIST CURRENTLY STAYING AT THIS CASTLE, SO I CAN GUARANTEE ITS EFFECTIVENESS.

THIS IS A RESTORATIVE DRINK. I HEARD IT'S GOOD FOR HEARTBURN. DRINK IT.

ALL OF THIS?! IT'S ENORMOUS!

SO ALL THE MEDICINE HIS GRACE BROUGHT YESTERDAY WAS MADE BY LADY LINA?

THANK YOU! IT WORKED AMAZINGLY WELL!

MY MUSCLE ACHES COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED OVERNIGHT?!

YESTERDAY?

HIS GRACE DID COME BY YESTERDAY TO COLLECT SOME MEDICINE...

PLEASE MAKE ME SOME OINTMENT FOR MUSCLE ACHES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

OH, AND JUST IN CASE, MAKE SOME MEDICINE TO SOOTHE THE STOMACH, TOO.

I WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE DUKE, WHO NORMALLY TAKES NO INTEREST IN OTHERS, CAME ALL THE WAY HERE HIMSELF TO ASK ME TO MAKE MEDICINE.

SO I WAS WONDERING WHO COULD POSSIBLY BE IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR HIM TO CARE THAT MUCH...

IT TURNS OUT IT WAS THIS YOUNG LADY.

WELL, WELL. SOMETHING SEEMS SUSPICIOUS HERE.

I'M GLAD THE MEDICINE WORKED!

AS A HEALER, I'M TRULY DELIGHTED THAT I COULD BE OF HELP!

BUT IT SEEMS HIS GRACE CARES FOR YOU QUITE A LOT, MY LADY.

HE EVEN GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO PERSONALLY TAKE CARE OF EVERY LITTLE THING.

ARE YOU PERHAPS HIS GRACE'S FIANCÉE?

WH-WHAT?!

HOW COULD THAT POSSIBLY BE TRUE?!

AS I INTRODUCED MYSELF EARLIER, I'M HOKAN'S TUTOR!

I'm absolutely not his fiancée!

OH, REALLY?

YES! HIS GRACE PROBABLY DOESN'T EVEN SEE ME AS A WOMAN!

THAT'S STRANGE.

JUDGING BY THE DUKE'S ATTITUDE AND EXPRESSION YESTERDAY, I WAS SURE SOMETHING WAS GOING ON...

I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU GOT THAT IMPRESSION, BUT PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT.

I DON'T WANT TO PROVOKE HIS GRACE UNNECESSARILY.

WELL, IF SHE INSISTS THAT MUCH, I SUPPOSE THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO SAY.

UNDERSTOOD. I SH...

BE CAREF...

SHE'S SLOWING DOWN AGAIN!

AHH... I ONLY DRANK A LITTLE POTION, SO... ITS EFFECTS ARE WEARING OFF ALREADY...

PLEASE WAIT... I'LL DRINK SOME MORE... IN A MOMENT...

AH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRINK IT!

PLEASE DON'T DRINK IT, SPIRIT! I told you the Spirit wouldn't keep saying things like that!

HMMM...?

Why... are they acting like that

WHAT HAPPENED?

WHILE I WAS ASLEEP FOR A LITTLE WHILE...

WHY ARE YOU BOTH IN THIS STATE?

HOKAN... DID YOU SLEEP WELL?

BIG BROTHER HOKAN, MY EARS ARE RINGING...

THE TIGER SPIRITIST IS REALLY FAST. I THINK I GOT HIT PRETTY HARD WHILE SHE WAS MOVING AROUND.

THE TIGER SPIRITIST?

YOU MEAN THE HOLY SPIRITIST.

I MET THE SPIRITIST IN THE GARDEN AND TALKED TO HER FOR A BIT.

AH, I SEE. YOU GOT HIT BY LINA AFTER SHE DRANK THE POTION.

STILL, LINA ISN'T A BAD SPIRITIST. SHE'S CAPABLE AND KIND.

THAT'S RIGHT. SHE SEEMED LIKE A NICE PERSON.

COME TO THINK OF IT, LADY LINA SAID SHE'S GOING TO THE CAPITAL TOMORROW, JUST LIKE US. DID YOU KNOW?

HER REPLACEMENT ARRIVED TODAY, SO SHE SAID SHE'D HAND OVER HER DUTIES BEFORE LEAVING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE PERILOUS FOREST.

SHE ALSO HAS TO TAKE ALL THE HOLLY SAPLINGS WITH HER, SO SHE'LL BE LEAVING A LITTLE LATER THAN US TOMORROW.

HOKAN, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED TO TAKE WITH YOU FROM HERE?

HOKAN?

...I REALLY... I WANT TO LIVE HERE.

I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE...

HOKAN...

I KNOW. YOU DON'T WANT TO LEAVE.

BUT BEFORE WE CAME HERE, WE PROMISED TO SEE YOUR FATHER AND THEN RETURN TO THE CAPITAL, REMEMBER?

HOKAN. IT'S ONLY NATURAL FOR ANYONE, WHETHER AN ADULT OR A CHILD, TO FEEL SAD ABOUT LEAVING THEIR HOMETOWN.

BUT LET'S MAKE SURE TO COME BACK AGAIN SOMEDAY.

SOMEDAY? WHEN?

HMM~ I'M NOT SURE. MAYBE WHEN HOKAN STARTS EATING WELL AND SLEEPING WELL?

ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF ME RIGHT NOW?!

NO, I'M SERIOUS.

IF YOU EAT WELL AND SLEEP WELL, AND KEEP GROWING BIGGER AND STRONGER, PERHAPS YOU'LL BE ABLE TO COME AND GO AS YOU PLEASE SOMEDAY.

HUH? REALLY?

OF COURSE~ WHO COULD STOP A FULLY GROWN BEAST? ESPECIALLY A TIGER!

BESIDES, EVERYONE WILL BE SO HAPPY WHEN THEY SEE HOW MUCH YOU'VE GROWN!

I- IS THAT SO?

OF COURSE IT IS!

THINGS MIGHT BE DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW, BUT DOESN'T THINKING ABOUT THAT FUTURE GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO?

SO, IF YOU WANT TO RETURN TO YOUR HOMETOWN PROUDLY SOMEDAY, MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS EAT WELL AND GET PLENTY OF SLEEP.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? CAN YOU DO THAT?

THAT'S EASY! OF COURSE I CAN!

I'M AN IMPRESSIVE TIGER, AFTER ALL!

JUST YOU WAIT! DON'T BE SURPRISED WHEN I BECOME AN INCREDIBLY AMAZING TIGER!

I'M GLAD HOKAN WAS ABLE TO FIND EVEN A LITTLE HOPE HERE BEFORE LEAVING.

SO THAT HE CAN COME AND GO FROM HIS HOMETOWN FREELY...

I SINCERELY HOPE HOKAN'S WISH COMES TRUE SOMEDAY.

THE NEXT DAY

OUR JOURNEY FROM BLANDUS ENDED IN SADNESS AND LONELINESS,

...I'LL COME BACK AS A HUGE AND MAGNIFICENT TIGER.

CHIRPIE WILL COME BACK, TOO!

WE WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU WHENEVER YOU RETURN.

All right, let's get into the carriage now~

AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME REGRET,

...THAT'S RIGHT. THERE'S NO NEED FOR US TO RIDE TOGETHER ON THE WAY BACK...

PARDON? IS SOMETHING WRONG?

...NO, IT'S NOTHING.

LET'S DEPART.

AND SO, EVERYTHING CAME TO A PEACEFUL END.

OR

SO IT SEEMED...

S-SISTER...

WHAT'S THAT...?